September 28, 2017

BLOG TOUR REVIEW, EXCERPT & GIVEAWAY: Mine For The Week (Wild Love #2)




Mine For the Week (Wild Love #2), by Erika Kelly
Publish Date:
October 3, 2017
Publisher: self-published
Format: e-ARC, provided by the author and Inkslinger PR
Genre: adult contemporary romance
To Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Rating: 4 STARS


(Synopsis) From the award-winning author of MINE FOR NOW comes the next sizzling story in her Wild Love series, about a chance meeting that changes the course of two people’s lives.

As the top collegiate shortstop in the country, Ryan O’Donnell’s life is about discipline. But a growing restlessness causes him to bail on his baseball team over spring break to join his buddies at a singles resort. He just needs one week to escape his life, and then he’ll get back on track. But moments after arriving he meets HER, and the world as he knows it changes irrevocably. It should only be a hookup—that’s what spring break’s all about—but one taste of this sexy, vibrant woman isn’t enough. He has to have her. Even if it’s only for a week.

Sophie Valentine—yes, that Valentine—just found out her siblings want to sell off Crazy Hearts—the Peeps of the Valentine’s Day world. Upset, she takes off with her friends on their spring break vacation. She only wanted an escape—she never imagined meeting HIM. But he’s about to start a Major League Baseball career, and she’s launching a fight for her family legacy. They have no future. It’s just…she’s never felt this way for anyone before.

Are they really going to walk away from this kind of connection…this passion?

I feel like I've been waiting forever for the second book in Erika Kelly's Wild Love series, and I'm so glad it's finally here. Ryan was the strong, silent type in book 1, so it was great to get a glimpse inside his head to see why. 

Ryan and Sophie found each other at the perfect moment in their lives. They were both under extreme amounts of pressure and needed a break from it badly. Sophie's siblings are pressuring her to sell off a part of her family's company, and she can't bring herself to agree with that decision. Ryan is on the cusp of baseball greatness and he's just not sure if it's absolutely what he wants to do with the next 10 years of his life, despite being strongly encouraged to stay the course by everyone in his life.

These two meet while on spring break in a tropical location and sparks fly. But, it's a bad time for a new relationship for both of them, and neither of them are the casual hook-up type. Despite that, they have a hard time staying away from each other. And Ryan and Sophie have great chemistry when their lives weren't invading their vacation time, so I was all for them giving in to their baser urges. 

Unlike in most books, these two were prone to talk a lot. There was a lot of communicating going on - at times, it almost felt like too much. Or, rather, I think my problem was with the fact that their conversations were repeated several times with several people. Sophie calls her older sister three or four times, and every single time Sophie tells her she doesn't want to sell part of their family's company. Her sister proceeds to treat Sophie like crap while blaming it on being tired because of just having a baby. Nothing gets resolved.

Sophie repeatedly tells Ryan he has to stop bottling up his thoughts and feelings. He needs to stop being so agreeable and do what he wants. Believe me - it was good advice, even though every time she told him, he humored her for a while, and then blew her off. And Ryan has several convos with both his dad and his coach where they ask him to come home, and he tells them no. Ryan didn't seem to know what he wanted, but he kept calling them to tell them as much.

The times when Ryan and Sophie weren't talking were some of my favorites. They really were great together. And when they weren't internalizing all their troubles or being angry at each other (well, Sophie was mad at Ryan a lot - he was mad at himself a lot), their banter was snarky and cute.

Despite the repetitive dialog, I really did like this book a lot. It was great getting to know where Ryan was coming from and how the situation with his mother and father affected him. It was a completely different experience from his sister, whom we met in book 1. Incidentally, it was also awesome to catch up with her and Dylan at the end of the book. I'm really looking forward to reading Brandon's book next. 
“What’re you thinking about?” she asked.

His attention remained focused on the road. “I’m not.”

“You’re not thinking?”

“Nope.”

“Who doesn’t think? You’re driving along, but you’re not thinking?”

“Nope. I’m just enjoying being with you.”

