4 fun and flirty starsThis is a cute and fun read that’s a little on the dirty side, with a strong and sassy heroine and not one, but two gorgeous guys. Add in a hot and banter-filled romance with lots of chemistry, and I really enjoyed this one.Ryleigh owns and runs her very own dirty ice cream and milkshake store, Licked. How is it dirty, do you ask? Well, with dessert names like ‘Triple Nipple Fudge, ‘Stroke ‘n Poke’ and ‘Cookie dil-Dough’… you get the idea. It’s also a good indicator of who Ryleigh is – she’s the type of heroine that knows who she is, she embraces it, and she doesn’t care what anybody else things, even though she’s a little awkward at times. A lover of all things retro, she even dresses the part, and I instantly liked her.We meet Ryleigh when she is attending her 10-year high school reunion. She gets the surprise of her life when her high-school crush, and the man she has dreamed of since she was 15, Cameron Mathis, notices her. When Cameron makes it clear that he’s interested (even sweeping her into his arms to slow dance to her favourite ballad… *dreamy sigh*), and they leave the reunion together, Ryleigh thinks that all of her dreams are about to come true.Then along comes Hunter Morgan. Cameron’s best friend is gorgeous and devastatingly flirty. He runs his own contracting business and when he steps in to help Ryleigh with renovations to her store, he can’t seem to keep his eyes off her. And worryingly, she can’t seem to stop thinking about him either. “We’ll have to make the bar a few inches longer to accommodate the plumbing.”“And?”Hunter scanned the plans and then shrugged. “That’s it.”I gaped at him. “That’s it? I came all this way for a few measly inches?”When he burst into laughter, I flushed, realizing how he took it. I didn’t mean those inches.The chemistry is sizzling and the banter is fantastic as Riley gets to know the two men in her life, while trying to figure out where her feelings truly lie. If I were truly honest with myself, which guy would I choose? The man I’d always wanted? Or the man I’d never forget?I’m not usually a fan of love triangles, and I’ve got to admit, I was a bit nervous when the book started heading down that path. But from early on it’s pretty obvious who the right choice is (although honestly, I’d be happy with either of them!), and it’s all resolved really well. And there is plenty of time for the story to continue developing after that, and we get an absolutely gorgeous love story with lots of sweet and funny moments, some dirty talk, a nice amount of sexy time and swoony romance. “Ryleigh?” he asked, still inside me, still pressing kisses along my jaw.“Hmm?” I tried to keep my eyes open, but a sense of satiated peace had settled in my bones, making it hard not to fall asleep in his arms.“I’m keeping you,” he said, his voice low and sincere.There are a few surprises and some angst before Ryleigh gets her happy ending, and honestly some of the behaviour going on had me shaking my head, but it does end well with the door open for Ryleigh’s story to continue developing as the series goes on. Speaking of which, I really enjoyed Ryleigh’s friends, and I’m assuming they will be the focus of the rest of the series (view spoiler)[ Especially if Cameron makes another appearance as a love interest, because OMG, he’s amazing! (hide spoiler)]
Pure awesomeness! Yup, that about sums this one up. Licked is funny, full of sexual innuendos and laugh out loud moments, stars some truly wonderful characters, and has a storyline that will keep you stuck to the pages (and ready to bite the head off of anyone who tries to interrupt).Hunter scanned the plans and then shrugged. "That's it."I gaped at him. "That's it? I came all this way for a few measly inches?"When he burst into laughter, I flushed, realizing how he took it. I didn't mean those inches. Yes, exchanges like this are rampant, and the innuendos that keep coming up courtesy of the names of the tasty creations at Ryleigh's shop will keep a grin on your face from page one all the way to the end. Or at least until the airport scene. Oh wow, the airport scene. Yeah, I just teased you.First-Ryleigh. She is fantastic. I love her style, and that she does her own thing, embracing and celebrating the things she loves no matter what other people think. She's independent and strong, a perfect female lead.Next-Cameron. He's like the perfect man. Yes, really. Sweet, kind and thoughtful, absolutely gorgeous, successful...I could go on and on.Then-Hunter. If Cameron is the perfect man, Hunter just blows the word "perfect" out of the dictionary. He's everything that Cameron is, plus he just intuitively knows Ryleigh inside and out.The interactions between the characters are scintillating, and the intimate scenes will positively melt your e-reader. I haven't had such a good time reading a book in a long time, and I can say with absolute certainty that this book is one I will re-read multiple times in the future. I can't wait for the rest of this series, because if it's as good as Licked this is going to be a hell of a ride!Rocketing onto my top recommendations list, Licked gets 5 tasty stars from me! This one's definitely for the 18+ crowd due to adult language and explicit sexual content (bring your cold drinks and fans, you're going to need them!). Oh, and someone let me know when Ryleigh decides to expand...I need a Licked shop here in my city for sure..."I think I need to change.""No, you look great.""I meant my panties."Hunter laughed out loud. "I'll take that compliment, thank you.""No," I said, taking his proffered arm, unable to stop looking at him. "Thank you." Like I said, pure awesomeness.
