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Love and Friendship #1
The Bottom Line
Spicing up her sex life sounds exciting…until the fantasy hits the fan.
When Maggie Drummond buys an erotic romance novel by mistake, she gets more than an unexpected eyeful. She gets an introduction to a world that arouses her to a fever pitch.
* Spanking.*
Her boyfriend isn’t interested in pushing his vanilla-flavored sexual boundaries. Then there’s Connor Grey, who haunts her fantasies like a magical genie. As a source of masculine advice for her and her female friends, he’s off limits. The only safe place to explore her fetish is her anonymous blog.
The recent changes in Maggie don’t escape Connor’s notice. Now that her boyfriend has dropped her, he can finally -- carefully -- make his move. Given his family history, laying a hand on any woman, even in fun, is a line he’s reluctant to cross. But for Maggie? Anything the lady wants.
As Maggie gives in to the temptation to let Connor add some sin to her life, she finds herself juggling lies, half-truths, friendship and sensual delights. Her job is in jeopardy -- and she’s falling in love. Exploring her fantasy is one thing, but she’s beginning to question if indulging her own pleasure is worth the cost to everyone around her. Especially Connor…
Warning: Intended for 18+ readers... Contains explicit sex, spanking, and the good, the bad and the ugly about friendship.
When Maggie Drummond buys an erotic romance novel by mistake, she gets more than an unexpected eyeful. She gets an introduction to a world that arouses her to a fever pitch.
* Spanking.*
Her boyfriend isn’t interested in pushing his vanilla-flavored sexual boundaries. Then there’s Connor Grey, who haunts her fantasies like a magical genie. As a source of masculine advice for her and her female friends, he’s off limits. The only safe place to explore her fetish is her anonymous blog.
The recent changes in Maggie don’t escape Connor’s notice. Now that her boyfriend has dropped her, he can finally -- carefully -- make his move. Given his family history, laying a hand on any woman, even in fun, is a line he’s reluctant to cross. But for Maggie? Anything the lady wants.
As Maggie gives in to the temptation to let Connor add some sin to her life, she finds herself juggling lies, half-truths, friendship and sensual delights. Her job is in jeopardy -- and she’s falling in love. Exploring her fantasy is one thing, but she’s beginning to question if indulging her own pleasure is worth the cost to everyone around her. Especially Connor…
Warning: Intended for 18+ readers... Contains explicit sex, spanking, and the good, the bad and the ugly about friendship.
272 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 9, 2010
983 people are currently reading
1653 people want to read
About the author
Shelley Munro
186 books388 followersUSA Today Bestselling author, Shelley lives in Auckland, New Zealand with her husband and a rambunctious puppy.
Typical New Zealanders, Shelley and her husband left home for their big OE soon after they married (translation of New Zealand speak - big overseas experience). A year long adventure lengthened to six years of roaming the world. Enduring memories include being almost sat on by a mountain gorilla in Rwanda, lazing on white sandy beaches in India, whale watching in Alaska, searching for leprechauns in Ireland, and dealing with ghosts in an English pub.
While travel is still a big attraction, these days Shelley is most likely found in front of her computer following another love - that of writing stories of romance and adventure. Other interests include watching rugby and rugby league (strictly for research purposes), being walked by the dog, and curling up with a good book.
Typical New Zealanders, Shelley and her husband left home for their big OE soon after they married (translation of New Zealand speak - big overseas experience). A year long adventure lengthened to six years of roaming the world. Enduring memories include being almost sat on by a mountain gorilla in Rwanda, lazing on white sandy beaches in India, whale watching in Alaska, searching for leprechauns in Ireland, and dealing with ghosts in an English pub.
While travel is still a big attraction, these days Shelley is most likely found in front of her computer following another love - that of writing stories of romance and adventure. Other interests include watching rugby and rugby league (strictly for research purposes), being walked by the dog, and curling up with a good book.
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October 12, 2017FREE on Amazon today (10/12/2017)!
June 18, 2013
Reading an erotic romance novel leads quiet, reserved Maggie to explore the more adventurous side of her own sexuality in THE BOTTOM LINE.
After reading about, and being turned on by, a scene in a romance novel that involved spanking, Maggie is intrigued. She begins to investigate spanking--who does it, how they do it, what they do it with. Maggie decides to start a blog to discuss her feelings and her desire to be spanked and to inquire from others about their thoughts on the subject. Maggie decides to share her new fantasy, and her blog, with her three closest female friends, with the explicit instruction that no one tell their very dear male friend, Connor. Maggie is attracted to Connor, but she and her friends have made a pact that none of them will pursue Connor for fear of damaging the friendships they all have with one another.
When one of the girls breaks her promise and tells Connor about the blog, he is intrigued. Connor has been hiding his true feelings for Maggie because of her boyfriend and his uncertainty as to how to approach a relationship with his good friend. When Connor finds out about the blog, and that Maggie has dumped her boyfriend, he decides it is time to make his move. But a relationship that is shrouded in secrets may not have a great chance of survival.
This story was, for the most part, funny and sweet. The main plot was generic--boy and girl have feelings for each other but both are hesitant to share their feelings so a frustrating love story begins. However, the author kept this generic plot from being boring and predictable by adding in the elements of spanking exploration and the other female friendships.
Connor is aware of Maggie's desires but is hesitant to help her explore them, while Maggie believes Connor knows nothing of her spanking interests and is afraid to mention them to him. An added twist is that Connor grew up in an abusive household so he has some strong ideas about hitting women. The two of them struggle with forming a relationship because neither is being honest and they are not communicating well with one another. To add to the stress of the relationship, they are keeping it a secret from their friends because of the pact the women made about dating Connor.
