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Blue-Collar Lover #1
Driving Heat
"Day delivers a lively romance." --RT Book Reviews
The Blue-Collar Lover Series
Meet the Carter brothers, five hard-working men with a lot to offer. They may not be wealthy but they're rich in integrity and loyalty--not to mention sex appeal. They just need the right women to share their world. . .
At thirty, eldest brother Byron hasn't dated seriously in a while--not since he became a single dad to his beloved baby girl. Besides, he's found that most women can't see past his job as a bus driver, and he's not interested in that type of superficial foolishness. When he meets Cynthia Hall, her disinterest is obvious. Still, there's something about her. . .
Cynthia has been successful in her career and unlucky in love. But those two worlds collide when Byron ends up in her office on business. It's a coincidence that casts him in a very different light than she's previously seen. Too bad he's not the upscale professional Cynthia had in mind. Yet given the chance, she might discover that while money can't buy happiness--a loving and passionate man can. . .
The Blue-Collar Lover Series
Meet the Carter brothers, five hard-working men with a lot to offer. They may not be wealthy but they're rich in integrity and loyalty--not to mention sex appeal. They just need the right women to share their world. . .
At thirty, eldest brother Byron hasn't dated seriously in a while--not since he became a single dad to his beloved baby girl. Besides, he's found that most women can't see past his job as a bus driver, and he's not interested in that type of superficial foolishness. When he meets Cynthia Hall, her disinterest is obvious. Still, there's something about her. . .
Cynthia has been successful in her career and unlucky in love. But those two worlds collide when Byron ends up in her office on business. It's a coincidence that casts him in a very different light than she's previously seen. Too bad he's not the upscale professional Cynthia had in mind. Yet given the chance, she might discover that while money can't buy happiness--a loving and passionate man can. . .
382 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 31, 2015
50 people are currently reading
404 people want to read
About the author
Zuri Day
106 books274 followersZuri Day is a hopeful romantic. She believes in happy endings, half-full glasses and dreams coming true. That's why she's thrilled to be a contributing writer to this genre...one of her favorites!
Zuri doesn't remember exactly how old she was when she picked up her first romance novel, but she does remember it was love at first sight. "It was probably a Harlequin," she recalled during a recent interview. "And it thankfully took me away from a fairly dull and routine existence growing up in a small Kansas town."
Things aren't dull and routine anymore. Zuri now resides in Los Angeles with her family and when she isn't writing loves to travel the world, cook vegetarian food, work out, watch sports, attend concerts and theatre and enjoy the simple things in life.
"Many people have given up on love, much less romance," Zuri says. "I'm hoping that somehow, through the love-filled pages of my romance novels, I can ignite the reader's desire to believe again. Because everything is possible, when we believe..."
Zuri doesn't remember exactly how old she was when she picked up her first romance novel, but she does remember it was love at first sight. "It was probably a Harlequin," she recalled during a recent interview. "And it thankfully took me away from a fairly dull and routine existence growing up in a small Kansas town."
Things aren't dull and routine anymore. Zuri now resides in Los Angeles with her family and when she isn't writing loves to travel the world, cook vegetarian food, work out, watch sports, attend concerts and theatre and enjoy the simple things in life.
"Many people have given up on love, much less romance," Zuri says. "I'm hoping that somehow, through the love-filled pages of my romance novels, I can ignite the reader's desire to believe again. Because everything is possible, when we believe..."
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May 6, 2016
All of this, and Cynthia continued her time with Byron. It was the most irrational, defiant thing she'd ever done, yet she'd never before felt so special and free.
Cynthia is a wealthy (upper-middle class... very upper) social worker. (She doesn't have to work, but she does anyway). She is also a single mother to an 8-year-old son, Jayden. He is the result of an affair with a married man. He's never met his piece-of-shit father.
When her car breaks down in Compton, she's forced to take *gasp* public transportation, which is where she meets the cocksure and playful Byron Carter, a bus driver. He is a single father of a 10-year-old girl of whom he has primary custody.
They fall in love.
This book is very difficult to review and rate because it is such a blend of good and bad. Let's start with the GOOD.
THE GOOD
- Day is great at writing in two voices. We're always in the third person, but both Cynthia and Byron have very distinct ways of speaking and thinking. This is very hard for authors, I have to give Day props here.
- Day also discusses, in the introduction to the book, that she wanted to infuse the romance genre with some "regular guys" (at the request of her readers) and I have to say that this is an excellent idea. She's calling this series "The Blue-Collar Lovers" and I really like this. The men I date and love in real life are certainly NOT the billionaires, rich ranchers, doctors, lawyers, and FBI agents which populate contemporary romance novels.
I would LOVE to read more books about lawn maintenance workers, retail workers, construction workers, farmers, butchers, plumbers, and electricians. These are the men I know and love, and these are the men who are more than capable of turning you out.
I actually sneer and am skeptical when I read about billionaires and rich men in romance novels. Men who are born with everything and have everything and never have to work for anything, they don't know the value of a dollar or the meaning of hard work or how to do jackshit are very much a turn-off for me. HUGE TURN-OFF. And yet this is what usually populates romance.
I'd rather read about a hard-working lawn care worker with calloused hands struggling to make rent any day of the week.
- Another amazing risk Day takes here is making Byron have a normal body. He has a pooky tummy - no 6 or 8-pack abs here. His flabby little tummy isn't only mentioned once, because Day is not a fucking wishy-washy half-asser. She makes sure to mention it on multiple occasions.
The reason I mention this is because I cannot even count the number of times I read a book that promises me a fat heroine only to have her weight mentioned maybe ONCE in passing and then never ever brought up again, so the readers don't have to think about a fat person against their will or something. It's fucked-up and lame.
Not that Byron is fat, he's just what I consider typical. Most guys have a bit of a stomach. I would actual like to read romances that feature heavy guys - I adore heavier guys, mmmmm, yummy - but I guess people think bigger men are unattractive? Sad. I certainly don't. Byron doesn't fall into what I would consider 'heavy' territory, he just has a bit of a dough-boy stomach, but still it was brave and bold of Day to put this in her novel.
You rock, Day!
- She makes her hero, Byron, 5'9". It is SO RARE to see a man under 6 feet in romance novels. Extra points for Day in making Byron shorter than the average hero.
- Here's another one: Byron has a six-inch cock. Yeah. No monster cock here. No 'will it fit?' here. I loved seeing a more realistically-sized penis in the book, and I praise Day's choice, but on the other hand there were flaws with this. For one thing, every woman in the book acts as if Byron's penis is little.
It's thick but so... short!
