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Desire Bay #1
Playing With Trouble
Recently divorced, Laura Baughman is taking her life back. After a decade away, she’s returning to Yachats, Oregon—the small town she couldn’t wait to leave after graduation—to take over her late mother’s beloved flower shop. Yet once she arrives, Laura discovers the store has been neglected and her father has partnered in construction with Jake Lock. The once-scrawny high school band geek is now successful—and irresistibly sexy—and set to inherit her family’s business. That is, unless Laura can prove in the next thirty days that she has what it takes to run the company.
Despite the heat between Jake and Laura, romance is out of the question. After her last disastrous relationship, Laura has sworn off men—especially one bent on crushing her dreams. That’s just fine with Jake, who thinks the gorgeous blonde is a pain in the neck…though admittedly one he’d like to put his lips all over.
Jake has a proposal to mix business with pleasure. But when a deal goes south, Laura is ready to pack up and skip town all over again. Does he have what it takes to convince her to stay?
210 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 21, 2017
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716 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews
March 21, 2017
3 - "I can’t make everyone happy." Stars.
Playing With Trouble, marks the beginning of Joya Ryan’s new Desire Bay series, and although well written as I have come to expect from this author. The story and characters definitely fell in the didn’t love it, didn’t hate it category…
A decade may have passed but they were still in different leagues.
This is pretty much your typical story of young woman heading off to find a better life in the big city, only to then return home with her tail between her legs some years (ten in this instance) later, when it all falls apart. Only to find that her small town community aren’t really on-board in letting her back in with open arms and all past indiscretions forgotten. Top of that list being Jake Lock, the man who has essentially revived her father’s business, and made it profitable. Boughman Home Goods is something that Laura believe is her birth right, and she is determined to take control, even if she actually has no idea what she is doing and risks the business and the livelihoods of the staff in doing it.
They may hate each other, but deep down, she wanted him… Just like he wanted her…
To be honest I found the story line for this one pretty weak, the author seemed to skim over both characters back stories and instead concentrate on sex. And there is a lot of sex in this book, not a bad thing if you are backing it up with a bit of substance in between but this couple pretty much had a loop and they stuck to it religiously –
• Sex
• Argue
• Sex
• Argue
• Sex
And so on, until the big fall out in the last few pages when everything was then resolved without too much fuss. My other gripe is the fact that while I loved Jake, I abhorred Laura, there was absolutely no point in this story where I felt any empathy for her or the situation she was in, she just came across as selfish, self-centered and didn’t really seem to grasp that after ten years away she wasn’t really qualified to just step back in and take over, after Jake was the one that had done all the hard work to keep the business viable in the first place.
"I can’t make up for the mistakes of the past…"
And to be honest, she never really tried, which is why I think I disliked her so much, she was so focused on resurrecting her mother’s Flower Shop, consideration for everyone else pretty much went out of the window.
She wanted to get lost. In him. With him.
For all the issues, Playing With Trouble wasn’t a struggle to read, but then it’s a relatively short book, but there were several secondary characters that offered up potential in relation to further books so I will be interested to see where the author goes next and whose story she decides to tell.
ARC generously provided via Netgalley, in exchange for the above honest review.
Playing With Trouble, marks the beginning of Joya Ryan’s new Desire Bay series, and although well written as I have come to expect from this author. The story and characters definitely fell in the didn’t love it, didn’t hate it category…
A decade may have passed but they were still in different leagues.
This is pretty much your typical story of young woman heading off to find a better life in the big city, only to then return home with her tail between her legs some years (ten in this instance) later, when it all falls apart. Only to find that her small town community aren’t really on-board in letting her back in with open arms and all past indiscretions forgotten. Top of that list being Jake Lock, the man who has essentially revived her father’s business, and made it profitable. Boughman Home Goods is something that Laura believe is her birth right, and she is determined to take control, even if she actually has no idea what she is doing and risks the business and the livelihoods of the staff in doing it.
They may hate each other, but deep down, she wanted him… Just like he wanted her…
To be honest I found the story line for this one pretty weak, the author seemed to skim over both characters back stories and instead concentrate on sex. And there is a lot of sex in this book, not a bad thing if you are backing it up with a bit of substance in between but this couple pretty much had a loop and they stuck to it religiously –
• Sex
• Argue
• Sex
• Argue
• Sex
And so on, until the big fall out in the last few pages when everything was then resolved without too much fuss. My other gripe is the fact that while I loved Jake, I abhorred Laura, there was absolutely no point in this story where I felt any empathy for her or the situation she was in, she just came across as selfish, self-centered and didn’t really seem to grasp that after ten years away she wasn’t really qualified to just step back in and take over, after Jake was the one that had done all the hard work to keep the business viable in the first place.
"I can’t make up for the mistakes of the past…"
And to be honest, she never really tried, which is why I think I disliked her so much, she was so focused on resurrecting her mother’s Flower Shop, consideration for everyone else pretty much went out of the window.
She wanted to get lost. In him. With him.
For all the issues, Playing With Trouble wasn’t a struggle to read, but then it’s a relatively short book, but there were several secondary characters that offered up potential in relation to further books so I will be interested to see where the author goes next and whose story she decides to tell.
