The Great Escape (Dilbury Village #2) ~ Charlotte Fallowfield

A tropical beach paradise in Mexico was the last place Georgie Basset expected her decimated heart to be jump-started again, not after she’d been jilted the year before by her fiancé, leading to said breakage. But when she spotted Weston Argent jogging along the beach, all bronzed with ripped muscles like some Greek God out of a modern day Baywatch scene, she nearly choked on her cocktail. She knew immediately she was in trouble, she’d never reacted so strongly to a man on first glance.

However, after a disastrous first date with him, she headed back home to Dilbury, resigned to never seeing him again. That is, until Weston turned up unexpectedly at her dog grooming parlour with Bertie the French bulldog, a species she had a real weakness for. She couldn’t help but wonder if fate was playing a helping hand. But each time she saw him, their encounters never went smoothly, resulting in some mortifying and hilarious escapades. Despite their undeniable attraction, there was something about Weston that she couldn’t quite put her finger on, something that concerned her.

When Weston finally confessed that all was not as it seemed, Georgie was convinced that all men were dogs, except she knew that was an insult to dogkind. Ever the meddler, her best friend, Abbie, intervened, knowing in her heart that despite what had happened, Weston was full of good intentions, and was undoubtedly Georgie’s Prince Charming.

The question remained, could he convince Georgie of that, or would he forever remain in the dog house?

This was a super fun vacation. Georgie, being the great friend that she is, takes off on this holiday with her best friend to just get away. Her bestie having a horrible time with her man, needed to escape and Georgie is the shoulder to cry on. (There's more about this story in the first book of the series, but this story can totally be read as a stand alone). Sand, beach, fruity drinks.....ah, what a way to relax. The scenery is nice too...and I'm not talking about the beach. 

Weston is super sexy and athletic. He has a great smile and makes Georgie a complete basket case. It's almost like Georgie has never flirted with a man before, yet she was engaged. Weston stirs some primal feelings that completely terrify her. She did swear off men after she left her fiance, but why not give it a go. What follows? One of the worst dates ever. 

Even though Georgie tries, the night fails. I was actually surprised they made it through the entire date and that Georgie even put herself out there the way she did. After being shut down only to have Weston show up later is a completely lovely surprise. There was something suspicious about Weston, I will agree with that, but I also felt that it was Georgie'a guard she built. She felt she couldn't trust men after her fiance, so it was almost like she was looking for something to be wrong. That is until Weston's major mess up (trying to be PG here) and we realize Georgie had every reason to be reserved. 

I laughed so much in this book and my heart broke a little too. Charlotte does a great job of putting the pieces back together though. I love Charlotte's characters and I was happy to see how the other character's progressed. She did a great book of getting you up to speed on the other characters, while not seeming redundant for those who did read the first book in the series. I definitely can not wait for the next book in this series. 

Just One Chance (Oh Tequila Series Book 1) ~ C.A. Harms

GOODREADS

http://bit.ly/JustOneChanceGR

AMAZON US | AMAZON UK

Tequila, you failed me.

You left me in a terrible haze, and I can’t find my god damn wallet.

Or my left shoe.

How the hell does one lose their shoe?

I have no f*cking clue.

All I know is that my night started out with one thing in mind…to have a little fun.

The problem with that? I can’t remember a damn thing, except one.

Morgan’s soft and needy moans. It’s a sound I will never forget, and just thinking about it makes my heart race and my pulse quicken. And I want to hear it over and over again…I crave it.

But Morgan’s a mystery. The harder I try, the more she resists. There’s one thing she doesn’t know about me though…I’m not one to give up.

I’ll play her game. I’ll let her think she’s won. But in the end, I will have her.

Because all I need is Just One Chance to prove she’s meant for me…

 

I don't know how she does it, but CA Harms comes up with relate-able and new story lines all the time. They suck you in and keep you interested, entertained and in love the whole time.Her characters are easy to fall for and completely lovable. 

Xavier is not the normal frat boy. Well I mean he's funny, hot and an athlete, but he's not the love 'em and leave 'em type. After just getting out of a relationship, Morgan was definitely not what he expected. His persistence with her stubbornness scored him major brownie points. His huge heart scored him even more.

Morgan is a touch nut to crack. She's always guarded and really stubborn...I think I mentioned that once before, but she really is. She doesn't think she can have a job, help her family. go to school and have a boyfriend at the same time. She sets herself up to bail or be alone even before she gives anything a change. Watching Xavier try to break down her walls was fun and exciting. 

Boys will be boys and people make mistakes, but I truly think these two are head over heels for each other. There is the saying that the people closest to you, hurt you the most. That's because we let them in. As much as Morgan fought to not let Xavier in, he was able to wiggle his way in with some tequila and persistence. I absolutely loved this book! 

