Blame it on Emerald Isle

by Luke Young

Escape to beautiful Emerald Isle, North Carolina and lose yourself in the hilarious, sexy and moving story of one woman’s journey through a life of love, loss and temptation.

Never quite getting over the loss of her college soul mate, and settled into a marriage of safety and convenience, Doctor Ally Larson fights a forbidden attraction during a much-needed beach vacation. If battling her own desires isn’t disrupting enough from her getaway, dealing with her divorced, oversexed and quirky parents might just send her over the edge.

Torn between the memory of a man she lost, the sexy young man she desperately desires and her near-perfect husband, who she just can’t get out of her own way to love, she’s teetering on the edge of disaster. Who will she choose and will anyone survive the fallout?

Blame it on Emerald Isle is a guaranteed HEA, sports themed, reverse age-gap romance. It’s a hilarious vacation destination read, filled with laughter, a full range of emotions, tons of sexual tension and heat so hot you’ll need SPF-1000.

Here's what some readers had to say about Blame it on Emerald Isle:

"It's super hysterical and super sexy. I was on the edge of my seat reading because I was sucked into this story."

"It has Craziness, Sexiness, Humor and some tears... I could not put it down stayed up one night till after 1:00 am just to read the ending."

"I LOVED this story! ... I did not want to put this down! So many hilarious moments but balanced with some depth. Parts of the ending actually brought tears to my eyes and a lump in my throat and I wasn’t expecting that...."

Genres: Romance

Unknown Binding

First published July 25, 2023

About the author

Want a free book? Download the Luke Young Starter Library! Visit my website:
https://lukeyoungbooks.com

Luke Young is a #1 Amazon Comic Fiction best-selling author and writer of five iBookstore top 300 and Amazon Rom Com best-sellers. He’s a husband, father, dog dad and dark chocolate lover. He writes hilarious and sexy romances with characters his readers fall in love with—from his reverse age-gap Friends with Benefits series to standalone romantic comedies—he loves making his readers laugh out loud.

Luke's Friends With Benefits series has garnered more than 6000 5-Star reviews (between Amazon, Goodreads and the iBookstore). Friends with Partial Benefits, is the sexy and hilarious first book in the series, and it’s been downloaded over 2 million times.

His latest work, Blame it on Emerald, is a contemporary romance stand alone filled with laughter, a full range of emotions, tons of sexual tension and heat.

He loves to hear from readers:

Personal Newsletter: https://bit.ly/LukeYoungNewsletter

Website: https://lukeyoungbooks.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LukeYoungAuthor

Reviews

[chelseabrookelikesbooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blame It On Emerald Isle follows the lead character, Ally. She lost the love of her life, David, 20+ years ago and has now been living a platonic life with David’s best friend, John. Ally and John have an agreement in place that they can be physical with whomever they please as long as it’s with no one that they know.

I’m trying to be as vague as possible because this book truly has so many surprises and will leave you wondering what is going to happen next. It is very rare for me to find a book that I’m unable to pick up what will unfold but this one really got me! At no point in this book did I know where it was going, which I truly love! It was laugh out loud funny, spicy, and just the perfect amount of cringe. It is truly a unique story and a very enjoyable read! I definitely recommend!

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoy Luke's humorous, sexy writing style and thought I'd probably like this one too. - I loved it!
But it wasn't what I was expecting from the description. I can't tell you more without spoiling it for you.
He's created characters who are charming or wacky or sympathetic. This story of a woman who lost the love of her life 20-some years ago and has been living a platonic life since had a pathos that really touched me. And the writing pulled me in like the tide. Highly recommend!

[K. Williford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not what I expected

This author likes to surprise the reader. This one has lots of surprises and I don't like spoilers, so you will have to read for yourself. I did laugh out loud and I definitely belt this is a very spicy one.

[BookDragonAshh · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is the total package.
Packed full of spice and comedy, alongside a great storyline.... What more could I ask for?

So this was my first reverse age gap novel and it did not disappoint.

I will say, I knew what I was getting into when I dove into this book but I was certainly a bit apprehensive. As someone who could never picture myself being with someone younger than me, reverse age gap has never been one of my tropes. But... Luke Young has truly surprised me.

The writing style is *chef's kiss* perfect. The words flowed so effortlessly, it was easy to feel like I was right there on that beach too.



