Friends-to-lovers romances are a favorite of mine and is what drew me to this book with its perfect hero and a heroine with self-esteem issues whose life changes dramatically when she discovers she's pregnant. Keep reading to get a tempting glimpse of The Best Friend Bargain by Robin Bielman, along with my impressions of it, then discover even more about it by visiting the other sites hosting this tour. In honor of this third installment in the Kisses in the Sand series make sure to fill out the form below for the chance to win a $25 Amazon GC too!
Olivia Lincoln has a plan guaranteed to get her life back on track. A plan that involves her best friend, Danny. And he’s on board, too…until she blurts out that they’re engaged and expecting a baby, and the news spreads like wildfire.
The problem? Danny doesn’t do marriage. Or family. And everyone knows it, including Olivia.
As irritated as he might be, protecting Olivia is what Danny does. But put best friends under one roof, add house rules begging to be broken, accidental nakedness, and pancakes in bed, and what started as a marriage between friends threatens to turn into the real deal…which would ruin everything.
EXCERPT:
The tail end of daylight cast a glow around her in one-of-a-kind beauty and he found himself tucking her hair behind her ear as she looked up at him with similar appreciation.
When her gaze moved to his mouth, he was a goner.
He ignored the voice inside his head reminding him she was his best friend and once they crossed this line they could never go back, and gave her two seconds to say something to change his mind.
One, two...
She took a step back.
One kiss. One kiss to get it out of his head and put it to rest. She might have placed another foot between them, but Danny saw the indecision in her eyes. He inched closer anyway, unwilling to let her go without one more try. It was a jerk move, but if he didn’t get to taste her he’d go insane wondering.
He cradled her neck in his hands.
“Danny.” He liked how breathless his name sounded on her lips.
“We have to. I’m going out of my mind, Liv."
She half gasped, half sighed, a pleasure-and-pain kind of sound he wanted to turn into one of satisfaction. They had to get this crazy new attraction out of the way so they could go back to being just Liv and Danny. “Make it terrible,” she whispered.
He smiled. “I’ll do my best."
“To make it awful,” she reiterated.
“Prepare yourself for the worst kiss ever."
Her small smile made itself at home inside his chest. He lowered his mouth to hers. No tongue, he told himself. Keep it innocent. Safe.
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MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:
As a fan of the theme of friends-to-lovers and the connection between those friends that's there from the very beginning I found much about this book endearing. Best friends since they were children, Danny has always been protective of Olivia and supported her when her mother's criticisms became too much. After yet another relationship ends Olivia's left pregnant and reeling with only her best friend to lean on. The more intimate their encounters become, and the more invested he becomes in her baby, the more conflicted Danny becomes as he doesn't feel worthy of a relationship with his eyesight diminishing due to a disease. The closer they get to the altar the rockier their relationship becomes with fears and self-doubts growing. When someone from Olivia's past returns everything comes to a head and the deep connection forged between them for years might never be the same again.
Olivia's always felt inferior and alone, except for her closeness to Danny and his friends who have always looked out for her. With a mother who finds fault in everything she does Danny becomes her shoulder to cry on and his parents the only sense of family she'd found. Olivia just wants to be loved and chasing after those feelings leads her from one bad relationship to another, ultimately leaving her pregnant and alone, running home to the one man who's always protected her. While I liked many other aspects of this book I had a lot of issues with Olivia. I felt she took advantage of Danny's feelings for her which is why she felt comfortable making her suggestion of marriage to him. She ignored the fact that he never wanted a family just so she could save face when confronting her mother and so she didn't have to face the future on her own. I was further disappointed by her affections for her ex weeks after Danny agreeing to come to her rescue. After everything her ex did I felt bad for Danny and felt that he deserved better. It's only when she thinks she's lost him that she finally starts acting like an adult in a heartwarming conclusion where everyone speaks their true feelings.
Danny is the quintessential book boyfriend. He's been protective of Olivia since they were young, never letting others hurt her feelings. There's been moments through the years though where he felt something stronger than friendship for her but she ran away without a word. After she left, and with his deteriorating eyesight, he swore to never commit to another as he fears he won't be able to protect another when he goes blind. With Liv once again on his doorstep though he would never say no. Though he tries to fight his attraction to her it eventually becomes too much. The sexual tension between them is combustible and finally leads them into each other's arms and leads to numerous steamy interludes. Watching her pregnancy advance brings forth unacknowledged fatherly instincts which made Danny feel like more of a father than her duplicitous ex. When her ex returns Danny's once again pushed aside which has him making decisions about his life he never considered before which will ultimately lead him home.
Danny's the highlight of this book for me. He's self-sacrificing and loyal and I felt that Liv took advantage of that at the start. That's not to say that I didn't buy into their relationship by the end, but it certainly got off to a questionable start. Though this is the third installment in the Kisses in the Sand series I never felt as if I was missing out as past characters were seamlessly incorporated to help bring Danny and Liv together. The hometown setting was quaint and charming and played its own part in bringing these friends together into a relationship that was sweet and sexy. Though this wasn't a perfect romance it still had me cheering for HEA and if you're looking for your next book boyfriend you'll find it in Danny Ellis!
