”... amazing dialogue and fun, exciting character interactions with a complicated, heartbreaking but also heartwarming story that was full of surprises.” - Craves the Angst
SERIES: (A standalone)
AUTHOR: Penelope Ward
GENRE: Contemporary Romance
RELEASE DATE: February 19, 2018
TOUR COORDINATED BY:
InkSlinger PR
COPY PROVIDED BY: Author
RATING: 4.5 Stars!
CLIFFHANGER: No
From New York Times bestselling author Penelope Ward, comes a new, sexy standalone novel.
Growing up, the three of us were friends.
He was the nerd.
I was the playboy.
She was the beauty.
He was the nerd.
I was the playboy.
She was the beauty.
Deep down, I only ever wanted her. I kept it inside because Rory and I made a pact that our friend, Amber, was off-limits.
He lied.
I went off to college, and he got the girl.
Amber never knew how I felt.
They were together for years—before he broke her heart.
Amber never knew how I felt.
They were together for years—before he broke her heart.
Through it all and across the miles, she and I casually stayed in touch.
When my job sent me to Boston for a three-month contract position, Amber let me stay in her spare room.
When my job sent me to Boston for a three-month contract position, Amber let me stay in her spare room.
Still reeling from her breakup, she’d sworn off men.
One night, I opened her computer to find the shock of my life. She’d hesitantly contacted a male escort company. Afraid to date and get her heart broken again, she was looking for sex with no strings.
Every emotion imaginable ran through me: protectiveness, jealousy—curiosity.
Amber had chosen Gentleman Number Nine and sent him a message.
Amber had chosen Gentleman Number Nine and sent him a message.
She opened up to him, confessing, among other things, her physical attraction to her friend—me. But she considered me off-limits—and she thought I was a manwhore. (Ironic, considering the circumstances.)
Eventually, she set up a date to meet Gentleman Nine at a hotel.
When she showed up several nights later to meet him, she got the surprise of her life to see me standing there—with an offer I hoped she wouldn’t refuse.
REVIEWER'S NOTE: I received an eARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.
4.5 Stars!
The Review:
This was such a fantastic read! I’m a big, HUGE fan of friends-to-lover romances but they’ve become a little stale lately with recycled stories and plots. However, in true Penelope Ward fashion, she threw in a few surprises, a huge twist and took this read from ordinary to extraordinary! It quickly became a phenomenally written second chance romance that explored three intertwined lives who ultimately had to follow their hearts and accept what fate threw at them.
I can’t wait for a reread!
Story/Characters...
In the past ....
Three best friends. One secret pact.
Channing and Rory are in love with the same girl, but both agree to not pursue her in order to preserve their friendship. However when Channing goes off to college, he comes home to find that Rory not only broke the pact, he also made Amber fall in love with him, leaving Channing without the girl he loved and both of his best friends.
In the present (8 Years later) ...
Heading into town where Amber lives, Channing contacts his friend and asks if he can stay with her during a three month work contract. Amber agrees though just hearing his voice stirs up memories and a buried longing and desire she thought she left behind years ago.
When Channing arrives, his long time friend is suffering heartbreak after their friend Rory broke her heart. And though they both start out with the best of intentions on keeping their friendship strictly in the friendzone, one unintendedly read message changes everything. Channing can’t believe Amber would contact a gentleman's service and in an effort to protect her, decides to take on Gentleman Nine’s persona and offer her the chance to explore their hidden desires with each other.
Well, this is usually the spot where sexy times happen, love blooms and maybe a little bit of conflict ensues but then they live happily ever after, right? Well, things aren’t as simple as that and when the conflict happens, I can honestly say, I didn’t predict this one at all. AND I LOVED THAT! Too often in romance, you see the conflict coming a mile away but I was pleasantly surprised by the turn this book took ... and then I was heartbroken. When all the secrets came out, my chest panged, my stomach dropped out and much like Amber, I was floored. The situation was more complex than you’d think and I was conflicted on how I wanted it to end. There was no simple answer. There was some serious sorrow and angsts going on and you couldn’t help but be twisted up on who to cheer for.
But the author gave us an absolute perfect ending. I’m a huge fan of this author’s work. She always brings the feels and she always gives us amazing characters we can relate to and connect with. This read was no exception. Channing was hot, romantic, sweet, caring and absolutely endearing. Everything about him was just so adorable! Amber was a lovely heroine you can’t help but care about. There was a reason why two men loved her so completely. As for Rory ... I can’t say to much without giving away the twist, but I will say that I loved him, too.
Told mostly in dual POV’s between Channing and Amber, I was surprised when Rory’s voice made an appearance, but seriously happy! The author made the right call in giving him his own voice because it opened my eyes to the entire story and I was thankful we got to know him better.
The Wrap Up:
This read started out a bit slow. I was pretty sure I knew where it was headed and I kept reading because I’m a huge fan of this author and knew the story would be good. But boy was I surprised. The conflict was painful to read and in the end, the book turned out fan-freaking-tastic! On a side note, I will say I was a little disappointed by the lack of depth in the sexy scenes, but it was an amazing read and entirely unpredictable, which made up for anything it might have lacked in that department.
Gentleman Nine had some amazing dialogue and fun, exciting character interactions with a complicated, heartbreaking but also heartwarming story that was full of surprises. I LOVED the story, I LOVED the characters and I LOVED the perfect ending.
Purchase now at ...
Amazon | iBooks | Amazon Paperback |
Nook | Kobo | AUDIO Amazon | Audible
Amazon | iBooks | Amazon Paperback |
Nook | Kobo | AUDIO Amazon | Audible
ABOUT THE AUTHOR...
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