by Kelly Eadon
Book 3, in The Belmont Beach Brides Series
"Crossing the Friend Zone"
Genre: Contemporary, Romance. 289 pages.
Genre: Contemporary, Romance. 289 pages.
Price: $3.99 ebook (at time of post)
Book Link: Click Here
SHE PLANNED FOR EVERYTHING-EXCEPT HIM.
Fresh off a painful break-up, wedding planner Ainsley Slone is suffering from an acute case of "always the planner, never the bride." And she's over it. It's time for a break-to figure out how to let everything go and just have a little sexy fun. And she knows the perfect person to teach her how: irresistible manwhore Ryan Lawhill.
Their deal? No sex, just fun. It's the perfect plan--until the chemistry between them starts sparking like crazy. Ryan knows all too well that Ainsley's looking for a happily-ever-after, but he's always been keep-it-fun-or-it's-done. Yet the moment they cross The Friend Zone, all bets are off-and soon the ultimate player is the one playing for keeps.
Fresh off a painful break-up, wedding planner Ainsley Slone is suffering from an acute case of "always the planner, never the bride." And she's over it. It's time for a break-to figure out how to let everything go and just have a little sexy fun. And she knows the perfect person to teach her how: irresistible manwhore Ryan Lawhill.
Their deal? No sex, just fun. It's the perfect plan--until the chemistry between them starts sparking like crazy. Ryan knows all too well that Ainsley's looking for a happily-ever-after, but he's always been keep-it-fun-or-it's-done. Yet the moment they cross The Friend Zone, all bets are off-and soon the ultimate player is the one playing for keeps.
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My Rating: 
My Thoughts: When A Planner Falls For A Player
This is the third novel in the Belmont Beach Brides Series and each novel can be read as a standalone. However, having read only the first novel prior to this release, I did feel a little left out in not knowing all the connections of friends and places mentioned. The main characters are the last two in a group of friends who unexpectedly find themselves falling for each other when they should be nothing but friends and friends only.
In a town like Belmont image is everything, so when event/wedding planner, Ainsley Slone, endures a cold breakup just when she envisioned herself finally becoming the bride, Ainsley decides to rent out the bachelor of the town, Ryan Lawhill. Ryan as a good friend wants Ainsley to forget her problems and learn his ways of easy loving and living. Spurred by the need to beat Ryan at his own games, Ainsley agrees to a 3 week do as he says deal of fun. What neither expected was the chemistry that ignited from their times well spent together. Suddenly Ainsley and Ryan find themselves asking, should they proceed past the friend zone when hearts may be involved?
Overall, enjoyable light romantic read. The witty banter between Ainsley and Ryan which was cute and flirty. I'm very qualified in sarcasm so totally loved how the couple prodded one another even when they knew they were pushing their friendship boundaries. The friendship dynamic of the whole group of characters/couples is great, but with only two single friends left in the bunch it was kinda like duh Ainsley and Ryan should get together. Ainsley by far grows the most and her progression felt real. From her time of seeking advice online to jumping into Ryan's deal or doing the camping hike I loved every part of Ainsley's story. Now Ryan, that stubborn idiot, his process was going great till the end where it got u-turned then righted then rushed, his mom needed to speak with him a whole lot earlier in life. I will say that the ending was okay but I was hoping for a bit more. So if you love a story where a woman finds herself a bit and a man discovers he can love while both try to one up each other, then you'll enjoy this novel.
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EXCERPT
EXCERPT
She strode toward him and cupped his strong jaw between her two hands. “Thank you, Ryan. Thank you for coming to get me and not judging me and not making fun of me.”
She’d given him the perfect fodder, of course, by trekking up a mountain in the rain just to prove to herself she didn’t need him. It had been an attempt to convince herself she didn’t care, that his regret for the kiss hadn’t penetrated. All she’d done was prove how much she did need him after all.
“It was my fault.” His voice was thick, his eyebrows knit in contrition. It was a look she’d never seen on him before: real, genuine remorse.
“No.” It would be unfair to let him take the blame for this. “It was my decision, and it was a bad one. I don’t want to think about it anymore though. You and I? We need to learn to let the past go.”
