ONCE PERFECT

ONCE PERFECT                                     CECY ROBSON
Posted:  Nov. 7, 2014

His life was never easy. Hers wasn’t supposed to be this hard. They come from different worlds, but fate lures them together in a way neither expected in Cecy Robson’s raw, steamy New Adult debut—perfect for fans of Monica Murphy and J. Lynn.

Evelyn Preston’s future once looked perfect—until her wealthy father was caught in an embezzlement scandal and took his own life. Alone and struggling to pay her college tuition and bills, Evelyn finds a job as a waitress at the ultra-hip nightclub Excess, where she used to have more in common with the privileged private-school clientele than her fellow staff members. But something attracts her to the sexy six-foot-four bouncer and underground MMA fighter Mateo Tres Santos. Although they’ve led different lives, their troubled pasts bonds them in both survival and love.

Mateo is ex-army who wound up in prison for assaulting the man who harmed his sister. Now he’s feeling the same protective impulse for this petite blond waitress. When Evelyn experiences a panic attack at the club, Mateo comes to her rescue. And when Mateo is wounded shielding her from a brawl, Evelyn returns the favor and comes to his aid.

As their attraction intensifies, Mateo is determined to find out what nightmares are lurking in Evelyn’s past—even if that means tackling his own to save her.

MY REVIEW:

     Evelyn Preston (Evie) is a girl that came from a world of privilege.  Her mother died when she was four years old.  So, her father along with her housekeeper raised her.  She was a spoiled rich girl who never gave a real thought to those around her or service workers employed by her father or say at dinner or a club.

     But all that came crashing down when her father was accused of fraud and the FBI came in and ceased everything they owned.  She was left with nothing.  When she turned to her extended family they turned her away because her father had trashed the family name and they felt she was also hiding funds off shore somewhere.  So, she was left with nothing and no one.  Even her childhood friend and boyfriend dumped her.  She was all alone or so she thought.  Not true.

     The housekeeper who raised her found out how the family treated her and took her in.  She made her pull her head out of her ass and told her that her grand-daughter was going into the noble profession of nursing.  So she needed to go into it to it was a career and paid off in the long run.  The next thing she knew Lourdes and she were roommates going to nursing school.  She had no money and no job skills to speak of.

     So, she remembered a place she could get a job.  She partied there enough and went there for a job.  She worked weekends and was living off the tips.  Rich kids tip well she remembered and that was what she was counting on when she applied.  She had been working there for six months when the story opens.  She is eyeing the sexiest guy in the place and to her the scariest too.  Why you ask because one she works with Mateo Tres Santos and they shouldn’t date as if she would.  She had seen how intense and physical he could get being the head bouncer in charge.  But, too she had heard he had been in prison.  Which in and of itself scared the hell out of her.

     On this day though she will forget every single mean thought she ever had.  You see Evie is scared to “death” of the dark.  Having no clue as to why she is scared of the dark.

All throughout the story she gets little flashbacks that gives her glimpses as to what might relate to why. On this day her boss (the cheap asshole that he is) asked her to go to the storage room to get napkins.  Evie hates the storage room.  It’s the only place not updated and with the only light in the place is in the middle of the room with a string that hangs down to turn it on and off.

     Evie is creped out but goes to do it.  She would ask someone to help her but everyone is busy getting ready to open the club.  She goes down the long lit hallway to the door which is very heavy that will not stay open alone.  The boxes that had been stocked there forever where down to only 1 and she knew it might not hold it.  Her heart started to race, her palms started to sweat, and her ears started to ring.  She puts the box in front of the door and it doesn’t move so she’s like good she starts moving toward the light when she hears the box start to move. Before she can react she is in total darkness.

     She starts to reach for the string because she knew she was just a few steps away so she takes them also.  Nothing!  She does the same left then right, NOTHING!  Panic is setting in, she figures she’ll just talk herself into heading back to the door but her feet won’t move when she does she bangs into something.  The into something else, until she becomes so overwhelmed that she is on the floor in the fetal position, having a full blown panic attack.  When all of a sudden the door flies open and a male voice calls her name. 

     He turns on the light and sits next to her saying it will be okay.  Before he touches her he says, it’s him Mateo and that he is going to sit her up.  He sits her up and sooths her with words and a touch.  When her boss comes in screaming he covers for her too.  This is the beginning of a friendship in the making and the start of a book I can’t seem to put down.

     As a Hispanic woman it had me yelling at the beliefs, customs, and so called respect for the elders that Mateo and his sisters had to show in his family.  Even at the expense of their own safety and well-being. I give this book 5 stars.  Provided by Net Galley.

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