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Brothers Ink #2
Anticipation
Blue Sullivan knows a player when she sees one. And Eddie Oliveira—charm and sex personified—was born to play. She never wanted him to say goodbye, so for the last ten years she’s ignored the sizzling attraction between them and focused on being the best sidekick a guy could have. Smart girl, right?
Then Blue has a serious accident, and overnight Eddie changes. Suddenly he’s more intense and singularly devoted…to her. With all this sexy attention, it’s hard to stay within the boundaries she’s scrupulously drawn. The temptation, the anticipation builds and, finally, she has to have what he’s offering. Of course Eddie proves to be brilliant. Now, she worries he’s ruined her forever, and that in making the leap to lovers, she'll lose the best friend she's ever had.
Then Blue has a serious accident, and overnight Eddie changes. Suddenly he’s more intense and singularly devoted…to her. With all this sexy attention, it’s hard to stay within the boundaries she’s scrupulously drawn. The temptation, the anticipation builds and, finally, she has to have what he’s offering. Of course Eddie proves to be brilliant. Now, she worries he’s ruined her forever, and that in making the leap to lovers, she'll lose the best friend she's ever had.
233 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 25, 2015
58 people are currently reading
508 people want to read
About the author
Sarah Mayberry
159 books1,150 followersSarah Mayberry was born in Melbourne, Australia, and is the middle of three children. From the time that she first “stole” paper from kindergarten and stapled it together to make “books,” Sarah has always wanted to be a writer. In line with this ambition, on graduation from high school she completed a bachelor of arts degree majoring in professional writing, then sat down to write a book. When inspiration didn’t strike, she began to wonder if, perhaps, she needed to live some life first before writing about it.
This still left the burning question of how to pay the rent. She found her way into trade journalism, working off the principle that it was better to write anything for a living than nothing at all. Her time there lead to the opportunity to launch a new decorator magazine for one of Australia’s major retailers, an invaluable and grueling experience that she found very rewarding.
But the opportunity to write fiction for a living soon lured Sarah away. She took up a post as storyliner on Australia’s longest running soap, Neighbours. Over two years she helped plot more than 240 hours of television, as well as writing freelance scripts. She remembers her time with the show very fondly — especially the dirty jokes and laughter around the story table — and still writes scripts on a freelance basis.
In 2003 she relocated to New Zealand for her partner’s work. There Sarah served as storyliner and story editor on the country’s top-rating drama, Shortland Street, before quitting to pursue writing full time.
Sarah picked up a love of romance novels from both her grandmothers, and has submitted manuscripts to Harlequin many times over the years. She credits the invaluable story structuring experience she learned on Neighbours as the key to her eventual success — along with the patience of her fantastic editor, Wanda.
Sarah is revoltingly happy with her partner of twelve years, Chris, who is a talented scriptwriter. Not only does he offer fantastic advice and solutions to writing problems, but he’s also handsome, funny and sexy. When she’s not gushing over him, she loves to read romance and fantasy novels, go to the movies, sew and cook for her friends. She has also become a recent convert to Pilates, which she knows she should do more often.
This still left the burning question of how to pay the rent. She found her way into trade journalism, working off the principle that it was better to write anything for a living than nothing at all. Her time there lead to the opportunity to launch a new decorator magazine for one of Australia’s major retailers, an invaluable and grueling experience that she found very rewarding.
But the opportunity to write fiction for a living soon lured Sarah away. She took up a post as storyliner on Australia’s longest running soap, Neighbours. Over two years she helped plot more than 240 hours of television, as well as writing freelance scripts. She remembers her time with the show very fondly — especially the dirty jokes and laughter around the story table — and still writes scripts on a freelance basis.
In 2003 she relocated to New Zealand for her partner’s work. There Sarah served as storyliner and story editor on the country’s top-rating drama, Shortland Street, before quitting to pursue writing full time.
Sarah picked up a love of romance novels from both her grandmothers, and has submitted manuscripts to Harlequin many times over the years. She credits the invaluable story structuring experience she learned on Neighbours as the key to her eventual success — along with the patience of her fantastic editor, Wanda.
Sarah is revoltingly happy with her partner of twelve years, Chris, who is a talented scriptwriter. Not only does he offer fantastic advice and solutions to writing problems, but he’s also handsome, funny and sexy. When she’s not gushing over him, she loves to read romance and fantasy novels, go to the movies, sew and cook for her friends. She has also become a recent convert to Pilates, which she knows she should do more often.
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March 29, 2015
4.5 stars!!
***This review may contain mild spoilers for book one***
One of the things I like about Sarah Mayberry is that she writes great unrequited friends-to-lovers love stories . She knows how to capture the longing, the hope, the hurt...everything that makes this trope work.
Anticipation is the second book of Sara Mayberry's Brothers Ink series. This is Eddie and Blue's story. Eddie is Rafel's twin brother. The wild one, the one who can't settle down, the one who like the ladies too much to settle down with one. Blue is his best friend and employee at Brothers Ink. She has been a constant in Eddie's life the moment they met 10 years ago and Blue has been in love with Eddie for just as long.
Blue for all her desire for Eddie had been content to play the sidekick. She knew Eddie would never look at her like more than a friend. Then a freak accident changes everything. Suddenly, Eddie was confronted with the possibility that he might lose Blue and he didn't like that at all. It was then that the author sort of flipped the script that it became a lot less about Blue having unrequited feelings for Eddie and more about Eddie's pursuing Blue and proving to her that he's the one for her.
I loved how I was showed Eddie's growing feelings for Blue without the constant telling. Of course, Eddie did admit later on but it was great to see it because I, as the reader, recognized his feelings for what it is even before he even realized and acknowledged it. It was the best kind of swoon.
A man in pursuit is always hot but Eddie Oliveiros in pursuit of the object of heart is even HOTTER...plus, it was really cute. The title was very apt because I was definitely anticipating the time when they finally get over their stubbornness and just give in to their growing attraction. The sexual tension just sizzled. Steam was coming off the page. It was so potent I had to message a friend about it.
Their chemistry was off the charts. I know I've said this during the first book but it bears repeating here because like Rafel and Maggie, Eddie and Blue also has some insane chemistry. And just when I thought Rafel was it for me, Eddie, I think was even better because the moment he realized who Blue is to him, he just went into pursuit mode. And Blue, I think, was perfect for him. She had a lot of hurt. Her back story was very sad and it explained a lot about who she is and why she made the decisions she did.
Just the like the first book, this one is also filled with great dialogue and banter. And we also get to meet a few of the Brothers Ink employee this time around. And like the first book, I wanted more from the ending. It wasn't as rushed as the first book but I sort of didn't want it to end yet. I wanted to read more. Other than that, this one was another wonderful read from Sarah Mayberry.
ARC provided by Sarah Mayberry in exchange for an honest review.
***This review may contain mild spoilers for book one***
One of the things I like about Sarah Mayberry is that she writes great unrequited friends-to-lovers love stories . She knows how to capture the longing, the hope, the hurt...everything that makes this trope work.
Anticipation is the second book of Sara Mayberry's Brothers Ink series. This is Eddie and Blue's story. Eddie is Rafel's twin brother. The wild one, the one who can't settle down, the one who like the ladies too much to settle down with one. Blue is his best friend and employee at Brothers Ink. She has been a constant in Eddie's life the moment they met 10 years ago and Blue has been in love with Eddie for just as long.
Blue for all her desire for Eddie had been content to play the sidekick. She knew Eddie would never look at her like more than a friend. Then a freak accident changes everything. Suddenly, Eddie was confronted with the possibility that he might lose Blue and he didn't like that at all. It was then that the author sort of flipped the script that it became a lot less about Blue having unrequited feelings for Eddie and more about Eddie's pursuing Blue and proving to her that he's the one for her.
I loved how I was showed Eddie's growing feelings for Blue without the constant telling. Of course, Eddie did admit later on but it was great to see it because I, as the reader, recognized his feelings for what it is even before he even realized and acknowledged it. It was the best kind of swoon.
Her call drew Eddie’s attention, and he glanced at them, his face lighting up when he caught sight of Blue. She raised her hand in greeting and tried to ignore the warm glow in her belly that was inspired by his very obvious happiness that she’d shown up.
“That’s a Huxtaburger bag, isn’t it?” Raf said shrewdly.
“You drove all the way into Fitzroy to get her favorite burger for lunch, didn’t you?”
“This could be my lunch for all you know, smart-ass,” Eddie said, even though he could feel the tips of his ears turning red.
It was none of their business if he’d chosen to eschew the perfectly good burger place around the corner in favor of making a twenty-minute round trip to bring Blue her favorite burger in all of Melbourne. If he wanted to spoil her a little, he was perfectly within his rights to do so, and the rest of them could all taking a flying leap.
A man in pursuit is always hot but Eddie Oliveiros in pursuit of the object of heart is even HOTTER...plus, it was really cute. The title was very apt because I was definitely anticipating the time when they finally get over their stubbornness and just give in to their growing attraction. The sexual tension just sizzled. Steam was coming off the page. It was so potent I had to message a friend about it.
Their chemistry was off the charts. I know I've said this during the first book but it bears repeating here because like Rafel and Maggie, Eddie and Blue also has some insane chemistry. And just when I thought Rafel was it for me, Eddie, I think was even better because the moment he realized who Blue is to him, he just went into pursuit mode. And Blue, I think, was perfect for him. She had a lot of hurt. Her back story was very sad and it explained a lot about who she is and why she made the decisions she did.
If he could, he’d tear down the world and remake it for her so that she had all the things she needed and deserved - parents who loved her, a childhood full of laughter, the knowledge that no matter what, she could always go home.
Just the like the first book, this one is also filled with great dialogue and banter. And we also get to meet a few of the Brothers Ink employee this time around. And like the first book, I wanted more from the ending. It wasn't as rushed as the first book but I sort of didn't want it to end yet. I wanted to read more. Other than that, this one was another wonderful read from Sarah Mayberry.
ARC provided by Sarah Mayberry in exchange for an honest review.
August 1, 2015
Once upon a time there was a manwhore named Eddie...
I wish I liked this one more, but for me I spent half the time not liking Eddie for being a recovering manwhore and the other half being drowned in angst. Anticipation just didn't have the same feel as the first book in the series, Satisfaction. The characters were very different. Eddie has gotten around. He hasn't had a girlfriend that lasted past the 6 month mark and most of his "relationships" are of the one night variety. Blue is a very self-reliant and private person. She has been in love with Eddie for the 10 years she has known him. She was quite happy to settle for friendship though, as she doesn't want to have him for a good but short time which could ruin their friendship.
An accident which puts Blue into hospital forces the two of them to look at their relationship differently. This story shows us the struggle the two of them face in coming to terms with their feelings and whether they are willing to put their friendship at risk.
My problem was that I liked Blue at the beginning but started to dislike her...and disliked Eddie at the beginning but learnt to like him. There wasn't a time through the whole story that I liked both the characters at the same time. I'm not sure how Blue could be in love with Eddie and watch him be with so many women. I'm also not sure if Eddie loved Blue, even just as friends, could disregard her because the latest hook-up feels intimidated by their friendship.
Overall, I didn't mind Anticipation but definitely enjoyed the characters and storyline of Satisfaction more.
This review and more can be found at http://edgyreviews.com/
I wish I liked this one more, but for me I spent half the time not liking Eddie for being a recovering manwhore and the other half being drowned in angst. Anticipation just didn't have the same feel as the first book in the series, Satisfaction. The characters were very different. Eddie has gotten around. He hasn't had a girlfriend that lasted past the 6 month mark and most of his "relationships" are of the one night variety. Blue is a very self-reliant and private person. She has been in love with Eddie for the 10 years she has known him. She was quite happy to settle for friendship though, as she doesn't want to have him for a good but short time which could ruin their friendship.
An accident which puts Blue into hospital forces the two of them to look at their relationship differently. This story shows us the struggle the two of them face in coming to terms with their feelings and whether they are willing to put their friendship at risk.
My problem was that I liked Blue at the beginning but started to dislike her...and disliked Eddie at the beginning but learnt to like him. There wasn't a time through the whole story that I liked both the characters at the same time. I'm not sure how Blue could be in love with Eddie and watch him be with so many women. I'm also not sure if Eddie loved Blue, even just as friends, could disregard her because the latest hook-up feels intimidated by their friendship.
Overall, I didn't mind Anticipation but definitely enjoyed the characters and storyline of Satisfaction more.
This review and more can be found at http://edgyreviews.com/
February 19, 2016
3.5 to 4 Friendship Versus Love Stars * * * 1/2
This was the second book of the Brothers Ink series by Sarah Mayberry. I had read the first book, surprised by its depth and decided to read the second asap. I was not disappointed in the story's focus... friends to lovers and the risks it can present. She gave us a couple who had been dear and devoted friends for 10 years, so there was no insta anything.
What we did have were wants, longings and stored intense feelings by Blue, while watching in the friend zone where she had put herself, and seeing the object of her desire, Eddie, flit from willing partner to partner. This track record of Eddie's over the years would be her reason to fight her feelings for him.
Eddie met Blue and approached her like he did all woman, with confidence and swagger. She was at a bar and another fella was there hitting on her. Somewhere it was mentioned to not waste your time because she wasn't open for what "these" men had to offer. Eddie saw the brief twinkle in her eye knowing she had put out that rumor to protect herself in the tough industry of Tattoo Artistry. Giving her a knowing nod...she allowed Eddie to take her for a drink.
Eddie was interested in Blue... but also he liked her tough way, smart quips and thought she was just fun to be around. He knew if he hit on her, she would run... so he pulled back and just talked, being there with her.
That was the beginning of her long time friendship and then career with the Brothers Ink, Eddie and Rafel. They became the best of friends, the 3 of them and when it was time for the Twins to open their own shop, she followed them.
Fast forward 10 years and it is Maggie's birthday gathering at a bar they all go to. Everyone is having fun...a friend of Maggie's is hanging all over Eddie, dancing suggestively. Blue, though is tired; she is tired of always seeing Eddie become manic after a break up. It is his pattern... meet a gal, thinks this is it and then he stops hanging out with Blue all together, ignoring the friendship which has been there all along. She has had enough and is leaving the bar. Eddie sees her leaving and is a little shocked... wants her to go on to another club to dance. She tells him what for... how he is not just around when in a relationship...she not going to be available just when he wants her to be...and starts off to cross the street for a cab to hook up with a Friends/Benefits guy.
In a moment everything changes; with a motorcycle coming and Blue being in the way...She experiences a life flash of regrets... things she missed out and was too scared to reach out for... Eddie.
Eddie see Blue fly and land on the gravel...and his heart almost stops beating...he cannot think of not having Blue in his life. She needs to be there for him.
The realization of what these two people mean to each other takes on different forms... and from the moment Eddie is reassured in the hospital, Blue will come out of this a little worse for the wear but ok...His perceptive changes.
He is not alone; Blue is shaken... she does not know how to handle these feelings... all she knows is the friendship she has with Eddie means everything... she cannot do anything to jeopardize it. The brothers and all the friends from this group are really all the family she has. Her love for Eddie... her wanting him...she needs for that to stay hidden.
This story was the showing of how hard it is to love freely when all you know about love is how much it can hurt when it is taken away. Blue's back story is very sad; she lost her parents at 6, was put into foster care and many managers of the group homes were not Marry Poppins. Many were into cruel manipulations, wanting to make her cry to see their power over her. Instead, their actions created a girl who built an armor so strong, nothing could penetrate it. People could only get as close as she would let them... If you loved them... they would leave you at some point or be taken away. It was a lesson burned into her brain from the age of 6.
This is the journey these two take and along the way each has to confront their mistakes in this relationship. Neither is home free in behavior. Eddie was careless in his friendship with Blue but once he realized what was at stake...he was all in. Blue it took longer, she had had the harder life lessons to break...
The sexy times between the two were intense and there... but for me, did not have the same feel as the ones from the first book, Satisfaction. Of course, to compare is not exactly fair as this was a more serious personal hurdle between these two characters... longer history, other issues.
This is a solid series and another entry is coming per the author's website...I am guessing the character Lena may be next.
~~~ Before Reading ~~~
A Man who never saw her like he does now...sits and thinks...
"We can never know about the days to come
But we think about them anyway
And I wonder if I'm really with you now
Or just chasing after some finer day.
Anticipation, anticipation
Is making me late
Is keeping me waiting"
A woman with blue hair and beautiful tattoos up her arm of cherry blossoms sits and thinks....
"And I tell you how easy it feels to be with you
And how right your arms feel around me.
But I rehearsed those words just late last night
When I was thinking about how right tonight might be.
Anticipation, anticipation
Is making me late
Is keeping me waiting"
Both of them...friends first... now lovers...will she let him in...
"And tomorrow we might not be together
I'm no prophet, I don't know natures way
So I'll try to see into your eyes right now
And stay right here, 'cause these are the good old days."
Eddie has his work cut out for him...Here is hoping he shows Blue the way... She has only been fighting this Anticipation for years...
For more Reviews, Free E-books and Giveaways
This was the second book of the Brothers Ink series by Sarah Mayberry. I had read the first book, surprised by its depth and decided to read the second asap. I was not disappointed in the story's focus... friends to lovers and the risks it can present. She gave us a couple who had been dear and devoted friends for 10 years, so there was no insta anything.
What we did have were wants, longings and stored intense feelings by Blue, while watching in the friend zone where she had put herself, and seeing the object of her desire, Eddie, flit from willing partner to partner. This track record of Eddie's over the years would be her reason to fight her feelings for him.
Eddie met Blue and approached her like he did all woman, with confidence and swagger. She was at a bar and another fella was there hitting on her. Somewhere it was mentioned to not waste your time because she wasn't open for what "these" men had to offer. Eddie saw the brief twinkle in her eye knowing she had put out that rumor to protect herself in the tough industry of Tattoo Artistry. Giving her a knowing nod...she allowed Eddie to take her for a drink.
Eddie was interested in Blue... but also he liked her tough way, smart quips and thought she was just fun to be around. He knew if he hit on her, she would run... so he pulled back and just talked, being there with her.
That was the beginning of her long time friendship and then career with the Brothers Ink, Eddie and Rafel. They became the best of friends, the 3 of them and when it was time for the Twins to open their own shop, she followed them.
Fast forward 10 years and it is Maggie's birthday gathering at a bar they all go to. Everyone is having fun...a friend of Maggie's is hanging all over Eddie, dancing suggestively. Blue, though is tired; she is tired of always seeing Eddie become manic after a break up. It is his pattern... meet a gal, thinks this is it and then he stops hanging out with Blue all together, ignoring the friendship which has been there all along. She has had enough and is leaving the bar. Eddie sees her leaving and is a little shocked... wants her to go on to another club to dance. She tells him what for... how he is not just around when in a relationship...she not going to be available just when he wants her to be...and starts off to cross the street for a cab to hook up with a Friends/Benefits guy.
In a moment everything changes; with a motorcycle coming and Blue being in the way...She experiences a life flash of regrets... things she missed out and was too scared to reach out for... Eddie.
Eddie see Blue fly and land on the gravel...and his heart almost stops beating...he cannot think of not having Blue in his life. She needs to be there for him.
The realization of what these two people mean to each other takes on different forms... and from the moment Eddie is reassured in the hospital, Blue will come out of this a little worse for the wear but ok...His perceptive changes.
He is not alone; Blue is shaken... she does not know how to handle these feelings... all she knows is the friendship she has with Eddie means everything... she cannot do anything to jeopardize it. The brothers and all the friends from this group are really all the family she has. Her love for Eddie... her wanting him...she needs for that to stay hidden.
This story was the showing of how hard it is to love freely when all you know about love is how much it can hurt when it is taken away. Blue's back story is very sad; she lost her parents at 6, was put into foster care and many managers of the group homes were not Marry Poppins. Many were into cruel manipulations, wanting to make her cry to see their power over her. Instead, their actions created a girl who built an armor so strong, nothing could penetrate it. People could only get as close as she would let them... If you loved them... they would leave you at some point or be taken away. It was a lesson burned into her brain from the age of 6.
This is the journey these two take and along the way each has to confront their mistakes in this relationship. Neither is home free in behavior. Eddie was careless in his friendship with Blue but once he realized what was at stake...he was all in. Blue it took longer, she had had the harder life lessons to break...
The sexy times between the two were intense and there... but for me, did not have the same feel as the ones from the first book, Satisfaction. Of course, to compare is not exactly fair as this was a more serious personal hurdle between these two characters... longer history, other issues.
This is a solid series and another entry is coming per the author's website...I am guessing the character Lena may be next.
~~~ Before Reading ~~~
A Man who never saw her like he does now...sits and thinks...
"We can never know about the days to come
But we think about them anyway
And I wonder if I'm really with you now
Or just chasing after some finer day.
Anticipation, anticipation
Is making me late
Is keeping me waiting"
A woman with blue hair and beautiful tattoos up her arm of cherry blossoms sits and thinks....
"And I tell you how easy it feels to be with you
And how right your arms feel around me.
But I rehearsed those words just late last night
When I was thinking about how right tonight might be.
Anticipation, anticipation
Is making me late
Is keeping me waiting"
Both of them...friends first... now lovers...will she let him in...
"And tomorrow we might not be together
I'm no prophet, I don't know natures way
So I'll try to see into your eyes right now
And stay right here, 'cause these are the good old days."
Eddie has his work cut out for him...Here is hoping he shows Blue the way... She has only been fighting this Anticipation for years...
For more Reviews, Free E-books and Giveaways
September 7, 2021
2.75 stars
A little bit cheesy for me, I think the author was trying for edgy with the tattoo shop etc but I found the tattoo Eddie designed for blue to be cringe rather than edgy.
I thought Eddie was a jerk to let a woman into his house the first night blue came home from hospital (especially after him having a breakdown because she was injured) but other than blue leaving , she never got an apology or discussed it etc.
Blue was annoying but Eddie never really found fault in his behaviour if he was ‘waiting’ on blue got 10 yrs.
A little bit cheesy for me, I think the author was trying for edgy with the tattoo shop etc but I found the tattoo Eddie designed for blue to be cringe rather than edgy.
I thought Eddie was a jerk to let a woman into his house the first night blue came home from hospital (especially after him having a breakdown because she was injured) but other than blue leaving , she never got an apology or discussed it etc.
Blue was annoying but Eddie never really found fault in his behaviour if he was ‘waiting’ on blue got 10 yrs.
April 12, 2015
Not for me I guess. Pretty disappointed, since I normally adore Mayberry. But fucking hell, I expect my protagonists to behave as adults, and this was just teenage highschool angsty drama.
"You are my best friend and I don't want to risk it, so I will ignore my own feelings, refuse to talk about this, and suffer in silence angst". My problem with situations like this, especially if BOTH parties think like this, is that it becomes impossible for me to see the actual friendship. If for your ENTIRE relationship you've been hiding what you really feel and want from the other person involved, what on earth was that friendship even built on? Seriously.
But also, ten years of hurt and suffering, all of it self-inflicted? URGH.
I though it would get better when both parties were aware of their feelings and actually did the deed and started talking about it, but instead they didn't listen like at all, and stayed circling in the same old thought patters since forever.
I'm sure in the end they figured it out and all that jazz, but by 60% of it I was so fucking tired of all the whining, the talking about eachother instead of with eachother, and my total lack of belief in any sort of decent foundation for a relationship I gave up.
They say that too much anticipation can backfire, an I think that counted for both this relationship as this book. It's like great wine. Good wine can become great by leaving it on the shelf, but if you leave it on too long it becomes undrinkable.
Blue and Eddie ruined their relationship by waiting too long, and I didn't enjoy reading about it.
"You are my best friend and I don't want to risk it, so I will ignore my own feelings, refuse to talk about this, and suffer in silence angst". My problem with situations like this, especially if BOTH parties think like this, is that it becomes impossible for me to see the actual friendship. If for your ENTIRE relationship you've been hiding what you really feel and want from the other person involved, what on earth was that friendship even built on? Seriously.
But also, ten years of hurt and suffering, all of it self-inflicted? URGH.
I though it would get better when both parties were aware of their feelings and actually did the deed and started talking about it, but instead they didn't listen like at all, and stayed circling in the same old thought patters since forever.
I'm sure in the end they figured it out and all that jazz, but by 60% of it I was so fucking tired of all the whining, the talking about eachother instead of with eachother, and my total lack of belief in any sort of decent foundation for a relationship I gave up.
They say that too much anticipation can backfire, an I think that counted for both this relationship as this book. It's like great wine. Good wine can become great by leaving it on the shelf, but if you leave it on too long it becomes undrinkable.
Blue and Eddie ruined their relationship by waiting too long, and I didn't enjoy reading about it.
February 12, 2022
I’ve given it five stars. What more to say.
They’ve both been in love with each other for ten years.
It’s a voyage of discovery. To understand Blue.
Both of them were quite perfect.
Wonderful book.
Go for it.
They’ve both been in love with each other for ten years.
It’s a voyage of discovery. To understand Blue.
Both of them were quite perfect.
Wonderful book.
Go for it.
April 2, 2015
Just loved it. Great friends to lovers.
Blue and Eddie have been friends for over 10 years. Ten years of denial and want. When a close call shakes their world, they can no longer keep those feelings boxed up.
Beautiful, genuine emotional journey.
Full review below:
Blue and Eddie have been friends for over 10 years. Ten years of working side by side. Ten years of games, laughter and tears. Ten years of denial and want. When a close call shakes their world, they can no longer keep those feelings boxed up.
Ten years is a long time to know each other. Within hours of having met they both made a choice to ignore their sexual attraction and build a friendship instead. Lovers have come and gone from both their lives but their friendship has endured even as it has been tested over the years.
Blue grew up in a series of group and foster homes since the sudden accidental death of her parents when she was 6 years old. Life on the move has made her a minimalist. She resists attachments to places, people and things. She keeps a spartan apartment & keeps most people at distance, investing in only a few close friends, Eddie being the most important one.
Eddie is rarely alone. His easy smiles and seductive charms means he is always in demand. No sooner does he break up with one woman, that another is looking to take her place. Sex and romance has always come easily to Eddie, but his relationships are short and fleeting never moving beyond casual. But outside of his brother the most important person in his life has always been Blue even if he has taken her for granted. Seeing Blue's body fly across the payment after being hit by motorcycle made him realize how empty his life would be without Blue. But breaking down 10 years of habits and walls is not easy especially when Blue is terrified of losing everything they have together if it goes wrong.
This novel hit all my emotional buttons. I've wanted Blue and Eddie's story since they first appeared in Satisfaction. They interacted in such fun affectionate ways that like Maggie I wanted to know their story, the why behind their are they or aren't they vibe.
The story starts off with a bang, and I loved how Mayberry let the repercussions and emotions build over time. Their story stretches out over months and months, and I loved that. Both Eddie and Blue have serious feelings they need to work through and I would have not believed in the story unless they had the time to sort through and evaluate their feelings. Even as Blue drags her feet and resists Eddie's determined assault on her heart even when surrendering to her physical need for him over the months it takes for them get together, the book never drags.
I loved the journey Mayberry crafted because none of it was easy. I loved that while their sexual chemistry is off the charts, they struggle to read each other emotionally. One of the most painful and real scenes for me in the book happens early on. Eddie has bullied Blue into staying at his house during her recovery. Blue, emotionally raw doesn't want to be there because she feels like a emotional mess. Eddie goes all out to make her feel comfortable in his home, to show her how much she means to him, but he still screws up because he hasn't quite realized that he can't do that, and let other women walk into his life and steal his attention. He didn't do anything to intentionally hurt Blue, but it does and Blue can't watch it happen anymore, not still she has her feelings under control. That moment is wake up call to both of them. For Eddie it makes him realize that his feeling for Blue go beyond her being his best-friend, and for Blue that she loves him to much to lose him over her feelings so she needs to bottled them back up. That conflict is central to the rest of the novel. I love heroes in hot-pursuit and Eddie is fantastic in the role. The depth of his commitment to pursuing Blue surprises everyone in their life. I loved that he had to overcome his own feelings of insecurity about his inexperience at relationships before being able to confront Blue on her own. He doesn't do everything right, Blue is infuriating at times in her resistance but every bit of it felt real.
In Anticipation, Mayberry crafts a passionate & genuine emotional journey through friendship, sexual tension and love for Blue and Eddie that was worth waiting for.
