MADE FOR US is the first book in author Samantha Chase's new series about the Shaughnessy family. The first two chapters are fast-paced and contain the right amount of emotion, drama and dialogue. These elements drew me into the story immediately because they set the stage for the emotional conflict within the novel and provided insight into the characters of Aidan and Zoe. Both Aidan and Zoe have suffered the loss of a parent and they handle their losses very differently. Aidan can't move past his grief and although Zoe misses her mother deeply, she has accepted her death and is ready to move forward.
The character of Aidan Shaughnessey resonated with me. Kudos to Samantha Chase for creating a hero who is a bit rough around the edges, very demanding and controlling. Aidan doesn't possess the qualities found in a typical romance novel hero, but he's an awesome real-life hero with real-life issues! The oldest of six children, Aidan loves his family. He is a successful contractor and thrives on routine and wants every thing to be the same ALL of the time. Change is not Aidan's friend. That's why is was so much fun to see Aidan fall for Zoe!
Zoe Dalton was not what Aidan expected. The honest conversations between the couple are superbly crafted. Zoe went toe-to-toe with Aidan and didn't give in to his demands. She wanted Aidan to respect her as a woman, decorator and friend. Loved how the author compared and contrasted the simmering passion between Aiden and Zoe with the hurricane moving towards the North Carolina coast. The scene where Zoe figures out that Aidan was helping himself to her Oreos was hilarious and the scene where Aidan wakes Zoe up to tell her about the storm damage was heartbreaking.
I was invested in the characters and read the last few chapters of the novel in an afternoon. Samantha Chase could have written a formula romance novel to start off her new series -- death , grief and destruction are not what a reader expects in a contemporary romance. I am so pleased she chose to tell Aidan and Zoe's story that at times was passionate, exasperating and heartbreaking. It sets the stage for the new series perfectly with its elegant prose and honest dialogue. MADE FOR US contains a few neat, unexpected plot twists which adds to the story's authenticity. I loved how the storm and flower images are subtly tucked into the story line. Will Aidan see the signs his Mother is sending him?
Can't make time for love?
The Shaughnessy brothers have spent the years since their
mother's untimely death taking care of each other and
trying
to make their father proud. Oldest son Aidan is
hard-working, handsome, successful-and still single.
Sure,
he'd like to have his own family someday, but who has the
time?
She'll show him how to find it
Zoe Dalton, a stunning designer Aidan meets on one of his
construction jobs, has the beauty and heart to make Aidan
realize how much he could be missing. But it's not easy
to
break down walls you've spent years building up. Now
there's
a major storm bearing down on the North Carolina coast,
and
it could be catalyst enough to force Aidan and Zoe into
some
major decisions of the heart.
EXCERPT
So many things were on the tip of Zoeโs tongue, but she
kept them to herself. No need to cause an argument. In
another ten minutes sheโd be at her door and saying
goodbye to him. Surely they could go that long without
arguing. Maybe.
โHave you eaten dinner?โ he asked casually.
โAs a matter of fact I havenโt. I had planned on
grabbing some takeout and going home. You know, before
the whole tire thing.โ
Aidan nodded and turned in the parking lot of the local
pizzeria. He parked his truck in front and climbed out,
walking around to open Zoeโs door. โThis place is the
best Italian in town.โ Once Zoeโs feet hit the ground,
Aidan turned and walked toward the entrance.
Zoe stood there for a moment, a little shell-shocked. He
didnโt ask if she wanted to eat with him or if she even
liked pizza!
โUmโฆI donโt eat Italian,โ she said, arms crossed.
So much for going for ten minutes without arguing.
Aidan turned and looked at her as if she had grown a
second head. โWhat do you mean? Everyone eats Italian
food.โ
Zoe shrugged. โI donโt.โ She tried to keep a straight
face and not giggle at the indecision on Aidanโs face. He
clearly didnโt know what to do with people not just
immediately going along with everything he said.
Taking a step toward her, he said, โWe can grab something
else if youโd like.โ
Ah, there it was. He was actually taking a moment to
think about someone elseโs feelings. She considered it
for a moment, walked by him to the door to the
restaurant.
โWhat are you doing?โ he asked.
โI actually love Italian food. But I prefer being asked
first if Iโd like to have dinner someplace, or with
someone.โ Before he could respond, Zoe went through the
door and up to the hostess, who led her to a corner
booth. Aidan joined her, his expression guarded.
โSo that wasโฆwhat? You were teaching me a lesson?โ he
asked as he sat down.
Picking up the menu, Zoe simply shrugged. โIt would have
been nice if you actually asked me what Iโd like to eat
rather than just making the decision for me.โ
Aidan was stumped. What was the big deal? He was
hungry, she was hungry and neither of them had eaten
dinner. They were passing the pizza place, end of story.
Aidan wondered why he didnโt just take her home and get
something to eat on his own. Trying to get this woman to
soften up toward him was starting to feel like more
trouble than it was worth. Not that he cared what this
woman in her sexy pencil skirts thought about him. No
sir.
Zoeโs face was mostly hidden by the menu, but he saw her
smiling eyes peek at him briefly, and he could see her
shoulders shaking.
She was laughing at him? Seriously?
โWhat is so damn funny?โ he demanded.
โYou have a lousy poker face,โ she said, putting down the
menu. โYou looked like your head was about to explode.โ
Nailed it in one. โOkay, fine. You had your fun. If
you didnโt want to eat with me, you should have just said
so.โ
โUmโฆwhen? You pulled in the parking lot and climbed out
of the truck without asking if I wanted to stop.โ
Aidan looked up at the ceiling and then back at Zoe. โDo
you want to eat or not?โ
โThat depends,โ she said sweetly.
โOn?โ
โAre we going to share in conversation or are you going
to be all bossy and dominate the whole thing?โ
If Aidan didnโt know any better heโd swear that Zoe had
talked to his family, or at least Darcy. Doing his best
to relax, he picked up his menu to give himself something
else to look at besides her distracting eyes, distracting
hands, distracting everything. โWe can talk about
whatever you want.โ His teeth were clenched so tightly
that he was sure he broke a molar. Heโd dealt with quite
a few difficult clients in his line of work with no
problem. Why did this woman make him so damn
uncomfortable?
โIf you werenโt grinding your teeth when you said it, I
would have believed you.โ
That was it. He was done. She was fired. Heโd find
another design firm because nothing was worth all of this
aggravation. Slamming his menu down, he went to slide
out of the booth when the waitress came over.
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