Olivia's always felt inferior and alone, except for her closeness to Danny and his friends who have always looked out for her. With a mother who finds fault in everything she does Danny becomes her shoulder to cry on and his parents the only sense of family she'd found. Olivia just wants to be loved and chasing after those feelings leads her from one bad relationship to another, ultimately leaving her pregnant and alone, running home to the one man who's always protected her. While I liked many other aspects of this book I had a lot of issues with Olivia. I felt she took advantage of Danny's feelings for her which is why she felt comfortable making her suggestion of marriage to him. She ignored the fact that he never wanted a family just so she could save face when confronting her mother and so she didn't have to face the future on her own. I was further disappointed by her affections for her ex weeks after Danny agreeing to come to her rescue. After everything her ex did I felt bad for Danny and felt that he deserved better. It's only when she thinks she's lost him that she finally starts acting like an adult in a heartwarming conclusion where everyone speaks their true feelings.
Danny is the quintessential book boyfriend. He's been protective of Olivia since they were young, never letting others hurt her feelings. There's been moments through the years though where he felt something stronger than friendship for her but she ran away without a word. After she left, and with his deteriorating eyesight, he swore to never commit to another as he fears he won't be able to protect another when he goes blind. With Liv once again on his doorstep though he would never say no. Though he tries to fight his attraction to her it eventually becomes too much. The sexual tension between them is combustible and finally leads them into each other's arms and leads to numerous steamy interludes. Watching her pregnancy advance brings forth unacknowledged fatherly instincts which made Danny feel like more of a father than her duplicitous ex. When her ex returns Danny's once again pushed aside which has him making decisions about his life he never considered before which will ultimately lead him home.
Danny's the highlight of this book for me. He's self-sacrificing and loyal and I felt that Liv took advantage of that at the start. That's not to say that I didn't buy into their relationship by the end, but it certainly got off to a questionable start. Though this is the third installment in the Kisses in the Sand series I never felt as if I was missing out as past characters were seamlessly incorporated to help bring Danny and Liv together. The hometown setting was quaint and charming and played its own part in bringing these friends together into a relationship that was sweet and sexy. Though this wasn't a perfect romance it still had me cheering for HEA and if you're looking for your next book boyfriend you'll find it in Danny Ellis!
My rating for this is a B-
*I got this book from Netgalley for review in exchange for my honest opinion.
PREVIOUS BOOKS IN THE KISSES IN THE SAND SERIES...
KEEPING MR. RIGHT NOW (Book #1)
A temporary agreement neither could keep...
Brainy, organized Sophie Birch is no beach bunny. In fact, she’s totally out of her element among the sun-bronzed crowd at a film festival in beautiful White Strand Cove. When a surf lesson introduces her to Zane Hollander, suddenly she's up close and personal with the world's sexiest surf star. But what can a great-looking, experienced athlete possibly see in a klutzy out-of-towner who’s never set foot in the ocean?
Zane Hollander's playboy reputation has never been a problem…until recently. Now his management team wants him on his best behavior to entice a meaningful new sponsor. Sophie Birch is the perfect girl to help reform his image. She's genuine and respected—and their relationship is purely fictional. But the more Sophie blooms under the beachy sun, the more Zane knows he'll just break her heart. Because nothing's more important to Zane than following the tide.
FIND AT GOODREADS here.
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BLAME IT ON THE KISS (Book #2)
The one guy she shouldn't want...
Honor Mitchell has lived with guilt and regret for a long time, so when she promises to do the things on her dying best friend's wish list, she's determined to follow through and do something right for a change. But when she's thrown together for wedding duties with the one man who complicates her vow--just by looking at him--she has to put her faith in Bryce Bishop's pledge to help her, no strings attached.
Bryce's near one-night stand with his ex-girlfriend's best friend a few months ago might have been a mistake, but helping the beautiful, free-spirited Honor with her promise isn't. His trust in women is shot, but he can't help but play his best man card to his advantage and help Honor tick off the items on his ex's list, even if it puts him in a no-win situation. Because his assistance might get Honor what she wants, but suddenly being the do-good guy puts his plans--and heart--in serious jeopardy.
FIND AT GOODREADS here.
BUY LINKS: AMAZON (US) | AMAZON (PRINT) | AMAZON (CA) | AMAZON (UK) | BN | KOBO | iBOOKS
AUTHOR INFO:
When not attached to her laptop, USA Today Bestselling Author Robin Bielman can almost always be found with her nose in a book. A California girl, the beach is her favorite place for fun and inspiration. Her fondness for swoon-worthy heroes who flirt and stumble upon the girl they can’t live without jumpstarts all of her story ideas.
She loves to go on adventures, and has skydived, scuba dived, parasailed, gotten lost in the wilderness (and only suffered a gazillion bug bites for it) hiked to waterfalls, and swam with dolphins. In her spare time she also likes to put her treadmill to good use while watching her favorite TV shows, take hikes with her hubby, indulge her sweet tooth, and play sock tug of war with her cute, but sometimes naughty dog, Harry.
She dreams of traveling to faraway places and loves to connect with readers.
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