Love Hurts is the first book in the Caged Love series by Mandi Beck, but it is also her debut novel. I have to say that I was really impressed with her writing, and you couldn't tell that this was the first book that she has written. I am really looking forward to more in this series from her, especially after the ending of this book. I will tell you that there is a cliffhanger, but the book was so good that I am glad that I went ahead and read this one now rather than wait for the next book. I definitely can't wait for more of Deacon and Frankie though!
Deacon "The Hitman" Love has been in love with his best friend for as long as he can remember. They grew up together and have been close their whole lives. When he finally decides to tell her how he feels though, Frankie isn't sure that she is willing to risk their friendship for a chance at more. Deacon might have been in love with Frankie for years, but that hasn't stopped him from being with other women and plenty of them. Frankie loves Deacon as well, but she refuses to end up just another one of his girls and destroy their friendship in the process. But Deacon isn't willing to give up on her, and he is willing to fight in and out of the cage for what he wants.
I really liked Deacon and Frankie, but I will also say that they both had moments where they made me mad. Deacon had wanted Frankie for years and everyone knew it but Frankie. I don't really understand his reasons for never doing anything about it or saying how he felt. It just never really made sense to me. I also didn't like that he was so weak when it came to other women. Even after he told Frankie about his feelings and was trying to get her, he was still with other women. There wasn't any cheating and he was faithful when they were together, but I didn't like seeing him with other girls when he was after Frankie. I really could tell how much he loved her though, and he would have done absolutely anything for her. Frankie had been through a lot, and I could understand her reluctance to just jump into something with Deacon. She was confused and Deacon's feelings caught her off guard at first, even though I don't know how she had no clue of how he felt. But she was strong and smart, and she was a fighter just as much as Deacon was. She was able to go through something horrible and still come out strong. But I didn't like that she was so resistant to Deacon throughout this book. She was saying that she loved him and clearly had feelings for him, and yet she kept him at arms length when she found out something she didn't like. These two were smoking hot though, and I really enjoyed the passion and chemistry between them.
I also thought that Frankie's keeping Cristiano around was bit overdone. She wasn't interested in more with him, and yet she really never set him straight. It seemed as though she almost kept him around just to get to Deacon and I didn't care for that. Especially since she was so jealous of Deacon's past girls. I felt like if she really wanted Deacon to give up the girls that she should have been willing to do the same and let Cristiano know that they had no chance. It just felt a bit too much considering that she didn't ever discourage how physical she let him be with her, constantly touching her even when they weren't working together. I really like Deacon and Frankie together though, and I honestly believe that they are meant to be together. They have such a strong connection, and a great base for a relationship. The ending just about killed me, and I really need to know what happens next. I will definitely be picking up the next book as soon as it is out, and I look forward to reading more from Mandi Beck in the future.
**ARC Provided by IndieSage PR**
Not sure this one is for me, but I do love the friends to lovers trope so maybe someday.
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