Blue and Eddie have been friends for over 10 years. Ten years of denial and want. When a close call shakes their world, they can no longer keep those feelings boxed up.
Beautiful, genuine emotional journey.
Full review below:
Blue and Eddie have been friends for over 10 years. Ten years of working side by side. Ten years of games, laughter and tears. Ten years of denial and want. When a close call shakes their world, they can no longer keep those feelings boxed up.
Ten years is a long time to know each other. Within hours of having met they both made a choice to ignore their sexual attraction and build a friendship instead. Lovers have come and gone from both their lives but their friendship has endured even as it has been tested over the years.
Blue grew up in a series of group and foster homes since the sudden accidental death of her parents when she was 6 years old. Life on the move has made her a minimalist. She resists attachments to places, people and things. She keeps a spartan apartment & keeps most people at distance, investing in only a few close friends, Eddie being the most important one.
Eddie is rarely alone. His easy smiles and seductive charms means he is always in demand. No sooner does he break up with one woman, that another is looking to take her place. Sex and romance has always come easily to Eddie, but his relationships are short and fleeting never moving beyond casual. But outside of his brother the most important person in his life has always been Blue even if he has taken her for granted. Seeing Blue's body fly across the payment after being hit by motorcycle made him realize how empty his life would be without Blue. But breaking down 10 years of habits and walls is not easy especially when Blue is terrified of losing everything they have together if it goes wrong.
This novel hit all my emotional buttons. I've wanted Blue and Eddie's story since they first appeared in Satisfaction. They interacted in such fun affectionate ways that like Maggie I wanted to know their story, the why behind their are they or aren't they vibe.
The story starts off with a bang, and I loved how Mayberry let the repercussions and emotions build over time. Their story stretches out over months and months, and I loved that. Both Eddie and Blue have serious feelings they need to work through and I would have not believed in the story unless they had the time to sort through and evaluate their feelings. Even as Blue drags her feet and resists Eddie's determined assault on her heart even when surrendering to her physical need for him over the months it takes for them get together, the book never drags.
I loved the journey Mayberry crafted because none of it was easy. I loved that while their sexual chemistry is off the charts, they struggle to read each other emotionally. One of the most painful and real scenes for me in the book happens early on. Eddie has bullied Blue into staying at his house during her recovery. Blue, emotionally raw doesn't want to be there because she feels like a emotional mess. Eddie goes all out to make her feel comfortable in his home, to show her how much she means to him, but he still screws up because he hasn't quite realized that he can't do that, and let other women walk into his life and steal his attention. He didn't do anything to intentionally hurt Blue, but it does and Blue can't watch it happen anymore, not still she has her feelings under control. That moment is wake up call to both of them. For Eddie it makes him realize that his feeling for Blue go beyond her being his best-friend, and for Blue that she loves him to much to lose him over her feelings so she needs to bottled them back up. That conflict is central to the rest of the novel. I love heroes in hot-pursuit and Eddie is fantastic in the role. The depth of his commitment to pursuing Blue surprises everyone in their life. I loved that he had to overcome his own feelings of insecurity about his inexperience at relationships before being able to confront Blue on her own. He doesn't do everything right, Blue is infuriating at times in her resistance but every bit of it felt real.
In Anticipation, Mayberry crafts a passionate & genuine emotional journey through friendship, sexual tension and love for Blue and Eddie that was worth waiting for.
April 3, 2016
This sexy romance is the story of Blue and Eddie. They've been friends and coworkers for several years, never crossing that line until Blue is recovering from an accident that highlights to both of them the loss that could have happened. Suddenly their playful friend connection has a much deeper meaning and they give in to the sexual attraction that has always simmered between the surface. But though Eddie seems ready to give up his playboy ways for her, will Blue accept these changes or will she let love slip through her fingers?
I loved this story! Truthfully I've been "anticipating" it (sorry, couldn't help myself) since reading Satisfaction which featured Eddie's twin brother Rafe and being introduced to the characters of Eddie and Blue. It was obvious then that they had a connection and it's been worth the wait to get their story. I appreciated that the accident mentioned in the blurb happened at the beginning of the story so that you weren't left on tenterhooks waiting for it to happen. It does, and leads to the profound realization for both of them of what almost happened and makes them both aware of each other in a new way. After secretly being attracted to Eddie for so long and pushing that attraction down deep inside, having him pay attention to her now suddenly doesn't feel the same to Blue anymore and she struggles with this feeling. Having grown up in the foster system she's learned that love is bad news (and won't even admit to herself the love she feels for her friends, never mind her deeper feelings for Eddie) and wants no part of its painful reality. Blue is friendly and outgoing but keeps her heart well protected, never really giving a man a chance to get to it. She's perfectly willing to have sex with a guy, but never lets it get any deeper. Eddie is a playboy, a fun man to be around, a loyal and true friend to those around him, Blue included. But her accident subsequently makes him realize how much he's taken for granted with her. When they finally connect on an intimate level, he's blown away by his feelings for her even as she shuts down the idea of a real relationship. Friends with benefits - okay, so long as it stays a secret. The sexual chemistry between them is sizzling and the love scenes were hot and steamy. I really loved how patient Eddie was with Blue as they navigate this new phase in their relationship, realizing that if he wants a future with her, it's going to be at her pace.
The friendships and family connections in this story are equally as important as the main romance and I enjoyed the camaraderie and banter between them. The twin connection between Rafe and Eddie is strong and meaningful. Blue doesn't make friends easily but the friendships that she does make are important to her. From the start of the story I was hooked and I found it a thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining read. I hope to see more of these characters in the future! 5 stars.
Note: a copy of this story was provided by the author for review.
I loved this story! Truthfully I've been "anticipating" it (sorry, couldn't help myself) since reading Satisfaction which featured Eddie's twin brother Rafe and being introduced to the characters of Eddie and Blue. It was obvious then that they had a connection and it's been worth the wait to get their story. I appreciated that the accident mentioned in the blurb happened at the beginning of the story so that you weren't left on tenterhooks waiting for it to happen. It does, and leads to the profound realization for both of them of what almost happened and makes them both aware of each other in a new way. After secretly being attracted to Eddie for so long and pushing that attraction down deep inside, having him pay attention to her now suddenly doesn't feel the same to Blue anymore and she struggles with this feeling. Having grown up in the foster system she's learned that love is bad news (and won't even admit to herself the love she feels for her friends, never mind her deeper feelings for Eddie) and wants no part of its painful reality. Blue is friendly and outgoing but keeps her heart well protected, never really giving a man a chance to get to it. She's perfectly willing to have sex with a guy, but never lets it get any deeper. Eddie is a playboy, a fun man to be around, a loyal and true friend to those around him, Blue included. But her accident subsequently makes him realize how much he's taken for granted with her. When they finally connect on an intimate level, he's blown away by his feelings for her even as she shuts down the idea of a real relationship. Friends with benefits - okay, so long as it stays a secret. The sexual chemistry between them is sizzling and the love scenes were hot and steamy. I really loved how patient Eddie was with Blue as they navigate this new phase in their relationship, realizing that if he wants a future with her, it's going to be at her pace.
The friendships and family connections in this story are equally as important as the main romance and I enjoyed the camaraderie and banter between them. The twin connection between Rafe and Eddie is strong and meaningful. Blue doesn't make friends easily but the friendships that she does make are important to her. From the start of the story I was hooked and I found it a thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining read. I hope to see more of these characters in the future! 5 stars.
Note: a copy of this story was provided by the author for review.
April 25, 2015
Blue Sullivan and Eduardo Oliveira (Eddie) have been colleagues and best of friends for more than 10 years. Blue has also been in love with Eddie for all those years, a love that she has kept to herself, her yearning for him something she had tamped down by turning to other places for comfort when necessary. However, nothing prepares Blue for the event that changes her life, a serious accident moments before which Blue is hit with remorse over the fact that she had never come out to Eddie with how she feels.
For Eddie, the moment the colorfully vivacious Blue, who is larger than life in every single aspect nearly loses her life serves as a serious bludgeon to his heart and emotions. The protective feelings that Blue arouses in him is one that Eddie has a hard time controlling, but as Blue’s friend, Eddie wants, no craves to be the one who helps her pick up the pieces.
Blue’s feelings towards Eddie intensifies to a point of no return which results in the hottest, most mind blowing nights of their lives. However Blue has kept her feelings under tight control for all those years for a reason. She doesn’t want to risk the friendship that she values above everything else with Eddie just for a tumble between the sheets. And given Eddie’s track record with relationships, if even one can call it that, Blue decides that she is right to deny them both a chance to see where this facet of their relationship could lead them.
It has been a while since I indulged in a friends-to-lovers romance and I welcomed this book with emotions akin to that of someone reuniting with a close friend who has been away for a long, long time. Sarah Mayberry does a mean friends-to-lovers romance from time to time, well lets be honest, she writes mean romances in whichever trope she singles out her books to be based on and I loved this little number, the second book in the Brothers Ink series.
Eddie, simply put, is the best thing about the story. His patience, endurance, kindness and the love he has in that big beautiful heart of his for Blue is what makes him that much more endearing. It takes a special kind of man or rather person to break down the emotional walls that a would be partner hides behind. Eddie has the added advantage of having being best friends with Blue for the past ten years. With that sort of arsenal in place, Eddie launches the type of mission that would win Blue over, but not without Blue giving him the fight of his lifetime.
Blue is a feisty character whom some of us can relate to, while others would sit back in awe and envy her over the kind of strength she has and the control that she exerts on herself. Life hadn’t been kind to her when she was a child and though a lot of good things had come her way since then, understandably, Blue has a hard time accepting all of it with good grace. Especially when it comes to the thought of losing her very best friend, the man she has loved from afar for so very long.
