Hadley Donavan can’t believe she has to go home to Nebraska for her sister’s wedding. She’s gonna need a wingman and a whole lot of vodka for this level of family interaction. At least her bestie agreed he’d man up and help. But then instead of her best friend, his evil twin strolls out of the airport.

If you looked up doesn’t-deserve-to-be-that-confident, way-too-hot-for-his-own-good billionaire in the dictionary, you’d find a picture of Will Holt. He’s awful. Horrible. The worst―even if his butt looks phenomenal in those jeans.

Ten times worse? Hadley’s buffer was supposed to be there to keep her away from the million and one family events. But Satan’s spawn just grins and signs them up for every. Single. Thing.

Fine. “Cutthroat” Scrabble? She’s in. She can’t wait to take this guy down a notch. But somewhere between Pictionary and the teasing glint in his eyes, their bickering starts to feel like more than just a game…

Title: The Wedding Date Disaster
Author: Avery Flynn
Series: Standalone
Pages: 330
Genre(s): Contemporary, US, enemies to lovers
Hot Buttons: /

Fun and Sexy

5 stars


I love Avery Flynn. And I love an enemies to lovers romance - especially where the couple genuinely appear to hate each other at the start of our story. So I was as happy as a pig in mud with this story.

At first I wasn’t sure what to make of our heroine, Hadley. I’m not fond of the name - but that’s because it’s the surname of someone I’m none too fond of…but it was hard to decide what she was really like and what her motives were. Much the same as Will felt, then. But she definitely grew on me as a character - especially as she relaxed into herself and then opened up more and more. Plus, she was feisty. And when she realised where she and Will stood, she knew her own worth and what she deserved.

Will was the perfect kind of grumpy hero - as well as being hot and rich! He really doesn’t like Hadley. Or does he? I’m not even sure he knows. But he does know that he wants her. He’s strong, stubborn and also ridiculously clueless at times. His big SCENE to win over Hadley was so off the mark that I felt like hitting my head off a brick wall. But fear not, where there are coat closets, there’s always a happily ever after!

While you’re all but guaranteed sizzling chemistry with enemies turning into lovers, the sex scenes were especially hot with this story. Ms Flynn knows how to get things done! The mirror? Holy cannoli that was hotter than hot! I was worried it would be a one and done - but we got even more, so I was plenty happy.

But Hadley and Will also shone in the quiet moments, too. They definitely had a connection and I loved seeing their feelings change and develop. Seeing them laugh together and become so much more with and for each other. Gah! This book left me with a huge smile on my face and it was so what I needed.

This was a delightfully hot and sexy read from Ms Flynn. She always delivers and does so again with this offering. I’m hoping we get to read Will’s twin, Web’s, story - and hopefully get to meet Hadley and Will again, hopefully still bickering hard and loving harder. Lots of fun and very recommended. 5 stars.

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* I received this book in exchange for an honest review. *

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR!

USA Today bestselling romance author Avery Flynn has three slightly-wild children, loves a hockey-addicted husband and is desperately hoping someone invents the coffee IV drip.

She fell in love with romance while reading Johanna Lindsey’s Mallory books. It wasn’t long before Avery had read through all the romance offerings at her local library. Needing a romance fix, she turned to Harlequin’s four books a month home delivery service to ease the withdrawal symptoms. That worked for a short time, but it wasn’t long before the local book stores’ staffs knew her by name.

Avery was a reader before she was a writer and hopes to always be both. She loves to write about smartass alpha heroes who are as good with a quip as they are with their *ahem* other God-given talents. Her heroines are feisty, fierce and fantastic. Brainy and brave, these ladies know how to stand on their own two feet and knock the bad guys off theirs.

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He's Breaking All The Rules

He's her BFF - Best Friend Forever
And he's off limits.
But now that she's single,
He wants to change the rules.
So why can't they be best friends with benefits?
Oh yea, because he doesn't like those rules either.

Dear Readers,
Austin and Laney are too hot together to be just friends. He's a DIRTY mechanic and she's a plus size hottie and together they're going to get your engine revving! VROOM! VROOM! I hope you enjoy this steamy, sweet love story of friends to lovers and second chances.
XX, Hope

Title: Bad Boy Best Friend
Author: Hope Ford
Series: n/a
Pages: 136
Genre(s): Contemporary, US, friends to lovers
Hot Buttons: n/a

Release Date: 25th August, 2020

Sweet and light

4 stars

This is my first book by Hope Ford and in a general sense, I would compare her writing and story style to Lucy Darling or Alexa Riley. The authors who tend towards the more insta-love type of story.

And while it definitely reminded me of that kind of story - this tale actually isn’t one of insta-love, as our hero and heroine, Austin and Laney, are best friends and have been since they were kids and have never crossed the line into anything ‘more’. Yet I suppose their transition from friends to lovers happens quickly enough that you could class it as insta-love if you fancied!

Laney has just returned to her home town for the first time in a year. While she and Austin have called and texted, they haven’t actually seen each other in a while. And suddenly Austin finds himself having thoughts about his bestie that are definitely not friend-like. For her part, Austin has always been the man that Laney measures all other men against. And each is found wanting. But she knows that she and Austin are so deeply in the friend zone that she has locked her feelings away. Until Austin changes the rules.

I enjoyed this story. It’s very well written and you are quickly engaged with the characters and their interactions. I liked both our main characters and rooted for them to take that step to change their relationship.

I really wavered between giving this book 3 stars of 4. As I said, I liked the writing style, I enjoy a good insta-love story, and this was a sweet and light example of such.

I just felt that we could have delved so much deeper into the emotions of our characters and the angst that they must have been feeling over the changing of their life-long relationship. I suppose I wanted to see them both suffer a bit more - to feel the worry, the joy and the chemistry of a new relationship, even if they’ve known each other forever.

