Review: Big Rock by Lauren Blakely (All-Male POV Revue #1)

Note: This ARC was provided by InkSlinger PR in exchange for an honest review.

"It won't even take up that much time. It'll just be a few events to go to together--picking out a ring today, then this dinner thing tomorrow. You can do this. It's you and me, babe," I say, and she furrows her brow at the last word.

"Is that what you call me as your fiancée? Babe? Or is it sweetheart? Or something else? Snookums? Honey bear? Sweet cheeks? Snuffaluffagus?"

"I assure you, it's not Snuffaluffagus."

"I kind of like Snuffaluffagus," she says, and now she's just trying to pull my leg...or maybe avoid giving me an answer.

With all the fabulous books out there written by amazingly talented authors, I find myself adding more books on my to-be-read list even as I struggle to try and whittle that already never-ending list down. It's gotten to the point that I have a list that's just got authors' names on it, meaning whatever that author's written I'm going to read sooner or later. One of those authors just happens to be Lauren Blakely, and yes, I've even bought some of her books. It took me joining the blog tour for Big Rock to finally read an actual book of hers and every Lauren Blakely reading experience is similar to the one I had with this book, I deserve to have her books pelted at me for having taken this long to discover her and her writing. This series starter had me oohing and aahing and giggling quietly and laughing out loud at various points. The humor is sharp and witty and the banter between main characters Spencer Holiday and Charlotte Rhodes was funny and flirtatious, showcasing that these two were best friends who matched so perfectly as lovers.

Friends-to-lovers is probably my favorite romance trope, regardless of which age group the main characters may be in, and because there are quite a number out there that have two friends that have either one or both of the friends with hidden feelings of love and longing, it's always a breath of fresh air when you've got two best friends who are exactly that: best friends. Spencer and Charlotte have been friends since their college days at Yale University, but neither has entertained thoughts of pursuing a romantic relationship with the other. They've been involved with other people and they've remained the best of friends while starting a highly successful business together. Their friendship is genuine, and it's only after Charlotte agrees to be Spencer's fake fiancée do they even begin to contemplate crossing that line between friends and lovers. Striking that delicate balance being friends and being lovers is just part of this fantastic story, because it's also about family and the integrity within relationships and with ourselves.

Spencer and Charlotte's love story followed the beat of their own drummer, refusing to be tied down by the well-worn story lines of romantic comedies past. These two are irresistible as individuals and as a couple. Spencer has officially become my first book boyfriend of 2016. He's an honest-to-goodness good guy who has a huge heart prepared to do anything and everything for his family and his closest friends. He's gorgeous and hot but he doesn't treat women like commodities. But for as much as he thinks he knows about what it is that women want, there's still a thing or two (or more) that he can learn when it comes to what makes them tick. Charlotte is, indeed, the perfect woman for him. She gets him in a way no other woman--not even his mother or sister--does and she's fun and secure in who she is, not looking to Spencer for any sort of validation. The bar has been set really high for Mister Orgasm, which I've strangely seen two different blurbs for. Big Rock is a highly recommended read and it gets five-plus stars. ♥

Release Date: 06 January 2016

Date Read: 06 January 2016

Learn more about Lauren Blakely.

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