Warmth flooded her. She looked away from him, letting it spread through her, thick and sweet as caramel. He’d seemed at peace when they’d first started out and she’d told him about the island, the superstitions. She’d even told him about her conversation with her sister. He’d gotten angry at Abby’s attitude, and she’d appreciated his support.

Up ahead she noticed a stand of trees. “Here we go. It’s getting more wooded. We’re close.” She read the information she’d printed out. “Pretty soon we’re going to see a big rock with some graffiti on it, and then we enter a forest.” She leaned into him, their arms brushing, as she reached for the control panel.

“What’re you doing?”

“Resetting the odometer.” She looked for the button. “The path’s exactly two point four miles from the rock.”

He batted her hand away, leaned forward, and hit the button.

“Awesome. I can’t wait.” She gestured to his lap. “You can go in your shorts.”

“That’s okay.”

“Oh, you have to go in. The water has magical properties.”

“So you said.”

“You don’t believe in it?”

He shrugged. “I believe telling people water has magical properties is a great way to get tourists to come out here and spend money. Do they sell it in bottles in roadside kiosks?”

“Well, hello to the itty bitty cynic who lives inside you. Does he come out often? I don’t think I’ve met him before.”

He slowly leveled her a look that said he wasn’t amused.

So she met his with one of her own. “This isn’t a tourist attraction. The islanders actually believe in it.”

“And a tourist guide book told you that?”

“I didn’t buy a tourist guide book.”

“You learned it from an islander?”

“I got it from the Internet.”

And then that serious face blew wide open with laughter. “Okay then.” And that right there was the man she’d fallen for.

And, yep, no doubt about it. She’d fallen for this complicated, moody, sexy man. “You can fester in your cynicism. I choose to believe in magical properties.”

“And what do you hope to get from the magic?”

She quickly turned away from him. “I don’t know.”

“Wait, did you just blush? Are you…embarrassed?”

“Just drive the freaking car. I’m not embarrassed.”

He took his foot off the accelerator, shifting gears. “Not until you tell me what you want the magic for.”

She shoved his thigh. “God, Ryan. I want to eat whatever I want and not gain weight. I want to meet the man of my dreams and drive off into the sunset in a convertible. I want to find my passion and earn a living out of it. What does anyone want?”

And from his very intense expression she had a strong feeling he wanted her.

Award-winning author Erika Kelly has been spinning romantic tales all her life--she just didn't know it. Raised on the classics, she didn't discover romantic fiction until later in life. From that moment on, she's been devouring the genre and has found her true voice as an author. Over three decades she's written poems, screenplays, plays, short stories, and all kinds of women's fiction novels. Married to the love of her life and raising four children, she's lived in two countries and seven states, but give her pen and paper, a stack of good books, and a steaming mug of vanilla chai latte and she can make her home anywhere.

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September 26, 2017

BLOG TOUR REVIEW & EXCERPT: Stud Finder


Lauren Blakely's newest addition to the 1001 Dark Nights collection was the perfect bite-sized fairy tale. Check out my review and an excerpt...

Stud Finder, by Lauren Blakely
Publish Date:
September 26, 2017
Publisher: Evil Eye Concepts, Inc.
Format: e-ARC, provided by the author and Inkslinger PR
Genre: adult contemporary romance
To Buy: Amazon

Rating: 5 STARS


(Synopsis) 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. Even if my sister thinks I need help dating, I’m confident I can pull this off, courtesy of the great worldwide web.

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. That’s why his sister has asked me to help her ridiculously good-looking, insanely rich, but socially clueless brother find a woman. As a broker of happily ever afters, I’m known as the Stud Finder since I make a great living pairing wildly successful women with men who won’t fleece them but will adore them. After all, what woman in her right mind wouldn’t fall in love with Dylan?


I mean, besides me. It totally won’t be me.

Stud Finder was the perfect way to spend a lazy weekend afternoon. It allowed me to return to this Big Rock world that Lauren Blakely has created, if only for a short while. The story went by pretty quickly (it IS a novella, after all), but the humor, heat and heart that I've come to expect from Lauren Blakely was still there. 

