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What do you get when you mix a masquerade ball, a smoldering secret rendezvous, and a sexy, billionaire hero who will sweep you off your feet? An opposite-sides-of-the-tracks standalone romancethat you’re guaranteed to love!
From #1 NYT bestselling author Lauren Blakely, comes the gorgeous and sexy-as-sin forbidden romance filled with wit, humor, and so much heart, COME AS YOU ARE! Secret trysts and stolen kisses abound in this brand new, swoontastic novel.
COME AS YOU ARE
by Lauren Blakely
Releasing April 16, 2018
AVAILABLE NOW!
Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU
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COME AS YOU ARE is narrated by Andi Arndt and Sebastian York!
Get it on AUDIO today!
Blurb
I couldn’t have scripted a more perfect night.
For one fantastic evening, at a masquerade party in the heart of Manhattan, I’m not the millionaire everyone wants a piece of. Fine—multimillionaire. But who’s counting all those commas? Not me, and not the most intriguing woman I’ve ever met, who happens to like dancing, witty banter, and hot, passionate up-against-the-wall sex as much as I do.
There’s no need for names or business cards. And that’s why I’m eager to get to know her more, since my mystery woman seems to like me for me, rather than for my huge…bank account.
Everything’s coming up aces. Until the next day when things get a little complicated. (Newsflash — a lot complicated.)
***
He’s charming, brilliant, an incredible lover, and right now I want to stab fate in the eyeballs.
I’ve had one goal I’ve been working toward, and lo and behold, my mystery man is the very person who stands between me and my dream job. A job I desperately need since my hard-knock life has nothing in common with his star-kissed one.
But it’s time to put that fairytale night behind me, and focus on learning what makes him tick. Too bad it turns out his quirks are my quirks, and his love affair with New York matches mine.
And as we spend our days together, I discover something else that feels like a cruel twist of fate — I’m falling for this naughty prince charming, and that’s not an ending I can write to our story.
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Review
4.5 Stars!
“Once upon a time, there was a woman at a party who wanted to be kissed,” I say, walking to her, the pages open.
The angel raises her hands to her hair and sweeps off the headband that holds her halo. She tosses it to the desk. “That sounds like a very scintillating tale.”
Full of humor, heart, and heat, with lovable characters and an entertaining storyline, this book is a winner. Together, multi-millionaire Flynn Parker and journalist Sabrina Granger will give you butterflies. Add in hidden identities and a smoking hot sexy scene and you will be itching for more Flynn/Sabrina time.
Flynn, twin brother of Dylan from Stud Finder, is the CEO of his high tech company who is about to launch his newest baby, Haven, a home automation system. Burned in the past by women who only see him as dollar signs, he wants to find someone who wants him for him. When he meets a woman at a masquerade ball who has no idea who he is, he can’t help but take a chance on her. One interaction isn’t nearly enough though, and he wants more.
Sabrina is a journalist down on her luck. When she gets a call from Up Next magazine to interview Flynn, she knows this could be the big break she has been looking for; however, it turns out that Flynn is the mystery man at the ball and the one she cannot stop thinking about. Sabrina can’t risk the job so Flynn is now off-limits.
Flynn is a good person through and through. He’s a hard worker who cares about his employees. The money is good but it’s not the only reason he works and you can see it through his actions. He is sweet, sexy, and a total nerd and I adored him. I love that he is confident but also unsure, especially when it came to Sabrina. It makes him vulnerable, realistic, and relatable.
Sabrina is gorgeous inside and out. She loves with her whole heart and cares deeply for the people in her life. She takes on big responsibilities and puts her whole self into them. Her life isn’t easy yet she doesn’t regret a thing and it made me admire her. She is smart, witty, and sweet with a sexy side thrown into the mix and I loved her.
I really enjoyed the plot and the way Flynn and Sabrina meet at a masquerade ball. Masks hide their faces and the inability to see what the other looks like gets the imagination flowing.
You can let down your guard, talk freely, tease. It’s so much easier to be who you are when no one knows who you are.
I loved the role playing and their flirty banter, and they are so freaking hot together, a perfect combination of sweet, sexy, and swoony.
When they find out exactly who the other is their reactions are realistic. I felt the disappointment with the unlucky turn of events. The frustration was palpable as was the sexual tension surrounding them as they keep their relationship strictly professional.
However, Flynn and Sabrina are just too good together and they can’t stay away. As they get to know each other I felt like I was right there with them. I became quickly invested in their lives and happiness. They made each other laugh and love, and they couldn’t help but crave each other. Along with the sweet, swoony stuff, they were serious too. I love that they were mature and realistic when it came to life decisions.
Wanting is such a painful emotion. It aches and throbs and hurts even as it asks for more of the torture. More of the things that I can’t have. A real chance with this man. A real date. A real love.
I understood their reservations about starting something and what was at risk. I loved that they accepted their feelings even if they thought they couldn’t pursue them and they respected each other’s decisions.
Her fingers slide tighter through mine, and her touch has become an epilogue, the last reminder that we were always pretend. We were each better off not knowing who the other was, when we slipped on our masks and made believe we could be people we weren’t.
When they are finally able to be together, they dive in completely and I couldn’t stop the warmth that filled my heart. This story left me giddy with a smile plastered on my face, and I loved it.
*ARC generously provided by the author and Inkslinger PR in exchange for an honest review*
Excerpt
~FLYNN~
The door crawls shut.
Inch by inch.
A slow-mo door.
I have no patience for its theatrics. I kick it shut, eager for the next part of the evening to begin.
Her laughter sounds across the library and echoes off its dark wood shelves bursting with books. A leather couch takes center stage, flanked by a mahogany table.
“Are you in a rush to read something?” she asks coyly.
Her voice turns me on. It’s like bourbon and honey. A little throaty and husky, but with sweet undertones. Funny, how when you can’t see someone’s face—at least not all of it—your other senses heighten. Your ears work harder, homing in on the voice, or you zoom in on the eyes. Hers are warm hazel with flecks of bronze and green.
“Why, yes, I was looking for a particular book.” I stroll to the bookshelf along one wall, running my fingers across the spines, from old hardcovers like Tess of the d’Urbervilles to modern thrillers from the likes of Clive Cussler to non-fiction reads on the habits of highly effective people. “I thought if you wanted to go to the library you’d want to read. Naturally.”
“Of course. Read me a story. A bedtime story.” She leans against the wall next to a writing desk with a green lamp on it, the kind that has one of those chains you pull down to turn it on. She goes with the moment, and this night seems like role-play with her. I half want to understand who she is. But in a way, I’d rather experience everything she seems to want to give. Her body. Her mouth. Her mind. Whoever she is here in the library is as real as whoever she is behind the mask. My mission is to make sure she gets everything she wants.
I grab the nearest book and crack it open. It’s a James Patterson. “Once upon a time, there was a woman at a party who wanted to be kissed,” I say, walking to her, the pages open.
The angel raises her hands to her hair and sweeps off the headband that holds her halo. She tosses it to the desk. “That sounds like a very scintillating tale.”
Giveaway
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About the Author
A #1 New York Times Bestselling author, and #1 Wall Street Journal Bestselling author, Lauren Blakely is known for her contemporary romance style that’s hot, sweet and sexy. She lives in California with her family and has plotted entire novels while walking her dogs. 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 85 times, and in March she’ll release WANDERLUST, a breathtaking new romance that will sweep you away.
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