REVIEW: "Perfect Together" by Liliana Rhodes (Contemporary Romance)

PERFECT TOGETHER by Liliana Rhodes
	Publisher: Jaded Speck Publishing Genre: Contemporary Romance Publication Date: July 5th 2016 Series: Canyon Cove, #5 Standalone: Yes
Categories:
Alpha Male, Friends to Lovers, Friends with Benefits, Second Chances
Other Books in the CANYON COVE series
#1 #2 #3 #4
Description from Publisher:
“Have you ever thought about being more than friends?” Becca Draven’s life has changed in ways she never imagined. She has a job she loves and a wonderful group of friends, even if they keep telling her she needs a boyfriend. The last thing Becca wants is a man in her life. All they do is complicate things. Besides, she already has one – her best friend Gideon. Gideon Kohl is an architect on the rise and after several high-profile projects, everyone wants a piece of him. He’s always loved being the center of attention, but lately there’s only one person he cares to be around – his best friend Becca. And with his brother Gabriel telling him they’re perfect together, Gideon can’t help but see Becca in a different light. Can friends turn into lovers? While Perfect Together is a standalone romance, it takes place after the events of Canyon Cove #1, Playing Games (available for FREE).
My Rating:	Heat Rating:
My Musings:
I'll preface this by saying that I haven't read any of the Canyon Cove series or anything by Liliana Rhodes before. So I came into this completely fresh. I liked this, but something felt a bit off for me. I think it was the novella factor that basically squeezed a full story into a little over 100 pages, and potentially because it was the 5th and final book in this series. The fast-paced story hooked me from the beginning and I really, really liked Gideon right from the start. He was funny, playful, flirtatious, and had a definite sweet side. Becca took some time to grow on me, and I think that she just couldn't quite live up to the awesomeness of Gideon for me. I liked her and I was definitely rooting for them, but I feel like she made things unnecessarily complicated. Her denial over her best friend's feelings (which he made pretty clear) was a bit frustrating, as it seemed that she knew exactly what was going on and just coasted or ignored it. There was a lot about Becca's friend Sandra, which was really the bigger "drama" in this, which I found to be distracting and unnecessary. Considering how quickly things progressed and the fact that this was a novella, I really just wanted the focus to be on Gideon and Becca and how their romance progressed! Ultimately, I really enjoyed Becca and Gideon's story and I really just wanted more of them! The heat between them was so very well done, their banter so fun, and what was seen of their overall bond really got me excited over their blossoming "More Than Friends" (a trope that I absolutely love). I will definitely be reading more by Liliana Rhodes, and would recommend "Perfect Together" as a quick & sexy read, though I think it might be best if you've already read the prior books.
My Source: I received a digital ARC from the publisher to voluntarily review. This in no way influenced my review. My opinion is unbiased and my 100% own.

About the Author: Liliana Rhodes
Liliana Rhodes is a New York Times and USA Today Best Selling Author who writes romance with fun, engaging characters. Blessed with an overactive imagination, she is always writing and plotting her next stories. She enjoys movies, reading, photography, and listening to music. After growing up on the east coast, Liliana now lives in California with her husband, son, two dogs who are treated better than some people, and two parrots who plan to take over the world.