Dylan is the most adorable rich nerd. He's this tech genius who has made millions and is now looking to find someone to share it with. This guy is not your typical guy. He's actually looking for a commitment - a wife even. But, wading through the gold diggers is more than he can handle. So, his sister enlists the help of her BFF - the so-called "Stud-Finder." 

Evie has made a living out of being a professional matchmaker. Although she usually works with women, she's willing to do a favor for her best friend and try and match Dylan up with the perfect woman. Shouldn't be hard since he's rich, nice, funny AND totally hot. Evie is in denial from the very beginning - it's adorable. She tells herself all the right things - I don't want a relationship. He's my BFF's brother. He's a client. But, when it's right, it's right. And Dylan and Evie are RIGHT. 

Theirs is a slow, sweet burn. Although Evie and Dylan know each other when he hires her, it's only peripherally. As Evie gathers details about Dylan so that she can match him with the perfect woman, they both have the chance to get to know each other without all the usual pressure. 

Stud Finder was a sweet and sexy addition to the awesome Lauren Blakely line-up. 
What am I doing?

Dylan is my client’s brother.

Dylan is now my client.

I’m not interested in a match for myself. I’m not looking for love. I’m focused on work, and Dylan is my work.

The trouble is, my work turns me on more than I expected, and that’s for one elemental reason—I like him.

I like him so very much.

That’s why I jerk this conversation back to the purpose of these get-togethers—prepping him for his princess charming, whoever she may be.

I brush one palm against the other. “The big question is—are you ready for me to set you up on your first date? Or do you think the fall in yoga has set you back?” I wink.

“You think falling in yoga means I’m not ready to date?”

I laugh. Nervously. “Well, not entirely. But it did remind me what we talked about before we had tea. That we all have a bit of dork in us. So, I didn’t know if you wanted to walk through all the potential topics, moments, pitfalls, and so on.”

“Like a pre-date prep? Or maybe even a practice session?”

“Sure, we can practice now if you’d like,” I offer.

He doesn't answer right away. When he does, he takes his time, like he’s making an offer. “Or maybe we can practice in a true date simulation.”

Tingles race over my shoulders. “Like a practice date?”

His eyes twinkle like stars. “I need a practice date badly. Can I take you on one? It would be so helpful to review everything. Make sure I’m ready.”

When he puts it like that… “Yes, of course.”

I want him to put his best foot forward. I didn’t say yes because I want to date him. I wouldn’t do that, even though when he walks away, all I can think is how on earth did I wind up with a pitter-pattering heart for a man I’m handing off to another woman?

A #1 New York Times Bestselling author, Lauren Blakely is known for her contemporary romance style that's hot, sweet and sexy. She lives in California with her family and has plotted entire novels while walking her dogs. With fourteen New York Times bestsellers, her titles have appeared on the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestseller Lists more than eighty times, and she's sold more than 2 million books. In October she'll release HARD WOOD, a sexy, standalone romantic comedy. To receive an email when Lauren releases a new book, sign up for her newsletter! laurenblakely.com/newsletter

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September 12, 2017

BLOG TOUR REVIEW: Lust (Vegas Nights #2)



Lust (Vegas Nights #2), by Emma Hart
Publish Date:
September 12, 2017
Publisher: self-published
Format: e-ARC, provided by the author and Inkslinger PR
Genre: adult contemporary romance
To Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Rating: 5 STARS


(Synopsis) Detective Adrian Potter had a lot to answer for. I didn’t care that he was tasked with shutting down the city’s most prolific hookers.

I cared that he was stopping me from providing for my daughter.

He didn’t care.

Not at all.

Until I broke down in the backseat of his car… And he let me go.

Adrian was a single parent, too. He knew how hard I had it. At least, he thought he did.

He had a job. He had people who cared. He didn’t know just how lucky he was.

My name is Perrie Fox.

I was a whore of the highest value.

Until Detective Adrian Potter.

Until the tattooed, redemption-seeking detective entered my life, looking for his fairytale.

The cop and the hooker.

Happily ever fucking never.

You’ve met one Fox sibling.

Now meet the other…

I love Emma Hart’s writing. Usually, her stories are laugh-out-loud funny, super sexy and so freaking romantic. Lust is one of the more serious books of hers that I’ve read. It’s still sexy and romantic, but in place of a lot of that trademark snark is a huge depth of emotion. Perrie has not had things easy in the least, and that comes through.

