Bedmates was my first book by Nichole Chase, but it definitely won't be my last! This book was the first in her new American Royalty series, and I enjoyed it from start to finish. This was such a sweet and sexy story and I had a great time reading Maddie and Jake's story!
When Maddie McGuire's latest mistake lands her in handcuffs, she knows that things are about to go from bad to worse quickly due to the fact that she is the President's daughter. When she agrees to pay for the damages and do community service, she never expects that she will find herself working alongside Jake Simmon. Not only is Jake annoying, but he ratted her out in the past. But Jake is no longer the same guy she remembers, and since returning from Afghanistan with a life changing injury he struggles with the horrors of everything that he has been through. Maddie and Jake might fight like cats and dogs, but they soon realize that there is a fine line between love and hate. Can Maddie help Jake with his demons though, or will he push her away when he needs her the most?
I really loved these characters. They had so much depth and I loved the fact that they were different yet had so much in common. They understood each other in a way that no one else could because of their circumstances, and that had them relating to one another even before things really started to change between them. They were both sweet and sexy, and the emotional connection they were forming was one I couldn't get enough of. Both Maddie and Jake wanted to make the world a better place, and their determination to do so was great to see. They weren't doing it just because of the position they were in because of their parents, but because they genuinely believed in the causes that they were passionate about.
Overall, this was a great story and I loved it from the very beginning. There were a few times that Jake annoyed me with his pushing Maddie away, but I understood it even if I didn't like it. The only reason this one wasn't a five star book for me was because of something that is an issue for me personally. I don't know that it will bother other readers like it did for me, but Jake did hook up with a few girls in the beginning of this story, one he definitely should have known better about, and that was something I don't care for. Maddie and Jake weren't together, so he didn't cheat, but he did recognize his feelings for Maddie and it was clear that Maddie was upset about him with the one girl, so that just rubbed me the wrong way. We find out later that he had been with a few other girls as well and to me once feelings and a connection start to form, I don't want the hero or heroine to be with anyone else. Again though, that could just be something that bothers me personally and I still really enjoyed the book. It just kept me from absolutely loving this one when I think had that been different that this would have been easily five stars. I definitely can't wait to read more from Nichole Chase though, and I already can't wait for the next book in this series.
**ARC Provided by Publisher**
