Entangled: Lovestruck | September 28, 2015 | Contemporary Romance
Silver Strands, book 2
★★★★★
SOURCE: PUBLISHER
Bar manager Paul Chapman is sick of his family’s traditional ideals. Marriage, babies, and a white picket fence? Not his gig. But now that his ‘golden child’ big brother is tying the knot, Paul’s screwed. His ex will be there...and she’s having his cousin’s baby. Unless he wants to show up to the wedding alone and face his family’s scrutiny, he needs a girl on his arm. Now.
Cocktail specialist Libby Harris has spent her life earning the nickname Little Miss Perfect, all to win the love of her wealthy, controlling father. But she deviated from his plan, and now her business is on shaky ground. If it fails, she might as well kiss his respect—and her dream—good-bye. Her only hope? Convince the hottest bar in town to take on her product.
Luckily for her, the owner’s brother is sexy as sin and in need of a perfect girlfriend...
{ about stefanie london } .
Growing up, Stefanie came from a family of women who loved to read. Her favourite activity was going shopping with her Nan during school holidays, where she would sit on the floor of the bookstore with her little sister and painstakingly select the books to spend her allowance on. Thankfully, Nan was a patient woman.
Thus, it was no surprise Stefanie was the sort of student who would read her English books before the semester started. After sneaking several literature subjects into her ‘very practical’ Business degree, she got a job in Communications. When writing emails and newsletters didn’t fulfil her creative urges, she turned to fiction and was finally able to write the stories that kept her mind busy at night.
Now she lives with her very own hero and dreams of travelling the world. She frequently indulges in her passions for good coffee, French perfume, high heels and zombie movies. Recently she gave up her day job to write sexy, contemporary romance stories and she couldn’t be happier.
{ guest post : day in the life } .
Hi, I’m Stefanie London and I’m a romance author (being able to say that still gives me chills). I write fun and flirty contemporary romance for Entangled Lovestruck, super steamy romance with an edge for Harlequin Blaze and I indie publish a small town series that’s both heart-warming and sexy.
Each day looks a little different and I typically do some kind of writing-related work seven days a week, even if I don’t get any words down on the page. This, however, is what a day might look like if I’m in the middle of writing a book like I am right now.
7:30am – Normally I’m away by now. I tend to wake up slowly (honestly, I am not a morning person) and often read in bed while my husband is getting ready for work.
8:30am – I start my day off with a cup of coffee. It might not be the best habit but coffee makes me a better person. Trust me.
Now it’s time to check on my emails that have come in overnight. My family are all based in Australia (and I am in Canada) and I have friends and business acquaintances scattered across Australia, New Zealand, the UK and USA so emails come in at all times of the day and night!
This is also a great time to check all my social media accounts and watch a few sneaky YouTube videos while I have breakfast.
10am – This is the time I usually potter around the apartment, putting on washing, making the bed, doing some ironing…basically waiting for my brain to wake up properly.
11am – Non-writing writing work. This means working on promotions, checking in with other writer friends, looking at reviews, writing blog posts for my blog or the three blogs I’m a regular at (check out LoveCats Down Under, Blaze Authors blog and The Pink Heart Society). I also use this time to do any critique work, do some learning activities and read industry articles, forums etc.
12:30pm – Lunch! I make lunch and usually eat at my desk (I know, I know….it’s a bad habit) and watch more YouTube videos or I keep working if I’m super flat out.
1:00pm – Time to start writing. For some reason, this is the time of day that I start to feel ready to write and no matter how much I try to do it earlier the words just don’t come.
My general approach to writing is to pick up the scene from the day before. I always try to leave my writing mid-scene because it helps me to get back into the groove easier the next day. If I happen to finish at the end of a scene I leave myself notes for where the story is headed to help me the following day.
3pm – Coffee or tea time. I usually try to get up and down from my desk every hour just to keep moving. Around this time I sometimes run errands like going across the road to where the shops are and buy groceries for dinner, post signed books and other prizes etc.
4pm – More writing.
6:30pm – Time to start dinner!
7:30pm – Once we’ve had dinner I love to indulge in a little couch time with my husband. We’re currently watching Orange Is the New Black (it’s amazing! I don’t know why it took us so long to start this show) and we’ll be starting season two of How To Get Away With Murder now that it’s back on! I’m also hanging out for Game of Thrones, but that’s going to be a long wait.
9:30pm – Time to have a shower and change into PJs! I try to read a few nights a week before I go to bed, but sometimes I come back to my desk and keep working if I feel extra inspired (or if I have a deadline looming).
