This one just did not hit for me. It put me into a deep reading slump and if not for the fact that I wanted to review it I don’t know if I would have finished it.

I am a Lauren Blakely review team member, but I remain honest and genuine in my reviews.

The hotshot new hockey player, the veteran team captain, and the woman they fall for when she becomes the new team mascot in a fake marriage hockey rom com!

When my ex trades me out for a better model—my boss—I don’t take getting screwed over lying down.

Instead, I get a glow up, not only landing a new job with the hockey team but also scoring the city’s hot new hockey player as my plus one to my ex’s wedding. Then, the sexy team captain starts flirting with me, too.

But one night after a win, I accidentally marry that intense new guy after the captain dares us to say I do. One dare leads to another, and I’m experiencing double the pleasure as I say puck yes to both players sharing me on my wedding night.

In the morning, when hubby and I are on our way to get an annulment, the team owner spots our rings and invites the new it couple to attend her upcoming charity golf tournament.

Looks like I have to fake it as Mrs. Hockey for the hockey season and the wedding season. There’s only one problem.

We’re not just a couple. Both guys want more of me.

And pretty soon I’ve got a bigger problem – I’m falling for my fake husband and my secret boyfriend at the same time.

Puck Yes is a standalone hockey, fake marriage, neighbors-to-lovers, spicy workplace MFM romance with a guaranteed why-choose style HEA! No swords cross. This story is perfect for fans of Lily Gold, Emily Rath and Lauren Blakely’s Double Pucked!

Check out my more detailed thoughts below…

• Characters: Ivy falls for both Hayes and Stefan in Puck Yes. When we meet Ivy she is quitting her job and throughout the book, she does go through some character development. Then there are the hockey players, Hayes and Stefan, with Hayes being the new guy and Stefan being much more of the suave cool guy. None of the three characters really stood out to me.
• Setting: The boys play for the San Francisco Avengers so the majority of this story is set there. There is a key exception which is obviously alluded to in the synopsis, they do all go to Vegas and 2/3 get hitched!
• Pacing: There was seemingly too much and not enough going on in this story. It was so spice forward I did not really get attached to the plot happening between those chapters. This also has too many tropes, which is something Lauren does every once in a while when she tries to stuff too much into this book. I did not really like the fake relationship aspect at all and would have rather had the three of them navigate coming together without that.
• Romance: So, I already said this book was spice forward and the quality of many of those scenes is why this is a three-star, rather than a two from me. Lauren has really got sex scenes nailed down and I enjoyed them. If you have read any of my other reviews it is my preference in poly romance for sword-cross, I want all the characters to really be together. Most of the issues with the pacing all over the place and not getting attached to the characters had me just not that invested in this throuple. Still suffice it to say, if you love poly hockey romance then you will probably get a kick out of this still.

Puck Yes receives three out of five stars.

Follow Lauren on all her social channels…

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Thank you again to Lauren and her team for the review opportunity. Thank you for reading and supporting my blog!

The post Lauren Blakley’s Puck Yes ARC Review appeared first on ClaryNathanWill.

This one just wasn’t for me. I have been enjoying the series so far but just found I was not attached to the characters and that it was a bit of a trope overload.

I am a Lauren Blakely review team member, but I remain honest and genuine in my reviews.

I swear I’m a good girl. I didn’t go to the exclusive, after-hours masquerade to kiss my dad’s best friend. I didn’t even know who the masked man was when he touched me like I was his every fantasy. But when I learn exactly how off-limits my new lover is, I do my best to avoid him the next time. Except, he has his sinful sights set on me, even when he discovers who I am. Just one time, he whispers. Then we’ll pretend this never happened. Seems the enigmatic, gorgeous single dad I’ve known by day is a very dirty man after dark. But one night turns into a stolen weekend away, giving me a taste of so much more. When we return to the city, we vow to stay apart. We could never work . He’s focused on raising his young son, and I can’t let my already damaged family break more. But the caring, possessive man keeps coming back to me, and these secret nights tangled up together are turning into tender moments that make my heart thunder. And soon, this tease of a forbidden romance is making me want so much more than I can ever have…

