Hi there! Today I’m sharing a review for a contemporary romance from Diane Alberts. HIS BEST MISTAKE is the sixth book in the Shillings Agency series, and pairs a grieving cop with a grieving Marine vet. I really enjoyed TEMPORARILY YOURS, which kicked off the series, and STEALING HIS HEART so I had to check this one out, too.

About the book:
One night with a stranger…
Security expert Mark Matthews has loved, and lost, and has no intention of ever loving again—especially not a woman who thrives on her life being in danger. Now, hot, meaningless sex with strangers he had no intention of ever seeing again? That’s a whole other story. And it’s all life as a single father allows him to enjoy. But when he meets a woman who refuses to tell him her real name, the game is on, because she’s everything he swore to stay away from.

Daisy O’Rourke has bad idea written all over her, but he’s in too deep to walk away now…

How about a little taste?

They walked down the hallway side by side, their arms brushing. Every time they touched, something inside her tensed up even more, building up pressure until she was sure she was going to explode if he didn’t either stop, or do something more than accidentally brush against her.

When she halted at her door, he stopped directly behind her, towering over her. “God, how tall are you? Six-four?” she blurted out.

“Exactly.” He cocked his head. “How’d you know?”

“I guessed.”

“You’re good at that.” He stepped closer, his nostrils flaring slightly when she swayed closer. He looked way too sexy standing there with his first few shirt buttons undone, and his jacket open. She wasn’t even sure when he’d done that, but it was hot as hell. “At guessing.”

It would be so easy to grab the lapels of that jacket and pull his closer. And she’s get to find out what he tasted like – whisky, more than likely, but still, she needed to know. The old her, the one before she lost everything…she would have gone for it. Would have taken what she wanted and not hesitated. But it had been so long since she touched a man, let alone kissed one, and he wasn’t William. He’d never be William.

But tonight…He could be hers.

Resting an arm over her her head on the wall, he offered her a small smile, and tugged oh her hair playfully. “What are you thinking about that’s got you blushing, Scarlett?”

“Nothing.” she said, her cheeks going even hotter. She spun and pressed her key against the reader until it blinked green. The heat of his body was directly behind her, burning her.

Hands trembling, she turned the knob and pushed the door open. She should go inside. Leave him in the hallway, along with any bad choices she might have made with him. But…

Was it bad? Was it so wrong to want one night where she didn’t miss the love of her life? One night where she didn’t have to be alone?

“Would you like some water? I have a few bottles in my mini fridge.”

He shoved his hands in his pocket and rocked back on his heels, letting out a soft laugh. “If I come in there, we both know it’s not going to be for water.”

“Like I said.” Heart pounding, palms sweating, she lifted her chin. “Want to come in?”

My Review:
This is the sixth book in a series, but easily enjoyed on its own.

Daisy is a gal not looking for love. Her fiance died two years ago, a week before their wedding, and she’s been in a funk ever since. She meets a man at a hotel bar, and the man is big, and charming and comfortable to sit and chat with. He doesn’t pressure her for more, but lets her know he’d be more than happy to keep her company all night long. They don’t exchange real names, but they do exchange orgasms and sexual positions…all night long.

Unfortunately for Daisy, Mystery Man ends up being Mark Matthews, the very same guy her bestie Lauren has been trying to set her up with for months. See, Mark’s a Marine vet, and Daisy won’t date any military men–not after growing up with her alcoholic war vet of a father. Mark had declined to be set up with Daisy–a cop–because he’s a widower with a toddler daughter, and he doesn’t want to fall for another woman who might be killed in the line of duty, like his wife.

So, their fantastic sex fest is supposed to be a one-off, but Mark can’t stay away, and Daisy can’t lock the door against him. They begin a down-low no-strings affair that, naturally, knots them both up tight. It’s still hard for Mark to accept the danger inherent in Daisy’s job, and that leads to problems, just when we thought they might go public.

I liked both of these characters, though I thought they may have swooned a bit early. Also, Mark’s wishy-washy-ness regarding “danger” in his own job was rather frustrating. The sexytimes are off-the chart, off the wall, off the bed and off the counter-tops. They get it on, and on, and on…except when they go off. Because bullets, and heart break.

I liked the book, and I liked the story. It’s not a fun romp, due to all the skeletons, but it is a sexy-sweet tale, and it ends in the happiest place on Earth. So, bonus points.

Interested? You can find HIS BEST MISTAKE on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble and AllRomance.

Diane Alberts is a USA TODAY bestselling Contemporary Romance author with Entangled Publishing. Under the name Jen McLaughlin, she also writes New York Times, USA TODAY, and Wall Street Journal bestselling books with Penguin Random House. She was mentioned in Forbes alongside E. L. James as one of the breakout independent authors to dominate the bestselling lists. Diane is represented by Louise Fury at The Bent Agency.

Diane has always been a dreamer with a vivid imagination, but it wasn’t until 2011 that she put her pen where her brain was, and became a published author. Since receiving her first contract offer, she has yet to stop writing. Though she lives in the mountains, she really wishes she was surrounded by a hot, sunny beach with crystal clear water. She lives in Northeast Pennsylvania with her four kids, a husband, a schnauzer mutt, and four cats. Her goal is to write so many fantastic stories that even a non-romance reader will know her name.

Check out Diane/Jen online on her website, Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads.