Graydon Canter had a fortune and a place on all the hottest “Thirty under Thirty” lists, until a series of personal missteps nearly destroyed his career. A year teaching at a D.C. law school is just the break he needs to get his life back in order, as long as nothing—and no one—trips him up.
When Blair and Gray are forced to work together, their explosive attraction becomes impossible to resist. But Gray’s demons have drawn him dangerously close to the edge, and Blair has spent her life playing by the rules. Will she break them for a shot at love?
My Review
“I was a filler. And all I wanted was for someone to act like I mattered, for someone to want me. Not because my father was was the head of the Senate Intelligence Committee, or because my mother had been a Vanderwaal, or because I came from money, or had my picture taken in some stupid society page. I wanted someone to want me. And I didn’t want to beige anymore.”
Blair Reynolds has always done what is expected of her. She held the image of the perfect daughter, until she brought scandal to the family. After catching her fiancee sleeping with someone else on their wedding day, she decides that she needs to make a change. Even though it’s not her passion, she decides to pursue law school. Law school is anything but easy. Especially her class with Professor Canter. Not only is he possibly the hottest man she has ever seen, but he has an arrogance about him. And he’s always calling on her in class. No wonder she can’t get him out of her head….Gray Canter had the life he always dreamed of. That is until one day, it all came crashing down. It was a domino effect. One little thing had the power to throw his entire career off course. Teaching law school was supposed to be his fresh start. Little did he know that Blair would prove to be his biggest challenge yet….When Gray and Blair are brought together for probono work, things get complicated. Lines will blur and passions will ignite…..
Playing With Trouble was a really exciting read. I easily got lost in Blair and Gray’s story. Normally, I’m not a big fan of the student/teacher romance. However, it worked really well with this story, especially with the characters being 23 & 30. They were very easy to connect with and I couldn’t wait to learn more about them.
I was really fascinated with Blair. She always did what she was told and what was expected of her. I loved watching her go on her journey of self-discovery, working through what she really wanted in life. Seeing her stand up for herself and find what she was passionate about was brave and inspiring. And when it comes to her romantic life, boy did I want her to get a HEA. I mean, she was engaged to someone who ended up cheating on her. She had so many insecurities that she had to work through. All she wanted was someone to love her. Someone who would fight and walk through fire for her. Someone who wasn’t afraid to work for what they wanted. I wanted her to have that.
And Gray…well, he didn’t make the best decisions. His life had completely spun out of control. But, now he was on the right path. He was taking his life back. But, he too had a lot of fears and insecurities to get past. He tried to stay away from Blair, but it was hard. He thought he wasn’t good enough and felt that Blair deserved more. But, with Blair’s help, he slowly started to realize that he wasn’t as bad of a man as he thought he was. He just made some bad choices. He deserved a second chance and he deserved to be in love.
I loved the romance between Gray and Blair. Their situation was complicated. Blair was Gray’s student and there was so much at risk if they were to get involved with one another. Their relationship was the slow building kind with a chemistry that was undeniable. I loved the flirting, the stolen kisses, and just how they were around each other. They both tried to fight what was building between them. However, their connection was not one to be ignored. Then when all the stars finally lined up and they were able to give into what they wanted….let’s just say, it was well worth the wait! “I feel like I’m going to wake up and discover you’re a figment of my imagination,” he murmured, his hand reaching out and stroking my hair. “I don’t know what I did to deserve you. Fuck, I probably don’t. But I can’t let you go. I don’t want to, and even more, I’m starting to think you wouldn’t even let me if I could walk away.”
Playing With Trouble is a great addition to the Capital Confessions series. The story-line and the characters are captivating. I was absolute addicted to it. You will not want to put this story down. Playing With Trouble is not just a forbidden romance, but it’s also a story about finding yourself, letting go of others expectations and fighting for what you want in life. It has the perfect balance of angst/drama, romance, and steam. The story wouldn’t be complete without a little scandal and a surprising twist. Playing With Trouble will frustrate you, make you swoon and hopefully fall in love, just like I did. I am absolutely addicted to the Capital Confessions series and I can not wait to get my hands on Kate’s story, Falling For Danger!
* I was provided an ARC copy of this book via NetGalley and Wordsmith Publicity, in exchange for an honest review*
Flirting with Scandal by Chanel Cleeton
Chanel writes contemporary romances. She is published by Harlequin HQN, Penguin/InterMix, and Penguin/Berkley and is the author of the International School, Capital Confessions, and Wild Aces series.
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