Title: So Irresistible by Lisa Plumley
Publisher: Kensington Books
Imprint: Zebra
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Length: 368 pages
Book Rating: B
Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley
Summary:
A hard-headed, hard-bodied businessman falls for the gorgeous restaurateur he’s been hired to ruin in USA Today bestselling author Lisa Plumley’s unforgettable new novel.
Tantalizing. Hot. And mouthwateringly delicious. The pizzas at the Portland restaurant chain Shane Maresca is secretly priming for takeover are all that and more. Unfortunately for him, so is Gabriella Grimani, the business owner’s daughter. He had no idea who she was when they had their first X-rated one night stand. Now she’s all he can think about. For someone whose career hinges on ruthlessness, that’s a slice of disaster.
Tough, take-charge Gabby intends to put her family’s restaurants back in the black, and that means no distractions. But somehow Shane keeps getting to the part of her that no one else sees–enticing her to lean on him. To trust him. That could be the biggest mistake Gabby and her business ever made. . .or a recipe for something truly spectacular…
The Review:
So Irresistible is a sizzling hot romance by Lisa Plumley that is fun, flirty and just a tiny bit suspenseful.
When Gabriella (Gabby) Grimani and Shane Maresca meet at a local brewpub, they have both stepped out of their usual comfort zones. They uncharacteristically indulge in a very steamy one night stand and when they find themselves unexpectedly working together at Gabby’s family pizzeria, they agree to keep their relationship purely professional. Their attraction proves to be irresistible and they are soon indulging their passion. Will their relationship survive once Gabby discovers the secret Shane has been keeping?
Financially devastated from a recent takeover attempt, all but one of the family pizzerias have shut down and Gabriella is fighting an uphill battle to keep its doors open. Neither her relationship with her parents or co-workers has recovered from a huge argument with her dad over business improvements. Gabriella is struggling to keep a decent staff and she is disheartened by her once loyal employees’ hostile attitudes. Discouraged and dejected, she decides to enjoy a night out when she meets Shane and while she cannot get their scorching encounter out of her mind, Gabby does not have either the time or inclination for a serious relationship.
Shane is a fixer whose latest assignment is to acquire Gabby’s pizzeria for his father’s corporation. He is feeling a little discontent with where his life is taking him but he is hoping to earn his adopted father’s respect with this latest acquisition. Shane half-heartedly goes about his job once he begins working with Gabby, but he unexpectedly finds himself “fixing” Gabby’s problems instead of gathering insider info.
The chemistry between Shane and Gabby is off the charts smokin’ HAWT! Their encounters are incredibly sensual and best of all? They share an incredible rapport out of bed too. Gabby and Shane really connect on an emotional level, and they both find themselves revealing information about themselves that they usually keep hidden from everyone else. I really enjoyed watching them discover hidden facets of not only themselves but each other as well.
While I enjoyed the overall story, So Irresistible is a little slow moving in the beginning. Most of the background information is revealed in bits and pieces which left me a little confused about what was going on with the pizzeria. While Gabby and Shane are superbly developed protagonists, the secondary cast of characters lacked dimension. With few details of their private lives ever being revealed, their connection always felt superficial. I particularly enjoyed Shane’s assistant, Lizzie and Gabby’s co-worker Pinkie but frustrating little information is given about either of them.
So Irresistible is a lovely romance and while it is my first Lisa Plumley novel, it certainly won’t be my last. I greatly enjoyed the writing style, unique plot and richly detailed descriptions of Portland. All in all a very entertaining novel that I recommend to fans of contemporary romance.