Blue’s hesitancy to place her trust in Eddie & his love is understandable given the track record Eddie holds for his love life. So opting to dislike Blue over the way she gives a bit of herself and then retreats is definitely not a choice when it comes to her. Blue’s indecision is what lends the story the proper amount of emotional angst that makes a romance worth delving into and while I was frustrated at times, I loved every single bit of it. Eddie’s character not only smoothed Blue’s ruffled feathers but did mine as well.
I would be remiss in my review if I don’t mention the bits of Maggie and Raf included in the story. Though I didn’t overly love their story as much as I did this one, I still enjoyed seeing them settle into the life that they’d found for themselves. Maggie’s story proved to be an interesting one in terms of what she went through. And if you haven’t already read her story, you should! Raf is just as sexy as Eddie! Them Oliveira genes!
I loved and loved the sensuality of the story. There were times when I went “woohoo, go for it girl’ and then there were moments that I nearly swallowed my own tongue from the panting variety of good, hot sex included in the story! What makes a Sarah Mayberry superb is the fact that she knows how to balance out the sex and the emotion and rarely shortchanges the reader on either aspect. And this one has got plenty of Eddie to tide us over!
The fact that both Blue & Eddie took their time to come together as a couple was the one aspect of the story that endeared it to me in a good way. A character like Blue’s is not easy to convince when she has a stubborn streak a mile wide. But in Eddie lies a determined streak perhaps that far outreaches Blue’s stubbornness and I felt like high-fiving with Mayberry over the the fact that she spent enough time on the story and each of their characters, giving it that realistic edge that made their connection & coming together that much more wholesome.
Recommended for fans of Sarah Mayberry, fans of contemporary romances & of course those that like myself love the friends to lovers trope! Can’t wait to read Lena’s story, interesting glimpses of which were included in this story.
Rating = 4/5
For more reviews and quotes, please visit www.maldivianbookreviewer.com
For Eddie, the moment the colorfully vivacious Blue, who is larger than life in every single aspect nearly loses her life serves as a serious bludgeon to his heart and emotions. The protective feelings that Blue arouses in him is one that Eddie has a hard time controlling, but as Blue’s friend, Eddie wants, no craves to be the one who helps her pick up the pieces.
Blue’s feelings towards Eddie intensifies to a point of no return which results in the hottest, most mind blowing nights of their lives. However Blue has kept her feelings under tight control for all those years for a reason. She doesn’t want to risk the friendship that she values above everything else with Eddie just for a tumble between the sheets. And given Eddie’s track record with relationships, if even one can call it that, Blue decides that she is right to deny them both a chance to see where this facet of their relationship could lead them.
It has been a while since I indulged in a friends-to-lovers romance and I welcomed this book with emotions akin to that of someone reuniting with a close friend who has been away for a long, long time. Sarah Mayberry does a mean friends-to-lovers romance from time to time, well lets be honest, she writes mean romances in whichever trope she singles out her books to be based on and I loved this little number, the second book in the Brothers Ink series.
Eddie, simply put, is the best thing about the story. His patience, endurance, kindness and the love he has in that big beautiful heart of his for Blue is what makes him that much more endearing. It takes a special kind of man or rather person to break down the emotional walls that a would be partner hides behind. Eddie has the added advantage of having being best friends with Blue for the past ten years. With that sort of arsenal in place, Eddie launches the type of mission that would win Blue over, but not without Blue giving him the fight of his lifetime.
Blue is a feisty character whom some of us can relate to, while others would sit back in awe and envy her over the kind of strength she has and the control that she exerts on herself. Life hadn’t been kind to her when she was a child and though a lot of good things had come her way since then, understandably, Blue has a hard time accepting all of it with good grace. Especially when it comes to the thought of losing her very best friend, the man she has loved from afar for so very long.
Blue’s hesitancy to place her trust in Eddie & his love is understandable given the track record Eddie holds for his love life. So opting to dislike Blue over the way she gives a bit of herself and then retreats is definitely not a choice when it comes to her. Blue’s indecision is what lends the story the proper amount of emotional angst that makes a romance worth delving into and while I was frustrated at times, I loved every single bit of it. Eddie’s character not only smoothed Blue’s ruffled feathers but did mine as well.
I would be remiss in my review if I don’t mention the bits of Maggie and Raf included in the story. Though I didn’t overly love their story as much as I did this one, I still enjoyed seeing them settle into the life that they’d found for themselves. Maggie’s story proved to be an interesting one in terms of what she went through. And if you haven’t already read her story, you should! Raf is just as sexy as Eddie! Them Oliveira genes!
I loved and loved the sensuality of the story. There were times when I went “woohoo, go for it girl’ and then there were moments that I nearly swallowed my own tongue from the panting variety of good, hot sex included in the story! What makes a Sarah Mayberry superb is the fact that she knows how to balance out the sex and the emotion and rarely shortchanges the reader on either aspect. And this one has got plenty of Eddie to tide us over!
The fact that both Blue & Eddie took their time to come together as a couple was the one aspect of the story that endeared it to me in a good way. A character like Blue’s is not easy to convince when she has a stubborn streak a mile wide. But in Eddie lies a determined streak perhaps that far outreaches Blue’s stubbornness and I felt like high-fiving with Mayberry over the the fact that she spent enough time on the story and each of their characters, giving it that realistic edge that made their connection & coming together that much more wholesome.
Recommended for fans of Sarah Mayberry, fans of contemporary romances & of course those that like myself love the friends to lovers trope! Can’t wait to read Lena’s story, interesting glimpses of which were included in this story.
Rating = 4/5
For more reviews and quotes, please visit www.maldivianbookreviewer.com
March 28, 2015
I have one complaint.
But I still really enjoyed it.
But I still really enjoyed it.
May 15, 2022
Really loved this. I generally don't go for books where the setup is: "Character A has been in love with Character B for forever! Character B has no idea and Character A suffers quietly watching the other person date and have sex with a trillion other people! But Character B has an epiphany one day and then thus the back-and-forth begins!" I just find that these stories tend to drag and the character motivations are not strongly enough established to convince me why the characters can't just lay their feelings out on the line.
Not with this book though. Sarah Mayberry is so good at what she does. I can understand why the hero and heroine have been best friends for a decade but the heroine refuses to publicly acknowledge she's in love with the hero, and why the hero has never picked up on the heroine's feelings. The heroine's backstory as a child who was orphaned and then thrown around the foster care system explains to me why she's so fucking prickly and fearful of attachment, and why it manifests itself as ball-busting sarcasm, which then logically makes sense why the hero never realizes she's in love with him. I also understand why he's so shaken after the heroine is in an accident earlier on in the book that forces him to acknowledge that she's integral to his life and that it would suck for her to be out of it.
My only ding for this book is that I don't know that I believe the hero in the moment when he tells his brother he's in love with the heroine — it sort of came out of nowhere. Of course, we as the reader understand that that's the underlying reason why he's so consumed with making sure the heroine is okay after her accident, but there's not enough interior consideration or conflict over this — no questioning at all of "Is this love???", so it felt a little inauthentic to me.
Not with this book though. Sarah Mayberry is so good at what she does. I can understand why the hero and heroine have been best friends for a decade but the heroine refuses to publicly acknowledge she's in love with the hero, and why the hero has never picked up on the heroine's feelings. The heroine's backstory as a child who was orphaned and then thrown around the foster care system explains to me why she's so fucking prickly and fearful of attachment, and why it manifests itself as ball-busting sarcasm, which then logically makes sense why the hero never realizes she's in love with him. I also understand why he's so shaken after the heroine is in an accident earlier on in the book that forces him to acknowledge that she's integral to his life and that it would suck for her to be out of it.
My only ding for this book is that I don't know that I believe the hero in the moment when he tells his brother he's in love with the heroine — it sort of came out of nowhere. Of course, we as the reader understand that that's the underlying reason why he's so consumed with making sure the heroine is okay after her accident, but there's not enough interior consideration or conflict over this — no questioning at all of "Is this love???", so it felt a little inauthentic to me.
March 18, 2023
I liked this more than I thought I would, especially with a decade of longing and want hanging over everything.
Blue is Eddie's employee and best friend, who became an orphan at the age of six. That has coloured her whole life and all her relationships. Like Eddie she pretty much breezes through lovers and is not worried about impressing anyone.
Blue is terrified of losing her best friend Eddie and would rather watch him work his way through the town than admit she wants more from him. She never shames Eddie for sleeping around, just points out that he has a pattern of getting bored with all the women he sees and she isn't going down that road. As Eddie eventually points out, Blue doesn't even let things get that far with a guy. Until she does. With him.
When Blue almost dies in an accident, Eddie sees the light and makes it his new mission in life to convince Blue they belong together. I really enjoyed Eddie's devotion and patience towards convincing Blue he has really been bored for ten years because no other woman was her. Blue can test your patience with her fear and running away but the author does a good job convincing why she is that way. And Eddie grew on me as the story progressed. Tattoo shop story lines (especially set in Australia) aren't usually my jam but I liked this one a lot.
Blue is Eddie's employee and best friend, who became an orphan at the age of six. That has coloured her whole life and all her relationships. Like Eddie she pretty much breezes through lovers and is not worried about impressing anyone.
Blue is terrified of losing her best friend Eddie and would rather watch him work his way through the town than admit she wants more from him. She never shames Eddie for sleeping around, just points out that he has a pattern of getting bored with all the women he sees and she isn't going down that road. As Eddie eventually points out, Blue doesn't even let things get that far with a guy. Until she does. With him.
