Release Day Review: Rusty Nailed by Alice Clayton

Posted in 4 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Rusty Nailed by Alice Clayton
Series: Cocktail #2 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: June 24th 2014
Purchase: Ebook • Paperback
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher (Gallery Books) in exchange for an honest review

In this sequel to Wallbanger, fan favorites Caroline Reynolds and Simon Parker negotiate the rollercoaster of their new relationship while house-sitting in Sausalito.

Playing house was never so much fun—or so confusing. With her boss on an extended honeymoon, Caroline’s working crazy-long hours to keep the interior design company running—especially since she’s also the lead designer for the renovation of a gorgeous old hotel. And with Simon, her hotshot photographer boyfriend, gallivanting all over the world for his job, the couple is heavy-duty into “absence makes the heart grow fonder” mode. No complaints about the great reunion sex, though!

Then a trip back east to his childhood home has Simon questioning his nomadic lifestyle. He decides to be home more. A lot more. And he wants Caroline home more, too. Though their friends’ romantic lives provide plenty of welcome distraction, eventually Caroline and Simon have to sort out their relationship. Sure, more togetherness is a good thing—but does less traveling and working have to mean the other extreme? Apple pie and picket fences? With this second book in the Cocktail series, USA TODAY bestselling author Alice Clayton delivers another delicious, frothy confection of a book, shaking up her characters, stirring in laugh-out-loud humor, and serving sizzling romance straight up!

In case you didn’t know, I’m in love with Caroline and Simon. Like, seriously IN LOVE. I fell so hard for their story in Wallbanger, and I was desperate for more about them. And thank goodness Alice Clayton wrote Rusty Nailed!! I pretty much devoured Rusty Nailed in one sitting. I seriously don’t think I could ever get tired of reading about Simon or Caroline.

Rusty Nailed is a continuation of Simon and Caroline’s story from Wallbanger, so RN definitely should NOT be read as a standalone. Simon and Caroline have been together for a year, and life is… well, pretty great for them.

After a year, he could still bring me to my knees in seconds with one touch, one kiss, one look.

They still have sexy times, they still have those hilarious, sweet moments. Simon is off traveling the world most of the time because of his work as a photographer, but Caroline’s okay with that as she’s working hard at her job as an interior designer. The two of them have reached the point in their relationship where there’s not much angst or drama. I loved seeing how even though Simon is away many times throughout the year, the second he comes home, it’s like he and Caroline have never been apart. Simon is seriously the sweetest, and the two of them still have such a great chemistry with each other.

When you were in a long-distance relationship, of course you made the most of the time you were together. But sometimes, it was the unexpected that really made the difference. The unexpected emotions you were hit with when you saw that face, looked into those eyes, felt those lips. The unexpected reminder of why you fell in love with this person could hit you so powerfully. And this was that time.

We have Caroline and Simon’s friends’ stories entwined in the book too, which I was so happy about! Mimi and Ryan are engaged, Sophia and Neil have broken up (whaaat?), and Caroline’s boss Jillian is getting married. I love Caroline and Simon, don’t get me wrong, but their friends are so freaking hilarious!!! Caroline and Simon are funny enough, but add in the antics of their friends, and you have the laugh-out-loud humor that is an Alice Clayton classic.

So things are cruising along nicely for Caroline and Simon… until Caroline’s boss heads off on her honeymoon, leaving Caroline in charge of an entire business. Caroline has to work long-ass hours to keep the business running, but on the bright side, her boss left her in charge of a beautiful home to “house-sit” with Simon. Yeah, “house-sit”, as in have crazy monkey sex all over the place. 😉

Another aspect I loved about the book was how much more serious both Simon and Caroline were about their relationship. Simon is a very light-hearted guy–he’s sweet, funny, charming, and it’s enough to make us forget that he was orphaned at eighteen when his parents died. But in Rusty Nailed, we finally get to see the more vulnerable side to Simon–he finally opens up more about his past and his parents. Which only served to make me fall even more head-over-heels in love with this man.

But with Caroline getting more and more stressed over her temporary new job, and Simon getting contemplative about his and Caroline’s relationship, life’s not all sunshine and rainbows anymore. Caroline barely has any time to spend with Simon, and Simon is home a lot more now that he’s not taking many jobs.

