Tuesday, August 15, 2017

THE BEAUTY OF US BY KRISTEN PROBY-REVIEW AND EXCERPT TOUR


From New York Times bestselling author Kristen Proby comes a sexy, new standalone contemporary romance in her Fusion Series, THE BEAUTY OF US, releasing August 22, 2017! Order your copy today and get to know Trevor and Riley!

      

New York Times bestselling author Kristen Proby delivers another sizzling novel in her delectable and sexy Fusion series.

Riley Gibson is over the moon at the prospect of having her restaurant, Seduction, on the Best Bites TV network. This could be the big break she's been waiting for. But the idea of having an in-house show on a regular basis is a whole other matter. Their lives would be turned upside down, and convincing Mia, her best friend and head chef of Seduction, that having cameras in her kitchen every day is a good idea is daunting. Still, Riley knows it's an opportunity she can't afford to pass on. And when she meets Trevor Cooper, the show's executive producer, she's stunned by their intense chemistry.

Trevor's sole intention is to persuade Riley to allow Best Bites TV to do a show on her restaurant. But when he walks into Riley's office, he stops dead in his tracks. The professional, aloof woman on the phone is incredibly beautiful and funny. But can he convince her that he's interested in Riley for himself? Or is he using the undeniable pull between them to persuade her to agree to his offer?

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One of my favorite things about Kristen Proby's books is that the characters just plain love one another. They fall in love, it's genuine and heartfelt, they are honest about it (at least in their internal dialog) and they don't play games. This makes it, in a lot of ways, a smooth ride. I know when I am reading one of her books, it always makes me feel like I have curled up in a comfy chair, with a glass of wine and a book. It's comfortable, it is soothing, and you enjoy it.

This books was no different, and it was absolutely a pleasure to read.

Riley and Trevor meet when he visits Seduction a few days before he is scheduled to start filming the TV show in the restaurant. He is the producer of the show that is being filmed and works for the network. (This show and what it is about is addressed in the previous book, but if you haven't read it, not to worry, you are given enough info to know what is going on without reading the others...although, you really should as they are all good). The attraction is instant, and the circumstances around the meeting really set the expectations they have of one another.

There is a reluctance to become involved because they are essentially colleagues, and because they are in Portland and he works in Los Angeles, so, as Trevor says, geography is not on their side. That said, their attraction is strong, they want one another physically, and they like one another. More than once, Trevor thinks how much he likes Riley, how much he respects her. And, Riley feels the same about Trevor. Again, that comfortable feeling of enjoyment, you know they are in it for the long haul, and they both are aware of this...no one is going to be surprised be their feelings in this.

They have chemistry, the attraction is obvious, and you feel the connection. I loved that the distance, thing, the idea that they are going to be long distance, is kept in the background. It is not ignored, but there is an understanding very quickly that the distance isn't going to stop the relationship.

So often in books where the is en "end" date to the romance, the leaving of the person is the entire conflict, the whole thing they have to work past. I loved that in this, that was an issue, but it was not one that was going to stop them, it wasn't going to be the "thing" that was their roadblock.

Ironically, it is this understanding that messes things up for them a bit, but saying more is a spoiler...and it all works out. Trevor is, well, a man, and thinks that just because he knows what he is thinking, Riley will too. Any one who has ever had a male in their lives, brother, father, significant other, friend, jogging partner, will relate to this particular thought process of so many men.

Because they love one another, and this is a romance, Trevor figures out the problem. And, in a way that will have you teary. If it doesn't, read it again, it is beautiful,it is perfect, and it tells you once again, how much Trevor loves Riley, he pays attention and he gets what would mean the most to her.

I had a small issue at the end, as I think the loose ends were not tied as neatly as they could have been, and not totally plausibly (there was not enough discussion, in my opinion, between the principles who would need to be involved) so there is some doubt there. But, on the other hand, you believe in Riley and Trevor, and you know that they are committed to being together, and at the end of the day, that is what you need to believe for a romance to really work.

I recommend this title.

 



~TREVOR~

“You don’t need me,” I reply, and smile. “But I’ll be around for a while, just in case.”
“Just in case I slip and fall back into the online dating?”

“That, or if you just want to have dinner, or chat. And I think we should watch a marathon of Star Wars. Your lack of knowledge is cause for concern.”

“It’s kind of a guy thing,” she says.

“I know many women who like Star Wars.”

“Well, I would watch one or two.”

“You need to see them all to understand what’s happening.”

“That’s a lot of hours of my life that I’ll never get back,” she says with a frown. “Aren’t there CliffsNotes somewhere? A speedy way to get caught up?”

“No,” I reply, and fist my hands in my lap so I don’t reach out and tuck her hair behind her ear.

Or yank her against me so I can kiss the fuck out of her.

“Are you okay?” she asks.

“Are you always this observant?”

“I’m an overthinker,” she says. “So yeah, I’m an observer.”

“I’ve been labeled an overthinker too,” I say with a grin.

“Would you say it’s an accurate assessment?”

“Oh yeah,” I say with a nod, and stand to clear our plates away. She stands to help. “I’ve got this.”

“No way, you cooked, so I’ll help clean.”

She walks ahead of me, her empty glass in one hand and her plate in the other. “Do you use the dishwasher, or do you wash by hand?”

“There are people who still wash by hand?”

“I’ve heard of them, but I’ve never seen them in the wild,” she says, and smiles up at me when I join her. “So I guess that means we use the dishwasher?”

“Yes.” She rinses and I load, and a few short minutes later, we’re done.

“Well, I suppose I should go,” she says, and checks the time on her phone. “Oh, Cami texted. I guess I should reply so she doesn’t think you killed me after the entrĂ©e.”

She smirks and types on her phone, then turns it off and looks up at me.

“Thanks for dinner.”

“You’re welcome.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”

Unfortunately, it won’t be in my bed.

“You will.”

“Okay.” She gathers her back, notepad and pen, and walks to the door. “Sleep well tonight.”

I grin and congratulate myself for not dragging my fingertips down her cheek.

You sleep well tonight, Riley.”

“Okay. Bye.”

She leaves and I close the door, letting out a slow breath. Jesus, she’s sexy and funny and smart as fuck.

And I’m not going to touch her while I’m here.

How the fuck am I going to do that?

   

Preorder THE BEAUTY OF US, fill out this form, and receive an email with a sneak peek of the cover and first chapter from CHARMING HANNAH, the first book in Kristen Proby's upcoming Big Sky series!

   

And Don't Miss the First Three Standalone Novels in the Fusion Series!


   




Kristen was born and raised in a small resort town in her beloved Montana. In her mid-twenties, she decided to stretch her wings and move to the Pacific Northwest, where she made her home for more than a dozen years. During that time, Kristen wrote many romance novels and joined organizations such as RWA and other small writing groups. She spent countless hours in workshops, and more mornings than she can count up before the dawn so she could write before going to work. She submitted many manuscripts to agents and editors alike, but was always told no. In the summer of 2012, the self-publishing scene was new and thriving, and Kristen had one goal: to publish just one book. It was something she longed to cross off of her bucket list. Not only did she publish one book, she’s since published close to thirty titles, many of which have hit the USA Today, New York Times and Wall Street Journal Bestsellers lists. She continues to self publish, best known for her With Me In Seattle and Boudreaux series, and is also proud to work with William Morrow, a division of HarperCollins, with the Fusion Series. Kristen and her husband, John, make their home in her hometown of Whitefish, Montana with their two pugs and two cats.





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