Want You by Jen Frederick [Review]

Want You by Jen Frederick
Format: ebook
Source: purchased
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: January 1, 2019

Purchase Links: Paperback | Kindle

Jen Frederick
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Synopsis (Goodreads):

Bitsy: I might be only nineteen, but I know what I want. It’s Leka Moore. I don’t care that he took me in when he was barely more than a kid himself. I don’t care that he raised me. I don’t care everyone thinks being with him is wrong. I know we belong together, and the only person I need to convince is him.

Leka: I found her in the corner of a dark alley. If I hadn’t taken her with me, she would’ve died that night—or maybe worse. Before I knew it, she became the light in my dark life, the haven from the madness. I watched her grow up. I tried to teach her right from wrong. Now that she’s an adult, I’m feeling things that no good man should ever feel. But then…I’ve never been a good man. I have a chance at redemption by saving her from the greatest danger of all—me.

Thoughts on Want You: This book surprised me in the best way. I went into it not sure how I felt about the idea of a young woman falling for the man who'd taken her in, but it worked for me. It worked hard.

Because Leka and Bitsy's situation is about as far from normal as things get. They're both on their own, doing their best to make things work for themselves, and their starting points aren't pretty. Leka does things to keep Bitsy safe that would break another man. But by doing those things and building such a deadly reputation, he does keep her safe. It breaks him inside a little, but she's more important than him (in his eyes) and a little mayhem and murder is nothing when compared to the alternative.

Bitsy, on the other hand, doesn't entirely understand the extent of what Leka's keeping her from. He did such a good job protecting her from the darker aspects of his life, that she has no idea the danger surrounding them until things take a turn. Which isn't to say she doesn't understand what he does. Honestly, I think she's well aware of it without it ever being explicitly said. But...she doesn't understand how easily she could be used against Leka if those in power ever wanted to bring him to his knees.

Dangerous, a little bloody, and equal parts sweet and sexy. I wasn't sure what to expect when I picked up this book, but I was all in within a few pages. *thumbs up*