When Blue almost dies in an accident, Eddie sees the light and makes it his new mission in life to convince Blue they belong together. I really enjoyed Eddie's devotion and patience towards convincing Blue he has really been bored for ten years because no other woman was her. Blue can test your patience with her fear and running away but the author does a good job convincing why she is that way. And Eddie grew on me as the story progressed. Tattoo shop story lines (especially set in Australia) aren't usually my jam but I liked this one a lot.
April 2, 2015
***This is a combined review of books 1 & 2 in Sarah Mayberry’s ‘Brothers Ink’ romance series***
I have a new favourite romance author and her name is Sarah Mayberry. I first discovered her via one of her Harlequin titles ‘Her Best Friend’ which I inhaled in a day, and from there I’ve been reading anything I can get my hands on from this Australian romance author. I have become quite the fangirl, to the point that I flipped out when I met her at the recent Australian Romance Readers Convention (ARRC) – and, yes, she is absolutely lovely! I’ve been reading her so much lately that I haven’t been able to keep pace reviewing the books of hers I’ve been reading. Hence, why I’m doing a mega joint-review of the first two books in her latest series …
‘Brothers Ink’ is her independent erotica/romance series – first book ‘Satisfaction’ was released February 2014, and second book ‘Anticipation’ has just been released, and Ms Mayberry was kind enough to send me a sneaky advance copy to review.
‘Brothers Ink’ is the name of a high-end tattoo parlour owned by Brazilian twins Rafael and Eddie Oliveira. ‘Satisfaction’ has us meeting Rafael at the same time as local bookstore owner, Maggie Hendrick who’s heard good things about what this sex-God can do for women in the bedroom. This is important to Maggie, who has never been sexually satisfied– neither with herself or partners – and she’s banking on this kinky tattoo artist being the key that unlocks her door … but in a comedy of errors, Maggie meets the wrong twin and offers him a temptation like no other.
And while she was at it, damn herself for being unable to enjoy the seduction of a lifetime without getting emotionally involved. Frankly, she was a disgrace to the Sex and the City generation.
—Satisfaction, Brothers Ink book #1
‘Satisfaction’ is all about Maggie and Rafael – the more straight-laced of the Oliveira twins, who is still nursing a broken-heart after his long-term girlfriend up and left him. Maggie is the first woman to turn his head since Lena trampled all over him, and he’s surprised to find himself responding to her in a way that both scares and excites him.
Second book ‘Anticipation’ is all about the more outgoing twin, Eddie – who has quite the reputation for heartbreaking himself. Eddie doesn’t do commitment, which is bad news for his best-friend and Brothers Ink tattoo artist Blue Sullivan, because she’s been in love with him for years … but a life in and out of foster homes means that Blue’s not about to give her heart to a man who can’t commit, and she’s certainly not going to lose the only family she has left for a bedroom romp (no matter how earth-shattering it may be).
I love, love, love this series. It’s a fantastic balance of erotica and romance with some complicated back-stories adding fraught emotional dilemmas for the characters. I can tell you (having now discovered Mayberry’s extensive backlist) that that’s one of her real strengths – interesting and intense characterisation that has you totally rooting for these characters.
Both Maggie and Blue have their own hang-ups that stop them from accepting and believing Rafael and Eddie’s attraction to them … for Maggie, it’s a lifetime being the one responsible for all those around her (her mother’s cancer diagnosis when she was a child means Maggie is always running doomsday scenarios in her head). While the death of her parents, and her subsequent stays in foster homes, has resulted in Blue enforcing tall walls that guard her heart against further devastation.
“I have never done this with another woman. Ever. But I’m willing to acknowledge that I have a past. So do you.”
“Not like yours. I don’t charm people into loving me and then abandon them.”
“That’s right – you don’t even let them get close enough to get attached.”
“Because I don’t want that.”
“Sweetheart, you want that more than anyone I know.”
—Anticipation, Brothers Ink book #2
Rafael and Eddie are not without their emotional blockades and intense back-stories either. Both brothers suffered after the loss of their beloved little sister (who now occupies a place on their bodies, in the form of a tribute tattoo) and while polar opposites personality-wise, both men have had incidents in their pasts that they need to overcome in order to accept Maggie and Blue’s love into their lives … or, at least fight hard enough to convince both women to accept them.
I just fell head-over-heels for these characters, and even from ‘Satisfaction’ I loved the camaraderie and sense of family that Mayberry evoked at the Brothers Ink tattoo parlour. I understand there are more books coming in this series – and with Brothers Ink as the pivot-point, I can’t wait to read more characters stepping onto the scene, and finding out about secondary characters that appear in ‘Satisfaction’ and ‘Anticipation’.
The ‘Brothers Ink’ series also balances romance and erotica perfectly. These characters have real heat and friction between them – for Maggie and Rafael it’s the meeting of strangers who have an instant attraction, while Blue and Eddie’s romance is built on the solid foundations of a friendship and frustrations of unrequited love. The next character to be explored in the series is pretty heavily hinted at in ‘Anticipation’, her story lined up … and I’ve got to say, I can’t wait to see how this once-antagonist is transformed in a book of her own.
I’ve really only recently discovered Sarah Mayberry, but she’s already climbed the ranks to be one of my favourite romance authors. Her ‘Brothers Ink’ series is a fantastic introduction to her writing – an electric blend of erotica and romance, with intense characters that’ll make you blush and swoon in equal measure.
I have a new favourite romance author and her name is Sarah Mayberry. I first discovered her via one of her Harlequin titles ‘Her Best Friend’ which I inhaled in a day, and from there I’ve been reading anything I can get my hands on from this Australian romance author. I have become quite the fangirl, to the point that I flipped out when I met her at the recent Australian Romance Readers Convention (ARRC) – and, yes, she is absolutely lovely! I’ve been reading her so much lately that I haven’t been able to keep pace reviewing the books of hers I’ve been reading. Hence, why I’m doing a mega joint-review of the first two books in her latest series …
‘Brothers Ink’ is her independent erotica/romance series – first book ‘Satisfaction’ was released February 2014, and second book ‘Anticipation’ has just been released, and Ms Mayberry was kind enough to send me a sneaky advance copy to review.
‘Brothers Ink’ is the name of a high-end tattoo parlour owned by Brazilian twins Rafael and Eddie Oliveira. ‘Satisfaction’ has us meeting Rafael at the same time as local bookstore owner, Maggie Hendrick who’s heard good things about what this sex-God can do for women in the bedroom. This is important to Maggie, who has never been sexually satisfied– neither with herself or partners – and she’s banking on this kinky tattoo artist being the key that unlocks her door … but in a comedy of errors, Maggie meets the wrong twin and offers him a temptation like no other.
And while she was at it, damn herself for being unable to enjoy the seduction of a lifetime without getting emotionally involved. Frankly, she was a disgrace to the Sex and the City generation.
—Satisfaction, Brothers Ink book #1
‘Satisfaction’ is all about Maggie and Rafael – the more straight-laced of the Oliveira twins, who is still nursing a broken-heart after his long-term girlfriend up and left him. Maggie is the first woman to turn his head since Lena trampled all over him, and he’s surprised to find himself responding to her in a way that both scares and excites him.
Second book ‘Anticipation’ is all about the more outgoing twin, Eddie – who has quite the reputation for heartbreaking himself. Eddie doesn’t do commitment, which is bad news for his best-friend and Brothers Ink tattoo artist Blue Sullivan, because she’s been in love with him for years … but a life in and out of foster homes means that Blue’s not about to give her heart to a man who can’t commit, and she’s certainly not going to lose the only family she has left for a bedroom romp (no matter how earth-shattering it may be).
I love, love, love this series. It’s a fantastic balance of erotica and romance with some complicated back-stories adding fraught emotional dilemmas for the characters. I can tell you (having now discovered Mayberry’s extensive backlist) that that’s one of her real strengths – interesting and intense characterisation that has you totally rooting for these characters.
Both Maggie and Blue have their own hang-ups that stop them from accepting and believing Rafael and Eddie’s attraction to them … for Maggie, it’s a lifetime being the one responsible for all those around her (her mother’s cancer diagnosis when she was a child means Maggie is always running doomsday scenarios in her head). While the death of her parents, and her subsequent stays in foster homes, has resulted in Blue enforcing tall walls that guard her heart against further devastation.
“I have never done this with another woman. Ever. But I’m willing to acknowledge that I have a past. So do you.”
“Not like yours. I don’t charm people into loving me and then abandon them.”
“That’s right – you don’t even let them get close enough to get attached.”
“Because I don’t want that.”
“Sweetheart, you want that more than anyone I know.”
—Anticipation, Brothers Ink book #2
Rafael and Eddie are not without their emotional blockades and intense back-stories either. Both brothers suffered after the loss of their beloved little sister (who now occupies a place on their bodies, in the form of a tribute tattoo) and while polar opposites personality-wise, both men have had incidents in their pasts that they need to overcome in order to accept Maggie and Blue’s love into their lives … or, at least fight hard enough to convince both women to accept them.
I just fell head-over-heels for these characters, and even from ‘Satisfaction’ I loved the camaraderie and sense of family that Mayberry evoked at the Brothers Ink tattoo parlour. I understand there are more books coming in this series – and with Brothers Ink as the pivot-point, I can’t wait to read more characters stepping onto the scene, and finding out about secondary characters that appear in ‘Satisfaction’ and ‘Anticipation’.
