Saturday, March 30, 2019

Review: America's Geekheart

America's Geekheart America's Geekheart by Pippa Grant
My rating: 5 of 5 stars



What happens when the hero you thought was going to be a goofball party boy underwear model turns out to be someone with so much depth and such a beautiful soul? You get a Beck Ryder, that's what you get!



Pippa Grant has done it again people! She's given us a glorious gift in the relationship between Sarah and Beck and I just was totally unprepared for how much I loved it! I'm sorry Ares, I still love you. Wyatt, I love you too - but Beck Ryder is my favourite.



I licked him. He's mine now. You can’t have him.



She left us dangling on the edge of our seats wondering what the hell Beck had done to cause that much outrage at the end of Flirting With The Frenemy - not so much of a spoiler alert - he opened his mouth and stuck both feet in it on social media. The interwebs are a vast and scary place, people! Nothing is ever forgotten - especially if you're a celebrity!



America's Geekheart isn't your usual Fake Relationship book - because for all intents and purposes, Beck and Sarah are enemies when they first meet each other face to face. Yes, it becomes a fake-real relationship (cue violins and rainbows and unicorns and glitter sparkles of happiness) but there is so much that Sarah has to overcome from her secret past to bring her to a place where she can be comfortable with Beck and the spotlight that follows him around. I mean, he has the world's most comfortable underwear… And he looks like a god, so why wouldn't they follow him everywhere???



Also, why can't there be a real Beck designing bras because finding a bra that's actually comfortable is IMPOSSIBLE!!!!



Anyhoo…

The way Beck breaks down her walls and finds out all about her past, the way he loves Sarah for who she is - glorious! I think I swooned multiple times at the depth of his feeling and the beauty of his heart. Beck was a diamond in the rough, and I'm so glad that we got to see him. I think I may love him forever!



This story is sweet, funny and charming. It had me laughing until I cried, crying from some of the beautiful things Beck said/did, and yelling not so nicely at one of the characters for being a total snickerdoodling fugglenugget (you'll understand this one after you read it - and you NEED to read it!!!!).

As per usual, watch out for cameos from other characters - we know Levi, we've seen him before, but the rest of Bro Code makes an appearance along with the entire Ryder family (yes, Tucker and Wyatt are there too!) - as well as a couple of Thrusters (Duncan Lavoie and Nick Murphy - ) in a comedy club to watch a very funny ventriloquist and her cat and goat puppets.



Did anyone else get the feeling that Beck and Nick could be friends once all of this cleared up??? Was that just me??? Ok, just me then. Carry on, nothing to see here!



They're also joined by the fabulous Mackenzie (Sarah's BFF), Charlie (Beck's kick-ass PA), Sarah's hilarious parents, a cat named Andromeda who's in love with Sarah's parent's pig named Cupcake (and it's definitely mutual), and a hilariously adorable pair of children named James and Emma whom I adored seeing during baby roulette ( Warning - this scene may cause you to laugh so hard you spit out your drink from both your lips and your nose - not attractive, but it was hilarious and I was gasping for breath! ).



Favourite Lines -

"Like this guy claiming to be Genghis Khan reincarnated with a penis shaped like a dragon. He wears sunglasses everywhere."


So long as no one asks to see my peen-dragon, I think I'll be ok.




You believe in love at first sight? I always have. Except I don't know if this is love, or if it's just the side effects of a jillion volts to the chest.




Tucker tries to screw his lips up in a smoldery duck-lip configuration, and he gets damn close, which is wrong on an eight-year-old.

Ellie chokes on a laugh, but I hold out a fist for a bump. "You keep making that face, all the ladies are gonna fall all over you before you're ten."




She pins me with a look, and I realize I haven't just fucked up. I've FUCKED UP. All caps.


He's a schmaltzy schmoozer with the swoon factor on his side.


She's not wearing makeup, and I know at least a hundred women who would kill to have her eyelashes. Or at least wrestle in Jell-O for them.




"No, I heard it all. That's just the least uncomfortable part. I'm loogry. Sorry."

