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Awesome Foursome #1
Champagne Rules
Suzanne Brennan relives the intense passion she experienced years ago at the hands and in the bed of Jaxon Navarre when she once again encounters Jax and the same rules apply--keep it light, keep it simple, and keep it sexy. Original.
345 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2006
6 people are currently reading
231 people want to read
About the author
Susan Lyons
96 books139 followersSusan writes under the names Susan Lyons, Susan Fox, and Savanna Fox. She "knows want women want in contemporary romance" (Publishers Weekly).
For complete information about Susan's books, visit her website. You can also sign up for her newsletter there.
Susan’s "Love Somebody Like You" (writing as Susan Fox) was a 2016 finalist for Romance Writers of America®’s prestigious RITA® award. Her books have won the National Readers’ Choice Award, the HOLT Medallion, the Booksellers Best Award, the Book Buyers Best Award, the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence, the Aspen Gold Readers Choice, the Golden Quill, the More Than Magic, the Lories, the Beacon, and the Laurel Wreath. "Sex Drive" was a Cosmopolitan Red-Hot Read.
Susan’s books have been translated into French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, and German. Many are available as audio books.
Susan has presented workshops at the Romance Writers of America® National conference, the Surrey International Writers Conference, Word on the Lake (Salmon Arm), the RT Booklovers Convention, and regional RWA® conferences. She has spoken at library events and to reader groups. Her articles have been published in Romance Writers Report, RT Book Reviews, NINK (the Novelists Inc. newsletter), Love Letter (Germany), and RWA Chapter newsletters.
Susan is a Pacific Northwester with homes in Victoria and Vancouver, British Columbia. She has degrees in law and psychology, and has had a variety of careers, including perennial student, computer consultant, and legal editor. Fiction writer is by far her favorite, giving her an outlet to demonstrate her belief in the power of love, friendship, and a sense of humor.
Catch up with Susan on Facebook.
For complete information about Susan's books, visit her website. You can also sign up for her newsletter there.
Susan’s "Love Somebody Like You" (writing as Susan Fox) was a 2016 finalist for Romance Writers of America®’s prestigious RITA® award. Her books have won the National Readers’ Choice Award, the HOLT Medallion, the Booksellers Best Award, the Book Buyers Best Award, the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence, the Aspen Gold Readers Choice, the Golden Quill, the More Than Magic, the Lories, the Beacon, and the Laurel Wreath. "Sex Drive" was a Cosmopolitan Red-Hot Read.
Susan’s books have been translated into French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, and German. Many are available as audio books.
Susan has presented workshops at the Romance Writers of America® National conference, the Surrey International Writers Conference, Word on the Lake (Salmon Arm), the RT Booklovers Convention, and regional RWA® conferences. She has spoken at library events and to reader groups. Her articles have been published in Romance Writers Report, RT Book Reviews, NINK (the Novelists Inc. newsletter), Love Letter (Germany), and RWA Chapter newsletters.
Susan is a Pacific Northwester with homes in Victoria and Vancouver, British Columbia. She has degrees in law and psychology, and has had a variety of careers, including perennial student, computer consultant, and legal editor. Fiction writer is by far her favorite, giving her an outlet to demonstrate her belief in the power of love, friendship, and a sense of humor.
Catch up with Susan on Facebook.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
November 21, 2010
This book starts out with one hot little prologue. The hero and heroine are having sex on the beach (well, actually in a cave above a beach in Crete) and they are virtual strangers. Twenty year old vet-in-training Suzanne and 26 year old freshly minted, highly ambitious lawyer Jaxon
spotted each other on a nude beach and before you know it, there they were in that cave getting mighty creative. Certainly a good way to get a reader's attention! But what happens 4 years later when the H/h (who never got each other's name) miraculously meet up again is what this book is about. Do they have something more than just an awesome physical connection? Do they want to try and have a real relationship or would it be better to keep things casual? Will Jaxon's drive for success prevent him from exploring what could be possible with Suzanne? Will Suzanne's quest to find her perfect 'Ward Cleaver' get in the way of her growing feelings for Jaxon? Those are just some of the questions answered in this well written, pretty darn hot story!
