To get the deal ... He'll need her helpPublisher: Circle 1 Publishing, February 2011
Determined to land a huge advertising account for his company, Nicolas Sinclair gets a LITTLE carried away and tells the potential client he's married and about to celebrate his first anniversary. Now, Nick has a serious problem-he has agreed to a high-stakes cruise with this important client and must find a willing "wife" to join him.
Laney Parks is either in the wrong place at the wrong time, or the right place at the right time-she isn't sure which. She isn't even entirely sure how she got roped into posing as her hunky boss's wife. She finds "sticking to the script" SERIOUSLY unnerving, especially when it involves cuddling up and kissing in public-and sharing the close confines of a cabin, and its single bed, with him.
Format: Trade Paperback
Genre: Erotic Contemporary Romance
Single Title/Series: LOVE SCRIPT: DELUXE EDITION is a single title novel.
Cover Thoughts: I'm in love with this cover. It adequately conveys the plot, setting, and genre in a strikingly beautiful manner.
Origin: I received a copy of the book from the author's publicist in exchange for an honest review.
My Review:
The Plot:
Not many are brave enough to take a romantic Caribbean vacation cruise all alone, not unless you're Laney Parks and you've just caught your two-timing, scumbag of a now ex-boyfriend having sex with another woman. But it's better to forge ahead and wallow in your sad self pity while simultaneously getting a tan, right? Well it's a good plan right up until Laney runs into her boss and an offer she can't refuse: pose as his wife and receive not only the promotion of a lifetime, but an additional ten thousand dollars to sweeten the deal. All Laney has to do is stick to the script. Piece of cake!
Nick Sinclair is on the verge of making a complete ass of himself in front of a potential client he's currently courting and lying to in order to secure the marketing deal of a lifetime for his firm. Not only did he lie about his marriage status and hijack his potential client's Caribbean vacation, but now he's facing a real disaster while standing alone at the cruise ship entrance minus his "wife" after an inconvenient ultimatum. Nick needs to find a replacement and fast. How fortuitous then that Laney Parks is standing behind him minus her boyfriend. Throwing everything at the woman except for the kitchen sink, Nick seals his vow of "marriage" from Laney but maintaining their business arrangement proves to be the greatest, most agonizing effort in restraint.
Well aware of Nick's reputation as a womanizer, Laney is on guard for any seduction shenanigans. Meanwhile, she's also having second thoughts about her agreement to help Nick and pose as his "wife". He wants every impression of a couple in love but after her recent heartbreak, the last thing Laney wants to do is snuggle and make googly-eyes with a man she doesn't know during her mourning period. To add heat to her already raging emotions, Laney is no where near as immune to Nick's model good looks as she'd like. Plus, he embodies a surprising intensity that threatens to overwhelm every one of her vulnerable senses. Determined to set boundaries between her and her luscious "husband", Laney does her part to act the doting wife in public but alone with Nick, she's encased within a fortress of pure ice. Now all she has to do is remain vigilant and prevent Nick from thawing her rigid defenses before week's end and she can go home with her arms laden with cash and a premiere career future.
Sailing upon a sea of uncharted emotions, Nick has never been more confused or more sexually frustrated by a woman in his entire adult life. Laney is everything he's never wanted in a woman but soon she becomes everything that he'll do anything to possess. A complete departure from the clean, no-strings-no-mess women of his past, Laney's middle name is complicated. And while her lush coco skin and sinful curves have him and every other hot-blooded male on the ship salivating, Nick can't help but respect Laney's modesty and sense of self respect. Truth is, she's a damned inconvenience, one that he doesn't want nor need in his life but to Nick's untimely alarm, Laney becomes the one woman in the world that he can't possibly live without.
The Heroine:
Laney Parks embodies a special combination of a warm consideration for others, an unintentional beauty, and an admirably high sense of self worth. In essence, Laney is pure class. Kind, loyal, and caring, she's the type of heroine that's more than deserving of her Happily Ever After and as a reader, you want to journey with Laney and be apart of that special moment when she finally receives her long awaited true love and happiness.
Bringing much needed realism to the book, it's not long before Laney regrets her agreement with Nick, not only because it feels cheap and lousy, but because she's lying to others whom at any other time could have been her friends. Laney's doing a bad, bad thing on this cruise and while the naughtiness is slightly liberating, Laney knows what the end result will be and she doesn't sugar coat or ignore the reality of her situation. It's this knowledge of herself and of Nick that has her embracing the possibility that a real relationship between the two of them may never become reality. But despite the fact that she's walked this journey with her eyes wide open, Laney is still helpless to her heart's desire and falls headlong into love with Nick.
The Hero:
Ruthless, predatory, competitive, and vigilant, Nick Sinclair is the very definition of intensity. A self proclaimed bachelor that only wants the simple ease that causal sex can offer, Nick doesn't want a relationship but he proves on the cruise with Laney that he can be a rather devoted and insatiable husband. Pure sexual dynamite in bed, Nick has never known this possessive and dominating side of himself that he inadvertently unleashes upon Laney. Her unintentional seductive ways leaves him aching with a want so fierce that he's left with no choice but to ruthlessly pursue her and bring them both to a whole new level within their "marriage". No one is more surprised than Nick when he realizes that he's falling in love with Laney. Truth of the matter is that Laney challenges him to be a better man. She doesn't roll over for him or issue ultimatums that would grant him the easy out. She makes him work for it and for once, Nick is willing and wanting to be in love.
My Final Thoughts:
LOVE SCRIPT: DELUXE EDITION was a surprising but delightful read. I must admit that it's hard not to judge a contemporary romance without a more skeptical eye. The premise of this novel is undoubtedly far fetched but I was extremely delighted to find that the characters, especially Laney, brought a welcome and much needed realism to the plot. It therefore became incredibly easy to suspend my disbelief and simply immerse myself into what really became an extremely entertaining read.
And it must be added that the sex in this novel is off-the-charts explosive. Trust me when I say that you'll be curling your toes, fanning your cheeks, and squirming in your seat as Nick and Laney start getting hot and heavy in and out of the bedroom. Nick is incredibly intense so it's no surprise when he becomes almost wild with a primitive need to possess Laney but it's his alarm and bewilderment over his own behavior that keeps Nick from becoming too aggressive. He pushes, yes, but his pursuit is oh so delicious. Meanwhile Laney, while not as sexually aggressive as Nick, is a wonderful counterpoint to his predatory nature with her practicality and endearing vulnerabilities. She's a complex mixture of seductress and innocent that has Nick twisted with the simultaneous need to both claim and comfort her.
And finally, from the cover it's obvious that LOVE SCRIPT: DELUXE EDITION is an interracial romance but truly, these differences didn't have any profound effect whatsoever on the plot nor the characters. Attraction is attraction and these two scorched the pages with an insatiable inferno that'll leave you breathless. If you're interested in a mixed race romance but are hesitant, this novel is a great place to start.
4 Stars
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