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Hyde #1
Hyde and Seek Lib/E
Piper Skye is rock 'n' roll. She's party all night, sleep all day. She's get wild and be free. Or she would be if she had the time. And the energy. And not being so awkward would probably help, too. As the owner of a thriving dessert business, Piper spends her days at school and her nights elbow deep in batter and frosting. She's confident her hard work and sacrifice will pay off as long as she stays focused and sticks to the plan. Jake Hyde is a workaholic with a jaded outlook on life. Surrounding himself with employees he considers his brothers, he long ago made the decision that his custom garage would be his focus. Fate, as it often does, has other ideas. Plus, a killer sense of humor. Thrown together by coincidence, the gruff mechanic and the sweet as sin baker have instant sparks. Suddenly, all of their carefully made plans have taken a giant freakin' left turn. And they do it on the back of a Harley.
Audio CD
First published April 2, 2015
About the author
Layla Frost
30 books3,550 followersGrowing up, Layla Frost used to hide under her blanket with a flashlight to read the Sweet Valley High books she pilfered from her older sister. It wasn’t long before she was reading hidden Harlequins during class at school. This snowballed into pulling all-nighters after the promise of “just one more chapter”.
Her love of reading, especially the romance genre, took root early and has grown immeasurably until it was time to write her own stories.
When she's not writing, Layla Frost is an insomniac with a deep love of iced coffee, tchotchkes, plants, and her hens. She's also the world's okayest mom, but her kids think she's cool... ish.
Her love of reading, especially the romance genre, took root early and has grown immeasurably until it was time to write her own stories.
When she's not writing, Layla Frost is an insomniac with a deep love of iced coffee, tchotchkes, plants, and her hens. She's also the world's okayest mom, but her kids think she's cool... ish.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,352 reviews
October 29, 2015
2.5 I'm the Odd Man Out Again, Methinks Stars
Okay...
So this is one of those times where you wonder if your kindle uploaded the same book as all of your friends.
Because while, based on reviews, they are all:
*
*
*
You are that jackass in the corner all like:
*
*
*
Hmmmmmm, methinks something is amiss.
For serious though, at 20% I wanted to DNF this thing.
But I figured, if my friends loved it so much, then the ride must be worth the wait?
Right???
*
*
*
Suuuuuuuure.
Quite frankly, this book had a whole lotta ridiculousness afoot.
Now, don't get me wrong - there WAS enough good in it to make it endearing...by the end.
But let's start off with the rididulous factor first, shall we?
Point of Ree-dick-er-uss-ness (POR) #1: Piper
Piper is what all my man buddies and I like to refer to as...
...drumroll please...
*
*
*
A GOLDEN CLAM
In other words, she has a vagina that is so magical that it drives otherwise sane men crazy, prompting them to commita buffet of crimes including but not limited to peeping, stalking, kidnapping, and other more general forms of douchebaggery.
In other words?
Her milkshake brings all the boys to the yard.
Seriously, apparently Piper's cake scented milkshake is SO fucking awesome, that everywhere she goes, EVERYONE wants a sip of her supposed deliciousness.
Even WOMEN want to buy her ass drinks at the bar.
And you'd think - being that she is so hot and all - she would be used to all of this attention from male the persuasion.
But alas, it is shocking to her, of course.
SHOCKING I tell you.
Now keep in mind, Piper is supposed to be a badass with a prim outer shell, but a badass underneath nonetheless.
Yes, yes, such a rebel.
I'm sorry but, tattoos, piercings, and a love for rock music do not an automatic rebel make.
And speaking of rock music, this brings me to POH#2...
Point of Ree-dick-er-uss-ness (POR) #2:
The Blatant Kristen Ashley-isms
I included this in one of my status updates, but let's review just for fun.
- Clipped man speech - CHECK
- "Chin lifts" galore - CHECK
- "Babe, Babe, Baby" - CHECK
- Henleys. Henleys everywhere - CHECK
- The H saying "ROCK ON" and "THROWING UP THE HORNS" - CHECK
- The H constantly telling the h how "cute" she is and to "stop being so fucking cute" - CHECK
- The h so mesmerized by H, she can only seem to say "Uhh..." - CHECK
-Band that they all hang with - CHECK
I could go on...
But Bored.
Now, I'm not saying KA owns the right to all of the above things, because she doesn't.
I'm not even saying the above shit even bothers me, because it's not..
I'm just saying it was there.
And speaking of authors this reminded me of...
Point of Ree-dick-er-uss-ness (POR) #3: Names
If the Kristen Ashley bus and the Jay Crownover trolley (because "bus" is just not a fancy enough name for a large population conveyance in Jay Crownover World) collided, you'd have this book.
I mean, just listen to all the names here:
Piper
Rhys
Ray (who is a girl)
Z
Kase (who is 1/2 Hawaiian and vaguely screamed KA Kai to me)
Key - WTF?
Gage
Ryder
Rocco
Zeke
Jet
Even Jake's name wasn't just Jake, but "Jacoby."
I mean seriously, can I ever just get a Tom, Dick, or Harry up in here anymore?
But anyname, added onto all of these things was just how fast things moved.
Piper barely knows them a week or two and starts referring to all theclam fans garage guys as "her boys" and constantly bringing them baked goods.
Puh-leez.
And don't EVEN get me started on the whole "whodunnit" plot twist at the end.
Because WOW.
Now, don't get me wrong, there was stuff to love here - there HAD to be because my GR friends have good taste.
Piper and Jake were very sweet together and I loved his possessive alpha-ness.
I even liked Piper, her lack of game playing, and how mature she was for her age.
And the sexy times?
Niiiiiiice.
Plus, I believe this is the author's first work (?) and,
1) I always admire that, and
2) I see lots of potential here.
In the here and now, I didn't love this book.
Obviously.
But I definitely would be willing to try the next one in this series or other works by this author.
Until then...
Okay...
So this is one of those times where you wonder if your kindle uploaded the same book as all of your friends.
Because while, based on reviews, they are all:
*
*
*
You are that jackass in the corner all like:
*
*
*
Hmmmmmm, methinks something is amiss.
For serious though, at 20% I wanted to DNF this thing.
But I figured, if my friends loved it so much, then the ride must be worth the wait?
Right???
*
*
*
Suuuuuuuure.
Quite frankly, this book had a whole lotta ridiculousness afoot.
Now, don't get me wrong - there WAS enough good in it to make it endearing...by the end.
But let's start off with the rididulous factor first, shall we?
Point of Ree-dick-er-uss-ness (POR) #1: Piper
Piper is what all my man buddies and I like to refer to as...
...drumroll please...
*
*
*
A GOLDEN CLAM
In other words, she has a vagina that is so magical that it drives otherwise sane men crazy, prompting them to commit
In other words?
Her milkshake brings all the boys to the yard.
Seriously, apparently Piper's cake scented milkshake is SO fucking awesome, that everywhere she goes, EVERYONE wants a sip of her supposed deliciousness.
Even WOMEN want to buy her ass drinks at the bar.
And you'd think - being that she is so hot and all - she would be used to all of this attention from male the persuasion.
But alas, it is shocking to her, of course.
SHOCKING I tell you.
Now keep in mind, Piper is supposed to be a badass with a prim outer shell, but a badass underneath nonetheless.
Yes, yes, such a rebel.
I'm sorry but, tattoos, piercings, and a love for rock music do not an automatic rebel make.
And speaking of rock music, this brings me to POH#2...
Point of Ree-dick-er-uss-ness (POR) #2:
The Blatant Kristen Ashley-isms
I included this in one of my status updates, but let's review just for fun.
- Clipped man speech - CHECK
- "Chin lifts" galore - CHECK
- "Babe, Babe, Baby" - CHECK
- Henleys. Henleys everywhere - CHECK
- The H saying "ROCK ON" and "THROWING UP THE HORNS" - CHECK
- The H constantly telling the h how "cute" she is and to "stop being so fucking cute" - CHECK
- The h so mesmerized by H, she can only seem to say "Uhh..." - CHECK
-Band that they all hang with - CHECK
I could go on...
But Bored.
Now, I'm not saying KA owns the right to all of the above things, because she doesn't.
I'm not even saying the above shit even bothers me, because it's not..
I'm just saying it was there.
And speaking of authors this reminded me of...
Point of Ree-dick-er-uss-ness (POR) #3: Names
If the Kristen Ashley bus and the Jay Crownover trolley (because "bus" is just not a fancy enough name for a large population conveyance in Jay Crownover World) collided, you'd have this book.
I mean, just listen to all the names here:
Piper
Rhys
Ray (who is a girl)
Z
Kase (who is 1/2 Hawaiian and vaguely screamed KA Kai to me)
Key - WTF?
Gage
Ryder
Rocco
Zeke
Jet
Even Jake's name wasn't just Jake, but "Jacoby."
I mean seriously, can I ever just get a Tom, Dick, or Harry up in here anymore?
But anyname, added onto all of these things was just how fast things moved.
Piper barely knows them a week or two and starts referring to all the
Puh-leez.
And don't EVEN get me started on the whole "whodunnit" plot twist at the end.
Because WOW.
Now, don't get me wrong, there was stuff to love here - there HAD to be because my GR friends have good taste.
Piper and Jake were very sweet together and I loved his possessive alpha-ness.
I even liked Piper, her lack of game playing, and how mature she was for her age.
And the sexy times?
Niiiiiiice.
Plus, I believe this is the author's first work (?) and,
1) I always admire that, and
2) I see lots of potential here.
In the here and now, I didn't love this book.
Obviously.
But I definitely would be willing to try the next one in this series or other works by this author.
Until then...
September 19, 2018
The hero is a 34-year old man-wh*re and the heroine is a 20 year-old virgin.
Don't ask me why I picked this book up to read it, I don’t know, a momentary lapse in judgment, I guess.
I didn't like the hero or the heroine. I didn't like their story. I didn't like the book, period.
***********************************************
Things that annoyed me about the heroine:
- She is 20 but she behaves maturely in most cases; however, then she goes and acts like a spoiled child sometimes. She is unreal.
- In her mind, she talks a lot – like a lot a lot. And she is trying to be funny while doing that. Think of yourself, making fun of yourself in your mind all the time. Once & twice it is funny but all the time, it is disturbing. I see the writer was trying to make our heroine somewhat sweet & funny but she turned out to be annoying for me.
- Everyone – I mean everyone around her – falls either in love or in lust with her. It is really really exaggerated! Everyone wants her. She even has a stalker!
- She is both sweet & wild. She is always wet & horny – like always – all the time – whenever – wherever! She is like some AI robots created to please men.
Things that annoyed me about the hero:
- I couldn’t get over the fact that he was too old for her and much too experienced when compared to her virginity. To make things look even, the writer tries to make the heroine a wild one who talks like a mature adult most of the time but I just couldn’t process it.
- The hero is a badass man-wh*re until he meets our heroine. Then, all he says is “Mine”, “Grrr”, “My sweetness”, “Only you”, “Don’t leave me, don’t take away my sweetness” … Ewwww… I like obsessive possessive men in romance novels but he just rubbed me the wrong way. Not my type of hero!
- He talks like the heroes in Kirsten Ashley’s novels. I kinda think the writer was inspired by KA. Good thing bad thing? I don’t know but this much resemblance is supposed to be bad, right?
- Despite being in love with her, he sometimes talks to her in a demeaning way, which made me dislike him. He was really sorry afterwards each time but the fact that he was capable of saying such stuff to the woman he loves was disturbing.
- Like all men falling in love or lust with the heroine, all women fall to his feet demanding his attention or his big d*** When will it get old, I really wonder?
