Insatiable (Vino & Veritas #11) ~ Rhys Everly

Insatiable is the 11th title in the Vino & Veritas series that is a spin-off of Sarina Bowen’s True North World. I have been extremely lucky to have obtained several ARCs in this series, and Insatiable is the first of the second tranche of titles. Rhys Everly is a new to me author, and from Insatiable I can guarantee that I'll be checking out his backlist.

For a relatively short book, Insatiable packs in a lot of tropes: age gap, fake boyfriend, player to committed, and grumpy/sunshine (with a twist in that the younger MC is the grump). All of these tropes weave together to form a story that will keep you flipping the pages.

Not having any experience with this author, I had absolutely no expectations going starting this book. What I discovered though was well-written prose, and characters with whom I became very invested. There were a few familiar names from earlier titles, which were absolutely lovely to ‘catch up’ with again, but as it should be, Logan and Brody stole the limelight.

To be perfectly honest, I wasn’t a fan of Logan at first. He was a self-confessed player of the worst kind. The men he picked up couldn’t even be called trophies anymore, they were simply an expected part of his life, and were treated no better than toys. However, we all love a redeemed rake, and that is exactly what Logan becomes. From the moment he sees Brody the change begins, it’s subtle at first, but definitely there. It’s a sign of good writing when an author can turn an unlikeable character into one that you want to see succeed.

You couldn't help but like Brody. He's been humiliated and dumped in the worst possible way, and his business is failing. He's all sass, snark and grumpiness, but under it all, you can see just how unhappy and lonely he is. He takes an instant dislike to Logan, which admittedly is why Logan becomes so interested in Brody. No one says no or dislikes Logan, why does Brody?

I really enjoyed how the author didn’t make Brody and Logan fall instantly into a relationship. He makes Logan work for it, while at the same time making Brody look inwards to how he is viewing the world, including Logan.

"I don’t want him to shut me off again. Not after how much it has taken me to even get close to him. I haven’t worked so hard for a shag in the history of ever.”

There was one character I’m particularly hoping gets his Happily Ever After in a future book. I don’t want to spoil anything, but he’s a character that appears near the beginning of the book, but he doesn’t really have any page time until the climax of the story. You’ll recognise him as soon as you read it.

I really enjoyed Insatiable, and I think Rhys Everly did a wonderful job creating the characters of Logan and Brody. Logan especially did a complete 180, but it was written in such a way that it was completely believable. In his own way, Logan was just as broken as Brody, and together they healed each other. I loved how Logan changed from being a player who didn’t respect his partner to falling head over heels for Brody, and for the first time having to work to get his affections returned.

"I know with my entire being, even though it has never happened to me in my forty-two years of life, that I have fallen hopelessly in love with Brody Mercier."

If you enjoy any (or like me all) of the tropes in this story I’d highly recommend checking it out. If you are on the fence about any of them, I still suggest you check it out. This really is a great book with relatively low angst, great writing and beautiful character development. It is a perfect weekend (or anytime) read.