Unworthy Heart by Dorothy F. Shaw

Unworthy Heart
By: Dorothy F. Shaw
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Published: May 5, 2015
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance
Content: M/F, Spanking, Anal Play, Oral Sex
Length: Novel
Heat Level: Scorching
Reviewer: Marchelle
Date: May 15, 2015

 

Opposites not only attract, sometimes they spontaneously combust.

The Donnellys, Book 1

Ryan Donnelly’s past relationship may have failed, but he’s determined to make single fatherhood and his career a resounding success. He’s got his eye on the top of the ladder at an L.A. marketing firm when his gaze snags on co-worker Maiya Rossini.

She’s a feisty, witty, tattooed redhead who’s nowhere near his type, but she pushes every one of his hot buttons.

Maiya clawed her way out of her dysfunctional, trailer-park childhood to earn a college degree and establish a promising career. Her future dreams are big, bright and packed with full-throttle fun, but when it comes to matters of the heart and men—especially stuffy corporate types like Ryan—her past slams on the emotional brakes.

In the office and in the bedroom, Maiya and Ryan rub each other in all the right ways. Though Maiya is everything Ryan didn’t know he wanted, he’s got his work cut out for him convincing her she’s worthy of love—or the bright light she’s brought to his life could slip through his fingers.

Warning: Contains a lot of graphic, yummy sex. To those prone to lock their bedroom doors, fair warning. In this book, there are no doors, only windows. With no curtains. For those who aren’t afraid to keep their eyes wide open: Enjoy the show!

Amazing! I don't even know where to begin with this book. So I'll start with what I enjoyed the most - the banter. No one writes banter like Dorothy Shaw. It's at times laugh out loud funny, other times sexy, it can even be sarcastic, but it's never dull. The banter between Ryan and Maiya is definitely entertaining and is a huge part of what makes them such a perfect fit.

Maiya gives new meaning to the term fiery redhead. She is a force of nature. At one point when Ryan starts to think he may have feelings for her, he describes her as "a red-headed, tattooed angel...With heaven in her eyes, and hell between her legs." Nothing could be more fitting. She shows the world her strength and determination but Ryan sees through the mask she puts on for the rest of the world. He wants nothing more than to be her safe place but she reminds him of someone from his past and he's not sure if he can put himself or his son through this. At the same time, Maiya hasn't been able to rely on anyone but herself in such a long time, she doesn't know how to trust someone else to be her safety net. The only problem is they have this intense sexual attraction that leads to the hottest, most satisfying sex either of them has ever had. The sex makes their emotional connection deeper and it becomes painful for them to stay away from each other even though they both hold on to their own stubborn reasons for not being together. When her mom becomes ill and Ryan tries to support her, it becomes too much for her to handle and she pushes away the first person in a long time who only wants to give her unconditional love and support. The demons from her past do their best to convince her that she is undeserving of it.

I loved this story! It's a different take on a workplace romance. The characters are well-developed, the plot is original, the dialogue is interesting and the sex is off the charts H-O-T! The relationship between Maiya and Ryan feels incredibly real. It's messy, it's difficult, it's confusing, it's fun, it's sexy and all those things contribute to the feeling that you could be reading about people you know. The way they talk to and relate to each other is true to life. There's nothing fancy or over the top. That is a large part of what makes this book so great. It is completely believable.

I'm interested to see how things work out for Ryan's brother Jimmy. We got a little taste of him in this book but it's obvious there is so much more there that hasn't been revealed. The same can be said for Ryan's sister Cyn. Dorothy gave us little teasers on several members of the Donnelly clan. If this first installment is anything to go by, the rest of the series will be incredible! Bring on book 2!!