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Part-Time Lover by Lauren Blakely
Release Date: June 1st 2018
Genres: Romance, Contemporary
A sexy new standalone romance from #1 New York Times Bestselling Author Lauren Blakely!
I’ll say this about Christian — he made one hell of a first impression.
When I first saw the strapping man, he was doing handstands naked on a dock along the canal. His crown jewels were far more entertaining than anything else I’d seen on the boat tour, so I did what any curious woman would do — I took his photo. I might have looked at the shot a few dozen times. Little did I know I’d meet him again, a year later, at a secret garden bar in the heart of the city, where I’d learn that his mind and his mouth were even more captivating. But given the way my heart had been trampled, I wanted only a simple deal — No strings. No expectations.
Our arrangement worked well enough until the day I needed a lot more from him…
***
Let me just say, this whole part-time lover thing was her idea. I’d have gone all-in from the start, but hey, when a gorgeous, brilliant woman invites you into her bed, and only her bed…well, I said yes.
But then, one hysterical phone call from my brother later, begging me to find myself a wife so grandfather’s business stays in the family, and I need a promotion with Elise. Turns out a full-time husband suits her needs too, and a temporary marriage of convenience ought to do the trick, until we can simply untie the knot…
As long as no one finds out…
As long as no one gets hurt…
As long as no one falls in love…
But our ending was one I never saw coming.
My Review:
Lauren Blakely knows how to deliver the perfect dreamy story filled with romance and sexiness. We first get to meet Christian in Wanderlust and ever since I found out that the author was going to release a book about him I couldn’t wait to read it. Needless to say, Part- Time Lover did not disappoint at all, it was funny, fresh and so full of romance to leave you wanting for more.
At the beginning of the story we get to meet, Elise Durand, a French- American who owns a marketing company in Paris. She is traveling around Denmark when she stops in Copenhagen with her Veronica. She proposes for them to do something wild on their last night there, but they ended up taking a canal tour in the end that ends up changing her life forever. As they round the bend in the canal, Elise sees a stranger doing a handstand completely naked and takes a picture of him right away. The stranger sees her and they agree to meet that night. He never shows up.
Fast forwarding a year later, Elise sees the stranger hanging out with Griffin and Joy, and she finds out what truly happened the night they were supposed to meet. She is immediately taken by his charm and cleverness. Christian Ellison is handsome and his confidence attract her to him right away. She knows that she has been hurt before, but she wants to take a chance with Christian no matter how long it lasts and accepts his invitation to go on a date the following week. It’s after going out on a couple of dates that she realizes how much she can be herself with him and no one has to fake anything (like in her previous relationship). The sexual tension and chemistry between the two is sizzling from the very start. But when they both need the help of each other, their relationship changes right away and they are tighter than ever. Elise knows that their arrangement has an end, but the more time she spends with Christian, the more she wants their relationship to be real in the end.
At twenty-nine, Christian Ellison is retired and living a relaxing live while spending time in his home in Paris and Copenhagen. After retiring from working for his family’s financial firm, Christian has the wealth and looks to do anything he wants. Yet, he knows that he needs a little more excitement in his life and accepts the job as a translator in Paris. But he can’t stop thinking about the stranger that he met while doing a handstand in Copenhagen and the memory of her not showing up drives him crazy. A year has passed and the minute he sees her walking in towards him with his friends Griffin and Joy, everything within him change. He knows that he wants Elise and will not stop until he gets her to he his. But when pasts start to resurface and a new problem presents itself to them, he’ll have to convince her that they can have a future together before it’s too late.