What she'd seen was totally not what she'd expected. One of the reasons she'd decided to sleep with a non-DHOP (but would never admit to anyone other than herself) is because of what Lisa had told her about "men from the hood." According to her, they all had ten-inch dicks, tongues like a serpent, and were freakier than a one-legged dog riding a bicycle at the circus! Since becoming sexually active, only one of the four men with whom she'd been intimate had come close to Lisa's description, Jayden's father. It's part of the reason that to get over him, she had to leave the state. Her college sweetheart and first love had been okay, the one after that was slightly above mediocre (but he was a DHOP, a doctoral graduate at twenty-six, and her parents adored him), and her most recent guy who couldn't handle the distance could rarely go the distance. Premature ejaculation was the worst. Thank God for oral or orgasm would never have been achieved. But not only was he a DHOP who fit into her circle perfectly, his parents were noted members of Tennessee's Black Bourgeouis (or "bur-ghees" as Lisa called them), and he was a member of the coveted Sigma Pi Phi. Her mother was furious when they'd split. There had been a horrible fight about it, one of the many this mother/daughter duo had endured. Cynthia had come precariously close to being disrespectful and telling her mother to go eff him herself, and had run out of the room to prevent it from happening.
That day on the bus, when she locked eyes with Byron and her body reacted, she attributed part of the reason to what she imagined existed between his big legs. When she turned and found him naked, she'd expected to see a chocolate ruler swinging like a pendulum, or a mushroom-tipped python that could almost be thrown over his shoulder. Instead, she gets a weenie?
I'm like, "It's six inches. Please get over yourself." It annoyed me the way everyone acted as if this was really small. This isn't porn.
*whispers in Carmen's ear*
Okay, okay, it's a romance novel but it's not erotica and it's certainly not visual porn. I'm unclear as to why romance heroes have to have 11-inch dicks, okay??!
This trait also led to a lot of laughter on my part because, like his stomach, Day can't just mention it and let go. So you get sex scenes like this:
Because his plan, his goal was simple - to leave this girl turned out and thoroughly whipped.... to meet skin as smooth and bare as a baby. No hair. Damn, I'm going to tear this up.... Cynthia raised her body off the bed, anxious for his tongue to be back on her skin, his average-sized penis to be inside her.
LOL LOL LOL I was dying of laughter.
- Cynthia is a thin woman with B-cups.
He'd dated a skinny woman here and there, but for the most part Byron liked his women thick and juicy. The woman on top of him was quickly changing this preference. Cynthia removed her pink lacy bra to reveal pert, B-cup charlies with berry dusted nips.
- Another thing I really enjoyed about this book was Cynthia's difficult, long, and active struggle to resist becoming her mom, who is an absolutely horrible person. Her mom is a judgmental, scheming, looks-down-on-anyone-not-making-six-figures, meddling, stuck-up,... I could go on and on. ANYWAY, it's very interesting throughout the book to see Cynthia fight her mom's training and be a good, kind, forgiving person.
Here's a scene where she sees her son licking his fingers at the dinner table:
.Cynthia began eating, deciding to chill out on the etiquette tips, and refrained from demanding he not only chew with his mouth closed but be still as well. When her brother, Jeff, was Jayden's age, he did the very same thing. When she was Jayden's age, her mother did the same thing to her - critique and instruct every gesture and movement. She'd hated it and even now was self-conscious as a result. She watched as he reached for a grape with his fingers, and remembered her aversion to Byron licking his in public. We are not in public, baby. Enjoy your food.
She wants to correct Byron's behavior, Jayden's behavior (her son), and feels shame at her own behavior for stuff as simple as laughing out loud in public. Her mom did a real number on her is what I'm saying.
There was no pretty answer to this ugly truth and no discussing the equally regretful reason why Jayden had never met his father. On the other hand, Cynthia's world revolved around this little boy. Even single, raising him was a joy. But she'd give anything to go back in time and change the sperm donor. Amazing how one short month could so irrevocably change one's life and affect many others. Her parents, brother, godmother, and one of her mother's good friends had all felt scandalized when she announced her pregnancy. When the identity of the father was revealed, leaving no doubt that marriage was off the table, her cloak of heady accomplishments was replaced by a tattered shawl of shame. Mortified, and banished to upstate New York to have her child in secret, she'd danced with the idea of ending it all. The only reason she didn't was sitting at the table, picking up pieces of fruit with his fingers.
In a way, Byron's tendency to act silly and goofy - even in public - is a turn-on for Cynthia. She's only been with these uptight, pretentious, smarmy assholes and it's slightly shocking but also relieving for her to be around a man who is comfortable with who he is and what he does. Byron often teases her by acting goofy in public or private, and it always makes her smile. These were cute scenes.
- He gives her orgasms and even multiple orgasms (a first for her). I found this touching, as her friend said
"Girl, please don't tell me this is the first time that happened. You've already had a baby and are how many years old?"
You wouldn't BELIEVE how many women have never had an orgasm. NEVER HAD AN ORGASM. I'm talking about women in their 20s, 30s, 40s, and beyond. And men don't care, they don't fucking care. And I'm like, "If he's not making you cum, dump his ass and get with someone who will," and they're all like, "But I can't leave him! I'll never find anyone like him!" And I'm like, "Girl, you are LIVING WITHOUT ORGASMS. Doesn't he care? Doesn't he care you're not having fun in bed?!?!?!?!?"
The sad thing is that if you've never had one you don't have a clue what you are missing or what your friends are going on and on about. And lots of women are too shy to masturbate so they've never even given themselves one.
It's fucking sick this fucking woman-hating culture. "Don't masturbate and breaking up with a man who doesn't give you orgasms is stupid." What a hateful and completely damaging message. Can you imagine A MAN living in an orgasm-less relationship? I think not.
So. I was seeing the truth Day was writing here.
- Obviously, Byron has been reading my reviews and taking notes.
"But a real man doesn't take from a woman, man. It's the other way around. A real man has too much pride to let a woman give him everything while he gives nothing back, not even exclusive access to his dick. He definitely wouldn't brag about it. That's not a man, Barry. That's an asshole."
He knows the difference between being a man and being a piece of shit.
- The book is pretty on point with having realistic dating and two people slowly getting to know each other before falling in love. No instalove here.
- Byron is really good at listening to what Cynthia is saying, being there for her, giving her good advice and being a "safe person" for her to talk to. He stands up to her, he stand up to others, he will come through and protect her (whether it's from a predatory man or from her own mother LOL).
- Each of the MC's children are normal children. Not precocious, not overly cutesy, not precious beyond words. Normal, sometimes-annoying-sometimes-sweet kids. This is very rare. It's very rare romance novelists write kids as actual kids and not plot-devices to enhance sweetness.
THE UGLY: THE SEX
It's terrible... laugh-out-loud terrible.
He led this timeless dance of love with precision, establishing a rhythmic beat with his hips, a melody with his lips....
"Is this enough for you, huh?" No answer, just eyes back, mouth slack. His hips stopped mid-motion. "I didn't hear you."
"Yes," she eked out between pants. She moved feverishly, the spot he'd branded missing its iron. "Please..."...
For long minutes this continued, until her panting became more labored. Though not a singer, as this first orgasm began in her core and spiraled to her cranial, her voice went from a guttural low tenor moan to a respectable High C squeak. Some men would consider themselves finished after such a performance. But for Byron Carter, if there weren't multiple moments of ecstasy for his woman, then he felt he wasn't doing his job.