- He says he likes it dirty and that they will have dirty sex once she says yes to him, but then, all that happens is not more than a rough hard f***ing. There wasn't even good dirty talk let alone dirty sex!
- First, he rejects to be with her when he learns she is a virgin, later, he comes back and says he is selfish and he will take it. And he says he can’t be gentle because he doesn’t know how. As*hole!!!
Oh, don’t look at me, what do I know? She more than willingly accepts the hard & rough first time! And in the end, she feels only pleasure and nothing else – no pain whatsoever.
I checked twice to see if the writer was a man oblivious of the things happening to a female during her first experience but well, she is a woman! I really wonder if she is also a wonder woman like our heroine!
Things that annoyed me in the story:
- It is at least 100 pages too long… so much longer than necessary. So repetitive & dragging.
- Like in KA book, the romance in the book is mixed with supposedly hot s*x (nope), funny times (not that funny) and some mystery/thriller action (well, I couldn’t guess who the creepy stalker was so maybe the suspense part was Ok but I also think it was OTT.)
- There is too much OW/OM drama in the book – like too much too much!!! And at the beginning, for a very short time, the heroine cannot choose between the hero & his friend who is even older than him (37). Then, our alpha possessive hero claims her and the decision is made!
Safety:
There is no cheating.
There is an attempted rape.
There is slut-shaming.
For a moment, it felt like the writer was adding unplanned pregnancy to the mix but thanks to her, she didn’t do it!
Writing:
First person point of view till the end (the heroine), where the hero contributes to the story with his two short chapters.
The writing is forced – the fun feels exaggerated, the suspense is OTT and the sex scenes feel cliché. I never felt the connection between the hero & the heroine; the writing didn’t make me feel.
You may ask why I didn’t DNF it. Normally, I would DNF a book like this but after a certain amount of torture, I just wanted to see it all to be able to write this review properly with enough warnings.
Recommendation:
If you like KA novels, you may still like this book. It just wasn't my cuppa. I like some KA novels, but not all. After a few, they also feel similar.
*********************************************
You can follow my instagram page from here
Don't ask me why I picked this book up to read it, I don’t know, a momentary lapse in judgment, I guess.
I didn't like the hero or the heroine. I didn't like their story. I didn't like the book, period.
***********************************************
Things that annoyed me about the heroine:
- She is 20 but she behaves maturely in most cases; however, then she goes and acts like a spoiled child sometimes. She is unreal.
- In her mind, she talks a lot – like a lot a lot. And she is trying to be funny while doing that. Think of yourself, making fun of yourself in your mind all the time. Once & twice it is funny but all the time, it is disturbing. I see the writer was trying to make our heroine somewhat sweet & funny but she turned out to be annoying for me.
- Everyone – I mean everyone around her – falls either in love or in lust with her. It is really really exaggerated! Everyone wants her. She even has a stalker!
- She is both sweet & wild. She is always wet & horny – like always – all the time – whenever – wherever! She is like some AI robots created to please men.
Things that annoyed me about the hero:
- I couldn’t get over the fact that he was too old for her and much too experienced when compared to her virginity. To make things look even, the writer tries to make the heroine a wild one who talks like a mature adult most of the time but I just couldn’t process it.
- The hero is a badass man-wh*re until he meets our heroine. Then, all he says is “Mine”, “Grrr”, “My sweetness”, “Only you”, “Don’t leave me, don’t take away my sweetness” … Ewwww… I like obsessive possessive men in romance novels but he just rubbed me the wrong way. Not my type of hero!
- He talks like the heroes in Kirsten Ashley’s novels. I kinda think the writer was inspired by KA. Good thing bad thing? I don’t know but this much resemblance is supposed to be bad, right?
- Despite being in love with her, he sometimes talks to her in a demeaning way, which made me dislike him. He was really sorry afterwards each time but the fact that he was capable of saying such stuff to the woman he loves was disturbing.
- Like all men falling in love or lust with the heroine, all women fall to his feet demanding his attention or his big d*** When will it get old, I really wonder?
- He says he likes it dirty and that they will have dirty sex once she says yes to him, but then, all that happens is not more than a rough hard f***ing. There wasn't even good dirty talk let alone dirty sex!
- First, he rejects to be with her when he learns she is a virgin, later, he comes back and says he is selfish and he will take it. And he says he can’t be gentle because he doesn’t know how. As*hole!!!
Oh, don’t look at me, what do I know? She more than willingly accepts the hard & rough first time! And in the end, she feels only pleasure and nothing else – no pain whatsoever.
I checked twice to see if the writer was a man oblivious of the things happening to a female during her first experience but well, she is a woman! I really wonder if she is also a wonder woman like our heroine!
Things that annoyed me in the story:
- It is at least 100 pages too long… so much longer than necessary. So repetitive & dragging.
- Like in KA book, the romance in the book is mixed with supposedly hot s*x (nope), funny times (not that funny) and some mystery/thriller action (well, I couldn’t guess who the creepy stalker was so maybe the suspense part was Ok but I also think it was OTT.)
- There is too much OW/OM drama in the book – like too much too much!!! And at the beginning, for a very short time, the heroine cannot choose between the hero & his friend who is even older than him (37). Then, our alpha possessive hero claims her and the decision is made!
Safety:
There is no cheating.
There is an attempted rape.
There is slut-shaming.
For a moment, it felt like the writer was adding unplanned pregnancy to the mix but thanks to her, she didn’t do it!
Writing:
First person point of view till the end (the heroine), where the hero contributes to the story with his two short chapters.
The writing is forced – the fun feels exaggerated, the suspense is OTT and the sex scenes feel cliché. I never felt the connection between the hero & the heroine; the writing didn’t make me feel.
You may ask why I didn’t DNF it. Normally, I would DNF a book like this but after a certain amount of torture, I just wanted to see it all to be able to write this review properly with enough warnings.
Recommendation:
If you like KA novels, you may still like this book. It just wasn't my cuppa. I like some KA novels, but not all. After a few, they also feel similar.
*********************************************
You can follow my instagram page from here
November 19, 2019
4 The Love of Cupcake Stars ⭐
Piper Skye is free-spirited who adores an alternative lifestyle and above all, baking. Although a disappointment to her upper crust family, she is finally comfortable in her own inked and badass skin. Plus she intends on leaving a mark on the world with her magical baking abilities. When she meets Jake Hyde and his clan, she is exposed to a world where finally she belongs. More importantly it reiterates her self-worth.
"This is why I’ll never settle. I deserve someone who thinks I’m perfect, not someone who tolerates me."
Jake Hyde is a man with no real ties besides his business and a circle of his loved ones. Not the kind of guy to bed a girl twice, he makes no secret that he’s a total ass. From his first meeting with Piper, even he can’t ignore the innocence and goodness she radiates. But the fact remains, he shouldn’t be interested in a good girl much younger than his 34 years.
"It wasn’t lost on me that there’d been no talk of hearts and flowers. He wasn’t promising a future and I wasn’t asking for one. I hadn’t believed in fairy tales when I was a kid and I sure as hell didn’t now."
The chemistry between Jake and Piper leapt off the pages. Except Jake's ability to constantly run hot and cold kept these two at an impasse. Pleasurably, Piper wasn’t blindsided by his actions nor did she tolerate them. She ensured that she made choices based on what was best for her, never once compromising who she was and what she deserved.
Hyde and Seek was the perfect modern day romance between two jaded individuals happy to go with the flow until they collide in the best possible way. With a fantastic side cast of characters, smart humor and delicious sexy times, this author proves she knows what us saucy romantics want!
Piper Skye is free-spirited who adores an alternative lifestyle and above all, baking. Although a disappointment to her upper crust family, she is finally comfortable in her own inked and badass skin. Plus she intends on leaving a mark on the world with her magical baking abilities. When she meets Jake Hyde and his clan, she is exposed to a world where finally she belongs. More importantly it reiterates her self-worth.
"This is why I’ll never settle. I deserve someone who thinks I’m perfect, not someone who tolerates me."
Jake Hyde is a man with no real ties besides his business and a circle of his loved ones. Not the kind of guy to bed a girl twice, he makes no secret that he’s a total ass. From his first meeting with Piper, even he can’t ignore the innocence and goodness she radiates. But the fact remains, he shouldn’t be interested in a good girl much younger than his 34 years.
"It wasn’t lost on me that there’d been no talk of hearts and flowers. He wasn’t promising a future and I wasn’t asking for one. I hadn’t believed in fairy tales when I was a kid and I sure as hell didn’t now."
The chemistry between Jake and Piper leapt off the pages. Except Jake's ability to constantly run hot and cold kept these two at an impasse. Pleasurably, Piper wasn’t blindsided by his actions nor did she tolerate them. She ensured that she made choices based on what was best for her, never once compromising who she was and what she deserved.
Hyde and Seek was the perfect modern day romance between two jaded individuals happy to go with the flow until they collide in the best possible way. With a fantastic side cast of characters, smart humor and delicious sexy times, this author proves she knows what us saucy romantics want!
March 23, 2015
Oh, how the times change...
I enjoyed the audio version of Hyde and Seek but admit that with my first re-read/listen of the story, I've had to adjust my rating by a smidge. I've kept my original review (below in a spoiler), which I admit is pretty long-winded and a bit dodgy. I guess that my reads have changed through the years, and my lusty love for alpha-holes has diminished a wee bit. What once appealed and made me shiver with excitement, now makes my head explode. Pushy and bossy with the intent to take control, now seems wrong. I like a strong hero but when the heroine has to fight for her opinion to be heard, and more times than not it's not listened to, it makes me a little stabby.
It was kind of weird that there were two narrators but the bloke is only in it for a couple of chapters (if that) right at the end. Why bother? The female narrator's voice was a little nasally and annoyed me a bit. She was far from the worst, but definitely not the best I've heard.
I think I forgot how young the heroine was and the age gap between herself and the hero. Age doesn't really matter to me, I just think that there can be a wee bit of frustration when two people are at different stages of life.
I was again entertained with the story and found myself engaged from beginning to end. I'm a fan of Layla Frost's writing and I can definitely see the improvement and change from Hyde and Seek to her current work. I will definitely be keeping an eye out for more audio releases by this author.
********************
Wow…and this was her first release
I really enjoyed this story about a Rock and Roll chick who likes to bake, meeting a VERY hot mechanic who’s good with his hands. Piper is trying to make a living out of her passion for baking and part of the set up is getting her van up to scratch for deliveries. Jake is the owner of Hyde where her van is getting fixed. Their initial meetings weren’t smooth because Jake has trust issues, but he also has a real desire to get to know Piper better…while fighting off all the men who want Piper too.
I enjoyed the audio version of Hyde and Seek but admit that with my first re-read/listen of the story, I've had to adjust my rating by a smidge. I've kept my original review (below in a spoiler), which I admit is pretty long-winded and a bit dodgy. I guess that my reads have changed through the years, and my lusty love for alpha-holes has diminished a wee bit. What once appealed and made me shiver with excitement, now makes my head explode. Pushy and bossy with the intent to take control, now seems wrong. I like a strong hero but when the heroine has to fight for her opinion to be heard, and more times than not it's not listened to, it makes me a little stabby.
It was kind of weird that there were two narrators but the bloke is only in it for a couple of chapters (if that) right at the end. Why bother? The female narrator's voice was a little nasally and annoyed me a bit. She was far from the worst, but definitely not the best I've heard.
I think I forgot how young the heroine was and the age gap between herself and the hero. Age doesn't really matter to me, I just think that there can be a wee bit of frustration when two people are at different stages of life.