Being half of a “we” is sometimes hard.

The two of them have to deal with what it means to be in a steady relationship, and it was so great to see Simon and Caroline discover that together. The two of them could not be more perfect for each other, so I was rooting for them all the way. They have their bumps along the road (i.e. some arguments, but nothing that a little lovin’ can’t solve 😉 ) but when the going gets tough, these two don’t get going. They stay with each other, hash it out with each other, and do what real couples do–they talk (and have sex. Of course).

“I adore you, and I want a home. Again. With you.”~Simon

I have to say though, I didn’t love Rusty Nailed as much as Wallbanger. Did I expect to? Maybe… but just because I didn’t love this book as much as I did Wallbanger doesn’t mean I love Caroline and Simon any less. Pink Nightie Girl and Wallbanger for the win! The book did move too slow in some parts, where some communication could have easily solved everything, and Caroline was being too stubborn for too long. But still, how could I not love a book about Simon and Caroline? I really enjoyed reading more of their lives past Wallbanger–I was laughing and swooning the whole time reading. I can’t ever get enough of these two!

Quotes are taken from the arc and are subject to change in the final version.

More Buy Links:
Amazon • Barnes & Noble • iTunes

Reading Order: Cocktail series

#1 ~ Wallbanger: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ Rusty Nailed: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#3 ~ Screwdrivered: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#4 ~ Mai Tai’d Up: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#4.5 ~ Last Call: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads

26May2014

Blog Tour + Early Review & Giveaway: Mended by Kim Karr

Posted in 3.5 hearts, Blog Tours, Giveaways, Reviews by Lacey

Title: Mended
Author: Kim Karr
Series: Connections #3 (full reading order below)
Release Date: June 3rd 2014

Music has the power to heal, but not all broken hearts can be mended.

Always in control, Xander Wilde considered life on the road to be a perfect fit for him. But when disaster strikes on the Wilde Ones’ latest tour, fate intervenes…and a newly single Ivy Taylor, the only girl he has ever loved, steps back into his life.

After moving past her painful breakup with Xander years ago, Ivy was poised to become the next big name in pop music…when suddenly she withdrew from the limelight—the same day she announced her engagement to her controlling agent, Damon Wolf.

Xander knows he should keep his distance. But once they’re on the road, he can’t resist pursuing her for a second chance. Yet a jealous Damon can’t let her go—and he’s keeping dangerous secrets that could destroy them all.

When the three of them come together, everything falls apart. But if Xander and Ivy can hold tight to the bond that connects them, they just might have a chance at reclaiming the powerful love they thought they had lost forever….

Buy Links:
Amazon • B&N • iTunes • Paperback

“Roses are so cliché. I prefer Ivy.”

What a wild ride this book was! I honestly had no idea what to expect going in to Mended. All I knew was that this was River’s hot older brother’s book, and it was a second chance romance. I’m a huge fan of second chance romances, and Mended turned out to be a passionate, intense one, with so many twists and turns I nearly couldn’t keep up. Fans of the series definitely won’t be disappointed with Xander and Ivy’s story.

When Xander Wilde was first introduced, we didn’t know much about him, but with Mended we finally get to see everything behind his facade. Xander and Ivy were high school sweethearts–I loved reading about the their past. Kim Karr did a wonderful job of blending both past and present. And teenaged Xander is seriously the sweetest thing! He and Ivy had their futures planned, and there was no question that the two of them would be together. Unfortunately, with Xander’s father’s suicide, Xander had to give up his future, and therefore Ivy–leading to a painful breakup and much heartache because of a lie.

Twelve years later, Xander is the band manager for The Wilde Ones and hasn’t seen Ivy since their breakup. Ivy is a famous pop singer and currently engaged to her agent Damon Wolf. But the second they see each other again, it’s as if no time passed at all. Xander wants Ivy again, fiercely, but he can’t do anything about it because she’s engaged. I loved being inside Xander’s head once they see each other again–Xander is so raw and passionate, and insanely jealous of Damon. He wants to tell Ivy the truth about the night they broke up, but would it even make a difference twelve years later?

My thoughts are drifting to seeing Ivy after so many years and how things could have been so different. When you believe a lie for so long… does it become the truth?