Listening to her breathy mewling as her body twitched and muscles gripped his still-hard rod, he felt his own imminent climax begin to build. Using discipline honed in the sixteen years he'd been sexually active, he stopped, held himself against her as she relaxed beneath him.
And how about this:
Goose bumps appeared, a seeming contradiction to the hot breath coming from his mouth, or the way Cythia's body arched when he laved his tongue across the now-pebbled protrusion before gently sucking it into his oral entrance. Her body was his breakfast and he ate his fill, turned her over, and filled her up. Moans, grunts, and heavy breaths replaced the bird's good morning.
Sweet release was the dew that moistened their skin. Again she began to tremble, her voice repeating its earlier song, eyes shut, toes curled. This time Byron joined her, ground himself into her velvety softness as liquid love flowed from his soul to hers.
Penis Terms Used in This Book:
Rod
his six-inch supersexer
his burgeoning manhood
His soldier began to salute
His hardening tool
His instrument
His totally magical pocket trumpet
His candy cane
Vulva
Her velvety softness
her freshly showered treasure
her treasure
Vagina
Her void
Sweet pot of honey
Clitoris
Her quivering pearl
Her pulsating pearl
Cunnilingus
He devoured the flower
Oral assault
Lapping the nectar from her private paradise
Kissing
Their lips met, and it felt like clouds bumping into each other in a rainbow sky.
Fingering
The melody his fingers played in her music box
- They also have condomless sex one time! Only once, but I'm like, "You're both single parents! What are you doing!?!?!?!"
THE BAD
- Byron really rubbed me the wrong way sometimes. He often prompted Cynthia to praise him, which I find very annoying. I also didn't like the way he acted during sex. When they are going to have sex for the first time, in a hotel, he just
"But you can't go with me until you take off your clothes. All of them," he said over his shoulder, walking to the bathroom in nothing but his boxers. "When I come back in here... I want you in the bed buck naked."
I was hoping for some mutual undressing and some soft words and some sweet, sweet things to happen but he was just like "Get naked and get in bed." Aw, this would make me feel sad inside, no lie. I would be a sad little Carmen.
Also, he doesn't snuggle/cuddle after sex. Which completely is at odds with his normally hugging, cuddling personality. But he has this 'thing' about 'leaving women wanting more' or something and he leaps out of bed immediately after sex. It's annoying. I want snuggles and cuddles after sex. So does Cynthia. And the fact that he's doing it in some misguided attempt to keep his woman panting for more makes it even worse. (This never gets resolved, BTW).
- Another thing is that if I were Byron, I would be very upset at how Cynthia was treating me. She hides him away, doesn't tell anyone about her relationship with him, acts basically like she's ashamed of him. When she takes him to a fancy party one time, she makes him rent a tux, get a manicure, and cut his mini-afro and THEN has the nerve to tell people he's a "transportation director" instead of a bus driver. Luckily, Byron has too much self-respect for this shit and he immediately corrects her lies. But I mean, I would stop seeing someone who treated me like this. He takes it in stride and is very patient with her. Luckily this is a romance novel and she ends up seeing the error of her ways, but in real life he would be the side piece until she got tired of him and married a very rich man who was a smarmy asshole.
- He kind of harasses her when she gets on his bus during that first meeting. Actually, I thought he was acting like a creeper, but I guess she found it charming and I was supposed to find it charming? I found it rude and skeevy. I hate being told to smile, I hate that he tells her "It's a good thing you're fine, I'll allow you to stay on the bus" and shit. I mean, maybe this passes for flirting?
And he disrespectfully talks about "loosening her up" and getting her to drop her rigid demeanor (through sex) when they aren't even really dating yet and I found his insinuations to be disrespectful.
- There's some horrible sentences in here, like:
The ex-high school and college football standout before a knee injury ended his promising career had his eyes on the TV screen, but his mind was on the sexy woman who'd brightened his bus. He liked them chocolate, but something about all that butterscotch beauty had him ready to change flavors.
Come on. That's very awkward.
SIDE NOTE
This guy on the cover was pretty much exactly how I pictured Byron, but that woman on the cover is very, very far from who I was picturing Cynthia as.
TL;DR - Well. This was such a mixed bag. It was warm, fresh, funny, and pretty realistic. I loved that Day boldly wrote a hero who was 5'9", with a six-inch cock and a doughboy stomach. Major points. I liked how she was able to clearly write two different voices and how she showed the two MCs struggles and bad sides. However, the sex was BEYOND TERRIBLE, I mean really bad. REALLY BAD. And some of the writing was questionable.
I would definitely read another book by Day, although I know for a fact she isn't going to improve her sex-writing any time soon. But I enjoy reading about "normal" people and not the billionaires and CEOs who populate romance novels. I appreciate what Day is trying to do.
Cynthia is a wealthy (upper-middle class... very upper) social worker. (She doesn't have to work, but she does anyway). She is also a single mother to an 8-year-old son, Jayden. He is the result of an affair with a married man. He's never met his piece-of-shit father.
When her car breaks down in Compton, she's forced to take *gasp* public transportation, which is where she meets the cocksure and playful Byron Carter, a bus driver. He is a single father of a 10-year-old girl of whom he has primary custody.
They fall in love.
This book is very difficult to review and rate because it is such a blend of good and bad. Let's start with the GOOD.
THE GOOD
- Day is great at writing in two voices. We're always in the third person, but both Cynthia and Byron have very distinct ways of speaking and thinking. This is very hard for authors, I have to give Day props here.
- Day also discusses, in the introduction to the book, that she wanted to infuse the romance genre with some "regular guys" (at the request of her readers) and I have to say that this is an excellent idea. She's calling this series "The Blue-Collar Lovers" and I really like this. The men I date and love in real life are certainly NOT the billionaires, rich ranchers, doctors, lawyers, and FBI agents which populate contemporary romance novels.
I would LOVE to read more books about lawn maintenance workers, retail workers, construction workers, farmers, butchers, plumbers, and electricians. These are the men I know and love, and these are the men who are more than capable of turning you out.
I actually sneer and am skeptical when I read about billionaires and rich men in romance novels. Men who are born with everything and have everything and never have to work for anything, they don't know the value of a dollar or the meaning of hard work or how to do jackshit are very much a turn-off for me. HUGE TURN-OFF. And yet this is what usually populates romance.
I'd rather read about a hard-working lawn care worker with calloused hands struggling to make rent any day of the week.
- Another amazing risk Day takes here is making Byron have a normal body. He has a pooky tummy - no 6 or 8-pack abs here. His flabby little tummy isn't only mentioned once, because Day is not a fucking wishy-washy half-asser. She makes sure to mention it on multiple occasions.
The reason I mention this is because I cannot even count the number of times I read a book that promises me a fat heroine only to have her weight mentioned maybe ONCE in passing and then never ever brought up again, so the readers don't have to think about a fat person against their will or something. It's fucked-up and lame.