I was again entertained with the story and found myself engaged from beginning to end. I'm a fan of Layla Frost's writing and I can definitely see the improvement and change from Hyde and Seek to her current work. I will definitely be keeping an eye out for more audio releases by this author.
********************
Wow…and this was her first release
I really enjoyed this story about a Rock and Roll chick who likes to bake, meeting a VERY hot mechanic who’s good with his hands. Piper is trying to make a living out of her passion for baking and part of the set up is getting her van up to scratch for deliveries. Jake is the owner of Hyde where her van is getting fixed. Their initial meetings weren’t smooth because Jake has trust issues, but he also has a real desire to get to know Piper better…while fighting off all the men who want Piper too.
May 20, 2020
***3.5 STARS***
What can I say about this book? Meh...it was just ok.
First, I did enjoy the author’s writing style. It is reminiscent of Kristen Ashley, especially her heroes are very alpha and in control. The pace flows quickly. There is plenty of dialogue and the premise was good. I liked the setting of an auto body shop owner with a bevy of hot badass employees. Of course the hero Jake is the baddest of them all replete with the Harley, tattoos and man bun.
Now my problems with the book. The heroine Piper is just about the most mature and sexually attractive woman in book history. First she has accomplished so much in her 20 years: a house, a restored classic muscle car and a successful bakery business. That seems a little unrealistic to me. Then the fact that every man that comes in contact with her is in love with her instantly. These are just a couple of things that stand out.
This book introduced a lot of hot bad boys and I will read their stories. If you want to read a bad boy romance this book might fit the bill for you. It just fell short for me especially after just reading a 5 star of this author’s books just prior to this.
What can I say about this book? Meh...it was just ok.
First, I did enjoy the author’s writing style. It is reminiscent of Kristen Ashley, especially her heroes are very alpha and in control. The pace flows quickly. There is plenty of dialogue and the premise was good. I liked the setting of an auto body shop owner with a bevy of hot badass employees. Of course the hero Jake is the baddest of them all replete with the Harley, tattoos and man bun.
Now my problems with the book. The heroine Piper is just about the most mature and sexually attractive woman in book history. First she has accomplished so much in her 20 years: a house, a restored classic muscle car and a successful bakery business. That seems a little unrealistic to me. Then the fact that every man that comes in contact with her is in love with her instantly. These are just a couple of things that stand out.
This book introduced a lot of hot bad boys and I will read their stories. If you want to read a bad boy romance this book might fit the bill for you. It just fell short for me especially after just reading a 5 star of this author’s books just prior to this.
February 24, 2016
2.5 Blame the Reviewer Stars
I should start off by saying that while this book most definitely didn’t knock my socks off, I think it’s more a case of “me not the book” syndrome and for a first published work it’s fairly well done. That being said, here’s a couple of things that didn’t work for me. I’m about to get my bitch on so be warned.
Let’s start with our gal, Piper. She’s smart, hardworking and delightfully snarky. She’s also one of those mythical women lucky enough to possess a magical vagina.
You read that correctly. A MAGICAL DAMNED VA JAY JAY!
That’s the only logical explanation for the fact that Each. And. Every. Man she comes into contact with is overcome with lust, though she’s endearingly oblivious to it all for the most part.
Adorbs? Not so much.
Hot guys who work on cars. Dudes that own their own nightclubs. Up and coming rock stars. Preppy men her mother finds socially acceptable. They all want her. The more sought after by the ladies the manwhore is, the more attracted to Piper he is.
No one with a functioning penis can escape her lure and I have to say, it got old pretty quickly.
You’re a quirky, somewhat edgy, tattooed baker that brings men to their knees with lust. Yeah, I got it!
The writing and story telling in general is solid, but the Kristen Ashley force is STRONG with this one. Like, a lot.
“Fuck, Piper. So fuckin’ gorgeous. Thirty-four years of color-blind, lookin’ at a lifetime of bright,” he murmured, his voice ragged.
Wait, didn’t Tate say that to Lauren in Sweet Dreams?
I know I'm a big ol' bitch and I’m not saying her writing is a direct copy of KA, but the similarities in style were enough that it kept pulling me away from the story. Could just be me, though, and I've been known to call other authors out for the very same thing, fair or not. That stilted man talk all starts to sound the same after a while.
After all my bitching, I will say there were parts of the story I definitely enjoyed. Ms. Frost can write a decently hot sex scene and though I would’ve preferred a little more story to go along with the sex, I was happy to be spared the awkwardness of poorly written sexy times.
The humor via Piper was also a huge plus and was the thing that kept this from being a DNF. While this one didn’t really work for me, I’d be interested in seeing how this author’s writing progresses in the future.
I should start off by saying that while this book most definitely didn’t knock my socks off, I think it’s more a case of “me not the book” syndrome and for a first published work it’s fairly well done. That being said, here’s a couple of things that didn’t work for me. I’m about to get my bitch on so be warned.
Let’s start with our gal, Piper. She’s smart, hardworking and delightfully snarky. She’s also one of those mythical women lucky enough to possess a magical vagina.
You read that correctly. A MAGICAL DAMNED VA JAY JAY!
That’s the only logical explanation for the fact that Each. And. Every. Man she comes into contact with is overcome with lust, though she’s endearingly oblivious to it all for the most part.
Adorbs? Not so much.
Hot guys who work on cars. Dudes that own their own nightclubs. Up and coming rock stars. Preppy men her mother finds socially acceptable. They all want her. The more sought after by the ladies the manwhore is, the more attracted to Piper he is.
No one with a functioning penis can escape her lure and I have to say, it got old pretty quickly.
You’re a quirky, somewhat edgy, tattooed baker that brings men to their knees with lust. Yeah, I got it!
The writing and story telling in general is solid, but the Kristen Ashley force is STRONG with this one. Like, a lot.
“Fuck, Piper. So fuckin’ gorgeous. Thirty-four years of color-blind, lookin’ at a lifetime of bright,” he murmured, his voice ragged.
Wait, didn’t Tate say that to Lauren in Sweet Dreams?
I know I'm a big ol' bitch and I’m not saying her writing is a direct copy of KA, but the similarities in style were enough that it kept pulling me away from the story. Could just be me, though, and I've been known to call other authors out for the very same thing, fair or not. That stilted man talk all starts to sound the same after a while.
After all my bitching, I will say there were parts of the story I definitely enjoyed. Ms. Frost can write a decently hot sex scene and though I would’ve preferred a little more story to go along with the sex, I was happy to be spared the awkwardness of poorly written sexy times.
The humor via Piper was also a huge plus and was the thing that kept this from being a DNF. While this one didn’t really work for me, I’d be interested in seeing how this author’s writing progresses in the future.
July 27, 2014
Check out this and my other reviews at My Blog
Copy received in exchange for an honest review
★Book Basics★
Genre : - Cont Romance
Series : - Book 1 in the series.
Love triangle? -
Cheating? -
HEA? -
Would I read more by this author/or in this series? - Yes
Rating 4 stars
Ok, so I have had this on my radar for quite awhile and had been waiting on it.
So, I was super pleased to get a R2R copy.
I admit to being surprised the heroine was only 20 once I started reading. Now, usually I dislike reading about such young characters, but the heroine here, was really really likeable. Had her stuff sorted pretty much, knew what she wanted out of life. She is a pretty strong character, and that was refreshing She knew her own worth, but in a very endearing way. Some of the best moments is when she is talking to herself, either out loud or in her mind! It had some truly funny moments, and they were all thanks to Piper. As a heroine, I LOVED her.
Now, this book did have some things that normally put me off a book, virgin heroine - yes, every hot male introduced in the book (of which there were an uncommonly large amount) fancying the heroine - yes, terrible ex with skanky friends - yes...
But, I just did not care. And again, it is because I fell a little in love with the heroine!
I really did like both main characters, and it has an entire cast full of very intriguing secondary characters.
As a story, I loved it, and this author has a very good knack for writing very very likeable characters.
In saying that however, certain things could have just been a bit tighter and neater for me. For example, she meets the rest of the guys through Z, but no real mention of how she met Z, just that she met him at certain "events", but it seemed a touch out of place, for Z to have even been at those sort of events in the first place.
There are an awful lot of "hot" males introduced in this book, not just the guys at Hyde, but bar owners, bands and the band members etc. There was a couple of times I had to do a search on my kindle to remind myself of who was who.
The relationship between Piper and Jake, after the initial trying to deny feelings, seemed to go from 0-60 very quickly.
At times it did jump around a bit, and went back and forth a touch, so that I was uncertain where or when a scene was exactly taking place a couple of times.
But, I really enjoyed it, it has one of my favourite heroines I think I have ever read about, and it actually managed to really surprise me about 86%, I actually gasped and went "Noooooooo", and my heart jumped, yet even though I did not see it coming AT ALL (and I usually do) you know what, it made sense. Am still a little upset though, but it was brilliant.
An excellent début from this author, and one to watch.
Copy received in exchange for an honest review
★Book Basics★
Genre : - Cont Romance
Series : - Book 1 in the series.
Love triangle? -
Cheating? -
HEA? -
Would I read more by this author/or in this series? - Yes
Rating 4 stars
Ok, so I have had this on my radar for quite awhile and had been waiting on it.
So, I was super pleased to get a R2R copy.
I admit to being surprised the heroine was only 20 once I started reading. Now, usually I dislike reading about such young characters, but the heroine here, was really really likeable. Had her stuff sorted pretty much, knew what she wanted out of life. She is a pretty strong character, and that was refreshing She knew her own worth, but in a very endearing way. Some of the best moments is when she is talking to herself, either out loud or in her mind! It had some truly funny moments, and they were all thanks to Piper. As a heroine, I LOVED her.
Now, this book did have some things that normally put me off a book, virgin heroine - yes, every hot male introduced in the book (of which there were an uncommonly large amount) fancying the heroine - yes, terrible ex with skanky friends - yes...
But, I just did not care. And again, it is because I fell a little in love with the heroine!
I really did like both main characters, and it has an entire cast full of very intriguing secondary characters.
As a story, I loved it, and this author has a very good knack for writing very very likeable characters.
In saying that however, certain things could have just been a bit tighter and neater for me. For example, she meets the rest of the guys through Z, but no real mention of how she met Z, just that she met him at certain "events", but it seemed a touch out of place, for Z to have even been at those sort of events in the first place.
There are an awful lot of "hot" males introduced in this book, not just the guys at Hyde, but bar owners, bands and the band members etc. There was a couple of times I had to do a search on my kindle to remind myself of who was who.
The relationship between Piper and Jake, after the initial trying to deny feelings, seemed to go from 0-60 very quickly.
At times it did jump around a bit, and went back and forth a touch, so that I was uncertain where or when a scene was exactly taking place a couple of times.
But, I really enjoyed it, it has one of my favourite heroines I think I have ever read about, and it actually managed to really surprise me about 86%, I actually gasped and went "Noooooooo", and my heart jumped, yet even though I did not see it coming AT ALL (and I usually do) you know what, it made sense. Am still a little upset though, but it was brilliant.
An excellent début from this author, and one to watch.
March 27, 2015
Re-read 22/11/2015
4 Sweets stars
This was a really enjoyable read especially for a first-time author. I was actually impressed this was her first book. Yes, it wasn't mind blowing or flawless but it was entertaining, amusing, sweet, no one made me wanna smash my tablet, the scene and the characters sucked me in and made me wanna read more, all the makings of great book!
Piper Skye is a rock chick baker.
She's twenty, still studying and trying to get her business off the ground. She was more put together than any twenty-year old I'd ever met but it didn't really strike me as odd. She knew what she wanted and worked hard to get it. Absolute dedication to her dream. I admired that. Not everyone is lucky enough to stumble on their calling and follow it. She did have a few aspects about her though that did seem unrealistic later on but those blips didn't stop me from enjoying the read, more like frown a bit and move on.
