Under the Stars by Laura Pavlov is live!
The second book in the Cottonwood Cove series, this is a fun, enemies-to-lovers romance that is full of emotion, beautifully romantic and super swoony. I loved it!
Amazon | Paperback | Special Edition Paperback | Hardcover | Audio
Audio narrated by Andi Arndt & Tor Thom
Blurb
My new assistant is all smiles and sunshine—and she’s about to set fire to my cold, grumpy heart.
I’ve moved to this god-forsaken small town to run the family business.
I need to hire a new PA and the pickings are slim.
Some say my irrational expectations are the reason I’ve gone through assistants quicker than most people refill their coffee.
Incompetence is my pet peeve.
If that makes me irrational, so be it.
Then Georgia Reynolds walks into my office.
Blonde hair.
Sapphire eyes.
And a smart mouth that irritates me as much as it turns me on.
On top of being a rockstar at her job, she is a ray of freaking sunshine on steroids.
I have no patience for it.
Nor for the way she flutters around the office like a modern-day Tinkerbell.
She has ridiculous taste in music.
Drives an unreasonable form of transportation.
And did I mention that I caught her dancing in my closet when I sent her on a simple errand?
My new assistant has somehow become my kryptonite.
But I am her boss, and I am not going to be a pathetic cliché.
It doesn’t matter that my cold, jaded heart has started beating again.
In my world, a beating heart makes you weak.
And I do not tolerate weaknesses.
Review
4.5 stars!
The second book in the Cottonwood Cove series, this is a fun, enemies-to-lovers romance that is full of emotion, beautifully romantic and super swoony. I loved it!
Georgia Reynolds is the youngest of her siblings, and she is a confident, chatty, ray of sunshine, and a complete smartass. She has applied for a job at a new publishing house that has moved its base to her small home town, as the Assistant to the CEO, the rich, handsome and grumpy Maddox Lancaster. From a wealthy family, Maddox is well known to be a cold and grouchy bastard, and he’s been through a few assistants before he interviews Georgia. She flits into his office, all smiles and confidently backchats him, and he is enamored. He hires her, and it turns out to be the best decision he ever made. The outspoken blonde is a powerhouse at her job, and she’s completely unafraid of him. It only takes a couple of weeks before things are getting inappropriate, with lots of snarky flirting, and getting up in each other’s lives, and it’s so much fun to watch!
“I can’t help it if you have horrid taste in men.”
“Well, after meeting your date, I’d say we have something in common.”
“My dates don’t steal from me,” he hissed.
“No? They’re just gold-digging ice queens with no personality?”
“Well, your whiny-ass ex cried like a little bitch when I confronted him. I think you still win for the worst pick of all time.”
The chemistry is electric between these two. There’s a clear attraction which both of them try to ignore, and seeing as they can’t stay away from each other, they become friends, getting even more up into each other’s lives. As they grow closer, they even talk about how much they want each other, acknowledging the ever-building sexual tension but agreeing that they can’t act on it… until they do.
He tugged me against his body. “Do you want this, Tink? Because it’s all I fucking thing about.”
“For someone who doesn’t do relationships, you’re awfully bossy about how this all works.”
“We’ll figure it out as we go. But right now, I want to take you home.”
Unable to resist any longer, they dive into what they plan to be a short-term fling, and oh holy God, it’s hot! Maddox is a dirty talker with all the moves, and the sexy time is sizzling!
“This will be more than fucking noteworthy. And for the record, my cock finds the word noteworthy offensive. And sex is definitely your thing. You’ve just been dating boys up until now, and you’ve never been with a man.”
And though he usually keeps his hook ups short and impersonal, everything is different with Georgia, and once again they find themselves crossing all sorts of lines.
I didn’t even know I was capable of having feelings for someone else until this woman fluttered her way into my life.
The transition from enemies to friends to lovers and more is beautifully done. It’s easy and natural, and full of feeling, and I fell right along with these two as they followed their hearts into something more than they were ever expecting.
His hand moved to my neck, his fingers resting on my check. “I don’t want to keep it casual. I want you, Georgia … I want everyone to know that you’re mine. Because you are, and we both know it.”
It’s beautifully romantic, sweet and swoony, and I loved watching Maddox becoming a part of the Reynolds clan, just as Georgia is invited into his troubled family. But Maddox has some pretty big demons from his past that have left their mark. He’s trying to deal with them, but is put to the test in the most heartbreaking of circumstances, which brings the drama and even more feels, but ultimately shows the strength of what he and Georgia have together, and I loved watching it all play out.
A thick ball lodged in my throat, making it difficult to speak. Not because I wasn’t feeling it – it was the exact opposite.
I felt it all.
It was too much in a million ways, yet I only wanted more, which made no sense.
Loving someone was not in my plans.
But I was in too deep. There was no turning back.
Of course, Georgia’s family are a big part of the story, and the text conversations between the siblings are gold! I love these guys together- full of snark and sarcasm but so loving, and they unquestionably have each other’s backs. Their dynamic is so much fun, and I cannot wait to read more about each of them as the series continues.
This is a fun read, with lots of emotion, and the swoony romance is just gorgeous! I loved these characters, and their story, and finished this book with a huge smile on my face.
Such a great read, 4.5 stars.
An Advanced Review Copy was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Cottonwood Cove
Into the Tide (#1) (Hugh & Lila)
Review
Buy: Amazon
Under the Stars (#2) (Maddox & Georgia)
Review
Buy: Amazon
On the Shore (#3) (Lincoln & Brinkley)
Review
Buy: Amazon
About Laura
Laura Pavlov writes sweet and sexy contemporary romance that will make you both laugh and cry. She is happily married to her college sweetheart, mom to two awesome almost-grown kids, and dog-whisperer to one temperamental yorkie and one wild bernedoodle. Laura resides in Las Vegas where she is living her own happily ever after. Be sure to sign up for updates on new releases. Laura loves to hear from readers!
Website | Amazon | Facebook | Instagram
One thought on “Release & ARC Review: Under the Stars (Cottonwood Cove, #2) by Laura Pavlov”