Licked
Series: L.A. Liaisons #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Romantic Comedy
Author: Brooke Blaine
Release Date: November 11, 2015
As the owner of Licked, an eclectic ice creamery and bar, Ryleigh Phillips doesn’t have time for that love stuff. Serving up Nibble My Nuts sundaes and Drunken Sailor boozy shakes are as close to an orgasmic affair as she’s had in months thanks to her expanding empire—until the night of her ten-year high school reunion.
When Ryleigh’s crush, gorgeous ex-football god Cameron Mathis, comes streaking into her life (literally—streaking), she begins to wonder if she really can have it all.
Wouldn’t it just figure that the moment you think life is perfect is when it falls spectacularly apart?
Enter Hunter Morgan, the contractor in charge of Licked’s renovations. Devastatingly handsome, and a smartass to boot, he’s got his eyes on Ryleigh from the moment he finds her passed out on his couch (yeah, that’s a long story). There’s just one tiny complication—he happens to be Cameron’s best friend.
When the lines between relationships and friendships blur, and it’s impossible to choose between two delicious flavors, what’s a girl to do? Taste a sample of each? Or go out and get LICKED?
If I were truly honest with myself, which guy would I choose? The man I’d always wanted? Or the man I’d never forget?
Now that, my friends, is how you write a love triangle. Because honest to god, if every love triangle was written this way, I’d actually read them. Having said that, when I found a teaser on Brooke’s Facebook page that hinted at a love triangle, I may or may not have threatened her with a slow and painful death. Because if you follow my reviews or know me at all, you know I absolutely hate love triangles. Having loved all her previous books, I decided to put my faith in her and dive right in, and boy am I glad I did because this was nothing like I expected.
If you notice, I didn’t do my usual casting for this book, and there’s a reason for that. I want you to go into this book knowing exactly the same amount that I did…which is practically nothing. It’s better that way. If you’re a love triangle avoider like myself, I beg you to give this a try and guarantee you will not be even a little bit sorry. So let’s move onto the review now, shall we?
Ryleigh Phillips has got to be one of the most adorably endearing heroines I have read in a good long while. Everything from her quirky rockabilly style, to her internal monologue, to her banter with her best friends, just worked for me. She’s funny, sassy, and just one of those heroines you want to be your very own best friend. She’s so lively, she practically jumps off the pages at you. Brooke did such a great job introducing a cast of secondary characters in the form of her best friends that grabbed all my attention from the go.
Raleigh is the successful owner of Licked, an eclectic ice cream joint that I’d probably be a frequent visitor of. Why? Well because who wouldn’t love a full set of Love Balls like Fiesty Ho-Bag or Cookie Dil-dough? I know I would. But I digress. Ryleigh was a bit of an outcast in high school. But now she’s grown into her style and is a successful business owner. So she attends her ten year high school reunion with the hopes of running into her old crush, Cameron. But of course nothing ever goes according to plan, because while she may have now caught the attention of her high school crush, it’s his best friend and roommate that undoubtedly captures her. So what’s a girl to do?
Hunter is nothing like her usual type. But when he volunteers to take over her shop’s renovations, she can’t avoid him. And he’s determined to have her too. So which one does she go with? The man she’s always crushed on? Or the man that she can’t stop thinking about?
Licked is one of those feel good and light hearted reads that will have you reading with a goofy smile on your face the entire time. It’s light on angst and stupid drama (as in none of it), and heavy on the humor and the sexy. I devoured it like my favorite pint of Ben & Jerry’s. Everything about it worked for me; the romance, the characters, and most of all the writing. Brooke Blaine doesn’t just take on new genres with each book she writes, she grabs it by the throat and calls it her bitch. The woman is a true rockstar. What a fun little read this was.
Endearingly quirky, laugh out loud funny, and deliciously sexy! Licked was absolutely luscious! I loved every yummy page of it. What a fantastic start to a series I can already tell I’ll be addicted to!
I have no idea how to even begin reviewing this book. After reading the prologue, I knew I was in for a tear jerker, and yet nothing could have prepared me for the full effect. Nothing. Cruel and Beautiful was unlike any book I’ve ever read before. Beautifully tragic and emotionally charged, it’s one of those books that will stay with me for a long while. I finished it last night and still find myself thinking about it. It’s just one of those stories that will touch you on a visceral level. It’s impossible not to have it effect you, it’s just that moving.