There had to be a way forward for them. They couldn’t go back and change things, but they could learn to make better decisions in the future. She was willing to try to change, for Ryan. Hell, she had changed for him, hadn’t she? Old Ainsley would never have gone hiking in the rain. Much as she was loath to admit it, he’d gotten to her core.
She closed her eyes and inhaled the spicy scent of him, then closed the distance. This time she would be the one to kiss him. It would be an affirmation of the other night at the concert. She’d make him understand that it wasn’t a mistake. Nothing that had happened between them so far had been a mistake, there had been a purpose behind all of it. To her relief, his lips met hers hungrily and her grip around his neck tightened. She kissed him hard, their tongues tangling together.
She nearly sagged with relief. As he kissed her back, she could almost feel his walls and his reserve, his sarcasm and his jokes, melting between them. He was opening up to her, showing her parts of himself he normally kept closed off.
He let out a low growl, then pulled back to stare at her. Her heart pounded in her ears as she met his gaze. There was a vulnerability there she’d never seen before. She almost smiled. Griffin was right, she’d had a thing or two to teach Ryan about relationships after all. It had just taken him a bit to catch on.
Keep kissing me.
As if he could read her mind, as if kicking down the last of the emotional walls that divided them, he lifted her, cupping her butt in his hands. She wrapped her legs around his waist as he tilted his head toward her and kissed her again. This time his tongue stroked hers, massaging and caressing.
A shiver ran through her and she moaned into his mouth. It was a shiver of desire, of expectation. The cold and the wet had melted completely away, as if kissing Ryan had cocooned her in a protective bubble. She didn’t care about anything other than him and the fact that they were suspended in this moment together. It was real. He was real. And, for the first time, she was pretty sure they were real together.
He pressed her against the van and his mouth trailed down to her throat. Her head fell backward and sensation throbbed inside of her as he found the hollow of her throat. He sucked gently, sending a tsunami of need through her body. For the first time she was sure that he saw her, all of her. They’d let go of their pride and ego to be in this moment together.
She eased away from his mouth and held his gaze. He looked at her longingly and gave a small, crinkled smile. It was more boyish, more filled with hope than she’d ever seen him.
Suddenly she was filled with resolve. They should get out of here. Go somewhere more...private. Comfortable. Because she knew exactly what they both wanted to come next.
Impulsively, she reached out and placed her thumb on his bottom lip. “You have a great mouth.”
He used his teeth to graze her thumb.
She gasped, her hips arching against him. He lowered his head, burying it in her neck. He nipped and licked at her neck, creating shocks of pleasure pain. After the past twenty four hours, the certainty in his touch meant more than words could.
“You smell amazing. And you have the softest skin,” he murmured.
Not that she minded those words. “I...um.” She swallowed hard. “It’s a special lotion.”
He pulled his head back and grinned at her. “Oh yeah? Let me guess, from Paris. Or handmade by oompah-loompahs.”
She slanted him a look. “I like you so much more when you’re not talking. I can think of much better things you could be doing with your mouth.”
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Kelly Eadon
Author Links: Facebook, Website, Twitter, Instagram, Goodreads.
Kelly Eadon is a romance writer living in Richmond, Virginia with her husband and a house full of rescue animals, aka “the kraken”. She swears like a sailor and says whatever pops into her head. In order to counteract her big mouth, she wears high heels whenever possible. In her spare time she spins, kick boxes and attempts to renovate her farmhouse. She hates sanding drywall, loves to cook, drinks lots of wine, gets scary competitive at trivia, and enjoys time spent exploring with her rescued beagle mixes.
Kelly Eadon is a romance writer living in Richmond, Virginia with her husband and a house full of rescue animals, aka “the kraken”. She swears like a sailor and says whatever pops into her head. In order to counteract her big mouth, she wears high heels whenever possible. In her spare time she spins, kick boxes and attempts to renovate her farmhouse. She hates sanding drywall, loves to cook, drinks lots of wine, gets scary competitive at trivia, and enjoys time spent exploring with her rescued beagle mixes.
