Review: Hardwired by Meredith Wild

Title: Hardwired
Author: Meredith Wild
Series: The Hacker Series
Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance
Publication: September 3, 2013 (266 pages)

Determined to overcome a difficult past, Erica Hathaway learns early on to make it on her own. Days after her college graduation, she finds herself face to face with a panel of investors who will make or break her fledgling startup. The only thing she didn’t prepare for was going weak in the knees over an arrogant and gorgeous investor who seems determined to derail her presentation.
Billionaire and rumored hacker Blake Landon has already made his fortune in software, and he’s used to getting what he wants. Captivated by Erica’s drive and unassuming beauty, he’s wanted nothing more than to possess her since she stepped into his boardroom. Determined to win her over, he breaks down her defenses and fights for her trust, even if it means sacrificing a level of control he’s grown accustomed to.
But when Blake uncovers a dark secret from Erica’s past, he threatens not just her trust, but the life she’s fought so hard to create.

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Erica is a recent Harvard graduate with her entire future at the mercy of the success or failure of her fashion social networking site, Clozpin. She gets a great opportunity to present for a panel of billionaire potential investors, and she meets Blake. Blake passes on investing in her company, but that doesn't stop him from trying to get Erica to go out with him. After feeling as though he insulted her, she declines, but Blake is persistent, and helpful. Let the dance begin.

I really enjoyed the concept of Hardwired. Erica is a recent grad, she's been trying to get this company up and running for quite a while, at the same time, she's a college student at HARVARD. Study, work, study, work. She's using her inheritance to keep the company going until they get the financial backing, and marketing they need to succeed. By they, I mean her and her two business partners, who also just graduated. Great plot for me. I love a business read...for some weird reason. Blake is a hot rich guy, more interested in getting her out of her clothes than he is investing in her company, or so it seems. He's a take charge kind of guy, and a tad pushy, but he means well. Of course, Erica is the one he keeps trying to push around, so she doesn't care if he means well or not. These two have good chemistry. I loved Blake, I have to say. Yes, he's pushy, but he does it without being an a-hole about it, which is good for me.

I did have a few issues with some parts of the story though. First, something happened to Erica when she was a freshman in college. I feel like this wasn't addressed the way it should have been, and when it was, I felt it wasn't addressed properly. Everyone, but Erica especially, was just kind of nonchalant about the whole thing. I also didn't understand why Blake being a hacker was such a huge deal to Erica, and what it added to the story. I kept wondering why it was even being brought up in the book at all. Then, we sort of find out at the end of the book, HUGE CLIFFHANGER MOMENT. Another thing I didn't really understand was where Blake's brothers issue fit into this story. This is a series though, so I'm going to assume we find out in another installment.

All in all, it was a pretty decent book. I think I'll wait until the last book comes out before I begin the second (those damn cliffhangers). I hate having to wait for more of any story, I'm so impatient.