Not that Byron is fat, he's just what I consider typical. Most guys have a bit of a stomach. I would actual like to read romances that feature heavy guys - I adore heavier guys, mmmmm, yummy - but I guess people think bigger men are unattractive? Sad. I certainly don't. Byron doesn't fall into what I would consider 'heavy' territory, he just has a bit of a dough-boy stomach, but still it was brave and bold of Day to put this in her novel.
You rock, Day!
- She makes her hero, Byron, 5'9". It is SO RARE to see a man under 6 feet in romance novels. Extra points for Day in making Byron shorter than the average hero.
- Here's another one: Byron has a six-inch cock. Yeah. No monster cock here. No 'will it fit?' here. I loved seeing a more realistically-sized penis in the book, and I praise Day's choice, but on the other hand there were flaws with this. For one thing, every woman in the book acts as if Byron's penis is little.
It's thick but so... short!
What she'd seen was totally not what she'd expected. One of the reasons she'd decided to sleep with a non-DHOP (but would never admit to anyone other than herself) is because of what Lisa had told her about "men from the hood." According to her, they all had ten-inch dicks, tongues like a serpent, and were freakier than a one-legged dog riding a bicycle at the circus! Since becoming sexually active, only one of the four men with whom she'd been intimate had come close to Lisa's description, Jayden's father. It's part of the reason that to get over him, she had to leave the state. Her college sweetheart and first love had been okay, the one after that was slightly above mediocre (but he was a DHOP, a doctoral graduate at twenty-six, and her parents adored him), and her most recent guy who couldn't handle the distance could rarely go the distance. Premature ejaculation was the worst. Thank God for oral or orgasm would never have been achieved. But not only was he a DHOP who fit into her circle perfectly, his parents were noted members of Tennessee's Black Bourgeouis (or "bur-ghees" as Lisa called them), and he was a member of the coveted Sigma Pi Phi. Her mother was furious when they'd split. There had been a horrible fight about it, one of the many this mother/daughter duo had endured. Cynthia had come precariously close to being disrespectful and telling her mother to go eff him herself, and had run out of the room to prevent it from happening.
That day on the bus, when she locked eyes with Byron and her body reacted, she attributed part of the reason to what she imagined existed between his big legs. When she turned and found him naked, she'd expected to see a chocolate ruler swinging like a pendulum, or a mushroom-tipped python that could almost be thrown over his shoulder. Instead, she gets a weenie?
I'm like, "It's six inches. Please get over yourself." It annoyed me the way everyone acted as if this was really small. This isn't porn.
*whispers in Carmen's ear*
Okay, okay, it's a romance novel but it's not erotica and it's certainly not visual porn. I'm unclear as to why romance heroes have to have 11-inch dicks, okay??!
This trait also led to a lot of laughter on my part because, like his stomach, Day can't just mention it and let go. So you get sex scenes like this:
Because his plan, his goal was simple - to leave this girl turned out and thoroughly whipped.... to meet skin as smooth and bare as a baby. No hair. Damn, I'm going to tear this up.... Cynthia raised her body off the bed, anxious for his tongue to be back on her skin, his average-sized penis to be inside her.
LOL LOL LOL I was dying of laughter.
- Cynthia is a thin woman with B-cups.
He'd dated a skinny woman here and there, but for the most part Byron liked his women thick and juicy. The woman on top of him was quickly changing this preference. Cynthia removed her pink lacy bra to reveal pert, B-cup charlies with berry dusted nips.
- Another thing I really enjoyed about this book was Cynthia's difficult, long, and active struggle to resist becoming her mom, who is an absolutely horrible person. Her mom is a judgmental, scheming, looks-down-on-anyone-not-making-six-figures, meddling, stuck-up,... I could go on and on. ANYWAY, it's very interesting throughout the book to see Cynthia fight her mom's training and be a good, kind, forgiving person.
Here's a scene where she sees her son licking his fingers at the dinner table:
.Cynthia began eating, deciding to chill out on the etiquette tips, and refrained from demanding he not only chew with his mouth closed but be still as well. When her brother, Jeff, was Jayden's age, he did the very same thing. When she was Jayden's age, her mother did the same thing to her - critique and instruct every gesture and movement. She'd hated it and even now was self-conscious as a result. She watched as he reached for a grape with his fingers, and remembered her aversion to Byron licking his in public. We are not in public, baby. Enjoy your food.
She wants to correct Byron's behavior, Jayden's behavior (her son), and feels shame at her own behavior for stuff as simple as laughing out loud in public. Her mom did a real number on her is what I'm saying.
There was no pretty answer to this ugly truth and no discussing the equally regretful reason why Jayden had never met his father. On the other hand, Cynthia's world revolved around this little boy. Even single, raising him was a joy. But she'd give anything to go back in time and change the sperm donor. Amazing how one short month could so irrevocably change one's life and affect many others. Her parents, brother, godmother, and one of her mother's good friends had all felt scandalized when she announced her pregnancy. When the identity of the father was revealed, leaving no doubt that marriage was off the table, her cloak of heady accomplishments was replaced by a tattered shawl of shame. Mortified, and banished to upstate New York to have her child in secret, she'd danced with the idea of ending it all. The only reason she didn't was sitting at the table, picking up pieces of fruit with his fingers.
In a way, Byron's tendency to act silly and goofy - even in public - is a turn-on for Cynthia. She's only been with these uptight, pretentious, smarmy assholes and it's slightly shocking but also relieving for her to be around a man who is comfortable with who he is and what he does. Byron often teases her by acting goofy in public or private, and it always makes her smile. These were cute scenes.
- He gives her orgasms and even multiple orgasms (a first for her). I found this touching, as her friend said
"Girl, please don't tell me this is the first time that happened. You've already had a baby and are how many years old?"
You wouldn't BELIEVE how many women have never had an orgasm. NEVER HAD AN ORGASM. I'm talking about women in their 20s, 30s, 40s, and beyond. And men don't care, they don't fucking care. And I'm like, "If he's not making you cum, dump his ass and get with someone who will," and they're all like, "But I can't leave him! I'll never find anyone like him!" And I'm like, "Girl, you are LIVING WITHOUT ORGASMS. Doesn't he care? Doesn't he care you're not having fun in bed?!?!?!?!?"
The sad thing is that if you've never had one you don't have a clue what you are missing or what your friends are going on and on about. And lots of women are too shy to masturbate so they've never even given themselves one.
It's fucking sick this fucking woman-hating culture. "Don't masturbate and breaking up with a man who doesn't give you orgasms is stupid." What a hateful and completely damaging message. Can you imagine A MAN living in an orgasm-less relationship? I think not.
So. I was seeing the truth Day was writing here.
- Obviously, Byron has been reading my reviews and taking notes.
"But a real man doesn't take from a woman, man. It's the other way around. A real man has too much pride to let a woman give him everything while he gives nothing back, not even exclusive access to his dick. He definitely wouldn't brag about it. That's not a man, Barry. That's an asshole."
He knows the difference between being a man and being a piece of shit.
