{"id":26851,"date":"2017-10-23T08:59:45","date_gmt":"2017-10-23T12:59:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/?p=26851"},"modified":"2017-10-22T22:01:39","modified_gmt":"2017-10-23T02:01:39","slug":"release-excerpt-giveaway-and-review-blitz-hard-wood-by-lauren-blakely","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/?p=26851","title":{"rendered":"Release, Excerpt, Giveaway, and Review Blitz: Hard Wood by Lauren Blakely"},"content":{"rendered":"

From #1 NYT Bestselling author Lauren Blakely, comes a hot and hilarious standalone romance about what happens when you have one week to convince your best friend\u2019s little sister that you\u2019re the one for her. What could possibly go wrong?
\nIt looks like things are about to get hard in the woods…<\/b>Don\u2019t miss the laugh-out-loud and insanely hot story, HARD WOOD!<\/b><\/h4>\n

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HARD WOOD<\/b><\/h4>\n

by Lauren Blakely<\/strong><\/h4>\n

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A standalone romance told from the male Point-of-View, HARD WOOD<\/em> is the final hot and hilarious book in the Big Rock<\/i><\/a> series. <\/b><\/h4>\n

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Now available on all retailers!
\nGrab your copy today, and get HARD WOOD in your hands!<\/b>
\nAmazon US<\/a> | Amazon UK<\/a> | Amazon CA<\/a> | Amazon AU<\/a>
\niBooks\u00a0<\/a>|\u00a0B&N\u00a0<\/a>|\u00a0Kobo\u00a0<\/a>|\u00a0Google Play<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Paperback<\/a>\u00a0| Audio<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n

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About HARD WOOD<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Women often say a good man is hard to find. And a hard man is even better.<\/b><\/p>\n

That’s why I’m quite a catch– good, hard, loaded, and wait for it…I’m ready to settle down too. But the woman I want to pitch my tent with lives clear across the country. Neither of us wants to get lost in those woods. All I have to do is resist her for the week she’s in town.
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I try. I swear I try. But yeah, that doesn’t work out. <\/b><\/p>\n

And after one fantastic night with my good friend Mia, I’m ready to give her years of nights under the stars. What’s a few thousand miles when love’s involved? But there’s a hitch in my plans — she just hired my adventure tour company. If there’s one thing I’m committed to, it’s running a squeaky clean business. Number one on my list of iron-clad rules?
\n<\/b><\/p>\n

Don’t screw your customers.<\/b><\/p>\n

But what’s a guy to do when she’s so hard to resist? How hard can it be to keep our hands off each other for a quick group tour down the hills and over the trails? I’m about to find out, and I have a feeling I’m going to need a new badge of honor because things are about to get very hard in the woods.<\/b><\/p>\n

Find Hard Wood\u00a0<\/em>on\u00a0GOODREADS<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Review<\/strong><\/h4>\n

4.5 \u201cWhy the hell not?\u201d stars<\/p>\n

Hard Wood<\/i> was fantastic. Sexy, sweet, and hilarious, it gave me everything I wanted from a rom com. It\u2019s a fun, super-fast read that I couldn\u2019t put down from the moment I picked it up and I finished it in one day.<\/p>\n

Patrick Milligan runs his own outdoor adventure tour company and he is loving life and happy with his success. Only, something is missing.<\/p>\n

My business is thriving, my family is healthy and happy, and my friends are settling down. There\u2019s only one thing that I long for more of. Well, not a thing. More like a lovely, captivating, I-just-click-with-her <\/i>someone.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Mia Summers is Patrick\u2019s best friend\u2019s sister and he\u2019s been caring a torch for her\u00a0since the moment they met. He is ready to settle down like his friends have done and Mia may just be the perfect someone for him\u2026if only she didn\u2019t live all the way on the other side of the country. When Mia comes back early for her brother’s wedding, Patrick thinks it’s the perfect time to spend some one-on-one time together. Just as things seem to be going in the right direction, Mia hires his tour company instantly making her off-limits. How will Patrick and Mia navigate their new hands off relationship when all they want to be is hands on?<\/p>\n

