A good quick read that held my attention from beginning to end.

Kate is roommates with twin siblings Logan and Vicki. Vicki and Logan are in a band called Sandy Funk. Kate likes people the most who don’t ask many questions. Logan’s new girlfriend Bridget isn’t like that and won’t stop talking to Kate. No one knows Kate’s real story and she will keep it that way, Kate won’t be here that much longer graduation isn’t very far away. Kate works at Eclipse a popular music bar and doesn’t get home until three a.m. Kate usually walks the three miles to campus as public transport isn’t very good and it’s the only real exercise she gets. The places closer to campus are too expensive for Kate. She also just wants to mix in with the crowd and not be noticed. Coffee seems to comfort Kate as she walks to campus. Kate had changed her name and picked Kate because it was simple and popular. Her birth name had been Ava. Sebastian had called out Kate’s name and though she recognized the voice she gasped and spilled some of her coffee onto her arm. Sebastian caught up to Kate and said he was walking the walk of shame. He also told Kate she was too serious and if she ever had fun. Kate knew she was too serious but she didn’t have a lot of choice about that. Sebastian was pre med and Kate was a nursing major so they shared some classes. Sebastian is one of those people that everyone at the university knows of. He’s captain of the tennis team and charming and easy to be around. Sebastian’s family is rich in the hotel business. But Kate understands sometimes family and business don’t mix. Then Sebastian’s older brother Evan walks out of the campus coffee shop and has two cups of coffee which he gives Sebastian one as he says hi. Later Kate gets a call to pick up an extra shift at the bar from Tess . It wasn’t easy getting a job at Eclipse since it was the most popular bar in Tunita. The place was always busy which Kate loves as the tips were good but more so Kate is too busy to think about anything but her job. She also doesn't have time to talk to anyone. Vicki stopped at the bar which she rarely does and tells Kate the apartment building the lived in had burned down. Everything was gone. Kate wondered if he had found her. When Kate walks away from the coffee shop Evan felt fascinated, intrigued, and confused. Evan didn't know there would be many more times this would happen.
I loved this story it was great. It definitely had a great plot. I felt so bad home alone Kate had been for so long unable to let anyone in and scared he would find her. I loved how she didn't even realize men found her attractive. She was a very strong woman but she had to be. I don’t know how she did it cut off from everything but work and her classes. I was happy how Sebastian stepped up when he found out about her apartment. I was happy when she decided to take up her offer. I loved how Evan treated Kate and made her feel welcome. I loved the flow of this story and that Kate had people who cared about her and didn't turn on her when it came out who she was. I loved how Bridget defended her when Greg had Kate and how she worried about Kate. It was just an awesome book. I loved the characters and the ins and outs of this story and I highly recommend.

an ok read

2.5 stars

***ARC received in exchange of an honest opinion***

I have a weakness for millionaires/billionaires/CEO's romances. Even though I don't really like clichés, if they are welll written, those are the kinds I can quite enjoy.

Unfortunately it wasn't the case with Elusive. I also LOVE NA books, but even though it seems like an easy genre to please, I'm never easy to please. It's not such an "easy" genre and finding the right balance between fiction and what the reader can relate to is not easy (in any genre, actually).

Elusive was too much of a cliché. I felt like I've read this story so many times. Starting with the whole mystery that it supposedly had going on (from the synopsis) and I solved at the very beginning. It's hard to announce a book as a mysterious story if you don't leave anything for imagination.

Then we have the characters. I didn't really like a single character. The heroine was annoying and indecisive, she kept going back and forth on her word (to herself and to other characters). The hero was likable, but I feel like he was written in a shallow way, he could have been more explored (every character's story could have been more explored). One thing REALLY annoyed me in the hero was the fact he kept calling the heroine by her full name, even, and constantly, in his head! Who thinks of a love interest i. Full name all the time? It felt like he was trying to be "formal", but that simply wasn't the character, so it was out of place. I also feel like he could have been a more normal guy, for me it made no sense for him to be a CEO, because he never acted like one, just the opposite.

I could have liked Logan and his sister more if they were more explored too. I actually wanted to know more about them and I wanted to see their friendship with the heroine grow.

Overal, it was a story that bored me, but I could at least finish reading, so it was easy to read.
It was an okay book in my opinion, nothing marvelous, but I've read worse books. What mostly bothered me is that it was "advertised" as something and I didn't feel it in the story.

Based on the description, I expected more of a thriller/suspense aspect to the story. There is a bit near the end, but not much until then. That's one reason, I think, why it was hard for me to get into this book; another is that there is way too much telling and not nearly enough showing: we sort-of know what the characters look like physically, but have zero idea about what the setting looks like, characters' expressions and body language. Add to that the fact that Kate and Evan don't really have any chemistry...well, it's hard to get invested in the story.

I like the alternating POV's, but they both go over the same scenes so it's redundant. But what bothered me the most was that the story was full of a lot of the usual b.s. tropes: insta-lust, male possessiveness, control issues masquerading as protectiveness. And why does every single person in this story play tennis? It's kind of odd.