"Romance Thursdays": Party Naked (Cocktales, Book One) by Mari Carr

Genre: Contemporary Romance, 97 pages

Price: $2.80 ebook (at time of posting)

Publisher & Date: Ellora's Cave Publishing Inc. September 21, 2011.

Book Link: click here

Listed Rating:.3

Price I Paid: $0 (got it FREE on August 29, 2013)

My Rating:

 My Thoughts: A Nice Quick Romantic Read

       Well the cover and the title first made me a bit hesitant to read the story, but I decided to give this book a chance. The story turned out to be good and I was happy that I wasn't mislead into downloading a book that was labeled Romance when it should really be labeled Erotica. 

        The story and subsequently the book series is set in awesome place called the Books and Brew which is run by 4 BFFs: Jordan does the store's accounting, Sophie manages the marketing, Jayne handles the bookstore side of the business and Stephanie the Brew side meaning the bar. Books and Brew is an unique place that offers, wait for it . . . wine instead of coffee at a bookstore. Okay so not just wine is offered, but you get the idea. The girls decided to mix booze with books, and that's just brilliant actually cause I don't drink much, but I know many who do especially when relaxing with a book. 

       This is book one and it revolves around Stephanie, who is very witty, personable and sarcastic, which is probably why I found her a bit relatable. The girl is opposed to love, not for lack of options, but because of fear. Stephanie lets her mother's failed love life dictate how her's could turn out and so she subconsciously only seek superficial relationships. That is until a certain cop wiggles into her life and makes her extremely continuous of what she does in regards to love and those she lets love her. 

       Overall I enjoyed the book but it was too quick of a read for how much I liked the characters. Plus I would have really liked a bit more interaction from the friends with Stephanie and perhaps that's solved in the next books in the series. Then there was a bit of danger hinted with the whole suspect possibly being in the Books and Brew, and for it not to play out took the extra suspense out of their relationship and story for me. However, like I said it's a quick read, not over the top, but a nice HEA. There are two more books after this book, not sure I'll read them, but who knows since I might get more of Stephanie and her man.