A lot of the necessary comic relief comes in the form of Perrie’s very sassy seven-year-old daughter Lola. I can’t imagine Perrie’s life - that she’s part of one of the wealthiest families in Las Vegas, but because of her horrible adoptive father, she was shunned and can’t access any of the money that is rightfully hers. Like any other mother, she does what she has to do to keep a roof over their head and food in their bellies. But, you can tell, it is slowly killing her soul.

I think her getting caught trying to turn a trick on Adrian was the best thing that ever happened to her. He ends up enlisting her help in rounding up other prostitutes in exchange for a legit paycheck and some self-respect back. And, Adrian ends up having to admit that, despite her chosen profession, Perrie is a pretty awesome woman. It also doesn’t hurt that her daughter and Adrian’s eight-year-old son become fast BFFs.

Lust backs up the established timeline a bit. We actually met Perrie briefly toward the end of Sin (Vegas Nights #1) when Dahlia meets with her about reuniting with Perrie’s estranged brother and then Dahlia offers her a job tending bar at The Scarlet Letter. Lust gives us the chance to witness the events leading up to that meeting. So, we know where Perrie’s frame of mind is when she gets to that meeting. And it came at a really great time.

We also get to move on from that moment in time and see what happens later. The reunion between Perrie and her brother Damien that happened off camera in Sin is now front and center in Lust. We also get to see where Damien and Dahlia are in their relationship.

But, obviously, the relationship that takes center stage here is the one between Perrie and Adrian. The cop and the hooker. But, neither of them can be defined by just those titles. Their individual tragedies have made them complex people who just happen to be perfect for one another.

I don’t know if we’ll get another Vegas Nights book (perhaps about Dahlia’s bar manager Abby?), but if Emma Hart writes it, I’ll read it.

By day, New York Times and USA Today bestselling New Adult author Emma Hart dons a cape and calls herself Super Mum to two beautiful little monsters. By night, she drops the cape, pours a glass of whatever she fancies—usually wine—and writes books.

Emma is working on Top Secret projects she will share with her followers and fans at every available opportunity. Naturally, all Top Secret projects involve a dashingly hot guy who likes to forget to wear a shirt, a sprinkling (or several) of hold-onto-your-panties hot scenes, and a whole lotta love.

She likes to be busy—unless busy involves doing the dishes, but that seems to be when all the ideas come to life.

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BLOG TOUR REVIEW: Blood Guard (Mission #1)


Blood Guard (Mission #1), by Megan EricksonPublish Date: September 12, 2017
Publisher: Loveswept
Format: e-ARC, provided by the author
Genre: adult paranormal romance
To Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Rating: 4.5 STARS


(Synopsis) Tendra: One minute, I’m a bartender in gritty Mission City; the next, I’m whisked away by a vampire named Athan who tells me that I’m the lifeblood of his clan. It sounds unbelievable, but he’s got evidence I can’t deny. Turns out, Athan belongs to an underground society of vampires who feed only on humans with their consent. Their enemies have no such qualms, and they want me dead. The only thing standing in their way is strong, sexy Athan. And the closer we get, the more tempted I am to let Athan feed. . . .

Athan: How could I have known when I snatched this snarky, beautiful human off the streets that she would change mydestiny? As a loyal soldier, I must deliver Tendra to our future king—my brother. Empowered with the blood of ten generations of the Gregorie breed, she is fated to rule as our queen. But there’s something between us that’s so intoxicating, so carnal, I can’t help wanting Tendra for myself . . . even if it’s treason.

I have to admit - I got burned out on vampires. I read Twilight, Sookie Stackhouse, Night Huntress, Black Dagger Brotherhood and Chicagoland Vampires all in the same time period (along with countless other vampire books), and I just kind of got sick of them. It’s been a while since I read a vampire book. I’m glad it was Megan Erickson that broke my dry spell.

Blood Guard is not Megan’s first trip into the paranormal (see her Silver Tip Pack series for that), but it is her first go at the blood suckers. When I read a new vampire book by a new author or a new-to-me author, I’m always most interested in how they will use and spin the mythology we’re all familiar with.