I think if I’d had that, I would have understood, especially Austin, a bit more. Why did he go all macho on his supposed friend for talking to Laney? How did he feel over that bit of foolishness? It just seemed to happen and we’re to accept that this is normal behaviour. I don’t mind jealously - in fact I quite like it - but make me understand what you’re feeling. That you’re just confused rather than just a douche.

And while I’ve constantly likened this book to others, I did feel this was perhaps less sexy than similar books in that category. Oh there was sex, sure, but it didn’t give me that filthy feeling that I love when I read it. I’m not deducting stars based on heat level, but I felt it was worth noting.

I might have been a little grumpy with this review but I did enjoy this book and this story. It’s fairly short, probably taking little over an hour to read, and you could easily read this in one sitting. The writing is good, the characters are fun and I enjoyed them on their way to their happily ever after. I will definitely pick up other books by Hope Ford in the future.

 

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AUTHOR BIO!

Bestselling Author Hope Ford loves writing steamy, sweet stories of curvy women finding love.  With over ninety books, she feels that she has found her calling.

If you love your romance books with insta love, hot love scenes, and a sweet story, then please give one of her books a chance.  You will be happy you did.

 

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First came the director yelling, “Action!

Next came the actual acting.

Last came . . . the end scene.

Or at least, that was what I liked to call my job as a publicist to Hollywood’s elite. If my client hit it big, I was the one who’d made that possible. And while being on call twenty-four seven meant I was chronically single, I was fine with that. I’d been in a serious relationship once and had ultimately discovered that I wasn’t cut out for commitment or being tied down or living in a small town.

I needed lights and excitement, paparazzi and enough traffic that the air always smelled faintly of exhaust.

I definitely didn’t need one Aaron Weaver—my ex-boyfriend and current occupant of my former home and very, very small town in Utah—tying me down or making me feel like the world’s biggest jerk, just because I wanted my life to be something more than open fields and cow patties.

But then I had to leave L.A. and go home to my father, to my small town . . . to Aaron.

And I discovered there might be much more to him than I’d ever expected.

In fact, I discovered that I might have missed out on the best end scene of my life by letting him go at all.

Title: End Scene
Author: Elise Faber
Series: Lights, Camera, Action (Book 4) 
Pages: 206
Genre(s): Contemporary, US, Second Chance Romance, 
Hot Buttons: Emotionally abusive relationship with father, dementia diagnosis <-- highlight to reveal (may contain spoilers)

Release Date: 24th August, 2020

 

Not my favourite

3 stars

I’ve recently discovered - and very much enjoyed - the writing of Elise Faber. She’s got a very engaging writing style that is fast paced and makes you interested and care about her characters. While this book was no different in that respect, the story itself just didn’t grab me.

Mags and Aaron were high school sweethearts who broke up when they left school and wanted different things in life. Since then, Maggie has avoided her hometown - and Aaron - and the feelings that he still invokes in her.

On a rare visit home, the pair have several run-ins that aren’t exactly friendly. Aaron’s behaviour towards Maggie wasn’t mean, as such - and I understand that he’s still upset (even 10 years or so later) and there are unresolved feelings. But coupled with the relationship Mags has with her father, I felt the first third of the book was just Maggie getting emotionally beaten up about her past choices, her current choices and for following her dreams. Since we know it’s unwarranted - and Maggie just seemed to take it - it was a rather uncomfortable read for me.

And speaking of Maggie’s father - I understand that the relationship between him and Maggie was one of the fundamental reasons for her leaving, and not returning, to her hometown - and I understand it happens in real life… but this was another aspect that was uncomfortable to read. He’s called ‘gruff’ and ‘grumpy’ but a man who calls his daughter vile names, who is so mean to her when she does nothing but try to help him - is abusive.

When we get to about 50% of the book - that’s when I started to recognise the kind of story that I love to read - and the kind of story I’ve come to expect from Ms Faber.

When Aaron and Maggie connect again, it’s really sweet - and hot - to see the pair start a new relationship while also seemingly pick up exactly where they left off. I liked that there were no games between the pair. No pretending that they didn’t still feel a connection - mentally and physically - or that they wanted each other.

And their physical connection was smoking hot! I loved it - even more so because it seemed there was 10 years of pent up frustration under the surface, and the fact Aaron wanted to show Maggie he was there for her and not just the sex. Frustration is fun, afterall!

I know some people aren’t keen, but I do like people speaking to each other in petnames. ‘Peaches’ and ‘babe’ are the most prevalent in this story. It’s sweet.

This is the 4th book in the Love, Camera Action series by Ms Faber. While it can be read as a standalone, I was a wee bit confused by these other characters - Maggie’s Hollywood clients - who were name checked a few times throughout the story and popped up now and again. Had I read previous books in the series, I would have had some context. It didn’t stop me understanding the story but those relationships were lost on me.

Had I started half way through the book, this may well have been a 5 star read. As such, the first half - setting the scene as such - wasn’t a fun read for me. It was well-written (and kudos to Ms Faber for making me truly feel the injustice and discomfort of Maggie) as was the whole book. I just wasn’t keen on the emotions and story other than Aaron and Maggie’s love story. Only 3 stars from me, I’m afraid.

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AUTHOR BIO!

 

USA Today bestselling author, Elise Faber, loves chocolate, Star Wars, Harry Potter, and hockey (the order depending on the day and how well her team -- the Sharks! -- are playing). She and her husband also play as much hockey as they can squeeze into their schedules, so much so that their typical date night is spent on the ice. Elise is the mom to two exuberant boys and lives in Northern California.

 

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