Anything for You

I've picked up Sarah Mayberry's books since reading Can't Get Enough. Anything for You is her third book, and it confirmed my feeling that Mayberry is one of the strongest writers in the Blaze line: 4.5 out of 5.

The world according to Sam Kirk has just turned upside down. His best friend and business partner, Delaney Michaels, has returned from vacation a new woman . . . a gorgeous, hot new woman. Suddenly Sam is thinking entirely inappropriate thoughts about his buddy. Worse, with Delaney's changed look, she's abandoning their friendship in pursuit of the picket-fence dream. It's a nightmare come true.

Then one night finds them tangling in the sheets. It should feel wrong, wrong, wrong . . . instead, it feels very right. And now Sam knows exactly what he'd do to keep his best friend: absolutely anything.

This story gripped me from page one and didn't let up until the end. Friends who become lovers is one of my favorite plotlines, but that's not why this book kept my interest. I grew to care about the characters very much. I particularly liked Mayberry's portrayal of Sam, a man who depends on his best friend, Delaney, and doesn't realize that he's grown to love her. The scenes where he is trying to make sense of their changing relationship are very poignant.

I also sympathized with Delaney, who loves Sam but doesn't believe he returns her feelings. At times, I wanted her to tell Sam why she was pulling away from him, but that would have made for a short book. The more I think about it, though, the story really wouldn't work any other way. If she had told him of her feelings earlier in the book, he wouldn't have had the time he needed to reach his own conclusion.

Mayberry writes great love scenes. They more than live up to the Blaze name. :) But what's even more significant is the way she writes emotional and compelling characters. If you like category romance, I encourage you to give this author a try.