Framed and Hung

by Alexis Fleming

If there's one thing Zoe Chandler, Historical Restorations expert, knows, it's that naked bankers aren't supposed to look like Greek gods. Honestly, it's enough to make any woman pause. Luckily, Zoe is more of a take-charge, rush-in-where-angels-fear-to-tread kind of girl, and she definitely has fantasies of rushing towards Jake. But Jake is a man who is all about control, and there's no way he's going to let Zoe run this show.

Nude paintings, blackmail, and mind-numbing sexual frustration...will either of them survive this project?

Genres: Contemporary Romance, Romance, Erotica

83 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 1, 2014

About the author

Multi-published author Alexis Fleming's first book was a bedtime story for her children, written and illustrated totally in crayon. She hooked her children in and created a new career for herself, a career that gives her immense satisfaction and a lot of fun. She now writes her own bedtime stories, but be warned - these are strictly adults only!

Alexis' first love has always been romance, whether on this world or the next. Hot, sizzling relationships with a dash of comedy and a few trials and tribulations thrown in to test her characters. Alexis writes sassy, fun, erotic contemporaries, as well as paranormals and fantasies where you'll find yourself coming face to face with anything from sexy shifters to beings from other planets.

When she isn't tied to her computer creating sizzling stories to tempt her readers, she helps run a busy motel set on the edge of a national marine park in Australia.

Reviews

[Carol [Goodreads Addict] · Rating 3 out of 5]

RATING: 3.5 Stars

Framed and Hung is by Alexis Fleming.

Zoe Chandler is a house painter and has just been hired for the project of her dreams. It is a huge old manor being refurbished into a hotel. The job will take some time to complete so she gets to live in the hotel while working on the job. She can’t wait to bring this house back to it’s original splendor. She was hired by the owner and matriarch of the Lord family, Jessie Lord.



Jessie’s son, Jake, who is also living on the premises has continued in the family business of bankers. He went to high school with Zoe and was the product of her childhood fantasies. What she didn’t know, though, is that she was also the product of his as well. As each of them went on their own way into adult life, Zoe married but it was a very unhealthy marriage that left Zoe vowing not to ever allow a man control again. If she wants a man, she will have him, but on her terms only.



When Zoe and Jake are brought together again, the chemistry is instant and hot. But can Jake break down Zoe’s protective walls and convince her that they could have more than just a sexual relationship? And can Zoe allow herself to hope that maybe she could actually trust a man again?



Okay, first, I have had this on my Nook for awhile. I have been craving a quick, hot, read and thought this would be perfect. Well, it kind of was. It did have some good, sexy scenes. I think the problem was that I never did much connect with the two main characters. I liked them, I guess I just never felt an emotional connection.

My favorite character was Jake’s Mom, Jessie. She and her group of blue haired friends that called themselves the “Garden” club or “sewing” club, depending on what day it was, were hysterical. And Jessie, you bad girl, are a master manipulator.



This short story comes with a resident manor ghost, an evil woman running against Jake in a town election, a hilarious group of blue haired ladies, and some good steamy sexy scenes. For me, though, it still left me wanting a little bit for that little extra something. Still, though, I may look at some of this author’s other books and give another one a try.

[Jessi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wow this book was not what I was expecting. I thought it was going to be another romance novel, but no. This book is really funny!! I haven't laughed that hard in a while.

Zoe is hired to re-paint an old Inn owned by Jake's mother. The two realized that they are attracted to each other, however Zoe, after getting out of a bad, controlling marriage is not ready for another relationship. Both like to have control in a relationship and are not welling to give that up. The two continuously tease each other two see who will give in first.

Along the sideline story, the Inn is haunted by a perverted old ghost who likes to rearrange rooms, mess up beds and pinch butts!



The ghost also is a peeping tom and likes to make obscene gestures to Zoe and loves to pop up at all intimate momments. He is hilarious!!

Although, I would have to say the funnies part of the book is Jakes' mother's "Garden Club". I bunch of old ladies who like to get together and gossip. When Jake pisses off Zoe, she gets back at him buy painting a nude portrait of him for everyone to see. The old ladies reactions are hilarious!!

"You think that hose-like appendage is real? It looks damn dangerous to me. If a lady wasn't careful, she could have that thing coming up out of her mouth it's so long"

They remind me of


Overall this is a great book, if you are in need of some romance and some great laughs, you should check it out!


*ARC generously provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

[Geri Reads · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars!

At first, I liked Zoe. I thought she was playful and her personality was a perfect foil for Jake's stuffy personality.

I was wrong.

