The Ex Factor

by Nancy Warren

THE RULES OF ENGAGEMENT

Wedding planner Karen Petersham loves weddings—usually. Her newest client, Sophy, has brought along her best man for advice. And the best man is none other than Karen's sexy ex-husband, Dexter Crane. But there are rules when engaging in ex-sex:

1) Do not get romantically involved (obviously)

2) All fun. No fight.

3) Two words—booty call!

4) (Reminder: nix the romantic involvement)

5) Remember why it ended (important!)

6) And get out before you fall in love with him again…

Genres: Harlequin Blaze, Romance, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Harlequin, Audiobook

216 pages, Paperback

First published September 21, 2010

About the author

Nancy Warren is the USA Today bestselling author of more than 100 novels.

She’s known for writing funny, sexy and suspenseful tales. She’s an avid hiker, animal lover, wine drinker and chocolate fiend. Favorite moments in her career include being featured on the front page of the New York Times, being the answer to a crossword puzzle clue in Canada’s National Post newspaper and being a finalist three times in the Rita awards. She has won the Reviewer’s Choice Award from Romantic Times magazine.

Get a free short story when you sign up for Nancy's newsletter at www.NancyWarrenAuthor.com or join Nancy in her private Facebook group to talk about books, knitting, pets & life.
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Reviews

[Andrea Lujano · Rating 4 out of 5]

Personajes: Karen & Dexter

Profesion: Arquitecto & Decoradora de Boda

Pais: USA - Philadelphia

[Janet · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cute read and I did enjoy the ending.

[Jo Reads Romance · Rating 3 out of 5]

Readable but ultimately disappointing romance
3 stars

Wedding planner extraordinaire, Karen Petersham, can take on any challenge when it comes to planning dream weddings. What she can't deal with is the unexpected arrival of the devastatingly hot, and infernally annoying Dexter Crane - her ex husband.

Karen is determined not to fall for Dex again - especially with how badly things ended the first time round. But she can't help but find herself in his arms and bed once again but this time he seems unwilling to let her go.

I feel quite bad about only giving this 3 stars as I love a romance where a couple have a second chance at love so this story was right up my street. When I first started reading I absolutely loved it. Karen and Dexter had such chemistry and I really enjoyed their bickering and banter.

Things were progressing nicely when suddenly the secondary love story kicked in and Dexter and Karen were suddenly gone for chapter after chapter. Then came a rather pointless bit about Chelsea and David from Warren's previous book, My Fake Fiancee (although this book follows that one, each can easily be read as a stand alone). When we finally got back to Karen and Dexter they had lost their spark and the ending was concluded so quickly that the author seemed to have forgotten that the pair still had issues to work out. Of course it was a happy ending but I didn't feel that the pair were truly over all the problems that were between them.

It could have been such a good book but it just lost its sparkle with the secondary romance. Disappointing but still a readable book and fine for a lazy afternoon. 3 stars.

[Lydie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mwuah, een prima tussendoor-boekje, maar verwacht er niet teveel van.

[Christine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Overall, I enjoyed the story between the main characters (Karen & Dex), as well as the secondary characters (Chelsea & Dan (from My Fake Fiancee) and Laurel & Ron). However, when the primary female character's neuroses cause her to make judgements on what she thinks is happening in others' relationships to the point of interfering in them, I lose all empathy for her. For example, she made the comment to Laurel about "there's no accounting for tastes" after finding out she and Ron had gone out. Also, she assumed that David was the reason why a wedding date was not set without asking Chelsea what was going on.
For a wedding planner to be judgemental about who is attracted to whom was annoying, especially when it is mentioned that she sees 'all types' in her business.
Also, the ending felt rushed to me, with Karen not really being confronted about the negative interference/comments she made about her friends' relationships. I'm not counting David talking to her about the text she sent on Chelsea's phone, as it ended up being mostly about her helping him plan an elopement. Finally, it did not seem like she had any growth or epiphanies about herself during the story, as it did not indicate that Karen trusted Dex any more than she did in the beginning, which was the whole reason their marriage broke up in the first place.
I love my happily ever afters, but this really did not hit it for me.

[Jim son of Jim (formerly PhotoJim) · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of those Blaze books that really should be read after a different one. My Fake Fiancee is the first part of this story and certainly should be read first.

I struggle if this should be a two star read. Some parts of this were well written and very believable. The sex scenes were certainly hot enough. I even liked the dialog. And the idea was a good one. However, the main heroine was just so darn unlikable. Had this mostly been about the side characters this may have even been a four star read. But the HEA for the main couple leaves us thinking that it is certainly not an HEA. Maybe just a Happily for A Very Short Time. With how screwed up the heroine is, it is likely she'll screw it up in no time flat.

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 2.5/5

Dex and Karen sure had a lot of fizz at the beginning, but Karen's continued inferiority and insecurity issues hindered any chance of reunion. I didn't appreciate that she wouldn't accept Dex's calm reasoning, and when she eventually got round to listening, it was too conveniently resolved. Either way, this actually reaffirms my non-belief in the sanctity of marriage.

Laurel and Ron's story was a lot more engaging and sweet.

[Kay · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Stars! ~ Nancy Warren always writes fun romances that have heart. In the Ex-Factor, our hero and heroine are divorced and had never thought to see each other again. It's clear they are still in love and that their chemistry is sizzling hot, but Karen still has trust issues. There are two other romances going on in the book, that sometimes I found a little distracting. For a fun sexy read, you'll enjoy this one.

[Rebecca Crowley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would've liked this saucy, sexy read much more if there hadn't been a random subplot shoehorned into the last third, and if the ending weren't quite so over-the-top cheesy. I liked the relatively realistic characters and scenarios up until that point, and the writing is fabulous. But the subplot felt like the author was trying to make up the word count, and the ending was unfulfilling after an otherwise good read.

[Lindsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though I enjoyed reading about Karen and Dex rekindling their romance, my favorite part of this entire book was actually the side-story involving Ron, the serious/shy CPA, and Laurel, the wacky/creative cake artist. Her accidentally frosting his tie and him walking away with a smile on his face = romance novel gold! Why can't I meet a "Ron" in real life?

[Harlie Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nancy Warren is one of those rare authors that can write a steamy book and then a sweet romance in the next breath. Her NASCAR books are a joy to read and are somewhat sensual but her Blaze will make you squirm. Plus, her dialogue is fresh, laugh out loud funny and emotional. I highly recommend anything that Nancy writes because you will not be disappointed.

[Mia Adorable · Rating 2 out of 5]

With so much build up the end was just a little ... lacking.

[Harlequin Books]

Miniseries: Forbidden Fantasies

[Melanie Steward · Rating 2 out of 5]

liked the side story better.

[Lisa C · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stress = brain candy

[Silvia Navarro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Corto y muuy entretenido.

[Joy Strother · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a deliciously sexy book.I enjoyed it.I recommend this book to anyone.

[L H · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF
i read until chapter 4 and it's all about the wedding planning stuff! where is the H?!

[Dawn Archambault · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good beach read. A little all over the place for me. Good book other wise.