This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Part-Time Lover written by Lauren Blakely
Narrated by Shane East, Grace Grant
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Published by Lauren Blakely Books
Publication Date: June 1, 2018
Source: Audible, Author
Format: Audiobook
Length: 7 hrs and 21 mins
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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.
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Don’t want to read the whole review? Click to jump to the Skinny Review.
Well, well, well. Part-Time Lover was a charming surprise! Let me preface this review by saying that I LOVED Wanderlust so much that this book did not meet my expectations. Also, this book is one of my highly anticipated books this year! But since I read Wanderlust first, I was a tad bit disappointed.
We meet Elise in Wanderlust. She is Joy’s close friend and we also meet Christian, who is Griffin’s best mate. Part-Time Lover is their HEA and I have to say, their first meeting in Wanderlust whetted my appetite for more!
Elise and Christian “met” a year ago while Elise was in Copenhagen on vacay and was on a boat tour. She sees Christian in his birthday suit putting on a show for the tourists. Elise and Christian arrange to meet up that night without changing names. But FATE happened.
Part-Time Lover is a story about fate. For that one night, Elise and Christian never meet for their day but they meet a year later when Griffin and Joy invited both of them. This is where their romance starts.
I love the banter between Christian and Elise. Seriously! I found myself smiling while listening to the audio. Christian and Elise HAD chemistry and I love how they didn’t immediately hook-up.
Part-Time Love is a marriage of convenience story, kind of a second chance romance and also features an older heroine! I was absolutely stoked about this because we hardly see this trope in the mainstream.
I loved Christian and Elise. Elise is such a strong and independent woman. She runs her own business and also blogs! I love her blog post snippets sprinkled throughout the book. Elise also has baggage and is not looking for romance. This was the main reason why she agreed to the marriage of convenience. Christian didn’t have baggage which was very refreshing. In fact, he is the one with all the feels! So, so, so good!
What disappointed me was that Part-Time Lover is not as emotional as Wanderlust and the audio felt too short, despite it being 7 hours and 21 minutes.
I have to say that I really, really want Eric to have his own HEA! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!
Part-Time Love Audiobook
Part-Time Lover is narrated by Grace Grant and Shane East and they were absolutely perfect! The stellar narration really made a difference in my enjoyment with the audiobook! Pacing and tone were perfect. Shane East also has a dreamy voice!
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| Overall: | 3.5 |
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Although Part-Time Lover is not a series, Wanderlust introduces us to Elise and Christian!
Do you love reading romances featuring the marriage of convenience trope?
What is your favorite marriage of convenience trope?
About Lauren Blakely
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 90 times, and she’s sold more than 2.5 million books.
Beautiful review. It sounds like, despite the road bumps, this is a lovely book. I am a fan of the marriage of convience type romance novels. This is getting added to my read list. 🙂
This is a good book, but you should read Wanderlust first 🙂 That book will blow you away!