Now, the friends! I really enjoyed the other female friends and the honest exploration of the changing friendships. There was an underlying theme, in the romance plot and in the friendship plot, of how secrets effect relationships. The author made it quite obvious that the three female friends were all harboring secrets, but we never really find out what they are. Because the secrets weren't revealed and worked into the story, I felt that they were somewhat distracting to the story. I found myself thinking about what was occurring with the other characters and wondering if we were going to see more of their personal lives. The storyline with the ex-boyfriend was distracting to me as well.
Other than that small distraction, this story was great. Maggie's blog posts were thoughtful and sometimes hilarious, the romance was fun to watch develop and Maggie's journey of self-discovery was charming.
Reviewed at The Romance Reviews
After reading about, and being turned on by, a scene in a romance novel that involved spanking, Maggie is intrigued. She begins to investigate spanking--who does it, how they do it, what they do it with. Maggie decides to start a blog to discuss her feelings and her desire to be spanked and to inquire from others about their thoughts on the subject. Maggie decides to share her new fantasy, and her blog, with her three closest female friends, with the explicit instruction that no one tell their very dear male friend, Connor. Maggie is attracted to Connor, but she and her friends have made a pact that none of them will pursue Connor for fear of damaging the friendships they all have with one another.
When one of the girls breaks her promise and tells Connor about the blog, he is intrigued. Connor has been hiding his true feelings for Maggie because of her boyfriend and his uncertainty as to how to approach a relationship with his good friend. When Connor finds out about the blog, and that Maggie has dumped her boyfriend, he decides it is time to make his move. But a relationship that is shrouded in secrets may not have a great chance of survival.
This story was, for the most part, funny and sweet. The main plot was generic--boy and girl have feelings for each other but both are hesitant to share their feelings so a frustrating love story begins. However, the author kept this generic plot from being boring and predictable by adding in the elements of spanking exploration and the other female friendships.
Connor is aware of Maggie's desires but is hesitant to help her explore them, while Maggie believes Connor knows nothing of her spanking interests and is afraid to mention them to him. An added twist is that Connor grew up in an abusive household so he has some strong ideas about hitting women. The two of them struggle with forming a relationship because neither is being honest and they are not communicating well with one another. To add to the stress of the relationship, they are keeping it a secret from their friends because of the pact the women made about dating Connor.
Now, the friends! I really enjoyed the other female friends and the honest exploration of the changing friendships. There was an underlying theme, in the romance plot and in the friendship plot, of how secrets effect relationships. The author made it quite obvious that the three female friends were all harboring secrets, but we never really find out what they are. Because the secrets weren't revealed and worked into the story, I felt that they were somewhat distracting to the story. I found myself thinking about what was occurring with the other characters and wondering if we were going to see more of their personal lives. The storyline with the ex-boyfriend was distracting to me as well.
Other than that small distraction, this story was great. Maggie's blog posts were thoughtful and sometimes hilarious, the romance was fun to watch develop and Maggie's journey of self-discovery was charming.
Reviewed at The Romance Reviews
March 9, 2019
This gritty and blistering hot romance brings vulnerabilities and emotional issues in the explorations of pleasure to light and readers can’t help but get caught up in Maggie’s life as she gives into the temptation of letting a friend spice up her life. Friends with benefits takes on life Connor sets out to convince Maggie to indulge in a relationship with him, only it’s just the beginning for him. Talk about star crossed, both of these captivating characters want a relationship with the other but aren’t willing to go that extra step of putting their heart out there for varying reasons, this keeps the relationship in a rocky slope with lots of emotional turbulence that grips readers by the heart.
Friendships are threatened, careers are destroyed and hearts are broken in the name of love and this story has them all exploding in one stunning liaison. Maggie also secretly longs for some kink in her life and has started a blog that she hopes will remain anonymous which adds heat and turmoil to the story as she explores the whole how to angle of achieving what she wants when it’s not the norm. Readers can’t help but relate to the story whether this story is about their particular desire or if they have something else in mind, the doubts and insecurities and moral issues are similar which makes it easy for readers enjoy and indulge some intimate fantasies with Maggie and Connor.
Friendships are threatened, careers are destroyed and hearts are broken in the name of love and this story has them all exploding in one stunning liaison. Maggie also secretly longs for some kink in her life and has started a blog that she hopes will remain anonymous which adds heat and turmoil to the story as she explores the whole how to angle of achieving what she wants when it’s not the norm. Readers can’t help but relate to the story whether this story is about their particular desire or if they have something else in mind, the doubts and insecurities and moral issues are similar which makes it easy for readers enjoy and indulge some intimate fantasies with Maggie and Connor.
November 25, 2018
Connor and Maggie know how to be friends. The confusion starts when attraction comes into the equation. Shelly Munro sets out to steam up bookshelves with a whole lot of heart and a ton of confusion. Secret Lovers has an obvious plot. What happens when friendship and romance collide? Captivating storytelling.
January 4, 2020
I am a sucker for books with the friends to lover trope/cliche, and that aspect was great. I think that the "Spanking" aspect and how it was dealt with could have better but it wasn't horrible... but I think this book fell short for me was the actual "" friend ship(her group of girlfriends from work) And when this book started I loved the aspect of there girl gang vibe going on and the values they held, and than when all hell broke loose a random situation was thrown on top of it all which had literally no point, as well as when Maggie refused to tell them anything about what is going on with her they do one of two things:
1. bash her and tear her down, and than one of the girls steps in after "coming to her senses of and this was used a lot in this book either spoken of the feeling of " when she's ready to tell us she will" or
2. continue to ask her question speculate and when she does speak up and say's no that's not whats happening they freak out not believing what she says isn't happening and bashing her behind her back and than again the famous moment of "she'll tell us when shes ready" bull shit.
