A sexy new standalone romance from #1 New York Times Bestselling Author Lauren Blakely!

I’ll say this about Christian — he made one hell of a first impression.

When I first saw the strapping man, he was doing handstands naked on a dock along the canal. His crown jewels were far more entertaining than anything else I’d seen on the boat tour, so I did what any curious woman would do — I took his photo. I might have looked at the shot a few dozen times. Little did I know I’d meet him again, a year later, at a secret garden bar in the heart of the city, where I’d learn that his mind and his mouth were even more captivating. But given the way my heart had been trampled, I wanted only a simple deal — No strings. No expectations.

Our arrangement worked well enough until the day I needed a lot more from him…

***

Let me just say, this whole part-time lover thing was her idea. I’d have gone all-in from the start, but hey, when a gorgeous, brilliant woman invites you into her bed, and only her bed…well, I said yes.

But then, one hysterical phone call from my brother later, begging me to find myself a wife so grandfather’s business stays in the family, and I need a promotion with Elise. Turns out a full-time husband suits her needs too, and a temporary marriage of convenience ought to do the trick, until we can simply untie the knot…

As long as no one finds out…

As long as no one gets hurt…

As long as no one falls in love…

But our ending was one I never saw coming.

We met Christian and Elise in Wanderlust as they are friends of Joy and Griffin. Elise is French-American, lives in Paris, and owns a marketing company. She is blunt, bold, confident, caring, but also skeptical and guarded when it comes to love. She has been burned and does not plan for that to happen ever again. But she is not sure what would make her feel truly happy again.

Christian is Danish-British and shares time between Paris and Copenhagen. He retired from running his family's company full time and is now a successful analyst and translator. He is cocky, outgoing, charming, honest, intelligent, intuitive, and embraces life.

They have a series of near misses and finally do connect. He believes in fate. She thinks is just chance. They have flirty banter, sexual tension, and anticipation of at least exploring some casual fun. He pursues. She resists. But they come up with an arrangement of non romantic Friday dates for fun...but they do skirt the line between just flirting and getting more involved. He wants to know more about her than just what she is like in bed. She is not sure a fling would be enough for her, but at the same time is not willing to allow more. She wants him to honor her boundaries...well, her mind does at least. Her body might not be getting the message. They do not really believe in marriage anymore, but they at least believe in honesty.

As they get deeper into exploring possibilities, they are hit with a surprise that will send them in a whole new unexpected direction. Now they are truly tied together for a set period of time to provide mutual assistance. It should be easy to keep the arrangement in check...sexy times, fun, no feels, clean ending when time. Right? Well, maybe they did not analyze that situation quite so well.

From carefully outlined plans to being consumed by lust to bound together...can they stop the feelings they are afraid of?

I liked that these were two mature, intelligent, funny, and truly likable people. They had good personalities that complimented each other, great chemistry, and senses of humor. They had some personal history that caused internal issues, fears, guarding, insecurities, and miscommunication. And they were thrown into complicated situations that sometimes felt real and sometimes seemed fake, so it was hard to figure out what the other was thinking or feeling...or sometimes themselves for that matter. 

This has romance, humor, passion, and plenty of feels. It's about trust, taking risks, second chances, and the pursuit of happiness. This is a wonderful companion to Wanderlust as we get to see more with Joy and Griffin, and it takes place in some of the same time period and setting, but it also stands alone well.  I also liked Elise's candy shop owner friend, Veronica, and his brother, Erik, and would not mind seeing more of them in the future.

There were some unexpected surprises and twists, and their personal back stories were interesting. I also always enjoy seeing fun cameos from Lauren's other worlds.  This is a great book to allow yourself to get immersed in and enjoy the fun and leisurely romantic ride. I really loved these two together, and Christian...Swoon Alert! He is one sexy, sweet, fun, loving, and charismatic man.

I received this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

~Elise~

A year ago

The boat slides under another bridge then motors through a more residential area, passing homes on the water and private docks every few feet. My eyes hungrily eat up the view. My current hometown of Paris is my love, but I could get used to weekends in Copenhagen. It’s a delightful mix of old and new, like a Swiss alpine town mated with a futuristic sky-rise city.

