Tomboy (The Hartigans #3) by Avery Flynn

BLURB

Ice Knights defenseman Zach Blackburn has come down with the flu, and my BFF—his PR manager—begs me to put my nursing degree to use and get him back to health. Of course she would call in a favor for the most hated man in Harbor City.

But when he’s finally on the mend and I’m sneaking out of his place, everything goes sideways. Paparazzi spot me and pictures, plus accusations that I slept with him, fly faster than a hockey puck.

At first, all of Harbor City wants my blood—or to give me a girlie-girl makeover. But then…the team finally wins a game. And now this fickle town wants me with the big jerk twenty-four seven.

Argh. I never slept with him the first time! But no one will listen. Then the grumpy bastard goes and promises to break his no-fan-appearances rule to help raise money for a free health clinic—but only if I’m rink-side at every game. That’s not a deal I can turn down.

But when the team keeps winning, and I realize there’s more to him than his bad reputation, suddenly remembering to keep my real hands off my fake date gets harder and harder to do.

My Review

Tomboy, the third in Avery's The Hartigans series, I had no idea I would enjoy the crap out of this book three as much I did (& you will too).  Between the wounded & undeniably sexy hockey alpha (-with metal bars piercing his nipples - holy wow), & the tomboy with unapologetic spirit & fierce nature to protect those who need it most, this hilariously snarky wit, hot sexy angst "Curious. Needy. Wanting more."  filled story - you won't be able to put it down.  

I don't know what drew me in more.  Maybe it was the hockey?  "...oh, for the love of Wayne Gretzky's and Martin Brodeur's love child."  Mama Hartigans double jack & coke?  Most definitely the hockey god whose had it all wrong when it comes to the kind of treatment that is deserved & the kind that is earned, versus the crazy family that has so much love & sass "...when it comes to the people we love, we do whatever it takes."  Fighting the good fight through betrayal & trust, with friends who have your back whether you ask or not.  I just can't even with this book right now. 

I love Fallon & the way her "...I-will-call-you-on-all-of-your-bullshit attitude..." does the very opposite of deterring Zach.  The ease & "I've got you." trust between these characters will get you in the gut.  Getting two stubborn, scrapper personalities together has never been sexier.

"#TeamTakeMeNow"

Be prepared to be left between not being able to take the prospect of the Ice Knights series & wanting to know why they aren't in your greedy hands already!

ARC received in exchange for an honest review.

Amazon US/UK

Unzipped by Lauren Blakely

Everything he knows about women is about to get turned upside down…

Wanted: Dating coach to help hot nerd win back the woman of his dreams…

Picture this - I’m ready to win back the love of my life, and I’m going big this time. We’re talking boom box, sing her name in the rain, let the whole damn neighborhood know I'm good and ready this time around. After all, if you're going to grand gesture the ever-loving hell out of a second chance, you need to pull out all the stops. 

There’s only one little problem.

My college girlfriend isn't the one who shows up when I play my "I'll do anything to win you back" tune.

The woman who flings open the second-floor window tells me my ex doesn’t live here anymore. But she'll help me win her back. Anything for romance, anything for a guy so willing to go big for love. And that's what I want at first. Until I get to know my new “romance coach” and discover she’s funny, clever, and keeps me on my toes. And boy, do I ever need that. 

Now I don't want to win anyone else’s heart. I want the woman who's been helping me all along. 

Trouble is - she thinks I'm in love with someone else, and when we take off on a road trip, everything I think I know about women is about to be unzipped and turned inside out.

***

He's the last person I ever expected to pop into my life, but he might be exactly what I need to save the thing that matters most to me. All I have to do is not fall for him. 

 

Unzipped by Lauren Blakely, can officially be added to my LB favs list.  So. Much. Angst. This funny, slow burn, friends to lovers, second chances, to hot to handle contemporary romantic comedy will have you at "hello."  ~Fans of the best quotes movie romance have to offer will adore!

"...finding humor in the confusion between men and women about what the other says and what the other truly means."

