Thursday 17 January 2019

♥ Lauren Blakely ♥ BIRTHDAY SUIT ♥ Excerpt ♥

© Bianca Janeane
   




• 17 January 2019
• standalone romantic comedy
• Dual POV


★★★★★
4.75 Stars
There is no rule in the Man Code as unbreakable as this: no matter how beautiful, smart, clever, and witty she is, do notunder any circumstancesfall in love with your best friend’s woman.
Yeah. So there’s that. Look, it’s not like I didn’t know I screwed up by falling for her.
Also, for the record, unrequited love sucks big time.
And, I might have cut myself some slack by now, given everything that went down in the last few years, but Lulu just walked back into my life in a big way.

***
There are three things I've never been able to resistmy friends, my family, and chocolate.
Leo Hennessy? He was nowhere on that list. He's been a true frienda friend who walked through hell and back with me.
Now, I'm stepping into my new future. I didn't expect it to include a riddle-filled, race-against-the-clock scavenger hunt across New York City.
With Leo.
Suddenly, I'm looking at this man with new eyes...
But my life spun out because of a man once before, and I can’t risk my fresh start, no matter what the temptation. And Leo is most definitely a temptation of the sexiest, sweetest, and most dangerous variety.
More irresistibly delicious than chocolate... 




Leo has been in love with Lulu for a decade.
But she's only ever been his 'buddy' - because back then she fell for his best friend.
And now - all these years later - Leo and Lulu are both back in New York for work.
And they will even have to work together at Leo's chocolate company.
Can they still be best friends? Because Leo's feelings haven't disappeared and Lulu might start feeling more than friendship the more time they spend together?

What will happen with Lulu & Leo?
Will there be a HEA?
READ THE BOOK TO FIND OUT!
 







Awww ... I loved it!
It was so funny and adorable and ... wait for it .... sweet! LOL! It's all about chocolate in this book.
Leo is working for a chocolate company and Lulu is a chocolatier. And there is A LOT of chocolate in here - what could be better than being surrounded by chocolaty goodness that won't make you gain a hundred pounds?!?!

Leo has been so in love with Lulu back then - and those feelings never went away. And now she's back and talking to him, joking with him, touching and hitting him while making a point. He's not made of stone - he doesn't think he can be just her friend.
And Lulu? Does she have feelings too?
But wouldn't it be wrong and weird and verboten to fall for each other???

But of course they do fall - even if it won't be an easy road to that happily ever after - but we'll love every second of reading about it!

GREAT ROM-COM!!!!!!
I loved it! Even though it kinda confused me a tiny bit in the beginning. No idea what it was? They talked too much and too fast and too jokingly and too much back and forth and so much chocolate - maybe that's why I couldn't concentrate. ☺☺☺ There's chocolate everywhere!!!☺

The story tried a bit too hard to be a rom-com - there was almost no rom to all that com in the first half of the book. No romance and sparks and chemistry at all. It was all jokingly talking about chocolate and whatnot. And then once the first kiss finally comes? No idea - I still didn't feel the romantic chemistry between them. Maybe because they just joked too much for my tastes. Ugh, I didn't really feel the love in between all the chocolate and joking. I almost stopped reading in the middle of the second kiss..... But ... I still kinda really loved Leo and Lulu!!! Even though Leo was a tiny bit too softish for my tastes. But they're so adorable and have been through so much with Tripp and their friendship. We just want them to end up together.

It was a sweet romance with lots of heartbreaking moments and very funny moments - and I loved the scavanger hunt they're doing with all the food companies through the city. I really wouldn't mind seeing this book on tv one day - that might work better than the book ...

But please don't be afraid to read it. It was very sweet and adorable and funny and emotional. Most readers will adore it!
Maybe it just wasn't my day for this book. ☺ Maybe I saw too many mega-raving 5-star reviews on goodreads and went in with too high expectations - which you should never do!!!! Grrr. ☺

BIRTHDAY SUIT was a fun and adorable chocolate love story!! Run to your nearest amazon asap for your own Leo - this one is MINE !!!




ARC received for an honest review

A hero who works in the chocolate industry?  Let me at him!

I mean, his name is Leo, I am a Leo, we are meant to be, right?

Alas, Lulu is all that this sweet, adorable man can see :(

I adored Birthday Suit so much.  It was full of tender, sweet moments, along with a lot of sad and heartfelt moments.

