Dark and Wild Night by Christina Lauren

Series: Wild Seasons #3
338 p.
Publisher: Gallery Books
Published: 9/15/15
Source: From publisher for review

What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. 

But what didn't happen in Vegas seems to follow them everywhere.

Lola and Oliver like to congratulate themselves on having the good sense to not consummate their drunken Las Vegas wedding. If they’d doubled-down on that mistake, their Just Friends situation might not be half as great as it is now. 

... Or so goes the official line. 

In reality, Lola’s wanted Oliver since day one—and over time has only fallen harder for his sexy Aussie accent and easygoing ability to take her as she comes. More at home in her studio than in baring herself to people, Lola’s instinctive comfort around Oliver nearly seems too good to be true. So why ruin a good thing? 

Even as geek girls fawn over him, Oliver can’t get his mind off what he didn’t do with Lola when he had the chance. He knows what he wants with her now ... and it’s far outside the friend zone. When Lola’s graphic novel starts getting national acclaim—and is then fast-tracked for a major motion picture—Oliver steps up to be there for her whenever she needs him. After all, she’s not the kind of girl who likes all that attention, but maybe she’s the kind who’ll eventually like him. 

Sometimes seeing what’s right in front of us takes a great leap of faith. And sometimes a dark wild night in Vegas isn’t just the end of a day, but the beginning of a bright new life...

My thoughts:

I've heard so much about this author and have wanted to try her books. When this came in the mail for me to review I was excited. I was a bit worried that jumping into the series would confuse me but not worries, you can jump into this book without having read the others that preceded it.

Well, Lola is an artist of graphic novels and Oliver is a proprietor of comic books and the like. It made sense that they would have so much in common and it was no surprise that they would have crushes on each other. There is tension and there is frustration at the beginning for the reader because you can see both like each other but don't know how to proceed. Neither wants to ruin the friendship they have currently. Oh and yes, we get both POVs so we can see and not just guess how much Oliver likes, loves and respects Lola.

It is here where the book shines. I think Oliver's POV made the book for me. I loved Lola and how she was intelligent about what she was going through with her career but she lacked in emotional intelligence when it came to relationships. Oliver is aware and takes it slowly. What made me love him isn't how he took care when it came to Lola (although it did help) but when he respected and trusted her enough to save herself when she got herself in a bind. He wanted to save her but knew she could do it on her own and what that would mean to her. He was content to just be a sounding board and support. Oh yea, swoon worthy indeed!

I give this book 4 1/2 stars. It also has a LOT of sizzle for those that like it hot and steamy but also has a great relationship story with all the frustrations and victories that we enjoy in a romance. I highly recommend it and it is a great addition to the romantic genre.