Fun fact: I hate the beach. I hate the sand and the smelly water. Overall, it's never a fun experience for me. BUT... Holy cow, to be able to experience the beach without all of my mundane annoyances! Heck yes!

When I say, I felt like I was there, I mean it. This book was like a vacation without breaking the bank and having to deal with sand in unmentionable places.



Not only was the writing style perfect, but I also really enjoyed the storyline as well. I particularly want to point out that the storyline didn't take a pause when the two characters started to get steamy. So many times I have read books where it seems like the author forgets all about whatever was going on in the story to focus solely on the smut. That is easily one of my pet peeves. Like yes, I unashamedly read for the smut, but dang, I still want the story too. I shouldn't have to pick between reading something with a great story and smut. Why can't I have both?

Well, Luke Young made all of my dreams come true when he delivered just that. Never once did I feel like the book derailed once the characters started to get spicy. This was the perfect blend of smut and content.

I will say, the book was a tad slow compared to what I usually read, but it was honestly a welcoming break. When I say it was like taking a vacation when I read this book, I truly meant it. Not only did I feel like I was on the beach, but it was nice to step away from the dark and heavy things I normally gravitate to and enjoy something light and airy.

And please don't take it the wrong way when I say it was "slow". I'm usually reading things that have a grocery list of trigger warnings and this was completely opposite.

But not that we are on the topic of triggers, I think I should point out that this book does talk about death. Particularly death of a fiancé. IMO, it is tastefully done and I personally don't think it is too heavy but I am desensitized to most triggers so... I trust you know what your triggers are and will make the right decision for yourself when deciding to read this one.

Moving on...

The characters were all written very well. There was certainly depth to every one of them. I never felt like I couldn't perfectly visualize the characters or their actions. Luke Young certainly put in a lot of effort to make these people come to life.

The author's impeccable writing style was perfect to tackle the ending of this book because wow... Nothing could have prepared me for that explosive conclusion.

I will say, I had a hunch on where things were going. Even though I minimally guessed the direction of the conclusion, I was definitely not expecting the way everything played out. At one point, I even gasped and yelled, "NO", out loud. This earned me a dirty look from my husband who was attempting to fall asleep.

Sorry not sorry, Hubby.

With that said, there was definitely some shocking revelations in this book, as if reverse age gap and how they knew each other was already shocking enough.

Hands down, I would read this book again. It was the perfect book to wind down and take a break from reality and all of the dark things I was reading.

Thank you to the author for giving me a little mental vacation I didn't know I needed.



I would recommend to anyone who enjoys a ton of smut with a great storyline.
If you are into reverse age gaps, don't hesitate with this book because it is right up your alley.
And if you are in desperate need of a vacation but don't have the money or can't break away from your job, this is the perfect solution for you.

[Elizabeth Edwards · Rating 4 out of 5]

