Design: 5.0

This cover is on FIRE! From the very first moment that I saw it, my jaw dropped. Wow. It is sultry and so sexy. When I first saw this cover, I had already read “Knight” the first book in this series and so I knew that the cover model depicting Harley was a gorgeous and smart woman – but seeing her depicted on the cover – you just go “WHOA!” and then seeing Brody depicted… I’m sorry, I had to stop and pick my jaw up off the ground and wipe the drool. The two cover models PERFECTLY depict the two main characters and I just love when an author accomplishes that! I hate nothing more than when the cover models don’t live up to the literary description of the characters. I find that so frustrating. But here – HERE – the opposite is happening. These models so perfectly depict what will be described to us when it comes to the main characters. So that is an absolute perfect 10. As for the other design elements of this book, the design standards that had been put in place in book #1 are carried through here in book #2 and it just solidifies the design: the cover models and their pose are number one and take your entire focus. Following that is the title of the book that is in an interesting font – but it so works! I find it annoying when you have so many elements on the cover competing for your attention and the proportions of elements is out of whack – but this cover has the perfect trifecta: the cover art is the focus, the title supports it, followed by the author’s name as the tertiary element. I have nothing more to say about this cover other than it is just pure perfection for this book and for this series. Well done!

Review: 4.8

This book gave me butterflies – and I loved every single minute of it! You know when you meet someone that you’re incredibly attracted to, and then you get those first-date-flutters – then those butterflies intensify for the first kiss (and so on and so forth)? That’s what this book will do to you – and it is exhilarating! You just want more and more butterflies, and AK Landow delivers all of that – and then some.

This is the second book in “The City of Sisterly Love” series – the first having been “Knight” – but you can totally read this as a standalone. I suggest you do not do that however, and read “Knight” first and then “Dr. Harley” because you won’t want to miss any of the delicious details of these stories – the setup of the premise and the character development. All of my favorite things about AK Landow’s writing and my favorite parts of the storyline in “Knight” were consistent when it came to the follow-through into “Dr. Harley” – and those are the great stories that’ve been created for our reading pleasure, but specifically I love the humor of some of the characters that was further developed in this second book. That said, I gotta give props to Trevor, Cass and Reagan because Landow has written them in such a funny way that it is just addicting. And I love when the supporting characters are so dynamic, interesting, and help support the main characters and story in such an engaging way. So I give an A+ for that.

One of the things that pleasantly surprised me in “Knight” were the dynamic romantic and sex scenes. If you read this genre, the HEA books of the world, the romantic / sex parts of the story can be really great, really cheesy and not so great – or everything in between. You never know what to expect until you get to know an author. This is a fun “getting to know you” between you and the author though, am I right? But I was pleasantly surprised that the same depth of connection and sweet-without-being-too-sappy-and-cliche romantic scenes that Landow brought forth in “Knight” was all here in “Dr. Harley” – and then some. Landow was able to keep the same intensity between the characters, but she perfected it for Harley and Brody’s characters. And I mention this because not every author is able to accomplish this. Sometimes they have a formula and sometimes it works, but it doesn’t always carry through to the various characters in a series. That said, what I loved about Landow’s romantic scenes from “Knight” – the emotion she evokes in you with the amazing details and character attraction – none of that was lost in “Dr. Harley” – in fact she stepped it up a notch and THAT was fantastic!

That said, let’s go back to the butterflies for a second. The meet cute between Harley and Brody – WOW!!! (Maybe it should be called a “sex cute” instead?!) It literally gave me butterflies, because Landow accomplished making you connect with the characters so you almost felt as if you were the one, in some way, having a first dance with someone at Club Liberty – someone that you’re insanely attracted to that you just met – that you’re about to kiss for the first time – you’re about to… well you get the idea. And THAT my friends is not an easy feat for a writer: to make the reader somehow feel that they’re part of that scene – whether in a voyeuristic way or live themselves into some part of the scene. For me, it was a bit of both. I have no shame, I felt both. And let me tell you, that first meet cute with what follows – whooo-ey boys and girls. It’s H-A-W-T! It’s sexy, sultry, romantic, and it is intense! You feel like an addict because you just want more – more of that sexy romantic high that Landow has given you a shot of. And for me, I loved this high all the more because I truly loved both Harley and Brody as characters. They are dynamic, deep, interesting, funny, intense, and oh-so-perfect for one another. That just makes it all the sweeter, right?

We had great glimpses of Harley in “Knight” but in this book all of the glimpses we got of her character in the first book are further explained and the chips all fall into place. Enter Brody – hubba-hubba!!! Ok wait, I have to take a detour here because let’s talk about the attractiveness factor of these two characters for a hot second. Harley has been described in book #1 and now in book #2 as this INCREDIBLY attractive, smart, sexy, hard-working and dedicated individual – props girl, props! But Landow has described her as like super model material. So take a minute and scope out the cover of this book – go ahead – I’ll wait. Do you see it? Because I see it. This book cover is ON FIRE! I hate nothing more than the author describing a character a certain way and then the cover doesn’t live up to the description. Don’t worry though, that’s not happening here! This is one of the hottest covers I’ve ever seen. And I’m not afraid to admit that if I were to have a literary girl crush, Harley might just be it for me! And speaking of crushes, helllllloooooo Brody! I mean, could Landow have written a sexier male lead? I think not. He’s just… everything. And the cover, the cover model certainly does him allllll the justice of Landow’s writing. I could barely function after I first saw this cover, it was so incredible.

Ok so… where was I? I totally went off on a tangent about the attractiveness of the two main leads – but you know, that’s just part of the great writing that Landow brings us. She will make you get so wrapped up in her story and her characters that you find yourself down a total rabbit hole. Isn’t that the mark of a great writer? I think so. And “Dr. Harley” will bring you down a number of rabbit holes – all of which will give you butterflies… incredible, exciting butterflies.

I loved this second book more than the first book – the first book was great and I loved so many things about it – but this book kicked everything up a notch for me. I loved the characters, the writing was fantastic, the story was intense and so interesting, and the HEA factor of this book was a perfect 10. I highly recommend not just this book but this series (so far only two books are out, I can’t wait for the third book – need any help with the initial reads AK? *hint*hint* I’m chomping at the bit for the next in the series). There’s so much in “Dr. Harley” that you won’t want to put it down and you can so easily get yourself lost in this story in one sitting… that’s what I did. And that’s another mark of a great story – how quickly you lose yourself in said story. My hats off to you AK Landow – I cannot wait for the third book in the series!

Amazon excerpt:

My name is Harley Lawrence. All I’ve ever wanted was to become a doctor. I’ve sacrificed so much to get here. Three years ago, during a difficult time in my life, I did something uncharacteristically reckless. I spent a wild night with a handsome stranger.

I wanted the evening left in the past, refusing to even give him my name. When the first day of medical school came around, much to my surprise, that stranger was my professor.

Our mutual attraction is undeniable, but the circumstances are not ideal. I won’t become a cliché. The girl that needs to sleep with her professor to get by. I had to push him away, but I never forgot him. He never forgot me either, and now he’s back in my life, he’s my boss, and he won’t take no for an answer. I’m trying to fight my feelings. I don’t know how much longer I can resist him.