She became too predatory for my taste. She keeps taunting him and taunting him, showing up while he's in the shower, etc. And then in the next page maligns his personality. Even his mom hears her do this. I didn't get it. She had an abusive first marriage so she wants nothing but just sex but her excuses got old after a while.

Jake was supposed to be this stuffy banker but frankly, he wasn't. I did like his dirty talk but he confused me with not wanting Zoe to suddenly wanting to romance her and thinking of ways he should keep her? Where's the build up.

And then there's the ghost. It's a pet peeve of mine when elements that are essentially important are left out in the blurb.

ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review!

[SoWrongItsRANDI {Bell, Book & Candle} · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 stars..



That about sums up my feelings about this book.

It was a relatively short read and not an epic one at that. The writing was okay, but the story just didn't gel that well to me. There was hardly any romantic build up, and the characters were just "meh".

At first I thought the characters were going to be somewhat likable. But that wasn't the case with this book. Now I'm all for women being sexually empowered, but Zoe was just extra with it. She kept chasing Jake like she was the alpha male! This is why feminism scares me sometimes, and I'm a woman! And the stunt she pulled near the end pissed me off. It was childish to say the least. I can not believe the mom was okay with it. In what world does that happen? If I were Jake and she put a my head on a porn star's body, I would be like...



Jake wasn't any better. At first he acts like he doesn't want a relationship where he doesn't control anything, then he does...Idk what is going on with his character. The climax/problem of the story was silly and could have been better.

I can't say that I like this book...

[Heather andrews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh Zoe you sure got some balls sweetheart, "as Jake struggled to make certain his crown jewels were covered, she stood and joined his mother and her friend. All three had wide grins on their faces. "Oh, by the way, I've seen better. Not really much point in hiding it." With a little finger wave, Zoe turned her back on him and walked towards the house." Jake he's well, HOT, "Jesus, woman, you scared the crap out of me. And you made me squeal like a bleedin' girl. What the hell is it with you and naked men You got a thing for catching men in the raw?" Jake he can be caring when the boy isn't having naughty thoughts about Zoe, "in nothing but a pair of boxer shorts, Jake came at a run. "Zoe, what's the matter? Are you okay?" He is not bashful what so ever, "you want me just as much. I can smell your arousal." He slid his hand down and cupped his rampant erection. 'See what you do to me? I'm so hard...and hot. I need to be inside you." This book was an entertaining read and I just loved it.

[Mystee · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was definitely one of those books that I got something I didn't expect out of. There are a lot of funny moments. However, I just couldn't bring myself to like Zoe. I didn't feel any sort of connection with her and she was too over bearing. For me, it was like Zoe took the male alpha lead in the book, which was a huge turn off for me.

[Connie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jake has followed in his father's footsteps to become, according to most people, Zoe Chandler included, an uptight banker. He lives his life based on very strict rules, and as a candidate for city council he has to be even more careful about what he gets involved in. Zoe Chandler is determined to have complete control of her life after finally escaping a controlling and abusive ex-husband. Zoe had the biggest crush on Jake all through out high school, but now years later, men like Jake are definitely on her no-no list, at least as far as relationships go. But the attraction is still there and Zoe is perfectly willing to have a meaningless fling as long as Jake doesn't try to take control and turn it into more. Jake is not interested in flinging. Oh, he wants Zoe, alright, and has since high school, although he never admitted it. Jake wants Zoe for the long haul but he understands her issues with control and realizes that he must work to build trust between them. He sets out to show her that he doesn't want or need to control her, he simply wants her in his life. Thrown together in a historic bed and breakfast that Zoe has been hired to restore, the sparks begin to fly. With a little help from a meddling mother, and a meddling great-great-great-great-grandfather, who just happens to be a ghost, Jake engages Zoe in a battle of wills to break down her barriers and win her heart.

I actually really enjoyed this book. The story is set in Australia so there is some unfamiliar vernacular. That is not a criticism, just a heads up, it should not cause any problems with the reading of the book. There were a few things that did bother me, for instance, certain parts felt a little rushed, and while the ghost was amusing, he served no real purpose to move the story along. What I loved about the book was the humor. There were sections that literally made me laugh out loud. I don't want to spoil anything, but there is a hilarious scene including a caricature involving a snake. I sometimes felt that Zoe came on a bit too strong, but based on her background, her actions are understandable. I absolutely love, love, loved Jake. I enjoyed how he kept getting caught in awkward situations. I loved that he cared enough about Zoe that he was not willing to take advantage of what she was so freely offering, in fact, she was practically trying to force it on him. Thing I like most about this book is that although the heroine had major issues with control, the book was not about a power struggle.I liked that Zoe didn't cave and give up all the control to Jake, but I loved that Jake didn't try to take it. My favorite quote was

It's not about control, Zoe. No relationship should ever be about control. It's about love and commitment. About putting that special person's needs before your own. About give and take. About wanting the best for that other person. That's what I feel for you, Zoe. Can you deal with it?

