September 26, 2017

BLOG TOUR REVIEW & EXCERPT: Stud Finder


Lauren Blakely's newest addition to the 1001 Dark Nights collection was the perfect bite-sized fairy tale. Check out my review and an excerpt...

Stud Finder, by Lauren Blakely
Publish Date:
September 26, 2017
Publisher: Evil Eye Concepts, Inc.
Format: e-ARC, provided by the author and Inkslinger PR
Genre: adult contemporary romance
To Buy: Amazon

Rating: 5 STARS


(Synopsis) Man seeking woman: Hot, rich, smart, witty, self-made multimillionaire Internet genius seeks classy, intelligent, sexy, fun-loving woman who’s interested in settling down and sharing all the good things.


There. Best. Ad. Ever.


I will absolutely find the woman of my dreams, someone who’ll love me for me. Even if my sister thinks I need help dating, I’m confident I can pull this off, courtesy of the great worldwide web.

Let me just hit the upload button right now...


***


No. Just no. As a woman and a professional matchmaker, I can’t let Dylan Parker run this ad. He’s the catch of all catches. That’s why his sister has asked me to help her ridiculously good-looking, insanely rich, but socially clueless brother find a woman. As a broker of happily ever afters, I’m known as the Stud Finder since I make a great living pairing wildly successful women with men who won’t fleece them but will adore them. After all, what woman in her right mind wouldn’t fall in love with Dylan?


I mean, besides me. It totally won’t be me.

Stud Finder was the perfect way to spend a lazy weekend afternoon. It allowed me to return to this Big Rock world that Lauren Blakely has created, if only for a short while. The story went by pretty quickly (it IS a novella, after all), but the humor, heat and heart that I've come to expect from Lauren Blakely was still there. 

Dylan is the most adorable rich nerd. He's this tech genius who has made millions and is now looking to find someone to share it with. This guy is not your typical guy. He's actually looking for a commitment - a wife even. But, wading through the gold diggers is more than he can handle. So, his sister enlists the help of her BFF - the so-called "Stud-Finder." 

Evie has made a living out of being a professional matchmaker. Although she usually works with women, she's willing to do a favor for her best friend and try and match Dylan up with the perfect woman. Shouldn't be hard since he's rich, nice, funny AND totally hot. Evie is in denial from the very beginning - it's adorable. She tells herself all the right things - I don't want a relationship. He's my BFF's brother. He's a client. But, when it's right, it's right. And Dylan and Evie are RIGHT. 

Theirs is a slow, sweet burn. Although Evie and Dylan know each other when he hires her, it's only peripherally. As Evie gathers details about Dylan so that she can match him with the perfect woman, they both have the chance to get to know each other without all the usual pressure. 

Stud Finder was a sweet and sexy addition to the awesome Lauren Blakely line-up. 
What am I doing?

Dylan is my client’s brother.

Dylan is now my client.

I’m not interested in a match for myself. I’m not looking for love. I’m focused on work, and Dylan is my work.

The trouble is, my work turns me on more than I expected, and that’s for one elemental reason—I like him.

I like him so very much.

That’s why I jerk this conversation back to the purpose of these get-togethers—prepping him for his princess charming, whoever she may be.

I brush one palm against the other. “The big question is—are you ready for me to set you up on your first date? Or do you think the fall in yoga has set you back?” I wink.

“You think falling in yoga means I’m not ready to date?”

I laugh. Nervously. “Well, not entirely. But it did remind me what we talked about before we had tea. That we all have a bit of dork in us. So, I didn’t know if you wanted to walk through all the potential topics, moments, pitfalls, and so on.”

“Like a pre-date prep? Or maybe even a practice session?”

“Sure, we can practice now if you’d like,” I offer.

He doesn't answer right away. When he does, he takes his time, like he’s making an offer. “Or maybe we can practice in a true date simulation.”

Tingles race over my shoulders. “Like a practice date?”

His eyes twinkle like stars. “I need a practice date badly. Can I take you on one? It would be so helpful to review everything. Make sure I’m ready.”

When he puts it like that… “Yes, of course.”

I want him to put his best foot forward. I didn’t say yes because I want to date him. I wouldn’t do that, even though when he walks away, all I can think is how on earth did I wind up with a pitter-pattering heart for a man I’m handing off to another woman?

A #1 New York Times Bestselling author, Lauren Blakely is known for her contemporary romance style that's hot, sweet and sexy. She lives in California with her family and has plotted entire novels while walking her dogs. With fourteen New York Times bestsellers, her titles have appeared on the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestseller Lists more than eighty times, and she's sold more than 2 million books. In October she'll release HARD WOOD, a sexy, standalone romantic comedy. To receive an email when Lauren releases a new book, sign up for her newsletter! laurenblakely.com/newsletter

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