- The book is pretty on point with having realistic dating and two people slowly getting to know each other before falling in love. No instalove here.
- Byron is really good at listening to what Cynthia is saying, being there for her, giving her good advice and being a "safe person" for her to talk to. He stands up to her, he stand up to others, he will come through and protect her (whether it's from a predatory man or from her own mother LOL).
- Each of the MC's children are normal children. Not precocious, not overly cutesy, not precious beyond words. Normal, sometimes-annoying-sometimes-sweet kids. This is very rare. It's very rare romance novelists write kids as actual kids and not plot-devices to enhance sweetness.
THE UGLY: THE SEX
It's terrible... laugh-out-loud terrible.
He led this timeless dance of love with precision, establishing a rhythmic beat with his hips, a melody with his lips....
"Is this enough for you, huh?" No answer, just eyes back, mouth slack. His hips stopped mid-motion. "I didn't hear you."
"Yes," she eked out between pants. She moved feverishly, the spot he'd branded missing its iron. "Please..."...
For long minutes this continued, until her panting became more labored. Though not a singer, as this first orgasm began in her core and spiraled to her cranial, her voice went from a guttural low tenor moan to a respectable High C squeak. Some men would consider themselves finished after such a performance. But for Byron Carter, if there weren't multiple moments of ecstasy for his woman, then he felt he wasn't doing his job.
Listening to her breathy mewling as her body twitched and muscles gripped his still-hard rod, he felt his own imminent climax begin to build. Using discipline honed in the sixteen years he'd been sexually active, he stopped, held himself against her as she relaxed beneath him.
And how about this:
Goose bumps appeared, a seeming contradiction to the hot breath coming from his mouth, or the way Cythia's body arched when he laved his tongue across the now-pebbled protrusion before gently sucking it into his oral entrance. Her body was his breakfast and he ate his fill, turned her over, and filled her up. Moans, grunts, and heavy breaths replaced the bird's good morning.
Sweet release was the dew that moistened their skin. Again she began to tremble, her voice repeating its earlier song, eyes shut, toes curled. This time Byron joined her, ground himself into her velvety softness as liquid love flowed from his soul to hers.
Penis Terms Used in This Book:
Rod
his six-inch supersexer
his burgeoning manhood
His soldier began to salute
His hardening tool
His instrument
His totally magical pocket trumpet
His candy cane
Vulva
Her velvety softness
her freshly showered treasure
her treasure
Vagina
Her void
Sweet pot of honey
Clitoris
Her quivering pearl
Her pulsating pearl
Cunnilingus
He devoured the flower
Oral assault
Lapping the nectar from her private paradise
Kissing
Their lips met, and it felt like clouds bumping into each other in a rainbow sky.
Fingering
The melody his fingers played in her music box
- They also have condomless sex one time! Only once, but I'm like, "You're both single parents! What are you doing!?!?!?!"
THE BAD
- Byron really rubbed me the wrong way sometimes. He often prompted Cynthia to praise him, which I find very annoying. I also didn't like the way he acted during sex. When they are going to have sex for the first time, in a hotel, he just
"But you can't go with me until you take off your clothes. All of them," he said over his shoulder, walking to the bathroom in nothing but his boxers. "When I come back in here... I want you in the bed buck naked."
I was hoping for some mutual undressing and some soft words and some sweet, sweet things to happen but he was just like "Get naked and get in bed." Aw, this would make me feel sad inside, no lie. I would be a sad little Carmen.
Also, he doesn't snuggle/cuddle after sex. Which completely is at odds with his normally hugging, cuddling personality. But he has this 'thing' about 'leaving women wanting more' or something and he leaps out of bed immediately after sex. It's annoying. I want snuggles and cuddles after sex. So does Cynthia. And the fact that he's doing it in some misguided attempt to keep his woman panting for more makes it even worse. (This never gets resolved, BTW).
- Another thing is that if I were Byron, I would be very upset at how Cynthia was treating me. She hides him away, doesn't tell anyone about her relationship with him, acts basically like she's ashamed of him. When she takes him to a fancy party one time, she makes him rent a tux, get a manicure, and cut his mini-afro and THEN has the nerve to tell people he's a "transportation director" instead of a bus driver. Luckily, Byron has too much self-respect for this shit and he immediately corrects her lies. But I mean, I would stop seeing someone who treated me like this. He takes it in stride and is very patient with her. Luckily this is a romance novel and she ends up seeing the error of her ways, but in real life he would be the side piece until she got tired of him and married a very rich man who was a smarmy asshole.
- He kind of harasses her when she gets on his bus during that first meeting. Actually, I thought he was acting like a creeper, but I guess she found it charming and I was supposed to find it charming? I found it rude and skeevy. I hate being told to smile, I hate that he tells her "It's a good thing you're fine, I'll allow you to stay on the bus" and shit. I mean, maybe this passes for flirting?
And he disrespectfully talks about "loosening her up" and getting her to drop her rigid demeanor (through sex) when they aren't even really dating yet and I found his insinuations to be disrespectful.
- There's some horrible sentences in here, like:
The ex-high school and college football standout before a knee injury ended his promising career had his eyes on the TV screen, but his mind was on the sexy woman who'd brightened his bus. He liked them chocolate, but something about all that butterscotch beauty had him ready to change flavors.
Come on. That's very awkward.
SIDE NOTE
This guy on the cover was pretty much exactly how I pictured Byron, but that woman on the cover is very, very far from who I was picturing Cynthia as.
TL;DR - Well. This was such a mixed bag. It was warm, fresh, funny, and pretty realistic. I loved that Day boldly wrote a hero who was 5'9", with a six-inch cock and a doughboy stomach. Major points. I liked how she was able to clearly write two different voices and how she showed the two MCs struggles and bad sides. However, the sex was BEYOND TERRIBLE, I mean really bad. REALLY BAD. And some of the writing was questionable.
I would definitely read another book by Day, although I know for a fact she isn't going to improve her sex-writing any time soon. But I enjoy reading about "normal" people and not the billionaires and CEOs who populate romance novels. I appreciate what Day is trying to do.
February 10, 2015
(ARC Copy) Driving Heat was the first contemporary romance book I've ever read like this. Zuri Day gave a whole new outlook on the type of hero that is in romance novels. This is the first book in the Blue Collar Lover series and I can already tell this series is going to be a 5 star hit!
Byron Carter is not your everyday romance hero. He's not rich, and even his body type is not the norm. He is just your everyday Joe. That doesn't stop the wealthy, Cynthia Hall from falling for his charm. Although they come from two totally different worlds, they still fall for each other.
I'm excited about this series and I can't wait to read more about the Carter boys and the rest of that wacky family.
Byron Carter is not your everyday romance hero. He's not rich, and even his body type is not the norm. He is just your everyday Joe. That doesn't stop the wealthy, Cynthia Hall from falling for his charm. Although they come from two totally different worlds, they still fall for each other.
I'm excited about this series and I can't wait to read more about the Carter boys and the rest of that wacky family.
