Review: Falling for the Marine by Samanthe Beck

Falling for the Marine by Samanthe Beck

Book Two of the McCade Brothers series

Publisher: Entangled Brazen

Publication Date: October 28, 2013

Rating: 4 stars

Source: Purchased copy from Amazon

Summary (from Goodreads):

Pretending to be in love has never felt so sexy.

USMC helicopter pilot Michael McCade has two goals: Get his damn back into alignment and keep his nose clean until his commanding officer clears him to fly again. The doctor-recommended massage therapy seems like a necessary step toward returning to the cockpit, but when his too-hot-to-handle neighbor, Chloe Kincaid, turns out to be his masseuse, he strays from the straight and narrow in a major way.

Chloe Kincaid is looking for a simple, no strings attached, ego-boosting hook up. But when her positively panty-melting neighbor, USMC Major Michael McCade, (aka Major Hottie), shows up on her massage table, she lets desire get the better of professionalism. Now theyre pretending to be engaged to avoid a whole lot of unanticipated consequences of a momentary lapse in judgment. But can a girl who avoids attachments at all costs fake an engagement to a straight-arrow soldier without falling hard?

What I Liked:

I read this book three years ago and really enjoyed it. I love the fake engagement trope, and I love a man in uniform, and I adore Samanthe Beck's books, so this romance novel was bound to be a winner. Recently I recommended it to a friend, and in doing so, I realized that I never reviewed the book and hadn't thought about it in a while. So I took the opportunity to reread it, and liked it even more, the second time around. 

Major Michael McCade is in for the surprise of his life, when he hears a cry for help (literally, "Help!") coming from his neighbor's apartment. What a way to meet his neighbor, to come to rescue her from an embarrassing situation. Chloe Kincaid is everything that appeals to him - and the next day, he finds out that she's going to be his masseuse, for his back injury. In a twist of events, Michael and Chloe must pretend to be engaged so Michael doesn't get in trouble with the Marines, for fooling around in public. But what happens when they both want the engagement to be real, but only Michael is all in?

There are so many great tropes in this book that Samanthe Beck executes really well. The fake engagement trope is one of my favorites; and in this case, towards the end, it is Michael that is committed, and it is Chloe that is the commitment phobe. This book also deals with two neighbors, if you're into that trope. At a certain point, Chloe moves into Michael's apartment, but it started out as a neighbors thing. You could also say that this is an opposites attract romance, with Michael being a straight-laced, tough, control freak Marine, and Chloe being a free-spirited go-with-the-flow type.

Michael is easily one of my favorite romance heroes. I love that he is a Marine and he is the epitome of a true Marine. He is so serious about being in the military, and he loves his job as a pilot. He is in his cammies in several scenes, which was gratifying (nudge nudge wink wink). He has a lot of honor, which is clear in all of his actions. He is loyal, grounded, protective, and very committed. The guy is perfect relationship material - and that scared Chloe!

Chloe is more of a free spirit, especially after her hasty marriage and divorce before moving into the apartment across from Michael. She doesn't like anything to tie her down, and she likes being on the move. She is sweet and funny, and she loves her job. She is definitely afraid of commitment, but after seeing her parents' marriage crumble, it's understandable. She's afraid of making the fake engagement real, because she's already been through one hasty marriage - another one is not in the cards for her.

Still, our hero and heroine have some combustible chemistry, as evidenced in scene one. Samanthe Beck's books are always incredibly hot, and this one is no less. Michael and Chloe are perfect for each other in more ways than one. Want a steamy, steamy read? Look no further.

I liked the ending, even if it involved Michael chasing Chloe (it should have been Chloe chasing Michael, but that's okay). It makes sense, given his upstanding, determined personality. She would have fled and been miserable and not done anything about it; Michael is more proactive and committed, so it had to be up to him to win her over. The ending was quite good!

What I Did Not Liked:

My only real dislike was what I mentioned above - I wish it had been Chloe that realized that she made a mistake and should never have left. But that's okay! It was more true to her personality that she didn't - she's so stubborn, she would have just suffered in her misery rather than go back to Michael and apologize and beg. Which isn't a good trait (not swallowing your stubbornness), but nobody's perfect.

Would I Recommend It:

I recommend any of Beck's books, this one included. It's one of Brazen's older books and quite frankly, their older books are gold. I enjoy all of Beck's books, but her older ones are what lured me in, in the first place. This one is an entertaining, sexy read, and you'll definitely be looking up her other books once you're finished! I recommend her Compromise Me series, and the Private Pleasures series. I haven't read all of them, but I've liked what I've read!

Rating:

4 stars. An excellent read, and clearly, if I've read it several times now. You can't go wrong with Samanthe Beck and Entangled Brazen!

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