Blurb:
Craig Robinson and Suzanne Baxter had no reason to meet, no
real excuse to be friends. But when heart calls to heart...blood to
blood...should two people who seem destined to be together heed the spin of
Fate's wheel?
Craig spent years floating through life on cruise control, using directionless jobs, his rock band, swimming, and a string of older women in his bed to smother feelings of loneliness and loss. He finally thought he had found his true love in one Sara Thornton -- A sexy, beautiful, fellow real estate agent and mentor. But his self-doubt and innate sense of failure is only reinforced when he realizes her heart belongs to another man.
When Sara introduces him to Suzanne, a woman fighting her own demons from an abusive marriage and subsequent feelings of inadequacy and deep unhappiness, that simple, chance moment snaps Craig's hazy existence into crystal-clear focus. A bond of instant physical attraction, nurtured by time and shared experience, and plenty of erotic energy, is born.
As Suzanne's past continues to haunt her, making her push Craig away just as he thinks he’s getting closer, each of them must come to terms with their true selves and face their ultimate realities.
Craig spent years floating through life on cruise control, using directionless jobs, his rock band, swimming, and a string of older women in his bed to smother feelings of loneliness and loss. He finally thought he had found his true love in one Sara Thornton -- A sexy, beautiful, fellow real estate agent and mentor. But his self-doubt and innate sense of failure is only reinforced when he realizes her heart belongs to another man.
When Sara introduces him to Suzanne, a woman fighting her own demons from an abusive marriage and subsequent feelings of inadequacy and deep unhappiness, that simple, chance moment snaps Craig's hazy existence into crystal-clear focus. A bond of instant physical attraction, nurtured by time and shared experience, and plenty of erotic energy, is born.
As Suzanne's past continues to haunt her, making her push Craig away just as he thinks he’s getting closer, each of them must come to terms with their true selves and face their ultimate realities.
Review:
OMG!! *sigh* This was a perfect novel. Yes, perfection in every since of the word. I have followed the Stewart series from the beginning and I am Team Jack but I always had a little piece of heart for Craig. He did not disappoint me in the least. Neither did Suzanne. The pacing of Conditional Offer was great. The book was paced out over a long period of time but in that time we get to know Craig and Suzanne. What drives them to be together and what drives them to be apart at times. This is an emotionally and truly character driven story. Don't skimp on the words. Each word means something and brings the story to life.
Suzanne Baxter to me is the perfect heroine. She's flawed, vulnerable, sexy, smart, and knew in her heart that Craig is the one for her. She didn't pine for him, cry for him, use him or any of the other troupes that are there. She's real. Her issues are real and heartfelt. The relationship between Craig and Suzanne was a slow build but necessary for their relationship. Don't except the relationship to be smooth sailing either. For me, their relationship was real; had real problems that kept them apart at times. Sometimes for long periods of time. It was frustrating at times but at least I didn't throw my Nook.
Craig grew up in Conditional Offer and for that I say AMEN! The family dynamic with his sister in laws is priceless. Loved the phone calls, online chats...the family that he had with his friends and the tight knit family at that. Craig, in this reviewer's eyes, was a better man than he had been portrayed in the previous books. I will warn you, like everyone else, please read the other four books in the series. Some of the scenes are replayed but in a different sense and I LOVED it. Actually made for a richer story and now I want to go back and re-read them all over again.
As most know, I love books and most books get fairly high marked from me but when I said this novel was perfection, I meant it. It had everything I love about a novel. It wasn't a fast read; it was truly character driven; the sex in the book was necessary at times but wasn't used to get the reader's attention for shock value; emotionally charged and the payoff in the end was a fist pumping, shouting AMEN and feeling as if I let go of my best friends to live their lives without me. I will never forget the characters that I have read about over the last five books. For this reader and fan of Liz Crowe's, I feel as if I finally got the HEA that I was looking for everybody that I came to know and love. Through all the trials, tribulations, tears (bring Kleenex, trust me), emotional gut wrenching years that Jack, Sara, Craig, Suzanne, Blake, Rob and Lila go through are so worth it in end. I stayed up late to finish this book knowing that I would cry, wring my hands with worry that it wouldn't work it out but it did. To me, Harlie, that is a perfect book.
5 Harlie's and in the top 10 books of the year from Harlie
Buy Links:
http://www.amazon.com/Conditional-Offer-Stewart-Realty-ebook/dp/B0091XFFOS/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1345881370&sr=8-9&keywords=conditional+offer
