Book Review – The Nanny Arrangement

25 Thursday May 2017

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Blog Tour, Book Review, Contest, Sneak Peek

Tags

Book Review, Country Blues series, Rachel Harris, The Nanny Arrangement

One of my favorite authors is back with another installation of what is quickly turning into one of my favorite series!!!

*****

The Nanny Arrangement

Country Blues #2

by Rachel Harris

Releasing May 22, 2017

Entangled Bliss

Blurb:

Soft-spoken and shy Hannah Fisher is determined to make the man she’s loved her entire life finally see her as a woman. With the help of a makeover, a new mission—Operation Find My Happy—and the convenient forced proximity of a tour bus, she vows to win her best friend Deacon’s heart.

Former bad boy and current fiddle player Deacon Latrell has the world at his fingertips: a new gig with a famous band, plus his best friend on tour as his son’s nanny. Life couldn’t get much sweeter. Now if only he could stop imagining kissing the daylights out of his childhood BFF…

With one friend set on pushing the boundaries and the other afraid to rock the boat, one thing’s for certain—their story would make one heck of a country song.

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29561320-the-nanny-arrangement

Goodreads Series Link https://www.goodreads.com/series/160087-country-blues

Buy Links: AMAZON | B & N | ITUNES | KOBO

*****

Excerpt:

Deacon released a heavy breath. Sometimes the right thing felt a hell of a lot like nausea. Resolved with what he had to do, he looked at the door…then slowly dropped his hand.

He’d give it another few minutes.

Calling himself ten shades of coward, he redirected his steps. A hot shower would clear his head. Maybe he’d even pull a Hannah and rehearse what he’d tell her in advance. It always worked for her, helping her control her stutter, and though Deacon didn’t have that particular problem, he was nervous as hell. If her head was even half as muddled as his was, this conversation wouldn’t be easy.

Frustrated, he shoved open the bathroom door harder than necessary. Fog and heavily scented air rushed to greet him, and it took a second for the reason to register. When it did, he came to an abrupt stop with one hand on the doorknob and one foot still in the hall.

Candy and flowers.

As the steam disappeared through the crack in the door, a vision appeared, plucked straight from his recent fantasies. Creamy skin, pink from the shower and wet with liquid drops, topped anything his imagination could’ve conjured. Damp ginger curls clung to a slender throat that was arched back, making a sexy silhouette as full lips trembled in a silent speech to the ceiling. Dark, spiky lashes lay across a flushed cheek, hiding a pair of expressive eyes he’d know anywhere.

Torture, thy name was Hannah.

Gone was the girl he’d known in high school. Erased was the rock he’d depended on in college. The goddess in the shower was a woman, a beautiful woman, with tantalizing curves, shapely legs, and the most incredible smile he’d ever seen.

The arousal flowing through his veins mocked his previous so-called resolve.

“Cherry.”

Her name came on a choked breath, but Hannah’s eyes snapped open. Smooth skin turned to stone as she stared at the ceiling, wide-eyed, before slanting those green eyes toward him in horror.

“Deacon!” Frantic, she tried to cover her body, slinging one arm over her perfect breasts while reaching for the folded towel on the counter with the other, only to quickly draw back her hand and slap it over her lower half as well.

It was the hardest thing he ever did, keeping his eyes above her waist. Taking one step forward, he grabbed the terrycloth and handed it over, not trusting himself to get any closer. When she took it from his hands, she could hardly look into his eyes. Deacon’s chest gave a hard kick.

Hannah made quick work of the towel, wrapping the terrycloth around her torso and clinging to the edges. She bit her lip and stammered, “Wh-what are y-you doing?”

It wasn’t remotely funny. The reappearance of her stutter meant she was either stressed or anxious, two things he never wanted to be the cause of. But he couldn’t help the laugh that broke free at the innocent question.

A full-bodied, unstoppable laugh that threw his head back with the force of it.

