CHEATER (Curious Liaisons #1) by Rachel Van Dyken-Review, Book Tour and Giveaway
CHEATER
Curious Liaisons #1
by Rachel Van Dyken
Release Date: February 28, 2017
Genre: adult, contemporary, erotic, romance
Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N /
About the book: Release Date February 28 , 2017
Lucas Thorn wasn’t born a cheater. All it took was a single moment—say, a certain disastrous incident on the night before his wedding—and boom. Reputation destroyed forever and always. So now he owns it. He has a lady friend for every night of the week (except Sundays—God’s day and all), and his rules are simple: No commitments. No exceptions.
But a certain smart-mouthed, strawberry blonde vixen is about to blow that all to hell.
Avery Black has never forgiven Lucas for cheating on her sister. And suddenly being forced to work with him is pretty much a nightmare on steroids. Of course, it does afford her the opportunity to make his life as difficult as possible. But no good revenge scheme comes without payback. Because he didn’t become the Lucas Thorn without learning a few things about women.
Now Avery’s lust for vengeance has turned into, well, lust. And if Lucas stops cheating, it’s definitely not because he’s falling in love…
••••••••
REVIEW: CHEATER is the first installment in Rachel Van Dyken’s contemporary, adult CURIOUS LIAISONS erotic, romance series. This is businessman Lucas Thorn, and PA Avery Black’s story line.
Told from dual first person points of view (Lucas and Avery) CHEATER looks at the tumultuous relationship between Lucas Thorn and Avery Black. Avery’s history with Lucas is a heartbreak of family and friendship. Lucas Thorn was once engaged to Avery’s sister Kayla but the night before their wedding a drunk Lucas was found in bed with Avery’s sister Brooke and the aftermath broke two families and destroyed several friendships that were years in the making. Four years had passed and Avery found herself employed by Lucas Thorn-a man she despised for betraying her family. What ensues is the rebuilding relationship between two people who have loved one another for many years.
CHEATER is a story about one man’s fight to move on with his life-a move that furthers his reputation as a manwhore and cheater. Lucas was never in love with Kayla Black but had never intentionally set out to destroy her life. Lucas’s attraction to Avery began years before but the ten-year age difference meant Lucas was more of a big brother than a potential romantic involvement. Now that Avery is Lucas’s assistant his attraction to his ex-fiancee’s sister continues to grow. The $ex scenes are intimate and seductive although both keep secret their ongoing affair.
There is plenty of back and forth banter with some over the top (and sometimes funny) but not necessarily believable reactions from the parental units on both sides of the relationship. For those readers who despise ‘cheating’ or ‘infidelity’ in their romance story lines CHEATER is a different take on adulterous relationships with some angst and heartbreak, humor and fun, at the expense of our story line hero. Not everyone or everything is as it seems. The maturity level of all of the characters is questionable; oft-times the juvenile behavior was similar to YA; all of the women in Lucas’s life obviously have issues of low self esteem; the parent’s attitude and emotional reactions were outlandish and caricature-like in presentation- the gynecological appointment so out of this world.
We are introduced to Avery’s sisters: Kayla the betrayed; Brooke the psychotic; and of course Avery’s parents whose acceptance of Lucas is way too enthusiastic. Avery’s best friend Austin Rogers may or may not have a thing for Lucas’s best friend plastic surgeon Thatch Holloway-a man whose own history of ‘cheating’ becomes fodder for Austin Rogers-their story line is next in Cheater’s Regret.
CHEATER is a slow building story line that tries too hard; a look at one man who lives life by his own rules; and one woman who doesn’t want to be another nameless face one night of the week. The premise is imaginative and farcical; the characters are sensational and theatrical. Rachel Van Dyken is a delightful story teller but I had difficulty enjoying her take on the CHEATER.
Copy supplied for review
Reviewed by Sandy
“What are we looking at?” Lucas whispered in my ear.
I let out a little yelp and jumped away from him, and I would have run into a passing biker if Lucas hadn’t pulled me out of the way with his coffee-free hand.
“Must you be such a pain in the ass?”
“Must you try to kill me?” I fired back.
He rolled his eyes. “Let’s go.” He started walking, hauling me with him.
We weren’t walking in the direction of the office.
“Um, Thorn—”
“I will seriously shove this Starbucks up that skinny ass if you don’t stop talking and just listen for once in your life.”
I shut up and followed, but only because he’d said “Starbucks” and was very purposefully moving in the nearest outpost’s general direction. If I looked pathetic enough, would he buy me coffee?
That was what my life was coming to.
Pity coffee.
My shoulders slumped at the thought when we walked into the building. The smell of fresh baked goods hit me with full force, and my stomach growled loudly, saying to everyone, I’m a hungry bear and may eat my young. Out of the way, please!