And the "ex-boyfriend" relationship. Which i understand was there as it kick-starts her' spanking journey' the rest was hear say, and if the author wrote his part in the book better he would have been a great character and addition to the story, but all we get are haphazard pov from him, which doesn't give us much other than "i deserve this" and "I've invested a lot of time on her" nonsense amount other things like that.
The only consistent relationship that made sense though out the whole book were Maggie and Conner, yes they had conflict and shit happened, but they worked it out eventually and maturely. and the integration of the family relationships also made sense for this book when brought up.
All-in-all this book was a flop for me. some great aspects and some horrid but. if you can look past the girl pettiness and the ex boyfriend bull shit its a great read.
1. bash her and tear her down, and than one of the girls steps in after "coming to her senses of and this was used a lot in this book either spoken of the feeling of " when she's ready to tell us she will" or
2. continue to ask her question speculate and when she does speak up and say's no that's not whats happening they freak out not believing what she says isn't happening and bashing her behind her back and than again the famous moment of "she'll tell us when shes ready" bull shit.
And the "ex-boyfriend" relationship. Which i understand was there as it kick-starts her' spanking journey' the rest was hear say, and if the author wrote his part in the book better he would have been a great character and addition to the story, but all we get are haphazard pov from him, which doesn't give us much other than "i deserve this" and "I've invested a lot of time on her" nonsense amount other things like that.
The only consistent relationship that made sense though out the whole book were Maggie and Conner, yes they had conflict and shit happened, but they worked it out eventually and maturely. and the integration of the family relationships also made sense for this book when brought up.
All-in-all this book was a flop for me. some great aspects and some horrid but. if you can look past the girl pettiness and the ex boyfriend bull shit its a great read.
November 10, 2018
This was an interesting book to read. I usually really enjoy all the books I have read by Ms. Munro so it makes me sad that this one didn't quite hit the mark for me. At times the love scenes were so drawn out I found myself skimming through. Unfortunately is seemed I was doing that a lot. I did enjoy the story line and the characters. I felt the end was left unfinished and a few characters didn't get their deserved justice! Maybe it is missing an epilogue I just don't know. It will be interesting to see who gets the next story. Maybe I will check it out.
I was gifted an ARC in return of an honest review.
I was gifted an ARC in return of an honest review.
January 20, 2020
DNF at 10%
Nothing really wrong, but at 10% I was bored. H is after h and is going to spy on her through her public blog as she explores her spanking fantasies (maybe) but definitely as she explores a broader approach to life.
Take out the erotic nature of the spanking topic, it looked to be rather dull and with a want-to-read list in the several hundred I decided to move on
Nothing really wrong, but at 10% I was bored. H is after h and is going to spy on her through her public blog as she explores her spanking fantasies (maybe) but definitely as she explores a broader approach to life.
Take out the erotic nature of the spanking topic, it looked to be rather dull and with a want-to-read list in the several hundred I decided to move on
February 26, 2020
I’m beginning to think the first book I read by this author may have been her best because I haven’t enjoyed any of the others I’ve read as much for one reason or another. This book was okay and I enjoyed it at times but sometimes I just wasn’t that into it.
August 17, 2010
My first book by Shelley Munro but definitely won't be my last! Really enjoyed it!
dnf
January 27, 2021DNF at 71%, so no star rating. This was so frustrating to read. I love friends-to-lovers stories, and I was excited to learn that the book was set in New Zealand. Ooo! I've never read a book from there. This will be great!
No.
These characters are 50% the best friends ever and 50% the worst. It's a big ball of frienemies really, though they don't see themselves that way. The whole book would be a 15 page short story if everyone told each other the truth and talked it out like real friends would. Connor is terrible, knowing the whole truth from the start, and keeping EVERYTHING from her. He loves her, he's obsessed with her, he knows about her "anonymous" blog. He lies about everything. Maggie isn't much better. She swore to her friends to never sleep with him, she knows that Connor doesn't know about that promise, she knows that she wants to explore spanking, and she know that she's obsessed with Connor romantically. Connor and Maggie make a pact at the the beginning of their affair that they will always be honest with each other, and they completely lie. 71% of the way through the book, they are still holding on to all of these lies.
The other girls in the friend group are terrible too. They all have secrets, and when Maggie asks about them, they get mad at her. They claim they deserve privacy, which they do. When Maggie has a secret, they badger her relentlessly, like playground bullies. If they get the info and Maggie swears them to secrecy, they blab immediately. If she doesn't tell them, they assume the worst of her and tell her she's an awful person. Right now in the book, they are mad that she didn't answer her phone for a day, so they are planning to spy on her and reveal all of her secrets. What? The author immediately follows that up with an explanation of what great people these friends are, because they do community service. See, they can't be bad people, because they do volunteer work, right? Blerg. I despise people who think like this. It's like the "I can't be a racist, because I have a black friend." "I don't hate gays, I have a gay cousin...but I think gay people shouldn't adopt kids." Spending an hour a week volunteering is great and a step in the right direction, but it doesn't automatically make you a saint. It's not a hall pass to be an asshole for the rest of the week. Wow, I really injected a lot of my personal feelings into that. It was my honest reaction. These characters really got to me. Maybe this author should write more villains. Or horror.
So, everyone is terrible, but not as terrible as Maggie's ex-boyfriend, who is the REAL terrible person, huh? He spied on her, and you guys are planning to spy on her. The only difference is you KNOW that it's a bad thing, and you are going to do it anyway. No, you are all awful. I root for none of you. I hope the book ends with a real blow-out fight, Maggie chooses Connor over the girls, and they have a turbulent relationship built on lust and lies. The friend group just all drifts apart.
