Wednesday, December 13, 2017

Sweet Life by Nina Lane - Review and Excerpt

     

   

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Author:  Nina Lane
Publication Date:  12 December, 2017
Publisher: Snow Queen Publishing
Series:  Sugar Rush, Book 5
Genre:  Contemporary Romance
Age Recommendation: 18 and Up
Rating: 4 Stars

~ I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review ~ 


Book Description:

He knows if she's been bad or good. Amidst the sugarplums and mistletoe, fashion stylist Julia Bennett is every inch a scrooge. Known for her ice-queen ways, she's having a meltdown over a botched business deal and an upcoming milestone birthday. Add the pressure of forced holiday cheer, and she's ready to dive into the spiked eggnog and not come out until summer. Warren Stone, president and owner of the Sugar Rush Candy Company, is determined to make Julia slow down and enjoy the holidays. As her friend and confidante for thirteen years, he knows her better than anyone. But when decking the halls leads them to an explosive, sexy night, everything suddenly changes.   And when Warren decides Julia is all he wants for Christmas, will she risk their longtime friendship for the gift of love?    

My Review:

So Sweet Life was my first book of Nina Lane and I thoroughly enjoyed it.  Being that this was the fifth book in the series I went in with a little trepidation thinking I might be lost but that was not the case.  Sweet Life can be read as a stand alone though I would suggest starting at book one because of all the little details.  You won't be lost or confused but there is clearly some back story and tension through the previous books that would have made Sweet Life that much more enjoyable. Don't let that stop you though, you won't be disappointed if you pick this book up first and read out of order.

Sweet Life is a mature romance story, not second chance.  While this couple has been tiptoeing around romance with each other for many years, they were never together as a couple in the past, they have simply been in each other's lives for most of their life.  It's a friends to lovers romance with a bit of drama and heart ache thrown in the mix.  I really enjoyed that this was the romance of a couple who are in the 50's or almost there...I think Julia might give me the evil eye if I lump her into the 50's set, after all she's only 49!  Haha.  There aren't a ton of authors out there that I have come across that write their characters out of their late twenties or early thirties so reading characters more in my age demographic was a bit of a breath of fresh air.  

There is no doubt that Warren and Julia's relationship is built on trust and love it is also fraught with challenges.  They have a small history that both are ashamed of (no cheating don't worry) as well as sharing the love (Julia's sister and Warren's wife) of someone who is no longer alive and their guilt over the things they may not have been able to say or share with that person.  Julia is also extremely hard on herself.  She feels although she has years to make up for, years when she was trying to find herself and possibly not making the best choices, years where she felt like she let down one of the most important people in her life.  This guilt leads her to overcompensate to try and free herself from it.  Warren on the other hand has come to the point in his life where he knows that he has to take a moment for himself.  He has to stop and smell the roses so to speak and he fears that if Julia doesn't do the same thing he'll lose her in more ways than one.  

Warren and Julia are perfectly suited for each other and at times I struggled with that idea, knowing their past, but that comes from not ever having been in a situation such as theirs.  I can't imagine the thoughts and feelings that come along with having lost a loved one and finding another love later in life.  I think that Nina Lane did a really wonderful job showing the turmoil with both characters as they find their new path with each other.  I loved that this was a relationship that builds over many years, not one that happens rather soon after the passing of one of the characters spouses.  

I also loved the characters romantic relationship.  It's so nice to see characters that show love and passion later in life.  Warren, heck...I don't even know what to tell you about Warren except wow.  He's the guy we all hope 20-30 somethings turn into, haha.  I loved how he breaks down Julia's wall and gives her a freedom she doesn't allow in her everyday life.  Together they are super steamy and in the best kind of ways.  