This story takes hot nerd/muse & practical romantic/writer on a road trip to finding a connection that is more than physical "...flirting? Yes. Romantic tension? For sure."  A lesson in uncertainty & of being careless with ones heart.  Learning to embrace change & take a risk.  "A little dirty, a lot sexy." The humor & love of family shine through "...the power of nachos, a good cry, and a great father to lean on."

Wise advice - learn to listen, don't give up

"Sometimes we think something is one way, and it's entirely another. And that stops us in our tracks."

Can't wait for Gabe & Arden's love story... Best Laid Plans...

ARC received in exchange for an honest review.

Amazon US/UK

Muffin Top (The Hartigans #2) by Avery Flynn

The only thing about me that’s a size zero is the filter on my mouth. I’ve got a big personality, a big rack, and a big number on the scale. And I’m perfectly fine with that.

But when some random guy suggests I might not be eating alone if I’d ordered a salad instead of a hamburger I’m shocked silent, which is a feat, trust me.

That brings us to one sexy fireman named Frankie Hartigan. He’s hot. He’s funny… And he’s just apologized for being late for our “date” then glared at the fat-shaming jerk. Next thing I know, he’s sitting down and ordering himself dinner.

I have no problem telling him I don’t need a pity date . . . unless of course it’s to my high school reunion next week. Oops where did that last bit come from? And what do I do now that he’s said yes?!

Because this is no make-over story, and I think Frankie is using me for something. I just have to figure out what…

Muffin Top by Avery Flynn - book two of her The Hartigan's series, A story of defining love in your own eyes ~ don't miss reading the dedication- completely sets the tone for this fast paced funny, sexy & sweet read. 

Second in the series, this hot contemporary romance, like the book before, is the perfect mix of hilarious wit, heartfelt romance & sultry hot sexiness "This wasn't foreplay. This was a religious experience."  I love Lucy (not the show) & not only her fierce confidence, but the way she can give "...a look that managed to say "oh shit" and "keep your mouth shut" at the same time. Now that was skill."  Franky is a fire fighting workaholic who loves the ladies as much as they love him "His eyes did that thing again that made her ovaries volunteer as tribute."  While he's taking time off from one, he's decided to put himself in a time-out from the other.  These characters face insecurities, self-doubt & self imposed survival mechanisms together, to find a new perspective on life & to learn to "Stop being so cautions and live a little"  Supporting family & friends you'll love.  With a twist or two that will give insight to how these characters became who they are.   

I just love all of the mental sarcasm & snarky humor -  Adore the natural instinct to protect those you love & enjoyed the intrigue & angst to see what would be revealed of the past & the future. 

Can't wait for Tomboy coming January 2019!

 ARC received in exchange for an honest review.

Amazon US/UK

 

Player by Staci Hart

MY REVIEW
He’s a player.

He plays the bass with expert fingers. He plays women with intoxicating charm. And he’ll play me with the ease of a virtuoso.

Who better to teach me to play than the master himself?

I’m his model student, front row, pencil sharp. Pick up lines? I’ve got them. Free drinks? By the dozen. Kissing? Let me grab my chapstick.

But the most valuable lesson I’ve learned is that there’s so much I don’t know. Like why his touch sets off a chain reaction straight to my nethers. Or how I’m certain each kiss is the best I’ll ever have, until the moment his lips take mine again.

There’s so much I don’t know.

Like the fact that I’m only a bet.

But we are what we are. He’s a player, through and through.

And I’m the fool who fell in love with him.

MY REVIEW

Player by Staci Hart is a hot contemporary romantic comedy that reminded me of that Freddie Prinz Jr. movie "She's All That" Set around a New York City Broadway musical orchestra & musicians looking for sex & love.  Awareness of self & what this life has to offer the heart if you take the risk.

