A BEAUTY UNCOVERED – Andrea Laurence
A Perfect 10
Secrets of Eden , Book 2
Harlequin Desire #2259
ISBN: 978-0-373-73272-2
October 2013
Series Romance

Boston, Massachusetts – Present Day

After losing her last job due to an affair with her boss that turned ugly, Samantha Davis has had a hard time finding a new one. Her godmother, who is leaving on an extended vacation, put in a good word for Sam to be her temporary replacement as secretary, and she was hired. Her first few days on the job, Sam learns that her reclusive and unseen boss interacts with very few people—Sam included. This irks her, so she walks in uninvited to his cave…err…office, and learns that he's horribly disfigured on one side of his face. Yet the moment they meet face to face, something sizzles between them. She wants to help him in any way possible, even though he rejects her offer.

Wealthy businessman Brody Eden was scarred in childhood and since that time he has avoided contact with most people because he knows how they will cringe in horror when they see his face. But Sam doesn't appear upset by Brody's appearance. In fact, the soft touch of her hand to his face brings out something inside him he's never experienced before. Desire. Trust. A feeling of wanting to get to know her. But he can't take her on a date, because he avoids being seen in public. Can he develop a relationship with her, or are they doomed because a beautiful woman like Sam can't be locked away with a man who is scarred? Then add in the fact that there are secrets in his life that he can't share with her.

There are so many things to say about A BEAUTY UNCOVERED and why it endeared me to this story. Sam's life was in a mess after her last job, and she sees working for Brody as an opportunity to start over. Yet not being able to see her boss (he keeps himself locked in his office and they communicate by other means) annoys her to the point that she risks her job by forcing them to meet face to face. Sam isn't repelled; instead she wants to soothe the savage beast and make it right for him. Brody is used to the sympathetic stares when he is forced to go out in public, but keeps himself locked away for this reason. He doesn't want to be anyone's rescue project for redemption. But Brody and Sam connect on many levels. He enjoys surprising her and making her smile. She thinks it's time for him to break out of his shell, yet he resists. But there's one thing they do agree on—that the sex between them is off the charts.

Warmhearted and sexy, A BEAUTY UNCOVERED is a tale I highly recommend. Brody is like a flower waiting to bloom in the hands of a woman who cares for him…and Sam is perfect for him. Her gentleness in taming the beast of Brody is wonderful, and once the beast is unleashed, he finds it nearly impossible to let her go. They open up each other's lives in the best possible of ways, but will the walls that Brody has put up to protect himself come down? Once you read A BEAUTY UNCOVERED (and I recommend you do) then you may be like me and hate to see the end. Their tale is remarkable and lovely…and a reason I give it one of RRT's coveted Perfect 10's. If you love a romance book where you fall in love with the characters, then do not miss A BEAUTY UNCOVERED.

Patti Fischer