Wicked Takeover (Wicked Brand #1) by Tina Donahue (

  Wicked Takeover by Tina Donahue

Blurb:

She’s just inherited a tattoo parlor…and the hunk who comes with it.

Lauren’s in a helluva mess. Not only has she lost her corporate HR job, she’s just inherited Wicked Brand, a struggling West Palm Beach tattoo parlor…along with the virile dude who runs it. Lauren’s full-figured, sorta pretty, and wanting him badly. Dream on. She’s here to sell the place as quickly as possible for some much-needed cash and score a new position in the corporate world.

Dante’s sinfully hot with a killer smile and beautifully inked biceps. He sees the heat in Lauren’s eyes despite her conservative appearance, recognizing the dynamite woman she could be if she’d just loosen up and have some wicked fun. Dominance and submission. Making love in a public place. Having her lush body always accessible to and ready for his.

Unwilling and unable to keep their hands to themselves, Lauren and Dante turn to carnal games and seduction. Until lust turns to surprising need and friendship to something deeper that might just change their futures.


I must admit that I had underestimated the amount of sex this book would include. As this is not the book's fault but mine, it has no effect on my rating. I just mention it because, even though it is well written, I felt like skipping a lot of pages when Lauren and Dante got started...

On the whole, it was a nice story with very unique and amazing characters. Dante is simply great, reading about him, well, I guess, he is the sort of guy, most women dream of (which of course, is also part of the problem, at least for Lauren who is rather self-conscious due to her shyness and her figure), Lauren is sweet and you just hope that she starts to believe in herself and in Dante and his feelings.

Oh, and don't forget Van Gogh and Jasmina, they are sweet and, well, let's just face it, Van Gogh is the proverbial genius, artistic, amazing but socially completely inept.
I was very happy to see Lauren find love with Dante but somehow the whole story made a turn into, well, a kind of fairytale land in the end, when in a very short time everything just turned out more than well.
Somehow, in the span of less than a year, dreams come true and miracles happen. Okay, something like that.

Nevertheless, it is a nice story and worth reading!

★★★