SHE PLANNED FOR EVERYTHING-EXCEPT HIM.
Fresh off a painful break-up, wedding planner Ainsley Slone is suffering from an acute case of “always the planner, never the bride.” And she’s over it. It’s time for a break-to figure out how to let everything go and just have a little sexy fun. And she knows the perfect person to teach her how: irresistible manwhore Ryan Lawhill.
Their deal? No sex, just fun. It’s the perfect plan–until the chemistry between them starts sparking like crazy. Ryan knows all too well that Ainsley’s looking for a happily-ever-after, but he’s always been keep-it-fun-or-it’s-done. Yet the moment they cross The Friend Zone, all bets are off-and soon the ultimate player is the one playing for keeps.
Hott Review:
What a great book!
I absolutely love Crossing the Friend Zone! It was a great growing up story about adults.
Ryan is a terrific person. He’s a great friend who tries to act shallow so he doesn’t get hurt.
Ainsley is all about relationships. Ryan’s way of life completely confuses her. Trying to see life from his point of view seems like the best idea after she’s dumped by the man she’s loved for years.
Crossing the Friend Zone is almost perfect. I loved the plot and characters. I thought the foul language was unnecessary. There was a steamy weekend at a B&B but it wasn’t more than a handful of pages.
More…
Author: | Kelly Eadon | ||
Source: | NetGalley | ||
Publisher & Date: | March 7th 2017 by Forever Yours | ||
Genre: | Contemporary Romance | ||
ISBN: | 1455594016 (ISBN13: 9781455594016) | ||
Pages: | 288 | ||
Grade: | A | ||
Ages: | 18+ | ||
Steam: | Adult | ||
Setting: | Belmont Beach | ||
Series: | Belmont Beach, 3 |
The Wedding Date |
The Family Man |
Crossing the Friend Zone |
Excerpt:
She’d given him the perfect fodder, of course, by trekking up a mountain in the rain just to prove to herself she didn’t need him. It had been an attempt to convince herself she didn’t care, that his regret for the kiss hadn’t penetrated. All she’d done was prove how much she did need him after all.
“It was my fault.” His voice was thick, his eyebrows knit in contrition. It was a look she’d never seen on him before: real, genuine remorse.
“No.” It would be unfair to let him take the blame for this. “It was my decision, and it was a bad one. I don’t want to think about it anymore though. You and I? We need to learn to let the past go.”
There had to be a way forward for them. They couldn’t go back and change things, but they could learn to make better decisions in the future. She was willing to try to change, for Ryan. Hell, she had changed for him, hadn’t she? Old Ainsley would never have gone hiking in the rain. Much as she was loath to admit it, he’d gotten to her core.
She closed her eyes and inhaled the spicy scent of him, then closed the distance. This time she would be the one to kiss him. It would be an affirmation of the other night at the concert. She’d make him understand that it wasn’t a mistake. Nothing that had happened between them so far had been a mistake, there had been a purpose behind all of it. To her relief, his lips met hers hungrily and her grip around his neck tightened. She kissed him hard, their tongues tangling together.
She nearly sagged with relief. As he kissed her back, she could almost feel his walls and his reserve, his sarcasm and his jokes, melting between them. He was opening up to her, showing her parts of himself he normally kept closed off.
He let out a low growl, then pulled back to stare at her. Her heart pounded in her ears as she met his gaze. There was a vulnerability there she’d never seen before. She almost smiled. Griffin was right, she’d had a thing or two to teach Ryan about relationships after all. It had just taken him a bit to catch on.
Keep kissing me.
As if he could read her mind, as if kicking down the last of the emotional walls that divided them, he lifted her, cupping her butt in his hands. She wrapped her legs around his waist as he tilted his head toward her and kissed her again. This time his tongue stroked hers, massaging and caressing.
A shiver ran through her and she moaned into his mouth. It was a shiver of desire, of expectation. The cold and the wet had melted completely away, as if kissing Ryan had cocooned her in a protective bubble. She didn’t care about anything other than him and the fact that they were suspended in this moment together. It was real. He was real. And, for the first time, she was pretty sure they were real together.
He pressed her against the van and his mouth trailed down to her throat. Her head fell backward and sensation throbbed inside of her as he found the hollow of her throat. He sucked gently, sending a tsunami of need through her body. For the first time she was sure that he saw her, all of her. They’d let go of their pride and ego to be in this moment together.
She eased away from his mouth and held his gaze. He looked at her longingly and gave a small, crinkled smile. It was more boyish, more filled with hope than she’d ever seen him.
Suddenly she was filled with resolve. They should get out of here. Go somewhere more…private. Comfortable. Because she knew exactly what they both wanted to come next.
Impulsively, she reached out and placed her thumb on his bottom lip. “You have a great mouth.”
He used his teeth to graze her thumb.
She gasped, her hips arching against him. He lowered his head, burying it in her neck. He nipped and licked at her neck, creating shocks of pleasure pain. After the past twenty four hours, the certainty in his touch meant more than words could.
“You smell amazing. And you have the softest skin,” he murmured.
Not that she minded those words. “I…um.” She swallowed hard. “It’s a special lotion.”
He pulled his head back and grinned at her. “Oh yeah? Let me guess, from Paris. Or handmade by oompah-loompahs.”
She slanted him a look. “I like you so much more when you’re not talking. I can think of much better things you could be doing with your mouth.”
Author Bio:
She is represented by Dawn Dowdle at the Blueridge Agency and writes for Grand Central, an imprint of Hachette.
Visit Kelly:
* from kellyeadon.com
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Loved your review of Crossing the Friend Zone. I like that you mentioned foul language and steamy scenes. I like to know about those before i start the book. Thank you!
Thanks! I agree completely! It’s a priority in my reviews!! 😉