I really enjoyed Susan Lyon's writing style, even if I wasn't always totally on board with her characters. Suzanne and Jax's relationship started out as all about sex (which was hot for a while), and they agreed to never get personal (no asking questions about their jobs, family, etc.). In fact, it took them quite some time to even find out each other's last names! But after a while I got bored with this--I wanted them to stop messin' around and try to develop a real relationship! When that finally happened, the book picked up and the story got much more interesting. There was plenty of 'meat' to this story, and many thought-provoking moments. The author shows a little bit how (mainly) Jax, who was a black man originally from Jamaica, and Suzanne, a white woman from Vancouver, have to deal with prejudice and racial profiling. It also touches on Jax's need to prove himself in a white man's world, and if that desire will come between him and any chance he might have for a real relationship. Just how important is Jax's career to him? Does it totally satisfy his every need? Does it make him happy? Is there any room for Suzanne in his life--can she fulfill him in ways that his career doesn't?
I thought the author handled these issues really well. I also enjoyed the relationship the heroine had with her three girlfriends (shades of 'Sex and the City"), who met every Monday for dinner and 'chatting'. The dialogue and emotions between them felt real--some funny stuff was said, and you could tell that the four of them really cared about each other.
This was book one in the "Awesome Foursome" series, and each of the other three women get their own book and HEA. Suzanne's story ended on a positive note, but she doesn't quite get her HEA in this story--more like a HFN (happy for now). I'll be curious to read the other books to see if that HFN turns into a HEA (somehow I think it does).
Readers looking for a thought-provoking, steamy (and I mean steamy) hot romance with two likable, thoroughly human characters (they make mistakes and sometimes you'll want to yell at them) should enjoy this well-written story. I liked it enough to want to go and dig through the TBR pile to find the rest of the series! 4 stars.
spotted each other on a nude beach and before you know it, there they were in that cave getting mighty creative. Certainly a good way to get a reader's attention! But what happens 4 years later when the H/h (who never got each other's name) miraculously meet up again is what this book is about. Do they have something more than just an awesome physical connection? Do they want to try and have a real relationship or would it be better to keep things casual? Will Jaxon's drive for success prevent him from exploring what could be possible with Suzanne? Will Suzanne's quest to find her perfect 'Ward Cleaver' get in the way of her growing feelings for Jaxon? Those are just some of the questions answered in this well written, pretty darn hot story!
I really enjoyed Susan Lyon's writing style, even if I wasn't always totally on board with her characters. Suzanne and Jax's relationship started out as all about sex (which was hot for a while), and they agreed to never get personal (no asking questions about their jobs, family, etc.). In fact, it took them quite some time to even find out each other's last names! But after a while I got bored with this--I wanted them to stop messin' around and try to develop a real relationship! When that finally happened, the book picked up and the story got much more interesting. There was plenty of 'meat' to this story, and many thought-provoking moments. The author shows a little bit how (mainly) Jax, who was a black man originally from Jamaica, and Suzanne, a white woman from Vancouver, have to deal with prejudice and racial profiling. It also touches on Jax's need to prove himself in a white man's world, and if that desire will come between him and any chance he might have for a real relationship. Just how important is Jax's career to him? Does it totally satisfy his every need? Does it make him happy? Is there any room for Suzanne in his life--can she fulfill him in ways that his career doesn't?
I thought the author handled these issues really well. I also enjoyed the relationship the heroine had with her three girlfriends (shades of 'Sex and the City"), who met every Monday for dinner and 'chatting'. The dialogue and emotions between them felt real--some funny stuff was said, and you could tell that the four of them really cared about each other.
This was book one in the "Awesome Foursome" series, and each of the other three women get their own book and HEA. Suzanne's story ended on a positive note, but she doesn't quite get her HEA in this story--more like a HFN (happy for now). I'll be curious to read the other books to see if that HFN turns into a HEA (somehow I think it does).
Readers looking for a thought-provoking, steamy (and I mean steamy) hot romance with two likable, thoroughly human characters (they make mistakes and sometimes you'll want to yell at them) should enjoy this well-written story. I liked it enough to want to go and dig through the TBR pile to find the rest of the series! 4 stars.