romantic comedy (kindle store & books). contemporary romance. July 25, 2023 this book came out. "Friends with Partial Benefits", was the first book i read of Luke's. i am thinking ... that the rating for me is so close to a 5 ... i always say that mysteries are my go 2 ...but come on now if you don't have a bit of humor, than ... well i prefer it. that is straight to the point of it all ... now ... i also wonder ... do certain times the author not mean for something to be funny ... do they take a ill bit if you say that was funny??! i mean each person ... whatever it might be is truly reading a different book ... like i think if you are a certain age ... that reflections on that reading as well ... now if you wanna laugh ... and i mean laugh like a silly person ... to where you might wonder if the neighbors or the folks around if you are in a coffee shop ... or lunch place ... or where ever you are reading this book ... u might wanna be around like minded folks so they know you are not out of your marble so to speak. LOL!! i got a wee bit more to read ...but i wanted to write my review ... before i for forget, and before i let ya ... well everyone wants to know what Beth is reading right??! sorry, being silly ... i love it when an author contacts me ... little ole me ... i mean come on now ... i love this job. now i don't get paid ... but if you say it ...so to speak... i get the amazingness time to see what an author wrote ...giving my honest likes or dislikes ... i mean doing it respectfully (i will verbally punch ya in the face, if you kill off my favorite character, which i really hate when that happens ...do u ever like not say out loud who your favorite is ... just waiting to see if the author will not do that? i know totally off topic but i had to say it. like sometimes i don't really jive with a characters, like they rub me the wrong way ... can you imagine??! i am not sure i could or would want a mother like this ... i mean i get that some folks are more okay with going there, but let's keep it ... well don't walk in ...give the person a blind fold. LOL!! no secrets ... i am trying to step around it all ... no secrets ... no reveals here. not gonna do it. i can totally giggle and be like 50 shades of RED ... but maybe you are a person who never gets embarrassed is that you? i mean there has to be something that would totally piss (or whatever emotion u might have in this spot here please) you off and make you go all shy, right??!?) is always my policy ... i mean this is not a polite conversation (but i will say that so much of what i think of polite the world doesn't agree. i gotta say it ...'cause like i said i am not gonna shy away from it ...did you watch Mrs. Carter's funeral ...do you see what her son did ...i mean come on now ...i think that is what was so amazing about the First Lady ...she was so kind, respectful and she would have never made fun of any other President ...she might have thought it, dream it, or whatever ...but she would have never said what the younger son did. just saying. i think that is the point of the world ... think, dream it, say to your friends, family and so on ...but at least have a disclaim when saying it to some one who doesn't know you from Adam. u know??!) kind of read ...so don't let little eyes read this ...this is an adult read ...you are foreword ...but i would think we are all adults here ... you knew this was an adult read. i love the book cover. i mean who doesn't love a beach scene. i would prefer it in the fall due to the hot temps but sun lovers, you will love it. if you are love humor, if you like racy bits here and there. maybe you wanna get hot in here kind of read ... i mean what else keeps ya warm at night? i still keep thinking about a book i read in the past ...and to me that book just about pushed me not to read it ...'cause it was so racy ...but darn if i can figure out what it was ... u know how kindle keeps all you books in your log ... i keep trying to figure it out ... i think it was a freebie ...those ones you get the email (newsletter) if you are a reader and are looking for some fun, humor, silliness, snot coming out your nose, i mean ... don't drink your coffee, wine or other liquids until you are sure it is safe. or at least wear a bib?!? i will step down from the silly box (instead of saying soap box) laters. read on ... keep Luke ... on speed dial ...what would that be on the book world side of things??! think on it and tell me ... 'cause you no longer have golly geez .. i mean totally drawing a blank ... a kid of the early 80's ... list of books ... oh my goodness ...you had to seriously search for books ("card catalog cabinet", i googled it... easy snap, done!! score!! i gotta jet ... i gotta read ...more to see .. do. next. move over ... ) ... kids these days ...what you are complaining about ... u have it so easy ... hello google ... we had to work for things ... encyclopedia ... we had some fast looking up skills.

[Stephanie Bernasek · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

"Blame it on the Emerald Isle" by Luke Young is an absolute gem of a read! This book is the perfect blend of humor, heat, and heartfelt moments, set against the stunning backdrop of Emerald Isle, North Carolina. The story of Dr. Ally Larson is both relatable and riveting—torn between past love, present desires, and the comfort of a stable marriage, she navigates a whirlwind of emotions that kept me hooked from start to finish.

Because of Young's acute, humorous, and vivid writing, the characters practically leap off the page. Even though Ally is on the verge of catastrophe, you can't help but cheer for her because of how masterfully her path through love, sorrow, and temptation is written. Her relationship with her ridiculous but charming split parents provides just the proper amount of lighthearted reprieve to counterbalance the serious emotional rollercoaster.

The reverse age-gap romance is handled beautifully, and the sexual tension is palpable, keeping the pages turning at lightning speed. If you're looking for a read that will make you laugh, cry, and maybe even blush a little, "Blame it on the Emerald Isle" is a must-read. This book has it all—humor, heart, and heat—making it the perfect escape. I couldn't put it down and will definitely be moving on to read Luke's other (what I can imagine) masterpieces. Highly recommended!

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[ariel haddon · Rating 4 out of 5]

it took me a month to finish ( that’s not the authors fault that’s mine ) anyways , i love luke’s writing . i’m not normally a romcom genre reader but the writing is easy , funny , sexy , dramatic . i loved the fmc & her sense of humor . her and her husband have an “ agreement “ together where he can sleep and be with whoever he wants because every time she looks at him she gets emotional thinking about her dead fiancé . they all were friends up until his accident . they get invited to go to emerald isle by their friend Kate & Ally ( our fmc ) gets swept under her feet by Kate’s 20 something year old son . i’m definitely going to read the rest of his books , this one was just so fun and such a good time all around

[jj · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ally didn’t mean to be a cougar, it just happened. Dr. Ally had a best friend who owned a summer home. She invited Ally’s family for an extended vacation as they were all basically family having everyone grown up together. This turned out secretly to be a crazy house of sex with everyone partnering up with someone you would not have previously thought of. Ally had been “dry” for years but suddenly her sexual appetite was opened up & came alive- she even had to call a friend for advice! If you love erotica - this is for you, will make you wanting some for yourself as well. Luke - please keep writing.

