March 8, 2012

An Irresistible Bachelor – Review

An Irresistible Bachelor (Unforgettable Lady #2)

by J.R. Ward writing as Jessica Bird

Publication date: 05 July 2007 by Signet (re-released July 5 2011)

ISBN 10/13: 0451230981 | 9780451230980

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Book Depository

Category: Adult Contemporary Romance
Keywords: Romance, contemporary, realistic
Format: Mass market paperback, eBook

From Goodreads:

CALL HER CRAZY…

Art conservationist Callie Burke isn’t thrilled with her lucrative new assignment. Restoring a masterpiece acquired by ruthless business magnate and politico Jack Walker should have been the project of a lifetime. But the problem is not the painting–it’s that the sexy owner is a perfect work of art in his own right.

CALL HIM IRRESISTIBLE…

The attraction is very mutual, but Callie knows mixing business and pleasure is a bad idea–and not just because she isn’t from his world of privilege: She has a secret to keep–one that must remain buried. However, after she moves into Jack’s Boston mansion to do the job, their undeniable spark becomes an all-consuming passion…and her hidden past threatens to destroy any possible future for them.

As she brings the painting back to life, Callie knows her time with Jack is limited…unless love can somehow find a way to turn a hig-profile committed bachelor into the husband of her dreams.

Thuy’s Review:

I hate to speak ill of a J.R. Ward book but Irresistible Bachelor fell flat for me. It usually only takes me a couple of days to read one of her books but this one lingered for weeks while I put it aside to read other things. Written before Ward hit her stride with the Black Dagger Brotherhood series, Bachelor seems very formulaic and was kind of boring. We first met Jack Walker in An Unforgettable Lady, where we saw him propose to his girlfriend Blair. A known ladies man, Jack’s friends and family alike are shocked with this turn of events. Though Jack doesn’t love Blair, he cares for her and respects her, and thinks that’s a good enough basis for marriage. An Irresistible Bachelor picks up a few months later when contacts Callie, the (secret) half sister of Unforgettable’s heroine, and asks her to restore a painting for him.

While I initially had high hopes for Jack after meeting the charismatic business man in An Unforgettable Lady, I found him to be lacking in personality in this one. He’s a workaholic with parent issues. He’s charming at times but not enough to make him memorable. I think part of the problem for me was also that Jack was engaged for half the book. He makes no secrets about the fact that he doesn’t love Blair. However, instead of calling it off one he starts to feel attracted to Callie, he lets it go too far for my comfort. Even though nothing very scandalous goes on between Callie and Jack, it’s still a betrayal of trust. When the breakup finally happens, it’s dealt with rather easily and with little fuss. It seemed like Jack was getting a pass on his indiscretions and it made me like him less.

Callie comes from a completely different world than Jack. An art conservationist living paycheck to paycheck, Callie feels out of place in Jack’s world of high society and money. I admired Callie’s independence and drive but was frustrated with her at times. Her lack of trust puts a strain on an already tenuous relationship. And I guess that the real problem is that I just didn’t feel the connection between Jack and Callie. There were some good moments but, overall, I just didn’t feel that zing that I usually do when reading a good romance.

If you’re looking for a good contemporary by Ward, I’d recommend An Unforgettable Lady or The Billionaire Next Door (love) instead. Though this was disappointing, I am glad that I read it and am gladder still that Ward has found her niche writing about kickass vampires, angels, and heroines in the Black Dagger Brotherhood and Fallen Angels series.