I adore the theme of friends to lovers and it's what drives this story that had me smiling as I voraciously read this romantic comedy full of combustible encounters. Keep reading to get a tantalizing taste of Full Package by Lauren Blakely, along with my impressions of it, then add it to your bookshelf. In honor of this fourth installment in the author's romantic comedy series make sure to fill out the form below for the chance to win GCs, a Coach wristlet, and audio versions of this collection too!
From the New York Times Bestselling author of MISTER O and BIG ROCK, comes a hot & hilarious new standalone romantic comedy...
I've been told I have quite a gift.
Hey, I don't just mean in my pants. I've got a big brain too, and a huge heart of gold. And I like to use all my gifts to the fullest, the package included. Life is smooth sailing...
Until I find myself stuck between a rock and a sexy roommate, which makes for one very hard...place.
Because scoring an apartment in this city is harder than finding true love. So even if I have to shack up with my buddy's smoking hot and incredibly amazing little sister, a man's got to do what a man's got to do.
I can resist Josie. I'm disciplined, I'm focused, and I keep my hands to myself, even in the mere five-hundred square feet we share. Until the one night she insists on sliding under the covers with me. It'll help her sleep after what happened that day, she says.
Spoiler-neither one of us sleeps.
Did I mention she's also one of my best friends? That she's brilliant, beautiful and a total firecracker? Guess that makes her the full package too.
What's a man stuck in a hard place to do?
EXCERPT:
I turn into the kitchen. She pulls a tray from the oven and smiles. She still wears the date outfit, but the heels are gone. She’s adorable in her fancy dress and bare feet.
“Date ended early?"
She nods. “When he invited me to see his gerbil, I thought it was time to go."
“That doesn’t entice you?"
She shakes her head. “Had he said ferret, perhaps. Alas, with gerbil I’m a firm no."
“Was it in his pants or a cage?"
“We didn’t get far enough to find out. I said thanks, I need to water the plants, and I got the hell out of Dodge."
I curl up the side of my mouth. “Guess that explains why Trish didn’t invite me home, either. I tried the hamster line on her."
She smacks me with a panda potholder. “I suppose I should have known better, though. Earlier in the date, he made a ton of masturbation comments."
I lean against the kitchen counter. “And that concerns you, since you never do that, right?"
As she slides the spatula under the dessert, she gives me a side-eye stare.
“Exactly, Chase. I never rub one out. Never.” She waves a hand over her crotch.
“Total hands-free zone."
I take her comment seriously. “Fine. You use toys. I get it. What kind?” I ask, because I can’t help myself.
She rolls her eyes. “Not telling you."
I harrumph and grab for a bar from the pan. She swats me with the spatula.
“Ouch,” I say, yanking back my hand.
“That didn’t hurt. And you should know better than to steal my dessert before it’s ready."
“You should know better than to hit my hands.” I hold both up in the air.
With a quickness I don’t see coming, she whacks me again with her utensil. This time on the other hand.
“That’s it.” I charge her, tickling her waist. “Tell me what toys and I’ll stop."
She cracks up and flails her arms, knocking me with elbows and hands and the spatula, too, until I give in to her cries for mercy.
I stare at her in our tiny sliver of a kitchen. “Waiting."
“You really want to know?"
I nod eagerly. I’m playing with fire, but I can’t resist. The desire to know outweighs all else.
She works the spatula under the bars again, shaking her head. “I can’t believe we’re having this conversation."
I hold out my hands. “C’mon. We talk about all sorts of stuff.” Then, an idea strikes me. I open the kitchen cupboard, grab a bottle of Patron, and hold it up.
“This will help all that shyness."
She stares at me with narrowed eyes. “I’m not shy at all."
I grab two shot glasses and pour. “Better safe than sorry, Miss Not Shy At All."
I hand her one, and she takes it. Then I raise my glass, and the drink goes down the hatch with a burn. She follows suit, swallowing it quickly, then sets her glass down. I do the same.
I rub my palms together. “Toy confessional time. What have you got?"
She arches an eyebrow. “Really? You really want to know?"
I narrow my eyes. “What part of your roommate being a dirty bastard do you not understand? Obviously, I want to know. I’m a guy. This is like Christmas morning. But if this helps..."
I pour two more shots then slide her glass over to her. Once more, we down them.
She draws a deep breath. “Since you asked . . . I have a few toys. A little silver bullet. A bigger dolphin. And I have a waterproof finger vibrator."
And the temperature in me shoots through the roof. I tug at the neck of my shirt. “For the shower?” I croak out.
“Seeing as we don’t have a bathtub, yes, it would have to be for the shower."
“You masturbate in the shower?” I ask, and the visual is so fucking clear in my mind—Josie under a hot stream of water that slopes off her breasts, a finger vibrator working between her thighs.
She nods as she slides the bars onto a cooling rack. Just then I remember she promised me seven-layer bars when she freaked out the other night. And she delivered. Fuck, I think she might be perfect, what with her desserts and her shower hobby.