One fine day she takes her delivery van to a custom auto garage and there begins the hot guy parade. One hot guy after another, and all different. Blue eyes, green eyes, dimples, blond hair, dark hair, dreadlocks, you name it they got it.
I wanna know where this garage is. I have a sudden need to upgrade my car!
Anyway, there she meets Jake who is apparently the hottest of the hot.
Jake is broody, moody and bossy as well as ridiculously hot.He initially appears not to be interested but things soon change. The hot guy parade embraces Piper, with her baked goods, in their gang and her interaction with them and consequently Jake leads to big changes in her life. More hot guys get introduced to the story which I thought was a bit over the top and a fair portion of them fancy Piper prompting Jake to get off his ass and make his move.
While there were some cliches in the book, an overflow of hot guys and some work needed on the chapter changes I enjoyed reading it too much to care. Along with a nice twist towards the end which I did not see coming this was one of the great reads of the year so far.
4 Sweets stars
This was a really enjoyable read especially for a first-time author. I was actually impressed this was her first book. Yes, it wasn't mind blowing or flawless but it was entertaining, amusing, sweet, no one made me wanna smash my tablet, the scene and the characters sucked me in and made me wanna read more, all the makings of great book!
Piper Skye is a rock chick baker.
She's twenty, still studying and trying to get her business off the ground. She was more put together than any twenty-year old I'd ever met but it didn't really strike me as odd. She knew what she wanted and worked hard to get it. Absolute dedication to her dream. I admired that. Not everyone is lucky enough to stumble on their calling and follow it. She did have a few aspects about her though that did seem unrealistic later on but those blips didn't stop me from enjoying the read, more like frown a bit and move on.
One fine day she takes her delivery van to a custom auto garage and there begins the hot guy parade. One hot guy after another, and all different. Blue eyes, green eyes, dimples, blond hair, dark hair, dreadlocks, you name it they got it.
I wanna know where this garage is. I have a sudden need to upgrade my car!
Anyway, there she meets Jake who is apparently the hottest of the hot.
Jake is broody, moody and bossy as well as ridiculously hot.He initially appears not to be interested but things soon change. The hot guy parade embraces Piper, with her baked goods, in their gang and her interaction with them and consequently Jake leads to big changes in her life. More hot guys get introduced to the story which I thought was a bit over the top and a fair portion of them fancy Piper prompting Jake to get off his ass and make his move.
While there were some cliches in the book, an overflow of hot guys and some work needed on the chapter changes I enjoyed reading it too much to care. Along with a nice twist towards the end which I did not see coming this was one of the great reads of the year so far.
July 22, 2016
Reread August 2017
**4.5 Stars on Reread**
I enjoyed this more this time. Things didn't bother me as much. I really liked Piper and of course LOVED Jake even if he had a few douchecanoe moments. BUT, he had a lot of swoon worthy moments too that kind of negate the bad.
I really hope Ms Frost is going to continue this series. There's so many characters who need books pronto!
Original review July 2016
So, let me begin by saying I teetered between stars this whole damn book. There were parts I loved and couldn’t get enough of and others…well let’s just say I didn’t love them. I stuck it out and once I made it to about the 40% mark, it was really good and I didn’t feel the need to throw my iPad across the room.
What I did like:
♦ The writing flowed well. I didn’t realize this was a debut novel. I never felt the need to skim
♦ I loved Piper for the most part. I liked that, though she was young, she was still independent,
smart and funny. I loved that she was different and enjoyed doing her own thing and being her own person
♦ Once Jake got his ass out of his head, he was the kind of hero I love. That dirty talking OTT alpha. I loved how he took care of Piper in any way he could. She never had to ask for a thing and he just knew her…he got her and all her quirks.
♦ I loved all the guys in the garage and can’t wait to read their books
♦ I was totally surprised at the baddie. There were lots of people who could have potentially been the one but I was really caught out in left field on that one. Kudos to the author for making it so hard to figure out.
♦ And the end? Well, let’s just say I was crying buckets of tears it was so beautiful and sweet.
So what I didn’t like:
♦ Everyone was just too good looking and hot. Not just “good looking” but OTT hotness.
♦ Piper was a little too perfect in the guys’ eyes. She had all these guys wanting her. Yeah, I get she was special and I had a girl crush going on too but she wasn’t THAT special.
♦ Piper’s inner monologue in the beginning on said hotness of guys. It continued on for quite some time and it had me rolling my eyes…a lot.
♦ Same with Jake. Yeah, he was total badass hotness but why did every girl in the room need hosing down when he walked by?
♦ Jake’s reaction to Piper’s Not cool dude…
♦ Sometimes the things he said to her pissed me off. She should have baked his balls in a cake
♦ I really, really wished I’d had Jake’s POV other than just a few paragraphs at the end. I think it would have helped to understand him a little better and where his head was at so he didn’t come across as a douche at times.
So, overall, I enjoyed it. Did I love it? No…but I liked it. I decided on 3.5 stars but I’m rounding it up to 4 because it did keep me engaged and reading and I actually stayed up way past my bedtime to finish because I felt invested enough in the characters that I had to know what happened.
Moving on to Kase!
**4.5 Stars on Reread**
I enjoyed this more this time. Things didn't bother me as much. I really liked Piper and of course LOVED Jake even if he had a few douchecanoe moments. BUT, he had a lot of swoon worthy moments too that kind of negate the bad.
I really hope Ms Frost is going to continue this series. There's so many characters who need books pronto!
Original review July 2016
So, let me begin by saying I teetered between stars this whole damn book. There were parts I loved and couldn’t get enough of and others…well let’s just say I didn’t love them. I stuck it out and once I made it to about the 40% mark, it was really good and I didn’t feel the need to throw my iPad across the room.
What I did like:
♦ The writing flowed well. I didn’t realize this was a debut novel. I never felt the need to skim
♦ I loved Piper for the most part. I liked that, though she was young, she was still independent,
smart and funny. I loved that she was different and enjoyed doing her own thing and being her own person
♦ Once Jake got his ass out of his head, he was the kind of hero I love. That dirty talking OTT alpha. I loved how he took care of Piper in any way he could. She never had to ask for a thing and he just knew her…he got her and all her quirks.
♦ I loved all the guys in the garage and can’t wait to read their books
♦ I was totally surprised at the baddie. There were lots of people who could have potentially been the one but I was really caught out in left field on that one. Kudos to the author for making it so hard to figure out.
♦ And the end? Well, let’s just say I was crying buckets of tears it was so beautiful and sweet.
So what I didn’t like:
♦ Everyone was just too good looking and hot. Not just “good looking” but OTT hotness.
♦ Piper was a little too perfect in the guys’ eyes. She had all these guys wanting her. Yeah, I get she was special and I had a girl crush going on too but she wasn’t THAT special.
♦ Piper’s inner monologue in the beginning on said hotness of guys. It continued on for quite some time and it had me rolling my eyes…a lot.
♦ Same with Jake. Yeah, he was total badass hotness but why did every girl in the room need hosing down when he walked by?
♦ Jake’s reaction to Piper’s Not cool dude…
♦ Sometimes the things he said to her pissed me off. She should have baked his balls in a cake
♦ I really, really wished I’d had Jake’s POV other than just a few paragraphs at the end. I think it would have helped to understand him a little better and where his head was at so he didn’t come across as a douche at times.
So, overall, I enjoyed it. Did I love it? No…but I liked it. I decided on 3.5 stars but I’m rounding it up to 4 because it did keep me engaged and reading and I actually stayed up way past my bedtime to finish because I felt invested enough in the characters that I had to know what happened.
Moving on to Kase!
February 11, 2017
10 Mr. Bossy Pants Stars!
I LOVED this book! It had everything I could ask for.
-Kick ass heroine. check.
-Growly, dominant hero. check.
-Fun side characters. check.
I've always hated heroines that don't stand up for themselves or flip out when other women try to come in between the couple. Piper was awesome. She didn't take shit from Jake or anyone else. She didn't play games or jump to conclusions and always gave Jake the benefit of the doubt when a woman tried to interfere.
For once it wasn't just Piper having to deal with every woman wanting Jake, we also got to see Jake having to deal with other men wanting Piper. It was nice to see it not be so one sided. That has always been a pet peeve of mine.
This couple wasn't perfect. Jake had a few asshole moments and normally that would put me off but I think because Piper handled it so well, it just didn't bother me. She wasn't perfect either. She had her own insecurities but I just loved how the author treated each situation. They communicated, imagine that.
The plot twist towards the end surprised me so it wasn't predictable. I enjoyed all the side characters and would happily read a book on each and every one of them and it was just a overall fun read.
I LOVED this book! It had everything I could ask for.
-Kick ass heroine. check.
-Growly, dominant hero. check.
-Fun side characters. check.
I've always hated heroines that don't stand up for themselves or flip out when other women try to come in between the couple. Piper was awesome. She didn't take shit from Jake or anyone else. She didn't play games or jump to conclusions and always gave Jake the benefit of the doubt when a woman tried to interfere.
For once it wasn't just Piper having to deal with every woman wanting Jake, we also got to see Jake having to deal with other men wanting Piper. It was nice to see it not be so one sided. That has always been a pet peeve of mine.
This couple wasn't perfect. Jake had a few asshole moments and normally that would put me off but I think because Piper handled it so well, it just didn't bother me. She wasn't perfect either. She had her own insecurities but I just loved how the author treated each situation. They communicated, imagine that.
The plot twist towards the end surprised me so it wasn't predictable. I enjoyed all the side characters and would happily read a book on each and every one of them and it was just a overall fun read.
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March 21, 2015Update 11/15/2019-
FREE for the first time EVER!
Coming April 2, 2015!
Edited to add: No, I'm not going to rate my own book. That would be like high-fiving myself. Which is technically clapping, I guess...
Updated 3/31
Just a little over a day!!
FREE for the first time EVER!
Coming April 2, 2015!
Edited to add: No, I'm not going to rate my own book. That would be like high-fiving myself. Which is technically clapping, I guess...
Updated 3/31
Just a little over a day!!
August 28, 2022
3 stars
Hyde & Seek is my second Layla Frost book and it was enjoyable for me. I loved Piper and Jake’s romance. They were sweet together and Jake was the type of alpha male we all know and love. Piper herself wasn’t an issue for me, but she was the kind of girl that EVERYONE wanted. Does this exist in real life? LOL. Seriously though it was wild and a bit excessive. Still, I loved that she was a baker and I had fun through a lot of this one. It was a bit on the long side and the drama at the end was a lot, but I liked it!
Hyde & Seek is my second Layla Frost book and it was enjoyable for me. I loved Piper and Jake’s romance. They were sweet together and Jake was the type of alpha male we all know and love. Piper herself wasn’t an issue for me, but she was the kind of girl that EVERYONE wanted. Does this exist in real life? LOL. Seriously though it was wild and a bit excessive. Still, I loved that she was a baker and I had fun through a lot of this one. It was a bit on the long side and the drama at the end was a lot, but I liked it!
Audio book source: Hoopla
Story Rating: 3 stars
Narrators: Alex Kydd & Lauren Sweet
Narration Rating: 4 stars
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Length: 12h 6m
February 18, 2016
2.5 Stars
SO someone was drinking the KA kool-aid while writing this book...