I hope you enjoyed this little peek into a normal writing day! Currently I’m working on a book for the Entangled Lovestruck ‘What Happens In Vegas’ series and it’s super fun! There’s a fake relationship, a romance convention and a whole lot of Vegas-inspired shenanigans.
If you’d like to find out more about what books I have coming out, please feel free to hop on over to www.stefanie-london.com and check out my monthly update.
{ review } .
What I love about stories of this nature -- both participants aware of the fact they're in a fake relationship -- is that as a reader, you know they're going to fall for one another; the question is just when.
Oh, and who does it first but plays martyr and walks away.
Paul is from a big Italian family. As such, at twenty-seven, his mom is harping on him about marriage and babies. The problem? He was close to that before, and that certainly bite him on the hind-end. But now his brother, Des, is getting married, and the ex is going to be there. Not wanting to look like the never-growing-up-chump (next to the golden child Des), he needs to come up with a solution, and fast.
It comes to him in the form of a head-on collision.
Libby isn't having the best few weeks. She's a one-woman show for female-targeted cocktails and while her marketing plan seemed flawless, some sex-tape leaking c-list celebrity stated she was going to come out with a line of female-target cocktails, and now every company who was backing Libby is now backing out.
There's one more option, and it's the bar that showcases local brews and whatnot. The problem? Des is particular about who he let's in.
Paul needs a woman on his arm. Libby needs an in to Des's bar.
Problem solved -- or so they think. They just needed to get to Des and Gracie's wedding, after which, Paul would break up with her and all would be fine. Her drinks would be in Des's bar, the ex would think Paul had moved on. Peachy keen.
I loved these two. They were both hardheaded and firmly believed they would stay in almost-friends-but-really-still-strangers territory. I loved the rules that were put in place -- no emotions, business deal only, don't fall in love, and absolutely no sex. That last rule definitely made for some comical moments...
She stumbled back against him, her ass pushing squarely against his groin as she tried to wriggle free from the dog's grip. If she hadn't known about his attraction to her before, she would now.
While the two of them are busynot falling in love, bits and pieces of why they are the way they are come out. Paul becomes a supporter of Libby in ways she hasn't had outside of her best friend. Libby will show Paul that maybe everything he's written off... maybe he does want it, after all.
This was a fun, sweet read. The chemistry was undeniable, the romance on point... I enjoyed the family and I enjoyed watching Paul and Libby fight their attraction. Stefanie London's writing style and voice was fun, engaging, and at times, comical. An easy author to get lost in. I can't wait to read her other pieces!
Oh, and who does it first but plays martyr and walks away.
Paul is from a big Italian family. As such, at twenty-seven, his mom is harping on him about marriage and babies. The problem? He was close to that before, and that certainly bite him on the hind-end. But now his brother, Des, is getting married, and the ex is going to be there. Not wanting to look like the never-growing-up-chump (next to the golden child Des), he needs to come up with a solution, and fast.
It comes to him in the form of a head-on collision.
Libby isn't having the best few weeks. She's a one-woman show for female-targeted cocktails and while her marketing plan seemed flawless, some sex-tape leaking c-list celebrity stated she was going to come out with a line of female-target cocktails, and now every company who was backing Libby is now backing out.
There's one more option, and it's the bar that showcases local brews and whatnot. The problem? Des is particular about who he let's in.
Paul needs a woman on his arm. Libby needs an in to Des's bar.
Problem solved -- or so they think. They just needed to get to Des and Gracie's wedding, after which, Paul would break up with her and all would be fine. Her drinks would be in Des's bar, the ex would think Paul had moved on. Peachy keen.
"This is going to sound crazy. But hear me out."--Paul
I loved these two. They were both hardheaded and firmly believed they would stay in almost-friends-but-really-still-strangers territory. I loved the rules that were put in place -- no emotions, business deal only, don't fall in love, and absolutely no sex. That last rule definitely made for some comical moments...
She stumbled back against him, her ass pushing squarely against his groin as she tried to wriggle free from the dog's grip. If she hadn't known about his attraction to her before, she would now.
While the two of them are busy
This was a fun, sweet read. The chemistry was undeniable, the romance on point... I enjoyed the family and I enjoyed watching Paul and Libby fight their attraction. Stefanie London's writing style and voice was fun, engaging, and at times, comical. An easy author to get lost in. I can't wait to read her other pieces!
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