Publisher: Samhain
Publish Date: Out Now
How we got this book: ARC from the publisher
The best doesn’t come cheap…and this time it could cost him his heart.
Handsome billionaire Adam Steele is good. Good at getting his way. If nothing else, money always works—until he realizes he can’t buy his daughter’s way out of her new wheelchair. Three private physical therapists later, he’s almost given up on Emily walking again. Then he meets Dr. Jaden Monroe. And his match.
Feisty physical therapist Jaden Monroe has never met a man quite like Adam. She’s not sure if it’s his I’m–in–charge attitude or the heat in his eyes when he looks at her, but she finds herself wanting to say yes to anything he asks. Like when he asks her to help his daughter walk again. Of course, the million dollars he offers—just enough to finish the pediatric rehab wing Jaden has been working for and dreaming of—is hard to say no to as well.
But Jaden didn’t anticipate a teen whose injuries are more than physical. Or a man so passionate and devoted—and as tenacious as she is. As she and Adam fight their attraction, the only thing harder than keeping her promise will be keeping a hold on her heart.
This book has been previously published and has been expanded from its original release.
Warning: Contains heated arguments that erupt only slightly more often than hot kissing, a new perspective on kitchen appliances, and sizzling sex occurring everywhere BUT the bedroom (though they eventually make it there).
This blurb came from http://www.erinnicholas.com
E: This blurb looked intriguing because I liked the thought of a father doing everything he could to help his daughter heal and the physical therapist who met the challenge. The thought of heated arguments and a few other things in the warning also might have added to my curiosity. Unfortunately, this ended up being a superficial read to me as moments that were built up as critical turning points fizzled and did not deliver the emotional punch I expected based on the previously established characterization. As a result I ended up feeling let down.
MinnChica: I was really intrigued by the idea of a father who would go to extreme lengths for his daughter, and the physical therapist who was up to the challenge as well. Unlike E, while I felt this was a very light read, I enjoyed it. It wasn’t as drama and angst filled as the blurb made it seem, and I was okay with that.
E: I enjoyed how Jaden and Adam argued over just about everything. Adam needed to understand he wasn’t always right and sometimes you can help another person by giving up control or stepping back. Jaden’s ability to stand up to Adam demonstrated the willpower needed as a physical therapist who had to deal with stubborn patients. Their arguments also served as kind of foreplay and showcased what they were focused on. It was interesting to see their actions after the arguments ended even though they appeared to end without resolution because most of them did cause some character growth. However, it seemed as if Adam regressed towards the later part of the story and then broke characterization in a large way involving his daughter’s actions.
MinnChica: I loved the contentious relationship between Adam and Jaden. The two of them were constantly bickering and arguing and it all just contributed to the sexual tension between them. Adam thought he knew what was best therapy wise for his daughter, despite the fact that Jaden was the professional. Jaden desperately wanted to keep her distance, given her history, and yet between Adam’s advances and her own desires, she just couldn’t. It was steamy and sexy in a really understated way, and I enjoyed that.
E: I mostly enjoyed Emily, Adam’s daughter. She had a lot of spirit and was competitive which meant she was able to accomplish what she wanted to achieve BUT I had some major issues regarding the pace of her progress. I liked how much she cared about her father and wished I had seen her interact more with her uncle (actually my favorite character). I loved seeing her come out of her shell and develop new friends but I never saw her transition from passive aggressive to pliant to independent-minded. I wanted to see those transitions since they also corresponded with turning points in Jaden and Adam’s relationship.
MinnChica: I loved Emily as well. I thought she was such a vibrant character in the book. Given her injury, I expected her to be angry and upset and unwilling to deal with her treatment. However, I love the way that Jaden was able to reach out to her and connect with her and show her that just because she lost a leg, didn’t mean she had to lose out on anything else in her life. There were times I felt that Nicholas wrote Emily a lot more older and mature than she really was, but that was a small downside in an overall well developed character.
E: Overall I thought No Matter What had some promising characters and a good idea but unfortunately I found the execution lacking for me. I needed to see some of the emotional transitions to believe in the HEA across the entire family especially given the last argument and the end result. I did like the big gesture Adam made and the balance with the gesture made by Jaden. I also found myself really intrigued by his “wastrel” of a brother. I would like to read his story because I thought he was a rather fascinating complex character.
I give No Matter What a C
MinnChica: All in all, I felt like this book had an old-school Harlequin feel to it. It wasn’t especially angsty, and I liked the adversarial relationship between Adam and Jaden. I do have to agree with E that it felt as if Adam regressed as a character toward the end, but overall I found the story to be light, fluffy, and exactly what I was in the mood for.
I give No Matter What a B