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Rock Canyon, Idaho #0.5
Kiss Me: The Trouble With Sexy / Love Me Tender / Love, Guns, and Heart-Shaped Chocolate
Pucker up on the most romantic day of the year with three debut contemporary authors and their tales of romance, seduction, and Elvis?
She's got a hot new makeover . . . and a boss to seduce! For prim and proper Ryan Ashton, sexy has always been an elusive quality. But with a little help from a new friend, she just might snag the one man who can set her seductive side loose in Codi Gary's The Trouble With Sexy.
Stuck in a king-size suite with a sexy man . . . What more could a girl want? But for Julie Dillon, being snowed in at an Elvis-themed Memphis hotel with Luke Pearce can't mean anything but trouble. Too close for comfort gets close enough to taste in Cheryl Harper's Love Me Tender.
Her best friend's brother is shaking up her Valentine's Day! Katie Quinn just wanted to spend the day watching Jurassic Park and eating chocolate. She certainly had no intention of running into Logan Cross—or running for her life! Suddenly caught in the crosshairs of danger, Katie and Logan must get together to find a way out in Jaclyn Hatcher's Love, Guns, and Heart-Shaped Chocolate.
She's got a hot new makeover . . . and a boss to seduce! For prim and proper Ryan Ashton, sexy has always been an elusive quality. But with a little help from a new friend, she just might snag the one man who can set her seductive side loose in Codi Gary's The Trouble With Sexy.
Stuck in a king-size suite with a sexy man . . . What more could a girl want? But for Julie Dillon, being snowed in at an Elvis-themed Memphis hotel with Luke Pearce can't mean anything but trouble. Too close for comfort gets close enough to taste in Cheryl Harper's Love Me Tender.
Her best friend's brother is shaking up her Valentine's Day! Katie Quinn just wanted to spend the day watching Jurassic Park and eating chocolate. She certainly had no intention of running into Logan Cross—or running for her life! Suddenly caught in the crosshairs of danger, Katie and Logan must get together to find a way out in Jaclyn Hatcher's Love, Guns, and Heart-Shaped Chocolate.
336 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 5, 2013
9 people are currently reading
254 people want to read
About the author
Codi Gary
32 books978 followersFrom the time I could put a Disney Book cassette into my little stereo,and read along, books have held a fantastic distraction. When I was eleven, I decided I wanted to be one of those magical people that brought stories to life. Devouring a book a day sometimes, my first romance novel stuck with me. I've always been a sucker for a happy ending (and the great romantic gesture)and that's what I try to put into my stories. I am so honored to be a part of Avon, and am so excited to have my own dreams coming true.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
March 1, 2013
Full review now posted...
Sometimes anthologies are perfect for my mood, and this collection of three fun, romantic, and sexy contemporary stories were exactly what I've been looking for!
The Trouble With Sexy by Codi Gary
This was a fun, romantic, sexy story about a boss and his employee who become friends, then much more. I enjoyed this and felt the author did a great job of giving us an awesome story with wonderful characters. We get a happily ever after that didn't feel rushed, which can sometimes be an issue with novellas, but not this one! There are a couple of others characters who are just begging to have their stories told, and I hope it happens. I'm looking forward to more by Ms. Gary!
Are You Lonesome Tonight by Cheryl Harper
Julie Dillon and Luke Pearce are co-workers on their way home from a business trip when they find themselves snowed in, sharing a hotel room themed after anything and everything Elvis. It’s such a fun story! I wish Julie had been less grumbly, but in the end she came around in a very clever way, and that's what matters most! Ms. Harper writes a cute, witty and definitely steamy story!
Love, Guns, and Heart Shaped Chocolate by Jaclyn Hatcher
This story isn't at all what I was expecting, but awesome, all the same. Katie had planned to spend her Valentine’s Day alone, watching movies and drowning her sorrows in chocolate, but her best friend’s brother has other ideas! Before they know it, they’re running for their lives in this fast paced romantic suspense that’s plenty sexy, and fun! Logan and Katie are great together, and with other characters, Will and Tracy, there's the potential for more exciting reading, and I'm hoping Ms. Hatcher gives it to us!
