REVIEW: ALL THE PRETTY POSES by M. LEIGHTON

Series: Pretty #2
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: M. Leighton
Publication Date: 1/26/14
Format: eARC
Source: Received from author for review

 

He never wanted to be a hero…until she needed him to be.

Strength…
It took Kennedy Moore years to put her life back together after Reese Spencer shattered it. But she did. Now, years later, strong and independent, she is in pursuit of a single dream—to dance with the Altman American Dance Theater. Unfortunately, Kennedy is learning that a girl from nowhere with no money and no contacts might never be able to reach her goal.

That is, until Reese reappears, offering a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that Kennedy just can’t refuse. In exchange for working on his yacht for a few short weeks, he’ll get her an audition with the famous dance troupe. All Kennedy has to do is keep her head down, work hard and resist Reese. That sounds easy enough, right?

Weakness…
Reese doesn’t want to make it easy for Kennedy. Seeing her again has started a fire in his blood—an unwelcome one. It took him years to forget about her before, so this time he has a plan. It’s simple: Get Kennedy on his yacht, seduce her, get her out of his system, move on with his life. That sounds easy enough, right?

But the one thing Reese didn’t plan for was Kennedy herself—a girl so strong yet so broken, she makes him want to rescue her, to take care of her. To save her. Even if he has to save her from himself.

 

 

First Impression... Pretty cover. All the Pretty Lies was a great book and left some big shoes to fill. I like those Spencer brothers.

 

The Story... "In the simplest of terms. The most convenient of definitions." (<----The Breakfast Club reference. Life goal achieved!) All the Pretty Poses is a second chance love story. You know the type: privileged young man meets the daughter of the help. They fall in love. He moves away. Until years later, their paths cross and the boy-turned-man decides he will have the girl-turned-woman again. She's resistant, but he won't be stopped. Who will win the epic battle of wills?  

 

The Characters...Reese and Kennedy are definitely of the same mold as their predecessors Hemi and Sloane. Unlike his brother, Reese is a man much like their father, a ruthless business who puts his empire before anything else. To be honest, I did not like Reese that much throughout the first two-thirds of the book. The way he conducts relations with his employees, relentlessly pursues Kennedy, and a few of his secrets, all left me feeling a bit cold towards him. I think that the issue was mine, in that I was looking for a character more like Hemi. But, that story is over, and though I didn't love Reese, he did redeem himself completely in my eyes.  

 

Kennedy was an interesting character. Her history was awful, and I did completely empathize for her. It's clear right away that though she claims she won't repeat history with Reese, her protests are merely words. Like Reese, Kennedy has some secrets, one in particular that blew me away, and definitely took All the Pretty Poses up a notch for me.

 

The Writing... I've been a fan of M. Leighton's writing for several years now, and find that she is a very, very consistent writer. When I pick up another of her books, I always know that I will find good writing and an interesting story. The tone of All the Pretty Poses was very...lush, definitely fitting the lifestyle and setting.

 

And wow, was I surprised by this story. The first two-thirds was fairly straightforward. I could see exactly where the story was going. It wasn't especially exciting, but it was sexy and I was enjoying it. The last one-third of the story, however, turned everything around. I was shocked by the twists. I'm not sure if I'm just dense, but I did not see either of the two big twists coming. Fun!

 

In the End... All the Pretty Poses was a sexy and surprising second chance love story. I look forward to whatever Leighton cooks up next for the Pretty series.

 

 

(graphic by me!)

 

 

The Pretty Series 

 

 

(covers lead to GoodReads)

 

 

My Review of All the Pretty Lies

 

Purchase Links
 

 All the Pretty Lies

Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble

 

 

 All the Pretty Poses

Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble

 

 

About the author

M. Leighton is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of The Wild Ones and The Bad Boys romance trilogies. She is a native of Ohio, relocated to the warmer climates of the South, where she lets her mind wander to romantic settings with sexy Southern guys much like the one she married and the ones you'll find in her latest books. When her thoughts aren't roaming in that direction, she'll be riding horses, swimming in ponds and experiencing life on a ranch, all without leaving the cozy comfort of her office.

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