This one was just OK for me. I LOVED Piper, she was one of the best heroine's I have ever read. Her inner musings were HILARIOUS. She also didn't take shit from Jake, or go running and crying at the first sign of OW. A refreshing change of pace that. Jake I didn't like as much. He was pretty much an ass, oh and writers, this is now the third book I have read in a short time period where the hero starts to get it on with the heroine, finds out she's a virgin, and acts like a complete and utter douchenoodle and runs screaming into the night. Virginity is not the plague for gods sake! Jake was also a little on the, ummm, how shall I put this...pussy side sometimes. He was either OTT alpha, or he suddenly grew a vagina! Don't even get me started on how many times these two said "I LOVE YOU" I betting it was into the hundreds.
I also found this book dragged through the middle part, nothing really happened (except for excessive use of "I LOVE YOU" and then all of a sudden we have this totally out of left field stalking plot. Don't get me started on how annoyed I was by who the stalker turned out to be!
Overall, this was just an OK read for me. Though I will be moving on at some point to read Kase's book, and I REALLY want a book about Rhys the Dom!
Side Note: Jacoby is a horrible and awkward douchy name, not the name of a bad ass tatted up Harley rider. I'm sorry, but I cringed and died a little inside every time Piper used that name.
Side Note Two: Jake appears to have magical pant changing abilities. He goes to a benefit with a tux on, then him and Piper get in a limo to leave, and all of a sudden he has jeans on, then they get home and he is back in the tux?! Maybe Jacoby is just magic like that...
SO someone was drinking the KA kool-aid while writing this book...
This one was just OK for me. I LOVED Piper, she was one of the best heroine's I have ever read. Her inner musings were HILARIOUS. She also didn't take shit from Jake, or go running and crying at the first sign of OW. A refreshing change of pace that. Jake I didn't like as much. He was pretty much an ass, oh and writers, this is now the third book I have read in a short time period where the hero starts to get it on with the heroine, finds out she's a virgin, and acts like a complete and utter douchenoodle and runs screaming into the night. Virginity is not the plague for gods sake! Jake was also a little on the, ummm, how shall I put this...pussy side sometimes. He was either OTT alpha, or he suddenly grew a vagina! Don't even get me started on how many times these two said "I LOVE YOU" I betting it was into the hundreds.
I also found this book dragged through the middle part, nothing really happened (except for excessive use of "I LOVE YOU" and then all of a sudden we have this totally out of left field stalking plot. Don't get me started on how annoyed I was by who the stalker turned out to be!
Overall, this was just an OK read for me. Though I will be moving on at some point to read Kase's book, and I REALLY want a book about Rhys the Dom!
Side Note: Jacoby is a horrible and awkward douchy name, not the name of a bad ass tatted up Harley rider. I'm sorry, but I cringed and died a little inside every time Piper used that name.
Side Note Two: Jake appears to have magical pant changing abilities. He goes to a benefit with a tux on, then him and Piper get in a limo to leave, and all of a sudden he has jeans on, then they get home and he is back in the tux?! Maybe Jacoby is just magic like that...
March 14, 2016
I really liked how grumpy, grunty and domineering Jake was and how strong willed and independent Piper was. Still, it was a struggle to keep reading up to the 25/30% mark. It wasn't awful at that point but it was annoying.
Everyone wanted Piper and not just for their usual quick fuck, but to keep because she was so special.
But when they actually got together and that over the top shit calmed down it was a much better book. The sex was pretty hot and I didn't guess the bad guy. Even the cheesy ending was okay because it fit their characters.
Piper was feisty, didn't back down or chase after Jake and actually possessed a fully functioning brain.
Jake was how I like my men - a proper MAN, none of that self-tanning, boat shoe , skinny jean wearing, over the top sappy shit.
I did find the parts with Piper's Mother boring. The whole evil controlling parent thing has been over done for me so I did skim those parts a little.
This author has a lot of potential - if she pulls back on the clichés, perfect magical lady garden heroines, and everything calms down a little, she could produce some decent books.
Everyone wanted Piper and not just for their usual quick fuck, but to keep because she was so special.
But when they actually got together and that over the top shit calmed down it was a much better book. The sex was pretty hot and I didn't guess the bad guy. Even the cheesy ending was okay because it fit their characters.
Piper was feisty, didn't back down or chase after Jake and actually possessed a fully functioning brain.
Jake was how I like my men - a proper MAN, none of that self-tanning, boat shoe , skinny jean wearing, over the top sappy shit.
I did find the parts with Piper's Mother boring. The whole evil controlling parent thing has been over done for me so I did skim those parts a little.
This author has a lot of potential - if she pulls back on the clichés, perfect magical lady garden heroines, and everything calms down a little, she could produce some decent books.
August 6, 2016
I am the absolute worst at writing reviews for books I do not like. With that being said, I hope you know my intent is not to be malicious or undermine the opinion of those who enjoyed this book.
This is the story of Piper, a twenty-year-old business major who's starting up her baking business. She has a chance encounter with Jake Hyde, owner of a prestigious garage. Jake's your standard alpha-male-biker-dude. Their relationship runs hot and cold before heating up all the way.
Piper is a virgin, I liked how her POV narration addressed her virginity:
In general, I thought that Piper was pretty worthy of a reader's respect, because she didn't stand for Jake's bullshit.
However, Piper's character is also contrived of stereotypes; namely the "virgin-girl-who-doesn't-know-she's-smoking-hot-everyone-wants-to-bang-her-or-be-her" trope, THIS TROPE IS TIRED, CAN WE JUST RETIRE IT ONCE AND FOR ALL. Give me a cocky, snarky, bitch who's hot and knows it and says a big fuck you to anyone who doesn't think she's hella fine, I JUST WANT SOMETHING DIFFERENT PLEASE.
Don't get me wrong, Piper could definitely be snarky, in fact, some of her thoughts were LAUGH OUT LOUD funny.
Unfortunately, for me personally, that wasn't enough to redeem her character. I couldn't get past the way she treated women who didn't like her (she was especially condescending towards their appearances; if you're confronting someone, bringing up their appearance is petty), and the way she was convinced she didn't have many friends when literally 50% of the story was evidence of the fact that she had girlfriends who loved and supported her, and guy-friends who all want to get with her - this girl was getting propositioned in some way in EVERY SINGLE CHAPTER. Also the descriptions of her outfits and makeup were annoying. OH, also apparently she was super busy? Because yeah college and starting up a business? HELLA CHALLENGING. But we literally never get a glimpse of her doing anything but socializing and shit. She's always talking about how busy she is, but there's ONE mention of her doing homework. So like the whole believablity (that's not a word, but it should be) of her so-called full-calendar? FLOPPED.
There wasn't much substance to Jake. He was demanding. He called Piper "sweets" because ... wait for it ... she smells ... SWEET ... because ... well ... SHE BAKES A LOT ... creative, right? It's a little better than what Piper calls Jake ... Jacoby ... *vomits*. Their relationship was nothing short of corny. I didn't get a sense of any build-up, it was INSTALOVE. They were declaring their love for each other pretty instantly, then they were getting their names tattooed on each other, and then they were engaged.
There were a few scenes about birth control that I thought were approached fairly well. I did not particularly enjoy any of the dialogue throughout the story - it all felt really stilted and scripted, the birth control scenes were not an exception, but I liked that they brought to light discussion of methods of contraception.
There was an added "stalker" element, which I think was intended to build tension, but failed miserably because it didn't receive enough attention until the climax. You can't expect a nonsensical plot-twist to have an impact when it wasn't built-up throughout the story. I'm going to give credit where credit it due, here: I could be being especially harsh on this plot-twist because I'm still reeling from the stupidity of the Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Parts One and Two plot twist. So we'll let it slide.
The story was told solely from Piper's POV, but around the climax, there's a shift, and Jake's narration is added. In general, I hate when books do this. This hatred isn't limited to this book. But this book is most definitely not an exception.
Overall, I'm annoyed at myself for making THIS the 100th book I've read this year, I wish it could have gone to something I actually enjoyed. I was considering reading the next book in this series, which follows Kase (a Hawaiian Columbian), but one of his last lines in Hyde and Seek was:
I'm going to have to settle with the rash judgment that he's probably just as much of a fool as most of the characters in this book.
This is the story of Piper, a twenty-year-old business major who's starting up her baking business. She has a chance encounter with Jake Hyde, owner of a prestigious garage. Jake's your standard alpha-male-biker-dude. Their relationship runs hot and cold before heating up all the way.
Piper is a virgin, I liked how her POV narration addressed her virginity:
“My virginity isn’t something to be ashamed of.”
“I didn’t—”
“Yeah, I don’t have a ton of experience. And, thanks to you, what little I have now involves you being an asshole.”
“I’m s—”
“And, honestly, that whole situation was beyond fucked up. You didn’t want to have sex? Fine, but be cool about it. You wanted to slow down, talk, hammer out the details? Also fine. But what you did? Fucked up, Jake, seriously.” I slammed my juice down with enough force that some spilled. “I still don’t even know what your fuckin’ problem was!” I lifted my hands in exasperation, flinging the crumbs off my napkin.
“If you’d stop interruptin’—”
“Now you know how it feels,” I snapped, my eyes narrowing as I glared at him.”
In general, I thought that Piper was pretty worthy of a reader's respect, because she didn't stand for Jake's bullshit.
However, Piper's character is also contrived of stereotypes; namely the "virgin-girl-who-doesn't-know-she's-smoking-hot-everyone-wants-to-bang-her-or-be-her" trope, THIS TROPE IS TIRED, CAN WE JUST RETIRE IT ONCE AND FOR ALL. Give me a cocky, snarky, bitch who's hot and knows it and says a big fuck you to anyone who doesn't think she's hella fine, I JUST WANT SOMETHING DIFFERENT PLEASE.
Don't get me wrong, Piper could definitely be snarky, in fact, some of her thoughts were LAUGH OUT LOUD funny.
Unfortunately, for me personally, that wasn't enough to redeem her character. I couldn't get past the way she treated women who didn't like her (she was especially condescending towards their appearances; if you're confronting someone, bringing up their appearance is petty), and the way she was convinced she didn't have many friends when literally 50% of the story was evidence of the fact that she had girlfriends who loved and supported her, and guy-friends who all want to get with her - this girl was getting propositioned in some way in EVERY SINGLE CHAPTER. Also the descriptions of her outfits and makeup were annoying. OH, also apparently she was super busy? Because yeah college and starting up a business? HELLA CHALLENGING. But we literally never get a glimpse of her doing anything but socializing and shit. She's always talking about how busy she is, but there's ONE mention of her doing homework. So like the whole believablity (that's not a word, but it should be) of her so-called full-calendar? FLOPPED.
There wasn't much substance to Jake. He was demanding. He called Piper "sweets" because ... wait for it ... she smells ... SWEET ... because ... well ... SHE BAKES A LOT ... creative, right? It's a little better than what Piper calls Jake ... Jacoby ... *vomits*. Their relationship was nothing short of corny. I didn't get a sense of any build-up, it was INSTALOVE. They were declaring their love for each other pretty instantly, then they were getting their names tattooed on each other, and then they were engaged.
There were a few scenes about birth control that I thought were approached fairly well. I did not particularly enjoy any of the dialogue throughout the story - it all felt really stilted and scripted, the birth control scenes were not an exception, but I liked that they brought to light discussion of methods of contraception.
There was an added "stalker" element, which I think was intended to build tension, but failed miserably because it didn't receive enough attention until the climax. You can't expect a nonsensical plot-twist to have an impact when it wasn't built-up throughout the story. I'm going to give credit where credit it due, here: I could be being especially harsh on this plot-twist because I'm still reeling from the stupidity of the Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Parts One and Two plot twist. So we'll let it slide.
The story was told solely from Piper's POV, but around the climax, there's a shift, and Jake's narration is added. In general, I hate when books do this. This hatred isn't limited to this book. But this book is most definitely not an exception.
