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I've been leaving a lot of books unfinished lately. I'm finding myself getting to the 50% mark and realizing I don't care about the characters - not this book. Susannah and Russ were so loveable, I couldn't stop reading until I made sure they got the ending they deserved.
4.0 out of 5 starsSexy, Sweet Enemies-to-Lovers Adventure Challenge
Reviewed in the United States on 9 May 2020
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I was delighted with Impulse Control, a quick reading enemies to lovers novel. I purchased Impulse Control not having read any previous Amanda Usen novels because the premise of this story caught my attention. I love action adventure romances and settings where the 2 main characters are “lost in the wilderness and must join forces to survive.”
Russ Donovan, MMC is a retired military and special forces man who fell into a television career and notoriety through a program known as In the Wild. In the Wild features Russ in situations where he takes on nature full throttle - climbing mountains, running raging rapids, swimming/diving with sharks, exploring places not seen previously - each adventure recorded with a film crew and a network’s backing. Continuous success allows Russ to create his own production company and he fine-tunes his focused and determined drive filming and experiencing the challenges nature offers. In Impulse Control, the producer and family friend who offered Russ his first opportunity in television convinces him to complete a short 2-segment project titled At Home in the Wild with the networks currently highest rating television host and single-mom Susannah Stone, FMC. Susannah is popular for her program aptly named At Home which is a comfortable home cooking and DIY production showing viewers anyone can be successful in the home. In At Home In the Wild, Russ and Susannah each take a turn introducing the other the to the pitfalls and hidden joys of their specialty.
I found Impulse Control a delightful read. This wasn’t a gritty, nail biting, death-defying thriller but rather an enjoyable sweet story with a sexy hero and a strong woman both successful in their fields, scarred a bit by their pasts wondering if life might offer something more. The action-adventure element in Impulse Control wasn’t predominant but rather woven around Russ’s personality. I recommend Impulse Control to readers who enjoy quick reading contemporary romances with strong, mature (behavior more than age) characters; the enemies to lovers trope; outdoor settings or cooking in their novels; and/or HEAs. There is a toddler in this story for those who also love babies. Impulse Control is a standalone novel in a series of books by 12 different authors. After finishing Impulse Control I scrolled through the other titles and picked up one of the others as well.
Reader Cautions - not a Clean read Violence - none. Profanity - yes. Occasional. Not frequent. Sexual situations - yes. Sexual banter and on-scene sexual intimacy develops in the latter half of this novel. I found it a natural development of their attraction toward each other, but it does cover a chapter and more. (Perhaps a 3.5 on a Sweet to Very Steamy 0 to 5 scale). Not recommended for young readers or those who would be offended by the aforementioned.
5.0 out of 5 starsHard to control the drool for this HOT guy!
Reviewed in the United States on 24 January 2015
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Russ and Susannah's story was witty and fun. They are forced to make a couple of TV shows for a special cooking show to boost ratings. Hot guy and smart girl who can both cook and look great is a great idea - but not to them.
Russ is immediately attracted to her and calls her "Susie" to drive her nuts. Susannah just wants to get through the assignment with her dignity intact. Drooling over him on camera is not how she planned to do that. Russ cannot help the hots he has for her, she fits his type perfectly.
Out in the wild, he helps her with her self esteem and climbing a mountain. In the home, she shows him he can have baby cravings too. Together, they are fun and the banter is fresh and spicy! They have sparks flying everywhere - including around the baby's high chair!
I loved the story and found this couple to be refreshing and totally silly. I laughed quite a bit and was glad I read the book. The price was right, (under a dollar) and it was a great addition to my shelf.
This book is part of the Men of the Zodiac series from Entangled Indulgence Books. After reading it, I want to get the other books in the series and see if they are just as great!
Russ Donovan is always up for an extreme adventure. He fearlessly faces the unknown. Until he meets Susie Homemaker aka Susannah Stone and her infant son. The network wants to film them working together in the other's area of expertise. This should be a rating winner. Can they survive without killing each other? Let the battles begin. I loved Russ and Susannah. These two were perfectly matched. Their attraction was both hot and humorous. I loved their snappy and snarky dialogue. Regardless of where they were, these two never missed a beat. Oh what a romance! This story had it all. There was love, laughter and deeply buried pain. I couldn't put this book down. I loved Amanda Usen's writing. She did a wonderful job creating characters that I cared about. I loved Wild Man and his woman. I wanted them to confront their fears and embrace love. I was just glad I could read it in my nice warm house not while hiking the Adirondack Mountains in winter.