This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
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Campbell
She nibbles on the corner of her lips. “My friend Roxy thinks I should—”
“—let yourself have a good time for one more night?”
“How did you know?”
“She seemed like a good wingwoman.” I reach for a strand of her hair, running my finger across the soft locks, cataloging her reaction. “Want to know what I’m thinking?”
She nods.
I flash her a wicked grin. “I’m wondering if you want to be kissed by someone who’s been wanting to kiss you all night long.”
A flash of hesitation crosses her face, then she raises her eyes as if she’s thinking.
“I do,” she whispers, and the few seconds of reticence make her answer even sweeter.
I thread a hand through her hair. I’m going to take my time working up to a kiss, to make sure she wants it desperately. “I’ve been thinking about running my hands through this hair.”
“You have nice fingers…”
“Were you watching my hands when I was on stage?”
Her voice is soft and feathery, a quiet little confession. “Yes. I like the way you play.”
“What did you like about it?” I curl my hand tighter around her head. I swear, heat is radiating off her body, and it’s so damn enticing. “Did it make you think of anything?”
She nibbles on the corner of her lips. “Made me thing about how you might play…me.”
A groan works its way up my chest. She is an alluring mix of daring lioness and clumsy puppy. I yank her flush to me, bringing her mouth mere inches away from mine. “I’d like to play your body like a guitar. I’d like to make you sing, make you cry out in pleasure.” I run both hands through her soft hair, tugging her head back.
She gasps, and that’s my cue to lick a path up her neck, where I nibble on her jaw till she’s squirming against me. “Did you think about how I might kiss you when you watched me play?”
A sexy little sigh seems to escape her lips, followed by a yes.
“I noticed you the other week. At your booth, doing your quiz. Couldn’t stop looking at you. You were so sexy and adorable, and now you’re so damn close to me all I want is to turn you on.”
She parts her lips, and there’s no more need to tell her what I want to do. It’s time to show her.
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Once Upon A Real Good Time was a surprise! I did not expect it to be very enjoyable and a quick read! This book also had a lot of nostalgia because it reminded me of a band of brothers from my teens who aren’t in the spotlight anymore!
Campbell and Mackenzie’s romance snuck up on me. I really liked how their relationship developed. It was very adult and responsible and since both of them are single parents, I loved that they put their kids first.
That said, the only problem I had with Once Upon a Real Good Time is that it lacked conflict. I feel that the conflict was solved really quick and even though it had a “Parent Trap” feel to it, it just felt a little bit rushed. I wanted there to be more conflict, maybe even more drama?
Overall, I am excited to read the full trilogy! The second brother appears in this book quite often and I can’t wait for his story! Lauren Blakely clearly has her stamp of emotional and sweet romance down pat! She is definitely one of my go-to authors!
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Three brothers. Three rock stars. Three standalones.
The Heartbreakers Series—full-length, standalone romantic comedies with no cliffhangers releasing within one month so you can binge read these sexy novels! You can indulge in three delicious romances — a sexy one-night stand with an off-limits woman, a best-friends-to-lovers tale, and a falling-for-my-buddy’s-sister love story. All come with banter, sexy times, and single parents! So get your one-clickers ready for these sexy & charming men! Each love story will make you laugh, swoon and fan yourself from the heat!
September 10: Once Upon a Real Good Time
September 24: Once Upon a Sure Thing
October 8: Once Upon a Wild Fling
Do you love reading about romance featuring famous people who aren’t at the peak of their fame?
Ooh, great review. Sometimes lack of conflict isn’t a big deal to me if the characters are great on their own. This sounds like a cute, quick read and sometimes I’m in the mood for that and that excerpt was great. Thanks for the post, Zee!
Right?! I think that this book needed more conflict. It’s not badly written, but I just wanted more, you know?
I am glad to see that you liked this one. I know I have heard that her books have that “rushed” feeling to them.
I have to agree with you, Renee! Her book Wanderlust was rich and full and all the amazing things! These newest ones that I read lack a lot of character development 🙁
This is a lovely review. I really like how you have this set up. I am always really hesitant with romance that has kids already in the mix. I like kids in my romance stories, but I have read a lot of books that don’t handle the extra challenge of kids well and it winds up messing with the overall storyline for me. By the sound of your review they handle the kids very well, but other than the challenge of the kids I ddidn’t really see any other conflict. I am not sure if this will be a book I start with the author on, but I am going to look into one of her other books. Thanks for such a fantastic review.
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Yes, definitely not something you should start with. I highly recommend Wanderlust as a start because it is AMAZING!
I also agree that kids in romance sometimes sound like they are older for their age. The children in this book were really great!