 

Told in first person, from dual perspectives this page turner will have you laughing out loud from the start "I had a vibrator and internet access.  What more could a girl want?"  Val & her "Four glorious wallflowers." roommates & best friends are so much fun.  Supportive & caring, with quirks all their own.  Sam, a man with a heart of gold & all he could want out of life.  Drawn to Val, to protect her from guys like he thinks himself to be.  Protection that brings these two together for lessons in how to snag a guy - quickly turn dangerously - into lessons in trust & of heart break.  In the end "It's about figuring out what you want and going after it." 

 

This story is sexy & sweet, full of taking chances & embracing beauty, inside & out.  Loving your true self & letting others do the same.  "...unexpected harmony."

 

ARC received in exchange for an honest review.

 

Amazon US/UK

Kiss My Ash by Leddy Harper

Blurb

Ash Jenkins was the typical boy next door. Wait, who am I kidding? There was nothing typical about that boy.

He was tall, ripped, and had the voice of a man twice his age. Intelligent, sexy as sin, and barely legal.

Sent to live with his dad after getting in some trouble with the law, he was definitely someone I needed to stay away from.

But he had his sights set on me, and he didn’t try to hide it.

Did it still make me a cougar if I was the prey?

 

MY REVIEW

Kiss My Ash by Leddy Harper is a sexy, taboo contemporary romance of a different kind.  Picture single mom meets younger man who turns out to have a lot more in common with her teenage daughter than she expected. 

Funny~ "...too stunned... to do anything other than drool and imagine what our babies would look like."  Sexy & sensual, with emotional depth.  Kristy is a woman flirting with the idea of putting herself first for once, treating herself to a little tryst with the guy across the street.  An idea that will have her faced with fears of wanting "...something society would condemn her for."  Asher~ a young man mature beyond his years with a "...complete alpha-male personality..."  He knows what he wants & he won't find it in his age group.   You'll be tangled up in these characters -  push-pull & angst, deceptions & betrayals to overcome, heartwarming & tear jerking before it's all said & done. 

ARC received in exchange for an honest review.

Amazon US/UK

 

 

 

 

 

Butterface (The Hartigans) by Avery Flynn

 

Synopsis

Looks aren’t everything.

It’s true. I’m not what most people would call “pretty” and, well, high school was rough. Fast forward ten years and life is good…

Until a bunch of jerks think it’s hilarious to put the “butterface” (AKA me) on a wedding Kiss Cam with the hottest guy ever—and that old humiliation hits hard.

I recognize him immediately. The hottest cop in Waterbury and totally out of my league.

But then he kisses me. And we totally forget the room, the crowd, everything.

Then he tells everyone we’ve been dating for months.

Soon everything starts to feel too real, from adorable fights over “necessary” tools to fix my broken porch to surviving a free-for-all dinner with his six siblings to picking up where our last kiss left off.

But there’s something he’s not telling me about why he’s really hanging around, and I’m pretty sure it has to do with my mob-connected brothers.

Because this is not a makeover story, and Cinderella is only a fairy tale…

MY REVEIW 

 Butterface by Avery Flynn - first of The Hartigans series, this book can be read as a standalone - but I'm sure you'll be hooked & ready for the next installment.  A story of unrequited love, with a unique twist we can all appreciate "...redefined what beautiful could be." ~ don't miss reading the dedication- completely sets the tone for this fast paced fun, sexy & sweet read. 

Not unlike her other novels, this contemporary romance is the perfect mix of hilarious wit, heartfelt romance & sultry hot sexiness.  Do yourself a favor & powder your nose before starting Chapter 3 - because Avery will have you ready to pee your pants with laugh out loud inner dialogue.  You're welcome.  I'd never heard the term Butterface & it made me so sad!  Gina is a girl after my own heart with "...her self-deprecating sense of humor...", she "...loathed--being the center of attention..." & "...got off on color coded spreadsheets..." She is making a fresh start toward a new life for herself, moving past anger & humiliations of her past while protecting herself from them in the future.  One that she never imagined would involve someone like Ford Hartigan.  A "Brusque. By the rules. No-nonsense." cop from a Irish family of firefighters.  He is focused on an assignment of the career building kind.  Together these characters are desire & need of the squirm in your seat kind "It was hot and demanding and so achingly desperate."  Supporting family & friends you won't be able to do anything but love.  Strong family bonds in spite of being so different from each other.  "They were just the best kind of a mess..."  Friendships no one should live without. "...only a true friend would help you dispose of a body. "You're the best." 