“Date ended early?"
She nods. “When he invited me to see his gerbil, I thought it was time to go."
“That doesn’t entice you?"
She shakes her head. “Had he said ferret, perhaps. Alas, with gerbil I’m a firm no."
“Was it in his pants or a cage?"
“We didn’t get far enough to find out. I said thanks, I need to water the plants, and I got the hell out of Dodge."
I curl up the side of my mouth. “Guess that explains why Trish didn’t invite me home, either. I tried the hamster line on her."
She smacks me with a panda potholder. “I suppose I should have known better, though. Earlier in the date, he made a ton of masturbation comments."
I lean against the kitchen counter. “And that concerns you, since you never do that, right?"
As she slides the spatula under the dessert, she gives me a side-eye stare.
“Exactly, Chase. I never rub one out. Never.” She waves a hand over her crotch.
“Total hands-free zone."
I take her comment seriously. “Fine. You use toys. I get it. What kind?” I ask, because I can’t help myself.
She rolls her eyes. “Not telling you."
I harrumph and grab for a bar from the pan. She swats me with the spatula.
“Ouch,” I say, yanking back my hand.
“That didn’t hurt. And you should know better than to steal my dessert before it’s ready."
“You should know better than to hit my hands.” I hold both up in the air.
With a quickness I don’t see coming, she whacks me again with her utensil. This time on the other hand.
“That’s it.” I charge her, tickling her waist. “Tell me what toys and I’ll stop."
She cracks up and flails her arms, knocking me with elbows and hands and the spatula, too, until I give in to her cries for mercy.
I stare at her in our tiny sliver of a kitchen. “Waiting."
“You really want to know?"
I nod eagerly. I’m playing with fire, but I can’t resist. The desire to know outweighs all else.
She works the spatula under the bars again, shaking her head. “I can’t believe we’re having this conversation."
I hold out my hands. “C’mon. We talk about all sorts of stuff.” Then, an idea strikes me. I open the kitchen cupboard, grab a bottle of Patron, and hold it up.
“This will help all that shyness."
She stares at me with narrowed eyes. “I’m not shy at all."
I grab two shot glasses and pour. “Better safe than sorry, Miss Not Shy At All."
I hand her one, and she takes it. Then I raise my glass, and the drink goes down the hatch with a burn. She follows suit, swallowing it quickly, then sets her glass down. I do the same.
I rub my palms together. “Toy confessional time. What have you got?"
She arches an eyebrow. “Really? You really want to know?"
I narrow my eyes. “What part of your roommate being a dirty bastard do you not understand? Obviously, I want to know. I’m a guy. This is like Christmas morning. But if this helps..."
I pour two more shots then slide her glass over to her. Once more, we down them.
She draws a deep breath. “Since you asked . . . I have a few toys. A little silver bullet. A bigger dolphin. And I have a waterproof finger vibrator."
And the temperature in me shoots through the roof. I tug at the neck of my shirt. “For the shower?” I croak out.
“Seeing as we don’t have a bathtub, yes, it would have to be for the shower."
“You masturbate in the shower?” I ask, and the visual is so fucking clear in my mind—Josie under a hot stream of water that slopes off her breasts, a finger vibrator working between her thighs.
She nods as she slides the bars onto a cooling rack. Just then I remember she promised me seven-layer bars when she freaked out the other night. And she delivered. Fuck, I think she might be perfect, what with her desserts and her shower hobby.
FIND AT GOODREADS here.
BUY LINKS: AMAZON (US) | AMAZON (PAPERBACK) | AMAZON (UK) | AMAZON (AU) | AMAZON (CA) | iBOOKS | BN | KOBO | GOOGLE PLAY | AUDIBLE
MS. BLAKELY'S PREVIOUS ROMANTIC COMEDIES SET AMIDST THIS STORY'S TIMELINE....
BIG ROCK | WELL HUNG | MISTER O
MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:
Readers looking for a romance that will put a smile on their face while making them blush will get just that with this charming friends-to-lovers tale. From its larger-than-life main characters to its witty, rapid-fire dialogue, this story captivated me from the first page to the last and had me rooting for their HEA every step of the way. A memorable hero paired with a sweet and sassy heroine quickly became just what the doctor ordered in this story that I never wanted to end and that I can't recommend enough!
Chase seems to have everything with a career he loves and a life that fulfills him, but he's becoming desperate in his search for an apartment. He doesn't own much and isn't too picky when it comes to a roommate, but past experience has him leery of accepting the obvious choice of moving in with his female best friend. He's always felt comfortable with Josie and found their interactions the highlight of his day, but sharing walls brings them even closer together and has him realizing the truth about his long-held feelings. Fear over ruining their friendship has him settling for less than he wants from her in a battle he wages with his heart as he tries to keep the "l-word" from being said. When their time together runs out will Chase finally speak what's in his heart or lose the fragile foundation they've built? Chase is charming and exactly what readers want in a hero as he was sweet, caring, and had a heart made of gold. His love for Josie was very obvious from the start and I felt great sympathy for him as he fought to keep his feelings hidden as Josie wanted. He was sexy and romantic too and is the latest addition to my list of book boyfriends as he's pure perfection!