"Loogry?"

"Yeah. I don't get mad when I'm hungry. No hanger here. I get loopy."




"Point is, we've got this. Okay? And if your life isn't back to normal in six months, I'll hop on Twitter and start a war with Chrissy Teigen just to distract everyone. Cross my heart."




And Cupcake is trying to hump my cat, who's just lying there under a kitchen chair and taking it like this is normal.




Dad flings the door open. "Password," he growls.

"Your daughter is a kindhearted genius who deserves better than a dumbass like me?" Beck guesses.




"I eat farmers for breakfast."

"Okay, Bat-Dad. Pretend you're auditioning for a role as a bodyguard for the pig that will save the world. The fate of humanity rests on your shoulders."

"This game was more fun before you were old enough to date."




Seriously, him getting in to women's underwear was brilliant.

Dammit.

That came out wrong.

I meant it's really comfortable underwear.




"You know this funnel cake's all mine now. It's a rule. If you crotch it, you… huh. What rhymes with crotch?"


"Yeah. You crotch it, you notch it."

My eyes go wide. "I don't think that's about funnel cake."




"Do you really think I'm a robot, or are you just copping a feel? I'm good with either one. Just curious."


"Dad," I say.

He, too, grins at me, dark brown eyes twinkling merrily. "You should've dated more in high school," he growls. "This is fun."




"She's in an industrial-size diaper, right?"

"Baby roulette, dude. You want to hold her, you take the consequences."




I angle a pointed glance at the life-size cardboard cutout in the corner, and, once again, he blushes. "That's… for shock value."

"You should get one of the rear view. Without the briefs. I have this weird feeling your friends would appreciate playing pin the dart on Beck's butt cheeks."


"SNICKERDOODLE PENIS!"




Mom looks Mackenzie up and down. "Do you have good taste?"

"I was raised by two drag queens. What do you think?"


"Beck is a wonderful young man, and we're so glad you tolerate him."




Mom used to talk about the year Ellie bloomed.

I didn't get it.

But I feel like I'm watching Sarah bloom.

And it's the greatest fucking thing ever.




One day.

I want one day of being as happy about life as Beck Ryder is.




"Everyone's special," I say quietly.

"But you're Sarah special. That's specialer."




"Mabel, go to sleep."

"Behave yourself and use a condom," she replies in her electronic voice. "Night-EE. Night."

"Fucking Hank," I mutter.




She's mine.

I called her. You can't have her. You snooze, you lose. I licked her. She's mine now.




"Swear to god, when you hit me with that taser, I was like, she's the one. Those eyes are deadly enough when there's only two of them, but man, you juiced me, and then you had four, and I was a goner."




Lingering Questions -

1) Is that a little attraction I see between Charlie and Hank????? Honestly, I love Charlie! I think she was one of the best side characters you've given us and I would love to see her get a story. I know you're busy writing all the words (and I want to read all those words, so please don't stop!!!!), but should you find yourself with Charlie whispering her story to you at any point I hope that you make it happen!!!!

B) Tripp needs someone to mend his broken heart!!!! He's in the list of upcoming books right???? Because you know, the series is about the Bro Code boys and he does fit…

Bullet Point 4 - I still need more Fireballs action!!!! If the boys buy the team, does that mean we get to see Cooper Rock and all the players find their happiness too????

69) I want to know all the Judson former movie stories!!!!! I vote he cameos tons, especially when he's trying to get in to character for his next role!



Don't think - just click! There's a reason that Pippa Grant is one of my autobuy authors and this story right here is one of the biggest ones! Everyone needs a Beck Ryder in their life - so pick up your copy and start loving on Beck and Sarah today!



Ok, ok. On April 5th, 2019 but still - the second you can preorder it do it. Then settle in for the read of your life! Beck Ryder will spoil you for all book boyfriends forever more!



I'll just be over here in my corner waiting for Jace and Olivia and beautiful goodness that will be Hammered. Add that one to your TBR and wait with me so very impatiently!