I just love all of the smart & witty phrases - "...the ice-pick-to-the-balls moment..." & holy hell who can resist "...his clit-whistle of a throaty groan...", not me, that's who.  Adore the natural instinct to protect those you love & enjoyed the intrigue & angst to see what would be revealed of the past & the future. 

Another great read!

 ARC received in exchange for an honest review.

Amazon US/UK

1001 Dark Nights Discovery Bundle Seventeen by Alexandra Ivy& Laura Wright, Donna Grant, Lorelei James, Lauren Blakely and T. Gephart

About 1001 Dark Nights Bundle:
From New York Times and USA Today bestselling authors Alexandra Ivy & Laura Wright, Donna Grant, Lorelei James, Lauren Blakely,

and introducing T. Gephart.

Five Dark Tales.

Five Sensual Stories.

Five Page Turners.

BLADE: A Bayou Heat Novella by Alexandra Ivy & Laura Wright Blade was held captive by Benson Enterprises and abused for decades. When he’s finally rescued, he can’t return to the Wildlands. Not without the female he was forced to watch being impregnated. Valli just wants to run away and never look back. But with the shocking news of her pregnancy fresh in her mind, she wonders if that’s even possible. Told by her captors that one of the caged animals assaulted her, she knows she must do everything in her power to keep her unborn child safe.

DRAGON BURN: A Dark Kings Novella by Donna Grant A promise made eons ago sends Sebastian to Italy on the hunt to find an enemy. His quarry proves difficult to locate, but there is someone who can point him in the right direction – a woman as frigid as the north. Using every seductive skill he’s acquired over his immortal life, his seduction begins. Until he discovers that the passion he stirs within her makes him burn for more… Gianna Santini has one love in her life – work. That is until a handsome Scot strolled into her life and literally swept her off her feet.

TRIPPED OUT: A Blacktop Cowboys® Novella by Lorelei James Stirling Gradsky abandoned the corporate rat race for a more laidback lifestyle. So it’s ironic she’s stuck working with a hard-bodied, know-it-all scientist who treats her like a stoner instead of a stone cold business woman capable of running a large scale cannabis operation. Dr. Liam Argent’s doctorate isn’t in chemistry, but from the moment he meets his sexy new coworker, there’s enough heat between them to short out all the lights in the grow house. Sparks fly as their attraction blazes. But can they weed out their differences without getting burned?

STUD FINDER: by Lauren Blakely Man seeking woman: Hot, rich, smart, witty, self-made multimillionaire Internet genius seeks classy, intelligent, sexy, fun-loving woman who’s interested in settling down and sharing all the good things. There. Best. Ad. Ever. I will absolutely find the woman of my dreams, someone who’ll love me for me. Let me just hit the upload button right now… * * * * No. Just no. As a woman and a professional matchmaker, I can’t let Dylan Parker run this ad. He’s the catch of all catches. What woman in her right mind wouldn’t fall in love with Dylan? I mean, besides me. It totally won’t be me.

#1 CRUSH: by T. Gephart Tia Monroe was smart, sassy and successful. Sure, she could get a little crazy at times, but that was part of her appeal. And while she didn’t see herself as ‘classically beautiful’, she had no shortage of options in the boyfriend department. She just hadn’t found one who held her interest. Until she laid eyes on Eric Larsson, and then it was lust at first sight. He packed the perfect mix of smoldering sexy and unapologetic cool into his blond-haired, blue-eyed, ridiculously hot six-foot-four frame. One smile from him was enough to twist her insides. But it wasn’t just his looks, he was smart and funny—charming in the most a-dork-able way. The only problem was…Tia had never actually met him.

Every Dark Nights tale is breathtakingly sexy and magically romantic.