So this book gets four stars because it provided everything I think a good romance should have. Humor, a hot hero, a feisty heroine, some super steamy love scenes (did I mention the love scenes were hot, like really hot, like melt the clothes off of you hot), and of course a happily ever after.

I received a copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

[Sam Still Reading · Rating 3 out of 5]

Framed and Hung is a short and very sexy novella combining the real world with romance and the odd ghost. If you like your romance straight, don’t worry because the ghost is not a big plot point, but adds a bit more fun to a story that is full of drama, crazy moments and naked bodies.

Fleming doesn’t waste time – in the opening scene, hero Jake is caught very short by heroine Zoe in nothing but his birthday suit. For a staid banker, Jake has a habit of wandering around with next to nothing on and Zoe has the luck of often finding him that way! The tension sizzles between the two from the first page and never lets up. In between his mother’s matchmaking, Jake’s running for local council and happens to have an opponent that’s digging for dirty tricks to bring him down. Zoe’s renovating the family’s old inn on the outskirts of Alice Springs and even a ghost is trying to bring her together with Jake. Just as it seems that everyone has what they want, a big misunderstanding between the two has all bets off. Zoe’s revenge is big in more ways than one but has ramifications that will hurt Jake’s election hopes – can she redeem him and finish off what they started?

This novella deserves a super sexy rating – there’s frank sexy discussions between Zoe and Jake and even the ghost isn’t all the pure (even though he can’t talk, he likes to pinch women’s bottoms)! It’s probably responsible for some of the high temperatures seen in Alice Springs (just about in the middle of Australia)! I would have liked to have seen a little more detail about Alice Springs, as it’s a gorgeous desert town but I also enjoyed that the focus was on the characters and their interactions.

If you’re looking to heat up your house this winter, try Framed and Hung!

Thank you to Escape Publishing for the eARC.

http://samstillreading.wordpress.com

[Miriam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Once upon a time, Jake and Zoe crushed on each other except they didn’t know it. Years later, still harboring that crush for each other, Jake and Zoe meet in the most unexpected place for the most unexpected reason.

It was supposed to be a simple project: repaint and decorate the inn Jake’s mother bought. Staying at the inn while working was Jake’s mother’s idea. Tormenting Jake… Well, that was all Zoe. A little teasing here, a lot of touching there. Zoe was on a mission to drive him crazy with sexual frustration. She didn’t count on losing her heart in the process.

Jake’s running for city council, and he’ll be staying at the inn while he campaigns. Finding out Zoe’s staying there with him is a fantasy come to life. Except he’s not interested in a one night stand with her. He was attracted to her as a kid, and still is years later. But how does he convince her they share more than off the charts attraction?

There were innuendos galore and blistering sexual tension in this story. There was also a resident ghost whose goal was to help the odd couple go from teasing to pleasing to settling. There were family members with lots to say about Jake’s interest in Zoe. And there was one friend insisting Jake was nothing like Zoe’s ex.

The most…annoying moment was Zoe’s retaliation against Jake. I understand she’s angry, upset, hurt, whatever you want to call it. But her emotions didn’t warrant her reaction. Painting an obscene picture of someone was beneath her, though I did like how strongly she felt bad when Jake demanded answers. The depths of those feelings showed he was more than a fling to her. If he wasn’t, she wouldn’t have bothered trying to make it right.

A good story overall. Zoe’s a spitfire and Jake’s definitely just the man to handle her, in and out of the bedroom.

3.5*
***Received from NetGalley for an honest review***

[Anne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Jake is supposed to be the stuffy director of the family bank and Zoe is an art historian and restorer there to work on Jake's mother's inn. They went to school together and had a mutual, unmentioned crush on each other. They meet again many years later at the inn.

The story was ok and the quick chemistry is explained by their teen crush. I liked how Jake and Zoe actually talked and interacted outside of bed and that the author provided a lot of background info. into the approx. 108 pages of this novella.

I didn't find the read particularly hot, I believe there's only two short sex scenes.

What were negatives: The characters laughed a lot, it didn't take much for them to bend over laughing. There must have been 8-10 references to such action. As others have mentioned, the ghost, why? He was unpleasant, sexually harassing women, using vulgar sign language to get his point across and slapping a female family member on the ass (ewww). The plot could move along fine without him, just having Jessie anxious for grandkids.

