Rocky Road By Becky Wade

Rocky Road

by Becky Wade

Publisher: Independent

Series: Sons of Scandal

ISBN: 979-8987550540

Having listened to book one, and being a tried & true fan of Becky Wade's, when the opportunity arose to listen to book two, I was all in! She sent me both the audiobook and the paperback for review.

Summary:

FBI Agent Jude Camden handles every aspect of his job with by-the-book professionalism. There's no reason why his latest assignment—which calls for him to pose as the boyfriend of perfumer Gemma Clare—should be any different.

Except Gemma is different. She's creative, bold, and feisty. And as soon as she meets Jude, she wants to loosen him up, wrinkle his perfect shirts, and test every ounce of his towering self-control.

The FBI has an iron-clad rule against romances between those working together on operations. Jude's never met a rule he didn't respect. But adhering to this one is going to be tough because, as time goes by, he finds Gemma more and more irresistible.

Buckle up! It's going to be a rocky road.

Escape to Maine for this swoon-worthy "fake romance"! Banter, humor, perfume, and a mystery from the past intertwine in this sweet Sons of Scandal love story.

My Review:

Ok, so while I liked book one of this series, it wasn't my favorite Becky Wade story, BUT... BUT, Rocky Road might rank up there with my love for her book Meant to be Mine!

The way she wrote the entire relationship from beginning to end with Gemma and Jude just made my heart happy. They were stinking adorable together. Gemma is quirky and artistic while Jude is strait-laced and a rule follower. He's there as an FBI agent to get Gemma to cooperate with them to nab her cousin for illegal activities. It seems like from the start that Gemma has his number and Jude just does NOT know what to do with her. HA!

Unfortunately, Gemma has a boyfriend and Jude can't date her because they're working together. 

THIS is the kind of romance that I like. They just get to know each other without any ideas of romance. Gemma and Jude could be the poster couple for "opposites attract." Somehow, they just work and it's so fun to watch. Unlike other books I've read, nothing romantic happens between them while Gemma is still with her boyfriend.

In the meantime of them trying to pull Gemma's cousin into their net, a mystery comes up in regards to her 102 year old great-grandma. It involves WWII, her great-grandparents, and lost communication. Thankfully, Gemma knows someone (ahem, Jude) who can help her track down the information she needs to unravel the mystery!

I felt like this story was much lighter and "Hallmark-y" (but way better than Hallmark) than book one in the series. It wasn't as "raw" as I described book one, which I prefer this a bit more. I feel like with Max's story we might be taken back to some harder topics only for the fact of his familial history and the struggles it caused for him growing up. I'm hoping he just ends up being a grumpy sunshine!

About the Author:

Becky’s a California native who attended Baylor University, met and married a Texan, and settled in Dallas with their three children and one Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. She loves writing sweet contemporary romances laced with sizzling chemistry, mystery, faith, banter, and humor. Her thirteen novels and five novellas have been recognized with a Carol Award, INSPY awards, and a spot in the Christy Award Hall of Fame.