In Megan’s vampire world (which is our own world, so it’s got a gritty, urban fantasy vibe to it), sunlight is deadly, they are long lived and they drink human blood to survive. All very normal vampire traits. But, in true Megan Erickson fashion, there’s a unique element or two added in just to make things extra interesting.

Our heroine, Tendra, is a pretty badass human. She has no knowledge of vampires in the beginning, and we learn that she has just lost her only family and is feeling pretty alone in her small town. She’s in a perfect position for vampire prince Athan to pluck her from her humdrum life and show her that vampires are real. But, she was not a random choice. She has a specific role to fulfill, and he’s here to protect her while they travel so that she can realize her destiny.

Thank goodness that Megan Erickson didn’t have Tendra automatically accept all this as fact right away. I hate when heroines are told vampires are real in books, and after a few half-hearted attempts at denial, they fall in line. Tendra’s a lot tougher than that, and Athan knows he has to offer her some pretty solid proof. Even with all that, it still takes her a short while to come to terms with all of it.

Like she did with the Silver Tip Pack series, Blood Guard doesn't follow every rule for vampires out there. Megan puts her ability to shock the crap out of us to good use. There's a few big twists in store that will surprise you and keep you glued to the pages. Well, those and the super sexiness. Because Tendra and Athan are crazy hot together. Their sexual chemistry builds for awhile because she's been promised to his brother. But, of course, Athan can't keep his hands off her. Thank goodness.

I'm completely sold on Megan Erickson's world of vampires. I can't see what is in store for Athan's brother Idris. 

Megan Erickson is a USA Today bestselling author of romance that sizzles. Her books have a touch of nerd, a dash of humor, and always have a happily ever after. A former journalist, she switched to fiction when she decided she likes writing her own endings better.

She lives in Pennsylvania with her very own nerdy husband and two kids. Although rather fun-sized, she's been told she has a full-sized personality. When Megan isn't writing, she's either lounging with her two cats named after John Hughes characters or... thinking about writing.

Connect with Megan:
Website: meganerickson.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authormeganerickson/
Twitter: www.twitter.com/MeganErickson_
Bookbub: http://bit.ly/2wlessh
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September 5, 2017

RELEASE DAY REVIEW: If There's No Tomorrow


If There's No Tomorrow, by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Publish Date:
September 5, 2017
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Format: e-ARC, provided by the author
Genre: young adult contemporary romance
To Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Rating: 5 STARS


(Synopsis) Lena Wise is always looking forward to tomorrow, especially at the start of her senior year. She's ready to pack in as much friend time as possible, to finish college applications and to maybe let her childhood best friend Sebastian know how she really feels about him. For Lena, the upcoming year is going to be epic—one of opportunities and chances.

Until one choice, one moment, destroys everything.

Now Lena isn't looking forward to tomorrow. Not when friend time may never be the same. Not when college applications feel all but impossible. Not when Sebastian might never forgive her for what happened.

For what she let happen.

With the guilt growing each day, Lena knows that her only hope is to move on. But how can she move on when her and her friends' entire existences have been redefined? How can she move on when tomorrow isn't even guaranteed?

I had to psych myself up to read this one. Not because I was afraid I wouldn't like it. After reading The Problem With Forever, I knew that Jennifer Armentrout could do an emotional YA contemporary so well. No - it was the fact that I knew it would slay me, and I had to gear myself up for the tears. I mean, that description, right?? It sounds so ominous and unfortunate. It sounds like death is involved somehow, and knowing these are kids, any death in their young lives is going to be tragic. 

I was SO right.

But, despite the fact that I had the book in my hand for a few weeks before I actually started reading it, I did love it. Lena's a book fan who has a large circle of friends including three best girl friends and one best guy friend. She's a moderately good volleyball player, a good student and has a great mom (although, her dad is another story). She worries about all the typical things 17-year-old girls worry about - what college will she go to and what will she study? How could she have let that guy kiss her last month? And why does she have to have feelings for her best guy friend Sebastian? 