Mended takes you on a wild(e) ride from start to finish (hehe, see what I did there?). We have both Ivy and Xander’s POVs, and I could feel how deeply the two of them were heartbroken over each other, and still are.

“I’m sorry Xander… I just can’t be that close to you.”
I look down at her. “Why not? I’ve gone along with the friends thing, but clearly we both want more.”
Her voice cracks as she whispers, “Because, Xander, my body might want you but my heart doesn’t.”
The pain in her voice collapses everything I am, everything I have to give.

Ivy’s trying to protect her heart of Xander, but Xander won’t give up on her. He’s changed so much since he was eighteen–he has a stable job, his family healed, he’s strong and very much an alpha-male. So of course Ivy has a hard time resisting him.

“Look, we could play the game–pretend we both didn’t feel what we felt the minute we saw each other at the pool, but I’d rather not. I loved you when I was fourteen. I loved you when I was eighteen and I had to let you go. I’ve loved you for the last twelve years. And I love you now. Ivy–I love you.”

Xander is seriously the best! One second he’d be sweet talking Ivy, and the next, the dirtiest things would be coming out of his mouth! I loved it! 😉

But it’s definitely not an easy road for Xander and Ivy. Heartache, angst, and turmoil are constant throughout the book–Mended made me feel a wild jumble of emotions. I wasn’t too big of a fan once everything started getting twisty, and everything seemed to be resolved to perfectly for me, but overall I had a great time reading Mended. It kept me hooked and at the edge of my seat. Mended wasn’t perfect, but it’s definitely worth reading. I’m still not sure who I could choose between Xander over River though… 😉

Quotes are taken from the arc and are subject to change in the final version.

Reading Order: Connections series

#1 ~ Connected: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ Torn: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2.5 ~ Dazed: My Review • Ebook • Goodreads
#3 ~ Mended: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#3.5 ~ Blurred: Ebook • Goodreads
#4 ~ Frayed: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#5 ~ Flawed: Goodreads (2015)
#6 ~ Perfected: Goodreads (2015)

I live in Florida with my husband and four kids. I’ve always had a love for reading books and writing. Being an English major in college, I wanted to teach at the college level but that was not to be. I went on to receive an MBA and became a project manager until quitting to raise my family. I currently work part-time with my husband and full-time embracing one of my biggest passions—writing.I wear a lot of hats! Writer, book-lover, wife, soccer-mom, taxi driver, and the all around go-to person of the family. However, I always find time to read. One of my favorite family outings use to be taking my kids to the bookstore or the library. Today, my oldest child is in college and my twins are juniors so they no longer go with me on these outings. And although I don’t need to go to the actual store anymore because I have the greatest device ever invented—a Kindle, I still do. There’s nothing like a paperback. So now my four year old and I make dates out of going to the bookstore–it’s time I love and cherish.

I like to believe in soulmates, kindred spirits, true friends, and Happily-Ever-Afters. I love to drink champagne, listen to music, and hopes to always stay young at heart.

Website • Facebook • Twitter • Goodreads

Paperback copy of Mended (US only)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

16May2014

Blog Tour + Review & Giveaway: All Lined Up by Cora Carmack

Posted in 4 hearts, Blog Tours, Giveaways, Reviews by Lacey

I’m so excited to be a part of the All Lined Up blog tour!! You can read my review below, and enter the tour-wide giveaway!

All Lined Up by Cora Carmack
Series: Rusk University #1 (full reading order below)
Release date: May 13th 2014

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Cora Carmack follows up her trio of hits—Losing It, Faking It, and Finding It—with this thrilling first novel in an explosive series bursting with the Texas flavor, edge, and steamy romance of Friday Night Lights.

In Texas, two things are cherished above all else—football and gossip. My life has always been ruled by both.

Dallas Cole loathes football. That’s what happens when you spend your whole childhood coming in second to a sport. College is her time to step out of the bleachers, and put the playing field (and the players) in her past.

But life doesn’t always go as planned. As if going to the same college as her football star ex wasn’t bad enough, her father, a Texas high school coaching phenom, has decided to make the jump to college ball… as the new head coach at Rusk University. Dallas finds herself in the shadows of her father and football all over again.

Carson McClain is determined to go from second-string quarterback to the starting line-up. He needs the scholarship and the future that football provides. But when a beautiful redhead literally falls into his life, his focus is more than tested. It’s obliterated.