Check out my more detailed thoughts below…

• Characters: The lead characters were Jules Marley and Finn Adams. Jules is a junior TV producer while Finn is a venture capitalist. He is the business partner of Nick, the hero from the previous novel The Tryst. Finn is a divorced single father and is of course much older than Jules. Jules has OCD and I was not keen on the representation of this as it just seemingly entered the story too close to the end. I did like her bold, confident personality but I found in contrast that Finn blended with many other male love interests.
• Setting: The story is split between New York City and Paris. I do adore books set in Paris and Lauren really does do a good job depicting a romantic Paris. It is easy to believe in a city like Paris that you can be so easily whisked away.
• Pacing: I did read this quite quickly as Lauren writes at a decently fast pace, but I also wanted to make sure it didn’t put me into a reading slump.
• Romance: This romance had a lot going on it, maybe too much. They met at a masquerade night at a club, and I would have loved it if Lauren had embraced this even more. She is the daughter of his friend but they would flip between that fact making their relationship forbidden and Jules’ fears. It felt like as they balanced both issues, neither felt the proper weight. The sex scenes were pretty hot, as Lauren is consistently good at writing them.

The Tease receives three out of five stars.

Follow Lauren on all her social channels…

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Thank you again to Lauren and her team for the review opportunity. Thank you for reading and supporting my blog.

The post Lauren Blakely’s The Tease ARC Review appeared first on ClaryNathanWill.

This story is so damn adorable. Perfect for fans of both friends-to-lovers and fake dating!!

I am a Lauren Blakley review team member, but I remain honest and genuine in my reviews.

Am I fake dating my best friend? Hear me out…
So I’m throwing myself a breakup party, a glittery fete where I envision I’ll lift a glass and celebrate being free and single again.
What I actually do: Drink too much champagne and blurt out to my best guy friend that I’d really like to get back on the horse.
But what I truly don’t expect is Carter’s answer – he volunteers as tribute.
With his sinful brown eyes and too-good-to-be-true body it’d be no hardship for me to say yes, though I certainly don’t want him to feel obligated to, um, service me, just because my failed, loveless marriage was a s-e-x desert.
But since the charming and confident pro football star owes five public dates to his dating app sponsor, we make a deal to help each other out.
Pretty soon, our public how to date lessons turn into, ahem, very private ones. And I’m a star student, graduating quickly from flirty banter and lingering looks to toe-curling, sheet-grabbing, mind-blowing hours of physical education.
The problem? Turns out learning to date again feels a lot like the real thing. Can our friendship withstand all these late-night bedroom sessions?
Especially since I’m suddenly longing for my best friend and there’s nothing fake about my feelings…

Check out my more detailed thoughts below…

• Characters: Rachel, our heroine is a recent divorcee, after having left her toxic husband, the man who she thought would be the father of her children after she found his business trips were him visiting his secret second family. She is so relatable to anyone who has ever felt unsure about finding love and feeling worthy of adoration. Enter her best friend, Carter. They had been close friends since high school and are now back in the same city again after a while, ready to rekindle that friendship. The NFL player had a few exes but nothing was too serious. He too is deserving of using his great boyfriend skills on someone.
• Setting: This is Lauren Blakley’s San Francisco so lots of cute cameos from characters you will recognize. This includes Carter’s brother Axel and his girlfriend Hazel from My So-Called Sex Life.
• Pacing: I found myself intrigued by this story right away, which is a change from the pacing I am used to with Lauren’s recent work. It was a refreshing change to not have to put in a few chapters before getting attached to the story. I did find it lost some momentum near the third act though.
• Romance: What pulled me in right away was the tension between the characters. I am not as big on friends-to-lovers (I am usually more of an enemies-to-lovers girlie) but these two were adorable with their feelings and hot with their actions. Damn, Lauren Blakley treated us to some hot sex scenes. I found I got so emotionally invested in them too, the fans the characters had in the book, they also made one in real life.

