Rumor Has It, Jessica Lemmon

A sexy bad boy has been very bad and needs an image overhaul.  Catarina is just the woman for the job.  While their chemistry says they should be a match in bedroom heaven there are some rather large impediments to moving their interplay to a more...comfortable location.  Barrett is determined to melt Catarina's icy facade and Catarina is determined to get to the heart of Barrett's playboy camouflage.  Neither are expecting or prepared for things to become real, to deepen to a level that neither may recover from if it all blows up in their faces.  And we all know the reckoning will come, it'll just be a matter of finding the humility and courage to make something even better if they're willing to pick up the pieces and work for it.

I was all set to be a bit disappointed by Barrett, especially after that first "date" where he was disgusting, rude, and generally abhorrent in addition to the horribly misogynistic outburst that put him in this position in the first place.  But as the story continued there were layers, feelings, vulnerabilities, a softness that I wasn't willing to believe early on yet when everything coalesced together and he added some truly honest confessions...I fell.  Much like Catarina.

Catarina was a little too uptight for her own good but much like the playboy brashness in Barrett, that cool veneer was just that, a cover-up for the tender spots within that never seem to escape a beating when she exposes them.  I loved that when she discovered Barrett's secret she wasn't dismissive and never used it against him when emotions ran high.  She knew his struggle and respected it all while encouraging and helping him where he'd allow.  What I liked the most about her was her honesty.  There was the usual "pretend I'm not attracted when I really am" thing but that slowly thawed when she started seeing Barrett's heart.  And honestly, who wouldn't be moved by it?

So in all honesty, Barrett was really horrible in the beginning.  The way he made it so easy to be sexist, derogatory, critical, and flirty to the point of sexual harassment if Catarina truly hadn't liked him back or if this were reality...none of it spelled good things for him.  But with self-reflection, acceptance of his awfulness, dedication to improve, and realizing who he could really be if he were to live up to his potential he found a measure of redemption.  The groveling and confession scene was fantastic!  It was really moving and also very fitting for the characters and the overall story.  I felt that Catarina was a good partner for him despite her frustrating moments in the beginning.  They were a pair that needed love so badly, but they needed love and acceptance from the right person so they could flourish.

*$4.99 on Amazon!