Book Review: Beautiful Stranger by Christina Lauren

Beautiful Stranger
Beautiful Bastard #2
Author: Christina Lauren
Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance/Erotica
Released: May 28th 2013 (April 16th 2013 Target Exclusive)
Review Source: Purchased & Gallery Books
Available: Amazon

Summary: (from goodreads) A charming British Playboy. A girl determined to finally live. And a secret liaison revealed in all too vivid color. Book two in the NYT Bestselling series.

Escaping a cheating ex, finance whiz Sara Dillon's moved to New York City and is looking for excitement without a lot of strings attached. So meeting the irresistible, sexy Brit at a dance club should have meant nothing more than a night's fun. But the manner--and speed--with which he melts her inhibitions turns him from a one-time hookup and into her Beautiful Stranger.

The whole city knows Max Stella loves women, not that he's ever found one he particularly wants to keep around. Despite pulling in plenty with his Wall Street bad boy charm, it's not until Sara--and the wild photos she lets him take of her--that he starts wondering if there's someone for him outside of the bedroom.

Hooking up in places where anybody could catch them, the only thing scarier for Sara than getting caught in public is having Max get too close in private.

The next installment in this series comes out at full speed and packing some heavy ammo. For someone like myself that fell in love with Bennett and the original story many years ago before he was even called Bennett, I was a bit worried if I could love or even like a new male character that wasn't Bennett. In case you haven't read Beautiful Bastard, Bennett is the main male protagonist of that story. In Beautiful Stranger we are introduced to Max. Can Max live up to Bennett's awesomeness? I am happy to say in shouty caps that YES, Max did meet my expectation and surpassed them while at it. The great thing is that both Bennett and Max are unique and are sexy in their own way, so you really don't sit there and compare one with the other. You can equally appreciate them both. So major kudos to Christina and Lauren for making it easy for the reader to fall hard for Max in Beautiful Stranger.

I also want to give credit where credit is due to Sara. Chloe (Beautiful Bastard) is not the only lady in town that knows how to snatch up and whip a sexy playboy. Sara was the perfect female protagonist to be introduced to Max. It's the quiet ones you have to watch out for fellas. Sara knew what she wanted even though she knew it might be off the wall crazy and went for it. Sometimes in life you have to take risk and loose yourself in it.

This duo that is Christina and Lauren are gonna be around for a while, If Beautiful Stranger showed us anything, it's that they have what it takes to play in the field. They are definitely not a one hit wonder. With all the new books coming out in this popular genre, Christina Lauren will stand out. Their books will leave you breathless and with a long lasting impressions long after you finish reading them.

In Beautiful Bastard you are given the story in alternating chapters between Sara's POV and Max's POV. You are able to understand how Sara and Max think and feel. You know that Sara has put up a force-field around herself after her hard break up when her ex-finance cheated on her multiple times practically in her face. Yet inside she is very fragile and truly wants to be loved right. Then Max is that sexy British playboy all women want and he knows it but inside he doesn't want all that fame that comes with being one of New York's sexy businessman. So when Max and Sara collide, I think someone somewhere felt a slight tremor in the earth. Sara makes a move on Max not knowing who he is or even his name and thinking I'll never see this guy again, so she set off on completing a very hot task she never in a million years would have even thought of doing with anyone not even her ex-fiance. Max the gentleman that he is of course doesn't turn down a great opportunity. Little do these two characters knows they have just changed the course of both of their lives forever. It all started on a dance floor!

Will Max be able to chip away at the ice surrounding Sara's heart? Will Sara be able to control a wild lion? What's the fun in that right? Sometimes letting things go wild, are the moments you never forget.

I recommend Beautiful Stranger to anyone who loves to immerse themselves into a great book. You will be needing the next installment in this series when you are done. I know I'm ready to see with what else this duo comes at us with. Bring on the "LEMONS"