Book Review: Body Shot by Kelly Jamieson

I don’t always need suspense or high angst and conflict to enjoy a book. Sometimes a straightforward fling-to-love romance is just what I need to shake my reading up.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

One-Sentence Synopsis
A nerdy chemist starts a hot fling with one of the co-owner’s of a local tequila bar. For a full synopsis, see this book’s Goodreads page.

All Work and No Play
Hayden’s friends and family are constantly telling her she’s working too hard, and even though she knows it, she feels obligated to continue putting her energy into what she does, which is working to find a cure for cancer. She doesn’t want to let her team down, so she’s spent an inordinate amount of time trying to get grants to continue their research. Which is why her meet-cute with a hot guy is from her running into a light pole while trying to work and walk at the same time.

Secret Billionaire
Beck is an ex-Navy SEAL who now owns and operates a swanky tequila bar with his two best friends. Though he has a lot of money, he likes to keep that a secret, as people treat him different when they know. As someone who’s adventurous and kind of a ladies’ man, he’s amused by Hayden when he first sees her lamp accident. When she shows up at his bar for a tequila tasting, though, he doesn’t expect to feel instant lust for her.

Sneaky Sexy Fling
That lust turns into a trip to his office where they kick off a steamy fling. Neither one wants a long term relationship. Beck isn’t ready to settle down and Hayden feels she needs to concentrate on her work. But that doesn’t stop them from hooking up as much as they can, as they can’t seem to get enough of each other. Hayden starts to let herself have fun and let loose with Beck, trying to keep in mind that she’s just another woman who he’s passing time with.

Keepin’ It Simple
There was nothing crazy or complex about these two for the most part. They both had family issues, they both had commitment issues, but when they got together, there was a ton of chemistry and romance. Having read a lot of suspenseful stories previous to this, I was all about something a little more fun and lighthearted.

The Romance Factor
Watching these two fall in love hit all my catnip buttons. I loved their flirtiness and I enjoyed how Hayden came out of her shell. There’s definitely some underlying conflict and the Big Angst towards the end, but it was all done perfectly to trigger my feels. 4/5

The Steam Factor
There is a lot of sex in this book, and it is graphic and dirty. Also, lots of dirty talk. Also, I don’t even like tequila, but the things Hayden and Beck do with it totally made me forget that. Like, whoa. 6/5

Final Thoughts
I really enjoy this author and I think this is going to be another series that I really enjoy. There’s some tension between Hayden’s friend and one of Beck’s friends, so I’m hoping we learn more about that. Can’t wait to read the next one.

Book Review: Wanting It All by Christi Barth

This is the 2nd book in the Naked Men series, and it seems to be standard thus far that it takes me a little bit to get into them. I’m not always sold at the beginning, but there’s something about them that keeps me going and then I end up really enjoying the story by the end.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

One-Sentence Synopsis
A woman set on finding the right mate falls for a man who has no interest in keeping his extracurriculars to one woman. For a full synopsis, see this book’s Goodreads page.

From Geek to Sex God
I had a hard time finding my rhythm with this book. Maybe that’s because it jumps right into things. Like, no real plot foreplay at all. Knox meets Madison in a chance encounter and is intrigued by her quirkiness. And also attracted to her. Which is all well and good, except that Knox is a man who has vowed to never settle down. After an accident years ago, he vowed that he’d shed his geekiness and pretty much have sex with as many women as possible.

A Woman on a Mission
Madison is in town for two reasons: to meet her brother and to find a husband. The brother part is a little tricky since it’s a half brother who likely doesn’t know she exists. The husband part, in her mind, is easy. She just has to meet the right guy and get him to marry her. And in her opinion, Knox is the right guy.

Knox makes it clear he’s not looking for a long-term relationship and is not marriage material. Of course, his loins and male instinct tell the reader different, but Knox really tries to stick to his guns. However, Madison knows that when she wants something, she’ll get it. It’s just a matter of making Knox realize that he wants to be with her forever.

How Is He a Catch?
By the end of the story, I was totally enjoying the plot, but that’s not to say I didn’t have some issues. Knox struck me as super misogynistic and wasn’t really that likable. I suppose he was supposed to have charisma, and he did do some things to redeem himself, but I kept thinking that Madison was kind of weird for thinking Knox was the guy for her.

Too Naive
Madison was hit and miss for me. She started out cute and quirky, but after awhile, I found her to be more than a little naive. Not only does she believe she can change Knox’s mind completely, but she also has this idea that a half brother that she’s never seen before and who doesn’t know she exists is going to instantly love her because they’ll have an automatic sibling connection. Yeah…not so much. She does have a moment where she realizes she might be wrong about a lot of things, and rather than sympathy, I kind of just thought it was about time she got into the mental space of the real world.

