A naive yet endearing heroine finds herself reunited with her high school crush during an unfortunate misunderstanding that hits the internet in this fun and flirty contemporary romance. Keep reading to get a tempting taste of Fluffy by Julia Kent, then get my impressions of this entertaining read which will have you wanting to add it to your bookshelf. In honor of this first installment in this soon-to-be series make sure to fill out the form below for the chance to win a $25 Gyft GC too!
It all started with the wrong Help Wanted ad. Of course it did.
I’m a professional fluffer. It’s NOT what you think. I stage homes for a living. Real estate agents love me, and my work stands on its own merits.
Sigh. Get your mind out of the gutter. Go ahead. Laugh. I’ll wait.
See? That’s the problem. My career has used the term “fluffer” for decades. I didn’t even know there was a more… lascivious definition of the term.
Until it was too late.
The ad for a “professional fluffer” on Craigslist seemed like divine intervention. My last unemployment check was in the bank. I was desperate. Rent was due. The ad said cash paid at the end of the day.
The perfect job!
Staging homes means showing your best angle. The same principle applies in making a certain kind of movie. Turns out a “fluffer” doesn’t arrange decorative pillows on a couch.
They arrange other soft, round-ish objects.
The job isn’t hard. Er, I mean, it is — it’s about being hard. Or, well… helping other people to be hard.
Oh, man...
And that’s the other problem. A man. No, not one of the stars on the movie set. Will Lotham – my high school crush. The owner of the house where we’re filming. Illegally. In a vacation rental.
By the time the cops show up, what I thought was just a great house staging gig turned into a nightmare involving pictures of me with an undressed naked star, Will rescuing me from an arrest, and a humiliating lesson in my own naivete.
My job turned out to be so much harder than I expected. But you know what’s easier than I ever imagined?
Having all my dreams come true.
EXCERPT:
“I can't tonight. I have a date,” I blurt out, remembering David. The dating app. The asshole who isn't an asshole.
Yet. I haven't met him, so that judgment remains withheld.
“A date?” Will asks, intrigued.
“Yes. A date. You know, that thing where you go out with someone who has no intention of really getting to know you and you spend the entire time eating bread that doesn’t taste as good as your date claims and trying to decide whether to initiate rescue-text sequences with your mom.”
“That’s your idea of a date?”
“That is my actual experience of every date I’ve had since college.”
“You’re dating the wrong guys.” He holds my gaze for just a little too long. I look away.
“I have to keep fishing in the pond if I ever want to catch a different one.”
“If that’s the way you talk to your dates, I am beginning to understand why they all turn out so badly.”
“Hey!”
“What?”
“Don’t accuse me of being a bad date. I’m a great date! I Google the guy in advance and read his LinkedIn profile. I make sure I don’t wear super-tall heels in case he lied about his height on his dating profile. I pretend to care about all his hobbies and don’t reveal that I’m secretly tallying all the micro-aggressions he’s sending my way during appetizers and wine. And if he makes it to dessert, well–” I falter.
“You never make it to dessert, do you?” Will asks, eyebrows up. He drops them quickly, wincing.
“I–well–it’s not that I don’t. He doesn’t!”
“He ditches you?”
“No! No! It’s just that he always has a thing.”
“A thing?”
“A work emergency. Or a dog with a twisted bowel. Or a grandma in the ER.”
“How many guys used the twisted-canine-intestine thing?”
“Three.” I sit down and sag against his teenage desk, elbows sliding forward, fingers deep in my hair. “I looked it up. There’s an entire subreddit devoted to inventive ways to get out of a bad date.”
“And yet here you are.” He leans against the edge of his desk. “Trying again.”
“I’m a masochist.”
His eyes gleam. “Maybe you should start your dates with that line. ‘Hi. I’m Mallory Monahan. I’m a masochist.’ You’d definitely make it to dessert.”
MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:
Every now and again you come across a book that rescues you from a week that you just want to forget about...and this is just such a book. From its witty banter to its unapologetic heroine to a dreamy hero that reminds readers of a John Hughes movie to friends who support you while still calling you to account...this book was a delightful breath of fresh air. Laugh out loud moments were nicely balanced with a sweetly sentimental romance that began over a decade ago and which I was invested in from the first page to the last.
Mallory Monahan is at wit’s end with a rapidly shrinking bank account and a fear that she’ll end up moving back home after her designing job was cruelly ripped away from her. Desperate for money she answers a Craigslist ad and ends up in the middle of a Big Misunderstanding on a porn set at the home of the parents of her unrequited high school crush. With the shocking reintroduction of her teenage dream Will, and an embarrassing picture of the two of them and a Beastly actor hitting the internet, life takes an even more unexpected turn for Mallory. Accepting a job from Will repeatedly puts her in close quarters with him, bringing up their past interactions, in heartfelt talks that slowly turn flirty. A surprising invite to their upcoming high school reunion opens up even more emotional floodgates as Mallory deals with her feelings of diminishment in the eyes of those who think they’re better just as she discovers Will’s true feelings in a heartwrenching series of events that ultimately had me cheering. Along with navigating her complex feelings for Will, we see numerous interactions with her girlfriends that were endearing and easy to relate to. Fiona, Perky, and Mallory are a boisterous trio of women, bold in their words and desires. Each is strong-willed, self-deprecating in their views of themselves, but a strong support to each other when they need a kick in the pants the most. On her own Mallory’s an immensely appealing heroine, a bit naive in some ways but unflinching when in defense of her beliefs. Her self-esteem’s a bit bruised though from an older sister’s judgments and the high school years of being picked on for her intelligence. These cruel words have left their mark and become especially hurtful at their reunion with the fallout putting her and Will’s HEA in danger. Through everything though I found myself drawn to Mallory, applauding her for her realism and for her unapologetic nature in a tale that pulled at my heartstrings while putting a smile on my face.
Will Lotham was the Golden Boy in high school, a top football player with smarts who was beloved by all. He was a dutiful son who did what was expected of him according to his social status. Though he never said it out loud, he knew the strong feelings Mallory had for him and relished every exchange they had as he enjoyed the challenge she presented him, even as he was too afraid to do more. Their years apart were years teeming with temptation as he always wondered whatever happened to her which makes his discovery of her on a porn set at his parent’s house all the more compelling. It’s a delightfully wicked first meeting that brings out his protective side and is the first of many encounters he has with her as he slowly ingratiates himself to her. Sweet and sexy, Will charms his way into Mallory’s life with me cheering him on every step of the way as he proved himself more than worthy of her. A master of flirtiness and subtle sexual innuendos, Will was more than a match for Mallory in a relationship that was over a decade in the making.
Ms. Kent put on a master class here when it comes to writing banter. The banter in this story was crackling, rapid-fire, and led to many laugh out loud moments. Between the three girlfriends it solidified their friendship, making their bond even more relatable, while turning up the heat when the banter was between Will and Mallory. The banter between these two was teeming with sexual tension and made the long wait until these two got between the sheets more bearable. Will and Mallory were utterly delightful together as they addressed some heavy emotional issues from their pasts while charming me with their getting reacquainted now. Though I wish we’d had more scorching encounters between them throughout the story, I still enjoyed their journey to HEA. Surrounding this wonderful main couple was an equally appealing cast of secondary characters. Those characters are Fiona and Perky, Mallory’s best buddies since high school who’ve had their own embarrassments over the last decade. They’re bold and brash heroines who pull no punches as they say what they mean and mean what they say. I look forward to learning more about them, and with the exhilarating epilogue found in this book, Perky’s story promises to be a non-stop and sizzling rollercoaster ride! Those looking for a bit of girl power, with a charming romance, will want to grab this book for their very own.
