Happy Memorable Monday everyone!
I'm super excited to share a steamy excerpt from Kyra Lennon's recently released, opposites-attract, badboy, contemporary-romance ALL OF YOU.
And be sure to read the full post to see my review of the book. Spoilers: It's five stars!
Letting go of his hand, I shifted my position again, moving my leg over both of his so I was straddling him. I wanted to look him right in the eye, and I placed my hands around the back of his neck to make sure he was focused on me. “Cal, listen to me. I’m pretty sure if anyone was to look at me and you and the way our lives have gone, nobody would ever dream of putting us together. And yet, we met, and however nonsensical, there’s something between us. So, as long as you can promise not to lie to me, cheat on me, or keep anything important from me, I really don’t mind that we haven’t been on a real date yet. I can wait.”
Cal’s hands slid around my back, pulling me tighter against his chest before pressing his lips to mine. “I can promise that.”
Smiling softly, I kissed him again, and his muscles relaxed beneath my fingers. As our mouths moved together in a perfect rhythm, my own tension ebbed away, and I lost myself in him the way I’d wanted to when he arrived at my flat earlier. We weren’t in a rush to be anywhere now, and his lips danced with mine with a slowness and sensuality that sent my heart racing and my body melting against his.
I never want this feeling to stop. It was consuming, the way his soft lips touched mine over and over. Hungry but not hurried. Passionate yet tender. I’d never felt how much someone wanted me through a kiss until Cal, and I wasn’t sure I’d ever put so much of myself into a kiss either.
His hands moved up my back, and I shuffled my hips forward, needing to be as close to him as I could get. We finally had some time alone, and I wanted every second of it to be spent with us glued together.
Cal’s lips drifted across my cheek towards my ear. “Stay,” he murmured against my skin. “Stay with me tonight.”
My heart pounded harder at the possibility of an unexpected night together. “I want to,” I said, closing my eyes as his lips lowered to my neck, making me shiver. “But… tomorrow… you… you have to…”
My point that he needed to be up early in the morning fell completely out of my mind when his mouth found my collarbone.
He paused, looking up at me, the need in his eyes almost flooring me. “We’ll wake up early and I’ll take you home before anyone else gets up.”
Cal’s lips went back to my collarbone, feathering kisses there as his hands slipped underneath my top, his rough fingers on my back.
“I don’t… I don’t have anything to…” His teeth grazed my neck, his hands working higher up my back to my bra strap.
His throaty chuckle sent another shiver through me, his breath hot on my neck. “Be a rebel, Shannen. Go home with your knickers in your pocket. Nobody will ever know.”
His husky tone and dirty words caused my skin to heat and the fluttering sensation to stir in my core. His ability to read my thoughts and counter my protests was sexy as hell. When his fingers unclipped my bra, I raked my hands into his hair. “What kind of girl do you think I am?” I teased, tugging to pull his face back to mine.
He smirked, then brushed his lips against my own. “The kind who’s going to let me spend several hours inside her, then fall asleep beside me, fully satisfied?”
I tilted my head to the side as if thinking, and he flipped me over onto my back and climbed on top of me, making me laugh.
“Say yes, Shan,” he said, smiling into my eyes. “Please.”
Winding my arms around him again, I said, “Yes. I guess I am that kind of girl.”
Book details:
One night was all they ever intended. They soon realise the old saying is true—opposites do attract.
Callum Lewis lives a no-complications life. No long-term women, no staying overnight, and absolutely no commitment. Keeping emotions at arm’s length is his number one skill—that and trying to navigate life as a single dad to a five-year-old.
Until Shannen Morgan changes everything.
As lust turns to feelings, Cal fights an internal battle between keeping Shannen in his life and pushing her away to protect her from his dark past. But when the skeletons are forced out of Cal’s closet, can he keep his girl and the future he’s started to want?
Shannen has never known anything as frivolous as a one-night stand. Her professional image as a primary school teacher just wouldn’t allow such a thing, not to mention her country club, upper-middle-class upbringing. She certainly wouldn’t dream of having a quickie with the stubbled bad boy she meets in a bar.
So, why can’t she keep away from him?
As Shannen falls hard for the rugged charmer, she struggles to balance the relentless disapproval from her judgemental best friend with the freedom she's found in the arms—and bed—of a man who wants her for who she is and not as a suitable little housewife. However, when secrets from Cal's younger years bubble to the surface, will Shannen be able to overlook his sins, or will she retreat into the safety of the predictable life she’s always known?
With friendships, a career, and family ties on the line, is love really enough to overcome all they stand to lose?
You can get a copy of All Of You from all major book retailers here https://books2read.com/allyou
My Review
TL;DR - If you love spicy, opposites-attract romances with plenty of twists and turns, this book is for you.
Disclaimer: I've known Kyra Lennon for 20 years and have been following her writing career since it began. I was privileged to read a pre-release, beta version of All of You.
However, all opinions expressed in my review are my own and are not influenced by outside factors.
With all that said, if you've been a reader of Kyra Lennon for any amount of time, you come to expect certain things in her books:
Real Characters: From the main characters to the side characters, each and every one feels like someone you could know. All of You is no different, and I found myself connecting and empathizing with almost every character in the book.
Real Emotions: Even though I haven't been through some of the things Cal and Shannen go through in All of You, Kyra writes their emotions (and the emotions of the side characters) so wonderfully that you feel every tear, every bit of heartache, every rush of excitement.
Twists and Turns: In some ways, romance books are very formulaic. Two people meet. There's a mutual attraction. Obstacles stand in their way. Where Kyra shines is with these obstacles. Her love stories are never straightforward. All of You is no different. Cal has a deep, dark past that he hopes to keep hidden. This isn't a bad-boy romance for no reason. And it's not just Cal bringing the drama. There were moments in this book that left me gobsmacked and fuming!
Something new for All of You that Kyra hasn't dived too deeply into before is the steam. I'm not saying her previous books are 'clean,' but sex certainly wasn't the focus of the stories. While All of You isn't pages of smut without any plot, there are plenty of steamy scenes that really get your pulse racing. For someone 'fairly' new to steamy scenes, Kyra did an excellent job of describing the emotions and feelings of a steamy scene without making it vulgar or too clinical.
I have to be honest, if you had to ask me what my favorite Kyra Lennon book is, I'd be hard-pressed to give you an answer. I love them all for different reasons. All of You is no exception. Another five-star, couldn't-put-it-down masterpiece.
Now hurry up and write book two, Kyra. I need to know what happens next!!
Thank you for joining me for the first of many Memorable Monday posts here on my blog. Be sure to check back on Wednesday for my first Writing Wednesday post, where I discuss my author 'origin' story.
Until then,
Take care and stay creative!
T.T.F.N
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