The Romance Factor
While the characters drove me nuts at times, I did like the way their relationship developed over time and how sweet Knox ended up being to Madison. In fact, he does something pretty great for her and then gives her moral and mental support when things get a rough. 3/5

The Steam Factor
So spicy, this one. Madison and Knox seem to have a thing for having sex in some interesting places, like a boat, the park, an office. Nothing like riding the edge of exhibitionism to get the heat rising. 5/5

Final Thoughts
The story was entertaining and I’m all about the bro-friends that form the Naked Men group. I also liked that Madison was able to find a group of friends who helped support her through her transition to the city and her mission to get Knox to put a ring on it. An entertaining read overall.

Book Review: Waking Up With a Billionaire by Katie Lane

This NetGalley request was kind of spontaneous and stemmed from the fact that I’m a fan of billionaire novels…or at least I’ll give anything billionaire a try. Plus, I found the cover to be pretty, and yes, I do sometimes judge a book by its cover.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

One-Sentence Synopsis
A billionaire known for his painting is blocked until the woman he helped save from an abusive relationship agrees to pose for him. For a full synopsis, see this book’s Goodreads page.

Prologue to the Plot
Grayson and Chloe met when he helped save her from a violent domestic situation. Chloe hadn’t been very friendly to Grayson, and since coming back from that encounter, Grayson hasn’t been able to paint the beautiful nudes he’s known for. Now, his work is needed for a benefit gala, but he’s blocked, so much so that he can’t even paint a bowl of fruit.

Like One of Your French Girls
Chloe needs money. She wants to run away to Europe to avoid some big secret she’s hiding and someone she’s hiding from, but she can’t afford it. So when she decides to offer herself up as a model for Grayson’s painting, she’s surprised when he turns her down and says he can’t paint. Chloe figures she’s going to have to find another way, but when Grayson “kidnaps” her to keep her from leaving until his new sister-in-law gets back from her honeymoon, Chloe ends up realizing how safe she feels in his home. She also decides she’s going to help him get his painting mojo back.

Get It Together
The story was enjoyable and fun. Apparently, Grayson was sweet and shy in previous books, but he has a bit of a stiff edge in this one. Chloe is sarcastic and damaged, and her mystery unfolds slowly as the book progresses. We find out fairly early what she’s running from. I won’t spoil what it is, but I found it to be fairly anticlimactic. It seems Chloe is a fan of self-made drama and lets her mind and her assumptions get away from her.

The two characters work well together, and I loved the pre-existing angst they share for each other that carries over into their current relationship.

Men and Their Ways
Maybe I was in the mood for some more fighting, or maybe I’m just irritated when people do things they’re expressly asked not to, but I got super annoyed when Chloe said she didn’t want or photos shared or she didn’t want to become a model, and Grayson and his brothers were like, “Too bad, so sorry.” I mean, she rolled with it, but seriously, guys. Have a little respect.

The Romance Factor
There’s a sense that Grayson and Chloe connected from the start, and possibly that Grayson may have fallen quickly, but I thought the progression of their relationship and the way they sorted out their feelings was sweet. Chloe pulls the whole “I have to leave to save you” BS that annoys me, but it does up the angst quotient, so it was okay for what it was. 4/5

The Steam Factor
While maybe not as steamy as some things, there is one scene in particular that turned on every single heat sensor in my brain. When painting meets sensuality, things explode in the best way ever. 5/5

Final Thoughts
This book can be read as a standalone, though admittedly, I had a hard time keeping members of the family and aspects of the Beaumont family tree straight. Overall, though, I liked the story and how everything played out. I’d definitely recommend it, and I’d be interested in going back and reading the stories of the other two brothers as well.

Book Review: Learning Curves by Cathryn Fox

NetGalley sent me an email encouraging me to “wish” for some select titles. I hadn’t wished for any up to that point, but this one seemed interesting, so I went for it. And I got approved! Wish granted!

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

One-Sentence Synopsis
A sexy bet turns into a hot weekend and an unforgettable experience. For a full synopsis, see this book’s Goodreads page.

Watching From the Sidelines
Lauren is attracted to Linc, but he never talks to her. In fact, he spends most of his time talking and flirting with beautiful, outgoing women. He has a reputation for being a ladies man, a fact which irritates Lauren since she figures she’s the one lady he doesn’t want.