Plays Well With Others receives four out of five stars.

You can pick up the story here.

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Thank you again to Lauren and her team for the review opportunity. Thank you for reading and supporting my blog!

The post Lauren Blakely’s Plays Well With Others ARC Review appeared first on ClaryNathanWill.

This book is two things I have been dying to see Lauren Blakley write: a hockey romance and a why choose! I knew Lauren’s style would suit the Lily Gold type of book, and this sure delivered. It is so much fun and definitely a great place to start for readers who are starting their journeys into reading throuples/triads/poly relationships.

I am a Lauren Blakely review team member, but I remain honest and genuine in my reviews.

A jilted book nerd, a plan for sweet revenge, and the two hockey stars who volunteer as her tributes…

When I discover my boyfriend is cheating on me, I move out right away taking what I love most – my dog. As I fly out the door, I make sure to swipe the thing my ex loves best. The VIP tickets he won to a hockey game, complete with the chance to spend an evening with the city’s two biggest NHL stars. I can’t wait to snap selfies with my ex’s idols and rub it in his face. Except, when I head out with the two hockey studs, they have something else in mind besides sweet revenge. Would I like to spend the night…with both of them? Talk about the VIP experience. That’s what I get for one knee-weakening, sheet-grabbing night. In the morning, I plan to return to my bestie’s house to crash on her couch with my dog. But when they learn what happened with my awful ex, they ask me to be their temporary roomie for the week. Oh, and one of them needs my help with his grumpy reputation. The other? Well, he wants me to be his fake date at an upcoming wedding. Looks like I’m about to get double pucked. Again.
Double Pucked is a roomies to lovers, fake dating, image makeover, super spicy hockey rom com with a guaranteed why-choose style HEA! No swords cross. The two guys are all about HER all throughout! This story is perfect for fans of Lily Gold and Emily Rath!

Check out my more detailed thoughts below…

• Characters: Our heroine is Trina, a book nerd who doesn’t really know a lot about hockey, but does know she wants to piss off her cheating ex. So she steals his VIP tickets to a hockey game, which includes a meet and greet with two hockey players. After the VIP experience night, Trina begins to live every gal’s fantasy, she has the love and attention of not one but two hockey players. Readers are bound to love Trina, as she moves into Chase’s place for a week with her no-nonsense attitude and adorable dog. Speaking of Chase, he and Ryker are our heroes. Do you love a grumpy hero? Do you love a sunshine hero? You get both in this book! Chase is sunshine, the protector and super loyal. In contrast, Ryker is the grump, married to the sport. I did feel Trina’s character felt more developed than the hockey boys and would have loved to have seen some better balance there.
• Setting: The story is set in San Franciso, a setting that will be familiar to fans of Lauren’s sports romances. The boys play for rival teams, San Francisco Sea Dogs and California Avengers. I do wish there was more hockey in this hockey romance. I was excited to see Lauren’s take as she has done virtually every other sport already and we needed more time on ice and with the teams.
• Pacing: This story was paced very well. Funnily enough, the majority of it takes place in a week. You may think one week is not long enough to fall in love with one man, but Lauren will show you it is long enough to fall for two.
• Romance: I loved that once Trina barrels into their lives the boys shower her affection in different yet equal ways. I want to be forthright here, I prefer sword cross in my poly romance, but I get why Lauren did it the way she did. She was able to balance showing these new romantic relationships blossoming with the ever-present and hugely important friendship between the two guys. They don’t just need Trina’s love, they need each other’s friendship. But don’t get me wrong the relationship part is the best part. From their first scene together these three were smoking hot. If you love when Lauren Blakley pushes the steam then this will be one that makes you happy. Along with all the great sex scenes, there were so many adorable quiet moments of pancake breakfasts and dog walks. Making this a story equally sweet and a scorcher!

