Bombshell is actually the first book that I have read from CD Reiss, but I have heard nothing but good things about her books so I was really excited to give this one a go. Unfortunately this wasn't what I had been hoping for, but it seems like others have said that her other books are better so I am curious to give her other books a shot.
Bombshell centers around Hollywood bad boy Brad Sinclair. For those who have read Shuttergirl, he will be familiar to you, but if you are like me and haven't read it you can understand this one just fine as this is a standalone story. Brad finds himself suddenly a father after a cute five year old is dropped in his life after losing her mother. Cara DuMont doesn't do celebrity fathers after some bad experiences, but as a nanny who sees a young adorable girl in need of help she finds herself saying yes to a temporary position taking care of Brad Sinclair's young daughter Nicole. She never expected or wanted to fall for him as well as his daughter though, and she quickly realizes that no matter how hard she tries she is unable to fight the connection she feels to them.
Part of my issues here were the characters. I felt like Brad had his moments where he was completely unlikable, and unfortunately that continued throughout the entire book. Right up until the very end, I just had so many times where he was a self-centered jerk and really didn't seem to think about any kind of consequences. I never felt like there was a true turning point for him, and that had me not believing that there could be anything truly real for these two. Cara talked a good game about how she couldn't be with him and was against anything unprofessional, but when it came down to it she hardly put up a fight. She seemed to change her mind far too easily and I couldn't relate to her or get behind it. All that being said though, I really never felt like the connection between these two was fully formed. It felt like it was strictly physical, and I just didn't believe in the long term for them. They had great chemistry and a ton of attraction between them, but that was it for me. Nicole was adorable, and I did believe that they both cared about her but I wanted to see more.
I also felt like a lot of this story was about Brad wanting someone to help make his life easier with Nicole, and that he at least partially was just looking for a mother figure for her. While he said that wasn't true, at times his actions, thoughts and words spoke to a different story. As much as I wanted to feel differently, that never changed as I continued to read. While I had been hoping for more, I had to force myself at times to pick this book back up. It just didn't hold my attention like I wanted it to, and without feeling invested int he characters or story it made it hard at times to want to read. Overall, this wasn't one that I would recommend, at least if you are new to CD Reiss like I was. I will give some of her other books a shot since I have heard so many good things about her, but for me this one was just okay and was more problematic than successful.
**ARC Provided by Publisher**
This author is brilliant and I hate to have to agree with Casey about this book but I do. This book was not what I would expect from this writer and I really don't want any potential readers of her books to think this is a good representation. If you want to read Reiss, don't read any of her contemporary romance stuff. Read the erotic romance pieces. That's where she is riveting and I think that's where she feels more comfortable as a writer.
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