No Promises Required (Love Required #4) by Cari Quinn-a review

NO PROMISES REQUIRED (Love Required #4) by Cari Quinn-a review

No Promises Required

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk/ Barnes and Noble / KOBO /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date November 17, 2014

No strings. And no restraints…

Professional football player Bryan Townsend is sidelined for the next two weeks while he recovers from a knee injury. The upside? He’ll get to attend his sister’s wedding. The downside? He’s not sure he’ll have a spot on his team when he returns. So when he’s confronted by a sexy blast from his past the night of the bachelor party, he sees an opportunity to seduce the very stunning maid of honor.

But Bryan had no clue Jill St. John was still a virgin. Or that she was merely looking to expand her sexual repertoire without having to trust anyone with her heart. But with every encounter, Jill can’t help but fall for the man Bryan’s become. The clock is running down. If he’s to win it all, Bryan must make the biggest play of his career—choosing between his team…or the woman he’s always wanted.

••••••••••••••••••••

REVIEW: NO PROMISES REQUIRED is the fourth installment in Cari Quinn’s contemporary, adult Love Required erotic romance series focusing on a tight night group of family and friends. This is veterinarian’s assistant Jillian St. John and professional football quarterback Bryan Townsend’s storyline –a friends to lovers trope- that uncovers a few secret desires in the bedroom. Although it is the fourth book in the series, it can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty.

Told from two distinct and close third person points of view, the storyline follows the impending wedding of Bryan’s sister Victoria to CEO Cory Santangelo. Back home, on two week’s leave recovering from a knee injury, Bryan finds himself falling (again) for his sister’s best friend (and his former neighbor) Jill St. John. Jill has always had a thing for Bryan but Jill has been off limits as she is his little sister’s best friend. When Jill makes Bryan an offer he can’t refuse, Bryan counter-offers with 2 weeks (and five official dates) of no strings attached, friends with benefits sex. What ensues is the discovery that Bryan and Jillian want the same thing in the bedroom, but not necessarily the same thing with one another-long term. Bryan is in town for two weeks and anything permanent is not on his mind but keeping their relationship a secret is difficult especially when Jill’s friends suspect she is hiding a lover behind their backs.

The relationship between Jill and Bryan is a friends to lovers storyline that rekindles upon Bryan’s return visit for his sister’s wedding. Behind her good girl exterior, Jill hides a plethora of wants, needs and desires that border on the erotic. Bryan’s reputation with the ladies precedes his time with Jill and she is a woman determined to prove that she is just as capable in the bedroom with a man such as Bryan. There is a slight B&D premise to the storyline-one that is explored within the confines of the bedroom that involves some role playing and control. The sex scenes are hot, provocative, and inspiring.

The secondary characters include several of the previous storyline couples including Cory and Vicky (No Romance Required), and Dillon from No Flowers Required as well as Bryan and Vicky’s parents whose own history is not without some heartbreaking moments.

NO PROMISES REQUIRED is a quick and romantic storyline about two people who like to experiment in the bedroom with imaginative role play and sexy games. Cari Quinn invites the reader into a world of friends and family who know what it is they want but in the end each will discover that what they want isn’t necessarily what they need. Each of our couples will find their happily ever after, but there may be some stumbling blocks and preconceived notions that get in the way.

Reading Order
No Dress Required
No Flowers Required
No Romance Required
No Promises Required

Copy supplied by the publisher.

Reviewed by Sandy

Share

No Romance Required (Love Required #3) by Cari Quinn-a review

NO ROMANCE REQUIRED (Love Required #3) by Cari Quinn-a review

No Romance required

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk/ Barnes and Noble / KOBO /

ABOUT THE BOOK:  Release Date August 12, 2013

Faking it never felt so good…

Cory Santangelo is used to getting his way, both in the boardroom and the bedroom. Lately he hasn’t had much opportunity to do anything but work, but one unexpectedly sexy night in a gazebo with Victoria, his gorgeous and feisty interior designer, changes all that—especially when they’re caught on camera. Suddenly Cory’s sterling reputation is no longer above reproach. Since his impromptu encounter coincides nicely with his need for a girlfriend to get his well-meaning, meddling parents off his back, he decides to ask his lifelong frenemy for a favor.

To pretend to be his girlfriend for a month. No strings attached.

The only problem? Vicky Townsend wants those strings tied all around her. She’s battled a long-suppressed crush on Cory, and their combative work relationship has only fanned the flames. When he suggests his needs are more than she can handle, she’s ready to up the ante. And her bargaining chip is lots of delicious, inventive sex.

Until they discover nothing feels as good as making it real…

••••••••••••••••••••••••

REVIEW: NO ROMANCE REQUIRED is the third storyline in Cari Quinn’s erotic contemporary romance Love Required series. Although it is the third installment in the series, it can be read as a stand-alone. Some of the previous storyline characters are mentioned but their importance to the current story is connective only. No Romance Required focuses on CEO Cory Santangelo-a man who has no time for anything or anyone in his life except business- and Victoria Townsend-an interior designer who has been in love with Cory all of her life.

The premise of the story finds Cory needing a special someone in his life to keep his parents from hassling him about finding a wife and settling down. Now that his brother is in love, Cory feels the push to find that special someone-if only to please his parents. So, to keep everyone happy, Cory asks a favor of Victoria-pretend to be his girlfriend for a few weeks, to keep his parents happy. What neither one expected that the pretend relationship would become the real deal with broken hearts and painful loss.

The character of Cory was a little difficult to like in the initial stages of the storyline. He was cold; buried himself in work; and refused to acknowledge the pull between himself and the woman he has known most of his life. He was abrupt, condescending and rude but within a few chapters, his character started to turn around when he realized that Victoria Townsend was everything he wanted and needed in his life.

And Victoria was a bit of an enigma. A woman with a previous reputation from high school that the locals refused to let her forget, she is also a daughter and a sister first. And the secrets that she hides will push her over the edge and into Cory’s arms.

The writing style is simple. There are a few references to the previous storyline characters but overall there is no confusion or loss of cohesion in the story. The relationship between Cory and Victoria is both hot and cold; cold when Cory and Victoria continue to push one another about their personal lives and current arrangements; and hot when the faux relationship becomes sensual and sexual in the bedroom-just to keep it believable 😉

NO ROMANCE REQUIRED is a short storyline of frenemies to lovers-a long time in the making. Their relationship was a given by everyone but the two people at the center of the storm and it will take a family to ensure that Cory and Victoria know that they are perfect for each other.

Copy supplied by the publisher.

Reviewed by Sandy

Share