My Beautiful Stranger

The Kiss Duet #1

by Shayne Ford

Two strangers.
A serendipitous meetup.
A secret agreement that comes with rules.

Like...
Have fun without revealing their identities.

So they indulge in escapism and create beautiful memories in anonymity until, one day, reality swoops in, crushing their little secret.

Can they say goodbye to each other?

Or do they need to start their romantic story from scratch?


NATALIE


They call me Dr. Nat Love because I coach people how to find... Yes, Love.
After a messy breakup, I turned my life around and made it my mission to help others to stay away from heartache.

And then, I break all my rules for him...

Rhett Kingston.
Elusive billionaire.
A player at heart.
Or so I think.
The man with hypnotic eyes, lips made of sin, and hands that turn me into a place of pleasure.
He is smooth like honey and messes with my head worse than an economic crisis.

He is everything my mother has warned me about.
He is everything I've warned my followers about.

How we went from striking a deal to explore pleasure to becoming obsessed with each other?
Well... It's anyone's guess.


RHETT

Natalie is like honey. You touch it, and it's all over you.
I'm the man who knows pleasure when it walks to me, wearing a skintight dress and heels before leaving a kiss on my lips and strutting away in a tease.

See–through lace, enticing shape, delicious lips, and hair livelier than a storm.
Eyes made of a million shades of lust.

Sign me in.

It's been a while since I felt so alive.
So taunted. So provoked.
Everything about her is easy.
Or so it seems.

How we went from satisfying every fantasy we have to me playing her like a violin, her stealing my heart, and me waging war for her only to end up with nothing?
Well... It's anyone's guess.


Author's

Book one ends in a cliffhanger.
The release dates will be pushed up.
Thank you.

Genres: Romance, Billionaire Romance

300 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 15, 2023

About the author

Get a steamy freebie when you sign up to my newsletter. ––> https://geni.us/freebiesignup

Shayne writes epic love stories with spice, plot, bits of darkness, and suspense.

Most of the time, her lead men are morally gray, and her stories are slow burn and anchored in reality, making her cast authentic and unforgettable.

All-time popular series: like the Night of the Kings, Shades of Love, and Night of the Diamonds Series showcase steamy, suspenseful romance at its best.

Her vast catalog is growing with delicious stories of all kinds that beg to be read over and over again. If you like your stories sprinkled with spice, suspense, and a dash of real life, you are in good company.

Her creative mind works overtime to come up with the stories that await patiently to be brought to life. Her love for books began when she grew up surrounded by books.

She likes to spend hours and hours in bookstores, brushing her fingers over amazing covers, and enjoying the unmistakable smell of newly printed books and freshly brewed coffee.

Never in a million years would she have thought that her stories would come to life someday and entertain so many people.

Her passion for the written word is only matched by her love for animals and nature.

When she's not writing, she's outside, walking and connecting with nature. She considers herself lucky to share her life with her amazing furry kids, who are very much book lovers as they are perfect companions.

Take a look at her lead men.

New Mafia Romance

THE HEART OF A VILLAIN (Code of Honor 1)
THE STRENGTH OF A WOMAN (Code of Honor 2)

CALLAN (The Bard Dynasty) A Standalone Mafia Romance

EWAN (The Bard Dynasty) A Standalone Mafia Romance


The Classics

The Ultimate Bad Boy Billionaire finds his match (JAMES)–The Night of the Kings Series
The Billionaire who doesn't believe in second chances changes his mind when he meets her(MCKENNA)–The Shades of Love Trilogy
The enigmatic, irresistible, hard-to-please King of Manhattan (REMI) lures her into a world of secrets and delicious affairs–The Night of the Diamonds Series
The magnetic mafia boss who wants a fake wife and makes the ultimate sacrifice for her. (MAX DE LUCCA)–The Forbidden Husband Mafia Duet
The sultry Billionaire who falls in love with a dancer (CAMERON)–The Night of the Diamonds Series
The Billionaire obsessed with a married woman caught in a web of lies (SEBASTIEN––Love is War)~The Boxset.
The Billionaire who saves a woman married to a mobster (BARON)–The Lions at Dawn Series (books 2 to 4)
The mercurial, perfect mix of fire and ice (ALEXANDER) who becomes obsessed with her –The Night of the Kings Series
The old soul trapped in a young body who sweeps his woman off her feet (SHADE)–The Golden Heir Trilogy
The rag-to-riches story where he is the answer to freeing her from a dark past (JADEN)–The Dark Heart Trilogy
The jaded Bad Boy Billionaire who moves away from a complicated past when he meets her (EDWARD)–The Night of the Kings Series
The powerful force who storms into her life and whisks her away from his brother (KIAN)–The House of Lions Series
The man charming a woman who lost hope that she'll ever find her man(TIAGO)–The Night of the Kings Series
The three Billionaires who dare a woman NOT to be with them and there's a prize in play (KAI, ALEJANDRO, FRANCISCO)–The Love Your Enemy Series
The Secret Billionaire she has a fiery affair with (no cheating involved) RHETT–The Kiss Duet
The Las Vegas mobster who becomes her protector (DAMASO)–The Lost Story Duet
The younger, ex–convict who turns her world upside down (JAX)–The Last Good Man–A Standalone Story
The Billionaire who swore off feelings for a woman until he meets her (DAVID)–The Night of the Kings Series.


