2.5 Stars. I really wanted to love this book. It had a great premise and a lot of potential. But I just found myself annoyed by the characters most of the time. There is a tension-building push/pull that couples can go through, and then there is childish fighting and stilly antics, and this book definitely had the latter. I had to skim sometimes and I almost didn’t finish it more than once. Overall, I like this author and will read her again, but this book was a miss for me.

Slow Burn Series

O holy hell....this story! This story made me melt into a big pile of goo!! This story made me ache in all the good ways!

This is the story of Matteo and Kimber.

Kimber is amazing! She is brash, she is strong and independent.  But she is also soft and vulnerable, she just tries not to show it.  She is hilariously funny and her inner voice, especially with a certain lady part is brilliant! She has kick ass, ride or die friends that we all wish we had! She is what I want to be when I grow up!

Matteo...oh my me, he is every girls fantasy rolled up in a beautiful package.  He knows what he wants, but isn't quite sure how to go get it.  I can just "hear" his accent... He is absolutely swoon-worthy to epic levels.

Matteo and Kimber's chemistry is white hawt.  It's explosive.  It is the definition of "A thin line between love and hate".  Their slow burn, the bargain, the deal was fabulous.

The secondary characters are amazing and bring so much more to the story.  It brings richness and levity needed to bring this story full circle.

Ms. Geissinger's words paint a picture of the beauty of Italy.  The beauty of haute couture and the beauty of love in all forms.

Well done Ms. Giessinger! You have never failed to disappoint with your stories!

Kimber is suffering from a bad case of Murphy’s Law. Her fiancé stands her up at the altar, the dress shop she owns goes up in flames and then she receives the terrible news that her father has passed away. She heads to Italy and the blows keep coming as she has now inherited an evil stepmother that she didn’t know about and when she wants to stay and try to revitalize the dress shop her father owned that her stepmother wants to sell.

Matteo is the sexy Italian fashion tycoon who seems to want her father’s shop. They originally met at the airport however their first meeting did not go well as her experience has taught her that men should not be trusted. He is intrigued by her feisty personality and takes great delight in irritating her and he does it to perfection. He is determined to change the sparks of antagonism between them to those of heat, but he knows that getting her to open her heart will be much more difficult.

This is a modern day retelling of Cinderella with a few twists. Great secondary characters combined with humorous banner and heartfelt emotions have you hoping that your fairy godmother will grant these two will get their happy ever after. I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

J.T. Geissinger has managed with this slow burn series to make me laugh so hard! Her books as Ache For You are hot, entertaining and romantic. This third book is inspired by Cinderella and with crazy fun characters you are going to smile and swoon throughout the story!
Kimber has been left at the altar, she has been the talk of the town and her father is dying back in Italy. When she goes to see him for the last time, she finds herself with a new cold stepmother and an Italian hunk of a man wanting to buy her belated's father shop. So that means war... a sexy fight where love will win in the end.
Matteo is captivated by the feisty woman but to win her heart he has to win her trust first. He loves seeing her spirit so he provokes her like no other but he also adores seeing her vulnerable side. So he will win her affection with fights and kisses.
This book is a little over top crazy but still hilarious. Kimber is an unlucky girl who has to face a lot but she doesn't bow down or give up. She is determined, sassy and hardworking. Matteo appears as arrogant in the beginning but later on he shows that he is deeply in love. Behind the prickly exterior there is a lonely man who wants a woman wholeheartedly. He is protective and sweet.
Although this series is about slow burn romance this story is anything but. This couple is scorching hot and even the simplest kiss is exciting and steamy. I loved their chemistry the most.
Sometimes their reactions and some of the secondary characters are a little extreme for my taste but overall this is a book that makes you happy! This author's humor just works for me!
I love this series because it's difficult making someone laugh and all these books perfect or not are full of sunshine and smiles!

Ahhhh!!! Omg!! I freaking loved this book!! Ache For You is probably one of my favorites this year!! I could not put it down at all!!

Just from looking at the cover, you would think this book is super hot and steamy, which it is!! But, what I didn’t expect, is to be laughing so much during it!

