ARC Review: LOOK THE PART by Jewel E. Ann

Flint Hopkins finds the perfect tenant to rent the space above his Minneapolis-based law office.

All the t’s are crossed and i’s dotted on Ellen’s application. Her references are good. And she’s easy on the eyes.

Until …

Flint discovers Ellen Rodgers, Board-Certified Music Therapist, plays music. Bongos, guitars, singing—not Beethoven administered through noise-cancelling headphones.

The cut-throat attorney serves up an eviction notice to the bubbly, constantly humming redhead who's too sexy for her own good. But luck is on Ellen’s side when Flint’s autistic son, Harrison, takes an instant liking to her. A single dad can’t compete with guitars—and rats. Yes, she has pet rats.

This woman …

She’s annoyingly happy with a constant need to touch him—adjust his tie, button his shirt, invade his space, and mess with his mind.

Still …

She must go.

Their lust-hate relationship escalates into something beautiful and tragic. This sexy, romantic-comedy explores the things we want, the things we need, and the impossible decisions parents and children make to survive.

One-click this beauty today! http://amzn.to/2DVZzml

(FREE w/ Kindle Unlimited)

REVIEW

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It took me roughly 10 days to come up with something to write that would do this story justice. Right now, I know there is nothing that I can say that will illustrate the captivating beauty and pain that leaked from these pages. There is nothing that I can type that will give you a glimpse of the feels, the heart-rocking emotions, the utter devastation, and the sublime bliss that I found in this book. But I’m going to try anyway.

We should remember people in their most beautiful moments, but we don’t. It’s the etching of ugly and pain that leaves a lasting impression.

Those lines right there? They were at the beginning of the book and pulled me right in and this story refused to let me go!

Flint, a prominent attorney, rents his upstairs unit to Ellen, a music therapist. Too bad he didn’t know what he was getting into. He really should have done some research on what a music therapist does. The racket upstairs is a huge distraction to him and despite how attached his slightly autistic son, Harrison, has become to his new tenant, he serves her with an eviction. However, Ellen isn’t leaving without a fight.

I want to be his greatest strength - and his greatest weakness. I want to be where he hides his lies and finds his truth.

Flint was stoic, brooding and oh-so-sexy while Ellen was not only a gorgeous woman, but a positive force of energy. It was almost like she kept bouncing off of his forcefield of negativity in order to ultimately penetrate it. And penetrate it she did. While they embarked on their lust-hate relationship (not really that much hating going on though), they both found that they each had walls built up for protection, from pain that was more tragic than words. Neither of them expected the other to be the catalyst for those walls to come tumbling down.

We’re that moment of light and whisper of hope that sprouts from the barren ground after the end of the world. It’s not him. It’s not me. It’s us. We defy the laws of existence. We are forgiveness and redemption. What we have is not a victory against all odds, it’s the inevitable.

I loved every single thing about this book. From Flint and Ellen’s every interaction, be it casual, platonic or sexual, there was a fierce intensity to their connection, even when it wasn’t always pretty. Ellen and Flint’s interactions with Harrison were a highlight as well. I loved how he was different with each of them but they didn’t begrudge the other but rather celebrated the many sides to him. And when they finally admitted to their fall… le sigh… I don’t think there was anything the author could have done to make me love these characters, and I mean all of them, any more. It’s been 10 days and they haven’t left my mind.

I’m going to love you so hard, time won’t matter. Distance won’t matter. All you’ll feel when you take each breath… is my love.

The love in this book was profound. The love between Ellen and Flint, the love of their parents, the love everyone had for Harrison, it was picture perfect. I laughed, I cried, I cheered and I sighed. Again, words cannot properly express how much I loved this story or how incredible it really is, so I strongly recommend you read it to see for yourself.

Release: Jan. 29, 2018 | Genre: Contemporary/RomCom | POV: Dual - 1st person | Heat: 3 out of 5 | Standalone