My Review

 1001 Dark Nights Discovery Bundle:  Introducing Discovery Author T. Gephart, the Bundle contains 5 novellas, including novellas from New York Times and USA Today bestselling authors Alexandra Ivy& Laura Wright, Donna Grant, Lorelei James, and Lauren Blakely!HOT novellas.

To be honest, I wanted to get my hands on this bundle to not only read authors I know & love, but it was also a great chance to try some new ones. And now I’m hooked on a new group of amazing authors!

BLADE: A Bayou Heat Novella by Alexandra Ivy & Laura Wright ~ I’m always down for a paranormal romance.  This one is hot & packed with predatory insta-love you won’t be able to resist. It was sexy & intriguing with a mix of loyalty & betrayal that will have you on the edge of your seat.

DRAGON BURN: A Dark Kings Novella by Donna Grant ~ Did I mention how much I love a good paranormal romance?  Well this one had me hooked from the start.  Angst & mystery & so incredibly sexy hot, you won’t be able to sit still.  Action that has me hooked & ready for more from the world of the Dragon Kings! 

TRIPPED OUT: A Blacktop Cowboys® Novella by Lorelei James ~ An enemies to friends to lovers tale.  Sexy & smart, I enjoyed the banter & instant chemistry between Stirling & Liam.  Trust is tested & loyalty is earned in this flaming high hot romance. 

STUD FINDER: by Lauren Blakely ~ An opposites attract romantic comedy, this Emma-esque tale of hot nerd looking for love, meets matchmaker is a quick read you won’t be able to put down.  As hot & sexy as it is funny.  Full clever banter & so much sweet angst.  Such a fun ride with these characters as they get to know each other in an unconventional way, leading to an unexpected connection, only to reveal they might not be so opposite after all.

#1 CRUSH: by T. Gephart ~ A very sexy, very funny, contemporary romance - this page turner will not disappoint.  Witty, sexy & hilarious, the chemistry is smoldering.  You’ll be entrenched in flirty sexual innuendo & angst as these characters put their hearts on the line.  Have I mentioned how sarcastic & funny this book is – couldn’t get enough!

Ultimately a great bundle of books & amazing authors.  Whether you read all five or just one, you won’t be disappointed.

ARC received in exchange for an honest review. 

 

Amazon | Amazon UK

   

The Real Deal by Lauren Blakely

BLURB
April Hamilton wants you to know she hasn’t been on GigsForHire since that time she sold her futon after college. She doesn’t even spend that much time online. And even if she did, she would not be looking up personal ads. But going home alone for her family's summer reunion is an invitation for every single relative to butt into her personal life. She simply can’t handle another blind date with the butcher, the baker or the candlestick maker from her hometown. So when she finds the GigsforHire ad for a boyfriend-for-hire, she’s ready to pay to play.

Heading Home and Need a Buffer? I’m the REAL DEAL.

Theo Banks has been running from the past for years. He’s this close to finally settling all his debts, and one more job as a boyfriend-for-hire will do the trick. He’s no gigolo. Please. He’s something of an actor, and he knows how to slip into any role, including pretending to be April’s new beau -- the bad boy with the heart of gold.

Even if it means sleeping in close quarters in that tiny little bed in her parents’ inn. Even if it means spinning tales of a romance that starts to feel all too true. What neither one of them counts on is that amid the egg toss, the arm wrestling, and a fierce game of Lawn Twister that has them tangled up together, they might be feeling the real deal.

She only wanted to show her family once and for all that she had no need to settle down.

He didn’t expect to have the time of his life at her parent’s home.

They didn’t plan on loving every single second of the game.

But can a masterful game of pretend result in true love?
 

 

The Real Deal by Lauren Blakely is a wonderfully steaming hot romantic comedy that I simply couldn't get enough of.  A fun mix of The Wedding Date & Meet the Fockers, with a twist all its own-the kind only LB can bring. 

