Title: In Her Best Friend's Bed
Author: J. Margot Critch
Series: Friends with Benefits
Pages: 224
Genre(s): Mills & Boon Blaze, Harlequin Blaze
Hot Buttons: /
She wants him so much!
Abby Shaw has had enough. She’s done
with relationships (why are guys always so needy??) and wants to focus
on getting her career off the ground. The fact that Trevor Jones—her new
best bud and her boss—is seriously hot shouldn’t complicate things at
all. But, that deliciously hard, tattooed body? A kiss that suggests
hours—and nights—of wicked pleasure? Yep, Trevor is trouble…
Abby
and Trevor can’t resist turning “just friends” into “friends with sexy
benefits.” Which means lots of hot sex, no messy emotions. It's the
perfect arrangement—at first. But their searing sexual chemistry verges
on becoming dangerously intimate…and Abby will do just about anything to
keep herself from falling in love with Trevor Jones.
I primarily bought this book because it was the follow on story from In the Boss’s Bed by the same author. While I wasn’t particularly keen on that story, I still wanted to give this one a chance and see the love story of Abby and Trevor - who first appeared in the first book. Sadly, I wasn’t hugely overwhelmed with this story, either.
The story started off strongly as Abby and Trevor are introduced to us (you don’t need to have read the In the Boss’s Bed first) and you get the anticipation of the start of their relationship. This is when they come to their deal of friends with benefits. The first time they get together is very hot and sexy and everything looked good for a fun story…
…but it suddenly seemed to get a bit stale. The story seemed to be the pair having sex, wondering what they were going to do since they weren’t in a place in their lives to have a relationship, a wee bit about their fledgling careers and another bit of sex thrown in for good measure. I love a sexy story and I love a Blaze romance but when the story seems to be predominantly sex and you find yourself skimming through those parts, there’s something amiss.
The writing was fine and the story did hold my interest - for a while at least - I just couldn’t really feel anything for the romance story and didn’t really believe in it or the love between Abby and Trevor, I’m afraid.
So, not a story for me but not really offensive in any way. I wouldn’t recommend you rush out and buy it but if it’s already in your ‘to be read’ pile then it whiles away a couple of hours. 2 stars.
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Maya Connor was already embarrassed after a dare - and a shot of vodka - resulted in one seriously sexy kiss with an even sexier stranger. She had no idea that the man she made out with was hotel magnate and reputed playboy Jamie Sellers. Or that she would soon be working for him
Maya won't let anything get in the way of her ambition. And she's determined to be taken seriously as she begins her career and not give in to the heat that's constantly driving her to distraction. Lust, that's all it is. The more Maya and Jamie ignore it, the stronger it gets. But ending up in the boss's bed won't just be Maya's wickedest fantasies come to life it'll be the end of her dreams.
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This sounded like just my sort of Blaze - hot, sexy and just a little bit naughty. Sex in the office? Yes, please!
I wasn’t disappointed as soon as I started to read - I just adored Maya. She was fun, feisty but also a card-carrying introvert and I felt an immediate kinship with her. Her first interactions with Jamie were cute, sexy and also very realistic. Apologising for kissing him was genius!
From the start I also really enjoyed the writing style. It was quirky and fresh - a unique voice that even made me laugh out loud at certain times.
But as time went on in the book, I started to seriously lose interest. It seemed like nothing much would happen or if it did, it was a little samey. Let’s be colleagues. No - let’s be lovers. We can’t - let’s try colleagues again. Et cetera. I also really don’t like when sweeping statements are made to show the passing of time. “The next two weeks were much the same…”
With those big gaps in the timeline of the story, I also felt that a lot of the chemistry was missing. Sure, their inner monologues told that they could barely keep their hands off each other but I wasn’t seeing much evidence of their connection. I even started to skim the sex scenes because of this and that’s not like me.
Once the affair came out the story got a little bit interesting again but by that time I felt Maya had changed into a person I didn’t recognise or even like. Some random tells you she’s been sleeping with your man and while you don’t really believe it or even pitch a fit, you still tell him to get out of your life. What?
