Book Tour for Object of My Desire by R.L. Kenderson (Review & GIVEAWAY)

An author and a cover model have a memorable first meeting that has them evolving from friends to lovers in a tale that touches on body image issues and jealousy, all taking place in the world of book publishing.  Keep reading to get a tempting taste of Object of My Desire by R.L. Kenderson, along with my impressions of it, then add it to your bookshelf.  In honor of this fun and flirty romance make sure to fill out the form below for the chance to win two print copies of this book along with ten ebooks from Ms. Kenderson’s backlist too!

A romance author, a cover model, a book signing...a crush.

Ordinary women like me know we shouldn't fall for beautiful men like Travis Zehler, one of the hottest cover models in romance fiction. But sometimes we can’t help ourselves.

When I meet him at a book signing, my attraction to him is instant. I'm infatuated, and I can't stop thinking about him.

Even though I have doubts he’d ever be interested, I invite Travis to attend a book signing with me. And he says yes.

My fantasy comes true when he takes me to his bed, and the more time we spend together, the more I see that Travis isn’t some object to be desired.

He’s a man with a past. A man who’s been burned. A man who’s learned to keep his guard up.
I want to show him he can trust again, but when our confidence in each other is shaken, I began to wonder if happily ever afters are only for my romance novels.

BUY LINKS:  AMAZON  |  iBOOKS  |  BN  |  GOOGLE PLAY  |  KOBO

MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:

As a voracious reader of romance books I was intrigued by the premise of this story and the behind-the-scenes look at the publishing world and the lives of those who make their living in this world.  It was a charming read dealing with insecurities that many can relate to which made this journey of two friends becoming lovers more realistic.  From the first page to the last I became more and more invested in them and was rooting for them every step of the way to find their HEA.

Sydney Hart is a romance author who’s finally able to write full time and is doing all she can to gain a following which means going to book signings and maintaining a social presence by interacting with readers.  She’s an average gal with looks that she sees as far from perfect, but she’s comfortable in her own skin.  She may have been unlucky in love in real life, but she can at least write about it.  Attending the latest book signing changes her life irrevocably though as it introduces her to Travis, a sexy cover model, who pushes all her buttons and brings all her insecurities to the surface.  It’s a crackling first meeting that sees them becoming friends before another book signing sees them becoming lovers over one erotically-charged weekend.  Theirs is a slow and steady connection that’s scorching but also allows for heartfelt talks that bring up their painful pasts, their vulnerabilities, and it makes them all the more relatable.  Sydney’s not someone who dresses to perfection, she’s more natural and is more like the good girl next door.  Men in her past have made her question her body image, left her feeling unworthy and because of that she at first saw Travis as unattainable, merely sexy eye candy who would never be interested in her.  She’s at first content just to form a friendship, but once they’re in close quarters their flirtiness turns sensual in a relationship with a few bumps along the way.  At first Sydney internally questions every move he makes, analyzes every Instagram post and slowness in “friending” her, and it felt a bit immature and frustrating.  Considering her past though I could understand her self-doubts and was happy that she actually talked things out with Travis when she had other moments like this instead of letting it fester into a Big Misunderstanding.  The longer she’s with Travis the more empowered she became, the more flirty and the more bold, and it was an entertaining transformation.  Though Sydney allowed one moment of self-doubt to put their HEA in jeopardy she more than atoned for it in a grand gesture that only a writer could enact and it had me cheering.

Travis Zehler’s more than just a pretty face.  While he’s definitely got a drool-worthy body he’s also got a kind heart.  He exudes sensuality and makes every fan feel special.  From the outside his life seems pretty wonderful.  Behind the sexy facade though is a man who has his own self-doubts courtesy of an ex-girlfriend who questioned every move he made because of her own insecurities and jealousy.  It’s left him suspicious of women and their motives and it makes him all the more appreciative of Sydney as she’s wholeheartedly accepting of his work and expresses great pride in what he does.  From the moment he met her there was a sizzle between them which made their fast friendship feel real and it had me waiting with bated breath for them to take the next step.  His fears over how Sydney MIGHT react sometimes left me frustrated though as it was almost like he was looking for problems, but his delightful interactions with Sydney didn’t have me holding a grudge for long.  When Travis makes a bold declaration late in the story I was giddy, on a high that quickly had me crashing, but from that low point Travis earned his hero status to put him and Sydney back on their path to HEA in a sweet reunion that charmed me.  Travis is a delicious hero with a fun and flirty nature, a talent for dirty talk, and I thoroughly enjoyed his and Sydney’s road to HEA despite the few bumps along the way.

On a whole this was an entertaining read with likable and relatable characters.  It touched on body image issues, preconceived notions, and even the age difference of a slightly older woman being with a slightly younger man in a charming tale of opposites attracting.  The main couple struggled with self-doubts early on but as their connection built they fell into a comfortable balance of sweet interludes and erotically-charged encounters.  Surrounding this appealing main couple was a colorful cast of secondary characters who gave great insight into the world of books, adding elements of believability to immerse readers even more fully into this story.  The only character that fell a bit flat was that of Travis’s ex-girlfriend Christy.  She was predictable and after causing a momentary problem she seemed to vanish abruptly while the power she had on Travis still lingered.  Despite her presence I found this a fun and flirty romance with a couple full of heart and soul in a story that resonated with me completely and will be especially entertaining to other lovers of romance.

My rating for this is an A-

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

AUTHOR INFO:

R.L. Kenderson is two best friends writing under one name.

Renae has always loved reading, and in third grade, she wrote her first poem where she learned she might have a knack for this writing thing. Lara remembers sneaking her grandmother’s Harlequin novels when she was probably too young to be reading them, and since then, she knew she wanted to write her own.

When they met in college, they bonded over their love of reading and the TV show Charmed. What really spiced up their friendship was when Lara introduced Renae to romance novels. When they discovered their first vampire romance, they knew there would always be a special place in their hearts for paranormal romance. After being unable to find certain storylines and characteristics they wanted to read about in the hundreds of books they consumed, they decided to write their own.

One lives in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area and the other in the Kansas City area where they’re a sonographer/stay-at-home mom/wife and pharmacist/mother by day, and together they’re a sexy author by night. They communicate through phone, email, and whole lot of messaging.

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