THE FIX UP (First Impressions #1) by Tawna Fenske-Review and Book Tour
The Fix Up
First Impressions #1
by Tawna Fenske
Release Date: December 14, 2105
Genre: adult, contemporary, erotic romance
Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / BAM / itunes
ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date December 14, 2015
Uncovering this sexy geek’s charm is easy. Keeping her hands off of him is impossible.
While he may look like the love child of a movie starlet and an NFL linebacker, Ben Langley has the people skills of a half-drowned porcupine. Why socialize when there are chemistry labs and bad sci-fi flicks? If he has any hope of taking the helm as CEO of the family business, Ben needs an image makeover. Pronto.
Enter Holly Colvin, owner of First Impressions public relations and branding firm, and the woman who just saved Ben from the clutches of an over-attentive sales clerk. Holly’s rebranded hundreds of companies in her career, but she’s never rebranded a person. The guy clearly needs help, though, and she’s just the woman for the job.
With the clock ticking for them both, Holly and Ben face off over wardrobe malfunctions and business jargon that sounds a lot sexier than it should. But can Holly make Ben into the man he thinks he should be without losing the man she’s starting to love?
•••••••
REVIEW: THE FIX UP is the first installment in Tawna Fenske’s contemporary, adult FIRST IMPRESSIONS erotic, romance series. This is CEO Ben Langley, and public relations expert Holly Colvin’s storyline.
Told from dual third person perspectives (Ben and Holly) THE FIX UP focuses on Holly’s latest ‘rebranding’ job. Ben is the new CEO of Langley enterprises and he is in desperate need of a make over and influx of people skills. Enter Holly Colvin, the owner o First Impressions PR and Branding Firm, and the woman with whom Ben will fall in love. While Holly attempts to correct Ben’s socially awkward people skills, Ben will work at seducing the woman in charge using bad movies, popcorn and flannel pajamas.
There is plenty of sexual innuendo, and euphemism interjected throughout the storyline. Ben is an engineer who has designed a new product, and with it comes plenty of sexual analogy as Ben tries to explain to Holly what it is he is planning to do. Ben’s lack of self-confidence is a detour from the usual self-confident billionaire.
THE FIX UP is a sweet story; a forbidden romance between Holly and her business client Ben, but a romance that is going to happen regardless of Holly’s professional ethics. The premise is fun and full of sexual banter; the characters are entertaining and light-there is not too much angst or personal reflections of self pity and pain but I did have one issue as it pertained to Holly’s ex-husband. Holly’s ex plays a pivotal role in Holly’s financial future, and throughout the story, his control and power over Holly’s independence is a conflict that is addressed on several occasions, and yet, there is never any resolution and we never do meet the man in question. I have to wonder why the constant reference when nothing ever came to fruition.
Copy supplied by the publisher.
Reviewed by Sandy
“I hope I read that right.” The brunette scooted out from under his arm, and he instantly missed her softness. She looked up at him with those odd violet-gray eyes and smiled. “You looked like you were being eaten alive there, but too polite to tell her to back off.”
“Eaten alive,” he repeated, a little mesmerized by the woman’s eyes. “I’m not entirely sure.”
“Seemed like that’s what was going on. Salesgirl sees a big guy with a big budget and big—” she paused, then gave a small shrug. “Well, sometimes it brings out the worst in women.”
“Thank you,” he said, meaning it. “I’ve been flying back and forth between cities all week, so I’m a little jetlagged and distracted. I guess I wasn’t even a hundred percent sure I was being—uh—”
“Hit on? Ogled? Mentally undressed?”
“Right.” He cleared his throat. “Not until you pointed it out. Thanks for the rescue.”
“No problem. Pay it forward sometime.”
“Is that real? It’s huge.”
She blinked, then glanced down at the paperweight-sized rock adorning her ring finger. “Nah, I keep it in my purse for when I want to avoid getting hit on at ladies’ night.”
“Does it work?”
“Not with the real jackasses, which probably defeats the purpose, huh?”
He nodded, not sure what to say to that. “I’m sorry, what was your name again?”
“Holly. Holly Colvin. I’m the owner of First Impressions.”
“First Impressions?”
“We’re a public relations and branding firm that specializes in creating and remaking corporate identities.” She fished into her purse to pull out a business card. She held it out to him and Ben started to reach for it, but Holly withdrew her hand.
“Shit. Vampira the Sales Queen is headed back here.”
Before he could say anything, Holly was sliding her hand around to cup his ass. For a few beats, he thought she was copping a feel, and he hoped like hell she kept doing it. Then he realized she was tucking her card into his back pocket. She grinned and tilted her head back to look up at him.
“Gotta commit to the role, right?”
“Right,” he murmured, staring down into those slate-speckled eyes. “We certainly do.”
“I suppose we could throw in a little something extra if you really want her to buy it.”
“Like what?”
Her lips parted slightly, almost like she was braced for a kiss. Or was that his imagination? It seemed hot in here, and he was getting dizzy, and now all he could think about was claiming those perfect lips.
“I’m sure you’ll come up with something,” she murmured.
Her mouth looked so soft, so inviting, and he could have sworn her lashes fluttered low the way they might if she were waiting for him to make a move. A big move.
He knew what he needed to do. What he wanted to do.
And with that, he bent and kissed her.
Follow: Goodreads/Website/Twitter/Facebook
Tawna Fenske is a romantic comedy author who writes humorous fiction, risqué romance, and heartwarming love stories with a quirky twist. Her offbeat brand of romance has been praised by Booklist as “A tame Carl Hiaasen on cupid juice,” and RT Book Reviews nominated her debut novel for contemporary romance of the year. Tawna is a fourth generation Oregonian who can peel a banana with her toes and who loses an average of 20 pairs of eyeglasses per year. She lives in Bend, Oregon with her husband, step kids, and a menagerie of ill-behaved pets.
NOTE: The Reading Cafe is NOT responsible for the rafflecopter giveaway. If you have any questions, please contact the tour promoter
