Toxic

By Kim Karr

Release Date: July 7, 2015

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Synopsis

New York Times bestselling author Kim Karr turns up the heat in a smoking hot, emotionally compelling romance that takes you into the world of Manhattan’s elite. Meet Jeremy McQueen, a sexy, intense, brooding entrepreneur who goes after what he wants, and Phoebe St. Claire, a socialite-turned-CEO who’s been drifting through life searching for something she thought she’d never find again–the right man to share her future.

Phoebe St. Claire has devoted herself to saving her family’s hotel empire–but her best efforts have not been good enough. With her whole world in turmoil, the tenacious go-getter turns to the once love of her life. Far from innocent, Jeremy McQueen was the guy from the wrong side of the tracks who her parents would never have approved of. Their years apart have only made the sexy bad boy more irresistible than ever–and their reunion is explosive.

When she asks Jeremy to help her salvage her family business, he agrees immediately, with only one condition–he wants her in his bed.

But soon surprising circumstances leave Phoebe reeling. Was this fairy tale romance just too good to be true? Will Jeremy’s secrets pull them apart all over again?

THIS IS A STANDALONE SECOND-CHANCE ROMANCE WITH NO CLIFFHANGER ENDING.

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Excerpt 

Phoebe St. Claire

Feeling a bit drunk and overwhelmed with so many and so few choices at the same time, I needed some time alone and snuck off toward the beach path.

I ran toward the ocean and twirled in the sand as the wind blew around me. Once I started to feel dizzy from twirling, I still wasn’t ready to head back to the party, so I took the path that would lead me to the large Olympic-sized pool. I tugged my sandals off with thoughts of putting my feet in the water to rinse the mud and sand away. As I approached the pool, I noticed how it glowed like it was lit by small pale fires. Lost in the enchantment of it, the sudden movement beneath the surface startled me.

A fair-haired boy emerged from the water. He pulled himself up and out so quickly that I was momentarily stunned. And then when he drank me in with his eyes, I shuddered.

I couldn’t help it, the way he looked at me just made me shiver. No one had ever looked at me like that before and I found myself gazing back into his intense eyes.

He was utterly beautiful. His bare chest was sculpted but not overly bulky like Danny or Jamie. They worked out every day pumping obnoxious amounts of iron to look the way they did. In contrast, the boy standing before me had a swimmer’s build.

He stood stoic and a cautious look crossed his face. He was long and lean in a pair of bright green neon swim trunks.

Right away I could tell he didn’t care what anyone thought about him.

I loved the idea of that.

So I smiled at him.

He shook his head and his hair fell into his eyes.

I wanted to reach out and push it away. It wasn’t long, but it wasn’t short. It was perfect.

“Hey,” he said, grabbing a towel off the ground.

It didn’t belong to the club. It was small, beige, and a bit worn—not the large hunter-green fluffy ones monogrammed in white I’d always gotten when I used to come here to swim as a kid.

“Hey,” I said back, swinging my sandals nervously.

He grabbed a pair of jeans that lay next to where the towel had been and walked right by me.

I turned to watch him as he strode into one of the cabanas and dropped his trunks. I froze and squeezed my eyes shut, thinking I shouldn’t be watching him but then opened them quickly when I couldn’t resist maybe catching a glimpse.

“Didn’t your parents ever tell you it isn’t polite to stare?” His voice was low and sexy, and it tugged me out of my own head.

I put my hands on my hips. “Didn’t your parents ever teach you not to undress in mixed company?”

He pulled his jeans on and laughed. “My mother might have mentioned that once or twice but I’ve never been good at following the rules.”

And it didn’t escape my notice that he didn’t put any underwear on first.

Hot. Totally and completely hot.

I didn’t see anything I shouldn’t have seen, it was too dark, but something inside me electrified at the thought of seeing him naked and I stepped closer. That’s when I noticed the scuffed-up black work boots on one of the lounges with a T-shirt thrown next to them.

I raised a brow. “Is this your changing room?”

He laughed again but this time added a smile and put his hands up. “Okay you caught me. I better get out of here before anyone else does.”

He was adorable and charming and my heart skipped a beat or two.

Then I stepped even closer and entered the cabana entrance, effectively blocking his way. “Why? You’re not doing anything wrong.”

He shrugged but he didn’t try to move around me. “I usually swim in the ocean but when the water is too rough, like tonight, I come here.”

I bit my lip in contemplation before speaking. “Does it really matter if you get caught?”

He crossed his arms over his bare chest. “Let’s just say it’s not just the swimming. It’s more that I’ve been caught doing a few too many things that I shouldn’t have been doing in the past.”

A bad boy.

The thought made my pulse thunder. “So you’re not a member at this club?”

