I received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Southern Sinner by Jessica Peterson Published by Independently Published on April 14, 2021
Genres: Age-Gap Romance, Contemporary, Fake relationship, Fiction, Fiction / Romance / Contemporary, Romance
Pages: 300
Format: eBook, Kindle Unlimited
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What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. Until I brought my fake girlfriend home.When I took a seat next to the gorgeous brunette at the blackjack table, I had no idea it would be the start of the hottest weekend of my life. By day, Stevie and I dominate the casinos of Sin City.By night, I dominate her in my penthouse suite.Then my brother Samuel ruins it by asking me to come home for his engagement party.Because he's not just getting married. This isn't a normal celebration for me. His future bride is my 'one who got away.' The girl I may or may not still be in love with. The catch? He wants me to prove I'm over his fiancée before they set a date. So I ask Stevie to double down on our chemistry and pretend to be my girlfriend.We set our ground rules: lots of sex, plenty of pretend smiles, and no strings.But we're not only gambling with the truth. We're gambling with our hearts.They say every saint has a past, and every sinner has a future. But Stevie's past may force us to fold on our future before it's even begun.SOUTHERN SINNER is a full-length, standalone novel in the North Carolina Highlands Series. Coming April 22!
Insane chemistry from the start, two people who aren’t afraid of going after what they want from one another, and smart, witty dialog were all front and center. Throw in charismatic characters and Southern Sinner was a hit for me. ~ Sharon – Simply Love Book Reviews
I hate to say it but I went into Southern Sinner with really low expectations because the first two books in this series were a real struggle for me, but I’ve enjoyed this author’s work in the past and I hate leaving a series unfinished. I jumped into this one and knew from the first chapter this was going to be a story I enjoyed. Insane chemistry from the start, two people who aren’t afraid of going after what they want from one another, and smart, witty dialog were all front and center. Throw in charismatic characters and Southern Sinner was a hit for me.
Following a f*ck-up of major proportions with his brother and girlfriend, Hank sets off on a sabbatical with his younger brother Rhett and nine months later he has no clue when he’ll return to Ashville and his family’s luxury resort business. When he sits down at a blackjack table in Vegas next to a brunette who makes his heart skip a beat, he has no idea how important she’ll become to him in a short amount of time.
The last ten years have taught Stevie several things, but the most important is that she is capable of taking care of herself. After her marriage crashes and burns, she loses her job, and her home, Stevie took the knowledge she had and she’s made a name for herself as the owner of Lady Luck’s Brewhouse. She’s happy in her life; professionally her business is flourishing and expanding and personally she has a few people she can call when she feels the need to hook up and she’s good with that or at least she thinks she is until Hank sits down at the table next to her and she has to figure out if she wants to fold or go all in.
I loved these two together and the way they fell so easily into a friendship and yes a f*ukship as well. There was no doubt they had sizzling chemistry but it was also easy to see they enjoyed each other’s company outside the bedroom. I loved that Hank appreciated Stevie’s business sense and her no nonsense approach to relationships so it was no wonder when he needed someone to help convince his family he was over his infatuation with her brother’s girlfriend, he asked her for help. One long weekend together though, made both Hank and Stevie begin to realize that they were feeling way more than a “fake relationship” but with them living hours apart there wasn’t an easy answer, not to mention Stevie’s fear of anything resembling a committed relationship. I appreciated that Stevie took the first step in reconciling which I know was hard for her, but I appreciated even more that she and Hank were able to have a calm, rational conversation without a bunch of angst to figure out how to move forward.
Southern Sinner was an extremely sensual and steamy story with a lot of emotion to balance it out, making it an engagingly wonderful romance.
About Jessica Peterson
Jessica Peterson writes smokin’ hot romance set in her favorite cities around the world. She grew up on a steady diet of Mr. Darcy, Edward Cullen, and Jamie Frasier, and it wasn’t long before she started writing swoon-worthy heroes of her own. She loves strong coffee, stronger heroines, and heroes with hot accents.
She lives in Charlotte, NC with her husband Ben, her daughter, and her smelly Goldendoodle, Martha Bean. Her most recent series, North Carolina Highlands, is set in the Great Smoky Mountains, and features all the beards, bonfires, and boning you can handle.