Rafael: The Castillo Family

it started with so much promise but then went downhill very fast. needy female who had to beg for a man who didn't seem to want her. an indecisive man who could have been alpha but fell short. I'm sad really coz this book had so much potential

4 1/2 stars because at first, I didn't like the H. He was self-centered and almost waited until all hope was lost before he came to his senses. It was great as well as steamy and I will continue the series.

3.5 stars-RAFAEL is the first instalment in Fiona Murphy’s contemporary, adult THE CASTILLO FAMILY erotic, romance series. This is thirty-eight year old, businessman Rafael Castillo, and twenty-six year old Carrie Whitney’s story line. NOTE: RAFAEL is the re-release of the author’s Rafael’s Woman with additional content and a change in perspective. Told from dual first person perspectives (Carrie and Rafael) RAFAEL focuses on the building relationship between thirty-eight year old, businessman Rafael Castillo, and twenty-six year old Carrie Whitney. Carrie Whitney has been raising her thirteen year old twin brothers Riley and Elliott since the death of their mother seven years earlier but the twins are beginning to act out and causing problems. Having moved to Dallas for better employment opportunities, Carrie finds herself at the end of her rope when her brothers destroy thousands of dollars of Rafael Castillo’s construction property, money she hopes she will be able to repay but the shocking price tag sends Carrie into a spiral where she reveals everything about her past and more. Rafael has no patience for people who destroy his property, and he is determined to punish the young boys to the fullest extent of the law but Rafael’s attraction to Carrie and our heroine’s story begin to melt the ice around Rafael’s heart, and he reconsiders his plans for the immediate future. Offering Carrie a job as the property manager of one of his buildings, a new place to stay for Carrie and the boys, and the opportunity for her brothers to work off their debt, Rafael begins a slow seduction of our story line heroine, a seduction predicated upon $ex and nothing more. What ensues is the building relationship between Carrie and Rafael, and the potential fall-out as Carrie’s heart wants something more than Rafael is willing to offer. Rafael Castillo is all about control; a businessman who doesn’t do romantic relationships but Carrie Whitney offers a friends with benefits option, a relationship wherein Rafael finds himself struggling with jealousy and rage at every turn. Rafael’s attraction to Carrie is immediate and intense, and discovering Carrie is offering a relationship without love, Rafael jumps at the opportunity, only to realize that his heart wants something he can no longer control. Refusing to accept that he has fallen in love, Rafael slowly pulls away from the woman that owns his heart knowing Carrie would never be accepted into the world in which he lives. Carrie quickly realizes that her life is no longer her own but accepts Rafael’s need for control, often backing down when she is accused of doing something wrong. A bit of a doormat, Carrie is desperate for Rafael’s touch, she is willing to beg for all the wrong reasons. The $ex scenes are intimate, passionate, erotic and intense. We are introduced to Carrie’s twin brothers Riley and Elliott, and her best friend Jennifer; Rafael’s brother Javier who is often pushing all of our hero’s buttons, as well as their mother Elizabeth Castillo, and several employees who work for the Castillo Corporation/ Castillo Construction. Javier’s story is next. RAFAEL is a fast paced story of power and control, obsession and attraction, insta lust, acceptance and love. The premise is engaging; the romance is provocative and passionate but questionable on so many levels; the characters are desperate and charismatic. I will suggest another round of edits as there are a number of spelling and grammar errors as well as missing words. As this is a re-release and refurbished edition, there should not have been so many issues.