REVIEW: Wicked Sexy Liar (Wild Season #4)

Wicked Sexy Liar (Wild Seasons #4), by Christina Lauren
Publish Date: February 2, 2016
Publisher: Gallery Books
Format: paperback, purchased
Genre: adult contemporary romance
To Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Rating: 5 STARS

(Synopsis) London Hughes is very content to surf daily, tend bar, hang out with her group of friends, and slowly orient herself in the years after college. Everything’s going great and according to the non-plan.

But when a wave knocks her for a loop one morning, then Luke Sutter’s flirtatious smile knocks her for another that evening, she veers slightly off course…and into his path. Sure, he’s a total player, but the Why not—it’s only one night is a persistent voice in her ear.

For his part, Luke’s been on hookup autopilot for so long that he rarely ever pauses to consider what he’s doing. But after an amazing time with London, he realizes that he hasn’t been moving on from a devastating heartbreak so much as he’s been drifting to wherever—and whomever—the current takes him. With London he wants more.

Every relationship involves two people…plus their pasts. And as much as she enjoys her fling with Luke, when London learns about his past—more specifically, who’s in it—everything becomes the brand of complicated she strives to avoid. It’s up to Luke then to change some things in order to try and ensure he’s not something she’ll outright avoid as well.

I have a confession to make. 

*whispers* I think I like Luke more than Ansel.

I know - I didn't think it was possible either. After reading Sweet Filthy Boy, I thought it couldn't get any better than playful French hottie Ansel. In that book, Luke was really only a sidebar - Mia's ex who wasn't there for her after her accident. And, in that book, it was hard not to paint him as a douchebag. But, in Wicked Sexy Liar, we got to SEE Luke. And, when I got the whole, pretty picture, I was all...

We've met London before this book too. While Mia, Harlow, Lola and Luke have been BFFs since they were kids, London only recently joined this eclectic group when she became Lola's roommate. Wicked Sexy Liar talks a lot about London's past and how it shaped her present-day hangups about commitment, monogamy and faithfulness in relationships. And, really, Luke is the poster-boy for the antithesis of all those qualities.

London had the potential to go either way for me, into love or hate territory. She's an incredibly strong and independent woman. She has strongly held preconceived notions about Luke, which are not altogether incorrect. She could've been a huge bitch to him because of them and become the slut shamer to beat all slut shamers. But, the incredible Christina Lauren duo kept me firmly on Team London. They made her hard, but not so hard that she didn't have real feelings and express real emotion when the situation called for it. London was never awful to Luke, and in fact formed a sweet friendship with him, in spite of his overflowing little black book.

But, really - this was Luke's book. It was all about his come-to-Jesus moment - which was the moment that London pigeon-holed him and his friends for being Heineken-drinking, womanizing, water polo playing former frat boys, and he decided he didn't like her thinking that about him. You've heard the phrase, "It's all about perception"? Luke learns that the hard way. No matter how badly he wants to change London's view of him and convince her he isn't the player she thinks he is, it's harder than he thought. Some playful banter over the bar and a few nights of smoking hot sex isn't enough.  And that's a bitter pill for Luke to swallow when he realizes that London is THE ONE.

I want someone who makes me laugh, who challenges me, who listens to me. I want that leg within reach while I drive. I want to wait until someone is done futzing around the house before we head to bed. I need to be someone a woman can respect and trust enough to spill the details of her day. 

And, that's not even taking into consideration the Mia factor. Luke and London have her in common, and Luke's former relationship with Mia is a hard limit for London for awhile - sisters before misters, and all that. So, not only has London given Luke a chance to right his manwhoring ways, but she has also given him the push he needed to get some closure with Mia, make friends with Ansel and reconnect with Lola and Harlow.

Wicked Sexy Liar was an incredibly fun book. Luke and London's banter had me laughing out loud nearly every time they were together. And, don't get me started on Luke's family. His relationship with his sister Margot is so awesome. And his Gran - seriously. Just read the book. Luke's grandmother steals the show.

There was so much to love in this book. We got lots of time with Mia, Harlow, Lola and their men. There were a lot of laughs and some serious moments too. There was hot sexy and romance and that grand gesture that makes your heart totally melt. Luke was IT for me - I bet he'll be it for you too.

REVIEW: Dark Wild Night (Wild Seasons #3)

Dark Wild Night (Wild Seasons #3), by Christina Lauren
Publish Date: September 15, 2015
Publisher: Gallery Books
Format: paperback, provided by the publisher
Genre: adult contemporary romance
To Buy: Amazon * Barnes & Noble

Rating: 4 STARS

(From Goodreads) Lola and Oliver like to congratulate themselves on having the good sense to not consummate their drunken Las Vegas wedding. If they’d doubled-down on that mistake, their Just Friends situation might not be half as great as it is now.

... Or so goes the official line.

In reality, Lola’s wanted Oliver since day one—and over time has only fallen harder for his sexy Aussie accent and easygoing ability to take her as she comes. More at home in her studio than in baring herself to people, Lola’s instinctive comfort around Oliver nearly seems too good to be true. So why ruin a good thing?

Even as geek girls fawn over him, Oliver can’t get his mind off what he didn’t do with Lola when he had the chance. He knows what he wants with her now ... and it’s far outside the friend zone. When Lola’s graphic novel starts getting national acclaim—and is then fast-tracked for a major motion picture—Oliver steps up to be there for her whenever she needs him. After all, she’s not the kind of girl who likes all that attention, but maybe she’s the kind who’ll eventually like him.

Sometimes seeing what’s right in front of us takes a great leap of faith. And sometimes a dark wild night in Vegas isn’t just the end of a day, but the beginning of a bright new life...