As other reviewers have really liked this book, I suppose it’s just horses for courses. It’s not one I took a great liking to but I will read more of J. Margot Critch’s books because I can see that if the story grabs me, I’ll really like her writing. Just 2 stars from me for this one, though.
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Turning a certified disaster into a certifiable dish!
Image consultant Haven Hoyt needs to take former pop superstar Mark Webster from boozing, brawling mess to presentable musician—capable of keeping his tacky boot out of his mouth. Mark has no interest in being molded, but once she's finished with him, he'll be a work of art.
Haven has very simple rules for herself: be perfectly put together, don't crack under pressure and never sleep with your client! But under the scruff and the surly attitude, Mark is hot. Haven's careful image is unraveling with every look of lust and too-tempting touch. This talented musical hunk wants to pluck her strings. If she's not careful, she'll fall for her work of art…and break each of her rules in the process!
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The premise of this Blaze story is slightly different than any I have come across before - an image consultant making over, and essentially falling for, a scruffy, bad-tempered former boyband singer.
I was a bit surprised by Mark to begin with. Normally in a Blaze story at the very least the heroine can see beyond the scruffiness, bad manners and bad dressing of the hero, to see the man beneath. I’m not sure she did and I certainly didn’t. I also got an image of dirtiness (not the good kind) which made it a little icky for me when our heroine, Haven, first whispered in his (to my mind dirty) ear. That feeling soon wore off for me, thankfully.
The strange thing about this story was that I actually really liked it. It was well written, kept my attention and did have a good depth to the story. There wasn’t as much sex as in other Blaze stories I have read but what there was was enjoyably sexy if not off the charts hot.
I liked both Haven and Mark and liked who they were when they were together. There wasn’t as much focus on the expected drama of falling for someone’s image rather than who they are on the inside, which I was pleased about. Instead, the conflict comes from other sources and felt true to life.
My main issue with this book was that I didn’t feel that connection between the main characters that I like to read about. There was no sizzling, jumpy feeling in the pit of your stomach, chemistry between the pair which really did disappoint me. The book was still a good read but in the end I wanted more. 3 stars.
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A lesson in chemistry…
Back in college,
Mia Hayes had a secret crush on fellow student Daniel Keegan, who was
an obnoxious stuffed shirt. But she fantasized about turning Mr. Uptight
into Mr. Hot Sex. Now Mia owns a successful event planning business,
and at a bachelor party she’s organized, she runs into Mr. Uptight
himself. And she's determined to show overly serious college professor
Daniel how to loosen up a little…
Imagine Mia’s surprise when she
learns that Daniel has a deliciously wicked side—one that makes her
knees weak with lust. It turns out Daniel is a whole lot more than she
ever dreamed. But tempting the professor might have been the riskiest
thing Mia has ever done. Because in their case, opposites don't just
attract… they combust.
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There’s nothing quite like a light and lusty Blaze to start off the new year and that’s what you get with this book.
Mia and Daniel knew each other in college. Knew each other and didn’t particularly like each other except for that inconvenient lust for each other that they both kept hidden.
Fast forward 10 years and each is successful in their field, each has grown up and moved on - except that pesky lust is still right there.
From that you have the perfect opening for what is a very sexy tale about two people rediscovering each other, and themselves, on their way to their happily ever after.
I wasn't sure if I’d like Mia at first, if I’m honest. Anyone described as brash, opinionated and mouthy is always going to start on the back foot with me. Luckily, she was written really well and while there were times when I wanted to scream at her to shut her mouth, she was a realistic character and realised her faults, apologising when necessary.
Daniel on the other hand, I loved from the start. A slightly geeky, straight-laced professor who hides a wickedly naughty side that seems to only come out when around Mia. I especially liked that the author didn’t make Daniel change - he was still the same guy at heart just a little wilder than even he realised.
There was plenty of sex in the story as well as sexy times. These were hot and well written; lovely for these cold winter nights. I didn’t get bored or skip even a single word - as can sometimes happen with stories like this.
Overall this was a fun, well-written and sexy story that I would recommend to fans of Blaze stories. Really enjoyed it. 4 stars.
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