Three debut authors, three thoroughly entertaining Valentine's Day stories!
3.5/5
My thanks to Avon Books and Edelweiss for providing me with a copy of this anthology in exchange for an honest review.
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February 9, 2013Since this is mine, I'm not rating it, but I did read the other two stories in the anthology. Enjoyed them both so much! "The Trouble with Sexy" is a makeover/friend-to-lovers story. I always love the Ugly Duckling romance. And in this one, both characters are so very likable.
"Love, Guns, and Heart-shaped Chocolate" is a really fun read. It's a high school crush/best friend's brother/love on the run kind of story. There's lots of humor too.
So happy to have been included in the anthology with Codi and Jaclyn!
"Love, Guns, and Heart-shaped Chocolate" is a really fun read. It's a high school crush/best friend's brother/love on the run kind of story. There's lots of humor too.
So happy to have been included in the anthology with Codi and Jaclyn!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 8, 2013
Arshia says: Three really cute short stories about women who are stuck in a funk. I was intrigued by one of the stories when I read an excerpt for it online. So I downloaded a DRC and I'm glad I did so. The stories were funny and thankfully not too full of the mushy gushy annoying love stuff.
February 15, 2018
Trouble with Sexy: 3.5 stars
Love Me Tender: 3 stars
Love Guns and Heart shaped Chocolate: 2 stars
Love Me Tender: 3 stars
Love Guns and Heart shaped Chocolate: 2 stars
August 22, 2014
"If a woman doesn't get any of those heart-shaped boxes of candy or a dozen red roses, she'll sit in front of the TV with a pint of Ben & Jerry's Half Baked, crying pathetically while watching The Notebook."
By now, y'all know I am a HUGE Codi Gary fan. I kind of devour everything she writes. I am sure if I lived near her, I'd find out where she grocery shops who I could read her lists! But, somehow I missed her very first story that got her in with the lovely folks at Avon. 'Trouble With Sexy' stars the prim and proper, Ryan Ashton who has pined for her boss, Gregg Phillips. With a little help from an unlikely friend, she shows him there is another side to her.
This story takes place during the 7 days before Valentine's Day in the quaint town of Rock Canyon. Ryan and Gregg work together at the local photography studio. Friends who constantly bicker with each other, you can see where a closeness might form.
He tries to invite her out for Valentine's Day since both are unattached, but she politely declines. That leaves him unsure with her feelings toward him and leaves her asking Gracie for help finding her "sexy," but not before what I find to be an uncomfortable interaction between friends.
She swallowed a little. "Gregg, we're friends right?"
He cocked his head and gave her a small smile. "Of course."
She twisted her hands in her lap. "And you'll be honest with me?"
He sat on her desk and nodded. "Sure."
She cleared her throat and whispered, "Do you think I'm sexy?"
After the makeover of a lifetime, Ryan and her new friend, Gracie head to Buck's to show off her new look. Heads turn and her dance card fills up pretty quickly. She can't help but compare them all to Gregg. The signs seem to be there for everyone to see, except each other. I will tell you, I am such a sucker for a man who gets all protective of his woman. When he laid Wayne out - I was a goner.
Things progressed pretty quickly for these two friends while they admitted to feelings that were always there. I adored the awkward and clumsy moments that the dolled up Ryan had. She had an unfortunate incident with a pair of heels that showed Gregg's sweet and silly side.
"Why don't we just pretend it was a clever ploy on your part so that I'd be forced to hold you tight?
Her mouth twitched. "That's awfully chivalrous of you."
He shrugged. "What can I say? My mama raised me right."
She laughed and started to pull away. "Thanks for catching me."
"Anytime."
