Review: Making Up by Lucy Parker

Making Up by Lucy Parker

Publication Date: May 28th 2018 by Carina Press

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

About the book:

Author of Act Like It and Pretty Face Lucy Parker returns readers to the West End, where it’s fireworks onstage and off in a sexy enemies-to-lovers showdown.

Once upon a time, circus artist Trix Lane was the best around. Her spark vanished with her confidence, though, and reclaiming either has proved…difficult. So when the star of The Festival of Masks is nixed and Trix is unexpectedly thrust into the spotlight, it’s exactly the push she needs. But the joy over her sudden elevation in status is cut short by a new hire on the makeup team.

Leo Magasiva: disgraced wizard of special effects. He of the beautiful voice and impressive beard. Complete dickhead and—in an unexpected twist—an enragingly good kisser.

To Leo, something about Trix is…different. Lovely. Beautiful, even though the pint-size, pink-haired former bane of his existence still spends most of her waking hours working to annoy him. They’ve barely been able to spend two minutes together for years, and now he can’t get enough of her. On stage. At home. In his bed.

When it comes to commitment, Trix has been there, done that, never wants to do it again. Leo’s this close to the job of a lifetime, which would take him away from London—and from Trix. Their past is a constant barrier between them.

It seems hopeless.

Utterly impossible.

And yet…

My Thoughts:

Trix Lane unexpectedly lands the lead role in The Festival of Masks, a kind of circus/play, and normally she’d be over the moon, but self-doubt creeps in thanks to a bad breakup with a toxic man.  Add to that Leo Magasiva will now be working on the production, and they have a long history of hating each other.  Well, they didn’t always hate each other. There was a time in school they were quite close, but that went horribly wrong. Yet, now when Trix is having problems with performing the one who seems to help the most is Leo. 

I really enjoyed the past two books in this series, Ms. Parker is such a clever writer.  Making Up did not disappoint, and once again I was treated to witty and funny exchanges.  The sparring back and forth between Trix and Leo was a laugh, but there was also serious depth as we’re shown the history between them. Trix and Leo discover things in the past may not have been as they thought.  Of course, you can’t have such strong emotions such as hate without passion and hurt at the bottom of it, and it’s as they say there’s a fine line between love and hate.  Trix and Leo have a sweet and HOT journey back to love, and it was a pleasure to experience with them.

4 Stars

Connect with Lucy Parker:

Website | Twitter | Goodreads

Review: The Love Coupon by Ainslie Paton

The Love Coupon by Ainslie Paton

Publication Date: April 9th 2018 by Carina Press

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

About the book:

How many coupons does it take to fall in love?

Flick Dalgetty knows what she wants and how to get it, which is why she’s about to start her dream job in Washington. Until then, she needs somewhere to crash, and Tom O’Connell’s place is her sole option. He’s a repressed, antisocial ogre…but man can he kiss.

For Tom, being around Flick is like being too close to the sun. Her untamed energy is overwhelming, and he’d spontaneously combust if he had to live with her long-term. Housemates with benefits—and an expiration date—suits him just fine.

Then Flick gives Tom thirty coupons, each entitling him to one obligation-free activity, from bowling and bubble-bathing to morning delight, removing all the guesswork from being incompatible partners and shifting their fling into high gear.

Now the problem is their arrangement is drawing to a close, and they might be falling in love—and there wasn’t a coupon for that.

My Thoughts:

Flick is full of energy and her life appears to be a little chaotic, but really, she’s a determined woman when it comes to her goals. Flick rose above her circumstances and exceled despite having no help from her family (a family that fully pissed me off!). Now she’s finally landed her dream job, helping less fortunate ones to succeed with education and opportunities, but she needs a place to stay for three months before she moves. This is where Tom comes in.

Tom has a room to rent, but he’s used to living a regimented life and everything about Flick is out of his comfort zone.  They end up together, and she annoys him, but there’s something refreshing, and intriguing about her, too.  They push each other’s buttons, but Tom and Flick are definitely attracted to each other.  