December 12, 2015
Meet the Carter brothers, five hard working men with a lot to offer. They may not be wealthy but they are rich in integrity and loyalty.
Driving Heat is a contemporary romance book. This is the first book in the Blue Collar Lover series.
Byron Carter is not rich. He is just your everyday guy. Cynthia is wealthy. Cynthia and Byron both come from different worlds as they fall for each other.
This book has everything that comes with everyday issues in life. Family drama, baby momma drama and crazy family issues.
The characters I loved. You will be able to relate to each other character. The author did a good job in making me see the characters from book to life.
The storyline is excellent. This book will make you laugh and have you yelling.
I'm excited about this series and can't wait to read more.
Thank you to the author for a wonderful entertaining story.
Driving Heat is a contemporary romance book. This is the first book in the Blue Collar Lover series.
Byron Carter is not rich. He is just your everyday guy. Cynthia is wealthy. Cynthia and Byron both come from different worlds as they fall for each other.
This book has everything that comes with everyday issues in life. Family drama, baby momma drama and crazy family issues.
The characters I loved. You will be able to relate to each other character. The author did a good job in making me see the characters from book to life.
The storyline is excellent. This book will make you laugh and have you yelling.
I'm excited about this series and can't wait to read more.
Thank you to the author for a wonderful entertaining story.
Read
February 1, 2016DNF. It's a matter of taste for me here. I really like her writing style, but I didn't like how Byron talked to Cynthia. I get that this is a "blue collar" series, but this went a little far for me. The writer went REALLY rough around the edges and simple-minded with his character and it was neither funny nor charming for me. Am I a posh princess reader? Perhaps. I was actually annoyed it didn't bother the heroine. I understand this may be a purely personal preference for me, but I wasn't sold on this one. :( I will still read another Zuri Day book in the future. And probably sooner than you think.
March 7, 2016
An INTERESTING read...NOT at all what I was expecting...two people from different worlds...they have an INTENSE physical attraction...but they also complement each other and bring out the BEST in each other...Byron is quite a COLORFUL character...I love his keep it REAL outlook on life...and his family and friends kept me LOL at their over-the-top antics...despite Cynthia's sheltered upbringing, her social and financial background she's a little more down to earth than I expected...and I really ENJOYED the chemistry between them...and the little lessons they both learned from one another on their journey to love...looking forward to reading the next book in the Blue-Collar Lover Series.
April 10, 2015
Zuri Day has taken on the task of introducing the Blue Collar brothers. In the first installment, Byron Carter, a respectable bus driver has a chance encounter with the beautiful, successful Ms. Cynthia Hall and automatically knows she's off limits. Cynthia has been raised to find, date and marry one kind of man (a DHOP). You have to read it to find out what this means :) Being from two different social classes, poses a myriad of problems. In this book, Zuri Day gives an awesome tribute to the Blue Collar man. Nice job! I especially enjoyed the ending.
June 23, 2015
I fell in love with Byron Carter and his whole family including Liz Carter (his mother). Liz Carter said she was Liz Carter all day long. A woman after my heart, down to earth and she means what she says and says exactly what she means. Cynthia Hall's family was high bougie folks. Her mother was a piece of work. I'm betting on who should play her in a movie right now. Get Cookie from Empire on that one. Byron a blue collar worker comes from a nice family with standards, rules and love. Byron was in love with Cynthia the moment she entered his bus from a temporary car break down. I would not pay to have Cynthia's friends. Sometimes when folks are all up in your business means they have no business. Bonded together through Leah, a client of Cynthia Hall this novel comes together. Cynthia is a Social Worker vying for a position as a Director of this Community Based Organization. Cynthia's job is to help save adolescents and young adults from steering in the wrong direction with the law. Cynthia has a clientele of over forty young adults and is efficient, organized and excellent in her position. I enjoyed this book through all of it's twists and turns. It's definitely a page turner and a delight. Getting "gripped" is a new slang term for me. I would assumed that you have a man hooked is what the proper English vernacular would be.
March 31, 2015
Zuri Day is ready to tackle old and controversial topics in Driving Heat. Bryon Carter, the oldest son of Elizabeth and Willie Carter, believed in keeping things real. Coming from a big family, Bryon was extremely proud of his daughter and his job as a bus driver. When Cynthia Hall stepped on his bus, he thought “why is this woman in this neighborhood getting on my bus” and “she is hot”. Cynthia Hall was raised by old school elite parents who believed that you should only socialize with people of money. So she believed she needed a husband who could give her the right social and financial status. So why did Bryon turn her on?
Day brought two completely different characters with two backgrounds together and both were confronted with the same issues - stereotypes, family, baby-momma-daddy drama, self-doubt unworthiness, single parenting and unexplained attractions. Day is excellent with bringing everyday people with everyday issues together to show that we are all the same. This story made you yell, laugh, shake your head and curse a few times as the characters found their happily ever after. Readers will anticipate more in this series.
An Advance Readers Copy (ARC) was received for an honest review.
By Cilla, the BookManiac
Day brought two completely different characters with two backgrounds together and both were confronted with the same issues - stereotypes, family, baby-momma-daddy drama, self-doubt unworthiness, single parenting and unexplained attractions. Day is excellent with bringing everyday people with everyday issues together to show that we are all the same. This story made you yell, laugh, shake your head and curse a few times as the characters found their happily ever after. Readers will anticipate more in this series.
An Advance Readers Copy (ARC) was received for an honest review.
By Cilla, the BookManiac
April 17, 2023
This story is laugh out loud good with all kinds of drama: family, baby-momma, rich vs. poor, jealousy, betrayal, and even some corporate back-stabbing!
I liked the way Byron called Cynthia out on acting like he and his job wasn't good enough for her. I loved Byron's mother, Liz, and the "Carter Circle" that reminded everyone just how important family is!
Loved this book!
I liked the way Byron called Cynthia out on acting like he and his job wasn't good enough for her. I loved Byron's mother, Liz, and the "Carter Circle" that reminded everyone just how important family is!
Loved this book!
October 19, 2016
I loved Cynthia and Byron's love Journey. It was touching and definitely drama filled. And my goodness it was so funny. ( mrs. Carter) this is the story of a well-to-do woman who meets the average Joe bus driver and they fall in love. But you know there's drama all through it. I love the story like a mofo LOL I'm pretty sure you'll love the story. I did. <3
September 28, 2016
Lol, this book was actually good. I have been having a debate with myself and wondering if Bryon is a big guy or not. But when he said muhfa and she started saying it had me dead weak. Lol, glad she chosen Bryon in the end. Lord knows I couldn't stand Cynthia, mom at all.
May 17, 2015
Cynthia has run into two men in her life who both have tap danced on her heart. One tapped and hustled away years before, only to return while the other tapped with no desire to switch dance partners. But situations and time wouldn't let this happen the easy way. Her friends felt she was doing terrible in the mating department, her mother would never approve of her blue collar lover, BUT love is the craziest, unpredictable force there is.