The ‘Brothers Ink’ series also balances romance and erotica perfectly. These characters have real heat and friction between them – for Maggie and Rafael it’s the meeting of strangers who have an instant attraction, while Blue and Eddie’s romance is built on the solid foundations of a friendship and frustrations of unrequited love. The next character to be explored in the series is pretty heavily hinted at in ‘Anticipation’, her story lined up … and I’ve got to say, I can’t wait to see how this once-antagonist is transformed in a book of her own.
I’ve really only recently discovered Sarah Mayberry, but she’s already climbed the ranks to be one of my favourite romance authors. Her ‘Brothers Ink’ series is a fantastic introduction to her writing – an electric blend of erotica and romance, with intense characters that’ll make you blush and swoon in equal measure.
February 10, 2024
This book wasn't at all what I was expecting it to be. And honestly, I never really felt the chemistry between Eddie and Blue. The absolute best scene was the reconciliation after the crisis, but it still felt like they were in best friend mode. I anticipated a forced proximity story due to taking care of someone after a major accident, but it wasn't that at all - and that's on me reading the blurb wrong. But it also meant I spent the whole time feeling disjointed from the story. Typically, I can overcome those misunderstandings, but in the end, I was just glad to have made it to the end of the book. Disappointing, but probably a LOT more about me than the book.
March 29, 2020
It didn't really hold my attention, and I ended up skimming through a lot of it.
September 21, 2015
4 stars! Love, love, love!
Disclaimer: I received an eARC of this book from the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review. Yes, these are my honest and personal thoughts on this book.
Why did I want to read it?
I knew something was up between these two. When I first ‘met’ them in book 1, I knew there was chemistry there but at the same time, they really did seem to have a platonic friendship. And in this book, we get to delve in deeper to their relationship!
What worked for me?
This is a friends-to-lovers story but I love that at the core of it all are these two people who love each other deeply, no matter the label, be it friends or lovers.
I just loved how deeply Blue and Eddie feel. Blue is so tough but she’s got her fears and sadness buried beneath her tough girl exterior. And most of all, her fear of losing Eddie, gosh, it was so palpable and real. The author did such a fine job laying out all the worst that could happen should things not work out between these two, what they could stand to lose, and I can completely understand, especially for Blue, how that fear could paralyze her and why she kept pushing Eddie way before everything comes crashing down and they would be left with nothing but a shattered ten-year friendship. But at the same time, you just feel the pull between these two. The author writes tension and longing so beautifully.
As for Eddie, talk about your past coming to bite you in the ass. His string of failed relationships projected an image of him that is so in the negative scale when it came time to prove things could be different with Blue. I fell for him when he seemed so clueless about how he can show Blue that he could be together.What was unique about Eddie is that he had actual relationships, not just hook-ups, women he was with for as long as six months, which implied some kind of commitment on Eddie’s part. And Blue’s fear that she might be one of those women when the time came was just too real and too raw. But I loved how Maggie, Eddie’s twin brother Raf’s girlfriend said to Blue about how Eddie could have just been waiting for the right person to come along but had tried with all those women before, ending things with them when he must have felt that something was still missing.
I appreciated so much what I saw in Eddie’s character when it came to Blue. He’s almost pulling his hair out trying to figure out how to convince Blue and he never wished harder for anything than for Blue to not see him as someone with only temporary feelings. And as much as he wanted to push and push Blue until she gives in, I loved it when he realized that more than his own wishes or needs, the one thing that comes first and foremost, above all else, is Blue’s happiness. (And doesn’t that just want to make you draw rainbows?)
As always, I just love Sarah’s prose, her characterizations, and basically just the way she conveys all these emotions in different settings. And! This woman knows how to write about the hot and steamy stuff. Trust Sarah to give you love scenes that will have you fanning yourself. There’s so much intimacy in these scenes and I love how this ties perfectly to that special bond and connection between Blue and Eddie, all labels aside.
What did not work for me?
I wouldn’t exactly say that it didn’t work for me but there were times when I just wanted to shake Blue out of her fears and to make her stop from pushing Eddie away. But at the same time, I do understand her reasons.
My over-all take on it?
I wanted so much to read Eddie’s and Blue’s story and I’m really happy with how Sarah wrote this. It wasn’t what I initially imagined but I was so in the zone with these two as they navigated the realizations and transitions in their relationship. You’ll love the bone-deep care of their friendship, their intensity when they became intimate, and the strength of their characters as they face their worst fears.
Disclaimer: I received an eARC of this book from the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review. Yes, these are my honest and personal thoughts on this book.
Why did I want to read it?
I knew something was up between these two. When I first ‘met’ them in book 1, I knew there was chemistry there but at the same time, they really did seem to have a platonic friendship. And in this book, we get to delve in deeper to their relationship!
What worked for me?
This is a friends-to-lovers story but I love that at the core of it all are these two people who love each other deeply, no matter the label, be it friends or lovers.
I just loved how deeply Blue and Eddie feel. Blue is so tough but she’s got her fears and sadness buried beneath her tough girl exterior. And most of all, her fear of losing Eddie, gosh, it was so palpable and real. The author did such a fine job laying out all the worst that could happen should things not work out between these two, what they could stand to lose, and I can completely understand, especially for Blue, how that fear could paralyze her and why she kept pushing Eddie way before everything comes crashing down and they would be left with nothing but a shattered ten-year friendship. But at the same time, you just feel the pull between these two. The author writes tension and longing so beautifully.
As for Eddie, talk about your past coming to bite you in the ass. His string of failed relationships projected an image of him that is so in the negative scale when it came time to prove things could be different with Blue. I fell for him when he seemed so clueless about how he can show Blue that he could be together.What was unique about Eddie is that he had actual relationships, not just hook-ups, women he was with for as long as six months, which implied some kind of commitment on Eddie’s part. And Blue’s fear that she might be one of those women when the time came was just too real and too raw. But I loved how Maggie, Eddie’s twin brother Raf’s girlfriend said to Blue about how Eddie could have just been waiting for the right person to come along but had tried with all those women before, ending things with them when he must have felt that something was still missing.
I appreciated so much what I saw in Eddie’s character when it came to Blue. He’s almost pulling his hair out trying to figure out how to convince Blue and he never wished harder for anything than for Blue to not see him as someone with only temporary feelings. And as much as he wanted to push and push Blue until she gives in, I loved it when he realized that more than his own wishes or needs, the one thing that comes first and foremost, above all else, is Blue’s happiness. (And doesn’t that just want to make you draw rainbows?)
As always, I just love Sarah’s prose, her characterizations, and basically just the way she conveys all these emotions in different settings. And! This woman knows how to write about the hot and steamy stuff. Trust Sarah to give you love scenes that will have you fanning yourself. There’s so much intimacy in these scenes and I love how this ties perfectly to that special bond and connection between Blue and Eddie, all labels aside.
What did not work for me?
I wouldn’t exactly say that it didn’t work for me but there were times when I just wanted to shake Blue out of her fears and to make her stop from pushing Eddie away. But at the same time, I do understand her reasons.
My over-all take on it?
I wanted so much to read Eddie’s and Blue’s story and I’m really happy with how Sarah wrote this. It wasn’t what I initially imagined but I was so in the zone with these two as they navigated the realizations and transitions in their relationship. You’ll love the bone-deep care of their friendship, their intensity when they became intimate, and the strength of their characters as they face their worst fears.
April 24, 2022
3.5 rounded up for the smut, frankly.
We all know how these go right? This sticks to a classic romance plot, friends to lovers except one of them is hesitant because what if they rUiN tHeIr fRiEnDsHiP.
Reader: what was ruining their friendship was the choice to NOT make the move to lovers.
I’m a sucker for tattoo parlours as settings, so that was a nice element. This is NOT insta love. The MCs have been friends for a decade and the events of this book span MONTHS. I did think the accident and Blue breaking her leg would be more of a forced proximity element. I was disappointed that we were set up with that option for only a single night before Blue fled to her friend’s place. Booooo, give me forced proximity and reluctant acceptance of help!!! For my personal preferences, that was a missed opportunity.
The middle dragged a bit as Eddie and Blue figured out what they were doing. Blue’s got this whole past with losing her parents and growing up in the foster system and having a bunch of trauma from that experience, and while it was a major factor in most (all?) of her actions, I’m not sure it was truly taken advantage of to add to the trust building in their new intimacy. The ending felt incredibly rushed, with a total change of direction within the last chapter alone.
Veeeery nice smut. Blue knows what she wants and she isn’t afraid to take it, and I love seeing that in sex scenes.
We all know how these go right? This sticks to a classic romance plot, friends to lovers except one of them is hesitant because what if they rUiN tHeIr fRiEnDsHiP.
Reader: what was ruining their friendship was the choice to NOT make the move to lovers.
I’m a sucker for tattoo parlours as settings, so that was a nice element. This is NOT insta love. The MCs have been friends for a decade and the events of this book span MONTHS. I did think the accident and Blue breaking her leg would be more of a forced proximity element. I was disappointed that we were set up with that option for only a single night before Blue fled to her friend’s place. Booooo, give me forced proximity and reluctant acceptance of help!!! For my personal preferences, that was a missed opportunity.
The middle dragged a bit as Eddie and Blue figured out what they were doing. Blue’s got this whole past with losing her parents and growing up in the foster system and having a bunch of trauma from that experience, and while it was a major factor in most (all?) of her actions, I’m not sure it was truly taken advantage of to add to the trust building in their new intimacy. The ending felt incredibly rushed, with a total change of direction within the last chapter alone.
Veeeery nice smut. Blue knows what she wants and she isn’t afraid to take it, and I love seeing that in sex scenes.
