Review: Exclusively Yours by Shannon Stacey

When Keri Daniels’ editor finds out she has previous carnal knowledge of reclusive bestselling author Joe Kowalski, she gives Keri a choice: get an interview or get a new job.

Joe’s never forgotten the first girl to break his heart, so he’s intrigued to hear Keri’s back in town—and looking for him. Despite his intense need for privacy, he’ll grant Keri an interview if it means a chance to finish what they started in high school.

He proposes an outrageous plan—for every day she survives with his family on their annual camping and four-wheeling trip, Keri can ask one question. Keri agrees; she’s worked too hard to walk away from her career.

But the chemistry between them is still as potent as the bug spray, Joe’s sister is out to avenge his broken heart and Keri hasn’t ridden an ATV since she was ten. Who knew a little blackmail, a whole lot of family and some sizzling romantic interludes could make Keri reconsider the old dream of Keri & Joe 2gether 4ever.

When Joe Kowalski meets Keri for dinner he’s pretty sure he knows exactly what she wants – an exclusive interview. Keri works for a barracuda-type woman who has been after an exclusive with Joe for forever. You see Joe is a highly paid best-selling author but he’s also very private and no one knows much about him. When Keri’s boss finds out that she is Joe’s ex-girlfriend from high school the boss is all over that like white on rice. She tells Keri to get the interview or she won’t have a job any longer and her job is her life.

So Joe proposes that Keri hang with the Kowalski family for their 2 week vacation (this includes his 3 siblings, spouses, his parents and his niece and his 4 rambunctious nephews) but he doesn’t think she’ll actually do it. Much to Joe’s delight and consternation she agrees.  The plan is: for every day with the family that Keri makes it through she gets to ask one question. Joe also gets to ask Keri one question. There are rules that Keri has to follow, like she can’t get out of any family activities which include four wheeling, life guard duty with the kids and s’mores making and she can’t print anything about Joe’s family.  She agrees because she knows she will do anything to get the interview and save her job. But during the two weeks with Joe’s family Keri starts to have her old feelings for Joe – or is it just the vacation that she’s liking? She’s not sure. And the info that she’s getting from Joe isn’t exactly scandal ridden, which is exactly what her boss wants. So what does she do? Write the private stuff about Joe and his family that she’s discovered or lose her job?

I really liked the way Keri and Joe’s relationship was told as well as the reminiscing about the good times they had had as high school sweethearts. On top of that we got to see the relationships that Joe’s siblings were having problems with and how those were dealt with. I think it showed a true family atmosphere while incorporating true life and love as well.

This is my first read by Shannon Stacey but I can tell you it won’t be my last. She had a way, in this book, of bringing fun, family, love, romance and a great tension – both personally and professionally – into the story and it was wonderful. Though the book wasn’t a fast paced story it was definitely a the kind of book that you just didn’t want to put down.

Rating: 4.25 out of 5


I received this book from the publisher

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