Overall, I'm annoyed at myself for making THIS the 100th book I've read this year, I wish it could have gone to something I actually enjoyed. I was considering reading the next book in this series, which follows Kase (a Hawaiian Columbian), but one of his last lines in Hyde and Seek was:
“My secret fetish has always been to fuck a chick with fake titties. Especially one whose snatch is probably so loose by now that it’d be like throwing a hot dog down a hallway.”
I'm going to have to settle with the rash judgment that he's probably just as much of a fool as most of the characters in this book.
March 13, 2015
Piper Skye needs some custom work done on her van, which she uses to deliver her specialty cakes. She walks into hot mechanic heaven, aka Hyde’s, and what usually happens? Romance, of course.
- A really enjoyable custom biker fairy tale : It’s a heightened reality of "hot virgin heroine meeting an entire cavalcade of hot men" (they grow on trees in this stretch of Massachusetts, it seems),all of whom want her and all her sweetness. It reminded me of Kristen Ashley's Rock Chick series in the best way possible. That there's potential for all those hotties to get their own books is a bonus.
- Piper’s young, but not TSTL : Piper’s 20 and running a specialty cake business on the side while going to school full time. She’s a Mary Sue in terms of characters, but her humorous inner monologue saves her from being too perfectly annoying. She’s a bit wacky, but she’s very level headed when it comes to relationships and loving Jake. It was refreshing to see her be the rational one, the one who doesn’t jump to conclusions and has faith in her man. Now Jake...
- Welcome to your alpha hero Jake : Jacoby “Jake” Hyde is your classic bossy alpha caveman, verging on alpha-hole, though he pulls it back from the domineering edge and apologizes when he screws up. His possessive and protectiveness over Piper was sweet, but ….
- If he were a heroine, I’d slap him upside the head : I have to say his irrational insecurity about Piper’s feelings, although it only came out a couple of times, drove me nuts. If the roles were reversed, I’m pretty sure that Piper would get alot of flack for that level of mistrust, so I have to hold him to the same standard. That he would essentially think that Piper would somehow turn into a ho when she’d never slept with anyone else, irked me.
- The twist was great, but : I would have liked mystery integrated a little more seamlessly into the overall story. It felt as if there was alot of information imparted in the final pages that could have been parsed out throughout the story to really amp up the tension of the stalker subplot. That said, I really liked that it was a surprise, it tied up several loose plot threads together and was a true dramatic climax.
- Minor issue with timejumps/switches : Sometimes it wasn’t as clear when Piper was having a flashback or jumping forward in time. This wasn’t horrible, just noticeable at certain times.
A very enjoyable debut by Ms. Frost. Piper’s funny inner monologue was entertaining and the romance had the right balance of fantasy and smutty. I’m eager to read more in this series.
**ARC provided by author in exchange for an honest review**
For more reviews, visit
“Sometimes the road to your happily ever after is on the back of a bike with a badass knight that would kick the prince’s ass if he came near you.”
- A really enjoyable custom biker fairy tale : It’s a heightened reality of "hot virgin heroine meeting an entire cavalcade of hot men" (they grow on trees in this stretch of Massachusetts, it seems),all of whom want her and all her sweetness. It reminded me of Kristen Ashley's Rock Chick series in the best way possible. That there's potential for all those hotties to get their own books is a bonus.
- Piper’s young, but not TSTL : Piper’s 20 and running a specialty cake business on the side while going to school full time. She’s a Mary Sue in terms of characters, but her humorous inner monologue saves her from being too perfectly annoying. She’s a bit wacky, but she’s very level headed when it comes to relationships and loving Jake. It was refreshing to see her be the rational one, the one who doesn’t jump to conclusions and has faith in her man. Now Jake...
- Welcome to your alpha hero Jake : Jacoby “Jake” Hyde is your classic bossy alpha caveman, verging on alpha-hole, though he pulls it back from the domineering edge and apologizes when he screws up. His possessive and protectiveness over Piper was sweet, but ….
- If he were a heroine, I’d slap him upside the head : I have to say his irrational insecurity about Piper’s feelings, although it only came out a couple of times, drove me nuts. If the roles were reversed, I’m pretty sure that Piper would get alot of flack for that level of mistrust, so I have to hold him to the same standard. That he would essentially think that Piper would somehow turn into a ho when she’d never slept with anyone else, irked me.
- The twist was great, but : I would have liked mystery integrated a little more seamlessly into the overall story. It felt as if there was alot of information imparted in the final pages that could have been parsed out throughout the story to really amp up the tension of the stalker subplot. That said, I really liked that it was a surprise, it tied up several loose plot threads together and was a true dramatic climax.
- Minor issue with timejumps/switches : Sometimes it wasn’t as clear when Piper was having a flashback or jumping forward in time. This wasn’t horrible, just noticeable at certain times.
A very enjoyable debut by Ms. Frost. Piper’s funny inner monologue was entertaining and the romance had the right balance of fantasy and smutty. I’m eager to read more in this series.
**ARC provided by author in exchange for an honest review**
For more reviews, visit
June 27, 2021
4.5 stars for my first Layla Frost book
This might be my first, but it’s not going to be my last. I am very interested in reading the next book in the series.
This book is told primarily in Piper’s perspective, the h in the book. Piper is getting some work done on her van at Hyde shop. There she meets a bunch of the guys and Jake, the H. The beginning is kind of rough in figuring out who the main guy is, but little by little, we start to see how jealous Jake gets whenever she gets the attention from the other guys. All the guys tell her how attractive and gorgeous she is, and they are all handsome and hot as well. She bakes for a living, which is why she has a van, but she also goes to school. Jake Hyde, the owner, is instantly attracted to her, just like she is instantly attracted to him. The chemistry started igniting pretty early in the book, but they don’t immediately move forward to the next step.
Piper is only 20, about to turn 21, and Jake is in his 30s. One of his biggest insecurities is that he is a lot older than her, which bothers him more than it bothers her. Additionally, Piper wants to be able to do things on her own. She might look like a traditional woman, but underneath she is a rock lover her at heart. She has tattoos and piercings, loves rock music and other genres as well, and is not as judgmental as society would expect her to be. Her mother is a judgy person. Her mom has expectations of what she needs to do for a living, who she is to marry, and how she needs to behave. Because of that, Piper is the opposite of her. And dating someone like Jake is problematic. Jake is one of those men that will forever be a bachelor- never dating, never getting serious. Until he meets Piper. And because of that, there are women from his past that try to tell her that she’s nobody to him. Other issues come up, but we do get an HEA.
Of course, the chemistry is off the chain. Even though they were many men that were interested in her, Jake was the one she had the strongest connection to. The sexy times were 🥵🔥. They could not keep their hands off each other. Finding out Piper is a virgin bothered Jake, but eventually, the pull was too strong, and thank God it was 😅🤤😉. Jake was always so focused on Piper- I loved it all!
⚠️ safety squad⚠️ (spoilers ahead)
-no cheating
-OWD- one OW is an official ex of H. She tries to create problems, but H quickly puts her in her place so that h never feels threatened by her. The other guys also put her in her place
-OWD- the other OW that appears earlier in the book has hooked up with H and others (I think). She tells h that she’s no one (all before H and h hook up). She gets put in her place quickly by one of the guys and eventually the H bans her from his and other businesses.
-OM are interested in h, one basically tells her to leave H and gets too close/touches h (he gets his @$$ kicked though). Another ends up being a stalker, and another kisses h when he tries to win her heart
-there’s a situation where OM starts to s€xuall¥ assault h, but it doesn’t fully happen
This might be my first, but it’s not going to be my last. I am very interested in reading the next book in the series.
This book is told primarily in Piper’s perspective, the h in the book. Piper is getting some work done on her van at Hyde shop. There she meets a bunch of the guys and Jake, the H. The beginning is kind of rough in figuring out who the main guy is, but little by little, we start to see how jealous Jake gets whenever she gets the attention from the other guys. All the guys tell her how attractive and gorgeous she is, and they are all handsome and hot as well. She bakes for a living, which is why she has a van, but she also goes to school. Jake Hyde, the owner, is instantly attracted to her, just like she is instantly attracted to him. The chemistry started igniting pretty early in the book, but they don’t immediately move forward to the next step.
Piper is only 20, about to turn 21, and Jake is in his 30s. One of his biggest insecurities is that he is a lot older than her, which bothers him more than it bothers her. Additionally, Piper wants to be able to do things on her own. She might look like a traditional woman, but underneath she is a rock lover her at heart. She has tattoos and piercings, loves rock music and other genres as well, and is not as judgmental as society would expect her to be. Her mother is a judgy person. Her mom has expectations of what she needs to do for a living, who she is to marry, and how she needs to behave. Because of that, Piper is the opposite of her. And dating someone like Jake is problematic. Jake is one of those men that will forever be a bachelor- never dating, never getting serious. Until he meets Piper. And because of that, there are women from his past that try to tell her that she’s nobody to him. Other issues come up, but we do get an HEA.
Of course, the chemistry is off the chain. Even though they were many men that were interested in her, Jake was the one she had the strongest connection to. The sexy times were 🥵🔥. They could not keep their hands off each other. Finding out Piper is a virgin bothered Jake, but eventually, the pull was too strong, and thank God it was 😅🤤😉. Jake was always so focused on Piper- I loved it all!
⚠️ safety squad⚠️ (spoilers ahead)
-no cheating
-OWD- one OW is an official ex of H. She tries to create problems, but H quickly puts her in her place so that h never feels threatened by her. The other guys also put her in her place
-OWD- the other OW that appears earlier in the book has hooked up with H and others (I think). She tells h that she’s no one (all before H and h hook up). She gets put in her place quickly by one of the guys and eventually the H bans her from his and other businesses.
-OM are interested in h, one basically tells her to leave H and gets too close/touches h (he gets his @$$ kicked though). Another ends up being a stalker, and another kisses h when he tries to win her heart
-there’s a situation where OM starts to s€xuall¥ assault h, but it doesn’t fully happen
Did Not Finish
April 8, 2015I give up, this book annoyed me too much to finish reading it. The author borrowed heavily from Kristen Ashely for her writing style but was a very poor imitation of it. Most of the book is in first person from the heroine's point of view which is hard to deal with because she is very immature and her thoughts are very annoying. I am not rating the book because I couldn't make it past 10%.
March 22, 2015
Ladies and Gentlemen, gather around. I also require you attention for I am about to serious
This was my review on Hyde and Seek from 3rd April.2 Stars
So when I see the other reviews on this book I think that I'm broken, maybe coldhearted or emotionally detached. Please realise that I'm also in the minority when it comes to this book. I checked I only found one 3 star Review. This is also only my personal opinion.
It is a good solid start to the series and there were times where I was invested and it was really good but then it kind of waned but suddenly picked up again.
All the characters are well developed and unique. But there is too much perfection. They are all hot. The heroine is everyone's wet dream come to as well as the hero being the same.
At the Age of 20 the heroine really had her head screwed on. She was at college studying Business. She was setting up her bakery on the side. She had her own house and her own Dodge Charger. See, where I'm going with this?
The book is funny and the banter is great but I just wasn't feeling it.
After reading the book again this is what I think about my review:
MY FIRST REVIEW WAS UTTER BOLLOCKS!!!!!!!
So my new and brand spanking review
Piper Skye is a confident young woman who is studying at college while also trying to set up her own business “Piper’s Cakes” To get her van fixed as everything needs to be cooler she goes to Hyde where she meets Jake Hyde. The grumpy rude arse.