What do You think about Licked (2015)?
4 "I'm Keeping You" StarsThis was such a cute and fun story. My first by Brooke Blaine was a winner! Ryliegh was the star of this story with her cute and sassy attitude and her funky ice cream shop. Add in her crush, the gorgeous and well to do Cameron as well as the hunky and smart-talking Hunter and we got a perfect blend of smart and sexy with a little angst thrown in for good measure. When Ryliegh decides to got to her 10 year class reunion to show all those that tormented her how well she's doing for herself, she never expects her old crush to look at her twice. But when she runs into him, literally, sparks kind of fly. When the night doesn't end how she expects with Cameron and she meets his roommate Hunter, her old crush seems to not mean quite as much as she thought it did. After one date Cameron has to leave the country for work for a couple weeks but before going he sets Hunter up to finish the renovations on Ryliegh's store. This means that Hunter and Ryliegh start spending lots of time together, which makes Ryliegh question who she should really be dating. After finally making decisions, secrets are revealed, relationships are tested and all sorts of flavors get LICKED. I thoroughly enjoyed Ryliegh's story. She was such a fun heroine. She was her own woman and worked for her life. After meeting both men, she had to make some decisions but I appreciated that she didn't drag it out. I loved the little bit of angst but also appreciated that there really was never a love triangle. I also loved both Cameron and Hunter even if I always preferred one over the other. I only wished that I could have gotten to know each a bit better. I would have loved to delve a little deeper into each of the men's characters, but really enjoyed Ryleigh and her journey. This will most definitely not be my last Brooke Blaine book. ARC provided by RockStarLit PR for honest review.
—Paige
3.5 StarsOverall Opinion: I was pleasantly surprised with is one. I was hesitant because I worried about the love triangle theme, but it really was a non-issue. It wasn't just OTT humor either (which I was expecting too), but it was the right amount of humor instead. I enjoyed it, but I had to mark it off for the bad communication from the H and the abrupt ending.Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Ryleigh and Hunter's story. Ryleigh attends her 10 year high school reunion in hopes of finding and hooking up with her long time crush, Cameron. They hit it off, and end up getting so drunk she ends up spending the night on the couch. She is shocked to wake up to another hottie, Hunter, who is Cameron's roommate and best friend. Hunter ends up helping her with her renovations at her shop, and the sparks start to fly. There is some funny moments, some hot moments, some sweet moments, and some teary moments...but the couple get their HFN ending.POV: This was told in Ryleigh's POV.Overall Pace of Story: Good. It flowed really well, and I didn't feel the need to skim. I was irritated with the abrupt ending though.Instalove: No. Definite instalust, but they have some good development of feelings in this.H rating: 3 stars. Hunter. I liked him a lot until he messed up in our big conflict for the couple. I felt like he was at fault, and that this conflict could've been avoided if he just was a better communicator. He needed to grovel some more IMO.h rating: 4 stars. Ryleigh. I really liked her character. She was unique, and she embraced that uniqueness. Loved the idea of her shop/bar!Sadness level: Moderate. I actually teared up a few times, but I didn't need to get my tissue box out.Heat level: Moderate. They have some steamy chemistry.Descriptive sex: Yes.Safe sex: Yes, there is mention of condoms.OW/OM drama: (view spoiler)[The closest thing is that the h had a long standing crush on Cameron who happens to be Hunter's roommate and best friend. They went on one official date (and didn't even kiss) before he left the country for work, and this is when things start to develop with Hunter and Ryleigh. (hide spoiler)]
—NMmomof4
Brooke Blaine is a new-to-me author that I cannot wait to read more from! She gave us a quirky, strong, confident heroine and a sexy, also confident but secretly wounded hero for us to cheer for. You will have to read for yourself if I am talking about Cameron or Hunter... (I will put in here that if someone is thinking of over-looking this one because of a so-called love triangle, DON'T over-look this! That's a very small component of a great read that I highly recommend.)Licked was a light, humorous, fantastic and sexy read that I thoroughly enjoyed! It flowed smoothly and quickly and introduced a cast of characters that I have straight from the authors mouth (or twitter conversation as it were) that "those gals have plenty more shenanigans coming"!Grade A
—Jeananna