Double Pucked receives four out of five stars.

You can pick up the story here.

Follow Lauren on all her social channels…

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Thank you again to Lauren and her team for the review opportunity. Thank you for reading and supporting my blog.

The post Lauren Blakely’s Double Pucked ARC Review appeared first on ClaryNathanWill.

Another sports M/M from Lauren Blakley, which was an overall enjoyable read but it felt like it lacked something special.

I am a Lauren Blakley review team member, but I remain honest and genuine in my reviews.

One weekend with no strings was supposed to be the plan.

After barely escaping my last train wreck of a romance, I’ve got a new dating goal—play it cool.

I stick to that strategy when I meet a hunky Brit at a fundraiser and ask him to grab a drink. But he’s newly out and eager for all the things he’s never done, so he ups the ante with the wild suggestion that we jet off to the city of sin for a weekend, then say goodbye.

But instead, thanks to blackjack, a bet and some bourbon, we’re saying I do.

And in the morning I’m asking myself what the hell have I done? I can’t risk being the football player who’s also a playa. We’ll just undo the holy matrimony right this stinking second.

Except, the pics of our nuptials are splashed all over the Internet, and my agent says we need to stay Mister and Mister until the brouhaha blows over.

Thirty days as fake husbands with the charming Brit who’s determined to prove that he’s nothing like my ex?

My bruised heart can handle that as long as I don’t fall for my husband.

And I won’t. When we split for real, he’ll be an ocean away.

Contents include: A sarcastic, romance-phobic American football player, a charming and dirty-minded British businessman, an Elvis impersonator, white-hot first times, dangerous decisions, and a sexy, witty, emotional fake marriage, first times MM standalone sports romance!

Check out my more detailed thoughts below…

• Characters: Our heroes are Hunter, a British TV producer and Nate, an American football star. Nate brought some adorable shy energy. He was newly out as Bi, so he is dealing with many insecurities and self-doubt about being with a man for the first time. Lauren loves to make one of the characters a virgin so he takes center stage. While Nate is the much more experience one of the pair. The San Francisco Hawks player is pretty fresh off a divorce and has not really re-entered the dating scene. I enjoyed the warmth Nate gave off, he seemed like a good brother and a good friend. Realistically though neither character impressed me all too much, they were likeable guys but not standouts.
• Setting: This story has a few settings from San Francisco, to Las Vegas, to London. The best part of the story was the part set in Las Vegas. They stayed at the Extravagant Hotel (love a Lauren Blakley easter egg) and it provided fodder for so many hot scenes, including one too many drinks and one too many weddings.
• Pacing: I had some big pacing issues with this story. First off the beginning dragged a bit, I know there needed to be some time to establish how these characters met and who they are. I do think that section could have been condensed so that readers can get swept up in the accidental Las Vegas wedding a bit sooner. Those passages were the shining star, so we needed to get to them sooner. The rest of the books also felt bogged down, my heart just was not in it and it put me in a bit of a reading slump.
• Romance: This couple had really great tension. What great chemistry as both characters oozed sex tension. Lauren keeps writing these characters who just cannot get enough of each other. The best part in many ways was their insatiability, the physical part of their relationship was much stronger than the emotional part. I found I just did not grow that attached to these two, it may be different for other readers. So, please do not let my review disparage you, if you have enjoyed this series it is worth picking up this instalment!

Limited Edition Husband receives three out of five stars.

You can pick up the story below…

✦ Amazon ✦ Audible ✦

Follow Lauren on all her social channels…

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Thank you again to Lauren and her team for the review opportunity. Thank you for reading and supporting my blog!

The post Lauren Blakley’s Limited Edition Husband ARC Review appeared first on ClaryNathanWill.

I really enjoyed this instalment! Lauren leaning into the forbidden age-gap romances is the right choice, as these stories are just so deliciously steamy. The Tryst is falling for your ex-boyfriend’s father and that trope is executed so well here.