I think my only complaint is that while we do eventually get to the history of their story it felt like it took a while to get there and I really would have liked even more depth in that area.  I wanted to know more about what became of Julia's past relationship...I kind of wanted to know that the ex was miserable after having been a complete arse.   I wanted to know deep down that Julia's sister left the world forgiving (though I am not completely sure that Julia truly had much to be forgiven for, at least not as much as Julia believed and I am afraid her sister believed as well...no doubt forgiveness needed to occur, but not for Julia simply living her life.) Julia so that Julia could truly move on.  I wanted a bit more to happen with Warren and his medical issue.  I felt a little frustrated that he let others peer pressure him into doing something so completely dangerous when he wasn't a 100%.  I get that no one wanted him to give up and that the event was HUGE, but to disregard his medical issue that had no clear answer at that point by saying 'you won't go if he doesn't and 'you'll' take care of him if he needs assistance...yeah, no.  His Dr. said "I don't recommend you do this." and yet you do it anyway.  Yes, of course everything turns out okay and I am glad that Warren did it for himself, but that kind of rubbed me the wrong way.  

All in all this was a truly enjoyable read. I will definitely be going back and reading the first four books in the series so I can see how the build up to this book happened and also get all the stories of the children.  Sweet Life is well, a sweet read and romance and I am so happy it came across my desk and introduced me to a new to me author whose work I am sure I will enjoy for many years to come.  


~ HAPPY READING ~


Excerpt: 

