Review: “Restraint” by Adriana Locke

Book Title: Restraint

Author: Adriana Locke

Series: Mason Family, Book 1

Rating: 4.5⭐

Release Date: August 3rd, 2020

Goodreads | Amazon.in (Available in KU)

Synopsis: Blaire Gibson is not looking for love and she’s not looking for one-night stands either. But she ends up with both. And so does Holt Mason. When their chance meeting turns into a vacation of lust, sex and desire, it also gets a little out of hand and pushes them over the edge. Nothing good comes without a little restraint, right?

Review: One of my favourite things about Adriana Locke’s books are family dynamics. I absolutely loved the Gibson brothers and thanks to Sienna Landry, I have ideas about the Landry family, even though I never read those books. But these characters are all so family-oriented and it’s what makes me pick up every single one of her books. In this one, we get more family fun and a whole lot of naughty sex appeal in and out of the boardroom.

Blaire Gibson, the infamous sister of Walker, Lance and Machlan, finally gets her own book. She’s a lawyer and she’s damn good at what she does. Blaire has no time for men who want her to be a certain way and she’s not going to back down from a challenge, in any way at all. Blaire is, like her brothers, a tough nut to crack. So much so that her brother has to force her to go on holiday so that she takes a break from work and from life to have a little fun. It might not have been Walker’s intention for Blaire to end up horizontal with someone in Savannah, but that’s where she ends up.

Holton Mason, Holt to his friends and family, is one of four brothers that runs a successful business in Savannah, Georgia. He’s an alpha male in and out of the boardroom and also very against relationships because he’s been burned before. He never wants to go down that road again and he knows that even if he’s making things very clear from the start, people can read things the wrong way. But Blaire makes him stop and take a deep breath and slowly figure out the best way to function in any and all situations.

“You are absolutely right. Never compromise yourself because someone pushes.”

Their first meeting fuels something in Holt and from there on, it’s like they can’t get enough of each other. Love is a funny thing when sex is involved and it’s clear that Blaire and Holt have no idea what they’re getting themselves into till they’re actually deep in it already. Everything from their first night together to the moment when everything falls apart is pretty perfect.

One of my favourite things about books featuring alpha males is watching them unravel. Not just in the bedroom, but under the adoring gaze of the women in their lives. Blaire and Holt both have demons and skeletons in their closets. Blaire’s ex ruined her and made her cautious of every man she meets and gets involved with. Holt’s ex did just about the same thing. They have enough in their pasts to make them afraid to let the other in, but the moment when they both share their truths and when they make each other aware of just how much they’ve been through – that was a scene that made absolutely love the two characters.

It might be lust at first sight, but you can feel the love that the two characters have for each other. It’s a game of push and pull, but it’s one that I have to admit I enjoyed far too much. I also loved the friendships in this. We met Sienna (Walker’s girlfriend) in “Crank”, and to see her and Blaire have a friendship is so heartwarming. I love it when the friendships are as strong as the romance in the book, because you get to see another side of the characters. The same way, Holt and his brothers have a bond that is unbreakable and it’s a promise of more of their stories to come!

The first in the Mason Family series, “Restraint” is another hit for Adriana Locke!

Thanks to Adriana Locke and Candi Kane PR for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!