He cleared his throat and shifted from foot to foot. “No,” he laughed but his laugh was anything but genuine. “Are you?”

I hesitated as I considered my answer. “No, I was just walking the beach and wanted to rinse my feet. I’m Phoebe,” I said extending my hand. Technically, I wasn’t lying. I wasn’t a member, my parents were. I hadn’t even been here in years. And I was out for a walk.

Amusement danced in his blue eyes. “Jeremy,” he said back.

When I chewed on my lower lip, I noticed how his eyes focused on it.

Mine focused on the entirety of his mouth—his strong, firm jaw, his sensuous lips, and his tongue that had snuck out to lick his lips.

That mouth.

It was almost too much.

Almost.

Michel’s Review

I have to admit I was not looking forward to this book.  After reading the synopsis I was filled with dread because I am so tired of millionaire romances.  The typical theme of the bad boy from the wrong side of the tracks becoming a ruthless millionaire to ruin the spoiled socialite heiress that broke his heart when they were teens… yeah … read that story over and over…different names…different author.  But then I thought… Toxic is written by Kim Karr…Kim Karr can write a book like no other.  She has never disappointed and her books are fresh, exciting, and take on a life of their own.  My thoughts were still a bit skeptical but willing to take on Kim Karr’s millionaire experience.  I can honestly say that I am so glad that I did.  This book is not like any other book I have read and kept me glued to the pages.  This story, when stripped bare, is something that can happen to any couple if they let their insecurities take over their relationship.  It was a beautiful relationship that quickly turned toxic because of personal insecurities rather than agendas that drove the characters apart.

Rather than recap the entire story or give away spoilers I am going to list the things I loved about the book and it’s characters.

1. I liked both of the leading characters.

Phoebe St. Claire was born a privileged socialite and heiress to a hotel empire.  Even though she was raised with a silver spoon she never came across as entitled.  She worked hard, fought for her independence, and stayed loyal to those she loved.  She always showed respect to others whether they were from her social class or the working class.  When the odds were against her she dug deeper and worked harder to succeed.  She never sacrificed her beliefs or integrity to get what she wanted or needed.  She was determined to prove her worth by earning it.  She was a confident woman in many aspects but also vulnerable in many other aspects.  Her problem was trusting in herself.

Jeremy McQueen was more than your typical bad boy sexy millionaire.  At first it appears that he was a resentful young man that hated the wealthy.  He had issues but rose above them.  His drive to become a successful businessman was because of his personal ambitions and not because of his resentments.  He truly wanted to build an empire based off of his own merits.  When he achieved his success he didn’t shove it in the face of those he resented in his youth.  Sure he had some bad feelings towards Phoebe St. Claire for breaking his young heart but it was not his motivating factor.  He was smart enough to look beyond their past and see the people they were in the present.  He showed Phoebe the respect she deserved.

2.  The secondary characters were fantastic.  Their support to the story made this book come to life.  Phoebe’s life long friends may have been just as privileged as she was but they were not snobs either.  They were real people with their own unique strengths and flaws.  They were supportive and loyal to Phoebe.  Her family was very interesting and surprising.  Jeremy’s support system was just as surprising.  The main villain in this story was unpredictable.  Although there was a villain in the story, he was not the driving force in the plot.  He was more of a catalyst to what was beneath the surface.

3.  The plot was unique.  The delivery was subtle until it was explosive.  Once the reader is at the point of explosion it is a complete surprise.  The book starts with one impression of the characters world and quickly moves into the high powered world of business and finance.  The twists and turns as well as Phoebe and Jeremy’s adult relationship keep the readers glued to the pages.  When the climax and true grit of the story finally reveals itself it is quite a surprise.  You reach an OMG moment realizing that it was there all along, in black and white, in your face but you were so wrapped up in everything else going on that you missed it.

4.  The romance.  The relationship between Phoebe and Jeremy was truly beautiful.  There was never a question of these two people loving each other.  They were magic together when they stepped outside of their own skins.  The problem was what they kept buried within themselves that led their relationship to being toxic.

5.  Emotional rewarding reading experience. This book did not feel like I was reading a truck full of angst and despair.  It did not revolve around scorching sex ( which was there in the hottest form) that kept the characters together even though there were problems. It tapped into the human psyche in it’s purest form.

6.  It was interesting how she tied her previous stand alone book, The 27 Club, into this story even though it had nothing to do with it.  It may open doors for future books.

In the end I can honestly say that Toxic is the best book that Kim Karr has written. 

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I live in Florida with my husband and four kids. I’ve always had a love for reading books and writing. Being an English major in college, I wanted to teach at the college level but that was not to be. I went on to receive an MBA and became a project manager until quitting to raise my family. I currently work part-time with my husband and full-time embracing one of my biggest passions—writing.

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