Arrogant Bastard by Julie Capulet

A great end to the McCabe trilogy

I was lucky enough to be one of Julie's beta readers on what is the third and final instalment in her McCabe trilogy, Gage's story.  This was so exciting for me because I've been looking forward to this one for awhile now - even though when we first meet Gage in My Hero, Caleb's story, I really didn't like him.  He is, at the start of his journey, an arrogant bastard - hey...I see what Julie did there....  
On a random, inconvenient trip to Key West, Gage happens upon a seaside restaurant and bar and overhears a conversation between the owners - one of them is desperate for money and needs to sell her majority share.  For some reason, Gage is captivated by Luna, the owner who is being left behind. She's certainly beautiful, but he is also intrigued by the way she barely gives him the time of day.  So this is what rejection feels like...hm...interesting. Going against his better judgement, he buys the place and just like that, Luna, the woman staring daggers at him whenever he is in the room, is his business partner.
Gage, more so than his brothers, has a long way to fall.  He is what he is and makes no apologies for it.  He is open about it and lives his life in a way that makes him happy.  Or so he thinks.  Really, he doesn't know what happiness is.  He doesn't realize that he is kind of miserable. That is until he meets Luna and is drawn to her.  Oh, he fights it, but finally, after a lot of reflection and back and forth, he acknowledges what he needs.  Luna is what has been missing in his life.  So, although his brothers really succumbed to insta-love, I think Gage had more of a shield built up around his heart.  It took more than a look for him to fall, and going through his journey with him made for a fantastic book. Now he just has to convince Luna - who has walls of her own built up.
I think the best part of this book is Gage's inner dialogue. It is so honest and true, and makes the reader really feel for him and his struggle. He is a deep character, tailored by the tragic events of his past - more so than his brothers I think.  Luna has faced nothing but obstacles in her young life - and at first, that's what Gage is, another obstacle to shove out of her way.  But soon, she is starting to realize that maybe there is more to him than meets the eye.
This was a wonderful read and a great addition to Julie's McCabe series.  And I can't wait to see more of her Nashville brothers, the McCabe cousins, coming soon.