The whole spanking plotline is an issue I don't want to get into really. Everyone acts like spanking is the pinnacle of forbidden desire. It's just spanking. Is New Zealand really repressed or is it just this author's thing? I will have to read a few more books from there and try to find out. I didn't like Maggie's repetitive blog posts and I didn't like her reaction to the public reaction. She overhears people talking about her blog. They have strong opinions. Maggie is mad that they know what she wrote (even if they don't know she's the one who wrote it) and she mad about their opinion because it's different than hers. She already knew that her blog was blowing up and people she knew were reading it. How can she then get mad that they read the most recent post? If you don't want people to know your secrets, even anonymously, DON'T POST THEM ON THE INTERNET! Buy a journal, you dumdum!
No plans to read anymore books by this author.
No.
These characters are 50% the best friends ever and 50% the worst. It's a big ball of frienemies really, though they don't see themselves that way. The whole book would be a 15 page short story if everyone told each other the truth and talked it out like real friends would. Connor is terrible, knowing the whole truth from the start, and keeping EVERYTHING from her. He loves her, he's obsessed with her, he knows about her "anonymous" blog. He lies about everything. Maggie isn't much better. She swore to her friends to never sleep with him, she knows that Connor doesn't know about that promise, she knows that she wants to explore spanking, and she know that she's obsessed with Connor romantically. Connor and Maggie make a pact at the the beginning of their affair that they will always be honest with each other, and they completely lie. 71% of the way through the book, they are still holding on to all of these lies.
The other girls in the friend group are terrible too. They all have secrets, and when Maggie asks about them, they get mad at her. They claim they deserve privacy, which they do. When Maggie has a secret, they badger her relentlessly, like playground bullies. If they get the info and Maggie swears them to secrecy, they blab immediately. If she doesn't tell them, they assume the worst of her and tell her she's an awful person. Right now in the book, they are mad that she didn't answer her phone for a day, so they are planning to spy on her and reveal all of her secrets. What? The author immediately follows that up with an explanation of what great people these friends are, because they do community service. See, they can't be bad people, because they do volunteer work, right? Blerg. I despise people who think like this. It's like the "I can't be a racist, because I have a black friend." "I don't hate gays, I have a gay cousin...but I think gay people shouldn't adopt kids." Spending an hour a week volunteering is great and a step in the right direction, but it doesn't automatically make you a saint. It's not a hall pass to be an asshole for the rest of the week. Wow, I really injected a lot of my personal feelings into that. It was my honest reaction. These characters really got to me. Maybe this author should write more villains. Or horror.
So, everyone is terrible, but not as terrible as Maggie's ex-boyfriend, who is the REAL terrible person, huh? He spied on her, and you guys are planning to spy on her. The only difference is you KNOW that it's a bad thing, and you are going to do it anyway. No, you are all awful. I root for none of you. I hope the book ends with a real blow-out fight, Maggie chooses Connor over the girls, and they have a turbulent relationship built on lust and lies. The friend group just all drifts apart.
The whole spanking plotline is an issue I don't want to get into really. Everyone acts like spanking is the pinnacle of forbidden desire. It's just spanking. Is New Zealand really repressed or is it just this author's thing? I will have to read a few more books from there and try to find out. I didn't like Maggie's repetitive blog posts and I didn't like her reaction to the public reaction. She overhears people talking about her blog. They have strong opinions. Maggie is mad that they know what she wrote (even if they don't know she's the one who wrote it) and she mad about their opinion because it's different than hers. She already knew that her blog was blowing up and people she knew were reading it. How can she then get mad that they read the most recent post? If you don't want people to know your secrets, even anonymously, DON'T POST THEM ON THE INTERNET! Buy a journal, you dumdum!
No plans to read anymore books by this author.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 16, 2018
Secret Lovers (Friendship Chronicles Book 1) By: Shelley Munro
"Secret Lovers," Feels Sooo Right, But Cums With Such A Price... Can They Find Happiness?!
Spankings, Secrets, Betrayals, Rendezvous, & Work... There's plenty of Intrigue Happenin' within Shelley Munro's Friendship Chronicles!!
I Absolutely Positively LOVE Shelley Munro's writing... She's a Stellar 5 STAR Writer!! Her Stories are Witty, Entertaining, Filled with HEAT, Packed with Action, & are Guaranteed to Please your senses... ALL while delivering a HEA or HFN ENDing that the Romantics in us Dream of, Search for, & of Course, Absolutely LOVE!!
"Secret Lovers" takes us to the Beginning of the Friendship Chronicles where the 'FIVE' Are thick as thieves...
Of course Four of them are Women, who've Secretly Sworn not to Date the ONLY Man in the Group...
Which just makes life Difficult...
Because, he's in LOVE with ONE of them!!
And of course, she's Secretly Jonesing for him too...
But there's MORE Secrets to be Had...
As she's got a Hankerin' for a Spankin' something BAD!!
The only place she gives Voice to her Fetish...
A Blog Dealing with her Spankalicious Fantasies!
But, Secrets NEVER stay in the Shadows for Long...
When theirs Cum out into the Light, it's nothing but a Fight...
are Feelings are Hurt, Friends Betrayed, Jobs Lost, Relationships Shattered...
Will Anything Ever be the Same...
Sometimes, "Secret Lovers" don't Stand a Chance, & Sometimes someone's willing to Fight, willing to Do anything to WIN a HEART!
Even though I already Owned Shelley Munro's "Secret Lovers (Friendship Chronicles Book 1)," I agreed to ARC it for her via Booksprout; I recommend this book to others based upon its own merits. All opinions expressed within this review are uniquely my own & freely given!
