Title: About Last Night: A Loveswept Contemporary Romance
Classification: Adult Fiction
Genre: Contemporary Romance
File Size: 1942 KB
Publisher: Loveswept (June 11, 2012)
Sold by: Random House Digital, Inc.
ASIN: B006XWY424
Author's Website: http://www.ruthieknox.com/
Sometimes in life you pass certain people regularly. It can be on the street, in the store or while you wait for the train, and while you see them frequently and feel as if you know them, you really don't. You know them by face alone and while you'd notice if they suddenly disappeared, you wouldn't necessarily mourn them. 'City', as Cath referred to him, was one such person in her life.
She'd devised her own ideas about him--what his education was, what he did for a living, what his financial standing was, etc. They'd politely nod to each other in acknowledgement but that was about the extent of their acquaintance. She saw him practically every day between the train and her jogs through the park, but truly knew nothing about the man. That is until the morning when she woke up in an unfamiliar bed wearing a man's shirt which prompted her to ask a question that began, "About last night..." Her two year hiatus from men seemingly over thanks to a series of events that included a straitjacket, a blind date, allergy medicine, a cross-dressing Patsy Cline and a few drinks.
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I totally adored this book. Ruthie Knox is now one of my favorite romance authors. Her books contain an enjoyable mixture of humor, romance and emotion that create a feast for the senses. Whereas some romances create their own perfect world for their romances, Ruthie creates, in my humble opinion, the perfect romance in an imperfect world and, thereby, keeps the characters and story line seemingly real. The combination creates a deliciously lifelike story that I'd liken to eating an entire giant sized bar of decadent chocolate--totally yummy, but without the guilt or calories.
While I loved Nev, aka City, Cath was my favorite character in this book. She'd been through a lot and was attempting to create a 'new' and 'improved' Cath that didn't rely on men and lived by a self imposed set of rules. She hadn't meant to start a relationship with Nev and had attempted to distance herself from his advances. She'd been in a relationship that hadn't ended well and was not looking for a repeat. Plus, a part of her still hadn't fully healed from the emotional baggage she'd obtained from her last relationship. She doesn't truly see what she has to offer someone. She only sees the mistakes she's made. That is part of the reason why for the past two years she's concentrated on herself and her career and hasn't dared to have a relationship.
In some ways, Cath reminds me a bit of Lisbeth Sanders of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo fame. While definitely not the same story, there are some similarities. Cath uses her tattoos, as did Lisbeth, to represent things from her life she doesn't want to forget and, in a way tells her story without words. She's a bit tough on the outside, yet soft on the inside. She is also more critical of herself than those who take the time to really get to know her. Additionally, she'll never again let someone push her around.
Nev, on the other hand, has been living in his family's shadow for years. In many ways, as Cath declares, he is her polar opposite. He's led a privileged life, is well educated, rich and is expected to follow in his family's footsteps--get married and work in the family business of banking. Nev detests his career and has slowly been taking steps toward removing himself from the family business. One of the more recent things he's done is to acquire an apartment away from the family holdings. Something his mother wasn't very happy about.
Nev's also an artist which is not a profession his parents, particularly his mother, see as a true career. None of Nev's art has ever been displayed or sold, but according to Cath, they are definitely of a high enough quality that they should. One of the things I love about this book is that Nev ends up growing as a person and as a man in this story. Cath brings out the best in him and gives him the confidence and push he so desperately needed to go out on his own and take a chance with his art.
Overall, this one gets 5 out of 5 roses. I loved how the tattoos, and what they represented, acted as a barrier between Nev and Cath at one point, but ultimately gave Nev the means by which to convince Cath to take a chance on him and them. The ending was brilliant and had me falling a bit in love with Ned myself. I could definitely see this one being made into a movie. On the Lisarenee Romance Rating Scale, this one gets a SHOWER rating--a cold shower may be necessary (need I say more?). Some books should come with a warning and this is one of them--make sure your significant other is handy or your shower is in working order. lol
Picture of the Victoria and Albert Museum (V & A):
Pictures of the Greenwich Train Station:
I have this book on pre-order and after reading this - I'm even more excited to get it.
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