Down for the Count

Lacey is an uptight yet kindhearted woman who married a man because her family wanted to tie their two companies together through a corporate merger. She then catches her husband of two hours (Marty) having sex with her bridesmaid (Becca).
Galen is a famous boxer who’s home to rest before he has to return to training. He goes to the wedding as his sister’s escort, who’s the maid of honor, and happens upon Lacey when she catches her husband and his lover. Galen and Cat (the bro and sis) stand with Lacey and help her escape the wedding reception without a scene. Galen takes her to his family’s lake house and, on a dare, they go on Lacey’s planned honeymoon together. They crushed on each other throughout high school but neither show more knew the other liked them. Plus there was a 3-year age difference that kept them doing nothing more than bickering at one another as kids. Anyway, they’re adults and sparks fly in Puerto Rico!
The author obviously did her homework (or maybe she's gone there), but her descriptions of Puerto Rico were beautiful. I could easily picture everything she described from the koi pond, to sandy beaches to the little bistro where Lacey and Galen met a swinger couple. That whole scene was laugh-out funny!
Galen is swoon-worthy but I wish Lacey had more of a backbone, especially when it came to her horrible, controlling mother. I found myself wanting to smack Lacey more than once but she eventually stepped up to the plate and stood for what she wanted and believed in.
The book flowed smoothly, no typos, and I really enjoyed the author’s writing style. I hope to read more books by Christine Bell in the future.
4 Stars.

Disclaimer – I downloaded this ebook from Amazon during a free period. This is an honest review. I am a reader. I am not paid or compensated in any way, shape or form for this review. I will not change or alter this review for any reason. show less

This. Was. Awesome!

Lacey (I kind of really like the name, btw) catches her brand new, and I mean BRAND new husband fucking her bridesmaid (and best friend) at their wedding reception, she bails. With the assistance of her other and true best friend, Cat and brother, Galen.
Lacey has had a crush on Galen since they were kids, but being treated like the annoying little sister, it never led anywhere.

Galen, a professional boxer, suggests Lacey do something drastic and carefree with herself, find herself and learn to stand up for herself and not conform to her mother's stone cold nature. Lacey decides to go on her honeymoon to Puerto Rico and Galen joins her. As a friend. As support. Chyeah!

Lacey sure learns how to live life for herself and show more not her mother or the family business. She learns what true love is and what's important in a relationship.

Christine Bell nails this story spot on in the head. It starts with a bang (pun PUN!!!) and ends with the expected HEA, but the journey in between is fantastic.

It will make you all want a Galen of your own.

Go read! show less

Reviewed for Read Your Writes Book Reviews
www.readyourwrites.blogspot.com

Lacey Garrity’s life is set. She is the marketing director for her family’s law firm. She’s just married Marty Clemson and things should be perfect. Too bad she can’t find Marty, the man she married two hours ago. What’s a girl to do? Well, I guess it’s time to go look for him. With the help of her phone she finds Marty in a closet. But his pants are down and he isn’t alone. Marty’s in the closet with Becca, Lacey’s bridesmaid and one of her oldest childhood friends. To make matters worse, not only does Lacey stumble upon this scene, so do her best friend Cat and Cat’s brother Galen, a man Lacey’s had a thing for for years.

Galen Thomas is an show more almost thirty-year-old boxer. Thanks to his sister’s relationship with Lacey, Lacey has never been far from his mind. The girls have been best friends for almost twenty years, almost as long as Galen has had his own little crush on Lacey. When Lacey’s world shatters, it’s Galen who steps in to save her from an embarrassing situation.

Galen takes Lacey to the Thomas family cabin with the intention of leaving her alone to lick her wounds. Lacey doesn’t want to be left alone and suggests that she and Galen go on her honeymoon to Puerto Rico. Lacey isn’t ready to deal with the fall out of leaving her husband, the fact that her not-so-wonderful mother Rowena aka The Admiral is going to blame her, or the business merger which is part of the reason for the wedding in the first place. Galen is only happy to take Lacey away and help her see that she's stronger than she gives herself credit for.

One of my favorite quotes from the book is Cat talking on the phone to Galen about Lacey, the night of “closet gate”, "Good. She's so uptight sometimes, I was afraid she wouldn't let herself have a day to break down a little. I was half thinking she'd be in a hotel somewhere writing apology letters to the wedding guests and re-mapping her future out on a spreadsheet or whatever."

Lacey and Galen are opposites. I can't really say that he's a spur of the moment kind of guy, but he knows how to relax and have fun. Lacey is, as Cat says, uptight A LOT. She's a people pleaser. It probably comes from her parents, unfortunately. Her mother is all about control and appearances. She doesn't care what you have to do or endure in order to look good at the country club. In fact, Rowana despises the whole Thomas family because they aren't from money or, in her opinion, have enough.

Lacey and Galen spend a week in Puerto Rico, just the two of them, laughing and enjoying each other's company. Lacey learns how to loosen up and have fun. Though they each realize that they're attracted to the other, it takes them awhile to act on their feelings. But when they do, oh boy, things get hot and steamy.

I'm not a girl who's into boxing, so I never thought of boxers as being sexy as sin, but Galen has definitely made me change my mind. Not only does this guy have a six pack, he has a eight pack. He's a good guy who just wants Lacey to be happy, whether it's with him or not. Really, how can you NOT fall for a guy who says, "When you come to your senses and you're ready to have the experience of a lifetime, I'm your guy. I'm the one you're going to get wild with. I'm the one who's going to show you that getting down and dirty doesn't mean rolling in the wet sand." - Excuse me, while I close my mouth and wipe the drool off my face.

I immediately fell in love with the characters and the book itself. Lacey reminds me of someone I know. Galen, like I said is unbelievable. There’s so much to love about this guy, there isn’t enough time to say everything. And Cat is a little feisty but she's the perfect friend to have when you're as square as Lacey is.

You gotta love books where both people have had a thing for each other for years but refused to admit their feelings for whatever reason. That can ONLY lead to GOOD, HOT, and AMAZING things. As always with Brazen, be sure to have a fan handy, so you don’t get too hot.

If I didn’t love the book before, the Notting Hill moment put it over the top! I can’t wait to read more from Christine and this series.

Source: Publisher show less

I was pleasantly surprised by this hot, short read from an author I'd never read before.

The plot was interesting, the characters were engaging, and the sex was hot.

What kept it from 5 stars: The continued use of the nickname "squirt". If you are fucking her, stop calling her that. She is not your little sister. And a couple other random items (tight channel was used, and at one point, the heroine's hair was written as red instead of the honey it was through the entire book, and the unsatisfactory resolution with her whore of a mother).

All in all, though, this was a good way to spend an afternoon. I'll be checking out more of Ms. Bell's work.

I thought this was a good, quick read! The writing flowed well, and I liked Galen and Lacey together. Galen was a great H. He was tough, but caring. Lacey could have used a backbone. She let her fears get the better of her constantly, and I'm not really sure why she was that way. It was never explained why she was so scared of everything. Her mother was a shrew, and I really wish she would have stood up to her sooner. The ending was good, and I was happy to see them get their HEA. This was a first for me from this author, but I would read her again.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced readers copy of this book.

I enjoyed this story. He's got a little more life experience, she's being pushed into making a slightly belated break from her parents - there's enough tension to keep it interesting without going over the top. The characters are realistic and compelling; people you'd probably like to hang out with.

The story itself - good. Would have been so much better without the explicit wording. Turned what could have been a sweet romance into something a dirtier version. The sense of humor was a plus.