Then, one choice on one night changes her world in a tragic way. 

I think, for me, one of the things about this book that made it especially emotional is that everything that happens to Lena has happened to other teens in America countless times over. Perhaps not always with the same outcome, but kids grapple with the choices Lena faced, and I'm sure they make the same one. I want my daughter to read this book when she gets to high school, and I hope she makes some sort of connection with the characters and uses it as a reference if she finds herself in a similar situation. 

Never fear all you romance lovers out there - despite the deep and heavy subject matter, there is plenty of romance in If There's No Tomorrow to sink your teeth into. Things between Sebastian and Lena develop at such a great pace. The romance never seems to be thrown in there in a haphazard way, as romances sometimes seem when they're overshadowed by the larger story arc. Lena's way of dealing with what happened remains always at the forefront, and how her relationship with Sebastian develops is shaped because of that larger story arc. It's as it should be, even if it is incredibly frustrating to read at times. 

If There's No Tomorrow is told entire from Lena's POV. In some of Jen Armentrout's previous books, she's gone back later and posted on her website portions of her books written from the guy's POV. I would LOVE to get some of that here. There's no doubt that this is entirely Lena's journey, so it's only right that it be told all by her. But, there are some parts of the story, that I would've loved to have known what was going through Sebastian's head. That would be an amazing extra. 

I'm a huge Jen Armentrout fan. She's so versatile - able to write emotional YA contemporary one month and adult romantic suspense the next. And she does them all so very well. If There's No Tomorrow will gut you and frustrate you. It will make you cry and make you smile a little from time to time too. And it's one that will stay with you for a long time. 

September 1, 2017

RELEASE DAY REVIEW, EXCERPT & GIVEAWAY: Most Valuable Playboy


Lauren Blakely does it again. Another touchdown.

Most Valuable Playboy, by Lauren Blakely
Publish Date:
September 1, 2017
Publisher: self-published
Format: e-ARC, provided by the author and InkslingerPR
Genre: adult contemporary romance
To Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Rating: 5 STARS


(Synopsis) Hands down, my favorite thing in the world is to score. Touchdowns.


Don't let the fact that I'm the leading pick in the Most Valuable Playboy charity auction fool you. These days, I'm only a player on the field. I've kept my pants zipped all season long -- and it has been long -- because nothing's more important than leading my team to victory every week. Except maybe escaping from the team owner's recently-widowed and handsy-as-hell sister who's dead set on winning more than a date with me.


Enter Violet and a well-placed Hail Mary.


She's my best friend's sister with a smile as sweet as cherry pie and a mind that runs quicker than the 40-yard-dash. After Violet saves the day with the highest bid, I don't even give her a two-minute warning before I kiss her in front of the whole crowd and then announce that she's my girlfriend. Which would be fine except my agent tells me we've got to keep up the act while he's negotiating my contract. 


Violet takes one for the team and pretends to be mine, but our boyfriend-girlfriend scrimmage quickly turns into a full contact sport, and I want it to go into overtime. The problem is -- I've been riding the bench for years.

How can a guy like me, who finally has a chance to prove his worth on the field, convince the girl she’s most valuable to his heart?

Lauren Blakely's male POV rom-coms are absolutely my jam. Not only are they funny, sweet and sexy, but I just love how she writes from the guy's POV. And how she cleverly captures bits of the girl's POV in round-about ways. 

Cooper is a star in the NFL and has always had a crush on one of his best childhood friends, Violet. When she bids on him during a bachelor auction to save him from a potentially bad situation with his team owner's sister, Cooper finally get what he's always wanted - to be Violet's boyfriend. Even if it is only fake for the press. But, for him, it's more real than anything else in his life.

Most Valuable Playboy takes a few of my favorite tropes - friends-to-lovers, fake relationship, secret crush, best friend's sister - and mashes them all together in such a perfect way. They're all things we've read before, but with the all-male POV and Lauren Blakely's special brand of humor and heat, it makes this particular story super special. 

