Review: Finally, For Me by Roseanne Burke ★★★★

Finally, For Me, by Roseanne Burke, is the smoking hot start to the Finally Book Duo series.

Lacey Singer has uprooted her life after college and moved away from her family to live with her boyfriend. There’s one problem. Her boyfriend isn’t nice and is controlling.

Ben Anderson, a young and successful lawyer, is dating a woman his parents approve of. Yet he isn’t happy. His girlfriend gives him an ultimatum: she wants an engagement ring or she’s walking. Ben doesn’t know what to do.

Then Ben meets Lacey and sparks fly. Can they be just friends? Or are they destined to be more?

Ben and Lacey are refreshing characters. Part of the book’s success is Burke’s ability to create extremely likable characters. They’re honest, hard-working, vulnerable, and have big hearts. Many readers will be able to relate to them and it’s nice that the male lead isn’t the stereotypical guy one meets in most romance novels: distant and overly macho. Ben, right from the start, is a sweetheart that many women dream of meeting.

When things heat up between the two, watch out. Simply put, this novel is hot, hot, hot. Many of the pages are filled with sex scenes that will get your heart pumping and don’t be surprised if you utter, “Oh my” not once, but over and over. Even with all the sex, the scenes don’t get stale. Actually they get better and better, compelling the reader to continue.

But it’s not just about sex. Burke has sprinkled in healthy doses of humor. There are twists and turns, albeit many sticky situations are resolved pretty quickly.

While the characters are fresh and the sex is hot, one aspect of the novel is troubling. The author has the ability to weave a tale that ’ll keep readers interested, but it’s hard not to notice certain limitations. It’s unfortunate that Burke didn’t work with an experienced editor to elevate the story from good to great. For starters, there is way too much telling and not enough showing. For example:

I felt his muscles through his shirt. I felt a tingling sensation start to build down below.

Burke’s addicted to using certain words. Kindle devices allow readers to do a quick search and this can be detrimental. The most overused words were ‘well’ and ‘think,’ and each were used almost 100 times.

It’s understandable why authors fall into this trap since most people use words they like when they speak.  However, it’s best for authors to avoid using the same words repeatedly to keep the story fresh and alive. Authors want readers to stay engaged in the story and not keeping track of how many times a certain word is used.

If Burke fine-tuned the writing, this story has the potential to completely win over many romance readers. As of now, the sex scenes will keep many engaged, and a little more angst and drama would heighten the tension and would transform this steamy book into a blistering page-turner.

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