Once Upon A Sure Thing by Lauren Blakely Series: Heartbreakers #2
Published by Little Dog Press on September 24, 2018
Pages: 306
Format: ARC
Genres: Romantic Comedy
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A sexy, standalone best-friends-to-lovers romance from #1 NYT Bestseller Lauren Blakely! It's so easy being best friends with a gorgeous, talented, charming guy.
Said no woman ever. Except me.
My friendship with Miller is a sure thing — he’s my plus one, my emergency contact, and my shoulder to lean on. He’s also been by my side helping me raise one helluva awesome kid who’s the center of my world.
Nothing will change our easy breezy friendship. Until I have the bright idea to convince him to start a new band with me.
Trouble is, our sizzling chemistry in the recording studio is getting harder to ignore, no matter how risky it might be.
***
Sing sexy songs with the woman you’ve been lusting after? Get up close and personal as you croon to the woman you’ve wanted for years?
Piece of cake. NOT.
Performing with the sweet, sassy and insanely wonderful Ally is like one gigantic obstacle course of challenges for my libido. And my libido is one sexy love song away from kissing her senseless and taking her home.
But, I’m not a serious kind of guy, and she’s not a one-night-stand kind of woman. If we cross the horizontal line, we might risk our sure thing and end up out of tune forever...
Once Upon a Sure Thing is a friends-to-lovers story that is low on drama and high on humor—just how I like it. Lauren Blakely continues to impress with this series about three brothers who used to be members of a famous teen boy band. Single parenthood is integral to each brother’s story, and these sexy former pop stars are blessedly allergic to one-night stands.
It is impossible to dislike Miller. The man is perpetually upbeat about life in general and wrings every ounce of enjoyment out of the simplest of tasks. He is pretty much the full package—funny, talented, generous with his time, and always supportive of those he loves.
Ally is a loyal friend and a completely awesome guardian. Raising a tween girl is not easy, but Ally is determined to kick butt at this single motherhood thing—even if it means sacrificing some of her own desires.
I absolutely loved the ease of Miller and Ally’s friendship. They speak their own language, and their relationship has always been a little bit goofy and a little bit flirty. The transition from friends to lovers tends to be abrupt with this trope, and it’s a bit like flipping a switch here as well; however, it’s handled in a clever way. Miller and Ally have a certain snap, crackle, and pop that’s very appealing. Their chemistry as singers is also wonderful.
Even though their misgivings about being a couple are settled suddenly, I loved the heat and humor of their romance. Had I not read the previous novel, the solution to Miller’s professional problems would have been more satisfying because…duh. That particular aspect left me feeling lukewarm, but it didn’t dampen my overall enjoyment of the story.
Recommended for fans of:
Musicians
Friend to lovers stories
Single parent romance
YouTube
* I received an early copy of this book to voluntarily read. *
Excerpt from Once Upon a Sure Thing
Miller holds open the hobby shop door for me. “After you, my warrior princess. I believe we have a castle to create.”
“Chloe left me a list of items to pick up, since she’s seeing her therapist.”
“Never miss a shrink visit, I say.” Miller stops in front of a remote-controlled helicopter display. “How are they going for her, anyway?”
“Good. She’s almost done with the appointments. She’s doing so well now, but it took a while,” I say, smiling as we go inside, proud of my girl.
“I’m glad she’s doing better. It’s all because of you.”
I wave off the compliment as we head down the aisles. Pom-poms and fabrics abound, nestled alongside scrapbook boxes and glitter glue, which cuddles with glitter guns and ribbons. I stop at an aisle bursting with silver ribbons, polka-dot ribbons, and ribbons with tassels. I scratch my head. “I don’t understand why there are so many ribbons.”
Miller leans in close and whispers, “The better to tie you up with, my pretty.”
A tingle spreads over my shoulders, surprising me, even thought I’m not surprised by his words. He’s a natural-born flirt, and I’m used to his naughty banter. It’s never directed toward me, per se. He’s just having fun. It’s Miller being Miller, like when we play Bananagrams and he tries to make as many naughty-sounding words as possible, like caulk and diphthong. “In that case, let’s make it a polka-dot ribbon. I can wear it with my famous polo shirts and ponytails,” I say, referring to the super-sweet style I wore when I sang online with my brother.
“Ooh, that makes it even naughtier, and it proves my point.”
“What’s that?”
He holds up a finger. “I have a hunch craft stores are frequented by the Fifty Shades crowd.”
I laugh. “DIY BDSM-ers?”
He wiggles his eyebrows. “Ribbons are for typing pretty wrists.” He circles his hand around my wrist, sending another unexpected charge through me. I do my best to ignore the sensation. He lets go quickly and leads me to an aisle of wooden frames, birdhouses, and, oddly enough, paddles. “Those paddles are not for school projects, I tell you.”
“Whatever are they for?” I ask, feigning innocence.
Miller mimes spanking my butt. Next, he gestures to the candle-making section. “Exhibit B that hobby shops are fronts for kinky sex clubs—just imagine all this wax dripping on bellies and butts tonight.”
“How on earth am I supposed to work on a project with Chloe now that you’ve put these thoughts in my head?”
He runs a hand lightly over my hair and says in his raspy baritone, “I suspect those thoughts were already there.”
Were they? Are they? Images scroll through my mind, mostly involving ribbons.
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About Lauren Blakely
A #1 New York Times Bestselling, #1 Wall Street Journal Bestselling, and #1 Audible Bestselling author, Lauren Blakely is known for her contemporary romance style that’s sexy, sweet, and witty. She also writes USA Today bestselling LGBTQ romance.
With fourteen New York Times bestsellers, her titles have appeared on the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestseller Lists more than 100 times, with more than 55 titles on the USA Today Bestsellers list alone. She’s sold more than 4.5 million books. A Brown University graduate, Lauren likes dogs, cake and show tunes and is the vegetarian at your dinner party.
Ooh la la. This book sounds very interesting. Great review Angela♥