October 26, 2016

EARLY REVIEW: Looking Inside



Looking Inside, by Beth Kery
Publish Date:
November 1, 2016
Publisher: Berkley Romance
Format: ARC, provided by the publisher
Genre: adult contemporary romance
To Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Rating: 4 STARS


(Synopsis) Are you just going to stand there and watch? 


Eleanor Briggs just can’t help herself. Every night, the sight of the man in the high-rise across the street is driving her wild. She longs to feel his touch up close and personal. To win him over, she’ll need to shake off her wallflower sensibilities and become the seductress she never imagined she could be. The only trouble will be finding the perfect way to meet him…


Or are you going to join in?


Sex is easy for millionaire entrepreneur Trey Riordan. Finding something of substance, however, seems impossible. That is until a simple night of reading at a local coffee shop becomes something far steamier when a beautiful brunette comes by and leaves a note telling him to look out his bedroom window at midnight. But when the time comes, neither of them will be truly ready for what follows…

It was the concept of this book that did it for me. The execution was pretty spot on too. The moment when the peeping tom invites the hottie she's been spying on to return the favor, her life got turned upside down, and it was so entertaining to read. 

After the loss of her sister, Eleanor is feeling an even stronger desire to break out of what she sees as a hum-drum life as an archivist at the local library. The best days are when she sees her neighbor enjoying sexy times when he forgets to close his bedroom curtain. She wants that passion for herself so badly. So, when she knows he'll be at the library, she drops him a note, asking him to look into HER window. And she gives him a show he can't forget. 

I can appreciate Eleanor's position. The only time she feels brave enough to say and do the things she really wants to is when she's not forced to look her crush in the eyes. How many times have we thought of the best comebacks hours later when we're laying in bed? Or only had the guts to tell someone off over the phone? Or to ask a boy out via a note passed in the hall? That's totally me. Eleanor figures, she can wow Trey from the next building over, and if he isn't as wowed as she hoped, she can hope to never run into him in the street. No harm, no foul.

Except, what man would NOT be entertained and intrigued by a woman who does this? Trey actively seeks her out, wanting to learn more about her and her motivations. And, he likes what he sees, despite Eleanor's attempts to hide her true self from him. 

The title of this book is perfect. It's more than just Eleanor and Trey looking inside each other's windows for a thrill. It's about each of them looking inside each other to figure out what really makes them happy. Trey has just been going through the motions with very few meaningful relationships in his life. Eleanor sees her sister as this larger-than-life woman who she could never hope to be, even though she's trying very hard. She just can't see that she's good enough already without pretending to be someone else. 

Looking Inside was a great book full of hot and sexy times and a bit of a twist at the end that I didn't see coming. Even better - it's a standalone, so the commitment is pretty low for this one. With a cover and a description like this, why would you not want to spend a few hours being a voyeur into these peoples' lives? 

No comments: