Blurb:
SHE’LL MAKE HIM A BET… Lily McIntire is sick of losing every office wager to her overly cocky—and yeah, devilishly handsome—coworker, Marcus Black. After a few too many tequila shots, and a taunt from Marcus that she’s a wuss, Lily lays down a bet he can’t refuse: One night in the abandoned and spooky Willow Mansion alone for his recent office win, a trip to Hawaii.
HE CAN’T REFUSE… There’s only one thing Marcus wants more than his upcoming vacation to Hawaii; it’s to take his sexy coworker on a real date. Every time he’s tried to get close to Lily, she’s shut him down cold. Too bad the sexual tension has hit the boiling point. Now, he’ll have to scare her out of the mansion if he has a prayer of taking her out any time soon.
UNTIL ALL BETS ARE OFF… But in between trying to scare Lily out of her pants and get his hands into them, Marcus realizes there’s more to the mansion than either of them counted on. Suddenly, it’s not just he and Lily that are going “bump in the night”. If they manage to survive the night and escape the mansion unscathed, can they survive each other in the light of day? Or will what happens at Willow Mansion stay at Willow Mansion?
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Oh, I loved this novella–couldn’t put it down! Even though it was of a shorter length, it was nearly perfect: an enemies to lovers troupe with a perfect blend of creepy storytelling and fun romance. Honestly, I couldn’t find a single thing to criticize here–the one question I had at the end was answered in the epilogue 😉
I am eagerly awaiting more from this author–novella or full-length novel!
A rating.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Conned by Chloe Cole
Blurb:
Human sexuality professor Cricket Malloy typically likes bad boys, but when buttoned-up science teacher Tucker Lamb needs help with an experiment on aphrodisiacs, she goes the extra mile to help him out. After all, what could go wrong? He’s totally harmless…
Tucker Lamb was born into a life of a grifter. He’s always prided himself on his fast fingers and quicksilver tongue. Ever since being placed in the witness protection program, he’s been on the up and up, but something about Cricket Malloy makes him ache to see if his tongue is as fast as it used to be.
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Phew–this one had some steamy, steamy scenes! Their initial experiment was geekily sexy–and a whole lot of fun. Don’t even get me started on the dare…whoa. A restaurant scene to rival the When Harry Met Sally one that Cricket used in her class 🙂 I especially loved the character of Tuck; it was a bit harder to really connect with Cricket, but overall I enjoyed reading both of their perspectives here. My only real complaint is that this really could (and should) be expended into a longer book–I’d love to see their research continue, for one, but also Tuck’s backstory really deserves longer treatment. If this book were expanded into a full-size novel, I’d be snapping it up in a heartbeat. As it stands, it’s definitely a fun, quick read to help warm you up on a cold winter morning.
B+ rating.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Blurb:
Sports medicine doctor and weekend cowboy, Chase Cooper, is ready to settle down, and he’s beginning to wonder if his best friend from high school, Mari Blair, could be the one that got away. Coop and his buddies have come up with a plan, but he never imagined it would be Mari’s sister, Julia—the girl who was always off-limits—, who would take him up on his invitation.
When lawyer, Julia Blair, finds herself on a dude ranch half way across the country, only to discover the invitation was meant for her vivacious twin sister, she knows she has two choices—go home alone or walk a day in her sister’s shoes. When she sets eyes on sexy cowboy Chase Cooper, the choice becomes easy. She’s determined to stay and have some carefree fun while at the ranch.
Coop can’t believe the mix up, but when he discovers Julia wants to play, then play they will. When things get steamy and playtime becomes so much more, he’s determined to prove she’s the girl for him. And he’s not above using a few tricks of the trade to get his point across…
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
(3 1/2 stars, but I’ll round up)
A quick and sexy read, though the resolution was a bit rushed. This would have worked well as a longer book, or at least more time taking place between Julia getting off the plane and the “I love you”s at the end. I was a bit disappointed that Coop had originally meant to invite Julia’s twin for the week–he’d first thought of Julia, so why not go for it? Still, it was an enjoyable story with likable characters–perfect for a lazy afternoon. I’m definitely interested in seeing how the same week plays out for Coop’s two friends, Mac and Jag. The rock climbing outing looked to be very interesting….
B- rating.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
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