When he first met Tyler Marek, it was easy for Easton to see why his son was having a hard time at school. The man who knows how to manage a business and wealth, is not a living teenage boy. There was something about him that attracted Easton – a sign of vulnerability, a fleeting attraction, a spark that could ignite. And his long-awaited touch will weaken Easton’s resolve – and reveal what should be kept hidden.

Easton Bradbury and Tyler Marek meet at a party one evening, have a conversation, and then go their separate ways. In that brief interaction, it was clear that there was an underlying attraction and that they enjoyed talking to each other.

Easton may be 23 years old, but she possesses a certain maturity and caution around her. She is close to her brother Jack and has endured tragedy and trauma that makes it difficult for her to trust other people. She’s very structured and controlled, and used to be a tennis pro. She’s a teacher now, and Easton happens to be very good at that. She has a way of embracing current trends, relating to students, inspiring them, and keeping the material interesting.

Tyler Marek is 35 years old and while he’s mature now, he wasn’t always that way and is learning some hard lessons firsthand. His son, Christian, is Easton’s student. While Tyler is busy campaigning for a Senate position, he’s gambling with his relationship with Christian, whom he barely knows and can’t afford to lose. He seems fairly hands-off in some ways as a parent, but then jumps in to seize authority in other ways. Easton is a temptation whom he wants more of, but she also distracts him from his other responsibilities and even Easton seems to command Christian’s respect more than he does.

What I loved about this book was how fallible both Easton and Tyler were in their struggles, but still so resilient and strong. They had fantastic chemistry and Penelope did a great job of contrasting their ages, but at the same time, it seemed like age wasn’t a factor when it came to how well they complemented each other. Easton is very innovative and talented, but she’s not an attention seeker at all (especially if there’s the potential for negative publicity because Easton has a way of being no holds barred when provoked), whereas Tyler lives in the spotlight currently. Tyler, despite being so hard working, is used to getting what he wants and finds that he really has to put in the effort to build a relationship with Christian.

Even if Tyler and Easton decide to pursue anything, they have a lot of barriers in place, including Christian, Easton’s job, Tyler’s reputation, and overcoming their own personal fears and issues. It becomes a question of priorities and figuring out what matters the most in life. This was brilliantly written and definitely worth reading, highly recommend!

• Misconduct

• By: Penelope Douglas
• Narrated by: Carrie Brach, Guy Locke