Cooper is the sweetest beta hero ever. He's polite to a fault and treats women - even those he can't stand and who don't give him the same in return - with the utmost respect. Violet has been in his life since she was in second grade and he became best friends with her brother. They would do anything for each other, so when Cooper asks her to save him from the barracuda that is his team owner's sister, Violet doesn't hesitate. But, up on the stage after she wins him, things go a little sideways, and suddenly, Cooper and Violet are forced to spend a lot more time together. Which ends up being just the shove both of them needed.

Cooper is a famous NFL player and Violet is the owner of a beauty salon. He's used to fame and fortune and she is not. That's only one hurdle these two have to overcome in order to make the HEAs in their heads a reality. Misconceptions, miscommunication and good intentions also cause trouble for these two, who really are perfect for each other.

Most Valuable Playboy is told entirely from Cooper's POV, but with strategically placed text conversations between Violet and her BFF Holly, we can see where Violet's head is at during the whole "fake girlfriend" gig too. But, honestly, even without those texts, I could tell from her interactions with Cooper and their super steamy sheet time that she was totally into him.

Things are set up for a new story between the team's PR manager and one of Cooper's fellow team mates, and I'm already chomping at the bit for that story!

The business suit woman raises a hand, offering forty-one hundred.

Maxine’s eyes laser in on me, and she slashes an arm through the air. “Five thousand dollars,” she says, jacking the price up by nine hundred and staking her claim. I shudder inside.

The guy’s eyes widen, and he holds up his hands. “I’m out.”

My stomach plummets when the business woman shakes her head.

“Going once?” Sierra asks, scanning the tables, looking for perhaps one last big spender. My eyes scan the crowd, too. Hell, maybe I’ll find an escape hatch. A trapdoor to drop into and disappear like in a magic act. Maybe Trent will learn to read my mind. Trent, I’ll cover you for anything you bid. Just raise that hand, name a price, and save me.

My best friend’s expression is merely curious now as he watches Maxine and Sierra, waiting for the verdict. My opportunity to play yard boy slips through my fingers.

The look in Maxine’s eyes is pure satisfaction as she waits for the final word. She winks at me, as if we have a secret. Holy shit. She thinks I want this. She thinks I want her to win me.

A flash of chestnut brown hair in the back catches my attention. A flurry of silver. It’s Violet, hands in the air, wildly flapping over her head in the middle of the ballroom. She brings her finger to her nose. And she’s tapping it, like fucking Santa Claus coming down the chimney, and Harlan tapping his nose to signal his agent, and all the greatest solutions in the universe at once.

My heart goes crazy.

It hammers in my chest. This is like finding an open receiver a second before you’re sacked.

“Going twice,” Sierra says, trailing off as she waits.

I raise my arm and tap my nose, too. Violet is the only one who knows I need to get out of this jam. She’s the only one I mentioned it to. And she’s the only one now who can save me.

“Ten thousand dollars.”

Holy shit. Violet does not mess around with my money. Her eyes widen, as if she’s surprised she bid that high.

My gaze finds Trent. He’s staring at his sister, slack-jawed.

Sierra’s smile is bright and wide. “Ten thousand dollars. Do we have ten thousand, one hundred?”

The room is hushed. Maxine’s expression is blank. She must be shocked. She probably didn’t expect anyone to vie with her to this extent.

I tap my foot, willing Sierra to close this quickly. Just slam the door shut, please, fucking please.

“Going one. Going twice.”

I say a silent prayer. I cross my fingers. I hope.

Maxine blinks, opens her mouth, and I steel myself for a disgustingly high counter bid.

But there’s only silence. No words come. Violet has shocked her speechless. This type of bid wasn’t in Maxine’s playbook.

Sierra raises her arm. “And a night with the quarterback is sold for ten thousand dollars.”

Talk about a Hail Mary.

A #1 New York Times Bestselling author, Lauren Blakely is known for her contemporary romance style that's hot, sweet and sexy. She lives in California with her family and has plotted entire novels while walking her dogs. With fourteen New York Times bestsellers, her titles have appeared on the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestseller Lists more than eighty times, and she's sold more than 2 million books. In September she'll release MOST VALUABLE PLAYBOY, a standalone sports romance. To receive an email when Lauren releases a new book, sign up for her newsletter! laurenblakely.com/newsletter


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