Review: Intimate by Kate Douglas (Intimate Relations #1)

Note: This ARC was provided by St. Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review.

R. Jacob Lowell has been on the search for the perfect model that fits the description given to him by his best friend and latest client, Marcus Reed. Just when he thought he wouldn't be able to find her, Jake sees a woman whose beauty is anything but the usual you would find in magazines and the catwalk. She's everything that the advertising campaign for Intimate, a line of jewelry to be worn wherever a piercing can be found. The fact that he's drawn to her could spell trouble for him down the line, but seeing the beautiful butterfly tattoo on her flat abdomen is a sign that he need look no further for the perfect model.

Marielle Leigh Kazanov may not have been a model for very long but she loves what she does. Known in the industry as Kaz Kazanov, she knows her piercings and tattoo could alienate certain clients, but she never expected to be fired because of them. When she's offered the opportunity of a lifetime by photographer Jake Lowell, Kaz grabs it. They work well together, but there's also denying the attraction between them. They're only together for a few days and with a vineyard as their backdrop, things escalate quickly. But is their any hope of something more with secrets and a dangerous stalker seeking retribution?

Intimate is the first full-length novel in the Intimate Relations romantic suspense series from bestselling author Kate Douglas. This can be read independently from the prequel novella that can be found in the Hot Alphas anthology, which was released in May of this year. That prequel gave me just a taste of the kind of writing Kate Douglas has to offer, but whatever expectations I had going into this first novel were surpassed twice over. It had that right amount of tension brought about by the chemistry brewing between the main characters and by the cat-and-mouse game someone from the past is bent on finishing til the end.

Jake Lowell has a past that he's been trying to walk away from ever since it cost him his freedom and the lives of two innocent people nearly two decades ago. Even at thirty-five, the guilt still gets to him, to the point that he doesn't really see a future with Kaz Kazanov, refusing to drag her into the mess caused by a stranger who texts him taunting messages, hinting that he he knows very well who Jake used to be. The combination of romance and suspense works well here, with an intensity that's rather scorching. The mix of sweet and steamy plus being in the crosshairs of a vengeful individual makes for one hell of a great read.

This book works as a series starter because it does introduce us to a cast of characters that have good potential of launching their own stories later on. Jake and Kaz are going to be difficult to beat in the chemistry department, but it looks like the stage has already been set, albeit very subtly so, for Ben Lowell, Jake's older brother, and Lola Monroe, one of Kaz's best friends. I'm thinking Marcus Reed, Jake's best friend, and Mandy Monroe, Kaz's other best friend and Lola's sister, could possibly be paired up for book three. The Intimate Relations series has got me hooked and Intimate receives a solid 4.5-star rating. ♥

Date Read: 01 December 2015

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