To The Studs (Bound by Design #1)

Roxanne
Smith
Genre: 
Contemporary

To be at the top in the interior design field you must be strong and determined. Neve Harper is just that, and honest to a fault: both professionally and personally.  Her newest design client is also her neighbor Duke Kennicot's boss, and together they must work on a cabin in the Ozark Mountains.  They will design more than a new cabin space, as reclusive Duke's secrets become apparent and Neve must decide if they are going to change everything.

“To The Studs” is a renovation romance and the first in a new series by Roxanne Smith. Neve is a tough heroine - she is strong-willed and brutally honest in her career.  Those qualities have bled into every facet of her personality - she shows little empathy and seems harsh. Neve’s personality does not grow in either tact or compassion throughout the novel.  The fact that Duke hides numerous things from her, including his sexual preference should have made the tension so thick one would need to cut it with a knife. It is a game changer for them both; yet it comes off as “cute” causing a lack of belief.  The plot’s originality and the many uncovered truths make the story a fun read, it just needs a little design work.

Laura Dinsdale