February 26, 2009
4 stars - Contemporary Romance/Erotica
Susan Lyons’ Awesome Foursome contemporary erotica series focuses on the sex and love lives of four very different women friends living in Vancouver, BC, Canada. Champagne Rules, the first book in the series, centers on a long distance, biracial relationship between practical, down-to-earth vet student Suzanne and sexy, ambitious lawyer Jaxon. After having an once-in-a-lifetime erotic escapade in Crete that neither has been able to forget, Suzanne and Jaxon face numerous challenges, including distance, prejudice, and their conflicting life goals, to try and turn a sexually charged relationship into a lasting love. The Awesome Foursome is a great contemporary romantica series!
Susan Lyons’ Awesome Foursome contemporary erotica series focuses on the sex and love lives of four very different women friends living in Vancouver, BC, Canada. Champagne Rules, the first book in the series, centers on a long distance, biracial relationship between practical, down-to-earth vet student Suzanne and sexy, ambitious lawyer Jaxon. After having an once-in-a-lifetime erotic escapade in Crete that neither has been able to forget, Suzanne and Jaxon face numerous challenges, including distance, prejudice, and their conflicting life goals, to try and turn a sexually charged relationship into a lasting love. The Awesome Foursome is a great contemporary romantica series!
April 5, 2008
Very enjoyable read! Loved the chick lit feel and the mixed race couple made for an extra treat. The spicy details were handled very well also.
June 27, 2008
This is the first of Susan's series. I love the way she writes fun and sexy with her hero's and heroines having real life problems and that things don;t go perfectly for them. She's the best at erotic romance!
March 7, 2009
Pretty good book. This is book 1 in a 4 book series. Suzanne Brennan meets Jaxon Navarre (a black man) on a nude beach in Greece while on vacation and has an incredible time with him. 4 years later, her and her 3 friends decide to hook her up with him again.
February 11, 2010
Really could not get into the story.
January 18, 2018
One of my all time favorite books. The characters continue to haunt my thoughts, leaving me want for more.
July 29, 2015
I alternately loved and strongly disliked this book. I was frustrated by the leading characters' reluctance to share more than a physical relationship and then stress over that constantly when they weren't together. I did not like the "big secret" especially since there was no logical reason for the female lead, Suzanne, to keep it from her dream lover Jaxon. I felt there were a lot of "preachy" sections that weren't really necessary to the advancement of the story.
Conversely, I really enjoyed the development of the relationship between Jaxon and Suzanne, in spite of themselves, the depth of the peripheral characters, who were not there merely to fill pages, and it certainly delivered enough steam to provide saunas for every person in North America.
Conversely, I really enjoyed the development of the relationship between Jaxon and Suzanne, in spite of themselves, the depth of the peripheral characters, who were not there merely to fill pages, and it certainly delivered enough steam to provide saunas for every person in North America.
March 13, 2011
Started off really hot!!!
Then slowed way down.
I finished the book, but it wasn't anything super spectacular. I can't put my finger on it, but there was something about the book that just didn't grab me.
The hero sounded gorgeous, but too driven. Felt he owed his mother to become a partner in the law firm, but didn't really visit her much, as he was working 14 - 16 hour days every day, trying to get ahead.
The heroine's personality really did not seem to mesh. I mean, really - she was surprised her parents still had a good sex life? She viewed her family life as the Cleavers?
Meh - I'll try the next book in the series and sees if it works better for me.
Then slowed way down.
I finished the book, but it wasn't anything super spectacular. I can't put my finger on it, but there was something about the book that just didn't grab me.
The hero sounded gorgeous, but too driven. Felt he owed his mother to become a partner in the law firm, but didn't really visit her much, as he was working 14 - 16 hour days every day, trying to get ahead.
The heroine's personality really did not seem to mesh. I mean, really - she was surprised her parents still had a good sex life? She viewed her family life as the Cleavers?
Meh - I'll try the next book in the series and sees if it works better for me.
March 6, 2013
The only thing I didn't like about this book was that it was longer than it needed to be. So much back and forth about the 'Champagne Rules" and trying to not actually get to know each other. Seemed pointless to let that drag on so long.
June 29, 2010
Skimmed it a bit and couldn't get into it.
July 4, 2013
carino..il solito libro anche se il finale non mi è piaciuto...è troppo in sospeso
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews