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5 stars
248 (37%)
4 stars
232 (35%)
3 stars
134 (20%)
2 stars
34 (5%)
1 star
14 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 29 of 153 reviews
Profile Image for Leticia (jerseygirlsbookshelf).
578 reviews290 followers
May 6, 2022
"I see now that the damage of our childhood doesn’t make us unlovable. It doesn’t have to prevent us from choosing to love and trust."
Sometimes you just need a sweet, quick read, with an amazing hero and a great heroine. And that's where Mae Harden comes in. I've had this one on my Kindle for a while and I'm glad I decided to read it last weekend.

"The world could burn down around me and I wouldn’t care because, right now, this man is the only thing that matters."
It's hard not to fall for Brooks. The guy knows what he wants and he goes for it, while being so patient at the same time. He's hot, protective, sometimes grumpy, doesn't trust easily... and he sticks his foot in his mouth a few times too, which is kind of adorable. And don't get me started on his dirty talk!

"I’m drawn to her like she’s my own personal black hole. I can’t escape her and I don’t want to."
I like the two people who live inside Olive. I like the feisty baker and woman who is a total badass, and I like the person who breaks down when there's too much pressure. I like the person who is there for her friends and family, and I love the person who isn't all that confident because life made her that way.

"For the first time, I feel desperate to be close to someone. I’ve been living for each glancing touch of her knee at our lunches."
When Brooks goes to the room next door to tell their noisy neighbors to quiet down, he realizes they're having a bachelorette party. Not only that, but he's mistaken for a stripper – OK, he has the body and the muscles, but a stripper he is not. However, there's an intriguing girl there, the same one who opens the door to let him in.
And maybe he's willing to strip for a bit... just for her. Eyes on her. And maybe she dares him to kiss her. And just maybe... that kiss sparks up a fire.

"I want you, Olive. Don’t you dare doubt it for a second."
The next morning, Olive realizes Brooks is the constructor hired to work on her bakery. Her insecurities play a big part in this when he tells her the kiss was a mistake. She isn't about to be played around, and she surely is not going to beg for attention, even though she is clearly attracted to him.
But Brooks never lets up, because he knows there's something there. So, he comes closer and closer, bit by bit, until she can do nothing else but cave in.
And the sex scenes... yes, Brooks doesn't disappoint one bit.

"From the first moment I saw you, I wanted you more than I’ve ever wanted anything in my life."
This story is sweet and super steamy. I have to confess I wanted the tiniest bit more romance, because once they come together it's like it was meant to be, so I'm giving it a 4.5/5. And I honestly can't wait to read the rest of the Sonoma series!

P.S. I'd never considered Bon Jovi as a good choice for stripping songs, but I'm here for it!
Profile Image for Katie Utterly Unashamed.
826 reviews194 followers
August 4, 2021
3.75 stars.

This is my first book for this author and I will definitely continue this series and her other books. Thank you to all my bookstabitches for introducing me!

Why not 4+ stars? Honestly, the miscommunication with this couple in the beginning of the book lasted too long for me. Had I not been told by so many friends that they loved it, I would have stopped at 40%. I need Brooks to be more assertive and I needed Olive to get out of her head sooner.

But once they got their shit together, I fucking loved them as a couple, I loved their chemistry. The sex was hot AF. Then this book got awesome. I'm already almost done with book 2 and I'm so glad I didn't give up at that 40% because I'm really enjoying these books now.

These are quick and easy 200ish page, contemporary romance with some seriously good sex scenes. Really enjoyable characters and good writing.

Besically, I can’t wait to to binge this entire series!!