Until next time... Happy Reading!
February 23, 2023
Обожнюю цю книгу. В ній мені нема що додати чи відняти. Всього вміру.
Вони колеги, вони друзі. 4 дівчини і 1 хлопець. Вони пообіцяли, що ніхто з них не буде з ним спати або мати інші відносини, крім дружніх.
Ну і головна героїня звісно трошки в закохана в цього колегу-друга. І трошки марить, щоб з нею погрались в бдсм. Вони разом ходять в спортзал.
Читала книгу достатньо давно, тому багато чого не пам'ятаю, але початок мене звичайно зацікавив найбільше: у нього тимчасово нема дівчини, що для нього є рідкістю і у неї ніби немає нічого серйозного. І він інколи фантазує про секс з нею. Тому довго він не думав - пішов до неї вгості, де вони вперше пробують поцілуватись. Саме пробують, намагаються, як ніби мають уявити що саме вони відчувають у цей момент і чи хочеться чогось більшого. Тим вечором вони домовились, що будуть таємними friends with benefits, звичайно ж без ніяких серйозних стосунків і звичайно якщо хтось з них захоче реальних стосунків - вони розстаються. Егеж.
Він гарний залицяльник. Вона мріяла про секс з ним, і отримала його. Йому все дуже сподобалось. І вона потроху в нього закохується. Паралельно в неї здається з'являється хлопець, який також є її колегою. І той хлопець навіть знайомить її зі своїми батьками, але в них немає кохання, і для нього вона є лише гарною партією, яку не соромно показати батькам.
Тому вона продовжує свою таємну гру. Паралельно також веде щоденник, де пише деякі важливі події, а також еротичні фантазії на бдсм тематику. .... І інфу про цей щоденник зливає нашому герою-коханцю-другу одна з подруг нашої героїні. Звичайно все по секрету. .... І він все це читає, і намагається тепер якось переварити інфу про те, що його таємна дівчина-подруга має трохи бдсм інтересів. Але для нього це трошки пунктик: з одного боку він жодним чиним не хоче їй завдати фізичного болю, а з іншого - вона йому подобається, тому йому звичайно хочеться їй зробити приємне. Він веде з нею таємну переписку, і вона не знає, що переписується з ним, і думає що це якийсь шанувальник. І веде з ним еротичну переписку. Тому таким чином наш друг-коханець розуміє що йому і як йому треба діяти.
Одного разу на роботі дізнаються про її щоденник, і по дурній причині її звільняють. І всі дізнаються, що вона терпіти не може свого тупого бойфренда і т.п. Подруги дізнаються, що вона спить з тим, з ким спати не мала бути.
Повна халепа.
І далі вона наодинці, без роботи, друзів і без коханої людини, без грошей намагається вибратись із цієї жопи. Вона не відкриває двері йому, не розмовляє з ним, але продовжує переписуватись зі своїм таємним шанувальником.
Він нарешті видлубує свою голову із піску, розуміє які почуття він до неї має, йде до її подруг, і просить їх йому допомогти, а також просить їх примиритись і простити їй, адже це не просто примха, а типу у них реальне кохання.
Хепі енд з каблучкою.
Є багато милих моментів, почуттів, те як все це потроху розвивається. Герої дуже живі і реальні. Вони ревнують, фантазують, приховують, плачуть і сміються. Дуже-дуже сподобалось.
Вони колеги, вони друзі. 4 дівчини і 1 хлопець. Вони пообіцяли, що ніхто з них не буде з ним спати або мати інші відносини, крім дружніх.
Ну і головна героїня звісно трошки в закохана в цього колегу-друга. І трошки марить, щоб з нею погрались в бдсм. Вони разом ходять в спортзал.
Читала книгу достатньо давно, тому багато чого не пам'ятаю, але початок мене звичайно зацікавив найбільше: у нього тимчасово нема дівчини, що для нього є рідкістю і у неї ніби немає нічого серйозного. І він інколи фантазує про секс з нею. Тому довго він не думав - пішов до неї вгості, де вони вперше пробують поцілуватись. Саме пробують, намагаються, як ніби мають уявити що саме вони відчувають у цей момент і чи хочеться чогось більшого. Тим вечором вони домовились, що будуть таємними friends with benefits, звичайно ж без ніяких серйозних стосунків і звичайно якщо хтось з них захоче реальних стосунків - вони розстаються. Егеж.
Він гарний залицяльник. Вона мріяла про секс з ним, і отримала його. Йому все дуже сподобалось. І вона потроху в нього закохується. Паралельно в неї здається з'являється хлопець, який також є її колегою. І той хлопець навіть знайомить її зі своїми батьками, але в них немає кохання, і для нього вона є лише гарною партією, яку не соромно показати батькам.
Тому вона продовжує свою таємну гру. Паралельно також веде щоденник, де пише деякі важливі події, а також еротичні фантазії на бдсм тематику. .... І інфу про цей щоденник зливає нашому герою-коханцю-другу одна з подруг нашої героїні. Звичайно все по секрету. .... І він все це читає, і намагається тепер якось переварити інфу про те, що його таємна дівчина-подруга має трохи бдсм інтересів. Але для нього це трошки пунктик: з одного боку він жодним чиним не хоче їй завдати фізичного болю, а з іншого - вона йому подобається, тому йому звичайно хочеться їй зробити приємне. Він веде з нею таємну переписку, і вона не знає, що переписується з ним, і думає що це якийсь шанувальник. І веде з ним еротичну переписку. Тому таким чином наш друг-коханець розуміє що йому і як йому треба діяти.