ARC generously provided via Netgalley, in exchange for the above honest review.
February 6, 2017
Laura is returning home with her confidence in tatters and nothing left but the promise of taking over her deceased mother's flower shop. But when she arrives she discovers that what was a flower shop has moved on and is now a building supplies company. Adding to her misery, her father has largely left the business in the hands of Jake who wants nothing to do with flowers because they make no profit.
As you would expect they clash immediately, what's less expected is they also round third and head for home base in what has to be a record.
Playing With Trouble is a halfway decent contemporary romance that has one problem. The sex in this book just doesn't match the story. There are pages and pages of steamy sex. I really hate to admit this but I was skipping through all that sex.
The Contemporary Romance is good. It's a great story even if it's fairly typical of the genre. The book ended well. I liked the characters and the premise. As a sweet romance I probably would have rated it 4 Stars, but as a Steamy Romance it doesn't quite work so 3 Stars.
As you would expect they clash immediately, what's less expected is they also round third and head for home base in what has to be a record.
Playing With Trouble is a halfway decent contemporary romance that has one problem. The sex in this book just doesn't match the story. There are pages and pages of steamy sex. I really hate to admit this but I was skipping through all that sex.
The Contemporary Romance is good. It's a great story even if it's fairly typical of the genre. The book ended well. I liked the characters and the premise. As a sweet romance I probably would have rated it 4 Stars, but as a Steamy Romance it doesn't quite work so 3 Stars.
April 7, 2017
I won a KINDLE copy of this book through a giveaway the publisher had for it on GoodReads and the following is my honest opinion.
Going home had been something Laura Baughman never had in her mind, especially since she couldn’t wait to graduate high school to leave Yachats, Oregon for the outside world in order to start living. But being able to release herself from a horrendous marriage with a divorce, Laura desperately needed to start taking her own life back, and what better she felt would be able to help her do this, than return back to her roots and the town she’d left.
If you’ve ever gone back to your hometown after being away for a few years, then you can easily remember how she must have felt doing it. On the downside she now had to take over her late mother’s flower shop which found to be in shambles due to years of neglect. This happened, as she found out, because her father had formed a construction partnership with Jake Lock, who had been a former high school nerd and ex-lover of Laura; but who is now an undeniably sexy hunk and quite successful in business; even though there’s some seriousness going on in their relationship, like oil and water, any romance between Laura and Jake can easily be ruled out. And why not, she’s has now sworn off men due to the disastrous marriage she’s just ended with a divorce.
The clock is ticking away as Laura only has a month to prove she’s capable of making her mother’s flower shop a successful enterprise. But after the failure of a possible busy deal with Jake, Laura’s seriously thinking about leaving again, possibly for good this time. The only thing which might prevent this from happening is depended upon Jake’s ability in convincing her to stay.
While this story has some very good points in its favor, I feel it lacking a certain level of depth which would have made it great. Still as a contemporary romance novel, I find this endeavor by the author to be an enjoyable reading experience which is why I’ve given it 4 STARS.
Going home had been something Laura Baughman never had in her mind, especially since she couldn’t wait to graduate high school to leave Yachats, Oregon for the outside world in order to start living. But being able to release herself from a horrendous marriage with a divorce, Laura desperately needed to start taking her own life back, and what better she felt would be able to help her do this, than return back to her roots and the town she’d left.
If you’ve ever gone back to your hometown after being away for a few years, then you can easily remember how she must have felt doing it. On the downside she now had to take over her late mother’s flower shop which found to be in shambles due to years of neglect. This happened, as she found out, because her father had formed a construction partnership with Jake Lock, who had been a former high school nerd and ex-lover of Laura; but who is now an undeniably sexy hunk and quite successful in business; even though there’s some seriousness going on in their relationship, like oil and water, any romance between Laura and Jake can easily be ruled out. And why not, she’s has now sworn off men due to the disastrous marriage she’s just ended with a divorce.
The clock is ticking away as Laura only has a month to prove she’s capable of making her mother’s flower shop a successful enterprise. But after the failure of a possible busy deal with Jake, Laura’s seriously thinking about leaving again, possibly for good this time. The only thing which might prevent this from happening is depended upon Jake’s ability in convincing her to stay.
While this story has some very good points in its favor, I feel it lacking a certain level of depth which would have made it great. Still as a contemporary romance novel, I find this endeavor by the author to be an enjoyable reading experience which is why I’ve given it 4 STARS.
March 1, 2017
3.5 stars.
The first chapter is SO huge that I found it kind of hard to catch the story. On the other hand, the last chapters felt too short. Also, the characters have so much inner world. This wouldnt be a "bad" thing if it didn't make dfficult sometimes to follow the story.
To sum up, I think the story had much more potential. 199 pages was actually pretty short for this kind of story and I was left wanting more. The main characters have a good development (inner and their relationships with each other) but I missed that the supporting characters didn't appear a little bit more.
The first chapter is SO huge that I found it kind of hard to catch the story. On the other hand, the last chapters felt too short. Also, the characters have so much inner world. This wouldnt be a "bad" thing if it didn't make dfficult sometimes to follow the story.