And finally you get to the auction. Oh man, that auction was the perfect setting for disaster. Jealously runs wild in situations like these. Codi's spin on an obviously tense scene made me love her style even more. You see a demanding side of Ryan and a hilarious side of Gregg. Oh course, I am NOT going to give it away - but I will hint at you the outcome.
The kiss ended when Buck tapped Gregg on the shoulder.
"I love a romantic gesture as much as the next guy, but maybe you folks could move it off the stage?"
AN EPIC start to an amazing series. I can see why Avon snatched you up Codi!
By now, y'all know I am a HUGE Codi Gary fan. I kind of devour everything she writes. I am sure if I lived near her, I'd find out where she grocery shops who I could read her lists! But, somehow I missed her very first story that got her in with the lovely folks at Avon. 'Trouble With Sexy' stars the prim and proper, Ryan Ashton who has pined for her boss, Gregg Phillips. With a little help from an unlikely friend, she shows him there is another side to her.
This story takes place during the 7 days before Valentine's Day in the quaint town of Rock Canyon. Ryan and Gregg work together at the local photography studio. Friends who constantly bicker with each other, you can see where a closeness might form.
He tries to invite her out for Valentine's Day since both are unattached, but she politely declines. That leaves him unsure with her feelings toward him and leaves her asking Gracie for help finding her "sexy," but not before what I find to be an uncomfortable interaction between friends.
She swallowed a little. "Gregg, we're friends right?"
He cocked his head and gave her a small smile. "Of course."
She twisted her hands in her lap. "And you'll be honest with me?"
He sat on her desk and nodded. "Sure."
She cleared her throat and whispered, "Do you think I'm sexy?"
After the makeover of a lifetime, Ryan and her new friend, Gracie head to Buck's to show off her new look. Heads turn and her dance card fills up pretty quickly. She can't help but compare them all to Gregg. The signs seem to be there for everyone to see, except each other. I will tell you, I am such a sucker for a man who gets all protective of his woman. When he laid Wayne out - I was a goner.
Things progressed pretty quickly for these two friends while they admitted to feelings that were always there. I adored the awkward and clumsy moments that the dolled up Ryan had. She had an unfortunate incident with a pair of heels that showed Gregg's sweet and silly side.
"Why don't we just pretend it was a clever ploy on your part so that I'd be forced to hold you tight?
Her mouth twitched. "That's awfully chivalrous of you."
He shrugged. "What can I say? My mama raised me right."
She laughed and started to pull away. "Thanks for catching me."
"Anytime."
And finally you get to the auction. Oh man, that auction was the perfect setting for disaster. Jealously runs wild in situations like these. Codi's spin on an obviously tense scene made me love her style even more. You see a demanding side of Ryan and a hilarious side of Gregg. Oh course, I am NOT going to give it away - but I will hint at you the outcome.
The kiss ended when Buck tapped Gregg on the shoulder.
"I love a romantic gesture as much as the next guy, but maybe you folks could move it off the stage?"
AN EPIC start to an amazing series. I can see why Avon snatched you up Codi!
August 19, 2013
I really enjoyed these three sexy, cute and sweet Valentine stories by authors Codi Gary, Cheryl Harper and Jaclyn Hatcher. I simply adored the heroes and each woman who captured their hearts was one lucky woman. I liked the humor within the storytelling and I couldn't help but smile and chuckle as I was reading,
The Trouble With Sexy by Codi Gary introduced us to Ryan and Gregg and I loved this coupling. Ryan hates Valentine's Day but her sexy makeover has caught Gregg's attention as well as Chase, the new tenant next door to their studio. The author did a good job developing a history between Ryan and Gregg though yet to be explored until now. Ryan assumed Gregg likes Gracie who works at the local coffee shop but does he? Could he be harboring some secret crush that she's not aware of? I liked how comfortable they were with each other and the transition from friends to lovers was seemless. I loved the scenes leading up to their happy ending, I could not stop laughing because these two were so much fun to watch in action. The author also created secondary characters in this story that I'm looking forward to reading more about in future books.
