Tools of Engagement: A Novel (Hot and Hammered, 3)
The #1 New York Times bestselling author of It Happened One Summer and Hook, Line, and Sinker brings the heat in this rom-com about two enemies who team up to flip a house because their chemistry will either burn the place down or ignite a passion that neither can ignore...
Hair, makeup, clothing, decor... everything in Bethany Castle's world is organized, planned, and styled to perfection. Which is why the homes she designs for her family's real estate business are the most coveted in town. The only thing not perfect? Her track record with men. She's on a dating hiatus and after helping her friends achieve their dreams, Bethany finally has time to focus on her own: flip a house, from framework to furnishings, all by herself. Except her older brother runs the company and refuses to take her seriously.
When a television producer gets wind of the Castle sibling rivalry, they're invited on Flip Off, a competition to see who can do the best renovation. Bethany wants bragging rights, but she needs a crew and the only member of her brother's construction team willing to jump ship is Wes Daniels, the new guy in town. His Texas drawl and handsome face got under Bethany's skin on day one, and the last thing she needs is some cocky young cowboy in her way.
As the race to renovate heats up, Wes and Bethany are forced into close quarters, trading barbs and biting banter as they remodel the ugliest house on the block. It's a labor of love, hate, and everything in between, and soon sparks are flying. But Bethany's perfectly structured life is one kiss away from going up in smoke and she knows falling for a guy like Wes would be a flipping disaster.
"Her voice feels as fresh and contemporary as a Netflix rom-com." --Entertainment Weekly
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Community Reviews
I'm trying to enjoy romance novels and romcoms, but I just can't STAND how pervasive the internalized misogyny is in some of the most popular romcoms. WHY is is romantic or sexy for the guy to be literally disgusting to the heroine, sexually harrassing her at work, making constant inappropriate jokes even when she's specifically asked him to stop - and doing it in front of her family???? - and then his entire POV chapter every time he's thinking about her its obvious he doesn't give a fuck about her except for how sexy he thinks her body is. Like his POV chapters are unreadably disgusting to me. I'm physically repulsed and recoiling from the page, meanwhile apparently the heroine is finding it to be pantydropping material. retching.
I may have to retreat back to the safety of queer romance/romcoms I apparently can't trust straight people, y'all clearly haven't figured out how to be sexy without sexism.
The last book in the entire series. With this the story of Travis-Georgia, Rosie-Dominic and main couple Wes-Bethany end.
Have to say this book was initially boring at the start (there's only so much of the hate-love speech I could take), very exciting in the middle and a slow end.
The flip off seemed unnecessary, it did not have much details and it wasn't that interesting to read about. Sure it was the basis for Wes and Bethany but they found their own end. Felt like a neat close but overly draggy. I like how reassuring Wes was with her and how he grew into his role as a guardian.
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