I loved Hard Wood<\/i>. It\u2019s primarily told in Patrick\u2019s POV and this book proves once again how awesome Lauren Blakely is at writing male POVs. I loved getting into Patrick\u2019s head because of his great personality. He is the total package – sweet, sexy, swoony, and a complete gentleman. He is caring, considerate, and selfless when it comes to people who mean something to him. He adores Mia and I couldn\u2019t keep the smile off my face when he is honest with her and expresses the way he truly feels.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t stop thinking about you.\u201d
\n\u201cYou mean the other night?\u201d she asks, her voice like a feather. \u201cYou can\u2019t stop thinking about the other night?\u201d
\nI shake my head. \u201cNo. Just you. Everything about you.\u201d<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Mia is adorable. Even though she is hard working\u00a0and determined to advance her company, I loved when she let’s loose to release some of her stress. She has a goofy side and is fresh and fun to be around. I loved that she doesn’t run away or push too hard and that she know what she wants.<\/p>\n

Patrick and Mia have an easy, playful relationship that is full of flirty, witty banter.\u00a0 They are so good together and are a perfect fit. They connected from the moment they met and as their interactions increase, so do the intense sexual tension and sizzling chemistry surrounding them.\u00a0It is refreshing that they do not act stupidly when it comes to each other. I understood why they try to fight their feelings, each having reasons that are justifiable, and when they decide to give each other a chance to be more, they are mature about it. I also loved that they are functional as a couple and don’t fight when challenging circumstances arise.<\/p>\n

I enjoyed seeing the other characters from the Big Rock<\/i><\/a> series but I have to give a shout out to Zeus, The Hiking Tomcat. He is a fun addition to the story and I loved how Lauren Blakely cleverly uses him to give us some insight into Mia\u2019s head. Overall,\u00a0Hard Wood\u00a0<\/em>is an entertaining read full of heart, humor, and heat, and I highly recommend it to all rom com lovers!<\/p>\n

*ARC generously provided by the author and InkSlinger PR in exchange for an honest review*<\/em><\/p>\n

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Excerpt<\/strong><\/h4>\n

I haven\u2019t seen Mia in almost a month, since the last time she was in town staying with Max. I didn\u2019t realize she\u2019d be back a full week before her other brother Chase\u2019s wedding, and am I ever glad to see her again.<\/p>\n

She makes all parts of me quite happy indeed.<\/p>\n

By happy, I mean hard as a rock.<\/p>\n

Okay, fine. It\u2019s not like I\u2019m operating at full power this second. I\u2019m thirty-three, not fifteen. I have plenty of self-control in the \u201cwhen and where to pitch a tent\u201d arena. All I\u2019m saying is this woman gets me going, and I feel that zip down my body when I see her.<\/p>\n

She\u2019s on the phone, her eyebrows pinched, her expression harried. She drags her hand through her caramel-blond hair. As I walk closer, I hear her say, \u201cI understand. Yes, I understand. Things happen.\u201d<\/p>\n

And that\u2019s the sound of someone being disappointed.<\/p>\n

Which is a terrible thing for this sexy-as-a-fiery-sunset woman to experience.<\/p>\n

When she stops and ends her call, she spots me. She tilts her head, her eyes piercing, her brow furrowed, and her dimples killing me with cuteness. Her eyes roam from me to Zeus, and then she points at my boy. \u201cI don\u2019t know if anyone has told you this . . .\u201d<\/p>\n

I raise my eyebrows. \u201cTell me. What could it possibly be?\u201d<\/p>\n

Her eyes drift to the ground then back up. In a deadpan tone, she says, \u201cBut there\u2019s a cat in your hat? Well, on your back, actually.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere is?\u201d I crane my neck to peer over my shoulder. \u201cYou\u2019re right. How did he get there?\u201d<\/p>\n

She parks her hands on her hips. \u201cYou\u2019re in big trouble.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been bad, have I?\u201d<\/p>\n

She pushes my shoulder then wags her finger at me. \u201cHow did you keep this from me?\u201d<\/p>\n

I quirk an eyebrow. \u201cThe fact that there\u2019s an awesome new Italian place down the street? It opened last month, and I planned to tell you.\u201d<\/p>\n

She huffs, rolling her eyes. \u201cI\u2019ve known you for months and you didn\u2019t tell me you had a cat. Friends don\u2019t hide pets from friends.\u201d<\/p>\n