Love Me Tender by Cheryl Harper gave us Luke and Julia who are an unlikely pairing. I loved Luke in this story and he's got to be the most patient man. I have to admit, I'm not sure why he liked Julia because she really had a "don't get close" attitude right from the start and was not good with communication. They ended up being stranded together in Vegas on their way home from a business trip and we were introduced to the Rock n Rolla Hotel and horrible Elvis impersonator. LOL! Little by little, Julia began to open up to Luke about her relationship with her father. Her reasons for her "dating" attitude became clearer and you could sense her pain. I enjoyed their journey together and I'm looking forward to more romantic adventures in Vegas.
Love, Guns and Heart-Shaped Chocolates by Jaclyn Hatcher gave me such an adrenaline rush as the story had romance and action all at once. Katie and Logan were at the wrong place at the wrong time on Valentine's Day and had bad guys chasing them. Poor Katie just got dumped before Valentine's Day and all she wanted to do was wallow in her misery with a box of chocolate and wine. What she got was an adventure she'll never forget that included evading the bad guys who wanted some stolen money and sexy kisses from Logan, her best friend's brother. Mixed in with that was the date from hell that her best friend had to endure. I adored both Logan and Katie who looked out for each other when things looked bad and they had great chemistry together. This was a fun and action filled story which I thoroughly enjoyed.
I would definitely read more stories by these three brand new authors.
The Trouble With Sexy by Codi Gary introduced us to Ryan and Gregg and I loved this coupling. Ryan hates Valentine's Day but her sexy makeover has caught Gregg's attention as well as Chase, the new tenant next door to their studio. The author did a good job developing a history between Ryan and Gregg though yet to be explored until now. Ryan assumed Gregg likes Gracie who works at the local coffee shop but does he? Could he be harboring some secret crush that she's not aware of? I liked how comfortable they were with each other and the transition from friends to lovers was seemless. I loved the scenes leading up to their happy ending, I could not stop laughing because these two were so much fun to watch in action. The author also created secondary characters in this story that I'm looking forward to reading more about in future books.
Love Me Tender by Cheryl Harper gave us Luke and Julia who are an unlikely pairing. I loved Luke in this story and he's got to be the most patient man. I have to admit, I'm not sure why he liked Julia because she really had a "don't get close" attitude right from the start and was not good with communication. They ended up being stranded together in Vegas on their way home from a business trip and we were introduced to the Rock n Rolla Hotel and horrible Elvis impersonator. LOL! Little by little, Julia began to open up to Luke about her relationship with her father. Her reasons for her "dating" attitude became clearer and you could sense her pain. I enjoyed their journey together and I'm looking forward to more romantic adventures in Vegas.
Love, Guns and Heart-Shaped Chocolates by Jaclyn Hatcher gave me such an adrenaline rush as the story had romance and action all at once. Katie and Logan were at the wrong place at the wrong time on Valentine's Day and had bad guys chasing them. Poor Katie just got dumped before Valentine's Day and all she wanted to do was wallow in her misery with a box of chocolate and wine. What she got was an adventure she'll never forget that included evading the bad guys who wanted some stolen money and sexy kisses from Logan, her best friend's brother. Mixed in with that was the date from hell that her best friend had to endure. I adored both Logan and Katie who looked out for each other when things looked bad and they had great chemistry together. This was a fun and action filled story which I thoroughly enjoyed.
I would definitely read more stories by these three brand new authors.
July 31, 2013
Well, it's not Valentine's Day today, but that didn't stop me from getting pulled into this charming anthology. Comprised of three novellas, each one features a couple who find themselves unexpected valentines.
In Codi Gary's "The Trouble With Sexy," photography colleagues Ryan and Gregg keep getting in their own way on their road to hearts and candy. Strong prose and well-written characters keeps this story moving and the reader is treated to a laugh-out-loud ending.
