Review: "Lush" by Beth Yarnall

Note: This ARC was provided by Patchwork Press Cooperative via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Lush is the second book in the Pleasure at Home series by Beth Yarnall. I'm glad that Cal Sellers and Lucy Monroe, both supporting characters from the first book, finally get their turn in the spotlight because that scene in the hospital from Rush piqued my interest. ^.^ And I definitely liked Lush much more than I did its predecessor, thanks to the well-paced story and characters that felt real and that shared a true love and affection for one another.

Cal and Lucy were once involved but when Lucy catches Cal in a compromising position, she walks out on him and their short-lived relationship. She gets married and has a daughter, Poppy, but finds out her marriage was a sham after suffering through her husband's abuse and learning he's a polygamist. She desperately needs a job to provide for herself and Poppy but Cal doesn't give her her old hosting job. Instead, he has a completely different offer for her--to become his wife.

Cal wants to prove to Lucy that he isn't the same guy he was 17 months ago. Lucy was traumatized by the abuse she went through and trusting Cal isn't all that simple because of it. She's also hiding a secret from him, one she isn't sure he'll respond to positively. I was glad that particular secret was settled quickly and in the manner it was. There wasn't all this overly prolonged drama involved, thank goodness! I did, however, appreciate that their relationship progressed in the manner that it did even though they did have history together and that the attraction was still very much there.

There's still a hint of suspense in this second book but not as much as the first book. Lush had a lot of romance and the chemistry between Cal and Lucy was palpable. There were a couple of supporting characters who I felt were included to provide conflict for the leads and while there was that bit of conflict, the extra characters came and went, making them feel not entirely necessary. Still, I quite enjoyed this book and would gladly recommend it, especially since it does well as a standalone. Lush gets four stars. ♥

Release Date: 28 October 2014

Date read: 23 October 2014

Learn more about author Beth Yarnall here.

Grab a copy of Lush and Ms. Yarnall's other books on Amazon | Barnes & Noble.