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Monday, April 27, 2015

Hero by Samantha Young

Author: Samantha Young
Publisher: NAL
Date of publication: February 2015

Alexa Holland’s father was her hero—until her shocking discovery that she and her mother weren't his only family. Ever since, Alexa has worked to turn her life in a different direction and forge her own identity outside of his terrible secrets. But when she meets a man who’s as damaged by her father’s mistakes as she is, Alexa must help him.

Caine Carraway wants nothing to do with Alexa’s efforts at redemption, but it’s not so easy to push her away. Determined to make her hate him, he brings her to the edge of her patience and waits for her to walk away. But his actions only draw them together and, despite the odds, they begin an intense and explosive affair.

Only Caine knows he can never be the white knight that Alexa has always longed for. And when they're on the precipice of danger, he finds he’ll do anything to protect either one of them from being hurt again…


I had to sit on this book for a bit to decide if I liked it or not.  Hero is definitely a frustrating book. Basically, a long time ago, Alexa's rich and spoiled father gave Caine's mother drugs and left her to OD in a hotel room.  It was all covered up and people were paid off.  Alexa's father was disowned by his rich family. It's kind of a convoluted story, but Alexa's parents were never married because her father was already married with a family. When Caine finds out who Alexa is, he decides he hates her even though she had nothing to do with is mother dying. He gives her a job as his assistant and basically treats her lower than the dirt under his shoe. There is more to the story, but that is the basic outline of it.

In the end, I can't say I ultimately enjoyed the book.  I found the relationship between Alexa and Caine frustrating.  First, I don't understand women who fall for men who treat them like crap.  Lust is one thing, but how can you fall in love with someone who is basically an asshole to you.  At one point Alexa asks her self why she liked this jerk.  I had the same question all the way through.  Is the way Caine treats Alexa in the beginning the equivalent of a little boy pulling the hair of the little girl he secretly likes?  The sex was definitely hot between them, but for me that is as far as it went.  

The other thing that bothered me was the relationship Alexa had with her grandfather.  He is another guy she allows to treat her like crap.She has secret meetings with him because he wants to know her, but won't acknowledge her as an heir in public or to the rest of the family.  Every time he dissed her in public, I wanted to yell at him to grow a pair and yell at her for allowing it to happen.  

They do get their HEA, but it just took too long for them to get there.  I swear I was exhausted by the end of the book.  I will say that I am glad this was a stand alone book.  I have to give the author props for not dragging this dysfunctional relationship out over three books! 

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