Josie's a strong-willed young woman who seems unlucky in love. Bad experiences in the past have her doubtful of finding true love which is why she's so protective of her friendship with Chase. They're like two peas in a pod with a connection that's crackling, each supportive of the other and doing sweet things for each that clearly shows their devotion to one another. Josie's immensely likable, open and honest, except when it comes to her feelings for Chase as she can't see her life without him in it and fears the changes their friends-to-lovers relationship might have on their future. Josie's a bubbly heroine, proud of her curves and unashamed of saying what she wants when it comes to sex. She's the kind of heroine I wish inhabited every romance book as she's smart, sexy, and snarky.
This book held me captive from the very first page with its witty and sensually-charged banter between two good friends. Chase and Josie were a crackling couple with interactions that were full of sexual tension as well as humor that put a smile on my face. The sexual interludes were combustible, heating up my iPad, while retaining the playful banter of their friendship. Fear held Chase and Josie back but this story wasn't dripping with angst as their interactions were charming and playful. Thankfully too readers didn't have to wait too long for the richly rewarding HEA that had me cheering...and even more in love with Chase. Surrounding this engaging couple is a large cast of secondary characters that we've seen in past books from the author which gives a feeling of family and unquestionable support that rounds out this heartwarming tale. Ultimately Ms. Blakely has crafted yet another winning romantic comedy that I can't recommend highly enough to those looking for a fun and flirty read full of heart!
Chase seems to have everything with a career he loves and a life that fulfills him, but he's becoming desperate in his search for an apartment. He doesn't own much and isn't too picky when it comes to a roommate, but past experience has him leery of accepting the obvious choice of moving in with his female best friend. He's always felt comfortable with Josie and found their interactions the highlight of his day, but sharing walls brings them even closer together and has him realizing the truth about his long-held feelings. Fear over ruining their friendship has him settling for less than he wants from her in a battle he wages with his heart as he tries to keep the "l-word" from being said. When their time together runs out will Chase finally speak what's in his heart or lose the fragile foundation they've built? Chase is charming and exactly what readers want in a hero as he was sweet, caring, and had a heart made of gold. His love for Josie was very obvious from the start and I felt great sympathy for him as he fought to keep his feelings hidden as Josie wanted. He was sexy and romantic too and is the latest addition to my list of book boyfriends as he's pure perfection!
Josie's a strong-willed young woman who seems unlucky in love. Bad experiences in the past have her doubtful of finding true love which is why she's so protective of her friendship with Chase. They're like two peas in a pod with a connection that's crackling, each supportive of the other and doing sweet things for each that clearly shows their devotion to one another. Josie's immensely likable, open and honest, except when it comes to her feelings for Chase as she can't see her life without him in it and fears the changes their friends-to-lovers relationship might have on their future. Josie's a bubbly heroine, proud of her curves and unashamed of saying what she wants when it comes to sex. She's the kind of heroine I wish inhabited every romance book as she's smart, sexy, and snarky.
This book held me captive from the very first page with its witty and sensually-charged banter between two good friends. Chase and Josie were a crackling couple with interactions that were full of sexual tension as well as humor that put a smile on my face. The sexual interludes were combustible, heating up my iPad, while retaining the playful banter of their friendship. Fear held Chase and Josie back but this story wasn't dripping with angst as their interactions were charming and playful. Thankfully too readers didn't have to wait too long for the richly rewarding HEA that had me cheering...and even more in love with Chase. Surrounding this engaging couple is a large cast of secondary characters that we've seen in past books from the author which gives a feeling of family and unquestionable support that rounds out this heartwarming tale. Ultimately Ms. Blakely has crafted yet another winning romantic comedy that I can't recommend highly enough to those looking for a fun and flirty read full of heart!
My rating for this is an A+
*I got this book from the author for review in exchange for my honest opinion.
AUTHOR INFO:
Since self-publishing her debut romance novel CAUGHT UP IN US over three years ago, Lauren Blakely has sold more than 1.5 million books. She is known for her sexy contemporary romance style that's full of heat, heart and humor. A devout fan of cake and canines, Lauren has plotted entire novels while walking her four-legged friends. She lives in California with her family. With thirteen New York Times bestsellers, her titles have appeared on the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestseller Lists more than seventy times. Her bestselling series include Sinful Nights, Seductive Nights, No Regrets, Caught Up in Love, and Fighting Fire as well as standalone hit romances like BIG ROCK, MISTER O, WELL HUNG, and THE SEXY ONE which were all instant New York Times Bestsellers. In January she'll release FULL PACKAGE, a standalone romantic comedy. To receive an email when Lauren releases a new book, sign up for her newsletter!
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