Mallory Monahan is at wit’s end with a rapidly shrinking bank account and a fear that she’ll end up moving back home after her designing job was cruelly ripped away from her. Desperate for money she answers a Craigslist ad and ends up in the middle of a Big Misunderstanding on a porn set at the home of the parents of her unrequited high school crush. With the shocking reintroduction of her teenage dream Will, and an embarrassing picture of the two of them and a Beastly actor hitting the internet, life takes an even more unexpected turn for Mallory. Accepting a job from Will repeatedly puts her in close quarters with him, bringing up their past interactions, in heartfelt talks that slowly turn flirty. A surprising invite to their upcoming high school reunion opens up even more emotional floodgates as Mallory deals with her feelings of diminishment in the eyes of those who think they’re better just as she discovers Will’s true feelings in a heartwrenching series of events that ultimately had me cheering. Along with navigating her complex feelings for Will, we see numerous interactions with her girlfriends that were endearing and easy to relate to. Fiona, Perky, and Mallory are a boisterous trio of women, bold in their words and desires. Each is strong-willed, self-deprecating in their views of themselves, but a strong support to each other when they need a kick in the pants the most. On her own Mallory’s an immensely appealing heroine, a bit naive in some ways but unflinching when in defense of her beliefs. Her self-esteem’s a bit bruised though from an older sister’s judgments and the high school years of being picked on for her intelligence. These cruel words have left their mark and become especially hurtful at their reunion with the fallout putting her and Will’s HEA in danger. Through everything though I found myself drawn to Mallory, applauding her for her realism and for her unapologetic nature in a tale that pulled at my heartstrings while putting a smile on my face.
Will Lotham was the Golden Boy in high school, a top football player with smarts who was beloved by all. He was a dutiful son who did what was expected of him according to his social status. Though he never said it out loud, he knew the strong feelings Mallory had for him and relished every exchange they had as he enjoyed the challenge she presented him, even as he was too afraid to do more. Their years apart were years teeming with temptation as he always wondered whatever happened to her which makes his discovery of her on a porn set at his parent’s house all the more compelling. It’s a delightfully wicked first meeting that brings out his protective side and is the first of many encounters he has with her as he slowly ingratiates himself to her. Sweet and sexy, Will charms his way into Mallory’s life with me cheering him on every step of the way as he proved himself more than worthy of her. A master of flirtiness and subtle sexual innuendos, Will was more than a match for Mallory in a relationship that was over a decade in the making.
Ms. Kent put on a master class here when it comes to writing banter. The banter in this story was crackling, rapid-fire, and led to many laugh out loud moments. Between the three girlfriends it solidified their friendship, making their bond even more relatable, while turning up the heat when the banter was between Will and Mallory. The banter between these two was teeming with sexual tension and made the long wait until these two got between the sheets more bearable. Will and Mallory were utterly delightful together as they addressed some heavy emotional issues from their pasts while charming me with their getting reacquainted now. Though I wish we’d had more scorching encounters between them throughout the story, I still enjoyed their journey to HEA. Surrounding this wonderful main couple was an equally appealing cast of secondary characters. Those characters are Fiona and Perky, Mallory’s best buddies since high school who’ve had their own embarrassments over the last decade. They’re bold and brash heroines who pull no punches as they say what they mean and mean what they say. I look forward to learning more about them, and with the exhilarating epilogue found in this book, Perky’s story promises to be a non-stop and sizzling rollercoaster ride! Those looking for a bit of girl power, with a charming romance, will want to grab this book for their very own.
My rating for this is an A-.
*I got this book from the author for review in exchange for my honest opinion.
AUTHOR INFO:
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Julia Kent writes romantic comedy with an edge. From billionaires to BBWs to new adult rock stars, Julia finds a sensual, goofy joy in every contemporary romance she writes. Unlike Shannon from Shopping for a Billionaire, she did not meet her husband after dropping her phone in a men's room toilet (and he isn't a billionaire). She lives in New England with her husband and three sons in a household where the toilet seat is never, ever, down.
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