Bet Me
Linc has had a thing for Lauren for a year, and though she’s cool towards him, he can’t help feel a bit obsessed with her. At a work function hockey game, he finds out she’s actually a fan of the opposing team and makes a bet with her: winner gets the loser for a weekend to do whatever they want with them. Which would be great, except that Lauren’s ex convinced her she was bad in bed, and now she’s worried about what Linc will think of her when it proves to be true. Because Linc makes no secret about the fact that “doing whatever they want” doesn’t mean drawing unicorns and playing checkers.

Hidden Feelings
This was a short read, so the plot was straightforward and moved fast. Which means, to an extent, there was insta-love. However, I thought it was plausible within the context of the story. Linc and Lauren had been lusting after each other for a long time, but she didn’t think she was good enough for him and he got a major cold vibe from her. I’m not sure what the catalyst was for Linc to finally make his move, but I’m a fan of “secret lust that turns out to be mutual” trope.

All Rolled Into One
Short or not, all the elements of a fun romance where there: cute banter, convenient miscommunication, and the sad feels of the characters when the weekend comes an end. There’s even the misunderstanding moment where one character suddenly believes the other lied/had an ulterior motive/will never give them a chance. So pretty much all of my catnip.

The Romance Factor
There’s something satisfying about a ladies’ man being brought to his knees by a woman who doesn’t think she could ever be his type. Linc even admits that Lauren isn’t the type he’s gone for in the past, but his feelings for her are stronger than they’ve ever been for anyone else. 5/5

The Steam Factor
Basically, the book is sex. I mean, there’s romance there too, but it’s really a lot of sex. Good sex. Well written sex. And sex positivity in that Lauren has been mentally beat down by her ex and Linc is all about helping her find her pleasure and building her confidence back up. 5/5

Final Thoughts
Sometimes in short works, there’s not enough story to satisfy me, but this one did. It wrapped all of my favorite elements into a quick read that kept me hooked. I will definitely be looking for more by this author.

Book Review: Fooling Around by Noelle Adams

I have such love for billionaire stories, but this one struck me as a little bit different. And it was. And it was amazing.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

One-Sentence Synopsis
A lonely woman is hired by a grumpy billionaire to be his assistant while he heals from a skiing accident. For a full synopsis, see this book’s Goodreads page.

Looking for Something
Julie has just lost her mother and has no idea what to do with her life. As an adult, she’s spent almost all of her time taking care of her parents, and while this made her happy, now she doesn’t know what to do. Eric is used to being in control, but when he breaks his leg in a skiing accident and knows he’s going to need assistance for a few months, he’s hard pressed to find an assistant that doesn’t annoy him…or walk out because he’s kind of a workaholic douche.

Mostly Decent Proposal
In a world of coincidental meet cutes (which is almost every romance story ever), Julie and Eric get trapped in an elevator together. Julie automatically helps Eric be more comfortable, a habit from helping her parents out for so long, and he likes the way she does it without being overbearing. He decides he wants her to be his  assistant and offers her a million dollars if she can stick it out for 3 months. She has to think about it because she wasn’t super impressed with his behavior, but a million dollars is hard to ignore, so Julie accepts.

Sweet, No Sass
I loved Julie. She’s sweet and unassuming and shy. She’s an adult who’s never had an intense relationship and seems to blend into the background. She even dresses conservatively, except she has a thing for sexy lingerie (even though she’s pretty sure no one is ever going to see it). Even though Eric drives her nuts, she sticks around to help him, ignoring how mean he is to her and how his other staff seem fairly cold towards her. I also have major soft spots for lonely characters, and Julie is definitely lonely. She has a sister who invites her to live with her, but basically the sister just wants a live-in nanny for her kids and drove me absolutely nuts.

Grumpy McGrumpypants
Eric took a little getting used to. He was a jerk through most of the book. Even when he started softening towards Julie, he was still a jerk. His emotions and the way he treated her were constantly going hot and cold. When he was a good guy, he was super good, but he wasn’t always a good guy. The one thing I did like about Eric was how much he cared for his daughter, the product of a one night stand with a woman he didn’t love. He only gets to see her once in awhile, but it’s heartbreaking how much he worries about her, since she’s sick and the doctors can’t figure out what’s wrong. Moppet warning: the daughter is adorable and sweet and not at all bratty. I know this bugs some readers. I found her to be pretty adorable, but also conveniently awesome.

