SEXY SATURDAYS: BEAUTIFUL PLAYER and BEAUTIFUL BEGINNING by CHRISTINA LAUREN

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  Series: Beautiful Bastard #3
Genre: Erotic Romance
Publisher: Gallery Books
Publication Date: 10/29/13
Format: Paperback
Pages: 432
Source: Publisher
Rating: 5 stars


A bombshell bookworm. A chronic Casanova. And a lesson in chemistry too scandalous for school.

When Hanna Bergstrom receives a lecture from her overprotective brother about neglecting her social life and burying herself in grad school, she’s determined to tackle his implied assignment: get out, make friends, start dating. And who better to turn her into the sultry siren every man wants than her brother’s gorgeous best friend, Will Sumner, venture capitalist and unapologetic playboy?

Will takes risks for a living, but he’s skeptical about this challenge of Hanna’s…until the wild night his innocently seductive pupil tempts him into bed- and teaches him a thing or two about being with a woman he can’t forget. Now that Hanna’s discovered the power of her own sex appeal, it’s up to Will to prove he’s the only man she’ll ever need.

 

First Impression ....Sexy cover, but, I did not like the first book. My friends swear this series gets better and better. I hope they're right...

The Story... Hanna needs to get a life. Seriously. In an effort to help his sister, Hanna's brother reconnects her with his best friend Will. The Beautiful Player. Will meets up with Hanna with a mind to help out his friend's little sister, but instead finds a woman. Sure, Hanna's not Will's usual conquest. She is a blunt, funny, unassuming, and quirky genius, all wrapped up in a naturally beautiful package. Will quickly realizes he wants more with Hanna. But Hanna, who's long-term crush on Will may finally come to fruition, is all too familiar with Will's reputation. She needs his help perfecting the art of sex and dating, but is determined not to fall in love with him. Soon, the undeniable chemistry leads them to crossing the lines between friendship and a relationship. Hanna is reluctant, and Will is left to prove he is worth the chance. And that together, they can have it all. 

The Characters ... In a word, perfection. Hanna is an every woman. She's not a fashionista, or worldly. Hanna is unsure of her abilities in the dating world, but she was not an unsure or weak character. She was beautifully honest, and blunt. I adored that she almost said literally whatever popped into her head. I loved that she was bold and curious about sexuality. I loved her with Will.

Will Sumner..... (excuse my while I swooooooon). A long-time player and assuredly a breaker of hearts, Will is no jackass. He is always upfront with the women who come and go in his life, but that gentle honesty is put to the test with Hanna. For the first time, Will is the lover who is holding back, afraid of pushing her away with declarations. Will wants Hanna, but also wants her to be happy, even if that's not with him. The way he cared for Hanna makes him an automatic winner. The way he "taught" Hanna makes him a (book) man to covet.

The main characters from Beautiful Bastard and Beautiful Stranger all make appearances in Beautiful Player. I have a friend who's been trying to force Beautiful Stranger (specifically Max) on me, but I started with book one. I recently set that book aside because I just could not get into it. Looking back, that might be partially due to the audio book narrator and not the actual story. Seeing the characters now, I am willing to give BB another try. I'll also credit that to my best friend. I mentioned to her that I didn't like Chloe and Bennett. Her reply, "That's funny, because you and Eric (my husband) act a lot like Chloe and Bennett."

Challenge accepted. I really liked all of these characters in Beautiful Player, even Chloe and Bennett and will definitely go back and give them another try. Plus, I can't go around hating a character that my best friend has compared to me, now can I?

The Writing ....Here's where I eat a big ol' slice of humble pie. After getting through only half of book one, I was ready to write this series off. If I hadn't received a copy from the publisher in the mail, I would have. And you know, I would have been missing out on a kickass story. Beautiful Player was thoughtful, so fun, and so sexy. I don't know if the difference is me or the writing, but I am stunned by the remarkable difference in this series between books.  Here's how drastic the change was: I gave book one only one star. I went into this book resigned to the fact I would likely hate it, and would quit after one hundred obligatory pages. But, I fell in love with this book within one chapter. I laughed hysterically, did some hardcore fanning at the steam, and truly, truly loved this book. I gave it five very enthusiastic stars.

The Heat ... SMOKIN'!! Beautiful Player was deliciously wicked. That's a fact. But what made it stand out for me was that it was also thoughtful in how the sex and romance played out between Hanna and Will. Hanna asks Will to teach her how to perform various acts, and he does so happily. Hanna is an enthusiastic student, willing for anything, but she enjoys and has fun with it. But Will, he is actually learning as much as Hanna. He is learning the act of making love. Of finding something beautiful in an act of physical and emotion connection.

I also appreciated that the authors seemed to portray the intimacy in a realistic manner. In sex, Will and Hanna had fun. It wasn't perfect. It was raw and messy and fun and intimate and just honest and real.

