ARC Review: Staking His Claim by Tessa Bailey

Staking His Claim is the fifth book in Tessa Bailey's Line of Duty Series. These books have interconnected characters, but can be read as stand alones. I have loved every one of her books that I have read so far, and have been waiting to get Matt's story. This book was really good, and I really enjoyed reading about another one of her dirty talking heroes. Even though there was a lot that I really liked, there were a few things that kept this one from being my favorite though. Matt and Lucy's story was still one that I really had a good time reading, and I think it is definitely worth the time spent.

Matt agrees to pick up his best friend's little sister and her friend and drive them from Syracuse to NYC. When Matt shows up at a coffee shop to get directions, he has no idea that the attractive girl in a booth is the same little sister. He calls her a nuisance to the barista, and Lucy overhears him. She pretends to be her roommate Sasha, and asks him for a ride saying that Lucy went with a boyfriend to a lake house. On the ride when the care breaks down, Lucy (as Sasha) and Matt end up getting a hotel room and their attraction for each other explodes. Lucy feels guilty for not telling Matt who she really is, and immediately pulls away from him despite how she really feels. Once they get to the city, the go their separate ways only to run into each other at her brother Brent's engagement party. Matt is furious when he finds out that she lied to him, but isn't able to stay away from her. Despite his disgust for liars, he continues to be drawn to her and the two of them find that they can't stay away from each other. Lucy is weighing her options for a job in either NYC or Paris, and Matt is convinced that he is no good for Lucy. Will they open themselves up to the chance at being together or will there be too many things standing in their way?

I really liked Matt. I always knew that there was more beneath the surface with him, and even though he has always been the quiet one of the group I have been waiting to get to know him. I loved seeing all the different sides to him, and it was especially nice to see him let loose a bit and have a playful side. Lucy really seemed to open him up and bring out all the different facets of his personality. Lucy was feisty and fun, but she was also really caring and open. I loved that she was able to be submissive to Matt and give him control in the bedroom, but that she didn't tolerate crap outside of the bedroom. She forced him to open up and be honest with her even when it was difficult for him. Lucy and Matt seemed to have a connection right away that was really strong. I also thought that these two had a ton of chemistry and were super hot together. Tessa Bailey definitely knows how to bring the steam, and Lucy and Matt's story was no exception.

I did think that the relationship and connection between Lucy and Matt was a bit rushed. The timetable for everything just seemed to be a bit quick for me. Even though you could tell that they were falling for each other, I just felt that it wasn't the most realistic, despite how they were together. The other thing that I didn't really understand was how insecure Matt was about his "darker" side. He liked to be in control and wasn't exactly vanilla in his tastes, but I didn't really see what was so dark about him. Honestly I felt like all the angst and brooding was a bit much considering. I also thought that when it came down to him revealing his story to Lucy, that it was pretty brief and almost anticlimactic. It was brought up and rushed through, and then as soon as it had been said it was over. For something to have affected him so strongly it just seemed that it was glossed over. Overall though, I really think that Tessa Bailey is a fabulous writer and I love her characters. She always draws me in and keeps me interested from start to finish. She is definitely the queen of dirty talkers and hot and steamy sex. I know that every book I read by her is one that I will enjoy and even with my few criticisms here, this story is no exception. I highly recommend this story to fans of this series, but also to anyone who loves a good romance filled with steamy and sexy scenes. If you have never read Tessa Bailey, she is definitely worth the read, and has become one that I consider an auto-buy. This series is an absolute must read.

**ARC provided by Publisher**

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