So witty & funny.  The instant connection between these characters from different worlds is one we all crave.  I love the uniqueness of  April's career & the way her family meddles.  Theo & his dirty grin, with a brother he'll do anything to protect.  So incredibly sexy & desire filled, you'll be left squirming in your seat.  "Kiss like the world is on fire. Kiss like nothing else exists. Insist on it. Demand kisses that make the world disappear."  Secrets are revealed, lessons are learned - "Sometimes you need to go after what you want."  Great supporting characters in friends and family, emotional & heartfelt.  A new all time favorite!

"It was sensual. It was clever." 

ARC received in exchange for an honest review.

Amazon US/UK

The Schemer (Harbor City #3) by Avery Flynn

 

Tyler Jacobson has a plan for everything—except how to handle his completely annoying, utterly frustrating, and totally sexy upstairs neighbor. He couldn't care less if Everly Ribinski thinks he's equally irritating—until he discovers she's the only one who can help him land a business deal that will finally make him feel like he's more than just a guy from the wrong side of the tracks.

Color him shocked when Everly refuses to help, insisting she should have run him over in the parking garage when she had the chance. Harsh. But possibly deserved. Tyler may have spent the last few months reveling in annoying the fiery gallery owner with a dark past, but he's got secret leverage she can't refuse.

If only one meeting didn't turn into a fake date that turned into more. Way more. Like naked and hot as hell more.

The last thing either of them wants is to catch feelings for someone who is so obviously not their type. Good thing that will never happen. Right?

Each book in the Harbor City series is STANDALONE:
* The Negotiator
* The Charmer
* The Schemer

 

 

  The Schemer, the third in Avery Flynn's Harbor City series can be read as a standalone as the other two, but I don't recommend it.  The Negotiator (Harbor City #1) & The Charmer (Harbor City #2) are absolute MUST READS - so why not read them before this newest release?  Get to it & then pick up Tyler’s story – a man after my own heart… “Honey, I am a book nerd.” & the woman that will give him a run for his money in a “…full-on bad girl, somebody-hold-my-earrings kinda way.” 

 

Told in third person, from dual points of view, full of fun movie references, this story is funny “He was as close to being an *ss as  donkey.  Too bad he kissed like a god.”, & sexy – leaving you “…hot and expectant.” Full of sizzling passion that two words sum up– “Good God.” Also, heartfelt & sweet, “…beyond wrinkled sheets and sweaty satisfaction.” with a wonderful spark between characters & their surprisingly emotional pasts.  These off-limits neighbor nemesis’ clash in the most delicious ways “She was layers of intelligence and motives—like a @#$!ing parfait.”  Strong family ties shine through “…when your grandma, along with her circle of cutthroat bingo partners, practically raised you…”  See what happens when “…emotion & passion mixed: temporary insanity…”  Wonderful secondary storyline I wasn’t expecting, but as a fan of the series really enjoyed ~ “…second chances don’t come around every day, and when they do, you must seize them.”

 

I love the strong friendships & family bonds that Avery brings to these stories.  The importance of love & loyalty– “…love was loyalty and always being there for the other person.” Loyalty wasn’t just a thing—it was the most important thing.” And the push-pull flow that takes you exactly where you want to be.  "It was fantastic." 

 

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

 

Amazon US/UK

The V Card by Lauren Blakely & Lili Valente

 

A brand new sinfully sexy standalone romantic comedy from bestselling authors Lauren Blakely and Lili Valente!

 

When you think about how easy it is to lose keys, phones, sunglasses and your dignity on social media, you might figure it'd be a cinch for me to ditch my V Card.

 

You'd be wrong.

 

At 25, I run a successful business, live in a fantastic apartment, and have fabulous friends to go out with any night of the week. And yet I'm still a card-carrying member of a club I don't want to belong to anymore. Good thing I know just the man for the deflowering job—my brother’s business partner and best friend.

 

Graham Campbell is charming, smart, and, I’m told, oh-so-skilled in the sack. As long as I keep my eyes on the prize, there’s no way this pluck-the-flower project could possibly complicate matters.