Could I Put Beautiful Player Down? .... Only when life and utter exhaustion forced me too. I could not get enough of Will and Hanna.

In the End...  I adored Beautiful Player. It was so sexy, and so much fun. I will definitely give this series another chance. I'm not sure that I was wrong about Beautiful Bastard, but I know enough to realize I should definitely give it another try.
 

Favorite Quotes:

  She'd looked over and caught me; the energy between us palpable, and confusing as fuck. And when she smiled, it lit up her whole face. She looked as open as a screen door in the summer, and despite the temperature, something warmed in my veins. It was an old, yet familiar hunger. A desire I hadn't felt in forever, where my blood filled with adrenaline and I wanted to be the only one to discover a particular girl's secrets.

  "See, the problem with boobs is if you have big ones, you can never look thin. You get these burns on your shoulders from bra straps, and your back hurts. And unless you're using them for their intended purpose, they're always in the way."
  "In the way of what? My hands? My face? Don't you blaspheme in here." He looked up to the sky. "She didn't mean it, Lord. Promise."
  Ignoring him, I said, "That's why I had a reduction when I was twenty-one," which was when his expression morphed into one of horror.
  You'd have thought I told him I made an amazing stew from tiny babies and puppy tongues.
  "Why on earth would you do that? That's like God giving you a beautiful gift and you kicking him in the nuts."
  I laughed. "God? I thought you were agnostic, Professor."
  "I am. But if I could motorboat perfect tits like yours I might be able to find Jesus."

 
  My chest warmed intensely when it occurred to me: this was our beginning. Right here, partially hidden by the steam of the shower was where we clarified everything.

Series: Beautiful Bastard #3.5
Genre: Erotic Romance
Publisher: Gallery Books
Publication Date: 11/19/13
Format: Paperback
Pages: 208
Source: Gift
Rating: 5 stars

Back when not being able to stand each other also meant not being able to keep their hands off each other in Beautiful Bastard, neither Bennett nor Chloe could have seen this day coming.

An exasperated bride who just wants to elope. A determined groom whose only focus is getting to the wedding night. And—of course—a whole lot of name calling.



 

 

Once upon a time, a reader named Andrea (that would be me) decided she didn't like the Beautiful Bastard series. But luckily, Andrea gave the series another try and decided she was wrong, wrong, WRONG. She doesn't mind being wrong, not when that means she has landed upon a deliciously wicked, raunchy, hilarious, and yes, sweet series.

The irony that I loved Beautiful Beginning and rated it five stars is not lost on me. When I read the first half of Beautiful Bastard, I was not impressed with Chloe and Bennett. It seemed that all they did was fight and fuck. And while that may be true, it is very clear that the two made it past the rocky beginning and found a beautiful life together. And once it was gently pointed out to me that *sigh* I can be a bit of a ball buster, and my guy and I bicker and spar for fun (and foreplay), then I could see and appreciate Chloe and Bennett for the fiery and dynamic individuals they were.

I am grateful that I read Beautiful Player, causing me to completely reconsider this series. I fell in love with Will and Hanna in that story, but I also became more interested in Chloe and Bennett. In turn, that pushed me to read Beautiful Beginning, and wow, it is one freaking ridiculously fantastic novella. I laughed until I cried, I swooned until I nearly cried and then I cried cried at the beauty of their love.

I happily stand corrected on the Beautiful Bastard series. I intend to start this series from the beginning, with a quickness.
 

Favorite Quotes:

  My Chloe.
  Everything seemed to settle at once and for the first time in my life, absolutely nothing else mattered. Not deadlines or work, just this. My brain--which thrived on spreadsheets and order and managing every detail of my life and the lives of those around me--had gone quiet. Not in an unpleasant way, but in a way that finally said, take a seat and pay attention because this moment is bigger than you and every decision you've ever made.   ~pg. 147

  "Holy shit. You're my wife."
  Laughing, I said, "We're married. That's insane. Who let this happen?"
  He didn't even break a smile. Instead, his eyes grew heavy, his voice even lower. "I'm going to disrespect the fuck out of you later."    ~pg. 161

 

  "We're married," he said quietly, pressing another kiss to my belly button. "I'm your safe place. I've always been your safe place."
  I slid my hands into his hair, pulling gently and knowing he was right. I'd been my best and worst self with this man, and he only loved me more the more real I was with him. No place was safer for me than with Bennett.   ~pg. 181

 

 

The Beautiful Bastard Series

         

(covers lead to GoodReads) 

 

Purchase Beautiful Player

Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble

Purchase Beautiful Beginning
Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble

About the authors

Christina Hobbs & Lauren Billings write under the combined pen-name of Christina Lauren. Separated by the pesky state of Nevada, these co-author besties talk several times a day, agree that Ruby Pumps is the best nail polish color ever, and would, if given the choice, spend all day staring at the ocean from the San Clemente pier.

Website  |  Twitter (Christina)  |  Twitter (Lauren)  |  Facebook