I knew I was going to love Oliver. I just knew it. While Ansel was being crazy and staying married to Mia who was a perfect stranger and Finn and Harlow were humping like bunnies, Oliver was the steady one. The one who didn't do crazy stuff. The one everyone could could on to make the smart decisions. 

Oliver has been running his comic book store while his BFFs fell in love. And Oliver has been in love with his other BFF the whole time, but she doesn't know it and doesn't feel the same way. It seems like Oliver was content just being close to Lola in whatever way he could be. And that made me sad. Oliver shouldn't have to struggle with his feelings for Lola. He's so sweet and smart and awesome. 

And then there's Lola. Honestly, she was my least favorite of the six. She's quirky and driven and very focused on her path forward, and her comic being turned into a major motion picture is the culmination of all her work. It's her ticket to greatness. But, she's very introverted and not comfortable putting herself out there in public situations. Doesn't make for a very good combination. But, hey - she has her good buddy Oliver to help her out, like always. 

It seemed like it took forever for Lola to realize that Oliver was the best thing that ever happened to her - not her comic or her movie. But, the really frustrating thing is, even after Lola realized that, it didn't stop her from making one bad decision after another when it came to him. Oliver loved her fiercely in the only ways he knew how. And Lola didn't know what to do with all that. 

In reality, these two were so perfect for each other. It's funny to me that you have these six people who meet randomly in Vegas, and they pair off with the exact perfect matches for each other, without even knowing it. That was no different here. Lola and Oliver are the hot nerds of the group. They think the same way. They love the same things. They have a fine appreciation for each others' work. And, they were both in love with the other, but had no idea how to speak it into being without ruining the incredible friendship they had cultivated. These two were a hot mess. 

The struggles I had with Dark Wild Night had more to do with Lola and her treatment of Oliver than anything else. Ollie was amazing. I loved the appearances of Finn, Harlow, Ansel and Mia. Not Joe sort of stole the show in this book - he and the relationship he has with Oliver cracked me up! I just had a really hard time relating to Lola. And I spent most of the book being pissed off at her for how casually she treated what she and Oliver had, and for how neurotic she was when it came to her relationship with him. IMO, Oliver is perfect and it made me mad that she couldn't see that as easily as I could. 

Everything else was perfect. The writing was awesome. The setting and the premise of the story was cool. The book was funny and sweet and poignant at times. And, of course, it was hot and sexy. Oliver and Lola may be the nerds of the group, but they definitely know how to burn up the sheets. And who knew Ollie was hiding such a sexy dirty talker behind those glasses??? 

Mia's ex Luke gets the next book in this series, and I'm really looking forward to it. I'm betting his relationship with London is going to be a fun one to watch. They're the only ones who haven't already been married, so at least there's that, right? 

REVIEW: Beautiful Bastard (Beautiful Bastard #1)

Beautiful Bastard (Beautiful Bastard #1), by Christina Lauren
To-be-published February 12, 2013
Publisher:  Gallery Books
Format:  e-ARC - Netgalley
Genre:  Adult Romance/Erotica

Rating:  3 STARS

(From Goodreads) An ambitious intern. A perfectionist executive. And a whole lot of name calling. Discover the story that garnered more than two million reads online.

Whip-smart, hardworking, and on her way to an MBA, Chloe Mills has only one problem: her boss, Bennett Ryan. He’s exacting, blunt, inconsiderate—and completely irresistible. A Beautiful Bastard.

Bennett has returned to Chicago from France to take a vital role in his family’s massive media business. He never expected that the assistant who’d been helping him from abroad was the gorgeous, innocently provocative—completely infuriating—creature he now has to see every day. Despite the rumors, he’s never been one for a workplace hookup. But Chloe’s so tempting he’s willing to bend the rules—or outright smash them—if it means he can have her. All over the office.

As their appetites for one another increase to a breaking point, Bennett and Chloe must decide exactly what they’re willing to lose in order to win each other. Originally only available online as The Office by tby789—and garnering over two million reads on fan fiction sites—Beautiful Bastard has been extensively updated for re-release.

I was really hoping that lighting would strike twice. I loved The Fifty Shades series, even with all its imperfections. And, when I saw Beautiful Bastard on Netgalley and then saw it was another Twilight fan fict, I had to give it a go. How could I not??

Fifty Shades, it was not. 

First of all, Bennett really is a bastard. He's rich, beautiful and a total jerk. Why any woman would want him to come within 10 feet of her is beyond me. And, as a boss? UGH. Horrible. The weird thing is, he seems to change on a dime about halfway through the book. Why is that? There is no major thing that happens - no big epiphany. He just goes from calling her a shrew one day to sweet the next. 

Then there's Chloe. She is everything I find irritating in a female character. She despises her boss. Fantasizes about quitting her job to get away from him. Yet, the first time he sticks his hand up her skirts, she's kind of forgotten all about that. Well... not really. She remembers that she hates him. But, she does the deed anyway. Again and again and again. But, she hates him. With a passion. It seriously made me crazy.

After they get over their hatred of each other, the book improves a lot. It follows a very formulaic pattern, but the ending is no less satisfying. It redeemed itself a little bit. 

One good thing about Beautiful Bastard is that, even though it was originally posted on a Twilight fan fict site, I see no correlation to the popular book series. This is one area where Beautiful Bastard has a leg up on Fifty Shades of Grey. I kept looking for the similarities, and other than the fact that the leading guy has lots of money, there really weren't any. 

I expected more, but wasn't totally disappointed. It was a quick read, so if you have time, give it a try and let me know what you thought.