ASKING FOR A FRIEND by Lauren Blakely Release Date: December 16th
Blurb:
I was only trying to help a friend. I swear. I was legit asking for a friend who was finally ready to date again.
I knew what she wanted in a man -- smart, funny, ambitious, well-read (no, the sports section doesn't count), and plays a wicked game of badminton.
So I did what any good friend would do. Posted it for her. It seemed like a good idea at the time — I’d weed through the candidates, and bring her my top picks.
But then he responded.
Is it wrong to date the guy I screened for my bestie? Not asking for a friend.
ASKING FOR A FRIEND is HERE! Readers are saying this is Lauren Blakely’s best rom-com to date!! Devour this yummy office romance with a You’ve Got Mail vibe today!!
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Amy and Linc were so much fun to meet and get to know in this book. I love that they work in the book industry; all of the book references were so much fun to read. I enjoyed that they’re both smart and driven and passionate.
I believed in the attraction that these two shared right from the start. The banter was sharp and witty. I’m not kidding when I say my face hurt from smiling after reading this-these two just were fun to watch as they flirted and got to know one another. Their first kiss is one of my favorite first kisses, and their sexy times were definitely hot.
There’s something about this Author’s ability to just draw you in and make you feel like you’re a part of the story; that you can run into these people on the street. I would not object to living in the world that is created in this book. I mean, I could be Amy’s other bestie, right? As always, the writing is top-notch. The supporting characters here made me do a little happy dance, as we met both new and old friends. Again, I truly could just live in this world.
Asking For a Friend is a book I’ll go back and read again and again. I devoured this book in one sitting; I just didn’t want it to end. It’s been a week since I’ve finished the book and I’m still smiling. I absolutely loved this book and would highly recommend it.
But...Suspense. Murder mysteries. Political thrillers. They all have the inherent hook to lure in the reader. You want to know how they end. In Gone Girl, you want to know what happened, and how the heck it happened…so you read to the end. In The DaVinci Code, you want someone to tell you what in the world is going on and where all of those clues lead. So, you read to the end. And you do so even if it’s a book you aren’t totally enjoying because, again, you want to know how it ends.
Romance, however, you already know. There’s a rule that the characters will get to the happily ever after, they will work the things out in their lives that are keeping them from being together, and right before you get to “The End” you will get a declaration of love (or a proposal, or an epilogue or 3) that ends the book on the happiest of possible notes.
And, that’s great, and let’s be honest, it’s why I read romance. But, the fact that the end if a foregone conclusion and the book has to be all about the getting to the ending, makes it hard to write romance in a way that makes it feel like a fresh story while it makes its way to a predetermined ending. (No, I am not saying other books in other genres are easy to write, just that they come with a different set of challenges to writing them.)
What separates the “meh” romances from the “good” and the “great” ones? The easy answer? Books like this one.
Books with depth and real effort to tell a story that is more than superficial. The characters in this are well-read and reference those books they have read, as you would expect of someone who works in publishing. It’s an easy thing to skip, or to miss, but it’s a detail that, as you are reading, makes you forget that you are reading a book and you feel more like you are actually living the story. There’s a fun in reading a book that so completely envelops you that you lose track of time, one that makes you rearrange your day because while there are other things you should be doing, what you want to be doing is continuing to read the book. I read this in one afternoon, and I loved everything about it.
Linc and Amy are attracted to each other from the first time they meet on his first day of work at her company. But, for reasons that feel a lot like real life (his past and her focus on her future, specifically) they keep the flirting to conversations at work and thinking about the other away from work, while declaring that nothing can happen.
But, this is a romance, and you know the love story is going to win in the end, so you also have a pretty good idea that this determination to avoid a romance isn't going to last. And, it doesn't.
I love the way the author handles the little moments, the different mannerisms that are added that not only make them both sexy, but also human…these details not only feed the romance part of the story, but they let the characters feel like people with real actions, responses and mannerisms that take them from characters on a page and give them life.
I also liked how the resolution of the story was handled as it felt real, and it worked in such a way that it felt like not only was everyone involved happy, it was what would have happened in real life in similar circumstances. And, that is another thing I really enjoy about Lauren Blakely books…they are real. Yes, they are romance and they are about people meeting and falling in love, but they are also about people who live in the world with the rest of us. Maybe they have better jobs, or better houses, or more clever names for pets, but they are people.
I enjoyed (ok, I LOVED) and recommend this title.
*Note: Both Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn and The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown were excellent and well worth the read…all the way to the end.
“No. I was just getting the lowdown on office allergies.” He moves closer, leaning against the bar, looking like a tall drink of man. I break out my mental yardstick. Yup, I’m betting he’s over six feet. I’m going with six foot one. Which might even push him to a fifteen on the goes-to-ten babe-o-meter.
“So you’re on drinks detail,” I say, trying to sound all cool and casual, like I’m not busy sizing him up.
Not consumed with checking out his arms. Not occupied admiring his blue eyes. Not tied up enjoying his smile.
He points his thumb at his sternum. “New guy. That means I fetch all the drinks and buy them too. And you? What put you on errand duty?”
“I made my friend snort her drink out her nose.”
He looks impressed. “You officially have the best reason for being on drink detail.”
I preen, enjoying his praise. “Why, thank you. I was hoping to win that contest.”
“What was the snort-inducing remark, may I ask?”
Flashing back, I recall the culprit—my “you need V-time” comment to Peyton—but that’s too personal to share. I give him another one. “I referred to her ex-fiancé by his proper name.”
Clark Kent gives me a curious look. “Is his proper name amusing?”
“Of course. It’s Richard Cranium,” I say, and I wait. Will he pass the test?
About the Author:
A #1 New York Times Bestselling, #1 Wall Street Journal Bestselling, and #1 Audible Bestselling author, Lauren Blakely is known for her contemporary romance style that's sweet, sexy and witty. She also writes red-hot love stories for her Lauren Blakely After Dark line.
She'd love to give you a free book today! Check out her web site to grab your free read: https://laurenblakely.com/one-free-book/
Connect w/Lauren:
Website: http://www.laurenblakely.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LaurenBlakely3
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2YzfGNv
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