Review: Isabella: Pretty Woman

Isabella: Pretty Woman by Jamie Brook Thompson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received my copy of this eBook in exchange for a fair and honest review.



Ok, this wasn't a character driven plot, it wasn't a clean romance (but it didn't qualify for my hotttttt pile) and it wasn't really trying to be like Audrey Carlan's Calendar Girl series, but it was fun in its own way.

Isabella and Reef were probably the most complex characters of the book and even they were a little flat. Reef seems to have it, but he lacks love, respect and partnership that comes from your true love. Isabella is making things work by moonlighting as Madame X's 'Ice Queen' in an escort service. When he hires her for a weekend, they make a connection that neither one of them can deny and suddenly all thoughts are about the dream - the white picket fence, the children, dogs, etc.. You know, that dream that everyone seems to have, except Isabella's is filled with more than the stereotypical one girl and one boy.

I liked their relationship - I liked the evolution! It was a simple, fun read that made you care about the characters and the outcome even without being too complicated.

There were some great gems throughout the book, but I loved this one the most:

"Look, I just wanted to take you somewhere familiar so I could be comfortable. I swear I have no other intentions. It's just I'm a nervous damn wreck around you, and - "

"You don't seem nervous," she interrupts.

"Trust me this is an act I use on all my customers. I just wanted us to be somewhere familiar today and see where things could go."

"I'm a customer? Is that how you see it?" She bites at her bottom lip as though I've struck a nerve. "Because you're sort of confusing me."

"No, I don't see you like that. Damn. This is hard. I'm confusing the hell out of myself."

I loved that Jamie Brook Thompson allowed her hero to be vulnerable and awkward. This is something that many romance authors don't take the chance with their Alpha male. They can still be an Alpha with an awkward, vulnerable moment. Thank you for giving this nervous candour in Reef!

I really enjoyed this - It would have had five stars if I'd felt more depth to the characters. Four stars and two thumbs up!

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