5 blue ribbons from Romance Junkies 
Wes Hoffman's having trouble accepting that all his friends are settling down with significant others and he's still alone. He loves women but he hasn't met 'the one' yet - or if he did then she got away. Aside from not getting laid, he's happy with his life and enjoys hanging out with his close-knit circle of friends, even if that circle is getting larger as each of them hook up with life partners. The last thing he expects is a blast-from-the-past to reenter his life and threaten his neat orderly existence.
Payton Ricci has fond memories of Wes. They'd gone to school together and he'd been the man she gave her virginity to - that was twelve years ago. She lives in Houston but returned to the small town she'd grown up in to attend a friend's wedding. She hadn't expected Wes to still be living here or for him to be a cop but she definitely isn't sorry when she sees him again during her girlfriend's bachelorette party at Zack's Bar and Grill. The only problem with their little reunion is the fact that he obviously isn't as enthusiastic about seeing her.
Wes's memories of his and Payton's sexual encounter are far from pleasant and he can't believe she'd even want to have anything to do with him. In fact he's so uncomfortable by the memories that assail him that he even enlists the bartender's help to escape before Payton has a chance to learn too much about him or decides to take a trip down memory lane. Wes can't deny that Payton is still beautiful and desirable after all these years, but he has regrets over his less than stellular sexual performance with Payton. Wes's racked with insecurity and consults his friend Gracie about his insecurities and while she can't help but laugh at him, she does reassure him that he does not suck in bed. Wes is just hopeful that Payton will be leaving town as soon as possible and he won't see her again. No such luck! Payton has no intention of letting Wes get away with his speedy retreat. She's fully aware that he wanted to escape her presence but why? It isn't really that Wes doesn't want to see her again, the problem is that despite the fact that Payton is exactly the sort of woman who turns him on, he's suffering from a mental block and the thought of a sexual encounter with her has him running scared. Fortunately Payton has ideas on how to cure what ails him.
After reading UNDERSTOOD and OVERHEARD I was really looking forward to Wes's story and I'm pleased to say I thoroughly enjoyed learning more about him. While Payton and Wes's developing relationship provides plenty of heat to ensure readers eagerly devour each of the scenes between them, I personally really enjoyed the scenes with Wes and his close-knit friends and how he struggles with the realization that while things change for each of them, their friendship endures. Wes comes close to blowing it with Peyton several times and I absolutely loved that she's headstrong and bold enough to go after what she wants even if he's not smart enough to realize that she's the best thing that could ever happen to him - he just needed a good swift kick in the seat of his pants to figure that out. Beautifully written Ms. Banks. I've loved the three books in this series and really loved getting to know more about all the character with each new story.
Chrissy Dionne (courtesy of Romance Junkies)
5 Klovers - Courtesy of CK2S Kwips & Kritiques
"Don't need anything more complicated. Beer, good friends and football. Can't ask for anything better than that." After seeing all of his best buddies fall in love and become domesticated in the last year, Wes should have known these words would come back to haunt him - sooner rather than later! And haunt him they do, in the form of a siren from his past - the unforgettable Payton Ricci. Wes can't get over the one night they'd shared so long ago, which still makes him feel so inadequate in her presence that even his normally reliable manly parts refuse to cooperate when she is in the vicinity. They may say it happens to every man, but never before to Wes Hoffman!
Payton remembers the night in question a little differently than Wes and she sets out to replace the memory with a better one in no small way... Not one to back down from a challenge, she pulls out all the stops with Wes.
Soon, what started out as a brief fling to revisit an adolescent passion turns out to be much more than expected, something neither of them was quite prepared for. But is it strong enough to hurdle the obstacles in their path to find true love together?
Maya Banks first caught my attention when all the romance message boards and chat groups I belonged to started clamoring about her book, Colters' Woman. Having heard from numerous sources that this was a MUST read, I followed suit willingly and soon found myself a newly initiated Maya Banks fan, with no looking back! Her newest release, Undenied, continues the trend she began with that first book, with a new story sure to make the rounds of the romance readers' circles as book not to be missed.
Wes is the most wonderfully clueless man, with misconceptions about women and love that the females in his life are quick to dispel as they straighten out his perceptions with not just a little mirth. Seeing this man who is usually so self-assured and slightly cocky unsettled by the return of his first love is wonderful fun - well, for us and Payton even if it isn't so much fun for Wes himself. LOL Usually in control, Wes shows admirable adaptability as he follows Payton's lead at the beginning of their affair. Wes's fears concerning his past with Payton were simultaneously humorous and sweet, painting the big Alpha cop as a man who is ultra-sensitive and more romantic than you would initially expect.
Payton herself is a woman to be reckoned with - direct, smart, sassy, and confident, she perfectly balances the twosome. She easily takes and keeps the upper hand with the uncertain Wes, without losing any of her femininity or appeal. If any woman can tame this particular man, it is most certainly a woman like Payton!
Banks' has spun a wonderfully romantic tale of reunited lovers who find that the path to true love sometimes needs a hedge-trimmer before it is clear enough to see the end. The couple learns love requires work, compromise, and sacrifice from both sides before they can find their happy ending together.
Undenied is connected to her previous novels, Understood and Overheard, but each story can be easily read separately and out of order without fear of missing any detail critical to understanding the story. Of course, they are enhanced a bit by reading them in order of release, but they will be just as enjoyable read in reverse.
This is a book not to be missed by lovers of romance, and especially by fans of Maya Banks' work. Readers of the connected stories will be gratified to see the return of all the main characters from previous books, and a very touching scene at the end with the entire group that had me tearing up even the second time I read Undenied.
Connected Stories:
Understood
Undenied
Caught by Cupid
Another chance to make a night gone bad very, very right. Payton Ricci is the last person Wes Hoffman ever expected or wanted to see again. After the disastrous sexual experience between them twelve years ago, he was only too happy to put the whole episode behind him. After all, he-s come a long way since that awkward encounter between two gawky teenagers, and his ego needs no reminder. The night he sees Payton-a very sexy grown up Payton-in Zack-s Bar and Grill, he-s mortified by this blast from the past. Payton harbors no such reservations about seeing Wes again, and it-s clear she wouldn-t mind catching up on old times. However, Wes can-t get over his mental block where she-s concerned. But that-s nothing a blindfold and a little mad seduction scheme can-t fix, and Payton is a very determined woman. Warning, this title contains the following: explicit sex, graphic language, mad seduction schemes, and the hard fall of a drop dead sexy hunk.
Sizzle and Spice - My Erotic Favorites
undenied
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