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Saturday, March 16, 2019

Review: Clutch Endgame, A BASEBALL ROMANCE

Clutch Endgame, A BASEBALL ROMANCE Clutch Endgame, A BASEBALL ROMANCE by Tarrah Anders
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Baseball… BASEBALL PEOPLE!!!



I love baseball! It may be America's game, and I may not be an American, but I am a baseball loving girl! Opening day is a ritual in my home, whether my Blue Jays are playing or not. My kid puts up with my obsession with the game, as well as my obsession with hockey, but that's neither here nor there.

Let's get to the real story here - the steam that came off the pages for Gunnar and Sawyer!



So, part of this story may be familiar to you if you were fortunate enough to read Rounding Third: A Baseball Anthology. If you weren't fortunate enough to grab a copy, sadly, it's now out of print but that doesn't mean all the stories have vanished. Maren Lee, Jess Bryant, and Lynsey M. Stewart have made their works for the anthology available to you and now Tarrah Anders has given us Clutch Endgame, A BASEBALL ROMANCE featuring the original story and a glimpse four years down the road at Gunnar and Sawyer's relationship.

This story is the best of both worlds - it’s the short, but very messy and very steamy - contribution to the anthology followed by a revisit to their lives four years later where they should be riding off into the sunset of fluffy happiness. Oh, there is fluffy happiness but fluff doesn't hook you. There has to be some kind of conflict, and it was headed at them from so many directions!



Gunnar Reynolds is the catcher for the San Diego Hornets at the beginning of the story. What brings he and Sawyer together is an Ultimate Fan contest promotion. Most people picture the winner to be a kid, but considering that Gunnar loves the cleat chasers and the rookie playboy life scene, he was ordered to tone down his antics for his Ultimate Fan's visit the next day. He could not have been less prepared for Sawyer Rotham if he tried!

Sawyer and Gunnar have an instant connection and by the end of his day with his Ultimate Fan, the steam coming off the pages is palpable. This is something that doesn't change in their relationship over time. In fact, they seem to get sweeter and steamier as the years pass by.



This is one thing I love about Tarrah Anders - steamy, romping, sexcapades! She builds beautiful chemistry between her leads and that leads them into some hotttt moments. If you don't believe me go read Your Neighborhood Bartender and find out!

In the shower…



In the kitchen…



In the bedroom….



Phew, this book was HOTTTTT! Even with the passage of time and the potential stress of being traded in the future for their relationship, it was still a romp to remember!

The only thing I could have stood for something a little more in this one? The resolution of the conflict during the whole trade/moving debacle in the future. The resolution to the conflict didn't really do enough for me. I felt like there should have been a definite singular person/entity to put the blame on rather than the paparazzi as a whole. The first media scandal they had during part one was cleaned up really well and I guess I was just hoping for something a little more in that department from the second seeming scandal. Being the external conflict, its resolution wasn't as important as the internal ones that pressed on their relationship and those had a satisfactory resolution so that works for me!

Favourite Lines -

"Are you calling my cock my brain?"

"Isn't that usually what men think with?" she retorts.

"Not all the time," I defend. "It's cock, stomach and then brain."




"I'm going to make myself a sandwich, you want one?" She calls over her shoulder. Ladies and gentlemen, I've just found the woman of my dreams.


"Furniture is a funny word. I love that too. Do you think that the word road is pronounced weird…? It should be ro-ad. I love words, they're nice."




"It snows in Boston. It's hot as sweaty balls in Arizona and it rains in Seattle."


Normally, he's eating healthy and on balanced diet, but when he's hungover, he will gorge out on all the good stuff.




"You sound like a Hallmark card, are you still drunk?"




"And hot as balls, don't forget the hot as balls part."

"Like a sweaty arm pit."

"Molten lava."

"Like a sauna."




"You guys are baseball players; you have to run those bases as if you’re chasing a fast moving cupcake."




"Yes, dear." He says placating me.

"Ah, look you're learning. You're definitely going to be a good husband if you can remember those two words."




Make sure you one click this one! It's sexy with laughs and some incredibly sweet moments tied in. You won't regret it and you'll love the ending!

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