To sum up, I think the story had much more potential. 199 pages was actually pretty short for this kind of story and I was left wanting more. The main characters have a good development (inner and their relationships with each other) but I missed that the supporting characters didn't appear a little bit more.
March 13, 2017
This one was an ok read. I had a hard time getting into the story mostly because Laura irritated me. She leaves town leaving her father to run the family business on his own, which he has done very well, and she expects to come back and start doing things her way? Which if it had just been her father may have worked out but for ten years Jake Lock as worked side by side with Laura's father changing the business from a small flower shop to a thriving garden center. He's not about to walk away without a fight. Add in the fact that there is some serious sexual tension between Laura and Jake and you have one wild ride going. Overall this isn't a bad read, some parts were quite entertaining. I just had difficulty connecting with the characters.
January 15, 2017
This review is based on the ARC provided by the author and/or the publisher vie NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.
3.5
The author heavily laced her book with steamy sex scenes. Wonderful plot.
3.5
The author heavily laced her book with steamy sex scenes. Wonderful plot.
March 16, 2017
Definitely a story to enjoy on a lazy Sunday afternoon!
I like uncomplicated books. I like stories which are easy to read and enjoy. And, I like Joya Ryan’s writing style so yes, this book suited me down to the ground.
I get that some may find the story centring around a garden centre a little “flowery” but this story managed to smooth away the hard edges of my emotions, which I appreciated. So many books these days are about shock and awe but this was a simple love story told in a way which captures your heart.
We first meet Laura Baughman who, now divorced, has returned home with a plan to take over the running of her late mother’s flower shop. What she doesn’t expect to find in her way is Jake Lock, her father’s business partner. When Laura sees the flower shop closed up and now used as an office it breaks her heart but she is determined to resurrect her mother’s legacy. Her father soon puts a spanner in the works though when he tells Jake and Laura that they need to find a way to work together, something which brings about daily fights. Despite finding Jake hugely attractive, and remembering him from her school days, Laura knows that she can’t work with him but with her father’s ultimatum, she is not willing to lose the business to someone outside of the family.
Despite their resentment of each other, they are both attracted to one another and sparks fly when they connect but will their attraction win out over their mutual, business related, hatred of each other?
This is a relatively short story but one to still be savoured. It is a typical contemporary/women’s romance story so don’t expect too much angst, drama or violence. It’s simply the coming together of two people who were clearly destined to fall in love but first must face a few bumps along the road towards their HEA.
This book appears to tell a complete story, within a possible series and does not contain any cliffhangers.
This ebook was kindly provided by the author, publisher and Netgalley prior to release date in return for an honest and unbiased review.
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February 5, 2017
I would like to thank NetGalley and Montlake Romance for the ARC of "Playing With Trouble" by Joya Ryan. The genre of this novel is romantic fiction. Laura Baughman returns to her hometown after being away 10 years to take over the family Flower Shop. Returning after a failed marriage, Laura is surprised to find out that her father has closed the Flower Shop and has a huge warehouse that supplies wood chips, and outdoor supplies. In addition, Laura is in shock when she finds out that her father's foreman is a former high school geek, Jake Lock. Jake Lock is now a strong responsible and "hot"man, and Laura's father depends on him to run the business.
Laura wants to start up the flower side of the business. Her father proposes that both Laura and Jake work together for a month, and he will determine who will be the boss. He is ready to retire.
Laura has made up her mind that she isn't interested in dating, and wants to concentrate on business. Jake also wants to concentrate on business, and Laura.
I find that the author has written a sexy, easy predictable read.
Laura wants to start up the flower side of the business. Her father proposes that both Laura and Jake work together for a month, and he will determine who will be the boss. He is ready to retire.
Laura has made up her mind that she isn't interested in dating, and wants to concentrate on business. Jake also wants to concentrate on business, and Laura.
I find that the author has written a sexy, easy predictable read.
March 18, 2017
ARC Review: Playing With Trouble (Desire Bay) by Joya Ryan
Teenage dreams spirited Laura out of small town Oregon. Now ten years later a reversal of fortune has brought her home to surprising twists. Playing with Trouble proves that change is inevitable, but life is full of surprises and life lessons. People change, places grow, life moves on. However, the most rewarding of experiences can start when we take a second look. Joya Ryan took us from bad girl to responsible woman. From geeky nerd to seductive heartthrob and from salty to sweet. Jake and Laura are a topsy turvy bundle of sexy, sassy, turbulent and tempting fun.
Teenage dreams spirited Laura out of small town Oregon. Now ten years later a reversal of fortune has brought her home to surprising twists. Playing with Trouble proves that change is inevitable, but life is full of surprises and life lessons. People change, places grow, life moves on. However, the most rewarding of experiences can start when we take a second look. Joya Ryan took us from bad girl to responsible woman. From geeky nerd to seductive heartthrob and from salty to sweet. Jake and Laura are a topsy turvy bundle of sexy, sassy, turbulent and tempting fun.
March 25, 2017
Although I liked Jake and Laura, the constant tug of war over her family business became a little tedious after awhile. It would have been interesting to discover exactly what happened between Laura and her ex-husband. Why did it take 10 years for her to finally walk away? I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book. Thank you!