I am a Lauren Blakely review team member, but I remain honest and genuine in my reviews.

Some men are just off-limits. Like your ex-boyfriend’s father.

But when I met the sexy, powerful older man shortly after my business school graduation, he was simply the seductive stranger I wanted to notice me, and he sure did.
Fast forward a few months later, when my college ex – now a good friend – introduces me to the person he looks up to most…his father.
The man I spent that one hot night with.
I should stay far away from the commanding business mogul. But my ex and I are planning a charity fundraiser that involves late nights at his dad’s penthouse in Manhattan.
Nights where he can’t stop looking at me with desire in his eyes that matches my own.
I try to resist him, playing the good girl in the city…mostly.
He’s the perfect gentleman…until he comes knocking on my door and tells me exactly what he wants to do to me.
And I say yes.
Stealing nights with him like this is supposed to be wrong, but it feels so right. And when he saves the day to protect his son at the fundraiser, my heart wants him as much as my body does.

Can we ever be more than just a tryst?

Check out my more detailed thoughts below…

• Characters: Layla is one member of the trio that makes up the so-called Virgin Society, and I really enjoyed her character. She is your favourite type of nepo baby, yes she comes from wealth but she is trying to carve her own place in the world. She has grown a career for herself through her alter-ego Lola’s makeup tutorials and app. There is so much to her character, an incredible drive and this depth to the feelings of loss. She cannot afford to trust easily, so it was beautiful to watch her let Nick in. Nick is the father of Layla’s college ex, David. Nick is a venture capitalist who had to work for everything he has. His ex-wife and her richer community looked down on him, they made him feel like an outsider. He was charming, and caring, and I loved how he went out of his way for the people he loves.
• Setting: This story begins in New York City, but we are quickly whisked away for an explosive time in Miami. What is seemingly just a tech conference opportunity becomes a hugely meaningful night for Layla and Nick. Then we transition back to the hustle and bustle of New York City, and Lauren always works in cameos and easter eggs from her New York books.
• Pacing: The beginning of the story was a tad too slow. I think it would have been stronger to open during the conference, rather than the lead up to it. The rest of the story was paced very well.
• Romance: Nick and Lola were hot together, and Nick and Layla were even hotter. I love that this series is about characters losing their virginities, but Lauren writes it so that it doesn’t take away or over dominate the story. The sex scenes were electric, yet still very full of emotional connection. It felt like this couple fell in love with each other even more with each scene. This is a great story Lauren Blakely, and I am excited about the next age gap romance, The Tease coming this fall.

The Tryst receives four out of five stars.

You can pick up the story here.

Follow Lauren on all her social channels…

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Thank you again to Lauren and her team for the review opportunity. Thank you for reading and supporting my blog!

The post Lauren Blakely’s The Tryst ARC Review appeared first on ClaryNathanWill.

Romance novel fanatics will swoon over Lauren Blakely’s ode to romance writers and fans alike. Hazel and Axel are celebrated romance writers, who went from writing a popular series together to dissolving their working relationship. An author tour in Europe, with only one bed on the train’s sleeper car is the push these characters need to reckon with their feelings. Ultimately, Hazel and Axel’s journey is a love letter to romancelandia and I adored it.

I am a Lauren Blakley review team member, but my reviews remain honest and genuine.

I’ve got a list of people I absolutely don’t ever want to be stuck with on a boat, or a plane, or a train, and it starts and ends with the broody, grumpy, too-sexy-for-my-own good Axel Huxley.

Also known as this romance novelist’s number one nemesis.

The man is legendary for his mighty pen and his even mightier scowl. I tried to work together with the cocky thriller writer once upon a time, but the two of us are like vodka and good decisions. We don’t play well together.

Only now, our publishers are sending us on a joint trip across Europe to mingle with our most devoted readers on an old-fashioned luxury train. And thanks to a booking snafu, we have to share a sleeper car.

You guessed it–there’s only one bed.