The Romance Factor
The romance unfolds over a couple months. Julie doesn’t like Eric at first. Even when she realizes she’s attracted to him, she doesn’t find him to be a particularly pleasant person. But the development is part of what makes the romance so good, and seeing how they change each other was super sweet. Also, the conflict when Eric goes from being nice to a complete jerkhole and then realizes what a jerkhole he was is so full of feels. 5/5

The Steam Factor
Sweet and spicy, most of the sexy times involve Julie’s lingerie (which she thought no one would ever see) and Eric being on his back because his leg is in a cast. There’s also that “forbidden” aspect because Julie is Eric’s employee, though I felt that could easily be overlooked considering the situation and the consensual nature of things. 4/5

Final Thoughts
This was one of those books I had a really hard time putting down. There was definitely some sadness and conflict, but the complete adorableness of the romance hooked me, as did the fact that the characters seemed to learn about themselves along the way and came out of it better people.

Book Review: The Billionaire Takes a Bride by Jessica Clare

Even in the most lighthearted series, you can get a story that manages to maintain the fun while still introducing a pretty dark and/or serious theme. This is one of those. Trigger warning for themes of rape.

One-Sentence Synopsis
A marriage of convenience seems like the perfect solution for two people who need an “other” to help them out, but it gets more difficult when they start to have real feelings for each other. For a full synopsis, see this book’s Goodreads page.

Crazy Families & Messed Up Pasts
It’s not often you find a modern day marriage of convenience story, but this one nails it and does it in a way that’s fairly realistic. Well, in the world of a billionaire anyway. Sebastian’s horrible mother is involved in a reality TV series about their family and being that the woman is completely insane, she wants Sebastian to get back with his ex as part of the season’s storyline. Chelsea is a bad ass roller derby girl, but when the skates come off, she has a hard time dealing with crowds, the dark, and men hitting on her due to PTSD from being raped a few years before.

Beneficial Nuptials
When they meet at Gretchen and Hunter’s engagement dinner, Chelsea finds Sebastian to be “safe,” and they decide to be party Safety Buddies. After all, if they pretend to be together, men won’t hit on her and people won’t bother Sebastian about this family’s TV show. But then Sebastian decides to take it a step further, because if he marries Chelsea, then his mother and his ex (in theory) can’t bother him about the show’s storyline of getting back together. And since Chelsea’s roommate moved out and it scares her to be alone in an empty apartment, she jumps on the opportunity.

Taking Care of Business
It’s all fun and games and convenience until someone starts getting lusty after the other one, though. And it doesn’t take long for Sebastian to realize that he’s probably not going to be able to avoid all those feelings he said he wanted to avoid in the first place. Yet he doesn’t push Chelsea into anything, especially when he finds out what happened to her. Instead, they become good friends and he just takes care of “things” on his own.

Split Persona
I loved the whole roller derby thing and the fact that Chelsea is of two personalities. In her roller gear, she’s fierce, tough, and confident. Outside of it, she feels broken and scared, which is understandable. Her sex feels are pretty much non-existent, but when she realizes that Sebastian is turned on by her, she starts to feel that she’s ruining his life by not being a wife who can give him what he wants. Because by that time, they’ve started to like each other and the whole convenience/temporary nature of the marriage seems to have been forgotten.

Roller Girl
Sebastian never pressures Chelsea into anything. Instead, he lets her take control. He also makes it a point to let her know that no matter how much she’d been drinking the night of her rape, it wasn’t her fault. Chelsea slowly comes out of her shell, but it’s not until Sebastian suggests she integrate her roller derby persona into the bedroom that she starts to find her sexuality again.

Working Through Issues
I think thus far, this one is my favorite in the series, not only because it has some of my fave tropes (friends to lovers, marriage of convenience) but because the characters felt real and I loved that Chelsea was able to regain her identity and empower herself, even after a traumatic event. Of course, the big conflict of the story reopens some of those wounds, but Sebastian is great as the supportive husband who just wants Chelsea to feel safe.

The Romance Factor
Besides the above mentioned tropes, I also get a little mushy over the whole damsel in distress thing, and when Sebastian comforts Chelsea after the lights go out in their hotel in New Orleans, I melted. He’s so sweet and caring and careful of her feelings that I couldn’t help but love him. 4/5

The Steam Factor
Because of the nature of Chelsea’s PTSD, there isn’t a super high volume of sex in this story, but what there is manages to sizzle while still maintaining the respect and caution towards Chelsea’s past and the things that made her scared of it in the first place. And honestly, not everything is resolved by the end, but you’re still left with the feeling that things are going to be okay, both in and out of the bedroom. 4/5

Final Thoughts
I mentioned in the last B&B review I did that the stories were going to parallel and sure enough, this one seems to be happening right alongside Edie and Magnus’ story. I believe it parallels Asher and Greer’s story as well, which comes out later this year (and has already been preordered by yours truly). I also enjoyed the random reference to one of the reality shows in Clare’s Games series. The whole story left me with warm fuzzies, and I can’t wait for book 4 to come out.