March 24, 2017
It wasn't bad, but also wasn't 5 stars read.
I really like Joya Ryan's books, she has amazing and engaging writing style, but during reading this book I simply didn't feel the chemistry between the main characters.
This is a good story, but some things are missing to be amazing read.
*Copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.*
I really like Joya Ryan's books, she has amazing and engaging writing style, but during reading this book I simply didn't feel the chemistry between the main characters.
This is a good story, but some things are missing to be amazing read.
*Copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.*
February 10, 2017
For this book 3 out of 5 stars.
I want to thank the NetGalley for providing me with and ARC copy of this book for my honest review!
Now I will explain why I’m only giving 3 stars. Although I liked this book, I do have very conflicting feelings about it too. For me personally it wasn’t ‘full’. I wanted to know more about the MC and this book was so fast paced it was a bit too much, if you know what I mean. In some parts I just felt like some trying to tell me a long story but only having a limited time to do it. So I feel like the full potential of this story wasn’t explored enough. But you know, maybe that’s just me.
Knowing all that, I have still enjoyed this book very much. It’d hooked me from the start and I just couldn’t put it down. Well since my schedule is very hectic at the moment I was actually kept picking it up to be exact. Because I really, really, really wanted to finish it!
I would recommend this book as a free-time-don’t-think-too-much-about-it read. It probably won’t teach you much about life in general, but it is a fun and a steamy read and just great for a relaxing evening with a book.
Although after reading this I have started thinking more about my priorities in life, family, university and work. I might have learned something from it after all! :)
more of my reviews here:
Peace,
A.
January 31, 2017
I received a free ARC copy via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
I am not a prude and I do not mind steamy scenes in books, but there is a time and a place for that. Some books simply focus too much on the physical, and this book is one of those novels. Yes, the story was a good one - family troubles, and reuniting with someone from a distant past, mixed with lots of emotion, and some baggage, makes a great plot and novel, but if it is laced with too many descriptions of lovemaking, it distracts from the story.
The main characters are no teenagers with raging hormones, rather two adults with their own share of trauma, trying to do the responsible thing - taking care of a business that was put into their hands - for her, it is the family business, for him, it has become everything, a surrogate family in a way.
Laura is desperate to make it on her own. Jacob is desperate to hang on what he build with her father, while she was gone.
There is enough material there that could be explored to make an interesting book with less of the physical, and still keep the same tension, the same emotional conflicts, yet Joya Ryan chose to write the steamy instead of the substance.
Disregarding that, I really liked the characters - including the secondary ones. The setting was well played, the background story believable, and well thought through. This has all of the markings of what could be a great book, instead, it ended up being just good, because of what I mentioned in the beginning.
I am not a prude and I do not mind steamy scenes in books, but there is a time and a place for that. Some books simply focus too much on the physical, and this book is one of those novels. Yes, the story was a good one - family troubles, and reuniting with someone from a distant past, mixed with lots of emotion, and some baggage, makes a great plot and novel, but if it is laced with too many descriptions of lovemaking, it distracts from the story.
The main characters are no teenagers with raging hormones, rather two adults with their own share of trauma, trying to do the responsible thing - taking care of a business that was put into their hands - for her, it is the family business, for him, it has become everything, a surrogate family in a way.
Laura is desperate to make it on her own. Jacob is desperate to hang on what he build with her father, while she was gone.
There is enough material there that could be explored to make an interesting book with less of the physical, and still keep the same tension, the same emotional conflicts, yet Joya Ryan chose to write the steamy instead of the substance.
Disregarding that, I really liked the characters - including the secondary ones. The setting was well played, the background story believable, and well thought through. This has all of the markings of what could be a great book, instead, it ended up being just good, because of what I mentioned in the beginning.
March 21, 2017
I was given an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest and independent review.
Laura a divorcee returns to her home town after an unhappy marriage which she entered into as a young girl, escaping from life after the death of her mother. Determined to rebuild the family business and keep away from any involvement with men, she meets a former classmate Jake, previously the class nerd and now exceptionally hot, who is involved in the business. Forced to work together their relationship evolves. The chemistry between them off the scale, the sex scenes are hot (although the quantity of these scenes doesn't add to the book, in my opinion) and the "love-hate"tug of war interesting.
Taking the book for what it is - a hot romance with a fairly good but predictable storyline- it's a quick and easy read. 3.5***
Laura a divorcee returns to her home town after an unhappy marriage which she entered into as a young girl, escaping from life after the death of her mother. Determined to rebuild the family business and keep away from any involvement with men, she meets a former classmate Jake, previously the class nerd and now exceptionally hot, who is involved in the business. Forced to work together their relationship evolves. The chemistry between them off the scale, the sex scenes are hot (although the quantity of these scenes doesn't add to the book, in my opinion) and the "love-hate"tug of war interesting.
Taking the book for what it is - a hot romance with a fairly good but predictable storyline- it's a quick and easy read. 3.5***
March 25, 2023
Joya Ryan takes us on a romantic journey through the sun-kissed coastal town of Desire Bay in her latest novel, "Playing With Trouble." Filled with passion, mystery, and the allure of a small-town setting, this book offers a thrilling escape for those who crave a touch of intrigue in their romance.