April 12, 2015
I must confess, I hate stories where 10 years are wasted. It's a hard sell for me... wasted youth and all that. Why can't it just be a few years before the characters come to their senses? Why do I keep reading these stories? So I am probably a wee bit biased in my take on the story. Plus I skimmed a lot of it.
Anyways, Blue has an epiphany after a near death experience about her true feelings for Eddie. Eddie however does not. But he is starting to get a clue. He's a man-ho and except for the sex scenes comes across as strangely neutered and ineffectual. Blue is definitely the one who wears the pants in this relationship. I understand why she acts the way she does, but it did get tiresome, hence my skimming. I didn't read the first book, so I had no handle on the side characters, and except for Raf and Maggie, they were just names on a page. It would have been nice to have seen Blue actually doing something nice for Eddie at some point, but she just comes across as dour and bitter. I did like Eddie's slow progression from man-ho to man who gets a clue. But I can understand Blue's reticence in believing the change in his character.
The part of the book that hit me emotionally was just after the accident. It was sweet and marked the beginning of the turning in their relationship from friends to lovers.
Anyways, Blue has an epiphany after a near death experience about her true feelings for Eddie. Eddie however does not. But he is starting to get a clue. He's a man-ho and except for the sex scenes comes across as strangely neutered and ineffectual. Blue is definitely the one who wears the pants in this relationship. I understand why she acts the way she does, but it did get tiresome, hence my skimming. I didn't read the first book, so I had no handle on the side characters, and except for Raf and Maggie, they were just names on a page. It would have been nice to have seen Blue actually doing something nice for Eddie at some point, but she just comes across as dour and bitter. I did like Eddie's slow progression from man-ho to man who gets a clue. But I can understand Blue's reticence in believing the change in his character.
The part of the book that hit me emotionally was just after the accident. It was sweet and marked the beginning of the turning in their relationship from friends to lovers.
June 14, 2015
I don't know what madness went through me to actually read this book. I love love love friends-to-lovers book, but god -- this book was horrible. I am so pissed right now because our heroine was just a bitch. I understand her past, okay? I know her reluctance to love and be loved. But seriously, if all that back and forth goes on for almost 75% of the book, it gets tiresome. It gets annoying!! It has reached the point when I thought the hero deserves better than her. If I were Maggie (the friend), I would have stopped talking to her because of how stubborn she was .. and oh, did I mention stupid?? The heroine (I can't even remember her name and I don't give a crap) goes on and on about how she had loved him for 10 years *gasps!!!!* and when he finally does confess back, all she did was point out how he was a mess and undeserving since he couldn't do a relationship properly. EXCUSE ME?? I think we ought to evaluate who's the real mess here??
It sucks because it seems as though a lot of people liked this. Unfortunately, I didn't.
I'm sorry for all these rants. I was just so mad. God, I need a drink.
1/5?? 0/5????
It sucks because it seems as though a lot of people liked this. Unfortunately, I didn't.
I'm sorry for all these rants. I was just so mad. God, I need a drink.
1/5?? 0/5????
April 6, 2015
This comes to you from the smoldering ruins of my Kindle. I said in a tweet earlier this morning, that when Blue and Eddie got to know each other bibically, my poor e- reader may just combust from the hotness. And it did.
The title says everything - anticipating the best, anticipating the worst, Blue and Eddie's relationship is all about that. The chemistry, in a friend sense and in the sexytimes, was out of control. There was that great sense of fun and humour I love so much about Sarah's writing, coupled with some wickedly emotional moments as well. You did say they were a difficult pair to wrangle, Ms Mayberry, but I can tell you they were worth it.
I could go on about all the awesome bits, but I won't because you all need to get out there and read it yourselves. Oh, and it's not out until next week.
I loved Satisfaction, and Anticipation is a more than worthy follow-up. Now to wait for Obsessed!
Note: The author was generous enough to provide me with an advance copy, however any and all opinions expressed in this review are mine alone.
The title says everything - anticipating the best, anticipating the worst, Blue and Eddie's relationship is all about that. The chemistry, in a friend sense and in the sexytimes, was out of control. There was that great sense of fun and humour I love so much about Sarah's writing, coupled with some wickedly emotional moments as well. You did say they were a difficult pair to wrangle, Ms Mayberry, but I can tell you they were worth it.
I could go on about all the awesome bits, but I won't because you all need to get out there and read it yourselves. Oh, and it's not out until next week.
I loved Satisfaction, and Anticipation is a more than worthy follow-up. Now to wait for Obsessed!
Note: The author was generous enough to provide me with an advance copy, however any and all opinions expressed in this review are mine alone.
May 4, 2015
I really wanted to like this book more. I saw sooo many people saying good things about this book - and how everyone loves Sarah Mayberry. And ... generally I like her books.
I also liked parts of this book - but the main issue, I didn't.
Blue was ... a bitch - and I get that and embrace it - she's supposed to be a bitch. She's a little tough chick that had a horrible past and has mostly overcome it. (Only not really ... not at all.)
That was even ok. I get just ... making it through each day.
What my problem was how Blue treats Eddie. She's all "I've been in love with him for ten years and he is my BEST. FRIEND. in the WHOLD. WORLD." But when he finally wakes up and grows up (which, also natural) - she's all "nope, no, you're not good enough for a relationship. you're a horndog who can't change." ... If she thinks he's so shitty and unreliable (obviously that's not the only flaw/issue she has with him) - why is he her BESTEST OF BESTIES? It just didn't ring true for me.
Sad, because I love love love friends to lovers storylines. This was a D, D+ read for me.
I also liked parts of this book - but the main issue, I didn't.
Blue was ... a bitch - and I get that and embrace it - she's supposed to be a bitch. She's a little tough chick that had a horrible past and has mostly overcome it. (Only not really ... not at all.)
That was even ok. I get just ... making it through each day.
What my problem was how Blue treats Eddie. She's all "I've been in love with him for ten years and he is my BEST. FRIEND. in the WHOLD. WORLD." But when he finally wakes up and grows up (which, also natural) - she's all "nope, no, you're not good enough for a relationship. you're a horndog who can't change." ... If she thinks he's so shitty and unreliable (obviously that's not the only flaw/issue she has with him) - why is he her BESTEST OF BESTIES? It just didn't ring true for me.
Sad, because I love love love friends to lovers storylines. This was a D, D+ read for me.
March 30, 2015
This is one of those books that I really enjoyed, but I feel like was just a tick or two off from being AMAZING. Like, I am really into the overall story of how fear has played a part in Blue's life because I can relate to that a lot. And I liked that it held her back for TEN YEARS because that's so real and not a time span I've encountered much in fiction.
But . . . gosh, I don't even know. I know I wanted more insight into Eddie's feelings earlier on. And then maybe just more of them being close in the beginning, more tension. More work stuff.
Also a bit more explicit sexual language than I'm used to from Mayberry. Not my favorite thing.
But . . . gosh, I don't even know. I know I wanted more insight into Eddie's feelings earlier on. And then maybe just more of them being close in the beginning, more tension. More work stuff.
Also a bit more explicit sexual language than I'm used to from Mayberry. Not my favorite thing.
April 7, 2015
4.5 stars.
BEST FRIENDS TO LOVERS TROPE!!!!! If you know me, you know that that's my faaaavorite trope in the whole wide world, and this was soooooo good. I was super into Blue and Eddie from start to finish and I really did love their emotional journey.
Although, here comes my one little complaint: I wish there was more of the ending, if that makes sense. I wanted to actually get to see them navigate life as a couple. I also could have done with a slightly longer resolution to their issues, I felt like it was all a bit abrupt.
And last but not least, this was the first Mayberry I read that had some editing deficiencies (spelling, grammar, punctuation).
But other than that, this really was SUCH a joy to read.
BEST FRIENDS TO LOVERS TROPE!!!!! If you know me, you know that that's my faaaavorite trope in the whole wide world, and this was soooooo good. I was super into Blue and Eddie from start to finish and I really did love their emotional journey.
Although, here comes my one little complaint: I wish there was more of the ending, if that makes sense. I wanted to actually get to see them navigate life as a couple. I also could have done with a slightly longer resolution to their issues, I felt like it was all a bit abrupt.
And last but not least, this was the first Mayberry I read that had some editing deficiencies (spelling, grammar, punctuation).
But other than that, this really was SUCH a joy to read.
November 21, 2016
2.25*. Silly when I start doling out fractions but I needed to differentiate this to the first book in the series. I preferred it but not by much. The writing is flawless as always, the H's are gorgeous nice guys, the h in this edgy and interesting. I warmed to her as her background was revealed but I lost interest as she had the same old inner dialogue playing out in various ways and I got bored. I think SM is trying the edgy vibe with the ink and the characters but its not quite making it. Not for me at least.
May 19, 2015
Fantastic chemistry between the protagonists. Some beautiful moments between the two along the way. Not enough true adult interaction for my taste, however. The lack of trust and real conversation between 'friends' went on too long and made this romance a frustrating read. I still love Mayberry's work and will read the next one.
June 25, 2015
Anticipation had some similar pacing issues as the first book in the series, but it was offset by a much stronger romantic arc. It feels like there are fewer sexy times, but the sexual tension leading up to those scenes are thrilling and certainly live up to the title! I cried reading this book, and that really speaks for itself.
April 20, 2015
Sexy book aptly titled!! The tension was so well done!
Review coming
Review coming
October 27, 2024
2021 thoughts: tell me why I decided to reread a book I gave 3 stars in 2015.... and tell me why I loved every second of it
July 22, 2015
too much whinning... after a certain moment I just wanted to slap Blue to stay in character...
November 1, 2016
Holy shit, I felt so hot and turned on reading this.
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