THE RELUCTANT FLIRT (Outer Banks 2) by Jennifer Probst-review & excerpt tour
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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date July 15, 2025
Just one night…
After discovering her husband’s affair, Sierra Lourde flees to New York City for a little damage control—and a lot of wine. A tipsy night in a bar with a charming stranger seems like the perfect way to forget her troubles. No names, no promises, just one night to escape reality and regain her confidence. The next morning, mortified by her vulnerability, she flees without looking back. But who needs closure, right?
But one night changes everything…
Sierra has reinvented herself as the proud owner of Flirt, a trendy boutique in the Outer Banks. Life is good—until Kane Masterson, the man she left behind, walks back into town. And of course, he’s now the developer whose big new project threatens to bulldoze her beloved shop. Kane needs this deal to save his career (and his brother), but Sierra’s not about to let him demolish her hard-won success.
With sparks flying, sarcastic jabs turning into lingering looks, and a family wedding forcing them into close quarters, Sierra and Kane find themselves tangled in a battle of wills—and hearts. But now he has to choose: reclaim his career or risk everything for a second chance with the one woman he can’t forget.
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REVIEW: THE RELUCTANT FLIRT is the second instalment in Jennifer Probst’s contemporary, adult OUTER BANKS erotic romance series. This is boutique owner Sierra Lourde, and property developer Kane Masterson’s story line. THE RELUCTANT FLIRT can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary.
Told from dual omniscient third person perspectives (Kane and Sierra) THE RELUCTANT FLIRT follows the acrimonious relationship between our story line couple. Approximately four years earlier, having discovered her husband’s affair, Sierra Lourde landed in New York City where she would spend one glorious night with a stranger, no names and no personal information exchanged, wherein she would ghost the man the very next morning. Fast forward to present day, Sierra owns an exclusive boutique in the Outer Banks, and with the approach of her sister Aspen’s upcoming nuptials to Brick Babel, Sierra has been tasked with organizing the engagement party, but never expected to come face to face with her one-night stand. Kane Masterson is Brick Babel’s best friend, but a friend who is struggling with the high cost of betrayal. Temporarily working and living in the Outer Banks, Kane must come to terms with his new lot in life but reconnecting with his one-night stand gives Kane thoughts of a future but Sierra Lourde wants nothing to do with our story line hero.
The world building focuses on Kane’s desperate attempts to prove he is worthy of our story line heroine but Sierra has never revealed the truth to her family and friends, and Kane’s arrival adds another layer of lies she is struggling to hide. As Kane slowly begins to seduce our story line heroine, an opportunity arises that threatens any chance of a future with the woman with whom he is falling in love.
The relationship between Kane and Sierra begins as a one-night stand but their reconnection is met with condescension and rebuke. Sierra pretends Kane is a stranger, refusing to accept his place in her life but Kane is willing to wait until Sierra comes to terms with what is happening and why. Our heroine is quite testy and angry with Kane’s appearance in the Outer Banks, and in this, Sierra Lourde’s attitude leaves something to be desired. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.
We re reintroduced to Sierra’s sister Aspen Lourde and her fiance Brick Babel (Book of the Month 1), as well as several locals, and Kane’s new boss.
THE RELUCTANT FLIRT is a story of betrayal and vengeance, secrets and lies, regret and acceptance, family, friendships and love. The character driven premise is captivating and engaging; the romance is seductive ; the characters are determined and dynamic.
Copy supplied for review
Reviewed by Sandy
He’s visiting from New York and helps Brick out with some of the tours.”Her gaze lifted and collided with familiar emerald green eyes.
Everything stilled. Her entire body
froze in shock, trying to keep up with her spinning mind that kept repeating
the same word over and over and over.
No, no, no, no…
Her hand jerked and the glass she was holding dropped,
shattering on the floor.
It was him.
The man who’d haunted her dreams for the past four years.
The man who’d stolen a piece of her heart and soul that one perfect rainy
night. The man without a name.
That man was Kane Masterson.
Dear God, he was just as sexy and devastating as she
remembered. Thick auburn hair that fell in a wave over his forehead. A lush
mouth and chiseled jaw that was a work of art. His lean muscled body was clad
in pressed khakis, a starched white shirt, and beautiful leather shoes. Broad
shoulders and powerful thighs forced the fabric to yield and surrender, just
like she’d done under his talented hands and fingers. His scent of spice and
clove drifted to her nostrils and sparked erotic memories that she wasn’t ready
to confront.
But God, his eyes. She was already drowning in the
green-gold depths, framed by thick lashes. That gaze drilled deep and pinned
her in place while she swayed on her feet, helpless underneath the intense male
stare, as shocked as hers.
“Sierra?”
She shuddered. The low, gravelly voice raked across her
ears. He’d never spoken her name. The raw intimacy of hearing it for the first
time from his lips shot her into a total panic.
She wasn’t ready to confront her past in the middle of a
crowded bar. Sierra jumped, realizing Aspen and Brick were both staring at her
with concern.
“Umm, hi. Nice to meet you, Kane.”
The words flew from her mouth automatically. Something
flashed in those beautiful eyes. Pain? Regret? Anger? She had no time to
process. The voice inside screamed for her to flee.
Sierra forced her gaze away, turning toward her sister. She
pressed a fisted hand to her trembling mouth. “Aspen, so sorry, I gotta go. I’ve got an…awful headache. Tell the girls I’ll see them later this week.”
“Wait, I’ll go home with you.”
“No!” She blinked, forcing a smile. “No, stay. I want you to
stay. I just really need some sleep and alone time.
Bye, Brick. Talk to you guys later.”
She shot out of the bar like Satan was trying to snatch her
soul. Her drive was a blur, as the past and present crashed into each other and
left a broken trail of memories behind.
By the time she arrived home, there was no more fight left.
Sierra pressed her back against the door. Slid down to the
floor. Closed her eyes.
And remembered.
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