Dallas doesn’t know Carson is on the team. Carson doesn’t know that Dallas is his new coach’s daughter.

And neither of them know how to walk away from the attraction they feel.

Buy Links:
Amazon • Barnes and Noble

All Lined Up is too much cuteness! It’s such a sweet, quick, fun read, and I zipped through it in one sitting. I was already a fan of Cora Carmack’s after reading the Losing It series, and All Lined Up impressed me even more! Cora Carmack is spot-on as a new adult writer–I loved the way she portrayed her characters and I fell in love with her writing.

It was so easy to immerse myself into the world of All Lined Up, and into Rusk University. Football is, of course, one of the main aspects of the story, and even though i know next to nothing about football, the author was able to explain just how much football means to people without making me feel disconnected. Dallas is the daughter of one of the new coaches at Rusk University, and she’s a bit of a goody two-shoes. Her main passion has always been dancing, but she lets her father control her life and center it around football. Dallas is incredibly likable and relatable–she’s a girl who’s been stuck under her parent’s thumb for too long and doesn’t know the way out.

And I find myself thinking that church is like my kid’s sermon… It parallels my life as a whole. I show up, but I’m not in it. I go through the motions, but my mind wanders elsewhere. I dress and behave in the ways I know won’t get me in trouble. I get by. I bide my time waiting for the moment when it all ends.
But life isn’t church. It isn’t one hour during one day in the week. It’s everything, and I’m wasting it.

Carson is a transfer student trying to succeed through football, because it’s pretty much the only thing he can do. He needs to get a good spot on the football team and get a scholarship–otherwise, he wouldn’t be able to afford college. Carson is incredibly dedicated and determined, both of which are qualities that made me fall for him. He’s a good guy through and through, and even though he tries to make football his number one priority, the moment Dallas walks into his life, he can’t get her out of his mind–and he doesn’t want to.

The two of them don’t realize their relationship with one another–that Dallas is Carson’s coach’s daughter–so when they meet, sparks fly, and they allow a small moment of freedom to express their wants and desires for one another. They have this undeniable connection with one another that they’ve never experienced before, and it’s so sweet to see the two of them together.

But once the ball drops and they find out who they are, they try to become friends, but they can never get rid of their attraction to one another. Carson and Dallas spend more and more time together, and it’s easy to see how they fall for each other. I loved their relationship and how it grew slowly. They both knew there were risks to being together, so they were mature and cautious about it. But at then end of the day, they can’t deny the chemistry between them, and I wanted them to get together so badly! Carson and Dallas complement each other so well and make the perfect couple.

I loved the fact that even as their relationship developed, Dallas and Carson developed as characters as well. Individually, they have much more to learn and to grow to be the person they are most comfortable with.

All in all, All Lined Up shouldn’t be missed. It’s the perfect new adult novel with great writing, characters who have great emotional depth, and a story that keeps you hooked.

Quotes are taken from the arc and are subject to change in the final version.

Reading Order: Rusk University series

#1 ~ All Lined Up: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ All Broke Down: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads (Oct. 7, 2014)
#3 ~ All Played Out: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads (Feb. 24, 2015)

Cora Carmack is a twenty-something writer who likes to write about twenty-something characters. She’s done a multitude of things in her life– boring jobs (like working retail), Fun jobs (like working in a theatre), stressful jobs (like teaching), and dream jobs (like writing). She enjoys placing her characters in the most awkward situations possible, and then trying to help them get a boyfriend out of it. Awkward people need love, too. Her first book, LOSING IT, is a New York Times and USA Today bestseller.

Website • Twitter • Facebook • Goodreads

5 signed copies of ALL LINED UP for 5 winners-US Only

a Rafflecopter giveaway

12May2014

Blog Tour + Early Review: Sweet Filthy Boy by Christina Lauren

Posted in 5 hearts, Blog Tours, Reviews by Lacey

I am so freaking happy to be a part of the Sweet Filthy Boy blog tour!! I loooooved Sweet Filthy Boy, and you can read my review below. Don’t forget–SFB releases TOMORROW, so make sure to preorder!