 

***

 

Work and pleasure. As the CEO of a fast-growing company, I've been enjoying both to the fullest. What do I do when the board throws me for an unexpected loop so I can keep my business in my hands? I enlist the help of my best friend's little sister since she holds a big stake in the company. But then I learn there's another big stake she wants.

 

The one between my legs.

 

I can do this. Seven nights to teach her everything I know in the bedroom. There's no way I'll fall for her, even though she’s earning top grades in every single sinfully sexy lesson. And turns out I’m learning something too. The trouble is I don’t have the answer key to what to do when I fall hard for her.

 

And that throws a whole new hitch in my plans.

 

 

 

The V Card is a super hot contemporary romance on "...lessons in seduction..." CJ is a girl after my own heart "...an unrepentant bookworm..." focused on "Operation V Card." losing her V card while keeping her friendship & heart safe.  Enter Graham, the only person CJ trusts enough to get the job done-only there are two problems with her plan 1.) Graham is her brothers best friend 2.) who also happens to be on a "Sex-batical..." to ensure focus on the love of his life - the business he built from the ground up with CJ's brother. 

 

Told in first person from dual perspectives, this story is sexy "This is kissing like I've never been kissed before.", funny "It's a win-win. All win. Total win." And I just said "win" four times." & clever.  Surprisingly sweet & sentimental-learning "...how short life can be and how imperative it is to be brave." So very sexy- "It's such an intoxicating mix of soft and filthy at the same damn time."

 

"You're going to be hooked in one go, like a drug addict..."

 

I loved that these characters are sexy, fun & sweet & know each other so well.  I enjoyed the funny banter, sexual innuendo's, the movie references.  "This is wonderful and wicked..."

 

ARC received in exchange for an honest review.

 

Amazon US/UK

#1 Player by T. Gephart

 

BLURB

Lila Callan had an unconventional upbringing—unavoidable when your mother owns a brothel. But while she’d inherited some of her parents’ ‘wacky and offbeat’, she was also strong, independent and incredibly intelligent. The fact she was tall, beautiful and blond was a bonus she never really cared to exploit. She wasn’t uptight; it’s just that long term was more her thing, with zero interest in one-night stands.

Until she met Ryan York and then she isn’t so sure.

Blindingly good looking.
Insane body.
Infectious sense of humor.
And charm for days.
Ryan York was movie star material.
Except that he wasn’t.

He’d turned his back on the idea of hitting the big time, more content with being Eric Larsson’s—his best friend who was a movie star—right-hand man. Despite his laid-back persona, he was a guy who could get stuff done. And women lined up to be done by Ryan. He did not have a problem with that. Not. At. All.

Except his magical panty dropping powers didn’t seem to extend to the lovely Lila. And she wasn’t sure if she was going to teach the #1 player a new game, or find one herself.

One way or another, they were both getting naked.

MY REVIEW

#1 Player by T. Gephart is a very sexy, very funny, contemporary romance you’d have to be crazy not to enjoy.  Written in first person, this page turner will not disappoint.  With witty, sexy & hilarious inner dialogue “…it had been so long since I’d had real sex it was possible I regained my virginity.”  That matches the banter between characters & makes you look forward to what will be said next!  Lila is a woman who is just coming into her own in her career, the kind of girl we all can relate to “There was only so much joy I was capable of before ten a.m. and I was currently maxed out.”  While Ryan – oh Ryan, “…hand on heart, he was legitimately the most attractive man I’d ever seen.”, a man who is loyal & confident.  The chemistry is “nothing short of smoldering sexy—“  A true friends to lovers story that will have you entrenched in flirty sexual innuendo & angst as these characters put “…the ability to have sex and not get emotionally attached…”to the test.

I loved the honesty between these characters & the ways they meshed so perfectly as friends – as the reader I was desperate for them not to mess it up!  Have I mentioned how sarcastic & funny this book is – couldn’t get enough! The supporting characters of family, friends – “loyal and fearless” & Dick add so perfectly to this well written & very enjoyable read. 

ARC received in exchange for an honest review.

Amazon US/UK