The Love Coupon was very much an opposites attract/antagonistic romance with a lot of witty banter back and forth.  Ainslie Paton’s writing is clever and sharp.  Tom and Flick were at odds and I loved seeing them gradually get on the same page.  Surreptitious glances, and lusty thoughts finally gave way to some hot encounters!  Those tightly wound guys are all kinds of hot when they finally let lose! The love coupons didn’t come into play until well after the 50% mark, but oh my!

This was a little more angsty than I usually read because Flick’s stay had an expiration date, and neither one wanted to admit they were getting more and more serious.  Still, this is a romance, so I knew things would probably work out, lol.

4 Suns

Review: Just What He Wanted by HelenKay Dimon

 

Just What He Wanted (Holloway #4) by HelenKay Dimon

Publication Date: June 10th 2013 by Carina Press

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

About the Book: Book four of the Holloway series

Travis Yardley thought he had everything he needed, but one look at Andrea Patterson shows him he was wrong. Andie is a gorgeous, curvy blonde who moves to town to manage a nearby campground. Seizing the chance to get close to her, Travis volunteers himself as tour guide and "bodyguard.'

After a bad breakup, Andie is looking to start over and determined to put her heart on hiatus. She's working on her self-esteem, and she is not ready for the likes of Travis. He comes on strong, with all the energy of a guy almost ten years her junior, which is exactly what he is.

Even as Travis's troubled past catches up with him, he pulls out all the stops to convince Andie he deserves a chance. And with the spring thaw hitting the Mountain View Resort, Andie discovers her own temperature rising whenever Travis looks her way…

My Thoughts:
Just What He Wanted is just the kind of romance you should pick up if you craving a low drama, frustration free, sweet read. I love small town stories where everyone knows everyone and cares like a family. I should also tell you that I have a special weakness for country boys, especially one as hot as Travis! I hear phrases like “y’all” or “ma’am” in a Southern accent and I go a little weak in the knees! Add in some gentlemanly manners and the urge to protect and I’m sold!

Andie’s moved to the small town of Holloway to get away from the big city and get back to her small town roots. She’s also moved to get away from a man who put a dent in her self-esteem by trying to change and mold her into his version of acceptable. Andie is not size 2 model thin, she has curves in all the right places, but thanks to her dirt-bag ex, she feels unattractive.

Enter Travis; smoking hot country boy, with his faded blues jeans, pale green eyes, and a body made to sin! Trouble is (at least in Andie’s eyes) that he’s only twenty-five and she’s thirty-four, and that feels very young to her.

Travis takes one look at Andie and is knocked off his feet by how gorgeous she is. He doesn’t care one bit about her age:

“How old are you?”
“Old enough.” He said the words right as she finished hers.
“For?” Whatever was jumping around her stomach needed to knock it the hell off.
“For whatever you have in mind.”

Yes, please!

Travis is sent to work with Andie and realizes she’s all alone caring for Mountain View, miles away from anyone. This brings out his protective streak and he makes it is business to make sure she’s safe. They have some push and pull, with him doing most of the pushing and Andie doing most of the pulling away. Not to worry, though, it’s not on a frustrating level, more of an entertaining one, and these two can’t fight their burning attraction for long!

I didn’t realize this was part of a series when picking it up but I found out it’s unnecessary to read the previous stories to enjoy this one. Each book focuses on a separate couple, but I’d probably have enjoyed the glimpses into the other couples lives had I read the prior novels.

Just What He Wanted is a romance that will leave you with a sappy smile at the end. Sweet with just a little bit of spice!

A copy was provided by Carina Press in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

 

3.5 Suns

 

 

 

 

 





About the Author:

Award-winning author HelenKay Dimon spent twelve years in the most unromantic career ever - divorce lawyer. After dedicating all of that effort to helping people terminate relationships, she is thrilled to deal in happy endings and write romance novels for a living. Her books have been featured in Cosmopolitan Magazine and E! Online. HelenKay loves hearing from readers, and you can find her at her:

 

 

 

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