The story follows Grace Monroe, a young woman with a complicated past, who comes to Desire Bay for a fresh start. Her life takes an unexpected turn when she meets the enigmatic Noah Kendrick, a wealthy entrepreneur who harbors a few secrets of his own. As the undeniable attraction between Grace and Noah intensifies, the layers of their mysterious pasts begin to unravel, threatening the future they could build together.
Ryan's writing is engaging and descriptive, vividly depicting the picturesque coastal town and its unique inhabitants. The author effectively builds tension and anticipation throughout the story, keeping readers on their toes as they navigate the twists and turns of the narrative.
Grace and Noah's chemistry is palpable from the very beginning, and the development of their relationship is both enjoyable and satisfying to witness. Ryan does a commendable job of weaving their emotional journeys together, creating a rich tapestry of love and desire.
However, it's worth noting that the novel's pacing could be improved. At times, the story appears to be rushing through crucial moments, leaving readers desiring a bit more depth and detail. Additionally, some of the secondary characters feel they need to be more developed, making investing in their storylines challenging.
Despite these minor critiques, "Playing With Trouble" remains a captivating and enjoyable read. Joya Ryan has crafted a compelling story that explores the complexities of love and the power of redemption. With its breathtaking setting and captivating characters, this novel will whisk you away to the enchanting world of Desire Bay and leave you longing for more. If you're in the mood for a romantic escape with a touch of mystery, "Playing With Trouble" is a delightful choice.
The story follows Grace Monroe, a young woman with a complicated past, who comes to Desire Bay for a fresh start. Her life takes an unexpected turn when she meets the enigmatic Noah Kendrick, a wealthy entrepreneur who harbors a few secrets of his own. As the undeniable attraction between Grace and Noah intensifies, the layers of their mysterious pasts begin to unravel, threatening the future they could build together.
Ryan's writing is engaging and descriptive, vividly depicting the picturesque coastal town and its unique inhabitants. The author effectively builds tension and anticipation throughout the story, keeping readers on their toes as they navigate the twists and turns of the narrative.
Grace and Noah's chemistry is palpable from the very beginning, and the development of their relationship is both enjoyable and satisfying to witness. Ryan does a commendable job of weaving their emotional journeys together, creating a rich tapestry of love and desire.
However, it's worth noting that the novel's pacing could be improved. At times, the story appears to be rushing through crucial moments, leaving readers desiring a bit more depth and detail. Additionally, some of the secondary characters feel they need to be more developed, making investing in their storylines challenging.
Despite these minor critiques, "Playing With Trouble" remains a captivating and enjoyable read. Joya Ryan has crafted a compelling story that explores the complexities of love and the power of redemption. With its breathtaking setting and captivating characters, this novel will whisk you away to the enchanting world of Desire Bay and leave you longing for more. If you're in the mood for a romantic escape with a touch of mystery, "Playing With Trouble" is a delightful choice.
March 17, 2017
Another winner for Ms. Ryan! In this story Laura comes home after 10 years of being gone, freshly divorced from a loser husband who did nothing but beat her down emotionally. She ran from home when her mother died and now she is determined to make things right with her father and the past she ran from. Wanting to start her mother's flower shop back up she has a plan all worked out until she gets home and discovers things are not like she thought.
Jake who is in the process of taking over the company from Laura's dad when Laura shows up out of the blue. Jake has always been attracted to Laura from there school days and she has just gotten pretty to him. He has changed a little since high school and when Laura recognizes him the chemistry is off the charts. When Laura tells Jake she is running the flower shop he is not happy and makes it very hard for her to do that. Can the two figure a way to make the arrangement work with everyone happy or did Laura make another bad decision coming home. This story has quiet a few lessons given for life and that life is something you have to work at to reach your dreams. Really enjoyed this story and can't wait for more of Ms. Ryan's work. Honest review in exchange for ARC.
Jake who is in the process of taking over the company from Laura's dad when Laura shows up out of the blue. Jake has always been attracted to Laura from there school days and she has just gotten pretty to him. He has changed a little since high school and when Laura recognizes him the chemistry is off the charts. When Laura tells Jake she is running the flower shop he is not happy and makes it very hard for her to do that. Can the two figure a way to make the arrangement work with everyone happy or did Laura make another bad decision coming home. This story has quiet a few lessons given for life and that life is something you have to work at to reach your dreams. Really enjoyed this story and can't wait for more of Ms. Ryan's work. Honest review in exchange for ARC.
March 21, 2017
** I want to thank Montlake Romance publishing and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. **
Laura Baughman is recently divorced and decides to go back to her hometown to get her life back. All she wants to do is take over her late mothers flower shop and make her parents proud of the person she is but she quickly realizes that things aren’t like they were when she left 10 years ago. Laura’s father has basically left the business in Jakes hands and over the years it has gone from a floral shop to a construction company. As expected they but heads immediately, what’s less expected is the growing attraction they have for each other.
