Padme's Library: Review Tour: Kaden by RJ Scott & Meredith Russell

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Review Tour: Kaden by RJ Scott & Meredith Russell

Title: Kaden

Authors: RJ Scott & Meredith Russell

Series: Boyfriend for Hire #2

Genre: M/M Romance

Release Date: August 9, 2019

Cover Design: Meredith Russell

Summary:
When the lines between pretense and reality blur, can the actor and the boyfriend-for-hire discover something real?

Ryan Levesque is Hollywood’s newest blue eyed boy. Moving from soap operas to the big screen has paid off for the kid from Minnesota, and he’s hot property. But, when a video from the lowest point of his past is shared on social media everything begins to unravel and old hurts resurface. His agent suggests a way out of the mess, and he jumps at the chance to make things right by pretending he’s in a committed, loving relationship with the tall, dark, sexy boyfriend for hire, Kaden. Only, he never counted on the impact Kaden would have on his life, or his career.

When Kaden Moore’s next assignment lands in his lap, he’s expecting nothing more than a self-centered celebrity who’s messed up. Kaden’s new role is that of Hollywood A-lister Ryan Levesque’s boyfriend, a PR stunt concocted by his agents to restore the actor’s dented popularity. Kaden is aware of the video that surfaced from Ryan’s past, and though it raises questions about what kind of man Ryan is, it’s not any of Kaden’s business. Kaden has been pretending his entire life, and knows he can show the troublesome actor a thing or two about the world beyond the Hollywood bubble. But maybe Kaden isn’t as clued up as he thinks, especially when it comes to the heart and love.

The fake boyfriend trope can be hard to pull off without sounding cliche but RJ Scott & Meredith Russell have not only managed to give the concept life once but twice(and hopefully more). When a drunken rant and threat is caught on video and leaked to the press, Hollywood actor Ryan Levesque is in need of the services Boyfriend for Hire provides. Kaden Moore may not be too gung-ho about his next job with the actor having seen the leaked video but he has a job to do and he goes with it. As much as I loved Darcy, book one in the Boyfriend for Hire series, I think Kaden is even better(not something one often says).

The set-up of drunken actor in need of good PR may seem a bit cliche or overused on the service but we quickly learn that there is so much more to what was behind Ryan's drunken video. Now you know I won't go into what the "much more" is or touch on what is in Kaden's past either but just know this: I can't imagine any two people who needed each other more than Ryan and Kaden. Life is all about timing, right place and all that jazz, well the stars were definitely aligned when these two were put in each other's radar.

You'll want to hate Ryan when you first meet him, he comes across as the quintessential Hollywood I'm-too-good-for-this type but we quickly see there's more to him than that partial video. That point right there was actually one of my favorite things about this story, the pace Scott & Russell set, some authors might have dragged out seeing the real Ryan to heighten the drama but personally that would have weakened the story's beginning. We might not learn the whole truth behind what led to the video for a bit but I think seeing Ryan's vulnerability(for lack of a better word) early on strengthened the connection between character and reader.

Some might say these two are broken and in need of fixing but I don't see them that way, I saw two people who are brought together out of necessity that led to more and through that "more" they grow stronger. Some might think I'm giving away too much by that statement but we all know its going to end in HEA, the joy, entertainment, and heart comes from the journey not the ending. Trust me, you'll want to know the journey these two took getting from point A to point Z.

RATING:

Darcy #1
Summary:
Darcy’s newest assignment is to play the role of boyfriend to a wealthy socialite, but never expected the intense attraction to his date’s brother. Falling for Adrian is dangerous and certainly not part of the plan.

Adrian has been as unlucky in love as his sister, but he doesn’t approve of hiring a boyfriend, whatever the reason. Until he meets Darcy. Then he comes to realize that love can happen in the most unexpected of ways.

One week. That is all the two men needed to fall in lust, but will they have a lifetime to fall in love?

Original Review September 2018:
When Abby walks in looking to hire a boyfriend for a week, she didn't expect someone quite like Darcy. When Darcy arrives to help Abby keep her family off her back for the week, he certainly didn't expect to meet Adrian. When Adrian learned his sister was hiring a boyfriend for a family wedding, he never expected someone like Darcy to walk through the door. Darcy has a way about him that changes everything but will the three of them be able to pull it off and will Darcy and Adrian find more than lust once the week is up?

Darcy, both the character and the book as a whole is just brilliantly fun. As October nears and my reading tends to veer towards the macabre, Darcy is a wonderful way to "close down" my "non-spookified" list😉😉. There is just the right amount of drama that keeps this from being a full-on rom-com but only just. If the authors had added a couple of pratfalls and slapstick scenes I could easily picture Cary Grant as Darcy, Irene Dunne as Abby, and Randolph Scott as Adrian(for those unfamiliar with classic films they are the three lead actors in My Favorite Wife from 1940, rom-com at its finest). Darcy may not be all laughs and giggles but it left me with more smiles than frowns.

The chemistry between Darcy, Abby, and Adrian is automatic and natural. What I found to make the story standout was Adrian being in the know from the getgo, it really helped the connection be so much more believable as well as fun. I should probably mention for those who find insta-love a major turn-off then this might be one you want to hold off on for awhile but not forever. Now for me, when done well, insta-love is exceptional and in Darcy its definitely done well. I just want to point out that if you don't believe insta-love can last well I'm living proof it can. My grandfather was discharged from the Army on New Year's Eve 1945, met my grandmother in January 1946 when he dropped his sister off at work, by Valentine's Day they were a definite item, by July they were wed, and still devoted to each other when he died in 1994. So I love a well written tale of falling fast and by "well written" I mean believable which is what Darcy is: believable, not something you may see happen everyday but still doable.

I don't usually make a point to mention the epilogue but this one is just so lovely I had to give credit to the authors for adding it. I won't say anything about what's in it but it fit perfectly, having read it I can't imagine the story without it. I can't wait to see what RJ Scott & Meredith Russell bring us next in their new Boyfriends for Hire series. Whether future installments will be as fun as Darcy or more angsty won't matter, even if its only half as well told it'll still be amazing, that's just how good I found this series opener to be. Simply put, Darcy is satisfyingly fun entertainment from cover to cover that put a smile on my face and I couldn't ask for more than that.

RATING:

RJ Scott
USA Today bestselling author RJ Scott writes stories with a heart of romance, a troubled road to reach happiness, and most importantly, a happily ever after.

RJ Scott is the author of over one hundred romance books, writing emotional stories of complicated characters, cowboys, millionaire, princes, and the men who get mixed up in their lives. RJ is known for writing books that always end with a happy ever after. She lives just outside London and spends every waking minute she isn’t with family either reading or writing.

The last time she had a week’s break from writing she didn’t like it one little bit, and she has yet to meet a bottle of wine she couldn’t defeat.

She’s always thrilled to hear from readers, bloggers and other writers. Please contact via the links below.

Meredith Russell
Meredith Russell lives in the heart of England. An avid fan of many story genres, she enjoys nothing less than a happy ending. She believes in heroes and romance and strives to reflect this in her writing. Sharing her imagination and passion for stories and characters is a dream Meredith is excited to turn into reality.