Sold Short. Ainslie Paton

Published:Supervised by Cats
Date: October 5th 2016
Format: e-ARC
Pages:256
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Source: Thank you to the author
Rating:
                              

Sarina Gallo is on a timeline. Graduate with a top degree and start a business with friends. Check. Rock that business so hard it’s made her a Silicon Valley identity and seriously wealthy. Check. Fall in love and start a family. Wait. Because the man she’s been in love with forever is more comfortable falling asleep in front of a movie than making a move on her.

Dev Patel has been friends with Sarina Gallo since he tripped over her in college and they started a business together. He likes to cook. She likes to eat. It’s the perfect relationship for two busy people and if he’d rather fall asleep on the couch next to her, than sleep with her, it’s because he’s not willing to risk their friendship over sex he can have casually with others.

Until Sarina announces she plans to have a baby with a donor and her decision challenges everything Dev thought he knew about their relationship. 

Sold Short  is #3 in the Sidelined series by Ainslie Paton. It is a story of two friends who just might love and be in love - with each other.

Dev and Sarina are part of the team that started up the Plus company. They've been a success and could easily just live on the gains. Yet they are young and creative and want to expand. However Dev is not so sure that he is entirely needed by the company. It seems to him its Reid and Owen who are more the brains of the company. He doesn't quite see what an asset he is, so when some one tries to poach him he is a little vulnerable.

Sarina is feeling her clock ticking and even though she is just hitting thirty she wants to have a child and she is prepared to go as far as artificial means - much to the horror of Dev.  Dev is also dealing with a family situation of his own and within that he really proves his reliability, care and compassion.

It seems that Dev suddenly starts to get so many things wrong to his utter frustration, and also he adds up and jumps to conclusions that aren't correct and drive him further into desperation.  There is a push/pull situation that just does not seem to be going anywhere between himself and Sarina. Will they negotiate their way from real friendship to love and being together. Possibly - but first not without a lot of angst.

This book is not quite as engaging as the first two, yet it was a fun read and I enjoyed it. It was great catching up with the rest of the team and to learn a little more about Dev and Sarina and their respective families.