Kimber gets left at the alter in the very beginning. That in itself is enough to break a person. Add in the fact that her father died and devastating. Kimber handles it much like I expect anyone would. She goes a little off the edge. From meeting Matteo, to her new stepmother. But underneath her grief is snark and sass. She’s a little ridiculous at times, but honestly that makes me love her even more. Her internal thoughts crack me up.

Now with Matteo. All I can say is H-O-T!! He is hot, sexy, sweet and like his mother says just a little vain. I loved him from the beginning as well.
Obviously smitten with Kimber. Matteo loves to rile her up, and she gives him so much sass and attitude.

Ache For You is a slow burn done so exceptionally well. It gave me everything I love in a book. Sexy times and lots of laughs. One person I wasn’t expecting to like? Brad. Once his intentions were known, I couldn’t help but love his sweet immature self.

This is a 5+ star book for me!!

I was very quickly sucked into this book and I found myself smiling and laughing out loud not far into this AMAZING book! I LOVED Kimber's and Matteo's story. The sexual tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife. I ADORED how they met. It was unique and interesting! I loved the slow burn and the anticipation between these two. Frenemies. Kimber's world had fallen apart and Matteo is there to witness it all. However, much is not like it seemed and I enjoyed the way truths are brought to life bit-by-bit. I couldn't read this book fast enough, yet I never wanted it to end. I can't recommend this book enough! Be sure not to miss this great read!

Ache For You is a bit of a twist on a Cinderella story. Kimber DiSanto is definitely NOT looking to be rescued by a handsome prince but finds herself indebted to the extremely gorgeous Matteo Moretti.

“You know, hate and love aren’t so different, bella.”...
“They’re two sides of the same coin, really. Passion, obsession, sweaty palms, and a racing heart.”

There is a stepmother who may or may not be evil, step “sisters” who try to steal the show, and possible help from a recently transformed “rat”.
Ache For You is the third book in the Slow Burn series but can be read as a standalone.

“And my heart stops. It just stops, like you hear stories of when people first glimpse the love of their life . . . or in that split second after they stepped off a curb and realize they’re about to get hit by an oncoming bus.
Yeah, probably more like the second one.”

This is one of those books that manages to feel super STEAMY even though around halfway through I think they had only even kissed once!! The sexual tension was completely off the charts! But so much humor all throughout! I smiled and swooned from start to finish!!
-5 Stars!!-
-Diane-

4.5 Stars

Kimber DiSanto's life is falling apart before her eyes. From being left at the altar one moment, to losing her father the next, life has been hurling the insults at her left and right... and she is over it. 

And then there's Matteo Moretti, the irresistible Italian who keeps showing up where she least expects him. Sure, he may be sexy AF, but Kimber has already learned her lesson about men who seem too good to be true... 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Read. This. Book! From the genuinely hilarious banter, to the scorching sexual tension, this story had me entranced from beginning to end...

When Kimber gets word of her father's illness, she jumps on a plane to reach him in Italy as quickly as she can. With one surprise after the next, Kimber's once fairytale existence has crumbled, and she is left to start over with the leftover pieces. She decides along the way to rebuild her fathers business, and to do it using her own clothing designs. To succeed where he once scraped by, is something that is suddenly more important to her than anything. And with the playboy Matteo working his way under her skin, she finds herself having to guard her heart as well as her business...

Matteo is the kind of man who makes you need to fan yourself in his presence. Deliciously intriguing, and a master at pushing Kimber's buttons, he was the perfect adversary mixed with the completely right man that Kimber needs.

Kimber was such a hysterical, take no BS, woman. With her life in disarray and so many new hurdles and unknown relationships being thrown at her, she is decidedly guarded with whom she gives her trust to. And after judging Matteo from the first minute she met him, he is in for an incredibly difficult time of convincing her that she should give him a chance...

I just can't get over how much I loved this story! With the Cinderella undertone that doesn't try too hard to conform, to the incredibly entertaining confrontational relationship between Kimber and Matteo. This book features the slowest of slow burns imaginable, but with some scorching encounters in there to keep you sustained throughout. 