Cheryl Harper's "Are You Lonesome Tonight" Luke is perfect - handsome, charming, intelligent and knows how to treat a woman with respect - he even likes chick flicks! In fact, he's so perfect the reader wants to tell Julie to run away with her own insecurities so we can have a go at him. But once Julie steps up, the reader is left in no doubt her worthiness for such a male specimen. The Elvis theme and references makes it all the more enjoyable.
Lastly, Jaclyn Hatcher puts her protagonists into a Valentine-meets-Die Hard scenario in "Love, Guns and Heart Shaped Chocolate" - not your generic romantic holiday when it involves dodging bullets and running for your life! Logan and Katie deepen their long time acquaintance and bond over the danger as this fast paced, atypical celebration.
All three authors deliver strong characters that have the readers smiling when they finally surrender to their happily-ever-afters. The steamy sex scenes satisfy the naughty side of us and makes us wish we were the heroines. Finding myself unable to put it down, I read the entire piece in one sitting. This is one anthology I would recommend at any time of the year. Definitely a four star read for me.
In Codi Gary's "The Trouble With Sexy," photography colleagues Ryan and Gregg keep getting in their own way on their road to hearts and candy. Strong prose and well-written characters keeps this story moving and the reader is treated to a laugh-out-loud ending.
Cheryl Harper's "Are You Lonesome Tonight" Luke is perfect - handsome, charming, intelligent and knows how to treat a woman with respect - he even likes chick flicks! In fact, he's so perfect the reader wants to tell Julie to run away with her own insecurities so we can have a go at him. But once Julie steps up, the reader is left in no doubt her worthiness for such a male specimen. The Elvis theme and references makes it all the more enjoyable.
Lastly, Jaclyn Hatcher puts her protagonists into a Valentine-meets-Die Hard scenario in "Love, Guns and Heart Shaped Chocolate" - not your generic romantic holiday when it involves dodging bullets and running for your life! Logan and Katie deepen their long time acquaintance and bond over the danger as this fast paced, atypical celebration.
All three authors deliver strong characters that have the readers smiling when they finally surrender to their happily-ever-afters. The steamy sex scenes satisfy the naughty side of us and makes us wish we were the heroines. Finding myself unable to put it down, I read the entire piece in one sitting. This is one anthology I would recommend at any time of the year. Definitely a four star read for me.
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February 26, 2013So since the first story is mine, I'll forgo talking about it except to say it's a friends to lovers story with a makeover thrown in and I think it's funny and cute:-)
Love Me Tender was a cute story filled with romantic banter and who doesn't dream about being stuck in a hotel room with a cute guy? Great humor, strong writing style, and two characters you will love! And the situations these two found themselves in as they shared a room (short nightgowns, bad bed head, and a peanut butter and banana sandwich selling Las Vegas Themed Resturaunt with an Elvis trivia game!) Although I have to disagree with Julie's taste in movies, I loved Notting Hill :-)"My father called me Bigfoot for the first twenty years of my life" LOL
Love, Guns, and Heart-Shaped Chocolates was laugh out loud situations and the hero was a hot nerd (one of my favorite kind of guys). The characters find themselves dodging bullets avoiding a crazy ex, two bungling bad guys, and poor Katie gets cornered by a drunken would be suitor when she ducks into a "Valentine's Day Singles Mixer". It's a great read if you like a bit of suspense, laughs, and of course, love :-)And the whole time Katie is trying to rescue her best friend from a bad blind date! It reminded me of adventures in babysitting for some reason...
