Title: The Allure of Dean Harper
Author: R.S. Grey
Series: The Allure #2
Publisher: Self Published by R.S. Grey
Publication Date: September 28, 2015
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Source: Purchased

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Rating: 4.5 stars

From: LilyNBlack@Gmail.com
To: JosephineKeller@VogueMagazine.com
Subject: You’re a flippin’ idiot

Good morning my dear, naive friend, I hope you’re enjoying a breakfast of regret and sorrow

Why?

Because you sent me to work for Dean Harper, aka a control freak in a tailor-made suit. Sure he owns the trendiest restaurants in NYC, but c’mon Jo, his ego makes Kanye West look like the Dalai Lama.

He’s the type of guy that only hears the word “no” when it’s followed by “don’t stop.”

Working for Dean Harper would be like selling my soul to the devil… and before you say anything, I don’t care if the devil has punch-you-in-the-gut brown eyes and an ass to match. My soul isn’t for sale.

Regretfully yours, Lily

Review:

“When was the last time I’d had a relationship like that? I think I had shown that much affection to a Snicker’s ice cream bar once, but it had been a tragically one-sided affair.”

If you’re in the market for the perfect enemies to lovers story, then look no further. The Allure of Dean Harper is exactly what you need if that trope is right up your alley. Two stubborn characters who dish it back and forth at a rapid rate, and who also have some crazy good sexual tension. Now come on and tell me that doesn’t sound like an excellent read.

Lily was such an admirable character and the perfect kind of best friend. Whenever Dean gave it to her (verbally!!! Get your minds out of the gutter!), she gave it back just as much. She was the kind of character who did not take any crap from anyone and I loved her for it. Also the fact that she moved from Texas to New York to make her culinary dreams come true. That takes a lot of courage and determination to go out on your own like that with no guarantees of succeding.

Dean. Oh my god, Dean. First of all, let me just say I want one for myself. Everything about him made him sound like the kind of man we’re all dying to have. He’s driven, he’s a little stubbon (ok… a lot stubborn), and hot as all hell. And despite all the back and forth between him and Lily, he totally had her back in a protective but not overly possessive kind of way. What a damn man.

The few times other characters were in the book, I enjoyed it. Josephine and Julian from The Allure of Julian Lefray made a few appearances in the book. It was nice to see two characters from another book of R.S. Grey’s that I also enjoyed. Especially because Lily and Jospehine and Dean and Julian are two sets of really good friends.

“If only she and I could shut up for ten minutes, the sex would be the best of our lives. Angry. Hard. Fast. Not love. Not even close. War.”

Again, another book knocked out of the park with R.S. Grey’s writing. I swear this woman can do no wrong when it comes to writing romantic comedies. She manages to achieve the perfect blend of fun, hilarious, and sexy with every book I read. And even when the characters inevitably end up together, it doesn’t become this huge sap fest. From begining to end, the characters she writes are always true to themselves and it makes it that much more fun to read.

I loved loved loved the plot. The whole restaurant scene in New York City as the setting and focus of their careers was captivating. I don’t know if R.S. Grey has ever been to NYC, but I felt like I could imagine the setting she created with the plot so well.

R.S. Grey knows how to pace a book. Of course, there’s a crazy amount of tension, but it’s always the right amount of tension. There is never a moment where I feel like it’s going too fast or too slow. Everything flows in a way that feels natural and it really adds to the enjoyment of the story.

Long story short, read the damn duology. Both The Allure of Julian Lefray and The Allure of Dean Harper are inredible reads. They are soooooo worth your time and money. R.S. Grey is the literal queen of romantic comedies. They’re laugh-out-loud funny with the perfect amount of sexual tension mixed in there. What more could you possibly want?