I’m not sure I can survive the next seven days and nights with my dangerously sexy enemy and all our fiery tension.

Which explodes one night in a desperately needed hate bang.

But the bigger plot twist is this – the more time we spend together, visiting the most romantic cities in Europe by day and discovering each other at night, the more I’m forced to face our past.

To let go of the hurt.

To see the man he’s become.

And when I do, I wonder if it’s too late to write a new happy ending for us?

Check out my more detailed thoughts below…

• Characters: Hazel Valentine is our heroine; a romance writer fueled by writing perfect meet-cutes. I loved how unapologetic she was, from the outlandish things she would say, to just being a bit of a failure when it came to her own love life. Our hero is Axel Huxley, another writer who had been Hazel’s co-author of a popular romance series. I did not get attached to him right away as he was a bit more standoffish. Once you are off to Europe with him and you get to know him better readers will begin to understand why he is built the way it is.
• Setting: The story’s setting is such a gem! Hazel and Axel have the same publisher so they are sent on a European book tour. It is an ideal book tour with stops in Barcelona, Paris, and Copenhagen. The best part was that they took a train from city to city and had to share the same bed. As romance authors, these two make so many jokes about all the tropes they encounter during their journey. This book feels like a big inside joke. Avid romance fans will eat up all the poking fun of tropes and love seeing their passions on full display.
• Pacing: I want to warn you this book has a few pacing issues. I found the beginning dragged on, as the story starts states-side and all I wanted was to get going on the European book tour.
• Romance: This couple has a fascinating history. They used to be writing partners and had a bit of a falling out. Very much prompted by Axel who broke things off before they had finished their book series. The deeper parts of their working relationship were kept a secret, so as they began to reconnect on this author tour around Europe I loved how private all their sweet moments were. As this is the only one-bed trope there is some excellent fodder for some super sexy scenes. Even just the kisses were oozing with sexual tension. I really loved this couple’s journey from work partners to rivals to friends to lovers.

My So-Called Sex Life receives four out of five stars.

You can pick up the story below…

✦ Amazon ✦ Audible ✦

Follow Lauren Blakely on all her social channels…

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Newsletter | Goodreads

Thank you again to Lauren and her team for the review opportunity. Thank you for reading and supporting my blog!

The post Lauren Blakely’s My So-Called Sex Life ARC Review appeared first on ClaryNathanWill.

I really enjoyed this M/M romance from Lauren Blakley. Filthy in the title does not even describe just how hot and heavy this book is. Fans will fawn over the intensity and steaminess of Gunner and Rafe.

I am a Lauren Blakely review team member, but I remain honest and genuine in my reviews.

It’s a fine line between lust and obsession…

Lately, I’ve been full of questions. Then one hot summer night I find all the answers when I kiss another guy for the first time. But all too soon, he disappears, leaving me wondering who my mystery man was.

Then I can’t stop thinking about him. Even on the ball field, I’m daydreaming about his hungry hands, and the filthy things he whispered in his posh British accent.

Somehow I still win one of the biggest games of my career, and afterward the man surprises me with an invitation: “Meet me in a private suite.”

When I RSVP, he makes me an offer – one chance to try all the things I’ve never experienced. Then we’ll walk away.

But once will never be enough. Soon I’m locked into an intense lessons-in-seduction game with the secretive billionaire who keeps love at a distance, all while he pushes the boundaries of my brand new desires.

And soon I learn that all my desires come with a terrible cost, as he breaks down the walls around my heart.

