Man in Love (Man in Charge Duet #2)

Overall Grade:

If you havent read Laurelin Paige, there is something you should understand about her romances. They usually involve heroes most would term alpha-heroes. These are men with decided views on life, and controlling situations is their superpower. Its actually quite interesting how she oftentimes quiets them. She tends to write duets or trilogies, and the first book or two are narrated through one point of view: the heroes. As a reader, its maddening as you encounter these overtly dominant masculine overtures through the specter of the heroines voice, and you long for the heros point of view, to read their longing for the heroine. Because that is key to a Paige romance: the hero falls decidedly hard, usually against his own better judgment, for the heroine of the story. It becomes a requirement of her heroes to do so, and the heroines point of view encapsulates it in a way that makes us distrust the heros motives. What does this mean: her heroines oftentimes are unreliable narrators. In crafting her romances this way, it creates a tension that drives her readers forward, and you cant help but gorge on the manna of her stories because the trials and tribulations of their journey are heartfelt and oftentimes angsty. Yet, her heroes exist in a world of dominance, deftly positioning their heroines in emotional, mental, and physical spaces that can make the reader feel uncomfortable, given our own world. Im sure many of us would rebuke a Paige hero (even though we might fantasize about that level of dominance). In a #metoo world, romance can problematize heroic constructions.

Enter Laurelin Paiges Man in Charge duet. With Man on Top, Man in Charge, and now, Man in Love, Paige has aptly written a hero in Scott Sebastian who is challenged by his privilege and his gender. One of the most insightful aspects of reading Man in Charge and Man in Love is the internal dialogue of her hero, specifically in Man in Love. What Paige has done is evolve her typical Paige hero into a woke representation of a modern-day hero, one perched ready to acknowledge his shortcomings so that he can become a better partner for his heroine. And this, my friends, is an exciting turn for romance, whether we want to admit it or not.

Man in Love, Paiges final book in this duet, is the continuing story of Scott Sebastian and Tessa Turani. I will provide no story summary because the blurb for this book offers enough, and I dont want to spoil anything about this book, given that Paige left us with a cliffhanger in Man in Charge. What should you know?

The chemistry between Scott and Tessa continues on its fiery path. This is also one of my favorite parts of a Laurelin Paige romance. They are so darn hot, and Tessa and Scott are no different. Their $exual tension bleeds off the page. Yet, its also their emotional connection that draws you into their journey.

I mentioned Paiges undercurrent of discussions about privilege in my Man in Charge review. This conversation continues in Man in Love. When Scott ponders how Tessa makes him a better man, hes noting how she challenges him to see the world beyond his privileged one. Interestingly enough, Scott and Tessas lives are very similar while seemingly dissimilar. Each is struggling with various restrictions on their freedom. One would think that Scott, with his familys money and legacy, would have the most freedom, but Paige explores that his freedom is restricted if he follows his familys expectations for him. His familial responsibility restrains him in ways he doesnt realize until Tessa. Like Scott, Tessa is hindered by her lack of resources and the mindset of settling. Until she meets Scott, she doesnt realize that her mindset is hindered, and its the potential cause of feeling caged by her job, her friendship, and past love relationships. Paige enters us brilliantly into this discussion of privilege forcing us to question its impact on our thinking. While it would seem counterintuitive to engage in these discussions about privilege, racial injustice, and gender inequality, romances provide the perfect platform as love as a vessel for empathy is the answer to remedying these issues.

As I mentioned earlier in this review, Scott Sebastians characterization is the best part of this book. He is similar and yet different from Paiges other alpha-heroes. There is a compassion and empathy in him that cause him to question his life, but he still maintains his alpha-hero status. What I especially loved is Paiges focus on the ways in which Scott espouses some traits of toxic masculinity, namely in his want to protect Tessa from outside forces and his speaking for her. Yet, Paige has crafted a bold, intelligent, insightful heroine in Tessa, and she confronts him when he acts as some of Paiges other heroes have acted. From a reader standpoint, you understand this to be a typical move for romance heroes, but Paige seems to be upending and placing a magnifying glass over those toxic traits in romance heroes. That discord between them is a conduit for re-thinking aspects of romance that arent always healthy in their depictions of masculinity and femininity.

And one final favorite facet of Paiges Man in Love is her portrayal of female friendships. When I read Man in Charge (and Im fairly sure I mentioned this in my review), the movie Working Girl came to mind. Figuring that I had it right, I was pleasantly surprised when Paige notes it as her inspiration in her end note. In that explanation, she points to a serious flaw in the original movie: the way in which a female power relationship undermines equality for women in the workplace, casting a female as a villain towards the heroine of that movie. In Man in Love, Paige absolutely rectifies this error. She casts a keen vision for setting a place for all women at the table of humanity, and it challenges the reader to be mindful of the ways we potentially denigrate our own $ex. Thats a powerful message, thought-provoking and important for our society today.