This book hooked me from the very beginning. Laura could be annoying at times but I still found myself connecting with her character. I think the reason I felt said connection was because she lost her mom and I have lost my dad and step dad so I know what its like to not want to deal with the pain. Although this is pretty much a typical story for this genre I couldn’t help but be drawn in. I had to know if Laura was going to stay or if she was going to run again when things got hard.
I have seen some reviews that say the steamy sex scenes didn’t fit but I disagree. I thought they were hot and spot on with the story. I am not the type to get flustered when I read sex scenes in books but I found myself looking around making sure no one was around even though I was in the comfort of my own home.
The reason I took off a star is because I really wanted more of the side characters. It seemed like they only popped in when the main characters needed to realize something that in my opinion they should have been able to do on their own. Overall I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to those who are looking for a quick romance read.
Laura Baughman is recently divorced and decides to go back to her hometown to get her life back. All she wants to do is take over her late mothers flower shop and make her parents proud of the person she is but she quickly realizes that things aren’t like they were when she left 10 years ago. Laura’s father has basically left the business in Jakes hands and over the years it has gone from a floral shop to a construction company. As expected they but heads immediately, what’s less expected is the growing attraction they have for each other.
This book hooked me from the very beginning. Laura could be annoying at times but I still found myself connecting with her character. I think the reason I felt said connection was because she lost her mom and I have lost my dad and step dad so I know what its like to not want to deal with the pain. Although this is pretty much a typical story for this genre I couldn’t help but be drawn in. I had to know if Laura was going to stay or if she was going to run again when things got hard.
I have seen some reviews that say the steamy sex scenes didn’t fit but I disagree. I thought they were hot and spot on with the story. I am not the type to get flustered when I read sex scenes in books but I found myself looking around making sure no one was around even though I was in the comfort of my own home.
The reason I took off a star is because I really wanted more of the side characters. It seemed like they only popped in when the main characters needed to realize something that in my opinion they should have been able to do on their own. Overall I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to those who are looking for a quick romance read.
March 21, 2017
3.5 Stars
This book was a quick read focusing on the relationship between Jake and Laura.
Laura left town 10 years ago after the death of her mother. After her marriage ends, she returns home to take over the flower shop her mother once ran. Unbeknownst to her, her father has more or less handed over the business to Jake, and it's no longer the flower shop she once knew. It's now a home and garden center selling lumber and other items. Flowers are no longer in the picture. Laura and Jake clash in how they feel the business should be run, and who should be in charge, while Laura's father steps back and let's them work things out for themselves.
I thought that storyline was OK. What fell short for me was there wasn't any additional depth to the story. We don't get a glimpse into her relationship with her father. We barely learn anything about her best friend. The only secondary character I felt we got to learn a little about was Jake's sister. Since this appears to be the first book in a series, I'm curious where it will continue since I didn't feel like we got to know anybody else in the book enough to desire to continue with their story.
ARC kindly received from publisher via NetGalley.
This book was a quick read focusing on the relationship between Jake and Laura.
Laura left town 10 years ago after the death of her mother. After her marriage ends, she returns home to take over the flower shop her mother once ran. Unbeknownst to her, her father has more or less handed over the business to Jake, and it's no longer the flower shop she once knew. It's now a home and garden center selling lumber and other items. Flowers are no longer in the picture. Laura and Jake clash in how they feel the business should be run, and who should be in charge, while Laura's father steps back and let's them work things out for themselves.
I thought that storyline was OK. What fell short for me was there wasn't any additional depth to the story. We don't get a glimpse into her relationship with her father. We barely learn anything about her best friend. The only secondary character I felt we got to learn a little about was Jake's sister. Since this appears to be the first book in a series, I'm curious where it will continue since I didn't feel like we got to know anybody else in the book enough to desire to continue with their story.
ARC kindly received from publisher via NetGalley.
June 22, 2019
I loved this story of Jake and Laura. They are thrown together in an uncomfortable way and her dad just leaves her to sink or swim on her own but his new live in love helps her out.
Laura has just gone through a messy divorce that has cost her soul and her purse. Her ex is big on making Laura feel lousy about herself and her abilities.
Then she is thrust into a business arrangement with a man that her dad has talked about to her over the phone but she has never met. He comes on strong to her the first time they meet. She tells him that she does NOT date and that he will have to get used to the idea but her body and heart are fighting with her. She finds Jake a total turn-on and can't keep from thinking about his body.
Jake has gone through a relationship where his ex just up and leaves telling him shes looking for bigger and better opportunities than he will ever be able to offer. He meets Laura and finds that he has known her in High School and that as a cheerleader she has always been above his nerdy past persona. He knows that he's always wanted a chance with her and that now he has the time and the inclination to go after her.
It's a situation that is funny from the start. This is a light-hearted feel good book that is fun to read and it's a great time.
Laura has just gone through a messy divorce that has cost her soul and her purse. Her ex is big on making Laura feel lousy about herself and her abilities.
Then she is thrust into a business arrangement with a man that her dad has talked about to her over the phone but she has never met. He comes on strong to her the first time they meet. She tells him that she does NOT date and that he will have to get used to the idea but her body and heart are fighting with her. She finds Jake a total turn-on and can't keep from thinking about his body.
