Release Blitz, Excerpt, Giveaway & ARC Review: Birthday Suit by Lauren Blakely

Temptation never tasted so good…

And it’s back in my life in an unexpected way.

 

 

BIRTHDAY SUIT, a brand new standalone forbidden romance from #1 New York Times bestselling author Lauren Blakely, is LIVE on all retailers!

 

BUY IT TODAY!
Amazon US  |  Amazon UK  |  Amazon CA  |  Amazon AU
iBooks  |  Kobo  |  B&N  |  Google Play  |  Paperback  |  Audio

 

 

Performed by Andi Arndt and Sebastion York,
with a Full Cast including Joe Arden, RC Bray, Jason Clarke, Shane East, Dion Graham, January LaVoy, Erin, Mallon, Robin Miles, Savannah Peachwood, and Julia Whelan

 



Blurb

She’s the ultimate off-limits woman…

There are only three rules in life you should truly follow to the letter.
One: Always make time to help a buddy.
Two: Definitely turn down that last tequila shot.
And three: Absolutely, no matter how beautiful, smart, clever and witty she is, do not–under any circumstances–fall in love with your best friend’s woman.

Oops.

Seems I missed following that last one. And the trouble is, she just walked back into my life in a big way….

Pass the tequila.

***

There are three things I’ve never been able to resist — my friends, my family, and chocolate. Leo Hennessy? He was nowhere on that list. He’s been a friend and only that. A friend who walked through hell and back with me.

Now, I’m stepping into my new future, and I didn’t expect it to include a riddle-filled, race-against-the-clock scavenger hunt across New York City.

With Leo.

Suddenly, I’m looking at this man with new eyes…

But I can’t risk a temptation as I start over and Leo is most definitely a temptation of the sexiest, sweetest, and most dangerous variety.

More delicious than chocolate…

Find Birthday Suit on GOODREADS

 

 


Review

4 stars!!

Sometimes life gives you a second chance at love, and if you’re lucky enough to spot it and wise enough to seize it, you better be strong enough to keep it.

Leo and Lulu met years ago and though there could have been a spark, someone else took her heart. It’s not easy loving your best friend’s girl in secret but Leo had no choice and learned to live with it. Now with Lulu back in his life, it seems the tables are turning and what once was forbidden may not be so anymore.

That’s what we are. Old friends tethered across the years by someone else. Someone who was the sun, and we were his moons.
Now, Leo and I are untethered, and I don’t know how we’ll orbit without our star.

Lauren Blakely effortlessly combines some of my favorite tropes and puts her own unique twist on things. Birthday Suit contains her trademark humor, heat, and heart while captivating us with a delicious slow-burn, forbidden, friends-to-lovers romance.

Leo and Lulu are wonderfully functional and delightfully witty. They haven’t seen each other in about two years but they fall back into an easy, fun friendship that is both familiar and new.

It doesn’t feel like we’re playing the same record. It feels like we’ve tuned in to a familiar song, but on a whole new frequency.

The fears and concerns both emotionally and professionally were realistic and relatable. I loved their comfortable friendship and the progression as they became more.

It’s as if I’m getting to know her all over again. Like we’re having conversations for the first time, talks that exist only between the two of us, and I don’t have to worry about crossing any lines with my best friend.

Together, Leo and Lulu light up the pages with the perfect amount of steam and swoon but there are roadblocks in place that force them to reevaluate their relationship. They knew what needed to happen to truly be together and I loved that the Lulu and Leo struggled but didn’t give up when they were challenged.

Blakely does a great job at giving us little hints into what went happened years earlier. She kept me guessing while perfectly mixing the past and the present. I loved watching the story unfold and the emotion laced throughout. I felt the longing, guilt, heartache, and regret, yet the love, friendship, forgiveness, and acceptance was stronger giving Lulu and Leo a real chance at a HEA.

Overall, Birthday Suit is a delicious read with an adorable epilogue that will plant a smile firmly on your face!

*ARC generously provided by the author and Inkslinger PR in exchange for an honest review*

 


Excerpt

~LEO~

Let’s get one thing out of the way real fast. Regret is a waste of time. I don’t believe in it—never have, never will. I try to live my life without that useless emotion.

You know those articles where the journalist asks old people what they would have done differently, and they list all sorts of stuff—be a better friend, call your mom, tell the woman you love her? You don’t want to be that person.

There’s a simple way to avoid it.

Do the good shit now.

Say yes to that crazy job offer, ask out the girl who’s out of your league, climb the mountain and kiss the sky.

You’ll thank yourself later.

But the flip side of that kind of life is this: you need some rules. A few basic guidelines to follow to navigate the potholes.

Over the years I’ve assembled my top picks. Some from experience, some from listening to others.

Allow me to share my hard-won wisdom.

  1. If you have to sniff the food in your fridge to decide if you can eat it, just toss it. You’ll be glad you did tomorrow.
  2. You can tell everything you need to know about a person by how he or she treats the waiter.
  3. Turn down that last tequila shot. Trust me on this one.
  4. If your woman sends you to the store to pick up something, get that something, not another version you think is better. Her version is always the right one.
  5. You can’t put your foot in your mouth if it’s closed.
  6. No dude ever gets in trouble while cleaning the kitchen.
  7. Don’t live to work; work to live.
  8. If you tell the truth, you don’t have to remember anything.
  9. Don’t get a tattoo that’s longer than your dick.
  10. Men should never wear black jeans.

That’s my list and I’m sticking to it. Those mantras have served me well. They’ve made me the man I am today—successful, wise, and satisfied.

There’s one more though. An addendum, if you will. The postscript you need to achieve a life well-lived. This ought to be so damn easy that no one makes this mistake.

Gather close.

Write it down.

Follow this one to the motherfucking letter.

No matter what, don’t fall in love with your best friend’s girl.

Too bad that ship sailed long ago for me.

 


Check out Strong Suit – a budding office romance that connects to Birthday Suit.

Review
Buy: Kindle Ebook

 

 

 


✮✮✮A Fabulous Birthday Present for You! ✮✮✮

 

Let’s celebrate the release of BIRTHDAY SUIT
with the cupcake of the month club from Wicked Good Cupcakes and a Subscription to Audible all wrapped up in a Michael Kors Handbag ($500 value)!

 

ENTER HERE

 

The Escapist Book Blog is not responsible for this giveaway.

 


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 100 times, and she’s sold more than 2.5 million books. In December she’ll release UNZIPPED, a fun & sexy romantic comedy.

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