Adam Steele is good. Good at using his money to get his way. Money always works-until he realizes he can't buy his daughter's way out of her new wheelchair. Three private physical therapists later, he's almost given up on Emily walking again. Then he meets Dr. Jaden Monroe. And his match.

Jaden doesn't know the meaning of the word "quit". But she knows a lot about "fired" after a public blowout with her ex jeopardizes the donation her hospital was counting on. Now the most tempting man she's ever met has made her just the offer she needs to save the new children's rehab wing-one million dollars to rehabilitate his daughter. In return she finds herself making Adam rash promises: that his daughter will walk in time to take the lead in the school play. And that he won't entice her into his bed. No matter what.

But Jaden didn't anticipate a teen whose injuries are more than physical. Or a man so passionate and devoted-and as tenacious as she is. As Adam wears down her defenses with kiss after kiss, the only thing harder than keeping her promise will be keeping a hold on her heart.

Warning:
Contains heated arguments that erupt only slightly more often than hot kissing, a new perspective on kitchen appliances, and sizzling sex occurring everywhere BUT the bedroom (though they eventually make it there).

Title: NO MATTER WHAT
Author: Erin Nicholas
Series: Standalone
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Year of release: 2009, November 3
Format: eBook
Source: Bought via Samhain’s eBook store

First line:
One-night stands were a lot like apple pie as far as Jaden Monroe was concerned.

Memorable Scenes:
Swimming pool scene > Adam made me sigh
Kitchen scene > bone melting hot
Mall scene with Emily and Jaden > made me tear up


Quick & Dirty-review:

Ingredients/Summary:
A wealthy father seeking the best of the best in physical therapy for his daughter, a pediatric physical therapist who's lost her job and is working as a bartender until she gets an offer that'll put her back on track.
The attraction between them is there from the start but different things hold them back from giving into it.

Hero:
Adam Steele is commanding, used to getting what he wants the way he wants it, demanding, intimidating, stubborn passionate and protective.

Heroine:
Dr. Jaden Monroe is very capable and able to stand her ground with Adam's commanding ways and stand up to him. She’s defiant, involved and fierce.

Writing:
Erin Nicholas' writing is wonderful. Her characters are engaging and well rounded. She tackles emotional stuff in a way that seems effortless yet utterly heartfelt and she writes sex scenes that set the pages on fire without being too explicit or graphic. I really liked this first encounter with her work and it left me wanting to read more.

Likes:
- Emily (Adam's daughter), she a tough, mouthy 14 year-old kid who doesn't want to be helped. She forms a real challenge for Jaden but she handles Emily patiently and splendidly and doesn't tolerate her whimsical temper tantrums.
- the character depth and development
- the emotions

Dislikes:
- the parts where Adam and Jaden weren't together on the page seemed to drag on a little bit...just a little bit and they seemed less intense.
- Adam's attitude towards Jaden where Emily's treatment is concerned: strong-arming her, questioning her methods

Verdict:
NO MATTER WHAT is a delightful novella that tugs at your heartstrings because the relationship between Jaden and Emily is just as important and impressive as the one between Jaden and Adam. The story and characters surrounding the main characters made a lasting impression on me and I'd love to read a story on Tony, Adam's brother, someday.

Favorite Quotes:
Tony took advantage of her stunned silence to say, “I have to talk to you. I’d like to be nice about it. I’d like to charm you into having a civilized conversation. I’d like to buy you a drink.
"I’d like to be a thirty-six C, but we don’t always get what we want,” Jaden said as sweetly as she could through gritted teeth.

“Taking you to bed occurred to me the first moment I saw you.”
He had to stop doing that. If she lost her ability to breathe and think every time he said something like that, she was afraid she would quickly lose her professional credibility with him. If she hadn’t already.

"Do you like soft kisses?” He pressed his lips to hers gently. Her hands went to his shoulders and she kissed him back, making his heart thump in his chest. He lifted his head, breathing hard already. “Or do you like hot, wet kisses?” He tilted her head and demonstrated that as well, stroking his tongue over her bottom lip and then taking advantage of the sigh that parted her lips and granted him access to the sweet, hot mouth he’d been dreaming about.