I received a complimentary copy of this book for my honest and unbiased review.

Ache for You by J. T. Geissinger is book Three in the Slow Burn series. This is the story of Kimber DiSanto and Matteo Moretti. I have read the previous books but feel this can be a standalone book.
Kimber has nothing but bad luck so far not to mention being dumped before her wedding. Matteo is used to people jumping when he speaks and women fallen all over him. But then he meets Kimber and she isn't doing either. Kimber is working to stand her ground toward Matteo. The sparks are flying left and right between the two.
So enjoyed this book...great series.

This modern retelling of Cinderella is a 'charming', hilarious, and heartwarming enemies to lovers rom-com. Kimber punches her fiance at the alter, her business has burned down, and now when she arrives in Italy to see her dying father, she is surprised to learn she has a new stepmother and sexy step brother. Her world has been turned upside down and she is struggling to save her late father's failing dress shop. Her father has kept secrets from her, and she isn't sure who to trust. When her now ex-step brother, Matteo, who is a successful designer, offers to buy her shop, the fierce competitor in her doesn't want to let it go. But Matteo wants more than the shop. This beautiful, talented, and mouthy woman challenges him and makes him feel for the first time. Matteo challenges Kimber as well, but she is not willing to open her heart to another beautiful man who might break it. This charming, over the top romance has quirky characters, a funny, heartwarming storyline, steamy passion, and a great epilogue!

Ache for You by J.T. Geissinger is the third book in the Slow Burn series but the first I have read. A boutique owner and an Italian fashion tycoon, what can go wrong? Kimber DiSanto’s life seems to be in a downward spiral. Her business and love life could not be any worse off right now and now she is stuck in Italy with her very wicked stepmother.

Matteo Moretti is a man not used to being told no, but Kimber has no plans of letting any man dictate her life. Matteo wants to buy her father’s shop, but she will not have any of it. But the more time Matteo spent with Kimber, the more he is drawn to Kimber.

The sparks between them are off the charts! Matteo was determined to win her over and he brought out the charm. Kimber was determined to keep men from her life. Ache for You by J.T. Geissinger was an enemies to lovers story with a touch of Cinderella. It was full of laughs, crazy antics and banter.

<a href="https://booksofmyheart.net/2018/11/06/ache-for-you-by-j-t-geissinger/" target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart</a>

Review copy was received from . This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This author has some of the best and sassiest dialogue ever.  This <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/216402-slow-burn" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em><strong>Slow Burn series</strong></em></a> are loosely based on classic fairy tales,  and <strong>Ache For You</strong> is very loosely based on Cinderella.  Kimber is definitely looking for Prince Charming. She has the worst run of tragedies imaginable which felt unrealistic. The various money issues, and the money of Matteo, each dog having its own bedroom, is all unbelievable.

However, this is fiction and has a lot of fun and sexy banter.  Kimber is talented and beautiful but with all the difficult happenings, it isn't surprising she would feel confused, upset, angry and have trouble with trusting people.  We don't really get much on how she manages things with her business or any idea if she has another plan after her initial ways to participate in the fashion show don't work out.

It would be easier if we had more of Matteo's thoughts. He does seem to be more honest with himself about what he wants. But it doesn't mean he handles expressing it well. At least, he offers her some comfort in her troubles even though he makes some things worse.

I liked this but I didn't love it. I couldn't suspend my disbelief quite enough. Kimber couldn't catch a single break and that seemed unfair? sad?  It was too much. Luckily, everything came together in the end.

Battle of Italian wills!

After being dumped during the wedding, dress designer Kimber DiSanto gets a message that her father has had a heart attack in Florence, Italy and she needs to come as soon as possible. Kimber gets bumped off the flight to Italy during her layover in New York. A gorgeous guy gives her his seat on the condition he gets her sketch pad that has all of her current dress designs, little did she know that the gorgeous guy is Matteo Moretti . Matteo Moretti is the owner of a famous couture design house and the son of her new step-mother. Matteo wants to buy her father’s business and Kimber wants to run it herself because she has nothing to go back to in the US after the death of her father.