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Profile Image for Michelle Mastandrea.
368 reviews11 followers
August 18, 2020
OMG ...YES PLEASE! Brooks Davidson is the perfect Alphalicious hero book boyfriend dreams are made of!!
Olive Donovan is having a great night! Her BFF Chelsea is getting married and they're enjoying a rowdy Bachelorette party. A knock at the door of their hotel room signals that the entertainment portion of the evening has arrived.
Brooks Davidson is a man with a plan. A plan that includes telling the rowdy Bachelorette party next door to keep it down and go to sleep.
Not part of the plan...
*The door opening on the most beautiful woman he's ever seen
*Also not part of the plan is stripping to Bon Jovi just to get them to settle down
*And DEFINITELY not part of the plan is giving his green eyed goddess a hotter than sin kiss goodnight!
The next day brings a shocking surprise to both Olive and Brooks! Olive is Brooks newest client...and Brooks is Olive's new contractor!
Their insta attraction is put on ice when Brooks still shell shocked tells Olive the kiss was a mistake and she practically dared him to do it. Embarrassed and a whole lot of pissed off Olive shuts him down stating for him to just keep things professional while they work together on her bakery's renovation.
The only problem...both can't seem to keep their hands or eyes off each other! And as for keeping things professional, well....that's just not working out for either one of them!
This story is equally sweet and super steamy. I loved every single page! Olive and Brooks are just the perfect blend of romantic book magic! Don't EVEN get me started on the sexy scenes! I seriously needed a fan to cool off! The characters of Olive's sister Lilah, Luis, and her family were a wonderful complement to the story ❤. Brooks dirty talk was OTT and I loved every moment of it! (Whew...that man🔥🔥🔥)
Stripped Down is a completely fun, sexy, and highly entertaining! I HIGHLY RECOMMEND!
*I received a copy of this book by the author for an honest review *
Profile Image for Shelby.
1,185 reviews701 followers
November 11, 2021
When Olive is taking part in a particularly rowdy bachelorette party, she never expects to get special attention from their hired male stripper who—oops—is actually the guy staying next door to them, just trying to get some sleep. After he bangs on their door, gives an amateur strip tease and kisses Olive within an inch of her life, the handsome stranger is gone just as quickly as he arrived.

The following day, Olive has a meeting with a contractor for an addition to her bakery. It just so happens her newly hired contractor, Brooks, is the stranger from the night before. Not only is Olive beyond embarrassed, but now she’s forced to work with Brooks who Olive is wildly attracted to. And even though Olive wants to put their sexy encounter behind them, Brooks is looking to date the woman he can’t stop thinking about.

Stripped Down by Mae Harden is book 1 in the Sonoma series. I loved that this took place in wine country (Napa/Sonoma), which is super close by to me! I like the setup a lot and I got a kick out of Olive & Brooks’ meet cute. This romance had a lot of potential, but there were a few things that didn’t work for me personally. Since the story was under 200-pages, I felt the romance was under developed. And with there being 6+ steamy scenes, they ended up taking up too much time in the story and took away from the romantic development between Brooks & Olive. Otherwise I really enjoyed this story & I’d like to continue on in the series. 3/5 stars.
Profile Image for Paula Josina.
759 reviews21 followers
April 20, 2023
To be honest: I thought the stripping part would be longer, but overall I liked how the story progressed
Profile Image for girlwithhearteyes.
1,685 reviews222 followers
May 18, 2023
3.75 stars

I liked the “I’m not your stripper but I’ll take my clothes off anyway if you will please quiet down” meet cute, but not a fan of the slightly drawn out miscommunication/misunderstanding trope which was the main source of conflict. Really enjoyed it once the main couple got their act together though, and I always love reading about a couple who are just really into each other. As a bonus, there was a lot more dirty talk and spice than I expected for what started off as a cute and sweet romance.
Profile Image for Danielle Marlowe.
2,054 reviews9 followers
May 8, 2020
Mae Harden did a good job on this story. Stripped Down was written well. Olive and Brooks' journey had it's ups and downs but they were made for each other. Their attraction was strong, so wasn't their chemistry. They were good together.
I enjoyed this story.
Profile Image for Bookish brown girl.
450 reviews16 followers
dnf
June 27, 2023
Dnf at 26%. The characters are too juvenile, the entire conflict seems manufactured. And I am bored.
Profile Image for Chelle Sloan.
Author 24 books1,180 followers
March 30, 2021
This was my first Mae Harden book and it will for sure not be my last. The steam? WOWZERS. If you like your books with some SPICE, but also having a solid story and love behind it, this is for you.
Profile Image for Kat.
108 reviews8 followers
August 11, 2020
⭐️⭐️REVIEW STRIPPED DOWN⭐️⭐️
I signed up to read the ARC of the second book in the Sonoma series and I received Stripped Down as well.
And. Oh. My. God!!!!
I’m so pleased I picked this book up - the writing is quick, hilarious, sexy, kinky and it just has all the good rom-com feels.
I love Olive as a heroine because like most of us she’s a bit damaged and has trust issues so even though she’s incredibly beautiful and successful you can understand why she’s reluctant to start things up with Brooks.
Brooks 🥰🥰🥰 Well, if I built the perfect man in a lab, I’d get Brooks - huge, growly, slightly grey, beard, handy with a nail gun and completely alpha. The way he pursues Olive and then gives her what she never knew she craves - it’s just 🔥🔥🔥
If you want a funny, sexy rom-com with all the feels and naughty scenes that will make you pant, then read Stripped Down
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A Perfect Read
Profile Image for Romanticamente Fantasy.
7,976 reviews236 followers
July 22, 2024
Nemesi -per RFS
.
Ciao a tutti, amici lettori; oggi vi parlo del primo volume di una nuova serie lanciata dalla Triskell edizioni. Aspettavo da tanto di leggere questo romanzo e avevo grandi aspettative; devo dire che non mi ha deluso. Anche se il figaccio assurdo in copertina già parla da sé, lasciate che vi dica almeno qualche parola. Molti romanzi che mettono i mezzi busti di strafighi in copertina lasciano parecchio a desiderare e il bello del romanzo è racchiuso in quell’unica immagine. In questo caso, invece, non è così. Il libro è curato nella scrittura e i personaggi sono ben delineati. L’intera storia è ambientata nella città di Napa, nella pasticceria della nostra protagonista Olive, la Olive Branch Bakery. Imprenditrice e donna tenace, Olive si fa in quattro per sostenere la sua pasticceria e vuole incrementare il lavoro costruendo una stanza per delle lezioni di cucina. Ma c’è il tempo per il lavoro e quello per lo svago ed è proprio durante uno di questi momenti che incontra il nostro protagonista Brooks Davidson. Lui, spogliarellista di fortuna, durante l’addio al nubilato a cui partecipa Olive, rimane stregato dalla sua bocca impertinente e le ruba un bacio. Fuochi d’artificio, signori e signore, che, ahimé, iniziano e finiscono in quell’unico eccitante bacio. Si sa, però, che le anime che sono però destinate a incontrarsi, se devono trovarsi, lo faranno, anche se sono due pesci nell’oceano. E come può non essere destino se il mattino dopo, all’incontro con il responsabile delle ristrutturazioni del suo locale, Olive scopre che l’appaltatore altri non è che il suo bacio rubato?

Il tema dell’abbandono che è nascosto nel cuore della protagonista, per via di dinamiche familiari passate, è toccato in modo leggero, ma con sensibilità. Lo ritroviamo fin da quel primo bacio, da cui Olive rimane molto scottata, perché vede negli occhi di Brooks un rifiuto che in realtà non c’è. E la determinazione di Brooks nell’abbattere tutti i muri di Olive per corteggiarla mi ha semplicemente conquistato. E Olive come gliela fa sudare… c’è un episodio che mi ha fatto sbellicare: quando i due si sono incontrati; ve lo inserisco qui sotto perché merita di essere letto anche da chi deciderà di non intraprendere questa lettura.

… Cerco di mandarla via senza di me, ma non se ne va finché Olive non la congeda. Fanno quella cosa misteriosa e terrificante dove le donne comunicano solo con gli occhi. Riesco a vederlo succedere, ma non sono sicuro di cosa si stiano dicendo.

… «Possiamo parlare un attimo fuori?»…

…Solleva le dita e conta: «Uno, tieni le tue dannate mani al loro posto. Due, concludi la ristrutturazione in tempo. E tre, sii professionale. Tre cose Non dovrebbe essere troppo dura, vero?»

Un romanzo divertente, scorrevole e pieno di passione, sicuramente consigliato!
Profile Image for Bree Hill.
1,029 reviews580 followers
February 21, 2021
HELL YES BROOKS! Brooks had Olivia at the family kitchen table fantasizing about the night before and I loved it!
This was so fun. These two meet at a bachelorette party where Brooks knocks on the door and is mistaken to be the stripper who was supposed to show. He strips to some Bon Jovi..because why not? But the whole time has his eyes on Olivia. On his way out throws caution to the wind and kisses her. The next day the contractor for her bakery renovation shows up and BAM! It’s Brooks.

This book was quick, steamy, I loved the dirty talk. Loved how Brooks was head over heels crazy about Olivia. He’s definitely an Alpha in the best way possible; never cringy or too much and I loved it. Amazing debut Mae Harden!
Profile Image for Skye Yanovsky.
1,178 reviews20 followers
August 2, 2020
Best Meet Cute Ever!

If you are like me and live for the meet cute then go check out Stripped Down. Best and sexiest meet cute ever. I was blushing and laughing hysterically.

I really enjoyed this book. It was sweet, super steamy and I want a Brooks for me (shh don’t tell my hubby). But come on, a dirty talking sexy contractor?!?! Yeah, I ❤️ Brooks so hard.

Olive is one of those characters you relate to and love. Incredibly strong and independent but open to having someone be there to take care of her too because she deserves it. The journey that Brooks & Olive have to go on for their HEA had me captivated and engrossed the entire time. I could not put this book down.

