Sexy Summer Saturdays: Seducing Cinderella (Fighting For Love #1) by Gina L. Maxwell {Review}

Sexy Summer Saturday's is a weekly post we created to share our love of "Adult" books with our fellow readers. 

Participating blogs:

The Autumn Review

The Bookish Babe

**If you don't care for steamy books or you are under 18, you may not want to continue reading the review below.*

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Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance

Publication Date: July 20th 2012

Series: Fighting For Love #1

Pages: 180

Format: Kindle

Source: Purchased from Amazon

Mixed martial arts fighter Reid Andrews’s chance to reclaim his title as light heavyweight champ is shattered when he’s injured only months before the rematch. To make sure he’s healed in time, his trainer sends him to recuperate under a professional’s care—Reid’s best friend’s little sister, all grown up. Disorganized and bookish Lucie Miller needs some professional help of her own. She’d do anything to catch the eye of a doctor she’s crushed on for years, so when Reid offers seduction lessons in exchange for 24/7 conditioning for the biggest fight of his career, Lucie jumps at the chance. Soon Reid finds him himself in the fight of his life...winning Lucie's heart before she gives it to someone else.

My Take:

If this was the book that launched the Brazen line then thank God for Gina Maxwell! Sexy, Romantic and endearing, Seducing Cinderella was a knockout punch to my heart and my lady bits.

Lucie Miller has had a crush on Dr. Stephen Mann for a while and has never caught his eye. Feeling plain and unattractive she always hopes he will ask her out eventually. When he approaches her one day before her next appointment she thinks he will finally ask her on a date. She is quickly disappointed to find out he only wants her friend Vanessa's number instead. In tears when her appointment arrives she is surprised to find Reid Andrews, a Childhood friend of her brother's and current MMA superstar. Reid has a shoulder issue and needs Lucie's help to get him back in fighting shape before his next championship fight in just two weeks. When Reid comes up with a sexy proposition to get her Doctor to notice her, the line between friends and lovers becomes blurred.

Plain Jane Lucie was so shy and unassuming at first. She didn't think she was attractive and felt she wasn't extraordinary at all. When Reid comes in and helps her make herself over in hopes of landing her doctor her confidence goes up significantly. I loved watching her slowly emerge out of her shell the more time she spent with Reid. She learned to speak up and make herself stand out and it didn't take much because she was a beautiful woman to begin with. All she needed was a little guidance, hence the Cinderella term. I found Lucie to be relatable to most women because we all have feelings of inadequacy from time to time. I know I feel like a grub worm with the shit slung out when I don't put on any makeup and do my hair but most of the time I'm just running in Walmart so. As Lucie spends time with Reid she starts to become attracted to him so when she finally goes out with her Doctor she finds he doesn't challenge her and make her feel alive like Reid does. I loved that she didn't string Doctor Douche along once she realized her feelings for Reid. She didn't act childish and try to make him jealous like some women tend to do and I loved that the most about her. It really proved her character for her to be so easy going.

Reid Andrews can donkey punch me any day! Sexy MMA Fighter {Check}. Tattoos and ripped muscles {Check}. Reid was a fantastic guy for this story and for Lucie. Being her brother's best friend he took care of her and helped her find her inner beauty nobody else bothered to see. Well besides her best friend Vanessa, who always saw it within Lucie. That was the main thing I loved about Reid. While everyone else overlooked her, he saw her with her chunky glasses, mousy hair and make-up-less face and found her to be beautiful anyway. He melted my heart into warm Hershey's chocolate at every turn, even when he couldn't get out of his own head and ended things between them. After his mother abandoned him to his father he was conditioned to be a tough fighter and spent the majority of his time training. I found out Reid has two sides to himself. One side wants to be a fighter and craves the ring and the other side is an artist who loves to sculpt and draw. There was a really romantic and heartwarming scene between Reid and Lucie where he shows her something he drew for her. I think I might have swooned hardcore at that because it turn hot quickly! If the tough, sensitive type doesn't melt your pantaloons then you are probably a lesbian because Reid was on FIRE! *Cue Alicia Keys*

Speaking of pantie moistening scenes this book had some really great sex scenes. It wasn't the hottest book in the Brazen lineup that I have read but the chemistry between Reid and Lucie was magnifique! I love, Love, LOVE friends to lovers stories and with these two being childhood friends it was that much more electric. From the steamy almost wall sex to the two thumb tango in her twat, Reid knows exactly how to please a woman. I found myself hot and bothered during their love scenes even though it was sort of vanilla. Even though this couple didn't go balls to the wall crazy in the bedroom it was still exciting and sexy. I loved that Lucie's confidence was just as strong in the bedroom as it was in everyday life. These two were amazing together and I enjoyed watching them come together (pun intended).

I really enjoyed this book and am so glad Brazen is going as strong as it is today with the help of Seducing Cinderella. As I said it wasn't nearly as hot as the others I have read but what it lacked in intensity between the sheets it made up for it in content. Reid and Lucie had amazing chemistry and their love story was really sweet and left me happy and fulfilled for them. I'm not sure who the next story is about in this series but I can't wait to find out. If you haven't read this one yet I recommend it. If you love friends to lovers stories like me then you will fall head over heels for Reid and Lucie just like I did.

Quotes:

“The back is one of my favorite parts of a woman’s body. I love to trace and lick the shallow line of her spine, from the top and all the way down to the twin dimples at the base of her lower back.” Kindle Loc. 676

“Raise yourself up on your elbows. I want you to watch what I’m doing to this sweet pussy of yours.” Kindle Loc. 1801

“Are you thinking of him when I’m inside you, Luce? Do you wish it was his cock buried inside of you instead of mine?” Kindle Loc. 2415

“Goddamn it, Luce,” he said gruffly. “I love that you’re always so wet for me. I’ve never felt anything so tight and hot. I want to live inside of you and never leave.” Kindle Loc. 2433

Was it possible to physically feel the moment you lost your heart to someone? Because Lucie was fairly sure she’d just lost hers, and the spot where it should have been literally hurt. Kindle Loc. 2472

About The Author:

Gina is a shameless romance addict with no intentions of ever kicking the habit. Growing up she dreamed of entertaining people and taking them on fantastical journeys with her acting abilities, until she came to the realization as a college sophomore that she had none to speak of. Another ten years would pass before she discovered a different means to accomplishing the same dream: writing stories of love and passion for addicts just like her. A member of the Romantic Writers Association (RWA), San Antonio Romance Authors (SARA), and Rose City Romance Authors (RCRA), she recently signed with Entangled Publishing to write for two of their imprints. Her Fighting for Love series with MMA heroes will debut July 2012 for the Brazen imprint with the first book in the series, Seducing Cinderella. The first book in her Prophecy of Souls trilogy, Desires of the Soul, is set to release in mass trade paperback in Summer 2013 for the Entangled Select imprint. When she’s not writing or wrangling plot bunnies in her San Antonio home, Gina keeps busy with her wonderful family and their ever growing extra-curricular activities. Thanks to their immense patience and support, she’s able to live her dream of bringing a little romantic fantasy to the world, even if only in the pages of a good book.

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