Ache for You by J. T. Geissinger is very much set in Italy where they fight and love very passionately, but since they never really talk to each other they misunderstand what the other is doing. The end of the book with the fashion show shows the reader how passionate their love is.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I liked this book. Matteo was closed off, yet opened up to Kimber. Kimber had many horrible things happen to her and vowed to not let another man in to her life. When she finally gets to her dad, with the help of a man she is attracted to, but hates on sight, she learns more secrets that will change her life.
As Matteo and Kimber start to 'work' together and he tells her he will give her her designs back, if she kisses him for each sketch, feeling start to change. Her ex plays into this as well. I loved her friends and even felt bad for her ex, after all the details were reveled.
Learning to trust once you have been hurt is hard, especially when you just meet someone on the worst day of you life. Opening your heart is even scarier, but can also be the most rewarding. A well written book about learning to trust, love, and let your guard down.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest, voluntary review.

From sadness to happiness all your feelings will be engaged in this steamy romance.
Ache fit You is the third book in J. T. Geissinger's Slow Burn series.
While it took me a little longer to get hooked into the story than the first two books once I did I couldn't put it down.
Kimber and Matteo had this crazy chemistry but the complications to their relationship made it a rocky road to their HEA. I enjoyed the quirkiness of some of the situations and the loyalty of the secondary characters added an extra dimension to the plot.
I received an advance reader copy via Netgalley.

I loved Kimber and Matteo. Gosh, everything that Kimber goes through-that poor girl. Even I couldn't see the light at the end of the tunnel. I truly felt so bad for her, but really loved her strength of character as well as her growth throughout the story. I loved the friction and banter between her and Matteo. It was so clever how we were made to see things through Kimber's eyes and perceive them a certain way, only to be proved wrong. Even when it came to Brad, you want to hate him so much, but he truly becomes a loveable character you can't help but feel for. Loved this book so much. Sexy and funny-the total package!

4.5 Stars

Ache for You is the third book in the Slow Burn series by J.T Geissinger. It can be read as a standalone. New characters. New city. There is still a slow burn.

Kimber’s dreams were coming true. She was marrying her prince. Her dress shop is thriving with her as the designer. It was her wedding day and after she says “I do”, her life is altered. Her prince says “I can’t”, and instead of going on a honeymoon she goes to Italy to see her father. And with a turn of events she finds out she has a stepmother and sisters. A failing dress shop to run and a new home. Only Florence isn’t her home, that’s in San Francisco. Except she can’t go back. There is nothing to go back to except humiliation. She is stuck in Italy and with a man she hates. Maybe even more than her ex. Ok...maybe not that far.

Matteo isn’t used to hearing the word “no.” So when this feisty, beautiful American woman says only that, he is intrigued. And hard as a rock. Even before he knew who she was, he wanted her. Too bad she hates him. That is what she says anyway but he sees it in her eyes and body language. She wants him just as much.

Matteo and Kimber’s relationship complicated, heated, frustrating, and fun. They definitely have a frenemies thing going on. They know just how to push each other's buttons. It’s maddening but funny too. Kimber has her reasons for being so stubborn, angry, and untrusting. And Matteo has his reasons for the way he acts. Even when he is an ass. An arrogant one. He has other sides to him. You will have to read it to see them.

Overall...it’s a fun story full of laughter, passion, and love. I did however want to slap them both at times.

Quotes:

“If there’s one thing fairy tales have taught me, it’s that the most tempting, perfect-looking apples are always the ones that are rotten to the core.”

“Kimber.”
“Matteo. Now that we’ve confirmed we know each other’s names, are you ready to talk? Or do you need a few minutes to finish skinning the cat or whatever you’re doing that’s got you so worked up?”

“If you want to meet a good man, read a book! Now let’s get back to work!”

I have adored this series. They are completely standalone and unrelated, other than the slow burn, and fairy tale themes. This one wasn't quite as big a hit for me, but I still mostly enjoyed myself, and Matteo could be swoontastic, in between bouts of me wanting to smack his face. 3.5 Stars.