Sweet Filthy Boy by Christina Lauren
Series: Wild Seasons #1 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: May 13th 2014
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher (Gallery Books) in exchange for an honest review

One-night stands are supposed to be with someone convenient, or wickedly persuasive, or regrettable. They aren’t supposed to be with someone like him.

But after a crazy Vegas weekend celebrating her college graduation—and terrified of the future path she knows is a cop-out—Mia Holland makes the wildest decision of her life: follow Ansel Guillaume—her sweet, filthy fling—to France for the summer and just…play.

When feelings begin to develop behind the provocative roles they take on, and their temporary masquerade adventures begin to feel real, Mia will have to decide if she belongs in the life she left because it was all wrong, or in the strange new one that seems worlds away.

Buy Links:
Amazon • Barnes & Noble • iTunes • Sony • Amazon UK
Simon & Schuster • Powell’s Books • The King’s English • Mysterious Galaxy • Indie Bound • Target

Oh my gooooosh!!! I’m so freaking IN LOVE with this book!! Christina Lauren have outdone themselves! I can’t even begin to describe all of my feelings, my love for this book! When I got my arc, I literally jumped for joy and squealed. And I devoured Sweet Filthy Boy in pretty much one sitting. Sigh. I wish this book never ended. I could read about Mia and Ansel and France forever.

Christina Lauren fans, I’m delighted to say that you absolutely will not be disappointed with Sweet Filthy Boy! When I finished SFB (with a HUGE smile on my face), I was thinking, “Oh my God, I think I love this book as much as I love the Beautiful Bastard series.” I fell in loooove with the characters (oh, Ansel), the writing (France!!), and everything else about this book. To be quite honest, Sweet Filthy Boy was perfection.

So we have our lovely heroine Mia, who, along with two best friends, goes to Vegas after graduating college. And at Vegas, Mia meets Ansel, who is sexy, alluring, and French (let me just say I fell in love with French boys because of Ansel. I WANT MY OWN FRENCH BOY PLEASE). Buuut, after a night of hard partying and drinking together, Mia wakes up and can’t remember the night before. Enter the shocking little plot twist that I didn’t see coming at all! If you read the book, Mia’s situation may seem a bit similar to a certain other rocker book I shall not mention, but SFB as a whole is nothing like it. SFB was unique, refreshing, and so much fun to read. It’s become one of my favorite books of the year!

What we know is dimly lit bars, playful banter, the clean, crisp sheets of hotel rooms. What we know is the unrequited possibility, the temptation of the idea. The make-believe. The adventure.
But when you choose the adventure, it becomes real life.

Ansel and Mia have an undeniable attraction to one another. Ansel wants Mia to give them a chance at forming a relationship, but Mia isn’t sure that the two of them can actually work. They had a one night stand at Vegas, ended up in a crazy situation, and now Ansel wants Mia to go back to France with him? Umm… I’d have been a little skeptical too (although now that I’ve read the book and fallen in love with Ansel, I would’ve DONE ABSOLUTELY WHATEVER ANSEL WANTED ME TO DO). Still, when Mia looks at the prospect of her future after graduation, she’s not happy about any of it. So… she decides to take a chance, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and go to France with Ansel.

So Mia will spend the summer in France with Ansel, and they deal with their relationship day by day. They have a bumpy start at the beginning of their relationship though. Ansel has to work a lot, and doesn’t have much time to spare to spend with Mia, and Mia is in a foreign country left to fend for herself. There’s a definite strain in their relationship, especially since they started off rocky anyway, but the two of them are determined to make their relationship work. And it helps that Ansel is just so freaking sweet to Mia…

“I just want to make love to you all day,” he says against my mouth and rolls on top of me. “I don’t want to think about work or friends or even eating. I want to exist on you alone.”

Ansel is just… perfectly imperfect. He’s got so many sides to his personality, and it was incredibly easy to fall in love with him. He’s sweet, charming, funny, sexy, and he whispers sweet nothings–in French! He’s an impulsive kind of guy (which is good and bad), he’s definitely a lover and not a fighter, and I was swooning so much for Ansel throughout the book. You just can’t not smile because of him.

“I love that you’re trying to learn my city. And God help the poor boys who see you walk by in that little sundress I saw hanging in the bathroom. You’ll have admirers following you home and I’ll be forced to chase them off.”

Do you SEE how freaking cute and sweet Ansel is??