The secondary characters are out of this world amazing and I am dying for more and can’t wait for Lilah’s story. Mae is a definite TBR author for me now. I can’t believe this is her debut book.
Profile Image for J.E. Adams.
Author 4 books32 followers
July 31, 2020
Being in the wrong place at the wrong can actually work out in the end. And another lesson, persistence pays!

I did like the read. It was entertaining and a little twist I did not expect.
Profile Image for Sabrina (Soter) Sally.
2,166 reviews70 followers
August 16, 2024
"Sono stata amata da mia madre e dai miei fratelli. Mia nonna mi ama. Ma nessun uomo mi ha mai guardata così. Come se fossi il suo intero mondo, la sua gravità e il motivo per cui respirare."

Nella sua semplicità questa storia mi è piaciuta veramente molto, uno di quei libri con solo passione (tanta XD), e dolcezza, perfetti per staccare e che ormai trovo sempre più raramente (il dramma vende sigh). Il primo incontro tra Olive e Brooks è in egual modo divertente e imbarazzante, con lui che si ritrova suo malgrado nella parte dello spogliarellista. La scintilla scocca subito per il nostro eroe e da quel momento inizia una caccia spietata, complicata dal fatto che lei è una sua cliente e che si mostra abbastanza ritrosa inizialmente (e, diciamolo, anche lui manda segnali un poco contradditori!). Inutile dire che alla fine trionfa il vero amore e sono curiosa di leggere la storia della sorella!

"Mi sta facendo diventare pazzo, ma non mi arrenderò. L’ammiro così tanto. È intelligente e una gran lavoratrice, cazzo. È divertente, bellissima e generosa. Sono attratto da lei come se fosse il mio buco nero personale. Non posso sfuggirle e non voglio farlo.
Sono stato cresciuto con poco affetto. Ho sempre pensato di non averne bisogno. Non ho mai sentito la necessità di essere toccato. Per la prima volta però, sento il bisogno disperato di stare vicino a qualcuno. Ho vissuto per ogni tocco sfuggente del suo ginocchio durante i nostri pranzi. Ora mi rendo conto che sono stato un uomo affamato in cerca di briciole. Ho bisogno di più. Di più dei suoi tocchi e dei suoi baci. Di più di tutto.
Risolverò il problema. Devo soltanto capire come."
Profile Image for Rose.
348 reviews
July 7, 2020
Good start to a new series. Can't wait to read more.
Profile Image for Cass.
89 reviews
August 7, 2020
If books were cakes, this would be chili chocolate!

Satisfyingly sweet with just enough spice to keep you wanting more.
Any good romance novel has to have a relateable heroine, a sexy (inside and out) hero and some conflict that keeps them apart. In Olive and Brooks' case, that conflict centers around the secret-military-base-level defense system dear Olive has build up around her heart. Fortunately Brooks has knocked down a few walls in his career as a contractor.
The first half of the book was absolutely wonderful--slightly angsty and full of SPUE (sexually pent up energy). The second half was basically the release (or should I say releases?) of that SPUE. I could have done without the last couple chapters and epilogue, but I know they will tick a lot of people's boxes. I'm just a big ol' grump, anyway, lol. Plus, it was setup for the next stories in the series and I am so in love with Olive's whole family that I can't really complain about the glimpses into their future stories that we got.
I definitely hope to see a lot more of Gran and Luis and can't wait for Olive to do some meddling of her own!
Overall a great read and totally worth an afternoon spent lounging around with a cup (okay, cups) of tea and some sweets.

Profile Image for Ashleyalwaysreads.
337 reviews20 followers
March 13, 2021
5- dirty- talking- alpha-stars!

I absolutely LOVED this book!

I was sent this book to review and give my honest opinion on it.

Sassy bakery owner, Olive, is partying it up for her best friends bachlorette party when she meets sexy alpha contractor, Brooks. He has had enough of their loud asses next door to his hotel room he is stay at and interrupts their fun. It is instant chemistry for these two! going their seperate ways, both of them regret not getting each others names or numbers. fate is on their side though when they run into each other again.

READ THIS BOOK. Please read it! Its everything I didn't know I needed.

I loved every single character we met in this book. I especially loved the relationship that was built between Olive and Brooks. The banter between these two was everything! The sexy scenes were TOP NOTCH! Man oh MAN... can Mae write a sex scene. if you love dirty talk? There is grade-a dirty talk.

