EARLY REVIEW ~ Time Served by Julianna Keyes

Title: Time Served
Author: Julianna Keyes
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Published: March 23rd 2015

Dean Barclay had nothing to do with my decision to flee my old life, but he is 100 percent of the reason I vowed to never look back.

I've never forgotten how it felt to follow Dean—dangerous, daring, determined—away from the crowd and climb into his beat-up old Trans Am. I was sixteen and gloriously alive for the first time. When I felt his hand cover my leg and move upward, it was over. I was his. Forever.

Until I left. Him, my mom, and the trailer park. Without so much as a goodbye.

Now Dean's back, crashing uninvited into my carefully cultivated, neat little lawyerly life. Eight years behind bars have turned him rougher and bigger—and more sexually demanding than any man I've ever met. I can't deny him anything…and that just might end up costing me everything.

Buy Now - Amazon

Time Served was a story of personal growth for both of the main characters, Rachel and Dean. They both seemed lost and were just going about their days as normal, not realising they were missing something, until they were united again.

I found it hard to connect with Rachel at first; she was a bit cold and bitter, but along the way she opened up and somehow let Dean back in. She became happier and her closest friends at work could see the difference in her. She is determined to succeed at work, and I liked seeing her dedication to it and the case she was working on.

Dean is rough and demanding, and he was even harder to connect too. He spent so much time disliking Rachel over the years that he had shut all his emotions away and wouldn’t give anything to Rachel. He was hurt by her once before and didn’t want her to do it to him again. I could see that he wanted to protect himself, but I would’ve liked to see more of his softer side.

I really did enjoy this story, even though Dean pushed my buttons a little. It was obvious that these two had a fierce connection and when they were together they were explosive. I liked watching Rachel work on her case and help Dean’s friend Reginald. Both characters evolved throughout Time Served and I liked how it all tied up. Julianna Keyes is an author I will read more from in the future, that’s for sure!

Complimentary copy provided by the Publisher, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.