“Now step into my office.” Julia blinked at his hard tone, her gaze shifting to his closed office door. “I beg your pardon?” Warren opened the door. “In. Now.” Her features tightened with resistance just as the elevator doors opened and several employees emerged, their voices rising in chatter. Julia crossed the hallway in front of them, her shoulders rigid. He caught a whiff of Chanel No. 5 as she passed him. He entered the office behind her and closed the door, flicking the lock shut. “You are not to take out personal crap on my employees,” he said. “That’s not how I run this company.” Julia’s lips compressed. “Odd that you’ve never before questioned my treatment of your employees. And it wasn’t personal. She needed to know she’d screwed up.” “Announcing the holiday party early is not screwing up,” Warren replied evenly. “You’re pissed off because you’ve had a shitty week, you have too much on your plate, an old bucket list has thrown you off your game, and you don’t know what to do with the fact that we fucked the other night.” Two spots of color appeared on her cheeks. “I seem to recall that what I did with that fact was tell you it wasn’t going to happen again. After which you informed me in excellent caveman style that I was wrong. You seem to forget I’m never wrong.” About this, you are. He bit back the words. He hadn’t become the president of Sugar Rush by throwing his weight around. He knew how to bide his time, work his way into getting what he wanted. And damned if he didn’t want her more with every passing second. “Well?” Julia put her hands on her hips and glared at him. “Are we done here?” Under her make-up, purplish smudges shadowed her eyes. Brackets of tension lined her mouth. His jaw tightened. “You had a migraine yesterday,” he said. “What the fuck do you care?” Julia snapped. Warren’s hands flexed. He was used to her quick-fire cursing, all the more effective when delivered by a woman who looked like royalty, but he didn’t like being the recipient of her wrath. “I’m putting Mia Donovan in charge of the Sugar Rush holiday party,” he said. “You’re firing me?” Julia stared at him, her eyes widening. “Are you serious?” “Yes.” He steeled himself against her shock and the knowledge that he was hurting her. “You’ve planned it for the past ten years, and it’s time to hand it over to someone else.” “You don’t get to decide that.” “Yes, I do. Sugar Rush is my company. This is also the event where I’ll be announcing my retirement. You’re not going to plan it.” “Because I have too much on my plate?” Julia stopped in front of the windows, her arms crossed and her fiery gaze fixed on him. “Thanks for your concern, Daddy, but I assure you I can handle everything I take on.” “That’s why you’re such a success. It’s also why your headaches are getting worse.” “You are not my fucking doctor.” “Stop swearing.” She barked out a laugh. “You need to rethink this retirement thing, Warren. It’s making you soft.” Given the state of his dick, he was anything but soft. “If you won’t delegate your projects, I will,” he said. “Because you can’t stop being the boss, even if you think otherwise.” Julia paced angrily to the desk, her eyes flaring with blue ice. “Why are you retiring, Warren? Everyone knows you’re the power behind the throne, much as you’ve let the boys take all the glory. Three months—hell, one month from now when you have nothing to do and no one to order around, you’re going to wonder why you made such a bad decision.” Warren’s jaw clenched. He was sick of getting pushback from all sides. “I’ve been in business my entire life. I know what I’m doing.” “So do I, dammit,” Julia retorted. “I don’t need you looking out for me.” “I will always look out for you.” She came to a halt, her whole body stilling. By contrast, Warren’s heartbeat kicked up, sudden heat flooding his veins. Their gazes met across the room, a crackling electric current firing through the air. Julia took a breath, her breasts heaving beneath her jacket. “Goddamn you, Warren Stone,” she whispered. “I told you to stop swearing.” He advanced, his own breath increasing, his hands fisting and unfisting at his sides. Rebellion tightened her features. “And if I don’t?” “You sure you want to find out?” He closed the distance between them, his lust flaring like a match to dry leaves. What the fuck was going on with them? The question flared like a comet through his mind and died just as fast—because he didn’t care about the answer. His mind was consumed with the thought of tasting her red lips again, sweet like cherries, spicy like peppers. Her mouth could deliver an insult as sharp and searing as a blade, but he knew—had always known, even if he’d smothered the knowledge—that the sounds issuing from Julia Bennett’s mouth could also be smooth, hot murmurs of lust that rushed straight to his blood. Weakening him of all thought, all control, inciting him with the urge to— He grabbed her shoulders, hauling her soft, slender body against him. He’d always loved the contrast of Julia, the sharp-tongued, acidic queen and the relentlessly devoted aunt. The rigorous boss who shot orders like arrows, and the loyal friend who bought Hailey’s favorite peanut butter, sent care packages to Gavin Knight when he was deployed in Iraq, spent hours on end with Evan at the hospital. He stared down at her fine features, pale skin, and wide blue eyes that he’d seen almost every day of his life for the past thirteen years—and suddenly now it felt as if he were looking at her for the first time. Had he never noticed that tiny birthmark right beneath her left eye? Or the silver flecks in her irises, like falling snow? Or the perfect curve in her upper lip, tempting him to put his tongue there and— Oh, he’d noticed all right. He’d just tried to pretend he hadn’t. “What the hell am I going to do with you, Julia?” he muttered. “Fire me, apparently.” Her tone was bitter, her eyes blue fire. Her gaze flickered involuntarily to his mouth, her lips parting. He slipped his hand beneath her chin, lifting her face to his. His heart jackhammered. Her breath brushed against his mouth, the familiar scent of her—Chanel No. 5, lavender soap, pure Julia—suddenly exotic and tantalizing. “I’m going to let you go,” he said slowly, “and take two steps back. I want you to reach under your skirt and take your underwear off… if you’re wearing any.”    



      




New York Times & USA Today bestselling author Nina Lane writes hot, sexy romances about professors, bad boys, candy makers, and protective alpha males who find themselves consumed with love for one woman alone. Originally from California, Nina holds a PhD in Art History and an MA in Library and Information Studies, which means she loves both research and organization. She also enjoys traveling and thinks St. Petersburg, Russia is a city everyone should visit at least once. Although Nina would go back to college for another degree because she's that much of a bookworm and a perpetual student, she now lives the happy life of a full-time writer.

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1 comment:

  1. Hi Malissa! First, let me just say how much I LOVE your blog header and photos. I'm getting new publicity photos done next week and you have me rethinking my whole aesthetic. :) And, of course, thank you so very much for participating in the Sweet Life tour and taking the time to read and review. I'm so happy you enjoyed Julia and Warren's story (and believe me when I tell you the issues you had were ones I struggled MIGHTILY with while writing, so fist bump for nailing them :) -- thank you so much for your time and support! -Nina ♥

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