The Pleasures of Summer is the second Erotic Romance Novel in the Pleasures series by Evie Hunter (a pen name for the combined work of two authors). Where there is a great deal of money, there is always danger, and Summer O’Sullivan knows this all too well. As the heiress to her father’s air-plane company, she is well known to the public as a spoiled princess, so naturally, when her father insists on a bodyguard for while he is away, she kicks up a stink. After clever manipulation, she is able to have all but one dismissed. Flynn Grant would rather be in some dangerous destination blowing stuff up than babysitting his principal, but not being back to full strength after his last job, needs must. Despite themselves, their interests are piqued, and with more than one threat hiding in the wings, guarding Summer is a much harder job than Flynn would have guessed. But what is more dangerous: the threats gunning for Summer or the feelings that are becoming harder and harder to suppress?
Summer O’Sullivan is far more than she allows the world to see—even more than she allows her friends and family to see. She hides most of her emotions, and I loved that she allowed Flynn in. Of course, she is still what she appears to others to be: spoiled, headstrong, far too risky with her safety, and at times so bullheaded it’s bordering on stupid. But she is incredibly smart when she is allowed to be, caring almost to a fault, and funny. Summer’s thoughts made me laugh more often than not because, at times, I could not help but wholeheartedly agree. Summer has been alone for far too long, and she was doing anything she could do—shopping, partying, dating—to fill this hole within herself to the point that she almost felt as though she felt nothing at all. Her wanting to try BDSM was as exciting as it was terrifying. Summer is almost always in control, and she just wanted someone to care for her for once. It is really heart-touching, and she drew me into her fear because she was quietly full of it. I felt akin to Summer more than once, so I loved watching her grow; chapter by chapter, she became who she was. I was equally upset by a few of her actions and Flynn’s, but I am so glad she picked herself up and that Flynn was not too far behind. The epilogue was what I needed to see for Summer!
Flynn Grant had my full attention from his first interaction with Summer. Unlike Summer, there is no front to Flynn; he is as dangerous, arrogant, and domineering as he appears and acts, and he owns it to a degree of devilry that you cannot help but love. Flynn loves his job; he loves flying into places unknown, blowing stuff up, and getting the job done like a quiet hero who does not share it. He is as alone as Summer is. His family seems distant because of the job he does, and his team is just that—a team. Sure, there is camaraderie, but they do not seem all that close. Flynn loves control as much as Summer needs it, but he changes as the book progresses. As they push each other’s boundaries, Summer softens him as he tames her in equal measure. Both he and Summer have a habit of running away when things get too much or they find that they are struggling with control. But there was one moment when Flynn was overthinking and acted far too quickly, allowing his fear to cloud the bigger picture, and it upset me. Thankfully, it did not last too long. Even with this error, I still preferred Flynn Grant to Jack Winter; to me, he is superior in many ways. Although I loved the little Easter egg about The Pleasures of Winter, I wonder if there will be one in the next book about Flynn and Summer.
Flynn’s protectiveness is on another level; he would do anything it took to protect Summer physically, but he did not know how to protect her heart, just as she did not know what real heartbreak and real love were until he showed them to her. It was as if they both saw a way to court the hole in their chests and then completely mistook the fact that they were not just courting this desire for each other but had created a bond that went beyond the physical. They realised only at the last moment that they had started to fill the hole with one another, but still, they could not seem to get enough. There was always more to tempt, coax, know, and need from one another. And before they knew it, life without the other seemed emptier than it had been before they knew each other.
There was not a single thing I disliked about this book. Of course, there was some miscommunication, but thankfully it never affected my rating of this book. I loved the growth experienced by both main characters, and the epilogue was perfect! I look forward to seeing more of Summer and Flynn in the short story A Touch of Summer, which I will be reading in the upcoming months. Needless to say, I am rating The Pleasures of Summer Five out of Five Stars.
Once again, I would recommend this book to an adult audience as there is more of the BDSM world explored. I would recommend it to those who love strong main characters, as both Summer and Flynn are equally matched in mind. As always in HEAs, there is a love that cannot be repressed. The sexual exploration of fantasies with danger that will have you second-guessing and humour, because the thoughts and one-liners had me laughing. After getting a glimpse of Sinead in The Pleasures of Summer, I am very much looking forward to seeing more of her in the next installment.
Favourite Quotes
““Don’t,” he said in a warning tone. “Don’t let your mind fuck up what your body wants.””
page 104
““I wanted to see if I could still feel.””
page 212
““And I promise that I will find you. If I have to move heaven and earth, I’ll find you and bring you home.””
page 263
““You bastard is masochist for “thank you”,” he said, not bothering to hide the satisfaction in his tone.””
page 271
“For the briefest of times, for a single summer, she had felt truly loved.”
page 389
“There was a part of Flynn that would always court danger.”
page 432
Finer Details
Title: The Pleasures of Summer
Author: Evie Hunter
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
Publication: 2013
Language: English
Rating: 5/5