And as the two of them spend their summer in France together, they slowly… fall for each other. It’s slow and sweet and heartwarming and inevitable. They never really thought that they’d fall for each other, but they do, and this creates complications, because what happens after the summer is over? Mia has to go back to America, and Ansel has to stay in France. My heart was aching for the two of them, because I wanted them to work so bad. Mia and Ansel are perfect together, and have become one of my all-time favorite couples.

“I’m lost in you.”
I gasp, nodding frantically. “Me, too.”…
“What you feel, Cerise? I feel it, too. Fuck, Mia, I feel everything for you.”

Mia and Ansel’s beautiful romance was an absolute joy to read. I was swept away by their whirlwind romance, by the depth of the characters, and by the writing. There’s the perfect amount of sexy to balance out the sweet, and I loved how much Sweet Filthy Boy wrung so many emotions out of me. I’d be smiling and giggling one moment, and hurting for Mia and Ansel the next.

I. LOVED. THIS. BOOK. I can’t say enough good things about it–everyone needs to experience Ansel and Mia and France. You will fall in looooove like I did.

Quotes are taken from the arc and are subject to change in the final version.

Reading Order: Wild Seasons series

#1 ~ Sweet Filthy Boy: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Dirty Rowdy Thing: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Dark Wild Night: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#4 ~ Wicked Sexy Liar: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads

Lauren Billings (but everyone calls her Lo) has a Ph.D. in neuroscience and before she made writing her full-time job, would spend her days doing nerdy research-type things wearing a lab coat and goggles. She is silly Mommy to two littles, wife to one mountain biking homebrewing scientist, bestie to a shoe-stealer, and an unabashed lover of YA and romance.

Christina Hobbs (but you’ll always hear Lo call her PQ) used to spend her days in a junior high counseling office surrounded by teenagers. Married to the cutest boy in school, she has a thirteen year old daughter, is an unapologetic lover of boy bands and glitter, and also likes to steal Lo’s shoes.

You can follow their shenanigans at:

Their Website. @lolashoes (Lauren) & @seeCwrite (Christina) on Twitter. On Tumblr! where we post kissing gifs and writerly stuff and Wattpad for short stories and sneak peeks!

For official information about their books, events, interviews, movie news and more, follow @beautifulbastrd.

FOLLOW BOOKLOVERS FOR LIFE ON:
✦ FACEBOOK • TWITTER • GOODREADS • PINTEREST • BLOGLOVIN’ ✦

Subscribe to Blog via Email

29Apr2014

Release Day Review: Searching for Perfect by Jennifer Probst

Posted in 4 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Searching for Perfect by Jennifer Probst
Series: Searching For #2 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: April 29th 2013
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher (Gallery Books) in exchange for an honest review

The up-and-coming matchmaking agency Kinnections is the hottest thing to hit Verily, New York—just like Kennedy Ashe, social director for the service she owns with her two best girlfriends. A coach, consultant, and cheerleader rolled into one super-sizzling package, Kennedy creates dream dates, encourages singles to shine, and never refuses a challenge—not even Nate Ellison Raymond Dunkle, rocket scientist, nerd extraordinaire, and Kennedy’s newest client.

Kennedy vows to work her magic and transform this hot mess in a lab coat with a disastrous relationship track record into the most wanted man on the Verily dating scene. If only she could turn the wand on herself . . .

Though she radiates confidence and sex appeal, Kennedy harbors deep-seated insecurities from a tormented past and lifelong struggle with weight issues. When she realizes she and Nate are cut from the same cloth and might be perfect together, can Kennedy learn to let her heart lead the way? Or will her fears sentence her to the sidelines as Nate finds love—with someone else?

SEXY DORKY MEN ARE THE BEST!!!!!

Ahem. Okay.

So I became a huge fan of Jennifer Probst’s recently after reading Searching for Someday (my review here!), and I had high expectations for Searching for Perfect, and Jennifer Probst delivers!! Spectacularly, if I do say so myself. I’d fallen in love with the premise of the Searching For series–the heroines are the founders of Kinnections, a matchmaking agency, and I was so, so excited for Kennedy to have her story told. She’s the one who gets the clients to socialize, to get them more comfortable with themselves, and I fell in love with her from the get-go. She’s awesome, hilarious, feisty, and all-around just the kind of person you could easily be BFFs with.

