Just a Little Secret

 Just a Little Secret (Dare Crossover Series #2)- Carly Phillips & Erika Wilde)

Blackstone Pub

Release Date: July 25, 2023

Rating: 📚📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: Georgia Brooks had no intention of bidding on a bachelor at the charity auction, but her sister has other ideas and gifts her with a man for her birthday weekend. But not just any man . . . Drew Daniels. A hot, gorgeous lawyer who makes her want to shed her good-girl image and learn all sorts of new and risqué things.

Attorney Drew Daniels is more than willing to introduce the beautiful Georgia to her naughtier side. Their weekend together is steamy and romantic . . . and it doesn’t hurt that a rival of Drew’s has his eye on Georgia, too. Stirring the other man’s jealousy is a fun side benefit.

Their tryst should have been just about pleasure, but Drew finds he’s attracted to more than Georgia’s outer beauty and he wants to keep her as his own. When Drew suggests they continue their affair, Georgia is too smitten to say no. Even if her parents expect her to marry her lawyer father’s right-hand man.

Georgia finds herself falling for Drew harder and faster than she could have imagined. Until she discovers he's keeping a secret that has the potential to break her heart.

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A bachelor auction could be incredibly awkward- unless just the right woman bids on you! Drew Daniels and Georgia Brooks meet before the auction and have instant chemistry, but he walks away because he sees nothing but complications. When Georgia's little sister buys Drew as Georgia's birthday present, he gets a second chance to make things right. And the two are definitively right together! 

As you should expect when Carly Phillips and Erika Wilde get together, the chemistry between Georgia and Drew is magnetic from the first eye contact, and only gets hotter from there. Drew brings Georgia out of her shell and she becomes confident enough to stand up to her mother, who is putting heavy emotional blackmail on her to marry the man Georgia's mother thinks is best. Georgia is sweet, kind, down-to-earth, and fits into Drew's life and family perfectly. So why is he panicking? Drew may be smart, sexy, and fun, but he isn't looking for a relationship. Having recently made partner in his law firm, he knows he has crazy hours and lots of work ahead of him to keep his career on track- things his last serious girlfriend didn't put up with, so why would Georgia? 

This was such a fast read, I didn't want it to end. I loved watching Georgia grow in confidence and Drew learn a few lessons about women and love (and groveling). Sparkling dialogue, wit, and fun, this one has it all! Don't miss it!

I received an ARC from BookSprout in exchange for an honest review  

Boyfriend Experience

The Boyfriend Experience- Carly Phillips & Erika Wilde
CP Publishing
Release Date: March 19, 2019

Rating:
📚📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: He’s the total package.  

Except … 

Eric Miller isn’t looking for a long term relationship. And he definitely isn’t thrilled when a friend signs him up for The Boyfriend Experience app behind his back. It’s not like he has a problem getting women on his own. But when he gets a notification that someone is in need of his . . . services, he’s intrigued enough to check out her profile and can’t resist the sexy, sassy little brunette who only wants him as a decoy for a family event.  

Evie Bennett needs a boyfriend, stat. Someone who can accompany her to her family reunion so she doesn't have to explain that she's been recently dumped. Again. She’s perfectly happy being an independent woman, but what’s a girl to do when her new fake boyfriend starts to feel like the real deal?

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When Eric's friend signs him up for the Boyfriend Experience app without telling him, Eric's first response is to blow it off.  When he gets a notification that someone wants to hire him, he figures he'll tell the lady it was all a mistake and that will be that.  When he meets Evie Bennet for the first time, sparks fly.  Eric has been hurt enough by life to believe avoiding long-term relationships are the best way forward.  Evie has lost her confidence in herself and her judgement  after two bad boyfriends.  But she wants a fake boyfriend for a family weekend so she can avoid the pity and the Boyfriend Experience seems like the perfect deal.  Both people go in with eyes wide open, no expectations, and a set end to the 'relationship'. But when feelings refuse to be suppressed, can they turn this into something real?

The hype (and title) leave you with no doubt about what to expect from hero Eric Miller and Carly Phillips and Erika Wilde deliver: this guy is your new perfect book boyfriend.  Smart, kind, confident, with a wicked sense of humor and ability to roll with the flow, Eric has it all.  He's also well versed in keeping walls around his heart and up front about not doing long term relationships- although he doesn't generally share his reasons.  The instant attraction between them means Eric doesn't even consider telling Evie the truth about not signing up for the app, but dives right in with her idea- into what readers can predict will be quite a ride! 

 I loved how instantly protective and sweet Eric was with Evie and that he wanted her to have a weekend that would build up her self confidence.  Whether it was Evie, his mom, or a complete stranger, Eric wanted to make them feel better about themselves after talking to them. It wasn't a gimmick, or something her felt he had to do as a 'fake' boyfriend, but just a part of his personality.  The differences between Eric's family and Evie's were both intentionally humorous and deeply touching.  And I loved the emotional, poignant, and sweet way Eric remembered his sister Trisha and various times throughout the book.         

The Boyfriend Experience is a short and sweet book with intensely hot chemistry between Eric and Evie that will keep you glued to the page from start to finish.  A book I can definitely see re-visiting whenever I need the book equivalent of a good cuddle, and a must read romance!  

I received an ARC of this book from Booksprout in exchange for an honest review