“What am I doing?” he repeated in amusement, hearing the gruffness of his own voice and dragging in a deep, floral-scented breath. “Oh, Cherry… I’m losing my ever-loving mind.”

*****

Review:

I don’t know how it is possible that I forgot just how much I LOVE Rachel Harris and her stories. And while we do get the band and their SOs, all of whom appeared in the previous stories (Your’re Still the One and Accidentally Married on Purpose), this story really concentrates on Hannah and Deacon. They have such a deep and emotional connection, and a history that goes back to their childhood – a time when they helped save each other. It’s given them a bond that has lasted through a lot of ups and downs, so it is easy to see why romantic feelings could be a complication.

I love Hannah and I admire how much she’s willing to put herself out there to try to convince Deacon to see her as more than a friend. Having a stutter as a child meant that she spent a lot of her formative teenage years as a bit of an outsider, so she doesn’t have a lot of experience being flirty or seductive. Besides the potential embarrassment there is also the chance that any moves on her part could affect her relationship with Deacon so it takes a lot to take that chance.

Deacon had an terrible home-life, with a mother who pretty much checked out on him. The day Hannah brought him home to meet her family is the day everything changed. He had people who loved him and cared for him and made sure to teach him how to be a good person. Unfortunately he still has doubts about his worth and doesn’t want to take any chance that he could lose that, especially if it means he might not have Hannah in his life any more. Unfortunately for him, Hannah’s got a plan 🙂

My heart just turns over for these two. It’s scary taking the chance on something more when you could lose so very much. But if they do take the chance and it lasts, their lives can only get better. Harris does a fantastic job of making readers understand their connection and why they mean so much to each other, how hard it is to explore a romantic relationship and how hard it is not to, and delivers a realist look at what happens when proximity (and Sherri) heats things up. Gotta love that girl!

Emotionally laden, The Nanny Arrangement showcases Harris talent for delivering genuine characters and captivating plots that draw you in and keep you coming back for more.

(Since this does focus a lot on the two main characters, it can stand on its own.)

*****

Author Info:

New York Times bestselling author Rachel Harris writes humorous love stories about sassy girls-next-door and the hot guys that make them swoon. Vibrant settings, witty banter, and strong relationships are a staple in each of her books…and kissing. Lots of kissing.

An admitted bookaholic and homeschool mom, she gets through each day by laughing at herself, hugging her kids, and watching way too much Food Network with her husband. She writes young adult, new adult, and adult romances, and LOVES talking with readers!

Author Links: WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOODREADS

*****

Giveaway:

$15.00 Amazon Gift Card

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/1cb554951101/

*****

Click on the banner below to check out the rest of the tour

Book Review – You’re Still the One

25 Thursday Feb 2016

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Blog Tour, Book Review, Contest, Sneak Peek

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Book Review, Country Blues series, Rachel Harris, You're Still the One

So we looked at the last of the Robicheaux siblings already this morning and now we get a chance to check in on one of their friends … and start a new set of books 🙂

*****

Your’re Still the One

Country Blues Series

by Rachel Harris

Blurb:

Love is one dare neither of them can take…

Arabella Stone, Nashville’s darling, is eager to shuck her prim-and-proper rep, and a few wild months spent checking items off her ” summer bucket list” is the way to do it. First up: kiss the man she’s crushed on since she wore a training bra, the bad boy of country himself, Blue bassist Charlie Tucker.

For Charlie, a beautiful woman flirting with him isn’t out of the norm–but a beautiful woman bolting after the hottest kiss of his life sure is. And when he finds out his kiss-and-run Cinderella is none other than Arabella Stone, daughter of his label’s CEO, he knows he’s in trouble. Because not only is she a Stone, she’s also his employee for the next few months at the recording studio he just bought.

Over the course of one thrilling summer, Arabella and Charlie chip away at her bucket list and fight the simmering attraction between them…knowing that once it’s all over, so is their time together.

