Conklin's Trilogy Box Set:
Conklin's Blueprints, Conklin's Foundation, Conklin's Corruption
by Brooke Page
Publisher: Brooke Page (1/22/2015)
Series: Conklin Trilogy, books 1-3
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Source: Author
Purchase links || amazon || add to goodreads
Rating: ★★★★★
What do you do when your predictable life goes spiraling out of control? When your supposed childhood friend commits the most brutal betrayal, completely gutting you, destroying the life you thought you were meant to have? You make dangerous, careless decisions with your best friend, completely molding yourself into someone you’re not. I thought clubs, alcohol, and promiscuity would numb my pain, sculpt me into the person I should be; strong, confident, alive…
I was wrong.
So now I’m forced to go back home, where the only opportunity to throw my life back on track is located. I never wanted my parent’s wealth or notability, but I’m afraid if I don’t take the flight from Florida to Grand Rapids, I’m going to drown.
But instead of drowning in my own insecurities, I’m being consumed by my boss, Tyler Conklin. His secrets are devouring me, along with his mystery and charming grin. He wants me, his advancements are clear; but so are his exertions to keep me his biggest secret of all.
I’m not sure if I can tolerate being his covert lover, especially when he has so many secrets of his own.
{ review } .
Before I saw one word about my feelings toward this trilogy, I want it to be known I'm review this set as the trilogy as a whole. Having read all three books in one swoop, I could break it apart into each, but spoilers would happen regardless, so this is a review of the box set in it's entirety.
I don't know that I would have ever found this gem if it weren't for Brooke reaching out and offering it to me to review, and oh my goodness, am I so glad that she did. I have to say... I love Tyler and Becca. I would get so caught up in this trilogy and then remember, Hey, Mignon... you have two/three books that are due for tours tomorrow/the next day, and would have to put this one down.
It was a hardship. No joke. There just never was a good place to put the book (I)down...
I don't know that I would have ever found this gem if it weren't for Brooke reaching out and offering it to me to review, and oh my goodness, am I so glad that she did. I have to say... I love Tyler and Becca. I would get so caught up in this trilogy and then remember, Hey, Mignon... you have two/three books that are due for tours tomorrow/the next day, and would have to put this one down.
It was a hardship. No joke. There just never was a good place to put the book (I)down...
Right away, I enjoyed Tyler's reaction to Becca. Becca is the new junior architect, and during a meeting, he can see the ideas and thoughts going through her head. So, the brother who never says a word, speaks up and asks for her opinion.
Then later, when she goes back into the office to work on personal blueprints and he finds her at the lovely hour of 11 pm, I enjoyed the ease in which he speaks to her. Right away, you could tell this was going to be an easy relationship. There weren't overtly flirtatious innuendos or conversations... Their relationship starts as two strangers who get to know one another, and one thing leads to another...
I just really enjoyed Tyler and Becca.
Just prior to beginning her first day is when Becca first sees Tyler and Nathan Conklin -- although she doesn't know it's them at the time. Tyler, however, notices and catalogs everything she does, and when he recognizes her later in the meeting, he stares at her trying to place her.
When Becca took this job, she wanted to do it without her father's name attached to her. She wanted to go back home without people knowing. When she'd left home, it was after a pretty disastrous finding -- your best friend and long-term boyfriend in bed together can do that to a girl.
I love how Tyler has a bit of a protective streak towards Becca. When she receives a text message with a picture of the ring, Tyler is a bit exasperated about the fact that Becca's best friend is still her best friend, and that she feels the need to showcase the ring.
Speaking of Becca still being friends with Ashlynn... The girl is a sweetheart.
Becca, that is.
She's afraid that breaking her friendship with Ashlynn will make her the lesser person. Oh, but sweetheart... how you're hurting yourself in the process, allowing Ashlynn to drag you around. And while she doesn't break down and scream, she does have a few good cries over it. But where Ashlynn, her ex-best friend, is quiet the witch and very much a bad habit she needs to drop, Becca also has Jamie -- probably the best person Becca could have in her corner. She's her cheerleader when it comes to Tyler and she's the one who throws the obvious in Becca's face (ie: DROP ASHLYNN).
Becca's a strong woman, but equally, she worries about what her boss's boss thinks of her when they first meet, she worries that she's not good enough for him, and she worries about what being with him would do to her job. She gets all girly when he texts and texts and texts, and then when he doesn't for a few days...