I see what others mentioned about Zoe, she does kind of behave like a teen by sexually harassing Jake when she and a friend find him naked by the hot tub when he thought he was alone. Then she deliberately walks in on him in the shower before any relationship has begun and draws in public a sexually explicit caricature of him (and what's up with his mom being ok with the belittling hot tub talk and caricature especially with Zoe's friend and others present even if she was trying to match Jake and Zoe).

So, while the story was ok, I'd recommend something else if you're looking for a light contemporary or erotic romance read.

I received a copy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Framed and Hung was a quick read for me. It was the first book I've read by Alexis Fleming and just what I needed to bring me out of the funk of a bad day.

I love reading books every now and then that are drama free zones and Framed and Hung for me was just that. Its funny, amusing and erotic. The characters get themselves into some interesting positions and I loved how the story flowed. I literally read this in 2 sittings (My children have to eat after all and I needed to make dinner) and found it a book I didn't want to put down just because of how entertained I actually was. I admit, this had more than a few laugh out loud moments and also a few scenes I giggled about then had to tell the other half!

Jake is hot, no he's HOT! He definitely deserves some 'caps' there. He's funny and cocky - in fact he's literally my type! I liked Zoe as well and at first didn't think the chemistry would work. At times I felt it was a little 'forced' though and too OTT, but this book wasn't a serious read so I literally ignored it.

I gave Framed And Hung 4 out of 5 stars, I will definitely look to new releases by Alexis Fleming in the future now!

Review also featured on my blog - http://www.bewitchedbooks.co.uk/

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Received this book from Netgalley and Escape Publishing for an honest review!

Wonderful, light, fun and sexy read.

What happens, when you put a women with a mind of her own and not afraid to go after what she wants with a man who is a control freak?
You wind up with a lot of sexual tension and some humorous situations.

Zoe Chandler, is a historical restorations expert, single divorce women, from a abusive marraige and as a result she does not do relationships. She May not do relationships but she is not adverse to flirting and coming on to a man she wants, so when she gets more than an eyefull of Jake she can not resist teasing him and making a play for him.
Jake knows Zoe from high school, had a bit if a crush on her, but he has become a bit of stuffed shirt since then, he has tanken over the families banking business and investements and is even running fro a politcal position, so to say he is a control freak is putting ot mildly. How long can he resist Zoe's efforts at seduction? Who will win this battle of wills?

These two had some great banter back and forth, some very steamy scenes and no inabitions when it comes to flirting with each other. Oh, and wait till you read the scene with Zoe's art project, you just can not help but to giggle and smirk!

[Amaranthine · Rating 2 out of 5]

The romance in this book is based on the idea that the H/h harbored unrequited crushes on each other in high school. The problem lies in that simply telling the reader about said crushes does not make the current relationship feel any less like insta-love. As a result, their encounters feel stiff and forced, and they never quite engage in each other or the plot.

The writing style was oddly inconsistent, to the point that there was such a contrast between the descriptive text and the dialog that it almost seemed as though parts of the book were written by different authors. This disconnect helped to make the childish angst between the main characters even more obvious and off-putting.

Lastly, I found the supernatural aspects in this story perplexing, as the ghost felt like more of an afterthought or prop, and really added nothing to the plot.

For the sake of full disclosure it must be stated that I received this book, free of charge, from Netgalley.

[Cat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Framed & Hung by Alexis Fleming is great read. I want to call it light and fun because it is. Yet, don't get the impression that it isn't a substantial story. The characters are well written and grow and progress in the story. It is a story of two people who shouldn't fit together and fight for control; neither taking the other seriously. Then add in a meddling mother and ghost and you have a uniquely told and fun read.
I loved Zoe's dedication to her art restoration. She has a bit of a chip on her shoulder that gets larger when Jake piles on the assumptions. The misunderstandings, overheard conversations and posturing by Zoe and Jake make the story fly by. The ways they try to even the score in the game of one "upmanship" are classic.
I hope you enjoy Framed & Hung as much as I did!

[Talking Books · Rating 1 out of 5]

Framed and Hung had many unique characters that raised more than a few eyebrows in many scenes. Some of the characters were initially entertaining - others came across as completely over the top. The author's attempt at chemistry between Jake and Zoe, while supposedly there, just came across as over-elaborate with the story often disjointed and repetitive. The scenes were very graphic in nature that left little to the readers imagination.
1 Star
*ARC Received from the Publisher/Netgalley for an honest review.

[Wendy Gibson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Note: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What a humorous, sexy and easy read! Great drama free relationship, some deliciously steamy scenes and delightfully comedic situations too. A little something for everyone in this story. Well done!

[Nessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

review to come

[Alice]

Review to come!