I am a sucker for a good friends to lovers book, and when you throw in years of unrequited love, well, stick a fork in me, because I am done!

Leo and Lulu's story is not always a happy one, however you just know that they are going to have to find their way to a HEA, they just have to.

I was left with a smile on my dial after reading Birthday Suit, and now I am impatiently awaiting what Ms Blakely brings us next.

Please don't leave me waiting too long!


♥ EXCERPT ♥

I take a moment to add up the facts, only the facts.

Lulu is here.

She’s living in New York.

I’m living in New York.

I’m about to add in one more fact, but I can’t in good conscience go there.

Besides, my heart is pounding too fast.

It’s from the incident, I tell myself.

It’s from the adrenaline rush.

It’s not from feelings.

I don’t feel a thing.

I leave the men’s room, take a drink from the water fountain, and wipe my hand across my mouth.

When I look up, she’s there.

With outstretched arms, she spins in a circle, waiting for an appraisal of her new outfit.

Her new, jaw-dropping, sexy-as-sin, might-as-well-throw-in-the-towel-and-raise-the-white-flag-of-surrender outfit.

What the hell was I thinking?

I clearly wasn’t using my brain at all. Because she’s even more alluring in this garb.

She’s only wearing the chef jacket and heels.

“Are you…?” I gesture to the outfit, the end of my words making my meaning clear? Are you naked under that?

She rolls her eyes. “Please. I have on my alpaca panties.”

“Alpaca panties?”

Her eyes twinkle. “I couldn’t resist. There was a sale on cute animal print undies with faces, you know, right here.” She gestures to her pelvis. “A six pack of giraffes, zebras, dolphins, and llamas too.” She casts her eyes down. “Wait. I have on the llama ones. I always get them confused.”

“Alpacas have shorter ears. Llama ears are banana length.”

She snaps her fingers. “Yes. Exactly. I’m wearing the big-eared animal undies, so it’s totally fine.”

Great. Now I’m thinking of her in underwear. In fucking llama underwear. Precisely the visual I’ve assembled way too many times without help, thank you very much. Minus the llamas, of course.

She tugs at the hem of the jacket, revealing the bare flesh of her thigh.

“Lulu.” It comes out like a warning.

She laughs at me. “Relax. I’m tiny; this jacket is huge. It’s like a short dress on me.”

“A very short dress.”

“I can handle a short dress. I’ve worn shorter.”

“Shorter as in ass-cheek length, Lulu?”

Her eyebrows wiggle. Her eyes—green and not so green—sparkle. “Yes. I’ve worn ass-cheek length, Leo. But I’m still decent. And you’re still my hero.”

She leans closer, rises on tippy toes, and moves her lips close, closer, closest. She dusts those lips across my cheek, and it’s like she’s an arsonist.

In one swift move, I’m on fire.


✮✮✮ A Fabulous Birthday Present for You! ✮✮✮

Let’s celebrate the release of BIRTHDAY SUIT with the cupcake of the month club from Wicked Good Cupcakes and a Subscription to Audible all wrapped up in a Michael Kors Handbag ($500 value)!


 LINKS TO THE BOOKs & AUTHOR 
   






Book #1

    



Book #2

  
  



Book #3

  
  





  
  


Football Series Book #1

  
  



Book #2







If you haven't read Lauren's Male POV romances BIG ROCK & MISTER O & WELL HUNG  & FULL PACKAGE & Joy Ride yet - DO IT NOW!!














  
  


 HARD WOOD!
  
  




  
  








Lauren Blakely writes sexy contemporary romance novels with heat, heart, and humor, and she has had eight books on the New York Times Bestseller list and sixteen on the USA Today Bestseller list. Like the heroine in her novel, FAR TOO TEMPTING, she thinks life should be filled with family, laughter, and the kind of love that love songs promise. Lauren lives in California with her husband, children, and dogs. She loves hearing from readers! Her bestselling series include Sinful Nights, Seductive Nights, No Regrets, Caught Up in Love, and Fighting Fire. She recently released SWEET SINFUL NIGHTS, the first novel in her new sexy romance series Sinful Nights that became an instant New York Times Bestseller. In January, she'll release BIG ROCK, a sexy, standalone romantic comedy. She also writes for young adults under the name Daisy Whitney.