And then....

The two best friends, Jagger and Braxton who find the perfect woman to fall in love with and ask to join them in their quest for freedom before exploring their feelings for each other. (WIL

Reviews

[Dora Koutsoukou · Rating 3 out of 5]

Part 1

3 ❗️❓🤔⭐️s

So many mixed feelings for this part...
I am still wondering if I liked it or not...

Two strangers encountered, each one carrying their own issues, sharing the same need which was just sex and nothing more.
The writing style was good, although sometimes it put me off. I didn’t want to read about “his hard meat” or “squeezing her boobs”.

I will not read the next part…

[Debbie Close · Rating 5 out of 5]

Natalie and Rhett meet in a hotel restaurant/bar. Each are there for their own reasons. Rhett for a social function and Natalie on a blind date. There eyes meet across the room in the bar mirror and there is an instant connection.

Natalie or Dr. Nat Love is a relationship sex therapist with her own podcast. She is smart, savvy, and very put together. She is coming off of a very hurtful relationship and doesn't want to be involved with another man. No commitment, just live for the day, go with the flow and ride the wave as long as she can. When it's over it's over, on to the next wave, no remorse, no emotions involved.
Rhett is a gorgeous, smart,rich. He's a player and knows the score. He knows what he wants, anonymity, an affair with no strings attached, just cold hard sex. No involvement of the heart, no feelings. Let the ride go for as long as it can and then walk away and not look back.
This book is well written and kept me reading till it came to a cliffhanger ending.
You will not be disappointed. I was given an arc for an honest review.

[Rhonda Hicks · Rating 5 out of 5]

'My Beautiful Stranger' is the first book in Shayne Ford's "The Kiss Duet" and this one is a little different from Ms. Ford than I'm used to reading from her. It begins with an intrigue of sorts. Natalie is a dating coach who is on a blind date along with her best friend and her best friend's husband when she sees him at the bar and can't take her eyes off him. How to be discreet? He's at the hotel for a charity function but leaves his venue to go over to the bar. He sees her through the mirror staring. How to be discreet? Their eyes meet and there's an instant chemistry that crackles in the air between them. If you've read any of Ms. Ford's work then you know once the chemistry has been acknowledged the story takes a turn and this one is no exception. It's a heart-pounding, adrenaline rush that ends in a cliffhanger. I'm hoping book two not only picks up where this one left off but brings the same intensity. I can't wait.

[Treasa · Rating 5 out of 5]

BRILLIANT! in Desperate Need for Book 2
Creative, twisted and packed with Heat. You feel the steam, ride the edge as family drama and past relationships and a possible arranged marriage is in the works that will definitely effect the no strings attach arrangement between Natalie and Rhett. I need to know how their past and present secrets are going to affect their arrangement because I'm pretty sure I got a sense of feelings already coming into play way before the cliffy ending that had me mesmerized and completely frazzled especially if Rhett is forced to carry out his families wishes. I'm ready, bring on book 2 and if it's anything like this one it will be impossible to put down, the heat will melt the pages and the feels will either break my heart or have me beaming with a big goofy smile.