Одного разу на роботі дізнаються про її щоденник, і по дурній причині її звільняють. І всі дізнаються, що вона терпіти не може свого тупого бойфренда і т.п. Подруги дізнаються, що вона спить з тим, з ким спати не мала бути.
Повна халепа.
І далі вона наодинці, без роботи, друзів і без коханої людини, без грошей намагається вибратись із цієї жопи. Вона не відкриває двері йому, не розмовляє з ним, але продовжує переписуватись зі своїм таємним шанувальником.
Він нарешті видлубує свою голову із піску, розуміє які почуття він до неї має, йде до її подруг, і просить їх йому допомогти, а також просить їх примиритись і простити їй, адже це не просто примха, а типу у них реальне кохання.
Хепі енд з каблучкою.
Є багато милих моментів, почуттів, те як все це потроху розвивається. Герої дуже живі і реальні. Вони ревнують, фантазують, приховують, плачуть і сміються. Дуже-дуже сподобалось.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 28, 2020
Writing was pretty decent, but there wasn't enough character development for me to really be invested. Also, was pretty dissappointed in the ending. Anyway, wasn't a total disappointment, but don't think I'll read more from this series/author.
April 19, 2021
This was a fun friends to lovers read. And full of hot steamy sex scenes too.
3.5 stars 🌟
Steaminess:4/5 🔥
Plot:3/5 📖
Characters: 3.5/5 👱👩🦱
So, this was about a group of foir friends and their guy friend all in a friendship group. They all agreed to a pact to not get romantically involved with the guy of the group, Connor. He wants to have a friends with benefits relationship with Maggie though and hinges get spicy.
Maggie writes her own blog about spanking and finding a man who like to do this with her.its interesting and we get to see her posts that she puts on there and some of the replies she gets from Kinky Lover. The whole idea of spanking in this book is seen as so taboo, it was kind of silly because it really isn't. When people read this blog at her work and have discussions about it, they act as if she shot a child. It's not actually that bad!
So things get heated and things go sour with her current relationship with a douche.
Greg who is her boss at an accountancy that her and her friend work at. There is some fun drama involved but it did get a tad boring. And super cliche at the end with him asking to marry her, which came out of the blue by the way.. it was decent but now that I think about it, a little meh 🙄
3.5 stars 🌟
Steaminess:4/5 🔥
Plot:3/5 📖
Characters: 3.5/5 👱👩🦱
So, this was about a group of foir friends and their guy friend all in a friendship group. They all agreed to a pact to not get romantically involved with the guy of the group, Connor. He wants to have a friends with benefits relationship with Maggie though and hinges get spicy.
Maggie writes her own blog about spanking and finding a man who like to do this with her.its interesting and we get to see her posts that she puts on there and some of the replies she gets from Kinky Lover. The whole idea of spanking in this book is seen as so taboo, it was kind of silly because it really isn't. When people read this blog at her work and have discussions about it, they act as if she shot a child. It's not actually that bad!
So things get heated and things go sour with her current relationship with a douche.
Greg who is her boss at an accountancy that her and her friend work at. There is some fun drama involved but it did get a tad boring. And super cliche at the end with him asking to marry her, which came out of the blue by the way.. it was decent but now that I think about it, a little meh 🙄
July 3, 2017
This is a really enjoyable story of friends becoming lovers.
Connor is a bit of a player - constantly having a tall lanky blonde on his arm. He secretly has a crush on one of his female friends, and then he finds out she's looking for a lover to spank her. He puts himself forward, offers a friends with benefits arrangement, and falls in love.
Newly single Maggie is curvy, sassy, and has a crush on Connor, but a pact with her female friends means her feelings remain secret. As does her desire to learn more about spanking and finding more fulfilment in her relationship, about which she creates a blog. When Connor approaches her to have a casual sexual relationship she is wary but not willing to let the opportunity slip by.
As their relationship develops and feelings deepen, issues from their pasts and the secrecy threaten to ruin their romance before they can admit the truth.
I really enjoyed the interaction between the friends, the banter and emotions were very well written. The sex scenes were hot, and their was plenty of drama. This book does contain consensual spanking but it is secondary to the emotional relationship between the characters.
Connor is a bit of a player - constantly having a tall lanky blonde on his arm. He secretly has a crush on one of his female friends, and then he finds out she's looking for a lover to spank her. He puts himself forward, offers a friends with benefits arrangement, and falls in love.
Newly single Maggie is curvy, sassy, and has a crush on Connor, but a pact with her female friends means her feelings remain secret. As does her desire to learn more about spanking and finding more fulfilment in her relationship, about which she creates a blog. When Connor approaches her to have a casual sexual relationship she is wary but not willing to let the opportunity slip by.
As their relationship develops and feelings deepen, issues from their pasts and the secrecy threaten to ruin their romance before they can admit the truth.
I really enjoyed the interaction between the friends, the banter and emotions were very well written. The sex scenes were hot, and their was plenty of drama. This book does contain consensual spanking but it is secondary to the emotional relationship between the characters.
September 8, 2024
2.5 stars. It was Ok, I guess. I didn't like that the characters were super insistent that honesty was very important for them while being absolutely dishonest. Talking about telling the truth but basing the relationship on lies. The guy had a lot of red flags, but the ex-boyfriend was much, much worse, so he was OK? And the "friends" were absolute assholes to her, but she forgives them without so much as an apology because she was lonely? The fMC apologizes, but the others don't. They just start talking to her like nothing happened. And she takes the petty bitches back just because she doesn't have friends. I really, really hated them, especially because the reason they got mad at her was because of a guy. Jealous, that's what they were.
Another thing that bothered me was the head-hopping. Add the blog thrown in without so much as a larger space between the paragraphs, and it got really annoying.