Laurelin Paiges Man in Love provides the perfect ending to her Man in Charge duet. Its a respite from our world with dissension and ugliness at every turn. Even as her characters encounter potentially unsurmountable troubles, Paige deftly guides them to an ending that challenges us, engages us, and leaves us swooning with adoration. This duet is an apt example of the ways in which romancelandia can embrace contentious societal issues and spin them into productive solutions for change. Writing should reflect humanity and challenge us to become better humans. And Paiges Man in Charge duet is continuing that charge.

When we last saw Tess, she was staring at the back of a very familiar man wearing a well-fitted suit. She immediately felt chills up her spine and knew that her real life was about to collide with her secret life. Tess never thought Scott would really choose her because she felt he was still a player. She believed that Scott would always be ruled by his father and he would never be able to love the woman who had taken over his heart.

Scotts feelings for Tess never wavered in Man in Love — except when it came to his past, which was something he had no control over. He was mesmerized by everything about her as if she had cast a spell on him. Scott tried desperately to shield Tess from his miserable father because he didnt want his hatred to touch her and poison what they had together. He had to make a decision about his job, his family and his future, and he couldnt let his father dictate to him anymore. Scott may have had the world at his fingertips, but the love of the right woman had always eluded him until that fateful night on the rooftop. Tess was a vision of beauty, feistiness and passion, and meeting her was the best day of his life.

Tess made Scott feel that he could do anything and she showed him that life wasnt all about money, merges and social connections. Scott realized that Tess brought out his courage, his passion and she showed him how wonderful it felt to be loved. Scott had finally met the woman he wanted to spend his life with and nothing would stand in the way of their happiness. She was his soulmate and he would do anything to make her his forever, no matter the consequences.

“Part of me wished he’d pull me back into his arms and heat me up entirely. The rest of me feared that if he did, I’d be under his spell forever, that I’d accept his excuses, that I’d make up excuses of my own.”

Ok Ladies (or Gents), we’ve all had one, or maye more than one. The one that you want so badly to believe, no matter what lines they try to pull on you. The one that it hurts to be with, and hurts to be without all at the same time. The one that could be the best decision of your life, and the worst one too. Now you know how Tess feels. And maybe Scott too. But more Tess. Just my opinion. She put up with it a whole lot longer than I would have. Or at least I hope I would have.

Now that the secrets are out, is the trust truly broken? Can the heat and chemistry between them make up for the impossible situation in which they now find themselves? Time after time, just when she thinks their love can overcome anything, it gets worse. GAH!! I’ve been there a few times myself and the war between staying with the guy who makes you tingle in all the right places, but settling for less than perfect, or stabbing yourself in the heart and walking away?

So many times during this read, I was yelling at Scott “What are you doing?!” and muttering “So stupid”. At the same time I was yelling and muttering the exact same things to Tess!!

One thing is for sure; They are HOT together!

This is a great series!! I love Scott and Tess, and I can’t WAIT for Brett’s book!!

When we left book one Tess life was crumbling around her after finding that the man shed recently been getting down and dirty with is engaged to her boss Kendra . Of course not everything is at its seems as Scotts domineering father is apparently behind his pending nuptials . Tess is distraught but Scott is adamant that hes not going to get married to Kendra , when he actually tells his parents that hes not going to go through with the marriage his father threatens to withdraw the funding and sponsorship for the DRF . Knowing that Tess is passionate about getting the funding to help people like her best friend ,Scott backs off and instead decides to whisk Tess away for a few days to stay with his paternal grandfather . His grandfather imparts words of wisdom but sadly Scott interprets them wrongly . Will there be a HEA for Tess and Scott and what is going on between Kendra & Tey ? All will be revealed in one fantastic ending .

…to Scott and Tessa’s story, and a complicated story it is!!

Scott Sebastian, the man who has it all – the looks, the money, the business…
But it all comes at a price! His life is not his own, his father wants to control it but now that Tessa is here, he had a reason to fight…

Tessa, the girl who works her ass off, the girl who does her up most to help her friend who suffers from POTs, an autonomic disorder, and is trying to raise funds for a charity that aims to help POTs. But of course, nothings straight forward…

Loved this book, excellent chemistry, believable characters, friendships you want for yourself….
Excellent!

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