[Vicki Stephens · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Beautiful Stranger is the first book in The Kiss Duet featuring Natalie, who has her own podcast about romantic love and sexuality who recently was dropped by her actor fiancé who is going to marry an actress he is working with on a movie set, and Rheutt, the stranger she meets at a bar who is part of his family’s business empire and is being coerced to marry the youngest Hayes daughter in order to form a business merger. Natalie and Rheutt form an agreement to have a no strings attached sexual relationship without exchanging personal information except for their first names, but eventually they begin to have feelings which neither wants to admit. The final book in the duet is My Beautiful Obsession.
I received a free copy of this book via the author and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

[Romance.Booktalk · Rating 4 out of 5]

They met by chance. She was at a restaurant with her best friend and he was attending a charity event next door. The moment she saw him at the bar, she was drawn to him like a moth to a flame. And then she did something so out of character, it shocked both of them. One thing led to another and they ended up agreeing to continue seeing each other again, but with a few strict stipulations… no strings attached, no last names, no backstory and no phones.

Be prepared for a very exciting read as our MCs navigate between their unconventional and secretive relationship and reality. Can they continue living in their little lust bubble or will reality eventually catch up with them and tear them apart? Bring on book two!

I was given an arc in return for a honest and unbiased review.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Beautiful Stranger
By Shayne Ford
Main Characters: Natalie and Rhett
I voluntarily and honestly reviewed this book without bias or persuasion from the author.
4 out of 5 stars
This is Book 1 of The Kiss Duet. Natalie has her own podcast as a sex doctor so to speak. Rhett is a rich gorgeous player. When their eyes meet at a bar in a hotel where Natalie is on a blind date and Rhett is attending a charity function, they are both attracted and seem to want to explore the chemistry without names or any strings attached. Shayne does a terrific job with setting up this story and building your suspense. This does end in a cliffhanger but you will want to read the 2nd book. Shayne is one of my top 5 authors and I have read and reviewed 55 of her books far.

[gwendolyn Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a surprise start with an unorthodox beginning. Natalie was out on a blind date with her BFF and her husband. When her eyes connect with Rhett, it's like everything disappears. When a chance meeting leaves them breathless and you too. They come up with a plan with no outside interference, no last names, even though they use their real first names, no addresses but it doesn't hurt to give a in the vicinity of. No back story although hers is recent. Get caught up as they walk a thin line between real and make believe. Get caught in Shayne's web as she draws us in and keeps us wanting more and more.

[DEBBIE · Rating 4 out of 5]

Natalie wants to move on from her ex and Rhett seemed to be just what she needed. I got the relationship she wanted to have with him and she does succeed. What I didn’t initially get was the chemistry or the character develop of the MMC. Rhett is your classic alpha male but I just didn’t connect with him very much in the beginning. They definitely showed chemistry toward the end. I am anxious for the next book to come out after that cliffhanger. I encourage you to read all of Shayne’s books as she is one of my favorite authors but this is not my favorite. That being said, it is my recommendation that you read the book.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was so fun reading about Rhett and Natalie. They caught each other's eyes in a bar mirror. Instant attraction. They strike up an unusual relationship. Catch no feelings. Purely physical. Stay anonymous. Secret meet ups.
The author describes Rhett this way. "A caveman in a suit." "A wild man behind a veneer of sophistication." Natalie is an online relationship "doctor." And this relationship is so unconventional! I can't wait to see how this all works out. It can't be good. Too many things can go bad.
Anxiously awaiting book 2.

[Kristi Breaux · Rating 3 out of 5]

First time reading this author

I have to admit it took me a long time to get into this book. There was too much back details of the characters that really had no purpose to the present and that part was hard to get through because I thought it was pointless and boring. The end of the book is where it really started to get better and the chemistry was there. I will continue to the next book just to finish the series and to give the author another chance and see if I will continue to read more of her books.

[Brenda Moser · Rating 5 out of 5]

Natalie and Rhett have a mutual attraction. She surprises herself and him when she sees him in the bar, kisses him and leaves. This sets up their story. Ms. Ford does a great job building the relationship and pulled me in reading their story. It's well written with descriptive scenes, moves fluidly and is a terrific read.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own and freely given.

[Kathleen Pall Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

A love doctor meets a mysterious man who is set to marry for the financial sake of the family business. What a freaking awesome story plot! Unless you're Dr.Nat and then this story hits too close to home, This secret non relationship is on the way, way, down low. There is a well chosen mystery instigated by each character that makes the reader feel like after any page in the book it could end between the two of them. I am loving where this story is going. Next book, please.