Love Me Tender was a cute story filled with romantic banter and who doesn't dream about being stuck in a hotel room with a cute guy? Great humor, strong writing style, and two characters you will love! And the situations these two found themselves in as they shared a room (short nightgowns, bad bed head, and a peanut butter and banana sandwich selling Las Vegas Themed Resturaunt with an Elvis trivia game!) Although I have to disagree with Julie's taste in movies, I loved Notting Hill :-)"My father called me Bigfoot for the first twenty years of my life" LOL
Love, Guns, and Heart-Shaped Chocolates was laugh out loud situations and the hero was a hot nerd (one of my favorite kind of guys). The characters find themselves dodging bullets avoiding a crazy ex, two bungling bad guys, and poor Katie gets cornered by a drunken would be suitor when she ducks into a "Valentine's Day Singles Mixer". It's a great read if you like a bit of suspense, laughs, and of course, love :-)And the whole time Katie is trying to rescue her best friend from a bad blind date! It reminded me of adventures in babysitting for some reason...
February 20, 2013
This anthology was written by three authors I have never heard of before. I thought it would be a nice, light read to get me in the mood for Valentine’s Day. What I found was three short stories that were slightly on the cheesy side. The plots were only so-so and the characters just ok.
Not one of the stories really stands out and I don’t have a favorite one either. The last story Love, Guns and Heart-Shaped Chocolate by Jaclyn Hatcher was my least favorite of them all. It may not have put me in a Valentines mood but this book is only about 100 pages so it was a very quick book to read.
Not one of the stories really stands out and I don’t have a favorite one either. The last story Love, Guns and Heart-Shaped Chocolate by Jaclyn Hatcher was my least favorite of them all. It may not have put me in a Valentines mood but this book is only about 100 pages so it was a very quick book to read.
July 17, 2013
Trouble with Sexy - fun story about love with the boss/friend, she has a crush on him but doesn't think he sees her like that. He's hooked. Fun story around a photography studio.
Love Me Tender is the follow up story at the RocknRolla Hotel. Great story about two people stuck together in funny circumstances. Loved more about this crazy hotel.
Love, Guns & Heart-Shaped Chocolate - so not what I expected or would have picked on my own but a fun story of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Great easy to read short stories.
Love Me Tender is the follow up story at the RocknRolla Hotel. Great story about two people stuck together in funny circumstances. Loved more about this crazy hotel.
Love, Guns & Heart-Shaped Chocolate - so not what I expected or would have picked on my own but a fun story of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Great easy to read short stories.
January 28, 2014
I enjoyed this Valentines Day Anthology from author's: Codi Gary (Trouble with Sexy); Cheryl Harper (Love Me Tender) and Jaclyn Hatcher (Love, Guns & Heart-Shaped Chocolates). Each short story was a quick and easy read.
My favorite was Trouble with Sexy, particularly as I've recently finished Thing's Good Girls Dont Do (also by Codi Gary) & this short novella intertwines with this. I would have rated it 5 Stars if it was a stand alone book!
The other two books we're a good introduction to these authors and I'll be sure to buy a couple of their books from Amazon Kindle Store!!!
My favorite was Trouble with Sexy, particularly as I've recently finished Thing's Good Girls Dont Do (also by Codi Gary) & this short novella intertwines with this. I would have rated it 5 Stars if it was a stand alone book!
The other two books we're a good introduction to these authors and I'll be sure to buy a couple of their books from Amazon Kindle Store!!!
January 14, 2014
Great book
These 3 authors are amazing.... Codi Gary with characters from Good Girls Don't.... First time reading anything from Cheryl and Jaclyn but now can't wait to see what else they have out...
These 3 authors are amazing.... Codi Gary with characters from Good Girls Don't.... First time reading anything from Cheryl and Jaclyn but now can't wait to see what else they have out...
May 19, 2014
only read Codi Gary's short story.....
July 20, 2015
Exciting!!
What a rush.I was glued to my kindle. I've never read these authors before, but I plan on reading more of their works.
What a rush.I was glued to my kindle. I've never read these authors before, but I plan on reading more of their works.
February 12, 2016
Enjoyed the first two stories, DNF the last.
October 30, 2016
4,3+, 2+
December 25, 2016
Please see individual stories for review.
January 25, 2013
3.5 out of 5
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