Reviewer: Casee Part-Time Lover by Lauren Blakely
Narrator: Shane East, Grace Grant
Publisher: Self-Published
Publication Date: June 4, 2018
Format: Audiobook
Source: Audible Escape
Point-of-View: Alternating First
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 308
Length: 7 hours and 21 minutes
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Reading Challenges: Casee's 2019 GoodReads Challenge
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A sexy new standalone romance from #1 New York Times Bestselling Author Lauren Blakely!I’ll say this about Christian — he made one hell of a first impression.When I first saw the strapping man, he was doing handstands naked on a dock along the canal. His crown jewels were far more entertaining than anything else I’d seen on the boat tour, so I did what any curious woman would do — I took his photo. I might have looked at the shot a few dozen times. Little did I know I’d meet him again, a year later, at a secret garden bar in the heart of the city, where I’d learn that his mind and his mouth were even more captivating. But given the way my heart had been trampled, I wanted only a simple deal — No strings. No expectations. Our arrangement worked well enough until the day I needed a lot more from him…
***Let me just say, this whole part-time lover thing was her idea. I’d have gone all-in from the start, but hey, when a gorgeous, brilliant woman invites you into her bed, and only her bed…well, I said yes.But then, one hysterical phone call from my brother later, begging me to find myself a wife so grandfather’s business stays in the family, and I need a promotion with Elise. Turns out a full-time husband suits her needs too, and a temporary marriage of convenience ought to do the trick, until we can simply untie the knot…
As long as no one finds out…As long as no one gets hurt…As long as no one falls in love…
But our ending was one I never saw coming.
After reading Wanderlust, it wasn’t hard to immediately move onto Part-Time Lover. I wouldn’t exactly call this a series. More of a continuation with recurring characters. Honestly, I couldn’t not read this book when I read about Elise and Christian’s history. What are the odds that the two of them would meet in one country then run into each other in another? It was fate, that’s what it was.
Even after a year, Elise has not forgotten the naked man doing handstands on his dock along a canal she was touring. She actually doesn’t want to forget him, which is why she hasn’t deleted his pictures from her phone. When he yelled to her asking her to meet him that day, Elise took the plunge. Both she and Christian thought they were stood up when in fact they went to different places in the city with the same name. Now, whether it’s fate or not, Elise and Christian have been brought together again. This time Christian is determined not to let her go.
Elise has been betrayed in the past and does not trust easily. All she wants with Christian is some short-term fun. He’s amenable to that request and they agree to have an affair. Then things start to go wrong. Christian’s brother is betrayed by his wife in the worst possible way. Not only does she want a divorce but she wants to take the company that Christian ‘s grandfather built from the ground up. The only way to save the family legacy is for Christian to get married. He’s shocked when Elise offers to marry him and immediately takes her up on it. They agree to stay married for three months then go their separate ways.
It doesn’t take very long for Christian to realize that he wants longer than three months with Elise. It will be hard to convince her, if he’s even able to do so. Elise wants Christian but she won’t consider anything long term. When she does finally realize that she doesn’t want to let him go, she knows it might be too late.
I really loved this book. These two were just meant to be with each other. It was clear from the very first page. Although Elise didn’t trust easily, she took a huge chance on Christian from the beginning. I really appreciated how she put herself out there. I also appreciated how Christian respected Elise’s wishes and didn’t try to force her into a situation she wasn’t ready for. I just loved how everything came full circle.
Rating: 4.25 out of 5.
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