FOR SEVEN NIGHTS ONLY is Book 2 in Sarah Ballance's "Chase Brothers" series. After reading FOR SEVEN NIGHTS, I'm eager to hunt down a copy of the previous book to devour. Kelsie Reed and Sawyer Chase have an inauspicious beginning when Sawyer pays a call on his upstairs neighbor because of a leak in his ceiling. Almost immediately, their relationship is prickly and brimming with sexual tension. Sawyer's status as a player extraordinaire makes him seem like the perfect person to give Kelsie expert tips and tricks to land her a date for her sister's upcoming wedding. That proves to be better in theory than in practice, since Sawyer and Kelsie have a hard time keeping their hands off each other. The sparks that fly between Sawyer and Kelsie make for some super steamy scenes.
Sarah Balance injects a lot of humor into FOR SEVEN NIGHTS ONLY to balance the relationship drama. I like how Sarah Ballance gives Sawyer a little depth, and gives him an understandable reason for being wary of being in a committed relationship. Having FOR SEVEN NIGHTS ONLY told from two perspectives, makes the main characters seem flawed yet relatable. It's also great getting both perspectives because Sawyer and Kelsie misunderstand each other frequently and keep their true feelings largely hidden. I also like how Kelsie makes Sawyer a little rattled at times and not always in control. The burgeoning attraction between Sawyer and Kelsie and their unconventional relationship takes precedence in FOR SEVEN DATES ONLY over the plot point involving Kelsie's ex being involved in the wedding party.
FOR SEVEN NIGHTS ONLY is deliciously naughty and a fun romantic comedy of errors. Sawyer is at his most charming when he is knocked stupid by his deeper feelings for Kelsie, leaving him completely discombobulated. Sarah Balance creates such well-defined characters that I was thoroughly immersed in the story and it felt like I was watching a movie in my mind as I read along. After getting a feel for Sawyer's brother Ethan in FOR SEVEN NIGHTS ONLY, I can't wait to read more about him in the next book!
Heβs made an offer she canβt refuse...
Kelsie Reed is over bad luck and bad men. Newly dumped,
sheβs now the pathetically single maid of honor in her
sister's weddingβand her ex is the best man. Her bad luck
continues when a plumbing meltdown in her apartment sends
her sexy neighbor running to her rescue. Heβs got "serial
dater"written all over him, which is unfortunate because
the
man is hot.
Sawyer Chase loves women, but settling down? Heβll leave
that to his brothers. But when Kelsie confesses sheβs a
dating disaster and is about to become the laughing stock
of
her family wedding, Sawyer takes control. He's got one
week
to teach her how to land the man of her dreams, and heβll
do
it on her terms: no touching, no kissing, and
definitelynothing more. But some rules need to be broken,
especially when, for once, thereβs something on the line
worth fighting for...
EXCERPT
βYouβre pretty when you smile.β
βThank you.β She paused, then shot him another look. Heβd
caught her off guard with his seemingly honest
compliment, but he was a player, no doubt playing his
game as a reflex. βYou do realize this is about you
giving me tips on attracting a man, and not about you
trying to attract me?β
βIβm not trying, sweetheart. But now that you mention
itββhe snagged her elbow and gently pulled her out of the
flow of sidewalk traffic, Marmaduke trotting behindββpart
of attracting a guy is having confidence.β As he spoke,
he maneuvered her against the wall, propping his coffee-
holding arm beside her and leaning treacherously close
until she could feel the heat of his skin.
βLesson number one,β he said. βThereβs not a man alive
who wonβt fall over himself to get to a woman with
confidence, but youβve got to believe in yourself. The
sexier you feel, the more attractive youβll be. I bet if
youβ¦unburied yourself from those mounds of clothes you
wear, you wouldnβt need me at all.β
Stunned, she twisted her head to look at him. Big
mistake. Green eyes studied her with a ferocity that made
no sense, considering the lazy sprawl of the grin that
overtook his lips.
βIβm not taking off my clothes,β she managed. Barely.
βBut nice try. And next time, do us both a favor and
spare the theatrics.β Despite her irritation with him,
her heart stuttered in her chest, the busy New York
street a mere backdrop to the sudden intimacy of his
whispered oath. His clean scent enveloped her, lingering
with that of the coffee to dull everything that wasnβt
pegged on him.
βLet me make one thing clear,β he said softly. Intently.
βTheatrics arenβt my thing. I donβt bullshit. If I say a
woman is sexy, itβs because I mean it. And if I say I
want her, I mean that, too.β He paused, giving a passing
glance to Marmaduke, who was in a fierce tug-of-war with
Sawyerβs shoe string. The string appeared to be winning.
βAnd make no mistake, sweetheart. Should you ever bring
yourself to admit out loud that you want me to fuck you,
assuming Iβm not otherwise occupied, you damn well better
brace yourself.β
It was a good thing she had the wall at her back. She
needed it. His words, a thinly veiled seduction, tore at
her defenses. It had been too long since anything had.
But if he thought sheβd fall for his playboy games, heβd
better think again.
βI have a better idea,β she said sweetly. βHow about I
save the trouble of all that bracing, and you go fuck
yourself instead?β