Jake Hyde has become bitter and cynical over the years and can’t trust Piper’s sweetness due to the ex. He also feels like a pervy old man due to the age difference. I loved all the characters yeah I know complete 180 turn here. Sue me! I would like to see Rhys get a book and I would also like to see the Xtrmers (think that is the name of the band) get a book as well. So many possibilities.
The sex scenes were hot and they were great together. The banter was hilarious. There was also deep meaning to the aspects of the book as well.
“Love’s anarchy. There are no rules, no rhyme or reason. You can’t control it. You can fight to keep it and lose. Or fight to keep it away and lose. Or win, depending. Love’s chaos. It’s mayhem.
Well I most certainly didn’t see that ending coming. I don’t want to give too much away.
I can’t wait for the next one and then I will read it when I’m in the right frame of mind.
This was my review on Hyde and Seek from 3rd April.2 Stars
So when I see the other reviews on this book I think that I'm broken, maybe coldhearted or emotionally detached. Please realise that I'm also in the minority when it comes to this book. I checked I only found one 3 star Review. This is also only my personal opinion.
It is a good solid start to the series and there were times where I was invested and it was really good but then it kind of waned but suddenly picked up again.
All the characters are well developed and unique. But there is too much perfection. They are all hot. The heroine is everyone's wet dream come to as well as the hero being the same.
At the Age of 20 the heroine really had her head screwed on. She was at college studying Business. She was setting up her bakery on the side. She had her own house and her own Dodge Charger. See, where I'm going with this?
The book is funny and the banter is great but I just wasn't feeling it.
After reading the book again this is what I think about my review:
MY FIRST REVIEW WAS UTTER BOLLOCKS!!!!!!!
So my new and brand spanking review
Piper Skye is a confident young woman who is studying at college while also trying to set up her own business “Piper’s Cakes” To get her van fixed as everything needs to be cooler she goes to Hyde where she meets Jake Hyde. The grumpy rude arse.
Jake Hyde has become bitter and cynical over the years and can’t trust Piper’s sweetness due to the ex. He also feels like a pervy old man due to the age difference. I loved all the characters yeah I know complete 180 turn here. Sue me! I would like to see Rhys get a book and I would also like to see the Xtrmers (think that is the name of the band) get a book as well. So many possibilities.
The sex scenes were hot and they were great together. The banter was hilarious. There was also deep meaning to the aspects of the book as well.
“Love’s anarchy. There are no rules, no rhyme or reason. You can’t control it. You can fight to keep it and lose. Or fight to keep it away and lose. Or win, depending. Love’s chaos. It’s mayhem.
Well I most certainly didn’t see that ending coming. I don’t want to give too much away.
I can’t wait for the next one and then I will read it when I’m in the right frame of mind.
February 14, 2016
Audiobook: Narrators – Lauren Sweet and Alex Kydd
Wow! These narrators totally nailed this book! They were exactly as I expected Piper and Jake to sound. Even when they were doing the opposite sex voices they were still very nicely done. There are a lot of characters included in this story and each one had their own unique “voice”. Once I started listening I didn’t want to stop.
This book is everything I look for when I want a feel good romance with a strong heroine and an alpha hero. Piper isn’t a doormat to Jake’s controlling ways and I loved how they were able to communicate their way through their arguments. Theirs’s isn’t a rose colored glasses story but one filled with a gritty rawness that highlights each character’s individual strengths. The chemistry between Piper and Jake is off the charts scorching. Secondary characters are to die for and I swear this author needs to pick up the pace and give us more!
I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a biker hero (this isn’t a motorcycle club story), a sassy, smart heroine, and a parade of hotness to round it all out.
Dual POV
Safe
Triggers
Wow! These narrators totally nailed this book! They were exactly as I expected Piper and Jake to sound. Even when they were doing the opposite sex voices they were still very nicely done. There are a lot of characters included in this story and each one had their own unique “voice”. Once I started listening I didn’t want to stop.
This book is everything I look for when I want a feel good romance with a strong heroine and an alpha hero. Piper isn’t a doormat to Jake’s controlling ways and I loved how they were able to communicate their way through their arguments. Theirs’s isn’t a rose colored glasses story but one filled with a gritty rawness that highlights each character’s individual strengths. The chemistry between Piper and Jake is off the charts scorching. Secondary characters are to die for and I swear this author needs to pick up the pace and give us more!
I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a biker hero (this isn’t a motorcycle club story), a sassy, smart heroine, and a parade of hotness to round it all out.
Dual POV
Safe
Triggers
April 24, 2016
Piper Skye had no idea her life was about to change when she brought her van into Hyde to get fixed. Meeting Jake, Piper quickly decides he is the most stunning man she has ever met, but he is a total jerk who keeps giving her mixed signals. Piper decides he lost his chance and is ready to move forward, but Jake steps up deciding to give a relationship a try.
Jake was worried about wanting Piper as much as he did. He tried to stay away from Piper, believing she was too good to be true, but the more he finds out the more genuine he realizes she is. Jake takes a chance on Piper and is thoroughly enamored, but when it appears sh has a stalker, Jake's level of protectiveness goes to an all new level that could cause problems where Piper is concerned.
I have zero clue why I did not pick this up sooner. Shame on me because this was epic on all levels. I loved Piper, she is cooky, unique, and adorable, she is sweetness to Jake's hardness. Jake, hubba hubba hubba, pure alpha male and one of my favorites now. Jake is intense, he knows what he wants and it is Piper. Fantastic read, can't say enough good things about this book.
Jake was worried about wanting Piper as much as he did. He tried to stay away from Piper, believing she was too good to be true, but the more he finds out the more genuine he realizes she is. Jake takes a chance on Piper and is thoroughly enamored, but when it appears sh has a stalker, Jake's level of protectiveness goes to an all new level that could cause problems where Piper is concerned.
I have zero clue why I did not pick this up sooner. Shame on me because this was epic on all levels. I loved Piper, she is cooky, unique, and adorable, she is sweetness to Jake's hardness. Jake, hubba hubba hubba, pure alpha male and one of my favorites now. Jake is intense, he knows what he wants and it is Piper. Fantastic read, can't say enough good things about this book.
November 7, 2018
This book shouldn't work on sooooo many levels. And frankly, if you aren't in the right mood or mindset, I'm sure it probably doesn't. I mean Piper is an extremely sweet girl that just everybody loves (except for bad people, of course) and she's way too young for Jake and she's optimistic and kind and rocks like a badass and sticks up for herself and people she holds dear and she attaches easily to a bunch of misfit tough guys and wins their hearts with smiles and baked goods. It's wish-fulfillment fantasy, is what I'm saying, but on a different side than the billionaire or famous person that is normally featured in romantic fantasies. If you can't buy that fantasy, then this is not the story for you.
It was totally the story for me. I'm not sure why I was okay with the squick-formula* violating age difference (she turns 21 during the story and he's 34), but I think it was that Piper is more mature than your average 20 year-old with a deeper sense of herself and with an ability to plan and think long-term. And it should make it worse that she's a virgin to start. But I didn't care because frankly, I liked seeing her wrap Jake around her finger and I loved seeing him do the same. They were pretty much perfect for each other and I loved it as much when they clashed as when they got along. Which means that the quality of the banter was up there, as well.
It doesn't hurt that Jake was exactly my kind of leading man. That tough, competent guy who guards and protects his own and just can't stand when the people he cares about are hurt, disappointed, or even inconvenienced. And yeah, he pulls demanding alpha stuff. Or tries to. So I loved that Piper took to calling him Mr. Bossy Pants and picked and chose the times she'd comply and when she wouldn't. There were times I was exasperated with him and once when I wanted Piper to smash his head around a bit. But mostly he was very much my guy.
The plot was okay, but not outstanding. There was a dramatic culmination that was more intense than anything leading up to it and some events just wouldn't have played out the way they did (like ) but I let them pass because, well, I was into the wish fulfillment, I suppose.
So this ends with four stars, but at least one of those is personal taste and liking the fantasy. Heck, I'd have given it more but I can't really escape how very unlikely pieces of the plot were and Piper is kind of out there on the realistic personality spectrum. So flavor to taste, is all I'm saying. I will say that if you like the first chapters, you'll probably like the whole thing so at least it'll be easy to tell if you share my tastes in this.
A note about Steamy: There are a half dozen or so explicit sex scenes. And they're adventurous and inventive and pretty unlikely, really. So this is at the far edge of my steam tolerance and I admit I'm only stretching so far because I liked the story so much.
* The Squick Formula is a guide to where age differences go from probably okay to probably not. It's simple and works from the bottom of the range to about standard retirement age, I think. The formula is take the oldest age, divide in half, then add seven. The result is the lowest acceptable age that person should consider dating. In this case, Jake is 34 so dating anyone under 24 (34 / 2 = 17 + 7 = 24) should set off alarms.
It was totally the story for me. I'm not sure why I was okay with the squick-formula* violating age difference (she turns 21 during the story and he's 34), but I think it was that Piper is more mature than your average 20 year-old with a deeper sense of herself and with an ability to plan and think long-term. And it should make it worse that she's a virgin to start. But I didn't care because frankly, I liked seeing her wrap Jake around her finger and I loved seeing him do the same. They were pretty much perfect for each other and I loved it as much when they clashed as when they got along. Which means that the quality of the banter was up there, as well.
It doesn't hurt that Jake was exactly my kind of leading man. That tough, competent guy who guards and protects his own and just can't stand when the people he cares about are hurt, disappointed, or even inconvenienced. And yeah, he pulls demanding alpha stuff. Or tries to. So I loved that Piper took to calling him Mr. Bossy Pants and picked and chose the times she'd comply and when she wouldn't. There were times I was exasperated with him and once when I wanted Piper to smash his head around a bit. But mostly he was very much my guy.
The plot was okay, but not outstanding. There was a dramatic culmination that was more intense than anything leading up to it and some events just wouldn't have played out the way they did (like ) but I let them pass because, well, I was into the wish fulfillment, I suppose.
So this ends with four stars, but at least one of those is personal taste and liking the fantasy. Heck, I'd have given it more but I can't really escape how very unlikely pieces of the plot were and Piper is kind of out there on the realistic personality spectrum. So flavor to taste, is all I'm saying. I will say that if you like the first chapters, you'll probably like the whole thing so at least it'll be easy to tell if you share my tastes in this.
A note about Steamy: There are a half dozen or so explicit sex scenes. And they're adventurous and inventive and pretty unlikely, really. So this is at the far edge of my steam tolerance and I admit I'm only stretching so far because I liked the story so much.
* The Squick Formula is a guide to where age differences go from probably okay to probably not. It's simple and works from the bottom of the range to about standard retirement age, I think. The formula is take the oldest age, divide in half, then add seven. The result is the lowest acceptable age that person should consider dating. In this case, Jake is 34 so dating anyone under 24 (34 / 2 = 17 + 7 = 24) should set off alarms.
July 27, 2014
Well! What a fabulous gem of a read this was. This is the author's first book? Really? It was fan-bloody-tastic!
Ms Frost gave me a hot, possessive, tatted, successful alpha that had been burned before so was wary of another relationship. He had major trust issues and until he met Piper was a bit of a man-whore (okay maybe more than just a bit).
She also gave me Piper - an "old soul" straight talking rock 'n roll chick that had a very sheltered upbringing. She didn't have the easiest of relationships with her mother and rebelled with her tats and piercings.
I was a bit leery of how young Piper was at first - I'm not keen on a big age gap, especially when he is a man-whore and she is the innocent young virgin. That said, Ms Frost handled this really well and this story line didn't phase me at all. It just worked. She didn't over emphasise the virginity.