I followed Lucas to the line, still tempted to speak, but I figured if he wanted noise from me, he’d say something like, “You may grace me with your voice now, Avery.”
Even though I wasn’t talking, every time I heard someone order pumpkin bread I sighed, loudly, so loudly that the barista eyed me cautiously. Chill, Starbucks, I’m not going to steal a piece of pumpkin bread.
My mouth watered.
I mean, I wasn’t that desperate.
But if I took two, maybe three, steps toward her, yelled “Fire!” and then screamed nonsense about a bee attacking me, the pumpkin bread she had in hand would probably fall to the ground, and it would be wasteful if I didn’t rescue it from the ants.
All creatures deserve food—but pumpkin bread was too good for ants, too rich, and they’d explode all over the floor from the richness and it would be my fault—for saving the barista’s life, right? From the bee?
I think I just confused myself.
“Why are you breathing so heavy?” Lucas asked from my right.
I snapped out of my pumpkin-bread daydream and shrugged. “Sorry, low on sleep.”
He gave a noncommittal nod and then it was his turn, greedy little bastard already had one coffee now he was getting two! “A venti macchiato and a large coffee with room for cream, two slices—”
I elbowed him hard in the ribs.
“Sorry, um, three slices of pumpkin bread, thanks.”
He handed the barista his card, while my greedy eyes locked on the pumpkin bread as the barista placed it into a bag and gave it to him.
With an exasperated sigh, he shoved the bag into my hands. “Just leave me one bite.”
“No promises.” I was already digging into the bag, my mouth watering as I followed him around the counter with a little pep in my step.
Lucas grabbed our drinks and motioned toward one of the tables. I sat, stuffed more pumpkin goodness into my mouth, and managed to chug some coffee almost all at once.
Lucas shook his head. “I always forget how seriously you take your pumpkin bread.”
I moaned and took another huge bite. “My theory is this.”
He leaned forward, a smile curving around his gorgeous mouth. “Alright, out with it.”
More pumpkin bread found its way into my mouth as I talked—I didn’t even care if I looked like a starved animal. “Pumpkin bread has the same addictive properties as cocaine.”
“That’s your theory? That it’s a drug?”
“Right.” I sighed and leaned back. “Except it doesn’t make you skinny, unfortunately.”
His smile widened, and he grabbed a small hunk of bread. “Want to know my theory?”
“Yes, that’s exactly what I was thinking—I hope Lucas tells me his theory so I can eat his portion of bread.”
Lucas scooted the bag toward me and whispered, “Merry Christmas.”
“Oh, pumpkin gods.” I moaned again.
His eyes darted to my mouth.
“What?” I wiped my lips. “Is something on my face?”
“No.” He looked away. “So my theory is this . . . pumpkin flavoring is a conspiracy by the government to see how many ways we can market a flavor and make money off it.”
“Boo.” I gave him a thumbs-down. “Thanks, grinch. Oh, and stop ruining holidays.”
He smirked. “You’ve known forever that Santa isn’t real. Still doesn’t stop you from leaving him cookies every Christmas Eve, then sneaking downstairs and eating them all by yourself.”
“One”—I held up a finger—“it’s genius because nobody will touch them for fear that I’ll get mad. Two”—I held up a second finger—“when everyone else is sad about the Christmas cookies being gone, I know I’ll have them all to myself. It’s like . . .” I sighed, “. . . a Christmas present. To myself.”
“Except for that one time.” He smirked.
“Cruel man.” I glared at him. “How dare you eat my cookies?”
He shrugged. “They were sweet.”
Was it hot? In this little Starbucks? By the window where the sun was searing me alive like I was under a magnifying glass?
I tugged at my sleeveless blouse.
“About Saturday . . .”
Uncomfortable conversation, here we come! I strapped in and waited for the inevitable. And then realized, to my dismay, that he’d just bought me coffee and food without letting me go to the office.
My eyes filling with tears, I shook my head a few times. “Lucas, I may give you crap, but I really need this job.”
He frowned, like he was confused.
“Don’t say another word.” I held out my hands. “I’ll do anything, Lucas—and I mean anything—to keep this job. I wasn’t kidding when I said my parents were chomping at the bit to get me to move home, and I don’t want to. It’s not just about me being defiant; they want me to take over the family business.”
Lucas burst out laughing and then sobered. “Oh, you’re serious.”
“I can’t sell chicken, Thorn.”
“I mean, to be fair, Avery, your parents own a very lucrative organic meats company. I’m sure they could offer you at least five figures.” His smile was way too smug, but I still had to be nice to him rather than throw him off a cliff, because he could fire me.
Rachel Van Dyken is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author of regency and contemporary romances. When she’s not writing you can find her drinking coffee at Starbucks and plotting her next book while watching The Bachelor.
She keeps her home in Idaho with her Husband, adorable son, and two snoring boxers! She loves to hear from readers!
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