Irresistible Love, the first book in the Wylder Love series, told the story of a second chance at happily ever after. I had never read anything by Samantha Chase before, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. The synopsis gave me hope for a sweet romance. Continue reading for my opinions on what I felt was a fair beginning to a brand-new series.
A Sexy, Close Proximity, Secret, Office standalone Romance by New York Times bestselling author, Samantha Chase. I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. This post contains affiliate links you can use to purchase the book. If you buy the book using that link, I will receive a small commission from the sale.
Title: Irresistible Love
Author(s): Samantha Chase
Series: Wylder Love #1
Published by Chasing Romance Inc on January 30, 2024
Pages: 301
Genre(s): Contemporary Romance
Source: Publicist
Format: eArc, eBook 
Purchase: Amazon|Audible
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Series Rating:
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She’s the darling ballerina of the renowned Montgomery’s.
He’s the sexy numbers nerd who works for her family.
Three years ago at a New Year’s Eve party they had a moment and kissed at the stroke of midnight.
Now she’s back and everything is…irresistibly complicated.
Lily Montgomery has danced her way through life, getting opportunities that few get, but that doesn’t mean she hasn’t earned every single one. But with a career-ending injury, she returns home to nurse her wounds and figure out what comes next. What she didn’t expect was seeing the ruggedly handsome man she impulsively kissed three years ago and the simmering attraction that still burns between them.
Noah Wylder is committed to his five-year-plan – climbing the corporate ladder at Montgomerys. Three years ago, that plan almost got derailed thanks to an unexpected kiss with Lily. He’s since put in the work to redeem himself and stay under the radar. When she suddenly reappears, he can’t seem to escape her or the memory of their kiss. He knows in order to keep his job, he has to make sure he stays away from the alluring woman that’s never left his mind.
When Lily comes to him needing his help in figuring out what is happening within the Montgomery family, sneaking around leads to heated glances and harmless kisses. Will they realize that the connection they share is real, lasting, and irresistible for either of them to resist?
Lily Montgomery is a dedicated dancer. Dancing is her life and one of the things that makes her happy. However, a hip injury threatens to derail her career. She returns to North Carolina to reconsider her options, one of which involves surgery. When she returns home, she discovers that her grandfather arranged for her entire family to go on vacation while he remained behind.
Noah Wylder is an extremely hard worker. He plans to work his way up the corporate ladder and envisions owning his own company. Romance was out of the question, as it would most likely disrupt his plans. However, whenever Lily Montgomery crosses his path, he finds himself deviating from his plan as he craves the brief but cherished moments of joy, relaxation, and intimacy he feels in her company. He knows he shouldn’t, as spending time with her would place his job in jeopardy, but she was too irresistible.
Noah was a great character. Thoughtful, driven, and an all-around nice guy. He didn’t have the best childhood, but he overcame it to become a well-adjusted adult. His character developed as the story progressed. He recognized that his desire for success was rooted in his past. He also accepted that his brothers were no more successful than him.
Lily, Lily, Lily, my god! The woman was the most annoying character I have ever encountered. I am still trying to figure out what Noah saw in her. Stubborn, immature, and entitled aptly describe her nature, which made it difficult to warm up to her. Although she eventually recognized that she needed an attitude adjustment, the change was minimal.
The romance, although okay, was not one I will remember for a long time. It was underwhelming. Granted, Noah and Lily shared a kiss three years ago, but nothing came of it then. Three years later, their relationship, which involved lots of sneaking around, took off like a bullet train. One could sense the depth of Noah’s feelings, but with Lily, it came off as more fun and games. I didn’t get the impression she felt the same about Noah as he did for her.
While Irresistible Love was not a favourite, I intend to continue the series given the chance. Noah’s brothers piqued my interest, and I am eager for their stories.
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About Samantha Chase
Samantha Chase is a New York Times and USA Today bestseller of contemporary romance that’s hotter than sweet, sweeter than hot. She released her debut novel in 2011 and currently has more than eighty titles under her belt – including THE CHRISTMAS COTTAGE which was a Hallmark Christmas movie in 2017 and THE WEDDING SEASON which was a Hallmark wedding movie in 2023! She’s a Disney enthusiast who still happily listens to 80’s rock. When she’s not working on a new story, she spends her time reading romances, playing way too many games of Solitaire when she should be writing, wearing a tiara while playing with her sassy pug Maylene…oh, and spending time with her husband of 32 years and their two sons in Wake Forest, North Carolina.
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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
With Lily being such an annoying character I’d probably end up DNF-ing this one. I just don’t have a lot of patience these days for annoying female protagonists…especially in a romance.
Bummer that you didn’t enjoy this one as much. I hope the next one checks all the boxes.
It’s so frustrating when one of the main characters is so unlikable. But it sounds interesting.