Once Upon a Real Good Time (Heartbreakers #1) by Lauren Blakely-Review & Excerpt Tour

Once Upon a Real Good Time (Heartbreakers #1) by Lauren Blakely-Review &  Excerpt  Tour

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That smoking hot one-night stand with a former rock star?

Turns out he’s my son’s new music teacher. Oops.

But I didn’t know that the night I met Campbell. All I knew was he played my body the same way he played a guitar — like he owned it.

My libido is still high-fiving me after being self-served for too many years, and we’re both ready for another night or two of fun, especially since we don’t just have chemistry in bed — we connect over everything.

That is, until I learn he’s the man who’ll be coming to my house twice a week to teach my son — the best music lessons money can buy.

Time to turn down the volume on our shenanigans. Only that’s easier said than done.

***

I can rock a guitar solo in front of thousands, I can write chart-topping tunes, and I can absolutely stop thinking about my student’s mother naked.

After all, I’m a single parent too, and I know what it’s like to put your kid first. That’s what I do every damn day.

Trouble is, now that I’ve had Mackenzie, it’s hard — and I do mean hard — to stop wanting her. Harder too when I get to know her, and learn she’s an awesome mom, a great friend, and, oh yeah, she happens to get along perfectly with my daughter.

All we have to do is set some rules. No dating, no nookie when the kids are around, and no one gets hurt.

It’s all working out beautifully. Until we start breaking the rules, one by one.

Making music with her in the bedroom is easy. But will we be more than just a real good time when the music stops?

•••••••••

REVIEW: ONCE UPON A REAL GOOD TIME is the first instalment in Lauren Blakely’s contemporary adult THE HEARTBREAKERS erotic, romance series focusing on the Evans brothers. This is single parents, former teen idol and guitarist Campbell Evans aka Mason Hart, and graphic designer MacKenzie Marksons’s story line.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Campbell and MacKenzie) ONCE UPON A REAL GOOD TIME follows the building relationship between former teen idol and guitarist Campbell Evans aka Mason Hart, and graphic designer MacKenzie (Markson). MacKenzie is all about playing trivia at The Grouchy Owl until the one night the sexy lead singer of a local band offers up more than a couple of songs for our story line heroine. Enter single father and former teen idol Campbell Evans aka Mason Hart, and the man with whom MacKenzie will fall in love. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between MacKenzie and Campbell, and the potential fall-out as MacKenzie struggles with Campbell’s position as her son’s infamous music teacher.

MacKenzie is a single mother to Kyle Markson, a child music prodigy whose has been offered a prestigious chance with a former star but unbeknownst to MacKenzie, said former star and her son’s new music teacher is the man who is currently starring in both her literal and virtual dreams. Unwilling to risk her son’s chance for the future, MacKenzie sacrifices her friendship and relationship with the man that she loves. Campbell Evans suffered a tragic loss, and in the ensuing years left the band to raise his daughter as a single father, but meeting MacKenzie gives Campbell the hope for a second chance at a happily ever after.

The relationship between Campbell and MacKenzie is one of immediate attraction; a palpable sexual attraction between two single parents who have put their personal lives on hold for the foreseeable future. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic and intense. Both Campbell and MacKenzie like to talk dirty in the bedroom.

We are introduced to MacKenzie’s son Kyle, his father Jamison, and MacKenzie’s best friend Roxy Sterling; Campbell’s daughter Samantha, and his brothers Miles and Miller Evans aka Hart.

ONCE UPON A REAL GOOD TIME is a story of family, friendship, music and love. The premise is sexy and sassy; the romance is seductive and passionate; the characters are flirty, colorful and lively. ONCE UPON A REAL GOOD TIME is a spicy and spirited story that is sure to set the sheets on fire.

I will add I am not sure if Markson is MacKenzie’s last name. I looked throughout the story but could only find one reference to Kyle’s last name, and no last name given for the other significant man in MacKenzie’s life, Kyle’s father Jamison. I am not a fan of no last name for the heroine, especially when the leading male is ‘gifted’ not one but two last names. The female lead is entitled to the same recognition, in my humble opinion.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

CampbellShe nibbles on the corner of her lips. “My friend Roxy thinks I should—”

“—let yourself have a good time for one more night?”

“How did you know?”

“She seemed like a good wingwoman.” I reach for a strand of her hair, running my finger across the soft locks, cataloging her reaction. “Want to know what I’m thinking?”

She nods.

I flash her a wicked grin. “I’m wondering if you want to be kissed by someone who’s been wanting to kiss you all night long.”

A flash of hesitation crosses her face, then she raises her eyes as if she’s thinking.

“I do,” she whispers, and the few seconds of reticence make her answer even sweeter.

I thread a hand through her hair. I’m going to take my time working up to a kiss, to make sure she wants it desperately. “I’ve been thinking about running my hands through this hair.”

“You have nice fingers…”

“Were you watching my hands when I was on stage?”

Her voice is soft and feathery, a quiet little confession. “Yes. I like the way you play.”

“What did you like about it?” I curl my hand tighter around her head. I swear, heat is radiating off her body, and it’s so damn enticing. “Did it make you think of anything?”

She nibbles on the corner of her lips. “Made me thing about how you might play…me.”

A groan works its way up my chest. She is an alluring mix of daring lioness and clumsy puppy. I yank her flush to me, bringing her mouth mere inches away from mine. “I’d like to play your body like a guitar. I’d like to make you sing, make you cry out in pleasure.” I run both hands through her soft hair, tugging her head back.

She gasps, and that’s my cue to lick a path up her neck, where I nibble on her jaw till she’s squirming against me. “Did you think about how I might kiss you when you watched me play?”

A sexy little sigh seems to escape her lips, followed by a yes.

“I noticed you the other week. At your booth, doing your quiz. Couldn’t stop looking at you. You were so sexy and adorable, and now you’re so damn close to me all I want is to turn you on.”

She parts her lips, and there’s no more need to tell her what I want to do. It’s time to show her.

 


 

A #1 New York Times Bestselling author, Lauren Blakely is known for her contemporary romance style that’s hot, sweet and sexy. She lives in California with her family and has plotted entire novels while walking her dogs. With fourteen New York Times bestsellers, her titles have appeared on the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestseller Lists more than eighty times, and she’s sold more than 2 million books. In October she’ll release HARD WOOD, a sexy, standalone romantic comedy. To receive an email when Lauren releases a new book, sign up for her newsletter!laurenblakely.com/newsletter

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11 thoughts on “Once Upon a Real Good Time (Heartbreakers #1) by Lauren Blakely-Review & Excerpt Tour

  1. Thanks for the excellent review and excerpt. I never quite understand why the lead characters, especially the women, are not assigned last names…..hmmmmm

    I have seen it in a few books. I also read once where a reviewer questioned the author about such an occurrence, and the author responded the character was strong enough on his own. I can completely understand if the secondary characters are not assigned last names but I too, struggle with the leads.

  2. Fantastic review, thanks for your thoughts about the last name. I hadn’t thought about it either but I agree that the heroine should be accorded the same acknowledgement as the hero…..

  3. Wonderful review, thanks Sandy. Like some of the others, I guess I hadn’t thought about the last name issue but unless one of the characters is secondary etc, the lead characters should be accorded last names.

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