She also gave me a fabulous set of side characters that I am hoping get their own book. There was lots of sexy times with Piper and Jake, with a damn clever twist towards the end that had me guessing and I still didn't get it right. The suspense bit was just right, not too overdone and didn't overshadow the fun, hot read this is.
I loved getting in Piper's head - that girl is a total trip and had me laughing myself silly at times.
This is a truly fabulous debut for Ms Frost and I can't wait to see what she come up with next.
ARC received from author for an honest review and it was a total pleasure to read.
4.5 - 4.75 stars
Ms Frost gave me a hot, possessive, tatted, successful alpha that had been burned before so was wary of another relationship. He had major trust issues and until he met Piper was a bit of a man-whore (okay maybe more than just a bit).
She also gave me Piper - an "old soul" straight talking rock 'n roll chick that had a very sheltered upbringing. She didn't have the easiest of relationships with her mother and rebelled with her tats and piercings.
I was a bit leery of how young Piper was at first - I'm not keen on a big age gap, especially when he is a man-whore and she is the innocent young virgin. That said, Ms Frost handled this really well and this story line didn't phase me at all. It just worked. She didn't over emphasise the virginity.
She also gave me a fabulous set of side characters that I am hoping get their own book. There was lots of sexy times with Piper and Jake, with a damn clever twist towards the end that had me guessing and I still didn't get it right. The suspense bit was just right, not too overdone and didn't overshadow the fun, hot read this is.
I loved getting in Piper's head - that girl is a total trip and had me laughing myself silly at times.
This is a truly fabulous debut for Ms Frost and I can't wait to see what she come up with next.
ARC received from author for an honest review and it was a total pleasure to read.
4.5 - 4.75 stars
February 1, 2014
This book is a great start to the series. I first beta read this for the author last year. She sent out ARC copies this past week that were revised from the original version. I liked both, the author improved some scenes for the better in new version. This book was very Laura Elizabeth friendly.
✔️Garage filled with hot guys
✔️Hot Alpha male (Jake)
✔️Heroine that IS NOT TSTL (Piper)
✔️No cliffhanger
The only negative to this story, is I feel the Virgin storyline has been done too many times in other books. However, in this book it's done well. Piper is only twenty and trying to run her own baking business when she shows up at this garage to get her van fixed up. At the garage she finds finds a whole load of hotness , including Jake. Jake is 34 and and probably should leave her find someone her own age, but of course he doesn't. Now here the garage story is unrealistic. In all my years, never do you find a garage filled with hot guys. They are all 18 year old scrawny things or 60 year old fat bald asses lol. (This same phenomenon occurs in biker books. Where I've only ever seen fat, gray, scuzzy old guys on bikes. I live up the street from a Harley dealer, I know ). But since we are reading fantasy here, I'm happy to believe in hot mechanics and bikers! This story is great. Good start for this series as we have an entire garage full of hot guys to go through.
✔️Garage filled with hot guys
✔️Hot Alpha male (Jake)
✔️Heroine that IS NOT TSTL (Piper)
✔️No cliffhanger
The only negative to this story, is I feel the Virgin storyline has been done too many times in other books. However, in this book it's done well. Piper is only twenty and trying to run her own baking business when she shows up at this garage to get her van fixed up. At the garage she finds finds a whole load of hotness , including Jake. Jake is 34 and and probably should leave her find someone her own age, but of course he doesn't. Now here the garage story is unrealistic. In all my years, never do you find a garage filled with hot guys. They are all 18 year old scrawny things or 60 year old fat bald asses lol. (This same phenomenon occurs in biker books. Where I've only ever seen fat, gray, scuzzy old guys on bikes. I live up the street from a Harley dealer, I know ). But since we are reading fantasy here, I'm happy to believe in hot mechanics and bikers! This story is great. Good start for this series as we have an entire garage full of hot guys to go through.
April 2, 2015
*** 3.75 STARS ***
Sex isn't dirty"-Piper
"It is the way I do it"-Jake
Yes,another hot,sexy,dirty talking Alpha!!
Jake is 34 and the owner of a Garage ( packed full of HOT mechanics! )
Piper is 20,still studying and has started her own bakery business
They meet when she needs work done on her van.Now it's pretty much instant love,something I'm not normally a fan of but it actually works well here.My only niggle was this
What saved it from being ordinary was around 80% something or rather someone happened that I totally didn't see coming..
Lots of HOT SEX and did I not mention...loads of hot men!!!
RECOMMENDED if you want a sweet,sexy story with a good twist!!!
Sex isn't dirty"-Piper"It is the way I do it"-Jake
Yes,another hot,sexy,dirty talking Alpha!!
Jake is 34 and the owner of a Garage ( packed full of HOT mechanics! )
Piper is 20,still studying and has started her own bakery business
They meet when she needs work done on her van.Now it's pretty much instant love,something I'm not normally a fan of but it actually works well here.My only niggle was this
What saved it from being ordinary was around 80% something or rather someone happened that I totally didn't see coming..
Lots of HOT SEX and did I not mention...loads of hot men!!!
RECOMMENDED if you want a sweet,sexy story with a good twist!!!
April 3, 2015
4 stars!
I liked this story.
I found this author's writing, characters, and story-line very similar to Kristen Ashley's early work (ROCK-CHICKS).
I liked this story.
I found this author's writing, characters, and story-line very similar to Kristen Ashley's early work (ROCK-CHICKS).
March 20, 2020
This is my first read of Layla Frost’s and I will be honest I picked it up because it kept popping up in my recommendations when I couldn’t decide what the hell to read. All I knew was I wanted a bad ass possessive, alpha and this apparently met at all the crossroads. And since reading it I went to check some reviews and man do they sum it up perfectly. But because some of them were negative and some were positive and things they hated I didn’t mind and vice versa I am going to try explain my feels here.
This is very Kristen Ashley ish. Even the long winded descriptions of things I just couldn’t give a flying umm well yeah about, her makeup was flawless would do me rather than 2 pages on how her smokey eyes were shaded. I also don't care about the decor. So parts of this book just felt like too many words to get to the good stuff. There was a lot of “babe” as a word for everything, negative or positive but since I use a certain four letter word in a similar context I don’t really mind that.
Everyone and I mean everyone, man, woman, poodle seemed to be madly in love with the cupcake scented goddess. This was a little monotonous. We get it she’s amazing couldn’t just two or three people think she’s perfect rather than everyone and their random relatives? As a character I liked her, obviously I wouldn’t let my husband get close enough to sniff her but I thought she was nice and I liked her self confidence and ability to maturely deal with the cattiness around her.
Jake was exactly what I read the book looking for. He was growling, possessive, protective, sweet, loving alpha extraordinaire. I liked him and his band of mechanic friends. We could have stopped at them and the book would have been great. I didn’t need the random club owner, the rockstar besties and the other people that he was close to to prove his coolness. Especially since they all fell in love with Piper.
The drama was good. I honestly had no clue that was who the stalker was and I did spend the whole book trying to figure it out and I liked the way it played out. So although I can completely see why it was a miss for a few of my GR friends it was exactly what I was looking for except maybe a little longer than I was after. Although if you took out too many of those overly descriptive sentences we may have had a massive steaming hot sexy times to actual story imbalance. Not that I would be complaining because damn was Jake hot. Can’t wait to pick up the series and hopefully see Kase get a good run for his money.
This is very Kristen Ashley ish. Even the long winded descriptions of things I just couldn’t give a flying umm well yeah about, her makeup was flawless would do me rather than 2 pages on how her smokey eyes were shaded. I also don't care about the decor. So parts of this book just felt like too many words to get to the good stuff. There was a lot of “babe” as a word for everything, negative or positive but since I use a certain four letter word in a similar context I don’t really mind that.
Everyone and I mean everyone, man, woman, poodle seemed to be madly in love with the cupcake scented goddess. This was a little monotonous. We get it she’s amazing couldn’t just two or three people think she’s perfect rather than everyone and their random relatives? As a character I liked her, obviously I wouldn’t let my husband get close enough to sniff her but I thought she was nice and I liked her self confidence and ability to maturely deal with the cattiness around her.
Jake was exactly what I read the book looking for. He was growling, possessive, protective, sweet, loving alpha extraordinaire. I liked him and his band of mechanic friends. We could have stopped at them and the book would have been great. I didn’t need the random club owner, the rockstar besties and the other people that he was close to to prove his coolness. Especially since they all fell in love with Piper.
The drama was good. I honestly had no clue that was who the stalker was and I did spend the whole book trying to figure it out and I liked the way it played out. So although I can completely see why it was a miss for a few of my GR friends it was exactly what I was looking for except maybe a little longer than I was after. Although if you took out too many of those overly descriptive sentences we may have had a massive steaming hot sexy times to actual story imbalance. Not that I would be complaining because damn was Jake hot. Can’t wait to pick up the series and hopefully see Kase get a good run for his money.
March 22, 2015
Piper Skye
20 years old Rock n Roll chick who loves to bake and gave off that innocent look but deep down a little sex kitten!! Tattoo/Piercing and a Virgin!!!
Jake/Jacoby Hyde
34 years old Owner of Hyde is mechanic/biker/Mr. Bossy Pant/Alpha Male/Badass, who has trust issue with women.
Piper went into Hyde to get her Bakery van tricked out by Hyde and is literally drooling over Jake. That's how it's all started. Jake just walks over to Piper and drags her out to eat lunch. I laughed, and laughed some more through out the whole book. This book is def a re-read. Did I mention their are other hot alpha males there too?
20 years old Rock n Roll chick who loves to bake and gave off that innocent look but deep down a little sex kitten!! Tattoo/Piercing and a Virgin!!!
Jake/Jacoby Hyde
34 years old Owner of Hyde is mechanic/biker/Mr. Bossy Pant/Alpha Male/Badass, who has trust issue with women.
Piper went into Hyde to get her Bakery van tricked out by Hyde and is literally drooling over Jake. That's how it's all started. Jake just walks over to Piper and drags her out to eat lunch. I laughed, and laughed some more through out the whole book. This book is def a re-read. Did I mention their are other hot alpha males there too?
March 25, 2015
I must say I really enjoyed this book and I'm looking forward to reading more from this author. The characters were likable and the plotline well thought out. I don't like a lot of OTT drama and angst in my books and this one hit that note perfectly. There was enough going on not to be boring throughout, but not so much that it had me rolling my eyes in un-believability. Well done Ms. Frost on your debut novel. Keep them coming!
May 13, 2015
I sure did change my mind about this hero….. And, I sure did find another book boyfriend…..
Okay, about the story, yes I enjoyed it. I found myself laughing at Piper’s thoughts and comments. Although, sometimes she came across as so immature that it bugged me. I started off really not liking Jake. All I could think of was this poor girl had two players after her, Ugh! I think our hero’s character was pretty realistic. Because, I say 34 is just about the time a player starts re-evaluating his life and meets that special girl and she changes his life. And, our Jake went from a player/womanizer to the sweetest most loyal guy ever. The author did a good thing in adding in a pinch of suspense to change the pace of all the wild sex. And, the author was wise to give the perfect epilogue to end the story. Great Read!
Okay, about the story, yes I enjoyed it. I found myself laughing at Piper’s thoughts and comments. Although, sometimes she came across as so immature that it bugged me. I started off really not liking Jake. All I could think of was this poor girl had two players after her, Ugh! I think our hero’s character was pretty realistic. Because, I say 34 is just about the time a player starts re-evaluating his life and meets that special girl and she changes his life. And, our Jake went from a player/womanizer to the sweetest most loyal guy ever. The author did a good thing in adding in a pinch of suspense to change the pace of all the wild sex. And, the author was wise to give the perfect epilogue to end the story. Great Read!
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