The Virgin Gift(The Gift #2) 

Lauren Blakely

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Release Date December 2, 2019
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I might be a virgin, but I know what I want in bed. It's just that I haven't found him yet.

So I’m stunned when charming, laid-back Adam volunteers to work through my sexual wish list. That’s when I discover the voracious, filthy-mouthed, after-dark alpha in him, my next door neighbor. And I’m enthralled -- in and out of the bedroom.

Every night we explore my fantasies, and every morning I try harder not to want more from him. Because there’s no item on my list about falling for the guy. Besides, we agreed to the final item already -- when we’re done we walk away.

But every fantasy unlocks another. Each hotter than the last. Until I discover there’s one last thing on my to-do list to check off. One so forbidden I can’t figure out how to ask him…

The Virgin Gift is a red-hot, panty-melting exploration of all sorts of fantasies. Get a fan! This full-length book is a scorcher!

This is the newest stand-alone in Lauren Blakely's After Dark : The Gift series and it is just as hot as the first one. This one features Nina and Adam. They are neighbors and great friends. They laugh, eat together, and geek out over interesting facts. They both are happy just spending time together. 

Adam has been burned by his last relationship and is on a dating hiatus. He is charming, easy-going, funny, and a great friend. He seems just like the sweet and handsome boy next door, but he has his own hidden preferences. 

Nina is a boudoir photographer so she sees people in erotic or loving poses all day long and sometimes her imagination gets away from her. But she has no experience herself and is realizing that maybe it is time to be empowered to find what she wants and ask for it. She is introspective, quick-witted, and comes off like a good girl...but her thoughts and fantasies are anything but. 

A naughty to-do list and a volunteer for safe sexual exploration take them to places they never even considered. And pretty soon things are heating up. But will it strengthen their bond or ruin their friendship?

This is an engaging and steamy friends-to-lovers romance about trust, communication, and not being afraid to ask for what you want or need. It's the rules and boundaries of an arrangement versus the trust and compatibility of a friendship. And the ultimate risk of breaking down walls and mixing in emotions. 

I really loved Adam. He was the perfect dichotomy of a good, caring, generous man with an underlying hot alpha. And even though Nina was inexperienced, she was mature and coming into her own. Together they were adorable, fun, and also scorching hot! I love how they could surprise themselves and each other.

I also liked getting more with their friends, Lily, Finn, Kate, Jake and Brandon. There is a lot of sexual tension and chemistry radiating through this group. I am looking forward to more with Kate and Jake in The Decadent Gift.

Nina is used to being around steamy situations as a boudoir photographer, but though she knows what looks sexy to her clients, she doesn’t know what it feels like to be in those poses. She knows what she wants, and creates a list to prove it, but is lacking the experience or the opportunity to work through her curiosities.

Adam is the guy across the hall, friendly, helpful, and on a dating hiatus after a bad breakup. He may be on a relationship break, but even he can see what is special about the woman across the hall. When he learns she has a list, he volunteers to help her. After all, wouldn’t that be something a friend should do?

I loved watching these two explore Nina’s list. Adam may not be directing the action, but he has his own tastes that he finds ways to weave into Nina’s list. These two heat it up and while it seemed they could keep their friendship when they get to the end of the list, they each start to question if that it even possible anymore.

This is a great friends-to-lovers story, emphasizing the importance of communication and trust as they explore each other and their desires. I loved the way Adam supported Nina in her curiosity. She may have known what she wanted, but asking for it is an entirely different story. And their friendship made it both possible and a challenge to ask for what she wanted. The side characters add a touch of fun as well, and I can’t wait to see what’s in store in the next Gift standalone

The Engagement Gift (The Gift #1)

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