Holding Aces by Nikki Groom

I was sent this awesome book by the author and I had absolutely no expectations.  And I was totally blown away.  The author is a former blogger turned author, and this is her first book, and I fell in love.

  

Synopsis:

They say that time heals all wounds.
But mine are set in so deeply, they’ve taken on a life of their own, lurking in the shadows at every turn and haunting my thoughts.
The girl I once was has been replaced by a stranger. 

I don’t even know who I am anymore.
I run.
And I hide.
Pretending to be someone I’m not…
Until I meet Denham King.
My burst of color in an otherwise grey world.
And for the first time in my life, I find myself running towards someone instead of running away.
But fate can be cruel,
and I can’t escape my past.
Can I? 

We meet Natalie and we know that she is not who she is pretending to be, but it takes awhile to figure out who she is, and why she is running.  I really loved this story.  I liked that we didn't know much at the beginning and that I had to keep reading to figure out what was going on with Natalie.  Natalie, who actually turns out to be Arianna is a loveable, strong character that I immediately rooted for.  She has made some bad decisions, and she has chosen the wrong men.  And then we meet Denham.....sigh!!!!!!  

Denham is a fantastic knight in shining armor.  I fell in love with him right away.  He was sweet, sexy, and just the right amount of alpha male.  He wants to protect her, but he also wants to stand by her side.  He is a good combination of sexy, caring, and gentle.  He was amazing, he is definitely made it to the top of my book boyfriend list (yes, it's a list) 

  

I loved this book, but I must warn you, it is a crazy cliffhanger!  I cannot wait till the next book comes out.  This is a must read, it is fast paced, sexy, and keeps you guessing all the way until the end.  Definitely 5 stars!!  The second book, High Stakes is due out in October, 2014. 

Holding Aces Purchase Link