I absolutely loved this book, it was filled with sexy moments and flirty banter between the characters to have to reading nonstop from beginning to end. It’s evident that Elise has a past that she is trying to put behind her from the very beginning and we don’t find out until much later in the story. She has been hurt and letting someone in is hard for her to do. On the other hand, Christian loves the jobs that he has and he also wants to have an honest relationship like the rest of his family. What I liked about these characters is that they fit so well with each other and it’s hard to put the story down once you start reading it. I became invested in their story and was totally rooting for them until the very end. This story wasn’t just about their arrangement, but it was also about the characters learning to trust in each other to start a new beginning together. Lauren Blakely does a very great job describing every detail in the story that made it that much enjoyable to read. We get to see cameos of Griffin and Joy from Wanderlust as well, and I’m really hoping the rest of the characters get their own story in the future. I loved the two epilogues that we get in the end, they were sweet and the author did a great job trying everything together. All in all, Part- Time Lover was such great read and if you are looking for some humor and lots of sexiness as well as romance, then I would highly recommend reading this book! You will not be disappointed. :)
***ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.***
My Rating:
{EXCERPT}
~Elise~
A year ago
As I gaze at the sun-soaked homes, I imagine lazy afternoons drinking strong coffee on the deck, reading delicious tales under the rays. That seems like a recipe for happiness for the rest of my days.
I want to feel that way. Happy. It’s been so damn elusive lately, and for a fleeting moment, it feels as if I grasp it again, so I’m no longer teetering on the edge of grief and shame.
But that’s why I’m here, to move past that terrible duet.
I try valiantly to simply enjoy everything in front of me: the buildings, the water, the view.
As we round the bend in the canal, I blink at the view.
Holy hell, the unexpected view.
Nearby is a private dock.
On that dock is a man.
He’s performing a downward-facing dog, and his rear is facing us.
What a spectacular ass.
It’s not covered in sweatpants or basketball shorts.
It’s au naturel, as finely sculpted as the statue of David.
He’s a dog all right.
I sit up.
I practically stand. I lean on the edge of the boat, agog. I won’t even pretend I’m not looking. I’m ogling.
The Japanese friends whisper and point. The couple shifts closer to get a better look. The college girls titter and laugh.
We slide along on the calm water, and now we’re fifty feet away from a sight way better than the Little Mermaid statue, more magnificent than the royal palace.
He bends forward, pressing his palms into the wood, lifting his legs, and flipping them upside down.
Full. Frontal. Birthday suit.
He’s a tall drink of a man, and I’m so very thirsty.
“Look,” I whisper to Veronica, though of course she’s already engaged in the fine art of gawking. “Did you know the Mad Naked Handstander of Copenhagen was on the tour?”
She sighs contentedly. “I am so glad you forced me to go to the buffet.” She parks her chin in her hands, watching the tall upside-down creature.
“My favorite part of the buffet is dessert,” I say, as my eyes gobble him up.
This man wears nudity well, even in this unusual position.
“I enjoyed the rubies and emeralds in Rosenborg Castle, but I like these crown jewels even better,” I say.
And hey, perhaps I’m perving, but I’m an equal-opportunity spectator at this private dock show. I don’t merely peer at the centerpiece of his physique, resting majestically against the grooves of his abs. My eyes take a most happy stroll up and down his carved body, from the planes of his stomach, to his strong thighs, to his arms ripped with muscles. His face is hard to read at 180 degrees, but I see the shape of his cheekbones, carved by angels.
Then, he moves. He walks on his hands. Back and forth.
Like he’s performing.
Showing off his most unique skill set.
I chuckle louder.
Then louder still when he holds himself up on one hand only, waving to us.
“What a show-off,” Veronica says.
Lars clears his throat. “And sometimes, we see the unexpected sights of Copenhagen.”
I do what any curious onlooker might do. I grab my phone and snap.
Snap.
Snap.
The man stands, takes a bow, and waves.
My chest heats up. The temperature in me flirts with mercury levels. He’s a stunner. My God, he’s like Skarsgård, from this distance.
And because I believe in speaking my mind, I cup my hand over my mouth and shout, “Bravo. All of it.”
He doffs an imaginary top hat and takes a bow. “My pleasure.” His voice books across the water, his accent a British one.
Sparks unexpectedly race down my chest. That accent is delicious. “Oh no. The pleasure is truly all mine.”
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