Jake has gone through a relationship where his ex just up and leaves telling him shes looking for bigger and better opportunities than he will ever be able to offer. He meets Laura and finds that he has known her in High School and that as a cheerleader she has always been above his nerdy past persona. He knows that he's always wanted a chance with her and that now he has the time and the inclination to go after her.
It's a situation that is funny from the start. This is a light-hearted feel good book that is fun to read and it's a great time.
June 20, 2017
I do have a tendency to avoid books with a lot of explicit sex because all too often I have found that as more sex that is added plot is removed. I am so happy to say that this wasn't the case with PLAYING WITH TROUBLE. It has a solid story line that will keep the reader interested along with some sex scenes which really heat up the pages.
I really enjoyed the characters especially some of the secondary ones such as Roberta, Laura's father's girlfriend. She's a down to earth, big hearted woman with good advice who just happens to run a lingerie shop and a dirty book club. I would also like to see a book about Hannah who is Laura's best friend.
All in all, I would give this book a thumbs up because it has a solid plot line, good pacing, great characters and witty dialogue. I think that any of my readers who enjoy contemporary romance with some heat would enjoy this book. There are some graphic scenes though so perhaps not appropriate for the younger generation.
*** I received this book at no charge from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions expressed within are my own.
I really enjoyed the characters especially some of the secondary ones such as Roberta, Laura's father's girlfriend. She's a down to earth, big hearted woman with good advice who just happens to run a lingerie shop and a dirty book club. I would also like to see a book about Hannah who is Laura's best friend.
All in all, I would give this book a thumbs up because it has a solid plot line, good pacing, great characters and witty dialogue. I think that any of my readers who enjoy contemporary romance with some heat would enjoy this book. There are some graphic scenes though so perhaps not appropriate for the younger generation.
*** I received this book at no charge from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions expressed within are my own.
December 13, 2021
Too much sex, Not enough story
Sex happened within the first 24 hours. Not good in my book. Pathetic women portrayed. Shouldn't she have been upset that her father let the flower shop close without her knowing? Even though they kept in contact over the years? Then her father avoids her at all cost the entire time she's home. Apparently her father had issues with her being around after her mother died, which was why she left in the first place. Didn't even try to make it up to her, but gave her one month to prove herself capable to run the business that apparently was already Jacob's. Which made her feel more like a failure than she already did. It could have been a good story if she was the one to make a success out of the flower shop on her own. Her father should have been more involved in her life than he was.
Sex happened within the first 24 hours. Not good in my book. Pathetic women portrayed. Shouldn't she have been upset that her father let the flower shop close without her knowing? Even though they kept in contact over the years? Then her father avoids her at all cost the entire time she's home. Apparently her father had issues with her being around after her mother died, which was why she left in the first place. Didn't even try to make it up to her, but gave her one month to prove herself capable to run the business that apparently was already Jacob's. Which made her feel more like a failure than she already did. It could have been a good story if she was the one to make a success out of the flower shop on her own. Her father should have been more involved in her life than he was.
August 18, 2024
I liked the main character but not the story
The main character’s personality was good but there was so many holes in the story. Like why the main character didn’t know so much about her small town from her BF even though everyone knows everyone’s business. Seemed odd. Despite that I didn’t like Jacob’s personality in the beginning. His words made me role my eyes and cringe. I didn’t mind the sex scenes all though a few made me confused when the other mentioned them being portioned one way but then magically they were another. The details seemed off to me. All in all it wasn’t the worse story but I wasn’t left feeling anyway about it. Some books make me cry so make me happy so make me mad and some make hopeful but I just felt nothing with this. Interesting enough to read but nothing overall grabbing.
The main character’s personality was good but there was so many holes in the story. Like why the main character didn’t know so much about her small town from her BF even though everyone knows everyone’s business. Seemed odd. Despite that I didn’t like Jacob’s personality in the beginning. His words made me role my eyes and cringe. I didn’t mind the sex scenes all though a few made me confused when the other mentioned them being portioned one way but then magically they were another. The details seemed off to me. All in all it wasn’t the worse story but I wasn’t left feeling anyway about it. Some books make me cry so make me happy so make me mad and some make hopeful but I just felt nothing with this. Interesting enough to read but nothing overall grabbing.
February 4, 2017
Playing with trouble is a feel good romance. Laura returns home after ten years and a failed marriage only to find that Jake has been more of a child to her father than she has been.
From the opposite ends of the spectrum -she the prom queen and he the high shool band geek - they clash often. And sparks fly!
As a romance Playing with Trouble is a good read. The only thing that I don't understand is the need for all those pages of sex. Honestly, they can be skipped and it still doesn't take away from the book; they are basically redundant after a point. Perhaps they could have contributed those pages to taking the plot further.
This book was received via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
From the opposite ends of the spectrum -she the prom queen and he the high shool band geek - they clash often. And sparks fly!
As a romance Playing with Trouble is a good read. The only thing that I don't understand is the need for all those pages of sex. Honestly, they can be skipped and it still doesn't take away from the book; they are basically redundant after a point. Perhaps they could have contributed those pages to taking the plot further.
