Words of Wisdom....from The Scarf Princess: Book Tour for Bottoms Up by Kate Deveaux (Review & GIVEAWAY)

A woman having one of the worst days of her life finds herself the center of a sexy bartender's attention in this erotically-charged romance. Keep reading to get a tempting taste of Bottoms Up by Kate Deveaux, along with my impressions of it, then discover even more about this book by visiting the other sites hosting this tour. In honor of this steamy romance make sure to fill out the form below for the chance to win a $10, $25, and $50 bookstore GCs too!

Bottoms Up:
A bartender with a penchant for naughty drink recipes is well known for crafting the perfect concoction for his clientele. Justin meets his match when down on her luck Lexi walks into his bar and he whips up a cocktail especially for her.
It’s not just the booze talking when Justin and Lexi explore his list of naughty drink recipes in more detail — after hours. Night after night, Lexi is drawn back to Justin’s bar for another deliciously dirty creation and another night of extreme fantasy when he shows her how to let go of her inhibitions — One tantalizing drink recipe at a time— Seems it’s definitely Bottoms Up for these two!

EXCERPT:

The bartender without a name went about making another, unsure whether he was making it for her or not. With precision, he scored a lemon and peeled the zest into a perfect swirl. His tattooed forearm flexing with each move while he precisely twined the curl of lemon with a curl lime zest on the rim of the glass.

Lexi wondered what the delicious looking drink was called but was hesitant afraid to revisit the Soul’s Kiss or worse than that Bottoms Up fiasco. But curiosity and booze tempted her. What did he deem would be the perfect drink for her? This tattooed Romeo? She snorted, aware he’d heard her when he looked up with a smirk. He must have realized she was enjoying watching him. And she was, watching him make the drink gave her a reason to observe, and yes, enjoy the view while giving into her blatant desire than to nothing more than linger there. Watching him go about his job, feeling warm and safe in ‘Bottoms Up’ with this hunk working his magic making her feel….turned on. A feeling she hadn’t had for a very long time. Her eyes brimmed with fresh tears and she quickly looked away to avoid his gaze.

“I think I have just the drink for you…” he said, placing the drink in front of her.

“I can’t drink it if I don’t know the name,” she said, now blatantly flirting.

He smiled. “I see, well you’ll just have to guess the name then. I’ll give it back to you when you’ve guessed correctly,” he said dead pan, and then pulled the drink back behind the bar.

Lexi’s jaw dropped open in disbelief. He quickly turned his attention to a drink order one of his waitresses has brought to him. Looked like a big one form the number of tumblers he was stacking on the counter behind the bar and the bottles he proficiently pulled down from the shelves above.

Lexi leaned over the bar and saw her drink sitting there. Beckoning her. Taunting her. But she looked up and saw his reflection in the mirror behind the bar and the look on his fac. He shook his head.

“Ah..ah..ah,” he scolded. His sexy smile teased her in the reflection. “Sit back down and I’ll be with you in a moment..."

Mute, she sat down. Mesmerized by his fluidity, she enjoyed watching him pour at least ten drinks, all seemingly at once. He summoned the waitress over to get them with a wave of his hand and off the drinks went to the customers.

Glancing over her shoulder Lexi saw the bar was beginning to fill up.

A band had set up in the far corner near a large table of middle age men sat near the back, where the tray full of drinks was headed. Looking at her watch she saw it was five to four. Only a few hours left to clean out the rest of her apartment and hand in the keys. Lexi and Scott’s apartment. Their dream apartment. Until he’d gone and died. Shit, the tears burned.

The sexy bartender turned around at exactly the wrong moment as Lexi was wiping a tear from her eye.

“Hey,” he said, a soft soothing voice of concern. “I’d say you’re about ready for that drink now wouldn’t you?

Lexi nodded and felt foolish for being such a cliché, getting all weepy at the bar. That’s another reasons she didn’t drink much. It melted her resolve and devoured her self-control. Gone were the good old days when she and Scott used to stay up late, drinking, laughing, making love until the wee hours. Stop it stop it stop it she scolded. It’s been just over a year since Scott died. Exactly one year three months yesterday. Time to get it together.