She\u2019s not in town that often. She hasn\u2019t ever been to my apartment. And I don\u2019t take Zeus upstairs to Max\u2019s. But I\u2019m not going to state the obvious. I\u2019m going to have a little fun with her. Flirt with her. Because . . . that\u2019s what we do.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a reason for that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her eyes go wide, and she taps her toe, waiting. I drag a hand through my hair. Evie says my light brown hair is floppy, and she tells me this is a good thing. The ladies love floppy hair, <\/i>she says. She\u2019s been right so far. My hair\u2019s been a big hit with the ladies, and other parts have, too.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a good reason,\u201d I add.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m waiting, Patrick. This really isn\u2019t the type of intel you should hold back.\u201d<\/p>\n

I heave a sigh as if I\u2019m going to make a huge admission, then I park a hand on her shoulder. Because, well, I\u2019m a sneaky bastard and I\u2019ll look for any opening to touch her. \u201cLook, I\u2019m going to be blunt. If I told you I had a hiking cat who rides shotgun in a backpack and can purr like he\u2019s a jazz superstar, you\u2019d have had no choice but to fall in love with me.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Don\u2019t miss Lauren Blakely\u2019s other standalone Romantic Comedies!<\/strong><\/h4>\n

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Big Rock<\/strong>
\nReview<\/a>
\nAmazon<\/a><\/h4>\n

Mister O<\/strong>
\nReview<\/a>
\nAmazon<\/a><\/h4>\n

Well Hung<\/strong>
\n<\/strong>Review<\/a>
\nAmazon<\/a><\/h4>\n

Full Package<\/strong>
\nReview<\/a>
\n<\/strong>Amazon<\/a><\/h4>\n

Joy Ride<\/strong>
\n<\/strong>Review<\/a>
\nAmazon <\/a><\/h4>\n

Hard Wood
\n<\/strong>Review
\nAmazon<\/a><\/h4>\n

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\u272e\u272e\u272e Enter to win this amazing HARD WOOD GIVEAWAY! <\/i>\u272e\u272e\u272e<\/i><\/strong><\/h4>\n

The HARD WOOD Urban Adventure Pack ($380 value) is filled with:<\/strong><\/h4>\n

\u272eA stylish Michael Kors backpack for when a purse is not enough for your shopping adventture<\/strong>
\n \u272e$50 Gift Card to The Body Shop to pamper yourself after a long day<\/strong>
\n \u272eYour very own plush Zeus to snuggle with<\/strong>
\n \u272eA Smores Making Kit for a backyard adventure<\/strong><\/h4>\n

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ENTER GIVEAWAY<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n

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The Escapist Book Blog is not responsible for this giveaway.<\/em><\/p>\n

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About Lauren Blakely<\/strong><\/h4>\n

\"\"A #1 New York Times 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 eighty times, and she’s sold more than 2 million books. In October, she’ll release HARD WOOD, the final standalone romantic comedy in the Big Rock\u00a0<\/i>series. \u00a0To receive an email when Lauren releases a new book, sign up for her NEWSLETTER<\/a><\/strong>!<\/p>\n

WEBSITE\u00a0<\/strong><\/a>| <\/strong>FACEBOOK<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<\/strong>TWITTER<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<\/strong>GOODREADS<\/strong><\/a><\/h4>\n

Check out some of our favorite Lauren Blakely reads<\/strong> HERE<\/strong><\/a>!<\/strong><\/h4>\n

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From #1 NYT Bestselling author Lauren Blakely, comes a hot and hilarious standalone romance about what happens when you have one week to convince your best friend\u2019s little sister that you\u2019re the one for her. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":23774,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","yasr_overall_rating":4.5,"yasr_post_is_review":"","yasr_auto_insert_disabled":"","yasr_review_type":"Product","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[65,9,29],"tags":[59,56,634,48,76],"class_list":["post-26851","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lol-funny","category-romance","category-steamy","tag-arc","tag-lauren-blakely","tag-release","tag-review","tag-standalone"],"yasr_visitor_votes":{"stars_attributes":{"read_only":false,"span_bottom":false},"number_of_votes":0,"sum_votes":0},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/Hard-Wood.png?fit=150%2C225&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7gaNL-6Z5","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26851","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=26851"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26851\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/23774"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=26851"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=26851"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=26851"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}