Finally, why on Earth did we have to spend any pages inside the ex-boyfriend's head? It leads to absolutely nothing! Just to show the guy was a walking red flag, I guess, so in comparison, the guy with several red flags would look acceptable.
Another thing that bothered me was the head-hopping. Add the blog thrown in without so much as a larger space between the paragraphs, and it got really annoying.
Finally, why on Earth did we have to spend any pages inside the ex-boyfriend's head? It leads to absolutely nothing! Just to show the guy was a walking red flag, I guess, so in comparison, the guy with several red flags would look acceptable.
March 19, 2019
Secret Lovers is a fun, contemporary romance by Shelley Munro. Ms. Munro has delivered a book that is well-written and loaded with a stellar cast of characters. Since reading a spicy romance with spanking featured, Maggie would really love to give it a try. When her romance with her boyfriend crashes, she starts a spanking blog. Connor is in Maggie's circle of close friends and when he learns she has split up with her boyfriend he knows now is his chance. But when he learns she has started blogging about spanking, he's not sure he can deliver her swats. Connor and Maggie's story is packed with drama, humor, smokin' hot sex and secrets. Now you really want to know if Maggie gets her spanking, don't you? You'll have to read the book to find out if Connor can overcome his memories of his father beating his mother. I enjoyed every page of Secret Lovers and look forward to reading more from Shelley Munro in the future. Secret Lovers is book 1 of the Friendship Chronicles Series but can be read as a standalone, this is a complete book, not a cliff-hanger.
July 13, 2017
Get ready for a cold shower
Maggie is a curvy woman and starts writing a blog about wanting to be spanked. When a night of drinking with the girls, leads to her telling them, they are shocked and sworn to secrecy. But they tell their guy friend Connor about it.
Connor is a rugby player and works for the same firm as the rest of the girls. He has been attracted to Maggie for awhile so he asks her if she wants to be 'friends with benefits '. She finally agrees but they mustn't tell the other girls. When they all started hanging out, they made a pact not to get involve with Connor.
Will the secrets tear their friendship apart and can Connor convince Maggie she's the only one he wants?
Sex. Spankings. Massages. And a friends to lovers story that will have you turning the pages until the very end.
Maggie is a curvy woman and starts writing a blog about wanting to be spanked. When a night of drinking with the girls, leads to her telling them, they are shocked and sworn to secrecy. But they tell their guy friend Connor about it.
Connor is a rugby player and works for the same firm as the rest of the girls. He has been attracted to Maggie for awhile so he asks her if she wants to be 'friends with benefits '. She finally agrees but they mustn't tell the other girls. When they all started hanging out, they made a pact not to get involve with Connor.
Will the secrets tear their friendship apart and can Connor convince Maggie she's the only one he wants?
Sex. Spankings. Massages. And a friends to lovers story that will have you turning the pages until the very end.
November 17, 2018
Maggie has a blog that she talks about being spanked during sex. One night while drinking with her girl friends she tells them and then swears them to never tell anyone. They work in a company with Connor who’s also a rugby player what Maggie said. Connor has wanted Maggie for a long time but got stuck in the friend zone. He decides to approach her and see if she wants a friends with benefits with him. He wants her anyway he can but hopes it will lead to more. Maggie has had a crush on Connor for a long time but the girls and her had to make a vow that none of them would go out with Connor. She tells him if they go through with this it has to be a secret from everyone. They have their hookups but what happens when they want more or they get caught?
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
July 7, 2017
Great series start
Maggie, Julia, Christine, Susan and Conner were called the Tight Five. The ladies of the group had a pact that none of them would would date Conner because that would mess up the group dynamics. While this group of friends depends upon trust, they all have secrets they are keeping. Those secrets influence their reactions to events. The main topic of this book -spanking- was a topic I'm not familiar with outside of bdsm stories. But this story and the blog that is the hi light handled this topic with great care. Maggie was curious and used her blog to slate that curiosity. Connor used the information in the blog to finally go after Maggie, like he wanted. It will be great to learn Julia's secrets in another book.
Maggie, Julia, Christine, Susan and Conner were called the Tight Five. The ladies of the group had a pact that none of them would would date Conner because that would mess up the group dynamics. While this group of friends depends upon trust, they all have secrets they are keeping. Those secrets influence their reactions to events. The main topic of this book -spanking- was a topic I'm not familiar with outside of bdsm stories. But this story and the blog that is the hi light handled this topic with great care. Maggie was curious and used her blog to slate that curiosity. Connor used the information in the blog to finally go after Maggie, like he wanted. It will be great to learn Julia's secrets in another book.
November 5, 2018
I absolutely LOVED the dynamic between the main character Maggie and those that she has close relationships with. She embraces the ideas and desires that so many of us (men and women) have but few ever act on. Despite, some of the situations that she ends up in, she keeps her head up and learns to stand up for what she wants regardless of what others say or think.
The only thing that kept this from having 5 stars was that it was a bit of a pain to figure out where one scene or chapter ended and another started, as they kept running together. Otherwise, Secret Lovers is a great read that will leave you hot and bothered and wanting to explore some of your less vanilla sexual desires.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The only thing that kept this from having 5 stars was that it was a bit of a pain to figure out where one scene or chapter ended and another started, as they kept running together. Otherwise, Secret Lovers is a great read that will leave you hot and bothered and wanting to explore some of your less vanilla sexual desires.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
November 15, 2018
This friends to lovers romance was a very enjoyable read. The story line offers an enticing blend of sweetness, spice and powerful emotions. I liked both these characters separately and as a couple. I thought that Maggie came across as genuine. I think many readers will relate to Maggie's curiosity towards exploring a bit more kink as it is ignited via her enjoyment of steamy romance novels. Then there was Connor. He was a great guy stuck in the friend zone and looking for the right moment to break through. What is a pretty basic story is made into more though by the added depth brought into the story by Connor's history and his emotional turmoil related to the connection between his past and present. A very good read! I'm posting a forthright review of my own accord.
