Welcome to our stop on the Selling Scarlett blog tour hosted by Ink Slinger PR. Below you will find Gloria's review of the book, an excerpt and a special Giveaway thanks for stopping by and be sure to click the banner to follow the tour!
Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance
Series: Love Inc. #1
Publisher: Barkley's Books
Pages: 269
Format: Kindle copy provided by author for tour
Elizabeth DeVille doesn't belong at a party like this—one where the
gowns cost more than her Camry and cigars run higher than her grad school
utility bills. Dragged out of seclusion by her best friend Suri, Elizabeth is
merely playing dress-up, rubbing elbows with a crowd that banished her troubled
family years ago. Hunter West is tired. Tired of parties, tired of
pretending, and tired of trying to right a wrong that haunts him every day.
Bourbon heir and professional poker player by day, by night Hunter is gambling
with his life in a high-stakes game of crime and blackmail. When
Elizabeth stumbles into Hunter's den of vices, she's a light in the darkness, a
flame in the void. And, just like everything he touches, Hunter mars her in a
record time. To rectify the damage done, Elizabeth needs money she doesn't have,
and she's come up with a foolproof way to get it. Follow
Elizabeth—code-named Scarlett—to the lush Nevada brothel where she'll auction
her virginity and risk the only thing that's not for sale: her heart. The
highest bidder is a familiar face, with wicked hands and the devil's mouth. And
a secret so dark that it could cost her life. ***RECOMMENDED FOR READERS
17+ DUE TO SEXUALITY AND MATURE LANGUAGE.***
My Take
A twenty three year old virgin is pretty rare these days. And honestly Elizabeth is ready to hand in her V-card. When her best friend Cross is in a near fatal motorcycle accident, she's willing to do anything to get him the best treatment available. Unfortunately, she's not made of money. Her parents are useless with one in rehab and the other remarried to a broom riding witch. Even more sad is that Cross's relationship with his parents is strained and they can't be counted on for a get well card much less the expensive treatment Cross needs to recover.
Elizabeth believes she's to blame for Cross's accident and when his parents move him to a low cost facility she does the only thing she think of, auction her virginity. Crazy right? Well, she is in California after all.
Elizabeth happens to know some guys in the escort business in Vegas. One of those guys happens to be a millionaire man-whore who she has had a crush on since she was sixteen. Hunter's family also comes from money but his past has not been happy. When the wrong people find out about the skeletons in his closet he becomes an easy target. I am such a sucker for a broken man. Hunter's story hurts my heart. When escorts begin to go missing, Hunter just happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. We know who the lead person is toying with Hunter but the story keeps you guessing about how everyone is connected. And Elizabeth really ends up in the middle of a mess. Elizabeth is the cure for Hunter's heartache and he may just be the solution Elizabeth needs. Neither are ready to admit to that though.
The story is told in both Elizabeth's and Hunter's POV. At times in the beginning of the story I found myself a little confused or lost but was invested in the very likeable characters. There's plenty of heat between these two characters and I just had to keep reading to discover who was really pulling all the strings. In the end I was totally happy with the outcome and happy I had continued reading this who-done-it tale of mystery and romance.
Elizabeth's
POV
I
reach for the handle on the big door that leads back into the Joseph Club's
hallway, and I hear the swift clap of footsteps on the bathroom floor behind
me. A strong hand grips my bicep and his low, rough voice says,
"Libby."
He
turns me to face him, then pushes the door shut behind me. I stare at his face
with suspended disbelief. The wide green eyes. The sweat-slick skin. His hair
is wild, like someone's fingers have been in it, and his mouth is drawn.
I
tug my arm away from him, or try to. His grip tightens as his gaze holds onto
mine. "Were you leaving?" His voice sounds ragged, like he's out of
breath.
"Yes.
I...need to go."
"Because
of me?"
I
can't seem to find my voice, so I pull out of his grasp, grabbing the door
handle and wrapping my fingers tightly around it. I don’t pull it open. I don’t
even turn my face away from his. He’s weary, obviously, but I’m certain he
doesn’t want me to go.
I
wonder why, and a thought occurs to me that makes my knees quiver. Does he want
another romp? My bedazzled mind screams: This is Hunter! Take the chance!
Being
this close to him is like stepping onto the surface of a star. I feel like I'm
melting. My mind speeds up in time with my racing pulse, and all of a sudden I
have to know. "What happened to your back?"
His
eyes are still on mine, and I can't breathe as they flicker to my lips.
"I
hurt it." The words are warm and gruff, like he's telling me a secret but
he's not sure that he wants to. The simple answer surprises me. So does the
bare look in his eyes.
"It
looks awful," I say bluntly.
He
shrugs, but his nonchalance is completely ruined by a wince. I look at his
back, through the reflection in the mirror. There are a lot of welts, and they
all seem to be about the same size. “Did Priscilla do that?”
"You
think I'd let a woman do this to me?" He looks so stern and masculine, I
feel stupid for asking such a question. Not my business.
But
there's something in his eyes. Something hard, almost a challenge, and I can't
help feeling like I'm being warned away.
I
suck in a breath, struggling to speak as I try to pull the answer from his
eyes. "Did you?"
He’s
quiet again, giving me a chance to examine his face. There’s a nasty bruise on
his jaw. “This was a choice," he finally says.
A
choice? My stomach rolls. "Are you saying that you did that to
yourself?"
He
reaches for me, grabs my hand, and as he pulls me closer, I know I'm in
trouble.
"I'm
not saying anything." His free hand comes behind my head, his fingers in
my hair as I look into his handsome, bruised face. "You're the one
talking."
"About
you,” I whisper.
"About
me."
"I
think you need to be more careful,” I say, throwing what he said at the bar
back at him. “I don't want to see you
hurt either."
His
eyes flare, and for a second I think he's going to walk out, but then he groans
and pulls me even closer. "You know what hurts?" he grits, his hand
splaying over my ass, squeezing as he pushes me against his chest. "This
hurts," he says, and I can feel him through my shorts.
He's
hard and ready, totally jacked up. For me, I realize. I shock myself by
reaching down—I want to touch him—but I stop and hover over his hard, smooth
abs. His eyes widen and I feel his hand close over mine. That's all it takes.
The world folds in on me, and the small, dim room becomes a fantasy.
Giveaway:
Giveaway:
About The Author:
I'm a 20-something sci-fi nerd with a journalism degree and a serious York Peppermint Pattie addiction. I spend my days baby-wrangling and dog-chasing and my nights tapping on my laptop and hanging out with my writer/editor husband. A fun day for me involves lots of writing, running, and researching topped off with some quality Kindle time. My life's goal is to find an empty cottage in an enchanted forest, install a solar panel for my laptop, and move in - never to be seen again, except in sweatpants.
I'm a 20-something sci-fi nerd with a journalism degree and a serious York Peppermint Pattie addiction. I spend my days baby-wrangling and dog-chasing and my nights tapping on my laptop and hanging out with my writer/editor husband. A fun day for me involves lots of writing, running, and researching topped off with some quality Kindle time. My life's goal is to find an empty cottage in an enchanted forest, install a solar panel for my laptop, and move in - never to be seen again, except in sweatpants.
Links:
xoxoxox
ReplyDeleteI heard it was a great book.
ReplyDeleteI was a bit confused in the beginning, but ended up really liking Selling Scarlett!
ReplyDeleteI heard this one was good. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a good book. Can't wait to read.
ReplyDelete