A Very Filthy Game is a lessons-in-seduction, first times, forbidden MM romance between a billionaire and an athlete…

Check out my more detailed thoughts below…

• Characters: Gunnar is the athlete. You might recognize him as one of Zane’s (Turn Me On) and Declan’s (Scoring with Him) teammates on the San Francisco Dragons. I loved how his story kicked off with his teammates betting him that he would be in a relationship by the end of the season, but he plays it off and acts very resistant to coupling up. So it was super enjoyable when Gunnar’s plans to win the bet are thwarted when Rafe enters the scene. He’s a charming and rich business owner of a men’s underwear company but has his sights on expanding to clothes from head to toe. He will be super relatable to any reader that has been burned by love, and my favourite part of the story was reading about his reluctance to open his heart. Don’t worry Gunnar will shake that foundation.
• Setting: The story is set in San Francisco. The best part of this is getting to have other members of the Dragons MLB team as essential presences in the story. I especially love Zane’s role as accountability man turned biggest cheerleader.
• Pacing: This book moves at a steady pace, I wouldn’t say either too fast or too slow. I cannot say it’s a very plot-driven book, the charisma of the leading men much more drives it.
• Romance: In terms of romance this one is a scorcher. They ooze sex appeal from their first meeting and it never stopped. Lauren Blakely throws in a virgin who wants to learn, a staple of many of her books. What I like about it is that it adds some breathing room, and may force them to slow down their pace and really be conscious about consent, pain, and pleasure. There is no denying that this book is hot and permeates every scene, from the texts they send to the glances across the room. If you want something more slow burn or less sexually charged this story may not be for you. If you want to escape into one hot relationship you’ll enjoy this one.

A Very Filthy Game receives four out of five stars.

You can pick up the story below…

Amazon | Audible

Follow Lauren on all her social channels…

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Newsletter | Goodreads

Thank you again to Lauren and her team for the review opportunity. Thank you for reading and supporting my blog!

The post Lauren Blakely’s A Very Filthy Game ARC Review appeared first on ClaryNathanWill.

Final review of 2022 and I couldn’t be more excited about this premise from Lauren Blakley!

I am a Lauren Blakely review team member, but I remain honest and genuine in my reviews.

A new, forbidden, virgin + father’s business partner, standalone office romance from #1 NYT Bestseller Lauren Blakely!

Our days are full of secrets. Our nights are for seduction…
For the last year, I’ve wanted someone I can’t have.
The man my father built his latest multimillion dollar business with.
He’s a decade older than I am, and he’s entirely forbidden.
The fact that he’s never given me a second glance only makes me long for him more.
But the other night, across the room at a gala, everything changed. His broody gaze lingered on me and grew darker.
So I’m officially done being the good girl.
Tomorrow I turn 21. As a gift to myself, I plan to seduce my father’s business partner.
Happy birthday to me.

Check out my more detailed thoughts below…

• Characters: Our heroine is Harlow, a newly twenty-one-year-old college grad experiencing and revelling in newfound independence for the first time. I loved that she was incredibly driven, even a bit bold. She has two men that dominate her life, her father her sole remaining parent who raised her in wealth and with a revolving door of stepmothers. But most of the space in her head is occupied by her huge crush on her father’s business partner, Bridger. She’s been crushing on him since she was fifteen and was dreaming of seducing him once she turned twenty-one. Bridger is in his early thirties, he is a TV producer, the more business-driven partner in the production company he runs with Harlow’s father. He is charming, a Broadway aficionado just like Harlow. I adored the early parts of this novel that had Bridger reckoning with how he is starting to see something more in Harlow, that the daughter of his business partner has grown into a beautiful woman with whom he connects so easily. I really like all the side characters introduced into this series, such as Harlow’s brother Hunter and her besties Layla and Ethan. They make up the Virgin Society, the namesake of this series. Layla’s story is coming next and I couldn’t be more excited about it.
• Setting: Lauren has returned us to New York City and I could not be happier. I really love how Lauren crafts tales in the big apple. This time around it is a very upscale New York. It is filled with MOMA, other galleries, and broadway shows.
• Pacing: This book felt a bit on the longer side but I found that it did not drag too much. It won’t feel as long if you had already read The Crush, the prologue Lauren added to illuminate Harlow and Bridger’s history in her later teen years. I just wish this was incorporated into the story rather than a prologue short story at the beginning.
• Romance: The romantic scenes were decently hot, most readers will love Lauren’s work here. I had hoped for even hotter, even more trysts in the office, please!! I did really like how Lauren handled the topic of Harlow’s virginity in this story. It doesn’t get played up as this big deal, it does not affect her ability to be sensual. That was such a nice change to see in how this trope was handled. The stakes of the taboo relationship were well managed, it was not just sunshine and rainbows, it was nice that they really had to face the music.

