Safety in Numbers is a sweet and fast read about Seraphina Ellis, a brilliant mathematician, and computer science geek, suffering from a traumatic brain injury. Her accident left her with aphasia, a mental disability that impairs her speech and ability to recognize words. This condition leaves her speech mechanical sounding and slow. She cannot always find the words and gets frustrated. This causes Seraphina to be withdrawn and to shy away from social situations. After botching her interview for the position as research assistant to Dr. Milo Grant, the intelligent scientist and billionaire CEO of Grant Industries, Seffy accepts a position as a junior software developer for which she is overqualified. Disgusted after firing his last assistant, Milo requests a search of the company employees for anyone who is qualified to assist him. The only employee that meets his requirements is Seraphina. Before accepting the position, Seffy reveals her disability to Milo. Milo accepts her like she is and does not let her disability define her. He sees her as intelligent and becomes her confidant and protector. Milo strives to help her overcome her shyness and to feel comfortable with herself. Her lonely existence slowly changes as she and Milo fall in love. They both were excellent at sharing their feelings. They communicated their needs well. The progression from friends to lovers was a natural one. Their romance was fiery hot, filled with many steamy scenes. I enjoyed the chemistry between them. This was a solid 4-star book for me. I highly recommend it.
Goodreads Blurb:
When a tragic accident leaves mathematician Seraphina Ellis broken and despairing, she is convinced that she will live out the remainder of her life in lonely solitude. Determined to conceal her disability from her co-workers, she hides away in her desolate cubicle, crossing off the days of her life, unfulfilled and defeated.
A chance meeting with irascible but mesmerizing billionaire scientist and CEO Milo Grant provides her with the job of her dreams, and the chance of escape from cubicle land. But Grant is haunted by his own monsters and is increasingly interested in more than just her mathematical magic.
In this touching and sexually charged contemporary romance novel, Sophie Penhaligon manages to deliver a novel that is lighthearted and fun whilst dealing with the difficult topics of loss and disability.