Order on Amazon | B&N | iBooks | Kobo

Add to your Goodreads

https://www.youtube.com/embed/fwN7VGvpiWY

*****

Excerpt:

Heart fluttering like a hummingbird, Ella picked her way across the stones, the steps still warm from the day’s brutal sun. She lowered herself, one concrete step at a time, until the tepid water lapped against the undersides of her breasts. She gasped at the sensation.

If she’d thought the biker bar felt decadent, this was positively wicked. Never in her wildest dreams had Arabella considered checking skinny-dipping off her list in this way, with neighbors potentially watching, and a naked Charlie Tucker as a wingman.

He tensed as she glided across the pool, the muscles of his back like chiseled marble. She’d love to believe it was because of her, that he longed to touch her as badly as she wanted to be touched. But she knew him well enough to know that even if he did, he’d never act on the desire. Not unless his guard was down.

So, Arabella did what any self-respecting woman in her situation would do. She dipped her hands into the water on either side of her body, gently cupping them so as not to make any sudden waves. She grinned as she bent her knees for leverage…and then, stifling a laugh, swung her hands high and up into the air.

Splash.

Charlie cursed as water rained, falling like a sheet over his head. His neck snapped back, flicking his unruly dark hair out of his eyes, and his shoulders raised to meet his ears.

Immediately, Arabella started backpedaling.

Fans of romantic comedies, and anyone who swam with boys in high school, knew what came next. She’d awoken the sleeping bad-boy giant, or so she hoped, but somehow, even as she kicked away as hard as she could, she couldn’t excite the proper trepidation. She wanted this, wanted him to come after her.

But she had to make the chase look realistic.

“Oh, you think you’re funny, don’t you?” Charlie’s smile was as big and dangerous as a bloodthirsty alligator, and Ella squealed as he took his first looming step. “You better run, sweet girl. It’s on now.”

Arabella kicked her feet, shooting water in his face. “Bring it, Tucker!”

Please, please, bring it, Tucker.

*****

Review:

It usually takes me about two paragraphs to find myself yanked into one of Harris’s stories – and this one proves to be no different. I feel so much for Ella as she struggles with her crush on Charlie and her need to stand on her own. She’s a little bit geeky, a lot sheltered, but totally adorable. It’s no wonder that she’s irresistible.

Charlie may be all about the good time when it comes to women, but he’s also all about his family and friends. And that dedication has put him right in the path of the delectable, but off-limits, Arabella. In order to get the funding from her father that he needs for his charity he agrees to keep an eye on her (on the quiet) for the summer … but proximity leads to feelings that he’s not ready for. And of course, everyone knows that secrets don’t go over well in romances.

I’m actually amused that both Tyler (from Accidentally Married on Purpose) and band-mate Charlie have similar issues with relationships, although for different reasons. It totally works though because one of the great thing about Harris is she manages to make their struggles real and their own. I would have hoped that Charlie would have learned from Tyler. But they are guys so …. 🙂

While I made sure to get Accidentally‘s review up today it isn’t important to have read any of the other books to enjoy this one. There are some characters that show up here (and we met Charlie then), but Rachel is kicking off a new series – complete with the heartfelt style and wonderful characters that she’s known for.

*****

Author Info:

New York Times bestselling author Rachel Harris writes humorous love stories about sassy girls-next-door and the hot guys that make them swoon. Vibrant settings, witty banter, and strong relationships are a staple in each of her books…and kissing. Lots of kissing.

An admitted Diet Mountain Dew addict and homeschool mom, she gets through each day by laughing at herself, hugging her kids, and watching way too much Food Network with her husband. She writes young adult, new adult, and adult romances, and LOVES talking with readers!

Website | Facebook |Twitter | Rachel Harris Goodreads | Newsletter Sign Up

*****

Giveaway:

Enter to win signed coipies of the Love and Games series and an Amazon Gift Card

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/9172c1a0302/

*****