ARC - Desire By Design

Desire By Design
by: Paula Altenburg

Preorder on Amazon (Releases 5/13/2013)

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Blurb:

He stole her job, and now she's stealing his heart.  Eve Doucette finally almost has it all. Shes free from her mistake of an ex-husband and just landed her dream job: project manager for a new City Hall and drafter of the final design. That is, until a handsome architect sweeps into town to commandeer her blueprints.  Famous architect Matt Brison is unsatisfied with his mundane life in Toronto. So when the mayor of Halifax asks him to spearhead his City Hall project, Matt jumps at the opportunity. Theres just one problem: the feisty and beautiful project lead, Eve, who isnt exactly thrilled about her new "coworker" hijacking her design.  But when the sparks begin to fly, they both find themselves falling for the colleague they shouldnt want. And before they know it, their already shaky foundation might come crumbling down...

Review:

This is a delightful quick read that would be perfect for a lazy afternoon around the house.  The story is simple, but well written and truly a fun way to spend a few hours.  I devoured this cute little book in one sitting.  I was completely tangled up in the sweet romance between Eve and Matt. 

The characters were well developed and easy to like (not counting the terrible ex, of course.)  I loved the quick humour in the story, peppered amongst the narration of the story.  It seemed no matter what Eve or Matt's intentions were, some sort of mischeif followed.  Their zany experiences lightened my day and made me laugh out loud on a few occasions - mostly the beach scene. ;)

Eve was easy for me to relate to, as I have always been a bit of a tomboy myself, as well as the fact that my family doesn't approve of my job choice.  Even without these qualities, I can see it being very easy to relate to Eve - a woman haunted by the mistakes of her past.

Why not a five?  Well, although I really did enjoy this book, everything went a bit too smoothly for my taste.  I kept expecting a big climax, but it never happened.  I felt that there were a few things left unanswered about Eve and Matt's future, and that was a bit unsettling for me.  I also think that a little more history about the Ex would have been beneficial. 

Even with these small flaws, the book is very enjoyable and definitely worth the read to anyone looking for a light romance.

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