I truly enjoyed the chemistry and balance in this book. Byron is the blue collar brother and Cynthia the white collar sister trying to get their head and heart on the same page. Two people couldn't be more different. But the heart knows what the heart wants.
Driving Heat confirms opposites just might attract and could possibly continue the magnetism. But the question remains; does it matter if he's paid by the hour? Is it really about white collar vs blue collar or the level we communicate and accept others. What a great read
I received a complimentary copy in exchange for my thoughtful and honest review.
I truly enjoyed the chemistry and balance in this book. Byron is the blue collar brother and Cynthia the white collar sister trying to get their head and heart on the same page. Two people couldn't be more different. But the heart knows what the heart wants.
Driving Heat confirms opposites just might attract and could possibly continue the magnetism. But the question remains; does it matter if he's paid by the hour? Is it really about white collar vs blue collar or the level we communicate and accept others. What a great read
I received a complimentary copy in exchange for my thoughtful and honest review.
April 3, 2015
Driving Heat is a contemporary romance about more than just a man and woman; it's also about knowing what your heart wants, and what's right for you. Cynthia and Byron are as different as night and day, but when opposites attract and the chemistry pulls, you can't control who you love. I love the whole blue collar - white collar issue. I'm a firm believer in love can conquer all, and that love is love. I hope that it sends a message to those who think that dating & falling in love with someone who isn't in your tax bracket is absolutely fine! I thoroughly enjoyed the story from front cover to back, and would definitely recommend it to anyone who loves a good love story!
August 9, 2015
I absolutely LOVED this book. Zuri Day is a great author and I love her books always. Driving Heat is the first book in her new Blue-Collar Lovers series. In this story, blue collar working Bryon Carter is a single father trying to find the right woman for him. The well established woman from the other side of the tracks and society Cynthia Hall has had the type of upbringing that allows for champagne taste and a silver spoon. She has a successful career but is not necessarily looking for love after a series of failed relationships. It is a great story of love. This latest book did not disappoint.
May 17, 2015
Excellent start to the Blue-collar series. Byron Carter is your average hard-working man, He's not afraid to show a woman how he feels and his actions show that he's a good man.
Cynthia Hall is a successful career woman with a socialite background. They meet in unusual circumstances, just goes to show - "Don't judge a book by its cover." Very good book Zuri Day!
Cynthia Hall is a successful career woman with a socialite background. They meet in unusual circumstances, just goes to show - "Don't judge a book by its cover." Very good book Zuri Day!
March 6, 2015
This book was really good. The story flowed and I loved the characters. I kept putting the book down to prolong finishing to fast because I didn't want it to end. Another slam dunk by Zuri Day!
March 30, 2016
3.5...I really liked this book Byron was so funny, sweet and determined. But after awhile I just felt like it was dragging.
February 24, 2021
Be advised this contains strong mature themes.
Byron is confident, a gentleman and has a good sense of humor. Cynthia well-bred, hard working professional and vulnerable. Their meet cute is sweet & sassy. The back and forth between them is intriguing. Her family is intense and his is hilarious. His mother Liz and his father Willie are class acts, Liz is too twisted for HD TV. Cynthia has lived a planned out life except for a couple of bumps and her best friends are more like family. His brothers & sister are almost as on as Liz.
This was funny, dramatic and crazy! I didn't stop laughing.
Byron is confident, a gentleman and has a good sense of humor. Cynthia well-bred, hard working professional and vulnerable. Their meet cute is sweet & sassy. The back and forth between them is intriguing. Her family is intense and his is hilarious. His mother Liz and his father Willie are class acts, Liz is too twisted for HD TV. Cynthia has lived a planned out life except for a couple of bumps and her best friends are more like family. His brothers & sister are almost as on as Liz.
This was funny, dramatic and crazy! I didn't stop laughing.
June 3, 2020
Good, on to the second part.
February 27, 2015
Growing up we all have an idea of what we would like for our lives to be like. We imagine ourselves as successful businessmen and women or married with 2.5 children and a white picket fence. However we see it we all have some image in our head of which way we plan that our lives are going to go. What are we to do when our lives are taking a drastic turn, total opposite of what we have planned? Do you try to put your life back on the schedule and plan that you had imagined or do you let this new plan play out and see where it is going to take you?
Cynthia Hall is a successful woman in various degrees of the word. She comes from a very affluent family, she is a counselor helping teens in trouble with a 100% success rate, she has family and friends that love her and two men that simply adore her. Life couldn’t be better and more complicated!
Byron Carter is a simple man. He is a bus driver, a single father and sees life at face value and tells you as much. He was raised by parents and in a family that are caring and are living life and having fun, and so loving and giving that you have no other choice but to love them right back. When tragedy strikes within the Carter family, they rally together to help. Sometimes help comes from different sources but when that source can possibly change the dynamics of your entire life do you go with the flow or do you resist because you are in unfamiliar territory?
Driving Heat is romance novel by Zuri Day and if you have read any of her work you know that she BRINGS THE HEAT! This novel is so well written I found myself smiling while reading, if there was a situation where the lead character was sad, I was sad. If she was happy, I was happy! When you are going through emotions like that when reading a book you KNOW that you have found an author that can pull you into the world of the characters and have you walk in their shoes! This is not the first book I have read by Zuri Day and it will NOT be the last! Driving Heat is the first in the Blue Collar Lover series and I can not wait to see what comes next!
Cynthia Hall is a successful woman in various degrees of the word. She comes from a very affluent family, she is a counselor helping teens in trouble with a 100% success rate, she has family and friends that love her and two men that simply adore her. Life couldn’t be better and more complicated!
Byron Carter is a simple man. He is a bus driver, a single father and sees life at face value and tells you as much. He was raised by parents and in a family that are caring and are living life and having fun, and so loving and giving that you have no other choice but to love them right back. When tragedy strikes within the Carter family, they rally together to help. Sometimes help comes from different sources but when that source can possibly change the dynamics of your entire life do you go with the flow or do you resist because you are in unfamiliar territory?
Driving Heat is romance novel by Zuri Day and if you have read any of her work you know that she BRINGS THE HEAT! This novel is so well written I found myself smiling while reading, if there was a situation where the lead character was sad, I was sad. If she was happy, I was happy! When you are going through emotions like that when reading a book you KNOW that you have found an author that can pull you into the world of the characters and have you walk in their shoes! This is not the first book I have read by Zuri Day and it will NOT be the last! Driving Heat is the first in the Blue Collar Lover series and I can not wait to see what comes next!
April 17, 2015
Driving Heat is the first book in Zuri Day’s new Blue-Collar Lovers series. In this first installment we meet the oldest Carter sibling, Bryon Carter, a bus driver and single father, trying to find the woman for him. Cynthia Hall has a successful career but has a few failed relationships under her belt. Cynthia’s car breaks down during a routine visit for her job and she has to take public transit to get back to work. As she enters Byron’s bus, the attraction is apparent and Byron engages her in conversation. Cynthia figures she and Byron’s paths will never cross, reluctantly communicates until she reaches her stop. Unbeknownst to them, their paths cross again when Cynthia realizes Byron is knows her client. Byron realizing the opportunity asks Cynthia out, and she agrees. Cynthia’s standards, one being the next man she enters into a relationship must be an upscale professional, will allow her to miss out on the best thing/man to enter her life.