“It wasn’t a Soul’s Kiss,” he offered. “Not this one, but we can keep it for later if you’re not ready now..."

Was he hinting there would be a later? As in a drink— or something more? His eyes, molten pools of dark blue depths with lashes almost black, long and lush, tempted her. She imagined how soft they’d be if they fluttered slowly across her torso and then southward between her legs. Her body quickened with arousal. Shit, she was really losing it now.

“I’m sure I’m ready for it...” The words tumbled from her lips before she was aware of the innuendo.

He grinned. “Okay then, aren’t you going to try and guess?” he teased, placing the drink on the coaster in front of her on the ‘Bottoms Up’ coaster.

“I haven’t a clue…I’m don’t usually order cocktails."

“Okay, then seeing as you’ve had a bad day, I’ll give you a pass this time, but only this time.” His smile made her flush. She pulled the drink closer to her and nodded her appreciation.

She smiled back at him. “Thanks. Now, I told you my name …what’s yours?” she blurted out, not realizing how provocative she sounded until the words were hanging between them.

“Justin…” he answered her question. “Justin MacLeary."

“Nice to meet you Justin MacLeary."

She smiled and lifted the drink to her lips, very aware his eyes were still on hers as her lips met the cool rim of the glass. “It’s very good."

She took another sip, noticing it was smoother than the other. The band started up and a few patrons cheered.

“What’s it called? She asked for the name of the drink over the music.

“Sexual Healing…”

BUY AT AMAZON here.

MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:

Lexie's day just went from bad to worse with the loss of her job and a closing of the door to her past with her dead boyfriend when she finds herself at the bar Bottoms Up. She's feeling weighed down with loss, bad decisions, and an ex she's fearful of and is just looking for an hour or two of escapism. What she gets is the undivided attention of the sexy and flirty bartender which is too tempting not to experience again the next night which leads to insta-love and numerous erotically-charged encounters revolving around sensually-named alcoholic drinks and recipes. Lexie's clearly down on her luck at the start of the story but quickly perks up as she interacts with Justin. She's a bit timid out of fear instilled by her ex, and still mourning the former love of her life, which has her doubting her sudden intense feelings and looking for something to go wrong. While enjoying her erotic interactions with the protective Justin she's got concerns regarding her abusive ex Deakin as he tries to make her pay out of anger and jealousy which adds a bit of suspense to the endless eroticism.

Justin's a super sexy bar owner who's immediately drawn to the weary and timid Lexie and wraps her up in a protective bubble the moment he sees her by offering her a job, a home, and a steamy relationship with him. He uses humor, charm, and lots of erotically-charged innuendos to win her over and give her a sense of sexual freedom. He's a truly good guy, very protective when it comes to Deakin's threats, and is wholeheartedly supportive of her as she makes a brand new start. We see a heartwarming side to him too in his dealings with his elderly uncle along with a dominant Alpha side when in the bedroom and all these characteristics make him every romance reader's fantasy.

Overall this is an entertaining read with a carefree feel as there's numerous erotic encounters and sexually-charged banter that drives the narrative. Recipes for alcoholic drinks with erotic names are included which is a unique and memorable addition and adds to the sensual haze of the story. Lexie and Justin's time together is the focus of the story, with only a bit of time spent with other characters, which makes the suspense over Deakin's stalking feel a bit like an add-on. It was built up to be something way more than it was which was ultimately disappointing as it was wrapped up in the blink of an eye. This was ultimately a quick read with style but not an over abundance of substance as it was an erotic smorgasbord of steamy encounters that had me blushing and made for a fun ride that wrapped up with a HFN bow.

My rating for this is a B-/C+

*I got this book from the author for review in exchange for my honest opinion.

AUTHOR INFO:

Kate Deveaux is a contemporary erotic romance writer and die-hard romantic. A former wedding planner, she has always been “in love” with love! Kate is currently working on several fictional stories – each filled with sexy romance, heroines who are no shrinking violets and heroes who make your heart skip a beat. She currently resides with her husband in the U.S. When Kate is not busy writing, she can be found on the tennis court –yes, there’s even ‘love’ in that game too.