She's real.
Tyler's not always sunshine and lemonade, either -- and I loved that. The way he was written... I didn't find him to be hot and cold (well... except at the beginning of their 'relationship', but he had his reasons), or go from one extreme to another... He was written incredibly human, and as a reader who likes to see things as close to real as possible, I appreciated it. He wasn't ego and alpha all the time; when he and Becca first started testing the waters, he had moments of nervousness; when his family drama threatens what he and Becca have, he has surges of protectiveness -- he was a very well-rounded, well-written male, in my opinion.
I'm torn on how I would suggest to read this trilogy.
I loved having the entire series at my fingertips. The problem simply was that I didn't want to put it down... and 3 extra-full length novels, that you can't put down? Well, even for a quick reader, I was reading this book for days. So to be able to take breaks between books may have been 'nice' -- granted, I was forcing myself to take breaks so I could stay on top of my tour books -- but being able to dive into the next book right away? That was great.
My favorite thing, I think, about this trilogy is that it reads real -- it's not a quick romance by any means. The steps Becca and Tyler take in their relationship, aside from the big bang in book three, are very normal. This is a relationship that could happen to anyone. There's not an extraordinary hero, not a super-unbelievable plot... it's just a guy and a girl with baggage who fall in love.
Could it have been shorter...? Sure. But I rather enjoyed the day in and day out of these characters.
Just prior to beginning her first day is when Becca first sees Tyler and Nathan Conklin -- although she doesn't know it's them at the time. Tyler, however, notices and catalogs everything she does, and when he recognizes her later in the meeting, he stares at her trying to place her.
When Becca took this job, she wanted to do it without her father's name attached to her. She wanted to go back home without people knowing. When she'd left home, it was after a pretty disastrous finding -- your best friend and long-term boyfriend in bed together can do that to a girl.
I love how Tyler has a bit of a protective streak towards Becca. When she receives a text message with a picture of the ring, Tyler is a bit exasperated about the fact that Becca's best friend is still her best friend, and that she feels the need to showcase the ring.
Speaking of Becca still being friends with Ashlynn... The girl is a sweetheart.
Becca, that is.
She's afraid that breaking her friendship with Ashlynn will make her the lesser person. Oh, but sweetheart... how you're hurting yourself in the process, allowing Ashlynn to drag you around. And while she doesn't break down and scream, she does have a few good cries over it. But where Ashlynn, her ex-best friend, is quiet the witch and very much a bad habit she needs to drop, Becca also has Jamie -- probably the best person Becca could have in her corner. She's her cheerleader when it comes to Tyler and she's the one who throws the obvious in Becca's face (ie: DROP ASHLYNN).
Becca's a strong woman, but equally, she worries about what her boss's boss thinks of her when they first meet, she worries that she's not good enough for him, and she worries about what being with him would do to her job. She gets all girly when he texts and texts and texts, and then when he doesn't for a few days...
She's real.
Tyler's not always sunshine and lemonade, either -- and I loved that. The way he was written... I didn't find him to be hot and cold (well... except at the beginning of their 'relationship', but he had his reasons), or go from one extreme to another... He was written incredibly human, and as a reader who likes to see things as close to real as possible, I appreciated it. He wasn't ego and alpha all the time; when he and Becca first started testing the waters, he had moments of nervousness; when his family drama threatens what he and Becca have, he has surges of protectiveness -- he was a very well-rounded, well-written male, in my opinion.
I'm torn on how I would suggest to read this trilogy.
I loved having the entire series at my fingertips. The problem simply was that I didn't want to put it down... and 3 extra-full length novels, that you can't put down? Well, even for a quick reader, I was reading this book for days. So to be able to take breaks between books may have been 'nice' -- granted, I was forcing myself to take breaks so I could stay on top of my tour books -- but being able to dive into the next book right away? That was great.
My favorite thing, I think, about this trilogy is that it reads real -- it's not a quick romance by any means. The steps Becca and Tyler take in their relationship, aside from the big bang in book three, are very normal. This is a relationship that could happen to anyone. There's not an extraordinary hero, not a super-unbelievable plot... it's just a guy and a girl with baggage who fall in love.
Could it have been shorter...? Sure. But I rather enjoyed the day in and day out of these characters.
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