November 17, 2018
Maggie and her friends made a pact never to sleep with Connor, another friend of theirs. Connor doesn't know of this pact but knows that he wants Maggie. He convinces her to do a friends with benefits with her. She has recently decided to dive into the world of kink by wanting to get spanked. She starts a blog exploring her needs but can't seem to tell Connor about her desire. They decide to keep their agreement a secret. Connor does have a secret of his own. He knows about her desire through her blog but something from his childhood holds him back until one night. When their friends finds out about them, there is a huge blow up. Maggie and Connor stop seeing each other after a misunderstanding. Maggie's life comes crashing down at the same time. Will Connor be able to win her back?
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
November 16, 2018
This book is about Maggie who has read an erotic book about spanking and is intrigued enough about it that she wants to try it. Along the way, she starts a blog about spanking. Connor has been a friend that she has had a crush on for two years. He has feelings for Maggie but doesn't know how to tell her so he comes up with a "friends with benefit" plan. Their journey of discovery and how it affects their relationships with their other friends is what makes this story worth reading. There is a lot of steamy sex and cybersexting. The only drawback was the cybersexting tending to drag a little for me. How Maggie's friendships are challenged as she changes was a wonderful story line. I can't wait to read the books about the other friends.
November 21, 2018
An amazing unique friends to lovers storyline. A close group of 5 friends that has one male. To keep tension down, argreement been made no dateing the male. Connor and Maggie had secret crushes of the other without either knowing. I enjoyed the twist and turns in this well written funny and heart warming story. The emotional relationship was amazing with plenty of drama, lots of secrets, along with secrecy and issues from their pasts their romance gets threatened before they give in to their true feelings. The banter, interactions, light spankings, a variety emotions and hot sex scenes make for a definite must read.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
March 24, 2024
I cannot with this book.
how do you write a full length novel with the ONLY plot point being that she wants to be spanked???
here, I will summarize the entire book.
they are friends, but hes caught feelings, so he proposes FWB. she agrees. they bang. she wants to be spanked. she blogs anonymously about it. he isn't supposed to know about her blog, but he does, and he reads it. he does not want to spank her. they bang more. she doesn't bring it up because she doesn't want to tell him. he doesn't bring it up because he doesn't want to do it and isn't supposed to know that she does. they bang. she decides they can't ever be more than fwb because he doesn't spank her.
at this point, I dnfed.
how do you write a full length novel with the ONLY plot point being that she wants to be spanked???
here, I will summarize the entire book.
they are friends, but hes caught feelings, so he proposes FWB. she agrees. they bang. she wants to be spanked. she blogs anonymously about it. he isn't supposed to know about her blog, but he does, and he reads it. he does not want to spank her. they bang more. she doesn't bring it up because she doesn't want to tell him. he doesn't bring it up because he doesn't want to do it and isn't supposed to know that she does. they bang. she decides they can't ever be more than fwb because he doesn't spank her.
at this point, I dnfed.
July 10, 2017
Story about Maggie and Connor -- friends and co-workers. The story is very convoluted in places and I felt like the spanking/office issues were sufficient, without introducing Penisgate or her parents... which do not get resolved.
Issues explored include spanking, obnoxious friends, exes, blackmail, friends with benefits relationships, making stupid pacts not to engage in relationships with sexy coworkers, violating corporate policies about reading spanking blogs at work.
If that's not enough then something wrong with you.
I didn't love the execution and the lack of resolution with the issue with Greg. Author also sets up for future books in this one too.
Issues explored include spanking, obnoxious friends, exes, blackmail, friends with benefits relationships, making stupid pacts not to engage in relationships with sexy coworkers, violating corporate policies about reading spanking blogs at work.
If that's not enough then something wrong with you.
I didn't love the execution and the lack of resolution with the issue with Greg. Author also sets up for future books in this one too.
November 17, 2018
In this book we meet Maggie who happens to be a curvy women who starts writing a blog about how she would like to be spanked and after a night of drinking with the girls she lets slip her secret which she then swears them to secrecy. They how ever have another idea and tell Conner her secret. He has been attracted to her for sometime but they girls have all made a pact not to get involved with him. He manages to convince her to be a friend with benefits but they must keep it a secret. Will they be able to her and will her dream come true?
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
November 21, 2018
What do we have here? Girl next door crushing on her neighbour - tick. he suddenly notices HER - tick. She comes out of her comfort zone - tick. He is ready to claim her - tick. Family secrets - tick. Plenty of passion - tick. Great characters - tick. A terrific storyline that kept me reading the book in oner go - tick. Shelley Munro illustrates beautifully why she is such a popular author in this story and I look forward to her next book. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review. Definitely recommended
So good that I bought my own copy to support the author.
So good that I bought my own copy to support the author.
December 6, 2020
Great "friends to lovers" story with a couple of twists. First, Maggie has a fascination with spanking that she is blogging about but is afraid to admit to him. Second, she and her besties made a pact that none of them would ever date Connor. Third, he is afraid he will scare her off and so proposes a "friends with benefits" arrangement that he then can't figure out how to convert into something more. All in all a kerfuffle of immense proportions. Now, throw in an ex who doesn't want to go away and who then holds a grudge and some situations from the past that linger on and you have the makings for a complicated love story.
You will love Connor and Maggie!
You will love Connor and Maggie!
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