As I gaze at the sun-soaked homes, I imagine lazy afternoons drinking strong coffee on the deck, reading delicious tales under the rays. That seems like a recipe for happiness for the rest of my days.

I want to feel that way. Happy. It’s been so damn elusive lately, and for a fleeting moment, it feels as if I grasp it again, so I’m no longer teetering on the edge of grief and shame.

But that’s why I’m here, to move past that terrible duet.

I try valiantly to simply enjoy everything in front of me: the buildings, the water, the view.

As we round the bend in the canal, I blink at the view.

Holy hell, the unexpected view.

Nearby is a private dock.

On that dock is a man.

He’s performing a downward-facing dog, and his rear is facing us.

What a spectacular ass.

It’s not covered in sweatpants or basketball shorts.

It’s au naturel, as finely sculpted as the statue of David.

He’s a dog all right.

I sit up.

I practically stand. I lean on the edge of the boat, agog. I won’t even pretend I’m not looking. I’m ogling.

The Japanese friends whisper and point. The couple shifts closer to get a better look. The college girls titter and laugh.

We slide along on the calm water, and now we’re fifty feet away from a sight way better than the Little Mermaid statue, more magnificent than the royal palace.

He bends forward, pressing his palms into the wood, lifting his legs, and flipping them upside down.

Full. Frontal. Birthday suit.

He’s a tall drink of a man, and I’m so very thirsty.

“Look,” I whisper to Veronica, though of course she’s already engaged in the fine art of gawking. “Did you know the Mad Naked Handstander of Copenhagen was on the tour?”

She sighs contentedly. “I am so glad you forced me to go to the buffet.” She parks her chin in her hands, watching the tall upside-down creature.

“My favorite part of the buffet is dessert,” I say, as my eyes gobble him up.

This man wears nudity well, even in this unusual position.

“I enjoyed the rubies and emeralds in Rosenborg Castle, but I like these crown jewels even better,” I say.

And hey, perhaps I’m perving, but I’m an equal-opportunity spectator at this private dock show. I don’t merely peer at the centerpiece of his physique, resting majestically against the grooves of his abs. My eyes take a most happy stroll up and down his carved body, from the planes of his stomach, to his strong thighs, to his arms ripped with muscles. His face is hard to read at 180 degrees, but I see the shape of his cheekbones, carved by angels.

Then, he moves. He walks on his hands. Back and forth.

Like he’s performing.

Showing off his most unique skill set.

I chuckle louder.

Then louder still when he holds himself up on one hand only, waving to us.

“What a show-off,” Veronica says.

Lars clears his throat. “And sometimes, we see the unexpected sights of Copenhagen.”

I do what any curious onlooker might do. I grab my phone and snap.

Snap.

Snap.

The man stands, takes a bow, and waves.

My chest heats up. The temperature in me flirts with mercury levels. He’s a stunner. My God, he’s like Skarsgård, from this distance.

And because I believe in speaking my mind, I cup my hand over my mouth and shout, “Bravo. All of it.”

He doffs an imaginary top hat and takes a bow. “My pleasure.” His voice books across the water, his accent a British one.
Sparks unexpectedly race down my chest. That accent is delicious. “Oh no. The pleasure is truly all mine.”

Part-time Lover can be read as a stand alone but the characters were introduced in...

My mantra is simple -- Don't mix business with pleasure. I do my best to resist him as he teaches me how to converse with my co-workers, navigate the metro and order the perfect bottle of wine at dinner. But I also figure out how to tell the charming and clever man what I most want to say -- that I want him to take me back to his flat -- tonight.Except there's a catch...
***
One more assignment before I take off on my big adventure...
And it involves the toughest work ever -- resisting the fetching American woman I spend all my days with. But you know what they say about best intentions. Soon, we're spending our nights tangled together, and I don’t want to let her go. The trouble is, my wanderlust is calling to me, and before we know it I'll be traveling the globe to fulfill a promise I made long ago.
What could possibly go wrong with falling in love in Paris? Nothing...unless one of you is leaving.

Let’s celebrate the release of Christian and Elise’s romance
with a Kate Spade Tote ($200 value) and $50 Gift Card to Sephora for your own Scentsual Fragrance!

https://laurenblakely.com/part-time-lover-giveaway/