Hello, how are you? Great, I hope.
Once again, I have emerged from my secluded retreat to discuss a really great book I’ve recently read with you. Hope you’ll like it!
The Escalation Clause by Stella Stevenson
Genre: Romance
Publication date: 13 June 2023
Blurb:
Eden Yates never expected to end up on the wrong side of the law. She’s a free spirit, not a criminal. But two months after her last relationship ends, she finds herself answering questions about her ex’s illegal dealings. Safe to say she isn’t interested in another relationship, especially one where she has to be someone she’s not. She’s spent years finding herself and if experience has taught her anything, being in a partnership always leaves one person broken. Enter Ted Hughes. He’s a lawyer and as buttoned up as they come. Ted is looking for forever, but he just hasn’t found the right woman yet. It’s definitely not the free-spirited artist too naïve to realize that she needs an attorney. Of course he’s going to help her. Ted can’t walk away from a damsel in distress. It has nothing to do with how cute she is. Eden doesn’t enjoy being in anyone’s debt. Ted helped her so she’ll help him. All he needs is a wedding date and who doesn’t love weddings? Aside from sizzling chemistry, they have absolutely nothing in common. There’s nothing for them to worry about, right? It’s one weekend away. They’ll even put it in writing. No sex, no feelings, just a favor for a favor. Maybe they both should have studied the fine print.
Disclaimer: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
It’s Stella Stevenson guys, need I say more?
This is the third book of Stella’s that I’ve read and she just doesn’t disappoint!! This was obviously another book added to my favorite of all time. By this point, I think it’s safe to say that everything she writes, I’ll happily read.
The thing I loved most about this book is how the characters seem to jump out of the page, which is actually something present in all her previous books (go read them if you haven’t yet!), they really seem so real that it’s quite hard to grasp that they’re just ink on paper by the last page. They are clearly relatable and defined, and you can’t help but feel a deep connection to them.
Another thing I really liked was how this was interconnected with Mother Knows Best (read my review here), it was like meeting an old dear friend. Additionally, it was really sweet to see what happened after and how AJ and Will’s story differs from Eden and Ted’s story.
The chemistry between the MCs was apparent from the first time they met and I think the dual POVs just made it a lot easier to capture our attention as (hopelessly romantic) readers. Speaking of POVs, I absolutely adored how the illustration at the beginning of each chapter is indicative of whose POV it is—A motorcycle for Ted and flowers for Eden.
If I could sum up my whole review and feelings for this book in a single GIF, it would be this one:
PS: Just wanted to clarify that this is a standalone but it would be better if you read Stella’s other books in order of publication (especially Mother Knows Best)
librorum in sempiternum 