[Shanna D · Rating 5 out of 5]

MY BEAUTIFUL STRANGER: A Billionaire Romance (THE KISS DUET Book 1) by Shayne Ford. Rhett and Natalie bring a story full of lust, obsession, and desire. Two people with complexity and determination that results in a spirited arrangement for the pleasure of both. The author’s writing style is mesmerizing. She has a way of sucking you in and holding on tight until the very end. Good story with tons of drama and spice. Looking forward to book 2.

[JD · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Golden Stars

Words aren't enough to describe, how amazing this author is. All her books are a unique experience and this book was fabulousy written.
If you haven't read this author before, don't hesitate just click that button on Amazon and you will for sure be happy.
My Beautiful Stranger was an amazing start to Rhett and Natalie story and I am really looking forward to the next book.

[Gladys · Rating 5 out of 5]

Natalie and Rhett's story gets off to a sinfully intriguing start and leaves you wickedly hungry for more. The concept behind this romance appealed to me greatly and I found myself quickly pulled in and consumed. The chemistry is off the charts, the drama juicy, the steam sizzling and the twists breathtaking, and I need book two ASAP!!

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an entertaining and enjoyable Romance between strangers with an arrangement. The storyline has romance, steam, and unexplained feelings developing, with defined MCs who are attractive, have great chemistry, and have issues to sort. This is a well-paced read and I need book 2. I voluntarily read an ARC and this is my honest review.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved my beautiful stranger

I cannot wait for the second book. Love the relationship or non relationship. I am all in,I don.t know if either of them are. I hope she doesn't get burned again. I only have 2 days to wait.

[Leslie Lyon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shayne Ford does it again!

These books never disappoint. I’m sucked in from the start and can’t put them down and this book did just that. I have read just about all of her books and have loved them all.

[Diane Green · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is super short yes somehow has too many words.
Also should not have been a cliffhanger.
Also uses the term “meat” 🤢
As well as the phrase “I can’t wait to fuck you in the butt”.
Butt? Are we 10?
It’s a no for me.

[Bren · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG! Shayne has swooped in again and knocked me off my feet with book one of her new duet that I'm still thinking about a day after finishing Rhett and Natalie's story. I'm telling you you'll never be disappointed reading one of her books.

[Ginger Otis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shayne's writing never disappoints! Such exciting mysterious flow of the main characters dance toward and around each other! A fun addictive read and sizzling! Phew

[ronda davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mutual attraction, steamy, past that they can’t forget, family drama! Shayne Ford put this and more in this first book of The Kiss Duet! Unputdownable! You are going to love it! Bring on book 2!

[Stacy Carr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ford has outdone herself with this one!! Really don’t want to wait for the next part.

[Lucy Roderick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intriguing

What a well written tale of lust. An erotic read from start to finish. Ready to see what book 2 has to fulfill their desires.

[Cheryl Drake johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very entertaining look at a woman Natalie who runs a podcast as a sex doctor. She has been hurt when she is out with friends she sees a very tall, very handsome man come into the restaurant from another door and sat at the bar she cannot take her eyes off him. Rhett a rich broken playboy businessman came in the bar for a drink while looking around he meets Natalie's eyes and he sees something that snags his attention. Nat makes an a move that shocks her and him she and Rhett will never be the same again. Drama, romance, mystery, and sex with no strings, maybe.
I was given a copy without obligation. I volunteered an honest review.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

No Strings. No last names. Just sexy times!

Ms. Ford always draws this reader in with her wonderful world-building, her larger than life characters, her plots!

This is a duet, or is it?

She leaves Rhett, Natalie and her readers in quite the cliff-hanger! This reader always has a hard time waiting for the next! This is no different.

How long for "My Beautiful Obsession?" HARD, HARD, HARD to wait!

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

🌟❤️🌟❤️🌟❤️🌟❤️🌟❤️

[Lindarhc · Rating 5 out of 5]

Natalie sees Rhett sit at the bar while out with friends. She goes up to him and gave him a kiss and leaves They meet later and agree not to ask anything about each other apart from there names. Shayne draws you in with this story I couldn’t put it down. I can’t wait to read the next book. I received an ARC for an honest review which i have given

[T · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read...not one of my favorites by Shayne Ford. I didn't connect and fall into the story like I usually do.
But I still enjoyed Nat and Rhett's story and can't wait to see how it ends! Lots of directions this could go!