5 STARS!!!
Summary
Craig Robinson and Suzanne Baxter had no reason to meet, no real excuse to be friends. But when heart calls to heart…blood to blood…should two people who seem destined to be together heed the spin of Fate’s wheel?
Craig spent years floating through life on cruise control, using directionless jobs, his rock band, swimming, and a string of older women in his bed to smother feelings of loneliness and loss. He finally thought he had found his true love in one Sara Thornton — A sexy, beautiful, fellow real estate agent and mentor. But his self-doubt and innate sense of failure is only reinforced when he realizes her heart belongs to another man.
When Sara introduces him to Suzanne, a woman fighting her own demons from an abusive marriage and subsequent feelings of inadequacy and deep unhappiness, that simple, chance moment snaps Craig’s hazy existence into crystal-clear focus. A bond of instant physical attraction, nurtured by time and shared experience, and plenty of erotic energy, is born.
As Suzanne’s past continues to haunt her, making her push Craig away just as he thinks he’s getting closer, each of them must come to terms with their true selves and face their ultimate realities.
Denise’s Review
First please do not try to read this book if you have not read the first four books in the series. Second if you have read the prior books you are going to enjoy Conditional Offer. Oh third if you have not read the Realtors Series by Liz Crowe, read Floor Time, Sweat Equity, Closing Costs and Essence of Time then read Conditional Offer.
Conditional Offer tells the story of Craig Robinson and Suzanne Baxter, two not so secondary characters in the Realtors Series. This book lays out Craig’s backstory and then relives many of the critical scenes from the series through Craig’s perspective. Most of Suzanne’s backstory was told in Essence of Time. Suzanne is painted as the woman who broke Blake’s heart. At first Craig’s role in the realtors series is painted as a hot distraction for Sara, one of many road blocks to her happiness with her soul mate Jack. Conditional Offers gives you Craig and leaves you wanting him to find his happiness.
Craig and Suzanne both have prior loves that they had to let go; stories of their past that leave you thinking these two really deserve happiness and a true love of their own. Their journey is not a direct one nor is it painless. They are both haunted by prior events so love and trust do not come easy for either.
In Conditional Offer Ms. Crowe develops Craig’s backstory and shows you Suzanne’s emotional scars left from a traumatic event outlined in Essence of Time (again you must read Essence of Time to see this traumatic event laid out)
Suzanne thinks that she did not worthy of anyone’s love or devotion; she is not even sure she knows how to return love.
As these two wounded souls start to interact, Craig truly starts to understand love, true love; love beyond lust and roses; the kind of love you have to work for; love that take the breaking down of barriers and fully accepting who the other person is flaws and all. Suzanne’s past is full of things that have her pulling from Craig’s love; she is damaged from a horrific event and is content to keep love out of her life.
Craig slowly opens up Suzanne’s eyes to the world of possibilities; Suzanne battles with herself; can she be happy; does she deserve love; will she allow a man to love her without pushing him away.
Reading Conditional Offer provides you will Craig’s perspective of some of the most pivotal scenes in the Stewart Realty series.
It is often said that life is all about perception; well Ms Crowe hits that some with this book. It was enjoyable and often heart breaking to relive the events through Craig’s eyes. Seeing the event through Craig’s eyes, gives the reader a wonderful step deeper into this literary world Liz has created.
Conditional Offer leaves you truly knowing that Sara was not right for Craig and more importantly you see how truly right Suzanne is for Craig. Watching Craig help Suzanne heal is a journey worth the read.
The characters in this series have overlapping and intertwined relationships that again will not make sense to someone picking this book up as a standalone but those reading in order will develop a larger understanding of events that is captivating.
The passion between Craig and Suzanne is undeniable but will they be able to take the final jump and embrace each other… well for that you will have to read the book.
I am a reader who truly enjoys understanding why characters behave a certain way and why things unfolding; Liz truly delivers on both. I also love seeing how things end up… and on that Liz delivers as well.
Liz great job; now more than ever I am looking forward to reading Escalation Clause book 6 of the Realtors Series, releasing in November 2012.
About the Author
Microbrewery owner, best-selling author, beer blogger and journalist, mom of three teenagers, and soccer fan, Liz lives in the great Midwest, in a major college town. Years of experience in sales and fund raising, plus an eight-year stint as an ex-pat trailing spouse, plus making her way in a world of men (i.e. the beer industry), has prepped her for life as erotic romance author.
When she isn’t sweating inventory and sales figures for the brewery, she can be found writing, editing or sweating promotional efforts for her latest publications.
Her groundbreaking romance subgenre, “Romance for Real Life,” has gained thousands of fans and followers who are interested less in the “HEA” and more in the “WHA” (“What Happens After?”)
Her beer blog a2beerwench.com is nationally recognized for its insider yet outsider views on the craft beer industry. Her books are set in the not-so-common worlds of breweries, on the soccer pitch and in high-powered real estate offices. Don’t ask her for anything “like” a Budweiser or risk painful injury.
Twitter beerwencha2
Website www.lizcrowe.com
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