But Kennedy she doesn’t to long-term, steady relationships.

Until…

Enter Ned. Ned, who is a rocket scientist–sorry, an aerospace engineer, and hires Kinnections to find a wife. He’s really… really nerdy. Like, seriously nerdy. He has no fashion sense, he has a unibrow(!), he’s terrible at social interactions, he LOVES golf, and he’s so unprepared to interact with the opposite sex, despite the numerous Cosmo magazines he’s read.

“What’s your full name?”
“Nathan Ellison Raymond Dunkle.”
Fascinating. This just kept getting better and better. “You got stuck with a real doozy, Ned.”
His face remained deadly serious. “I know. If my mother was still around we’d sit down and have a conversation regarding her original intentions.”
“You know if you put the R in, you come up with NERD.”

Ned is a new, big challenge for Kennedy. She’s got to whip him in shape, figuratively and literally, but the first thing to go is the name. So… Nate it is. And oh my gosh, here ensues the wonderfully hilarious transformation of Nate (My Fair Lady, anyone?), from dorky nerd to dorky hottie extraordinaire.

It’s not only the looks that have changed for Nate though. Kennedy works on his social interactions, giving him practice with the opposite sex to prepare him for meeting his potential wife. It’s here that Kennedy and Nate form a deeper connection, one that Kennedy is terrified of. But Nate is relentless in his pursuit of Kennedy, despite the numerous women she throws at him.

“Ken?”
“Huh?”
“I want to kiss you.”
“Don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Agreed.” He lowered his head so his breath struck her mouth. “Don’t care.”

Honestly, Nate had me giggling and smiling like a little girl. He has truly become one sexy, enticing man, and Kennedy can’t resist him. There’s just something about his dorkiness that makes him so appealing. He’s sweet and adorable, yet seductive, and who even knew he could be as charming as he is? And he seriously charms Kennedy (and me… *sigh*) with his humor, wit, determination, and intelligence. He’s such a unique character, and I slowly fell in love with Nate.

But Kennedy’s painful past rears its head again and again, driving a wedge between the two of them and prevent a relationship that’s meant to be from forming.

“This isn’t about me, baby. It’s about you. I can chase you forever, promise you the world, but until you take the leap with me, I can’t win. I don’t just love your body. I love your incredible mind, and your sweet soul, and you inner strength. I love the life you built for yourself with your friends and your career. I love every part of you–good and bad–dark and light–and I want to share it all. But you have to let me in.”

Kennedy and Nate are so freaking perfect together, but Kennedy is stubborn. She has an internal battle to face, and I was so impressed with her character. She discovers so much about herself because of Nate and his never-ending support. I loved seeing the two interact with each other, fall in love with each other. There’s the perfect amount of sweet, charming romance to go with the hot, sexy romance, and let me tell you, Nate is a pure sex god in bed. I was blushing so much! *fans self* Nate sure as hell knows what he’s doing in bed.

Searching for Perfect is such a heartwarming story (I awwed so many times!). We have two incredible, headstrong characters falling in love, and my heart burst and broke for them over and over. I loved reading Searching for Perfect–it’s fun, sexy, funny, and oh so sweet. The story and the characters are unique, and I was hooked from the very beginning.

Quotes are taken from the arc and are subject to change in the final version.

Reading Order: Searching For series

#1 ~ Searching for Someday: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Searching for Perfect: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2.5 ~ Searching for You: Ebook • Goodreads
#3 ~ Searching for Beautiful: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#4 ~ Searching for Always: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#4.5 ~ Searching for Mine: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#4.6 ~ Searching for Disaster: Ebook • Goodreads (Oct. 10, 2016)

FOLLOW BOOKLOVERS FOR LIFE ON:
✦ FACEBOOK • TWITTER • GOODREADS • PINTEREST • BLOGLOVIN’ ✦

	Unlocking the Magic… on Review: A Promise of Fire by A…
	Lucas Middleton on Blog Tour // Review + Excerpt:…
	Van on Blog Tour + Release Day Review…
	Amber Elise @ Du Liv… on Audiobook Review: The Stand-In…
	daisyknox on Release Day Review: Tryst Six…

Booklovers For Life

Falling in love with romance one page at a time

Tag Archives: ARC review