Worn Me Down by Tara Sivec

 

 

Okay, so this is book #3 of the Playing With Fire series by Tara Sivec. I have to say I liked this book, but not as much as the previous ones. But before I give you my whole opinion, here's a synopsis:

 

"Austin Conrad has never taken his personal life seriously. As a Navy SEAL, he spends all of his time in dangerous, life-threatening situations. He’s too much of a playboy to settle down; even if he did find a woman he could stand to be around for more than one night, he would never taint her life with the demons of his past.

When his best friend and SEAL team member, Brady Marshall asks him to keep an eye on his baby sister, Gwen, Austin figures it will be a walk in the park. Austin never expects that the single mom and her little girl will be the ones getting under his skin.

Gwen Stratford knows all too well about living in a nightmare. After taking her daughter and fleeing from her abusive husband in the middle of the night several months ago, she’s worked hard to get her life back on track and forget about the man who tried to break her. Growing up under the iron thumb of her parents and then moving right on with a man who ruled their marriage with his fists, Gwen is finally able to breathe and live her life the way she wants.

When scary, mysterious things begin to happen to Gwen and her daughter, she realizes you can never outrun your past; it always has a way of catching up with you. As she struggles with the desire to keep her newfound independence, she knows she won’t be able to protect herself and her child alone. She’ll need to lean on the one man who drives her crazy."

 

 

The story doesn't disappoint, it's a bit darker tan the others because both Gwen and Austin have difficult pasts, and then there's Emma (Gwen's daughter) in the middle of this ugly situation. More or less like in the other books we have the guy trying to protect the woman, the incontrolable attraction between them, the caving in, the man screwing everything up and the kidnapping. Somebody always ends up in the hospital and that someone is (if you haven't guessed yet...) the woman in question.

 

I don't know if the fact that I didn't like this book as much as the rest is because it's more of the same or if it's because of the way it developed. Still, it doesn't mean I didn't enjoy it. It's witty and intense and so sweet you might get cavities if you aren't careful.

 

I'm hoping the fourth (and last) book takes me back to how things where in the beginning. We won't know until August so I'll be continuing down the huge list of books I have in my to-read pile!!!!!