At Her Own Risk ~Rachael Duncan

Amazon US

Sex.
That’s all it was supposed to be. No strings attached, no feelings, no heartache. 
But if I thought Sean Riley would be content having only parts of me, I was dead wrong. His persistence wore me down and I found myself in the one situation I was trying to avoid. 
Little does he know a life with me will lead to nothing but disappointment and heartbreak. He’s a good man and deserves everything I can’t give him. Not because I don’t want to, but because I’m unable. 
Pushing him away in the beginning was to protect me, now I’m trying to protect him as I gear up for the fight of my life. 
A fight I could lose. 
Getting into a relationship was my risk, but as things get worse, I’m not the only one who will have something to lose. 
I just hope it’s worth it.

Can we first talk about this cover? I absolutely love it! Just gorgeous! I was super excited to read about Paige and Sean's stories since I have kind of become invested in all the characters from the "Risk" series, but I do think this can be read as its own stand alone. 

I absolutely love Sean. Usually, I tend to find myself relating to or rooting for the heroine in the story, but in this one, I was all about Sean. He was so determined, dedicated and completely head over heels for Paige. He would walk through hell and back for that girl, even though she tried, several times, to push him away. He was committed and just a really good guy. He has this huge heart, coupled with his sexy good looks and I couldn't help but swoon. 

Paige is a hard nut to crack. She didn't let her guard down easily and there were times I wondered if she ever would. I mean, Sean had more faith in the girl than I did at times. I really wanted to know what made her so gun-shy about men. We have all had our fair share of breakups, but she really just wanted to keep things fun and in the friend zone. Therefore, I loved Sean even more when he broke down Paige's walls and set out to prove how different he was than the other guys. 

While Paige had her walls, she also had this undeniable strength and her own determination. While breaking down at times, she still was able to concur and face some tragedies that would make a lesser woman give up. I was definitely proud of Paige.

There was just the right amount of sex, angst, love, tragedy and fun that balanced this book out nicely. It just flowed and with the flashbacks, I could still follow the story line and all the characters. I definitely can not wait for the next one of this series!

A Little Bit Like Love ~ Brooke Blaine

What if you had everything in the world you wanted…except the man you’d left behind?

Jackson Davenport, the charismatic, strait-laced heir to the Davenport fortune, has a secret. One he’s been hiding since he graduated from South Haven all-boys academy—and that secret’s name is Lucas.

When a work trip takes Jackson back to his old stomping grounds, memories of the year he shared with Lucas come crashing to the surface. With growing pressure from his father to settle down and take over the family business, Jackson knows he’s on borrowed time, and sets out to find the free-spirited daredevil he once knew.

But Lucas isn’t the same man he was eight years ago.

One night. A shattered heart. And an endless parade of nameless faces. Lucas Sullivan is South Haven’s ultimate playboy, a reputation he’s honed since the only boy he ever loved left without a trace. To the world, he’s brash and confident, an in-demand artist who spends his days designing one-of-a-kind pieces and his nights as king of the downtown scene.

Many have tried and failed to get past the barrier he’s carefully constructed, but it’s the shy, studious boy he once coaxed out of his shell who still haunts him.

Maybe it was a mistake. Maybe it was lust. Or maybe…it was a little bit like love.

I absolutely LOVE Lucas and Jackson! I could not get enough of them and their story. Victims of a homophobic father and an almost practically arranged marriage, Lucas and Jackson look to be doomed from the beginning. But that doesn't stop the love these to find for each other.

Pressure from your family to carry on the name and/or the business is heavy enough. Couple that in with some family tragedies and your destiny is written. There's nothing else you can do to break away right. It's scary and unknown. Going to back to what you always knew is easy and expected. But, just once, you want to live for you. You want to live and be happy. I wanted this so badly for Jackson. Lucas was his happy place, even if he didn't realize how much Lucas meant to him at first. 

Lucas's broken heart spoke to me. His own family tragedies hit me on a personal level and his loneliness was palpable. Of course, the stubborn man would tell you he wasn't lonely. He'd even convinced himself he was happy....That is until Jackson shows back up. He's completely thrown on his a*$. 

I loved these characters and their friends. I was completely sucked in from page one and I read this book in two days. What I enjoyed the most is that there wasn't a conflict of a label. They didn't have to be gay, straight or bi. Even though they were asked, the boys didn't have to battle with their emotions on their sexuality. Who they loved is who they loved. Their drama was due to outsiders, not who they chose to love. I felt that was just...EVERYTHING!

#LoveIsLove