When Drew McKnight first laid his eyes on Cate Forbes, he knew he wanted her. Drew is older with his sights set on a career in Oncology, while Cate is still a college student with no plans on relationships or falling in love. But this isn’t an angsty college romance of boy meets girl. It’s a touching love story of two soul mates. It’s captivating, endearing, emotional, and interspersed with just the right amount of humor. You get to watch these two fall in love slowly. You get to experience all their first smiles, emotions, feelings, everything, right alongside with them.
This is one of those stories where the less you know going in, the better. Even the tiniest detail can be a spoiler. So I recommend going in absolutely blind.
God. That one line. Who would have thought that my heart could melt and break at the same time from just 4 little words? But when 221; killing machine, savage with no memories of his previous life and raised to be a cold blooded killer, utters those four words to Talia….I was absolutely done for.
When Talia discovers 221’s true identity, she knows that he’s not only forbidden. He’s something else entirely. There’s a history there that he’s not aware of and she knows all too well. But that doesn’t stop her from being intrigued by the savage. During his recovery from the drug that stole his thoughts and memories, she cares for him….but something else begins to develop between them.
Reap is not quite as dark as it’s predecessor was. While still leaning on the side of gritty, it wasn’t as brutal. It was definitely a whole lot more emotional, however. I think this is in part due to the fact that I had a true connection to Talia and Zaal together. Talia isn’t exactly my favorite heroine, but she was much more memorable than Kisa. I loved how she cared for Zaal and the way she fought for him.
Ladies and ovaries, allow me to introduce you to your next must read. If you’re looking for some smutty goodness wrapped up in a fantastic story, it simply doesn’t get better than this. Did I mention that it has one of the hottest MMF threesomes I’ve read in a while? Because….damn.
The beauty of this dirty little beauty, however, is you don’t have to have read the previous books in the series to enjoy it. While Carly and Geo from 
It’s been quite a while since I read an all male POV that was this engrossing. Hard Beat was simply unputdownable from beginning to end. It was everything I love, and I really do mean everything. It managed to tick all my boxes.
After so many friends raved to me about how amazing this book was, I was beyond excited to be finally reading it. Given that I’ve also spent quite a few months avoiding it. Why? Because my picky Russian ass has yet to read a book with the MCs being Russian and not having it be butchered to hell and back. So I get a little touchy.
Be warned….nitpicking galore to follow…
Taking into consideration her borderline abusive psycho of a fiancé and their relationship, I’m shocked she had no emotional or mental scars. This is especially true towards the end. She moves on from all of it without so much as a bat of a eye lash. No lingering emotional trauma…just is what it is.
It could have easily been fade to black or just loosely mentioned. It simply didn’t need to be as graphic as it was past the first 2 times.
Well, this was certainly…different. If you’re expecting Tough Enough to be on the same intensity level as 
See that utterly pathetic pile of melted, swooning goo on the floor right now? Yep. That’s me. Who would have thought I’d meet my end at the hands of a bearded, pierced, and man-bun wearing virgin?
Because if anyone was going to make my manwhore and asshole loving self fall completely head over heals for a virgin, it had to be Kristen Callihan. Having read 2 other male virgin books before this and being mostly underwhelmed, third time was most certainly the charm for me. Because this book? I loved it. I beyond loved it. I want to marry it and have it’s babies. I want to rub myself in it and roll around basking in it’s pure awesome all day. I want to lick it. Alright, you get the point here I think.
What I love particularly about this series, aside from the swoony heroes that somehow get better with each new book, is that the timeline progresses. What I mean is, with 
The sexual tension between these two is instant and so deliciously thick you can almost taste it. There’s nothing I love more than a good buildup and this book serves that up perfectly. Cari and Taryn know exactly what they’re doing and these two sure know how to tease and entice.
After that ending, I’m not sure whether to rock myself in a corner somewhere in my wait for the next installment or to hunt down Cari and Taryn and beat them until they give it to me. All I know, is I’m hooked and I want it. I need it. I have to have it.
