Published: 28th May 2015
Publisher: Momentum
Pages: 306
Format: Ebook
Genre: Contemporary Romance
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ – 5 Stars
She’s in a long-term, committed relationship. With her business.
In three years Madeline Spencer has single-handedly grown her marketing agency, Grounded Marketing, into one of the country’s fastest growing companies. But her success has been at the expense of her social life, and her girlfriends have had enough. They’ll do whatever it takes, from speed dating to blind dates, to show her there’s more to life than work.
Only Maddy is having a hard time forgetting about her business. She’s about to pitch for her biggest client ever and the mysterious media mogul, Paul Neilsen, has volunteered to mentor her. Maddy might just be in with a shot of landing the account – if she can keep her mind on the job. Working with Paul is not at all what she’d imagined, and Maddy finds herself torn between her ever increasing workload and her feelings for Paul. She’s discovering playing in the big league means making sacrifices … and Maddy must decide what she can’t live without.
Note: I was provided with a copy of this book from the publisher for review.
I truly and honestly can say I never was, nor ever thought I would be, a romance lover or someone who got excited and invested in a couple in a book but this book has momentarily changed that. What Belinda Williams has created her is a wonderful balance of clever writing, sweet but not sappy story, and real characters that feel like genuine people rather than stuck simply on a page.
Every aspect of this story feels so real, whether that is because I recognise the places and can picture it playing out, or just because Williams’ writing brings the story to life so incredibly well. There are surprises and bumps along the way and while you think you know how it will end, there are still surprises in store that make it an enthralling read and just the right kind of bumpy.
The characters are diverse, not just in their personality but with everything. Each revelation of character is a joy and Williams skilfully makes the characters complicated and deep yet simple on the page. Being the second in the series there are brief mentions about the events in the previous book but no more than passing references compared to a full recap.
With a new storyline and a new point of view there is a mixture of new faces to become acquainted with but also familiar characters that were introduced in the first novel. Williams makes you become involved with her characters and with each book focusing on a different friend there is a wonderful chance to get to know each of them and after reading about one it will certainly make you curious to learn about the others.
The friendship between the four women is divine and through dialogue and actions the writing captures and expresses the intense and loving relationship between the friends, but also the brutal honesty and tough love as well, sympathising and highly supportive while not enabling or mollycoddling.
Maddy is a wonderful character and a great narrative voice, she is strong and focused, but at the same time a bit unsure of herself at times and can be oblivious to what’s in front of her. Her determination makes her amazing, and whether it is work or her personal life, her confidence doesn’t overshadow her occasional doubt which what makes her so genuine.
I loved the complications in this story, and I loved how rooted in reality they were. It was nothing grand or overblown but different and unique, and the everyday nature of the story while still being climactic and dramatic made it intriguing.
This is a slow-burn romance, and while it seems like it is going to be a fast, wild, love story Williams paces it remarkably well. The romance is natural with understandable barriers, and without a love at first sight passion but still enough to start something. There is also restraint with things like sex scenes but Williams doesn’t make it plain either, nor does she skip over it like it isn’t important to the story or character relationship.
The story is clever, classy, and adult with real issues, but has the romance in it with style and heartfelt sincerity. With great characters and clever writing Williams has added to the City Love series a wonderful narrative that brings the realities of life with the dreams of romance together with resounding success. I look forward to continuing the rest of the series because I know it is only going to get better.
You can purchase The Pitch via the following
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