4.5 Smooches
Synopsis
On the night of her graduation from film school, straight-laced Maddie Bauers fell completely out of character for an oh-my-god make-out session with a perfect stranger. Complete with the big O.
Seven years later, that romantic interlude is still fresh in her mind. That stranger is now a rich and famous actor. And she’s one very distracted camera assistant working on his latest production. She might consider another tryst…if he even remembers her.
Micah Preston does indeed remember Maddie. Too bad he’s sworn off Hollywood relationships. He allows himself as much sex as he likes—and oh, he does like—but anything more is asking for trouble. For the woman, not for him. Yet knowing Maddie could want more than a movie-set fling doesn’t stop him from pursuing her like a moth drawn to hot stage lights.
But as the shoot nears its end, it’s decision time. Is it time to call, “Cut!” on their affair, or is there enough material for a sequel?
Warning: Contains a dreamy movie star hero, a focus-pulling heroine, off-the-charts instant chemistry, steamy sex in near-public locations, and a new use for lip gloss.
Review
Take two starts with Maddie and Bree attending a party to celebrate their graduation. Bree is the happy go lucky party goer, while Maddie seems to be the more serious, reserved and quiet type. Maddie doesn’t really want to be in attendance at the party but decides to stay so that her friend can enjoy herself. Maddie goes off to find a quiet corner and this is where she meets a handsome stranger, things between them start as friendly banter but soon turn into something more heated.
Enter handsome stranger Micah, Micah was watching Maddie when she was looking for somewhere away from the party, he decides that he needs to know her, and things soon progress until Bree turns up and they have to cut their time together short. We soon find out that Micah is an actor waiting for his lucky break. He’s meeting comes with some conditions if he wants to progress in the Hollywood industry.
Skipping seven years after they saw each other Maddie and Micah are put together when Maddie helps out a friend in a bind on the set of a film. She is standing in as camera assistant, on the set that Micah happens to be the male lead character. Both pretending that they don’t remember each other on the first day leads to some hurt feelings on Maddie’s part, and she isn’t so willing to be civil to Micah. Micah tries not to let on that he does remember her because he’s not sure of her intentions. Although all he can feel is what happened between them all those years ago. “Now he faced six weeks on set with a woman who once upon a time didn’t care about what or who he was. Maddie Bauers just might be his undoing.”
We get to read the struggles that Maddie and Micah have with trying to pretend the chemistry between them isn’t there, they try not to give into the temptation and continue what was abruptly stopped seven years ago. You can feel the sexual chemistry between them, coming off of the page. You read it hoping that they will give in. Maddie doesn’t want to get hurt and Micah only seems to want one night. “And if you keep pushing me, Micah, you’ll win. But you’ll break me.”
Maddie and Micah start a relationship of sorts that is hidden from the world, they like the bubble they have. But soon things from the outside start to interfere with this, the job, the paparazzi, jealousy. Things are said and done that seem to end everything good that they have going on. Micah becomes moody and Maddie becomes focused on working on her own film, but with some help from outside sources they both realise the things that are important to them.
I loved this book, it has you rooting for the main characters from the start, even when Micah is being a pain. You can’t help but understand what has caused him to become so jaded, and Maddie wears her heart on her sleeve, you just want her to be happy. Well done Laurelin Paige on a fantastic read.
Stacey
Buy It Now
