Big Rock

Yes, all the girls want the big rock. And who can blame them? A big rock means the guy went all out on the proposal and the ring.
Not this time. Spencer Holiday is the son of a jewelry store magnate. His Father had run Katherine's, an upscale jewelry store named for Spencer's mother, for years. Now that he's looking to retire and sell, he needs Spencer to play the polished businessman he can be rather than the unrepentant playboy role Spencer prefers to embody. Katherine's is a very family friendly business, and the buyer is very into a wholesome reputation.
When a misunderstanding about his best friend and business patter Charlotte arises, Spencer comes up with a brilliant plan to rehab his reputation with the unimpressed buyer: a fake show more fiancee. And who better to pick than his best friend, the person who knows him better than anyone else? And, after all, they've had a standing agreement to play each other's significant other when necessary over the years. Charlotte agrees, with a request of her own: that Spencer end the long dry spell she's had. They set the terms, the official story, and the timeline. And Charlotte gets a big rock, because the son of the founder of Katherine's wouldn't do any less when he got engaged than pick up a big fat rock.
But what can be do when they start to break the rules and he realizes that his fake engagement is the one thing he wants to be real?
Told in Spencer's POV, Big Rock is masterfully written. There's sweet and sexy and downright steamy all in turn. A great read. And the proof positive that sometimes a best friend is forever, though not always in the way you might anticipate. show less

If you liked Drew in Tangled, you will LOVE Spencer in Big Rock.

A quick, fun read - the book follows the story of New York City Playboy Spencer Holiday. He's gorgeous, he's smart, he's successful, and (without any hesitation) he shares he is gifted in a certain area. Despite being well-endowed, he proclaims to be a gentleman and all around great guy - just ask his best friend Charlotte, cofounder and business partner of The Lucky Spot. The one agreement these two have had since college is that they watch out for each other and come calling as the "significant other" if any person of interest doesn't get the hint to back off. Spencer decides to "activate" this pact when his father's deal to sell his jewelry company is in jeopardy due to show more Spencer's colorful "dating" history. As the dutiful bestie, Charlotte agrees to pretend to be Spencer's fiancee for a week; but, what happens when pretend starts to cross the line into fantasy?

This book was absolutely hilarious and while the ending is predictable (come on, it’s a romantic comedy), the reveal towards the end was a bit of a surprise (and honestly created a few questions on the plausibility of it). Despite those few questionable moments, the banter was enjoyable, the steamy scenes were sizzling hot, and the brother/sister relationship of Spencer and Harper is endearing. Apparently there is a Book #2 that is the sister’s story so I will definitely be checking that out!

If you are looking for a quick read to put a smile on your face, I highly recommend this one! show less

This book is funny. Loved the chemistry of Spencer and Charlotte. Always enjoy a friends to lover story, because you know they actually have a relationship before getting a love relationship.. Will definetely read the rest of books.

At first, I really didn't think I would like this book. I mean, Spencer is a bit of a cocky (no entendre intended) bastard, and his language and attitude are a little...coarse. But his interactions with Charlotte won me over. This was a light, no angst, friends-to-lovers romance. Recommended.

Quick and fun read. I loved that this was from Spencer's point of view. You almost never get romance books totally from the man's perspective. The narrator was great too. The story wasn't really original, but I enjoyed seeing Spencer and Charlotte pretend to be engaged while actually falling in love. The smut was hot, whew! I also liked Spencer's relationship with his sister. They were rivals but also cared about each other and she really helped him out. I enjoyed listening to this!

Can a leopard change it's spots? Lauren Blakely did a fine job of proving in the right circumstances anything is possible. Spencer was a douche. His cavalier attitude toward the opposite sex almost had me writing him off as completely hopeless. Yet he did have some redeeming qualities. He cared deeply about his family and when he loved he did so with his whole heart. This was evident from how he was with his best friend Charlotte. He was protective, caring and and now all around good guy. The way he stepped in to help when needed and how he looked after her was irresistible. It was so obvious that Charlotte and Spencer were soul mates. All they needed was a nudge in the right direction. I received an ARC of Big Rock in exchange for an show more honest review. A reward that is full of surprises. show less

This was a fun listen. I saw this audiobook on sale a few weeks ago and when I noticed that Sebastian York did the narration, I immediately bought it. I found parts of the story to be rather funny which was a huge plus for me. There were other moments that were very romantic and many moments that were very sexy. I enjoyed this book quite a bit.

This book is told from Spencer's point of view. I just love it when we get a romance told completely from the male perspective because it is a lot more rare. Spencer is a known playboy who has a different lady on his arm most nights. His playboy ways may be putting his father's business deal in jeopardy so he decides to announce that he is engaged. He just has to get his best friend, Charlotte to show more go along with it.

Anyone that reads romance probably knows what usually happens in a fake engagement story and this follows that rule. Charlotte and Spencer were so good together. They have been best friends for a long time so they are worried that taking a chance on a relationship could mess things up but they decide to cross a few lines during their fake engagement. They had a lot of chemistry together and the sexy times in the story were well done.

Sebastian York did a fabulous job with the narration of the this book. I was hooked to the story right away and found myself wanting to listen to this book for hours at a time. The narration really brought out the emotion of the characters in the story. I thought he did a wonderful job in delivering the funnier moments in the story as well as the more serious parts.

I would recommend this books to fans of contemporary romance. I think that the best way to experience this story is through the audio since the narration is so well done. This is the first book by Lauren Blakely that I have read and I look forward to reading more in the future. show less