The advertising business can be brutal...
But Lydia was the perfect woman to tackle any challenge thrown her way. Having overcome a painful past, she's determined to make a life for herself on her own terms. Her plan to stay focused on her career and lead a life without the taint of love hits a snag in the form of her equally determined and very sexy boss, Ryder.
Success takes perseverance...
And Ryder has the drive to make his goals a reality. Having built his advertising firm with nothing but his hard work and fortitude, he's used to getting what he wants. And he wants Lydia. Using the same principles in his business strategy to win her, he fails miserably. Frustrated by Lydia’s steadfast refusal to acknowledge the scorching attraction between them, he devises a plan to get her alone: a weeklong business trip on a tropical island resort where the days are hot and the nights are downright steamy.
Ryder knows it will take more than flowers and candy to win Lydia--heart, body, and soul. She'll need a little push, a dose of persuasion, with a pinch of heady seduction. In matters of love and business, sometimes a hostile takeover isn’t as bad as it sounds.
Chosen as 'Top Pick!' by ARE
Hostile Takeover is wickedly good writing and the collaboration of Eve Vaughn and Shara Azod is sheer genius. Lydia Morris is a new hire at Garrison Advertising and although she gets along well with her co-workers, she remains professionally detached, much to the chagrin of Ryder Garrison. Ryder wants Lydia real bad and hopes she'll drop the façade and show him she wants him too. When the opportunity arises to collaborate on an ad campaign, Ryder uses this as an excuse to get Lydia alone. Lydia has successfully fought her feelings for Ryder but being alone with him might be too much. Ryder makes her forget her rule to never date within the workplace. Yet, Ryder is relentless in his pursuit of Lydia. Just a kiss and her resolve melts away. The line between business and pleasure is crossed. Lydia is terrified of her feelings for Ryder because her previous office romance ended in disastrous results. Ryder is frustrated because he really loves Lydia and knows she loves him but their love won't stand a chance if she continues to fight her feelings.
Hostile Takeover by Eve Vaughn and Shara Azod was the most entertaining novel I read this month. The story initially seems like a light romance but as the plot develops it touches on important issues that affect real life relationships. The novel pulls on many emotions such as passion, pain, frustration and satisfaction and all these play out very realistically throughout the story. Lydia and Ryder's passion is like a force of its own and this interracial couple knows how to steam up the sheets. Lydia's past experiences have created such intense emotional pain, she's paralyzed and incapable of wholly loving Ryder without fearing she will get hurt again. Ryder's frustration is clear throughout most of the novel because like most real men, he knows what he wants and Lydia is it. He's not in it to quit but to truly love this woman for life.
Thankfully despite all the adversity they face along the way, they both find satisfaction in knowing that love is not perfect but they are perfect for each other. Despite Lydia's scars, Ryder loves her wholeheartedly. As far as characters go, Lydia is an interesting character because to the world she is seen as a woman with a serious face and sensible clothing. In Ryder's eyes, she becomes this woman with a rich brown complexion, risqué locks and her understated yet sexy outfits might as well be a stripper's costume for all the temptation it brings him. I also like the complexity of her personality because she reminds me of many women who excel in careers but have poor judgment in choosing healthy relationships. Ryder is foot after foot of pure deliciousness with his dark blond, wavy hair and beautiful piercing green eyes. At first, I wasn't sure what to make of him because he seemed more interested in having sex with Lydia than actually getting to know her as a person. However, as the story progressed so did his true intentions and I really connected with him and wanted him to find love and happiness with Lydia. Put Lydia and Ryder together in this novel and black and white simply equals Passion with a capital P. Overall, Hostile Takeover is really entertaining stuff with real substance. I can't wait for more joint projects from these authors.
