Sports bar owner Atlanta Jackson has a good life.  She loves her bar, it combines her love of food and sports; she loves her girls, The Posse always has her back; and she loves her family, from a distance, of course.  Even if her love life is lacking, there’s nothing wrong with self-pleasure.  Lucky girl that she is, she won’t have to worry about that for too long, not after she runs into Mr. Tall, Really-Damn-Light-Skinned and Devastatingly Handsome, also known as Steele Magnussen.

Business owner Bastille “Steele” Magnussen is coasting through life.  The business is doing really well, he has great friends, he gets along with his family, but something is missing.  Steele hasn’t been with a woman for three months and doesn’t really miss it.  But what the berserker in him does miss is having that one special woman in his life, that one woman who is worthy of him.  Little did he know that quick-witted, short-tempered, voluptuous Atlanta will shake up his world.

I love this story.   Atlanta and Steele are now one of my favorite couples.  Atlanta is loud, abrasive, and opinionated and she makes no apologies for it.  And if the Viking can’t handle it, then he needs to keep on steppin’.  But Steele has fallen hard and heavy for Atlanta and the only thing he can’t handle is Atlanta not being a part of his life.  And be prepared to laugh yourself silly throughout this story.  The interaction between Steele and Atlanta reminded me of vintage episodes from the TV series Moonlighting (yes, I’m dating myself). 

The Wild, Wild Mess: Atlanta reminded me of why I’ve been left wanting after reading other stories.  In this book, there’s an actual beginning, middle and end.  Atlanta and Steele did not jump into bed after the first night; I saw the evolution of immediate attraction, growing friendship, and eventually, undying love.  Ms. Leigh did a great job of showing the give-and-take that occurs between a new couple – it was just lovely.  And when Steele and Atlanta do finally hook up, Hotlanta lives up to its name. 

Did I mention that I loved this story?  You get a true sense of the characters. You get to meet their friends and family. You get to understand Atlanta and Steele as individuals and as a couple.  Although not a major sticking point, they do acknowledge race and cultural differences.  Love the story, love the characters and love the idea that because of the fascinating secondary characters, I can read future sequels.  I can’t stress it enough, if you are looking for a complete story, filled with memorable characters, fast-paced and humorous dialogue, and smoking sex, pick up The Wild, Wild Mess: Atlanta.