Kimber DiSanto is having the WORST week of her life. She was left at the altar by her boyfriend of 3 years, her business burned down, her father died, and she found out she has her very own wicked stepmother. Now she's staying in her late father's home in Florence, Italy, trying to figure out what to do with her life, while trying to rescue her father's own failing business. She took after her father in the design department, but it seems she has a much better head for the business side of it than him. He was too nice, and didn't charge nearly enough for his bespoke creations. Not to mention that he loaned people money who could never pay it back, among other things. Enter her wicked stepmother's dear son, the same man who did her the biggest favor of her life, when she needed it the most. But turns out he's a designer too. Quite a famous one, in fact. He wants to buy her father's business from her, but she's decided to stay and try to run it herself. Who knew how all these decisions would add up to such drastic changes in her life?

Matteo Moretti is the king of Italian fashion. Just ask him. He's got quite the arrogant view of himself and his importance, and yet one surly, unimpressed word from Kimber and he's head over heels for her. He decides to try to sway her to his way of thinking by relying on their insane chemistry to make her change her mind about him. Meanwhile he's juggling his mother, and how she's dealing with her husband's death, worrying about his company's spring line, and trying to keep Kimber from wanting to kill him in his sleep. It doesn't help that he completely loses his head around her, and puts his foot in his mouth constantly.

Matteo and Kimber's sizzling connection was on display from the first time they met. But they were constantly saying and doing the wrong things where the other was concerned, and it was a push and pull from the start. Most of the story is from Kimber's POV, with just a smattering of chapters from Matteo's eyes. I really enjoyed getting in his head some, especially because sometimes Kimber's hormonal shifts, mood swings, and constant ridiculous circumstances grew exhausting after a while. Like, I get it was a Cinderella story, but her luck was simply THE WORST, and it became like a bad joke after a while. Just when I thought things were finally looking up, BAM! Something else insane would happen to her. I felt bad for her, but at the same time, her reactions seemed cartoonish in many instances. I tried to put myself in her shoes, and I'm sure that I would have made some poor decisions, and acted like a terrible human being a few times too, in any of the situations she found herself in, but it just got to be too much for me. Matteo wasn't helping things either. A lot of times he purposely riled her up to try to get a reaction out of her. I don't know that I agree that was the best way to get her attention in a positive way, and I wanted to smack him around quite a bit too. Basically they both drove me crazy just as many times as they made me sigh and love them again. I felt like I was getting whiplash.

The side characters here were entertaining, especially Kimber's best friend, her ex, and the seamstresses in her dad's shop. I enjoyed watching her make a home for herself in Italy, and I kept wanting her to finally get a win, and then she'd jump to another conclusion, or yell at Matteo for something, and she'd be back where she started. Meanwhile he wasn't making things easy either, and neither of them were being honest about how they really felt. I get that her trust was broken by her ex, and that it can take a long time to come back from that, but it's like she wasn't even trying sometimes and I wanted to shake her.

While I enjoyed the story, and wanted to love it like I did the other 2 books, I just didn't. It could easily have been me. I was dealing with a sick toddler, and a newly mobile infant, so my brain was a bit scattered, but this couple just didn't work for me the same way, especially not after my faves from book 2. Granted, they would be hard to beat anyway. Overall, I enjoyed the destination, but the road to get there was a bit rocky for me. I will still look forward to any forthcoming stories by this author, as I enjoy her voice, and style.

She's nursing a battered heart. He's got a case of bruised pride. What happens when the playboy who gets on your nerves, could end of being the man of your dreams? Ache for You takes a bite out of Cinderella and makes it a modern day steamfest. Kimber has seen her share of heartache in both her personal and professional life. Matteo seems to be the answer to all of her problems. Until emotions are brought into the mix. Geissinger amps up the sexy but never loses sight of the heart.

Very enjoyable read! I loved Kimber and Matteo together and I thought their story was fun with a great slow burn romance between these two. Some amazing secondary characters really kicked up the humor in the story. I loved Kimber's perseverance. Life hasn't been easy on her lately but she never gives up. Overall the story has a Cinderella feel to it but it is so much more. With these characters and excellent writing I think everyone will enjoy this one. I highly recommend it.