This book was received via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
January 25, 2019
This was a decent story. I will have to admit that there was a lack in depth when it came to the characters. I wanted more, I wanted the nitty gritty that makes you fall in love with a character, and it just wasn't there in this story. Also the relationship progressed to quickly for me.
However I will have to say the scenes were reasonably steamy, though maybe a bit zoned in on the same type of sex...which I thought was safe, except for the time they slipped in a quickie, that was unexpected from how the plot had progressed and found it was refreshingly risky in an overall safe storyline.
One thing that I really took from the book was the ending, the sweet gestures that Jake showed to Laura was something I could wish would happen to someone in real life.
However I will have to say the scenes were reasonably steamy, though maybe a bit zoned in on the same type of sex...which I thought was safe, except for the time they slipped in a quickie, that was unexpected from how the plot had progressed and found it was refreshingly risky in an overall safe storyline.
One thing that I really took from the book was the ending, the sweet gestures that Jake showed to Laura was something I could wish would happen to someone in real life.
March 18, 2017
This is a story of redemption, Laura has been living with guilt for the past ten years. She returns home to find that things have changed drastically, Jacob has always had a crush on Laura but never felt as if he was her type. When they are both forced to work together for what they want, are they able to deny their feelings or will the competition get in the way. Sweet, hot, steamy read, loved how Laura had to find her way and Jacob was able to come around. I volunteered to read an ARC from netgalley, and I must say there was some tear jerker moments.
May 4, 2017
The b word inside my mind all the time, she is not a good character, she is a spoiled, self center woman. She ran away from home left her father deal with the grief, she is not the only one get hurt after her mother dies.
10 years later, she failed from her marriage n back to home to claim her family business, then pissed off the man who look after the family business n her father, she got triple b on her head.
This is not the nice story but it's successful that get me angry, twist my emotion then it's a good one.
10 years later, she failed from her marriage n back to home to claim her family business, then pissed off the man who look after the family business n her father, she got triple b on her head.
This is not the nice story but it's successful that get me angry, twist my emotion then it's a good one.
May 19, 2023
Loved Jake, Loathed Laura
I really hate rating books so low, but Laura is abhorrently immature, whiny, impulsive, impetuous, irresponsible, and wreckless. What grown person, especially one with a marketing degree, would assume they could just take over a company without any background knowledge. She didn't ask anything about the finances or do anything to learn the business before deciding she knew best and spending money. I can't understand at all.
Her treatment of Jacob is childish, too. She really didn't have many redeeming qualities.
I really hate rating books so low, but Laura is abhorrently immature, whiny, impulsive, impetuous, irresponsible, and wreckless. What grown person, especially one with a marketing degree, would assume they could just take over a company without any background knowledge. She didn't ask anything about the finances or do anything to learn the business before deciding she knew best and spending money. I can't understand at all.
Her treatment of Jacob is childish, too. She really didn't have many redeeming qualities.
February 5, 2025
Jake & Laura: triggers- grief and loss. This is a small town, enemies to lovers romance. Laura returns home with homes of working her mom's flower shop, only to find out everything with the shop had change and it's now a home goods warehouse, thanks to get Dad and his "floor man" Jake. Now her and Jake are at each other's throats because she's determined to make the flower shop work and he's determined to keep the warehouse in the black. The story was okay, not as deep as it could've been and definitely steamy. The book is definitely slow to pick up but then it gets a little better.
August 5, 2017
A short and sweet love story with ups and downs. I liked the latter half of the book more than the beginning but all in all a quick steamy read.
Playing with Trouble had a very typical love story plot. I liked that even though the characters have known each other since they were young, the story didn't go deep into their past. It focused on the present and how they behaved around each other in the now.
To be honest both Laura and Jake annoyed me. Not a whole lot but she was too much of a scaredy-cat throughout the story and Jake was too much of a macho man with his thoughts. Their lusting inner monologues were a bit cheesy but the comedic effect was there. The two of them were a good match and I'm glad they started to open up to each other and pulled things together.
I love where the story ended off. There were a few surprises and sweet gestures. Just enough to make this a heartwarming story. It was also hot and quick ;)
Playing with Trouble had a very typical love story plot. I liked that even though the characters have known each other since they were young, the story didn't go deep into their past. It focused on the present and how they behaved around each other in the now.
To be honest both Laura and Jake annoyed me. Not a whole lot but she was too much of a scaredy-cat throughout the story and Jake was too much of a macho man with his thoughts. Their lusting inner monologues were a bit cheesy but the comedic effect was there. The two of them were a good match and I'm glad they started to open up to each other and pulled things together.
I love where the story ended off. There were a few surprises and sweet gestures. Just enough to make this a heartwarming story. It was also hot and quick ;)
June 17, 2021
Suspending disbelief—and maybe disapproval—may be the most challenging part of reading Playing With Trouble. The attentions of Jake Lock, Laura Bauman's love interest, feel problematic, though the novel is, in other ways, a perfectly conventional and utterly predictable romance. The whole, however, feels as aggressive as Jake—rushing from sex scene to sex scene with little real heart between.
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