I’m going to just jump right in here with this one. No preamble about style, voice, pace, yadda yada. Because we all know first impressions are important, take a gander at the delectable man on the cover of Rugged. Then tear yourself away so you can read this book! Alright, fine. Read a few chapters, look at the cover again. Drool, read, repeat. Those biceps, that six pack, the scruffy beard, those lips. This, my friends, is our hero, Flint McKay. Even his name is sexy! Ms. Monroe pulled a Michelangelo and created not only a perfect specimen of manhood (yes, that too), she also created the guy everyone wanted when it was their turn to open the door in the game Mystery Date. I usually like my heroes to have one or two assholery genes thrown in. Flint McKay has none, and I loved him for it. Although, he does have a few caveman genes which caused me more than a little swooning when he got his sexy on. His loyalty to the family hardware store business, which is in dire straits, is sexy, sweet, and gave me the tingles. So far he’s been able to avoid selling out to the big box bad guys. But things aren’t looking good. As luck would have it, when bad goes to worse, Laurel Young appears on his Massachusetts doorstep with an offer he’d love to refuse but can’t.

Rugged is really Laurel’s story. It’s her head we are living in. And what a wack-a-doodle she can be! In her defense, she lives in Los Angeles, home of Botox, Brunch, and Body Obsession. I lived there for years, I speak her language and know where she’s coming from. Only, Laurel was actually raised in Ohio so there’s hope for her yet. On the other hand, she is working in the business of reality television. Could there be anything more sleazy? Why, yes there can! It’s called Tyler Kinley. Douche canoe co-worker, the former boyfriend, and idea thief, who is an absolutely hilarious parody of all things LA. The interactions between Tyler and Laurel are laugh out loud funny. Ms. Monroe’s depiction of the television business is frighteningly accurate in a Saturday Night Live kind of way. I know this from experience, too. But I’m getting off track…

Fade to Laurel’s brilliant idea for a new reality show featuring Flint McKay, whose demo tape she discovered buried in her slush pile. Here is her chance to make a quality, non-sleazy home improvement program based on the construction talents of this Adonis. Because say what you will, Laurel has integrity. She refuses to pander to the execs. I love that she stands up for herself as well as the McKay reputation. And Flint loves it too. Even though he wants nothing to do with Hollywood, he’s drawn to Laurel’s sincerity. She’s also sexy and adorable as hell. Working with her just might not be so terrible.

Lila Monroe has written a book that has all the elements I love in a romance; snappy lines and dialogue between our hero and heroine, beautifully conveyed emotions, sizzling chemistry, the always necessary secondary characters that add…character. The settings, which go back and forth between Los Angeles and the small Berkshire towns are plop you there descriptive. And, of course, the “misunderstanding” that threatens to rip Flint and Laurel apart. Mostly due to Laurel’s typically female (sorry! but it’s true) reaction to shut down and not just ask the freaking questions buzzing around in her head! I wanted to stop reading and let her get her shit together because it was causing me absolute agony! Ms. Monroe has a fantastic ability to push right to the edge of over-the-top without actually falling over. This makes for compelling reading, and characters you picture yourself hanging out with. Everything in Rugged worked for me, right down to Laurel’s use of pop culture sarcasm. This was one fantastic book I highly recommend!

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