Give this book a shot! I cant wait for Lilah's story
Profile Image for A-reader.
1,598 reviews51 followers
May 12, 2020
Really enjoyed this story. Olive is at a bachelorette party in a hotel room when brooks knocks on the door to get the ladies to quiet down. They mistakenly think he is the stripper, he is not and tells them that but they insist he strip. He unbuttoned his shirt and strokes himself while clothed for the ladies two times before he tells them to go to sleep. Olive tells him to “make her”. They share a crazy hot kiss and he leaves. The next day he see her at his client meeting to add a classroom to her bakery. He puts his foot in his mouth and pisses Olive off. Then takes weeks to try and get back into her good graces and screws that up by thinking she maybe tipsy and he doesn’t want to take advantage. A little maneuvering by Olives sister gets them together. Once they are together they are both super sweet and kind to one another. Lots of sexy times, good ending with sweet epilogue.
Profile Image for Michelle.
453 reviews3 followers
June 28, 2023
This has SO much potential. It reads very much like a very first draft. Not at all developed enough, typos, grammar mistakes, but a great plot and the potential for some great characters. But extremely, extremely under developed. It reads like the author was SOOO looking forward to getting the characters together, that she didn't fully flesh out anything else.
LOTS (and I mean LOTS) of stupid misunderstandings by the h. It's like she purposely took everything the H said incorrectly. It was annoying, immature, and made her unlikeable. I read the first few chapters of another book in the series and within the 2nd chapter that h did the same thing, and that was it. I don't think I can read another book from this author if she's going to make her heroines so immature.
Sex scenes are hot though, I'll give her that. I was able to read this in about 2 hours, very short read.
Profile Image for Hannah J..
Author 1 book5 followers
June 27, 2020
Humor Angst and Heat

Mae's writing captured my attention right from the beginning. She brings all the humor and the right amount of heat to get the story going. This is an insta-attraction but not an insta-love. Brooks and Olive have plenty to work through to get to their steamy HEA. And it is absolutely on fire.

This book was fast paced and an enjoyable read. I'll certainly be on the lookout for her next book.
4,281 reviews11 followers
May 8, 2020
This book captures you from the start and you can’t put it down. Fantastic characters with a great storyline, some lol moments and a couple of tear up ones as well. Brooks is a dream come true and Olive is such strong willed woman, you can’t help but cheer for these people to become a couple. The scenarios are spot on, not to mention the extended family is great support system. So looking forward to reading more from this author.

I am voluntarily leaving a review of this book that I received free.
Profile Image for Deb.
7,537 reviews36 followers
May 14, 2020
The writing style in this book has a slight similarity to one of my favorite authors, Penny Reid’s Knitting in the City series. It is humorous, entertaining, enjoyable and engaging. The characters are believable and relatable with amusing dialogue that is misunderstood or comes out so wrong that it is laughable. The family connection is beautifully written with subtle hints of intrigue containing other supporting characters so you hope that the series will cover each and everyone starring in their own book. A captivating story with heart.
Profile Image for C.R..
Author 31 books95 followers
August 27, 2020
This book caught my attention from the beginning and kept me glued in my seat until the end. I loved Brooks. He was a well written male character that didn’t come in a trample all over Olive. He let her figure out a few things before he pushed her just enough to make her see him. I loved how Olive wasn’t a pushover for the hot guy. That she stood her ground and made him really work to gain her trust. If you like hot steamy romances with an actually story to go with it, then you are going to want to read this book. I’m looking forward to Book 2 in this series.
Profile Image for Kayla.
16 reviews15 followers
May 5, 2020
*I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review *

As soon as i read the blurb for this book i knew I needed to read it.

It was such a sweet and sexy read, i really enjoyed it. I loved the story and all the characters, definitely worth reading, who doesn’t love reading about sweets and dirty talking contractors?! I will be waiting impatiently for the next book as it sounds just as great as this one!
Profile Image for Jackie Roberts.
927 reviews8 followers
May 13, 2020
This contemporary romance story was an excitement filled love story with tons of dramatic angst and a fast moving plot line.
This was a great heart pounding emotional read. The story was very well written with great characters. It drew me in and I had it finished in one sitting. I would highly recommend this read.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Ashleigh.
3,411 reviews1 follower
May 10, 2020
Great characters that will keep your interest extremely well.
I'm not going to go into detail, no spoilers, just read the book if you are even mildly intrigued by the blurb. You'll thank me later!

The chemistry, sweetness, and twists in plot kept things interesting. Add in drama and passion and you have a good read.

I received a copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
7,813 reviews65 followers
May 14, 2020
Wow I had a great time with this storyline. The characters are well developed and engaging and full of chemistry. I enjoyed the smooth flow of the storyline. Kudos to the author for delivering a great storyline.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
1 review
April 29, 2020
Fun hot book with a baker and a contractor what more could you want!

I really loved this book the characters felt real the setting of wine country made me want to buy a plane ticket ASAP! I can’t wait for the next book!
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