The RSVP receives four out of five stars.

You can pick up the story here.

Follow Lauren on all her social channels…

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Newsletter | Goodreads

Thank you again to Lauren and her team for the review opportunity. Thank you for reading and supporting my blog!

The post Lauren Blakely’s The RSVP ARC Review appeared first on ClaryNathanWill.

I always look forward to Lauren Blakley’s M/M romances and this one featured two characters with some palpable chemistry but it took way too long to take off.

I am a Lauren Blakley review team member, but I remain honest and genuine in my reviews.

The first rule of being an attorney is don’t sleep with your clients.
The second rule is–see the first rule.

Those guidelines don’t account for a man like Zane Archer though. The major leaguer is all confidence and big D energy as he swaggers into my life one night at a hotel bar, determined to spend the night with “the sexy suit,” as he calls me.

I’m so damn tempted to say yes, especially when my new client devastates me with a scorching kiss that has me reconsidering all my life choices.
The catch? If I tear up the rule book, my reputation as a lawyer to the most bankable stars in pro sports is on the line. Including my new goal of striking the deal of a lifetime for him — one he desperately needs to take care of his family.
Instead, I fight like hell to stay professional as I work closely with the man I can’t have.
But the more time we spend together, the more his irresistible charm threatens to break my resolve . . . right along with my heart.

TURN ME ON is a red-hot, MM, forbidden sports romance between a sports agent and an athlete…

Check out my more detailed thoughts below…

• Characters: Our male leads are Zane and Maddox. Zane is an athlete, he plays for the San Francisco baseball team. He’s out and proud while being quite the charmer. In this pair, Zane is more of the dominant one. The best part of his though is he is such a good uncle to his adorable niece. As for Maddox, he is a sports agent. He was recently poached by Zane’s agent Vance over to Vance’s agency. Maddox was brought in to help Zane acquire more sponsorships. Mad was definitely dominant in his professional capacity, a workaholic who chased deals and clients. But in the bedroom, he subdues for Zane, and I loved the dichotomy of Maddox’s character.
• Setting: The setting flips around quite a bit in this story. The most pivotal setting in New York City as so many key scenes happen there. I have always loved NYC and want Lauren to eventually return to the East coast settings over her current runs in the West Coast settings. The majority of the story is either in San Francisco, where Zane is based or Los Angeles where Maddox has his house and his very lovely pool, hehe.
• Pacing: I found the pacing off in this story. The beginning half really dragged for me, I struggled to return to the book to read the much stronger latter half. The pacing of Zane and Maddox giving into their attraction took too long. I am not saying they needed to hook up in the first chapter, but it was getting frustrating as I was reading that they had not stumbled into bed together.
• Romance: Maddox and Zane had some scorching scenes, but the pacing issues I had made me wait for most of the novel to get to them. I was not as emotionally invested in this couple as I have been with other Lauren Blakley M/M couples. This is because of the pacing issue, how am I supposed to buy into the depth of their feelings when the beginning is too drawn out and all the hookup scenes happen in rapid succession near the end? It would have been more powerful for them to hook up a few times before the roadblocks hit, instead, it read like the minute there was one slip up there were consequences.

Turn Me On receives three out of five stars.

You can pick up the story here.

Follow Lauren on all her social channels…

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Newsletter | Goodreads

Thank you again to Lauren and her team for the review opportunity. Thank you for reading and supporting my blog!

The post Lauren Blakley’s Turn Me On ARC Review appeared first on ClaryNathanWill.