Ms. Day did a great job crafting Byron and Cynthia’s story. Bryon was a guy, readers cannot help but fall in love with him. His character values family, job, and family. He also has a sense of humor. He pursue Cynthia but realizes Cynthia’s standards will cause her to miss out. Cynthia allows her friends and family upbringing to shape how she views her relationship with Byron and will try to hide it as if she is ashamed. She has to trust her feelings and not allow others to dictate how she lives her life. Will she continue to allow outside standards rule who she falls in love with or will she let Byron become a permanent part of her life. Readers will need to pick up a copy of Driving Heat. Zuri Day does not disappoint.
Ms. Day did a great job crafting Byron and Cynthia’s story. Bryon was a guy, readers cannot help but fall in love with him. His character values family, job, and family. He also has a sense of humor. He pursue Cynthia but realizes Cynthia’s standards will cause her to miss out. Cynthia allows her friends and family upbringing to shape how she views her relationship with Byron and will try to hide it as if she is ashamed. She has to trust her feelings and not allow others to dictate how she lives her life. Will she continue to allow outside standards rule who she falls in love with or will she let Byron become a permanent part of her life. Readers will need to pick up a copy of Driving Heat. Zuri Day does not disappoint.
May 12, 2016
Driving Heat isn't your ordinary romance novel, that because Byron Carter isn't your normal hero. Byron, an average guy, working an average job falls head over heels for Cynthia Hall.
Cynthia hails from the upper crust of prim and proper, although she's about that life, she doesn't feel that life anymore. Like an angel fallen from grace, Cynthia's one mistake changed the path of her life. And one chance meeting after a day of bad luck, Cynthia's path is changed once more.
Is love enough to contain two people from two different backgrounds and preferences? Byron and Cynthia travel the rocky road to find out if Love is the most powerful force. I really enjoyed this book, I've often said romance doesn't have to encompass a billionaire and this author certainly proves that point. 5 Stars
www.coffeebreaksandbookmarks.com
Cynthia hails from the upper crust of prim and proper, although she's about that life, she doesn't feel that life anymore. Like an angel fallen from grace, Cynthia's one mistake changed the path of her life. And one chance meeting after a day of bad luck, Cynthia's path is changed once more.
Is love enough to contain two people from two different backgrounds and preferences? Byron and Cynthia travel the rocky road to find out if Love is the most powerful force. I really enjoyed this book, I've often said romance doesn't have to encompass a billionaire and this author certainly proves that point. 5 Stars
www.coffeebreaksandbookmarks.com
June 8, 2015
What can I say
I have read other books by this author which was a lot better than this. This is a story of Cynthia and Byron. Byron drives a bus,Cynthia was raised privileged best school,country club membership,parents right connections. Byron was raised by his parents,four brothers in the not so great neighborhood. The Carter family may have lived on the other side of town but they loved each other and they stuck together. Cynthia's mother wanted Cynthia to marry someone with the right pedigree. Some parts of the book I didn't care for the way the author portrayed Byron. Cynthia's girlfriends with the DHOP (degree home owning professional) really bugged me. All in all was an okay book.
I have read other books by this author which was a lot better than this. This is a story of Cynthia and Byron. Byron drives a bus,Cynthia was raised privileged best school,country club membership,parents right connections. Byron was raised by his parents,four brothers in the not so great neighborhood. The Carter family may have lived on the other side of town but they loved each other and they stuck together. Cynthia's mother wanted Cynthia to marry someone with the right pedigree. Some parts of the book I didn't care for the way the author portrayed Byron. Cynthia's girlfriends with the DHOP (degree home owning professional) really bugged me. All in all was an okay book.
March 1, 2016
Okay, so I gave this one a lot of stars. It's not my usual kind of 4-star book--it wasn't the writing style or the language or even the story that made me like it. It was that it made me laugh out loud, and I stayed up til 2 a.m. finishing it. That hasn't happened in a long time, and it was just...it was pleasant. Like when I go outside and it's sunny and I just get randomly happy. I'll definitely keep my eye out for more in this series.
February 17, 2016
Great book, that Zuri Day is something else. This was a page turner and I enjoyed every minute of it, I loved the chemistry between Cynthia and Byron it was so good to see the high society come down of that pedestal and fall in love with a Blue collar. I highly recommend this book and cannot wait to read the other one.
April 11, 2015
Heat Does Not Do It Justice
Ms. Dave books never cease to amaze me . The relationship between Byron and Cynthia is full of twist and turns . Every day needs highbrow, family, friends, coworkers, and enemies make this book well worth the read. My biggest requirement for a book is a hea ending and I got it. Looking forward to the next blue-collar lover series book.
Ms. Dave books never cease to amaze me . The relationship between Byron and Cynthia is full of twist and turns . Every day needs highbrow, family, friends, coworkers, and enemies make this book well worth the read. My biggest requirement for a book is a hea ending and I got it. Looking forward to the next blue-collar lover series book.
April 17, 2015
Driving Heat
OMG I love Zuri Day! I have read every book that she has written! Each one makes you read it from the beginning to the end without stopping! Her books are full of passion, a little drama, a lot of sizzle, and love. I would definitely recommend this book as well as all of her other books.
OMG I love Zuri Day! I have read every book that she has written! Each one makes you read it from the beginning to the end without stopping! Her books are full of passion, a little drama, a lot of sizzle, and love. I would definitely recommend this book as well as all of her other books.
April 22, 2015
OMG I loved this book
Anyone who loves reading about love will love this book. The male character had all the qualities of a typical good guy in a romance except for the deep pockets. I enjoyed seeing the growth of the female character in the novel. It was a fun book can't wait for the next one.
Anyone who loves reading about love will love this book. The male character had all the qualities of a typical good guy in a romance except for the deep pockets. I enjoyed seeing the growth of the female character in the novel. It was a fun book can't wait for the next one.
August 10, 2015
The book was ok. I really didn't like how Byron was described in terms of language, appearance.
I was expecting his character to be a little more sophisticated and not so street and I felt Cynthia was too uptight. She didn't know what she wanted. Overall just an ok read for me. I guess I expected something different and so it wasn't one of the favorites in this series.
I was expecting his character to be a little more sophisticated and not so street and I felt Cynthia was too uptight. She didn't know what she wanted. Overall just an ok read for me. I guess I expected something different and so it wasn't one of the favorites in this series.
March 4, 2016
This is my first Zuri Day book and I can say it will NOT be my last!!! I loved this book. I couldn't put it down. I love the whole blue collar theme. It seems whenever you read a romance book all the characters are rich. This book felt real. The characters were real, with real problems. New Zuri Day fan!!!! On my way to read Packing Heat!
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