The Resilient One by Cami Checketts

From Goodreads:

Alyssa Armsworth, a world-renowned photographer, has no intentions of honoring the Billionaire Bride Pact she made at girl's camp to avoid getting whipped cream smeared on her face while she slept. Marriage is the last thing on her to-do list and when her father forces his wealthy friends on her, she runs to Maui.

Her plan to jog on the beach, take some great pictures, and avoid men works--until Beckham Taylor arrives. Spending days on the ocean with the handsome ex-NHL star is ideal, but Alyssa's guilt for past transgressions begins to consume her. She doesn't think Beckham could ever forgive what she's done to him and his family. Before she can confess, her misdeeds are thrust onto the front cover of the tabloids. Now, Alyssa must face her past or lose her future.


My Take:
Here's another great story from Cami Checketts. I think I'm reading these billionaire bride pacts all out of order, but it doesn't really  matter. :) This story might be my favorite one so far. The blurb doesn't really do justice to the depth of the story. It's about so much more than falling in love.

Alyssa has some pretty heavy baggage, making it more than understandable why she doesn't trust men. Especially rich men. With her no count father and his even worse friends, who can blame her. Beck seems way too good to be true. But then again, she's got secrets of her own. Years earlier, she took a photo of him at his parent's funeral and sold it to a magazine that twisted the story into something ugly. She know's he would never understand why.

I really enjoyed the fact that Alyssa has real concerns based on her past experiences. Beck really is a great guy, and he's determined to show Alyssa she's safe with him. This makes it all the more heartbreaking when he doesn't believe her innocence when it comes to the magazine article. Luckily, Alyssa has her grandma Ellie to back her up.

I give The Resilient one a 4.5 for the sweet moments and the sad. It's a story that moves smoothly and  carries you with it every moment of the way.

1-5 scale and what it means:
1: I couldn’t even finish it / just plain bad
2: I hope I didn’t pay for this / disappointing
3: I didn’t hate it, but it was still missing something / forgettable but inoffensive
3.5: On the line between good and ok / like, not love
4: Solid mind candy / worth reading
4.5: So very close to perfection! / must read
5: I could not put it down and I’m still thinking about it! / a true treasure