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Blurb

From the best selling series, Something So comes the spin-off series This is…

Vivienne

Never fall in love.
That was my motto, and I was sticking to it.
Having my heart broken once was enough, and I never wanted to do it again.
He was supposed to be a one-night stand, the only thing I do.
One rule shouldn’t be so hard to follow, but then I went back for seconds, then thirds.

After that, I lost count of the number of times I lost myself in his arms.
When I wasn’t paying attention, my guard slipped.

Mark

They call me Private Mark for a reason—my whole life is a secret.
For two years, we danced around each other until I got her right where I wanted her … under me.
Now that I had her, I wasn’t letting her go. I thought we were on the same page.
I thought we were building something great.

Boy, was I ever wrong.

I had no idea that while I was falling in love, she was trying to convince herself we were temporary.
She thought I’d walk away.

She was wrong.

Now it’s time to convince her she wants us too and to show her that the crazy, wild thing we have … This Is Love.

 

 

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Review

5 stars!

OMG, YES! What a fantastic read! I wasn’t sure what to expect from this one, and honestly with such a bold and out-there heroine, I was a little bit scared, but it’s so, so good! Funny, sexy and romantic with just the right amount of feels, Vivienne’s long-awaited story is fantastically fun, heartfelt and swoony, with a hero to die for, and I loved it!

Vivienne has been a fantastically entertaining side character in both the Something So and the This Is series. She is best friends with Karrie, who married Matthew in Something So Perfect, and she has been the rude, crude, and totally unfiltered girlfriend to the girls in the series with her unsolicited advice, oversharing and her loud and proud commitment to singledom and no-strings sex. It’s because of this that I was nervous about this book, that it may be a bit too ‘much’ being in Vivienne’s head so much (better in small doses perhaps?), but no! This book introduces us to a different Vivienne and we see why she is the way she is, and getting her perspective we see her softer side, and from the first moment I was completely invested in her and her story.

There was something going on between Vivienne and Mark in the last book of the series, and this book was so cleverly tied in! Enough to have fangirls like myself eagerly watching background events and basking in the cleverness of it all, but all without giving spoilers. So, you can read this one as a standalone, but of course you’ll enjoy it more if you’ve read the previous books and know all of the characters and their dynamics.

Mark is the goalie for the New York Stingers – the NHL team that the boys of this series play for. He is nicknamed Private Mark because he keeps to himself, doesn’t talk much and, outside of their games, keeps himself somewhat separate from the rest of the team. I loved getting to know him and learn who he is, and OMG, he is just the perfect hero for Vivienne! He’s sweet and kind, super smart and has himself completely together. He’s a relationship guy, and he knows what he wants, and that’s Vivienne.

 

 

It’s a wild ride for these two, starting off with wild, hot, mind-blowing, life-changing sex. The sexy time is hot and steamy and there’s plenty of it (honestly… how is her vagina not broken?), and it reflects the mad chemistry between Mark and Vivienne as they completely fall under each other’s spell.

“I’m old-fashioned,” I tell her, and she raises her eyebrows, “but not that old-fashioned.”
“Old-fashioned?” she questions me. “Does that mean you do all the work?”
“What fun would that be?” I tell her and lean forward softly. “Nothing sexier than watching a woman ride.”

It’s a brand new situation that Vivienne finds herself in, and though she’s completely swept up, she’s a little bit clueless about what is happening between them, and it leads to lots of laughs.

“He kissed me,” I tell her.
“Okay,” she says. “You’ve kissed other men.”
“Yes, but this one was different. My stomach did a thing.” I put my hand to my stomach, and just thinking about the kiss makes the same thing happen again. “Little flutters.”
“Oh my God,” she says.
“I think I caught something from the kids. I’m going to check my temperature right now,” I say as I got into the bathroom and get the thermometer. “Maybe I caught the bug.”
“Yeah, the love but,” she says, laughing, and I roll my eyes.
“Can you be serious for a minute? I might be dying. Maybe I have a tumor.”

But despite their attraction and their oh-so-obvious sexual connection, they both want different things. Vivienne has sworn off love, and she’s prepared to walk away, but Mark isn’t about to let her. He is patient and smart, he’s prepared to fight for her and he’s confident enough to do whatever it takes to lead her there, and I loved watching them work through it all!

“Do you ever just give up?” she asks, and I turn and face the wall again. “And say fuck it.”
“The endgame is that much better if you fight for it,” I tell her … “Getting that prize and claiming it,” I say, leaning in to whisper in her ear. “Holding the prize in your hands, there isn’t another feeling out there.”

There was the potential for great angst, and yes, there was a little bit, but it was perfect! Just enough to add a bit of drama and have me madly flipping my pages, buzzing with anticipation of what was to come, and never to the point where I was frustrated with either of the characters and wanted to start hurling my kindle across the room. It’s realistic and heartfelt and it builds the feels, and ultimately had me grinning and swooning madly.

“I love you … Like love, love you. Like my world would shatter without you.”

As always, there’s some character crossover – mostly with Matthew and Karrie – and much as I love the romance in this book, the relationship between Vivienne and Karrie is also a highlight. These two are so incredibly close, and are completely open and honest with each other, and their back and forth had me laughing out loud so many times!

“He is the best I’ve ever had. Hands down the biggest I’ve ever had.” My brain is telling my mouth to stop, but I can’t. “Honestly, I thought my vagina would be bruised.” I start to open my legs to show her, and she yells.
“I don’t want to see your bruised vagina, woman!” she yells while she turns her head and puts her hand in front of her face.
“I’ve seen four human heads come out of your vagina, and you can’t look at mine?” I stand, putting my hands on my hips.

This was such a fun read! I loved the banter and the out-there, no-nonsense nature of the characters. I loved the dynamics, the passion, the humour, the emotion and the romance, it’s a great finish for the series and I loved it.

5 stars!

An Advanced Review Copy was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

 

This Is series

 

 

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About the Author

When her nose isn’t buried in a book, or her fingers flying across a keyboard writing, she’s in the kitchen creating gourmet meals. You can find her, in four inch heels no less, in the car chauffeuring kids, or possibly with her husband scheduling his business trips. It’s a good thing her characters do what she says, because even her Labrador doesn’t listen to her…

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