Book Review: One Night With A Billionaire by Jessica Clare

I knew it was only a matter of time before I finished this series, and I feel a little sad about it. I mean, yeah, I’m going to read them again, especially 2, 4, and 6 in the series, but I really love this world and really don’t want the author to stop writing for it.

One-Sentence Synopsis
A make-up artist spends a fantastic night with a billionaire but can’t take it further because the singer she’s touring with has called dibs. For a full synopsis, see this book’s Goodreads page.

The Good Stuff
Kylie is a great character. She’s a big girl, and I love that no one skirts around this. Cade never tries to tell her she’s not fat to make her feel better. Instead, he’s genuinely attracted to her and loves her for who she is. Though she has personal issues with her weight, it never becomes overpowering to her character or takes away from the story itself. Like most of these books, this one was body positive and sex positive.

Things That Made Me Go Hmmm
Daphne is back. She was heavily featured back in The Wrong Billionaire’s Bed and was pretty horrible up until she made a promise to her sister to get clean. As you can imagine, she broke that promise and is a hot mess in this one. She’s also a heinous person working for a record label that’s just as heinous.

I spent the entire book hating her, but then my emotions got toyed with, and once again, she turned out to be okay. I know the other books made me emotional at points, but I think this one was by far pushed most of my buttons.

The Romance Factor
Kylie’s lack of confidence was endearing and added to the conflict when she didn’t think she could compete with Daphne. Cade’s determination to keep Kylie was so alpha, but so sweet. Heck yeah I wanted these two to get together. 5/5

The Steam Factor
You know those scenes that are pretty much standard in a porn film? Not only does Clare go there, but she writes those same scenes as hot and romantic. 5/5

Final Thoughts
This is my 3rd favorite in the series, I loved every minute of it. I’m so sad to be done with this series, but at least I now own them all and get to read them again.

 

The Wrong Billionaire’s Bed by Jessica Clare

I’m currently using books as rewards for meeting certain goals I’ve set for myself, so buying this one was exciting on a few levels. As someone who doesn’t keep many physical books, it says something that I want to own this whole series.

One-Sentence Synopsis
Always the good girl, a woman plans to rehab her sister and connect with the guy she’s always had a thing for, but her plans go askew when her crush’s sexy friend starts seducing her. To see a full synopsis, visit this book’s Goodreads page.

The Good Stuff
Audrey showed up in the first 2 books, and her crush on Cade had been strongly hinted at. She’s made it her life’s goal to be a good girl in opposition to her twin’s wild lifestyle, but her evolution in this book is good. Not only does she find that she’d rather be with someone who pushed her buttons rather than a nice guy, but she learns a few things about her relationship with her sister.

Speaking of Daphne, she’s the featured twin who showed up in the previous book and was a complete and annoying mess. Based on her previous antics and her state at the beginning of this book, I was prepared to hate her. But by the end, I thought she was okay. I’m not sure what she’ll do later in the series, but I didn’t end the book with mad hate for her.

Things That Made Me Go Hmmm
It was hard for me to like Reese. Sure, I had a few feels for him at times, but as a character, he wasn’t really likable. He makes no secret that he uses women for business and that he’s a major player. I wanted there to be a reason for this, like family history or a bad breakup, but there was little detail other than he’d grown up poor and was working hard to make his billion like the others in the club.

I also wanted more angry foreplay, because the little that was there was delightful. I was surprised at how quickly Audrey decided to give in to him and thought she should have made him work a little more for it.

The Romance Factor
For all his faults, Reese was genuine in his love for Audrey, even though she wasn’t his usual type and even though he’d previously been happy to be a playboy. Though Audrey also gave the feels, I definitely felt the love more through Reese, even if I didn’t feel it for him. 4/5

The Steam Factor
Clare usually delivers nothing less than a 5/5 and this is no exception. In fact, the all night orgasm fest in the woods was so hot I didn’t even think about how uncomfortable the ground would be.

Final Thoughts
While it didn’t beat Beauty and the Billionaire for me, it was still a fun read and a solid part of this series. I’m bummed the next one isn’t available in paperback, but I’ll be grabbing that eBook once I hit my next goal.