[Christina Kirk · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a little hotter than I’m used to. But it was still very well written. The author does a good writing at troubles in marriage, but also exciting things with someone younger than her exciting for new opportunities. At the end, the ending is wrapped up a little quickly in the epilogue, but I understand it because most of the content is in the middle. I’m in perimenopause and this is made me want to be with my husband as more than I normally do. But this makes me want to do more things with him because invigorated my want to do things with him in our bedroom. Because of that I am very thankful and so will he when he gets back from his ski trip.

[Babeslovebooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

lmao but also relatable

This book was everything the reviews called it and more. It was funny, sexy and just cringy enough for me to have fun with it. There’s one part that I literally had to put the book down because I was slight embarrassment and if that doesn’t show how good this was written, I don’t know what will. The ending got me. I would like to say I predicted it but I won’t even lie. If you want to laugh, get a little teary (because this book has a few low spots), witness what is described as the worst girl fight ever and stay up until 1 am reading because you can’t put it down, read this book.

[Felicia Zarazua · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t think I’ve laughed this much during a read in months. I so enjoyed this book. The spice was pretty amazing. I was not expecting that ending though. I had already thought of how it was going to end. But I’m so glad it ended the way it did. 💕 It actually felt nice reading a fictional book, that didn’t really feel all that fictional. I like how it actually feels like some people lives right now. With the OF. The affairs. The sneaking around. The age gap. I highly suggest this book to everyone.

[Zoe Carter · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book gave me all the feels. My adrenaline was rushing, my heart was pounding, I was almost always too excited to read or not to read. I didn’t know what to do in a good way. And the book did make me laugh so much. I don’t think I’ve ever laughed out loud while reading a book. It was perfectly written, and I’ll have to go read the rest of his books!

[Meg Bozarth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first read from author Luke Young. This is such an amazing book! I laughed out loud so many times! I loved all the unique characters! Many twists and turns I did not see coming!! This book is verrry spicy, and I loved every second of it! A must read!!

I will definitely be reading more from this author!!

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great romance

I really enjoyed this novel. It has so many interesting things going on, it kept me guessing. Blame it on Emerald Isle is a very unique and hilarious book, but also deals with complicated life events. One of my favorite books this year.

[Liz_Dolphin70_Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super cute romance with spice!! I laughed so many times and I loved all the crazy relationships that came about in the story!! I would recommend this book ! I would definitely read more from this author !

[Meghan Lamar · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was funny, especially the Pictionary scene. The major issue I had was the 40 something year old woman being on a sex fiend and being horny as hell all the damn time. Like you’re not 16 you’re 42 and I felt like she was clingy and she wasn’t thinking about anything else ever. I did enjoy the book and it was a quick read with short chapters. Luke Young really know how to keep you on your toes about some things and others you could tell was coming but just waited for it to be revealed.

There was s*x scenes but I wouldn’t call it spice, but it wasn’t closed door.

[Melissa Cooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

So good I read in one sitting!

I started this book at 9:30 pm and it’s now 1:52 am and I just finished. It was so good that I wasn’t putting it down until I knew where John and Ally ended up.

Granny was a hoot! I loved how the story opened up and how it went from funny to steamy to anger and hurt, and finally to healing and moving on.

I knew something was up with that witch Kate and am glad she was found out. No one needs friends like her. The scene in the kitchen where everyone finds out who’s sleeping with who was funny and heartbreaking all at once, but was the moment that everything changed.

My heart was happy at the ending and epilogue. Everything happened for a reason and John and Kate ended exactly how they were meant to.

[Ciayrra The Scorpion Flower · Rating 4 out of 5]

This read was funny and touching. Love the ending had me a little bit in tears! even though at first, I had trouble getting into it I am very happy of how the story came out.

[TLuvs · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[karn · Rating 4 out of 5]

riveting

The family has quite a journey and they took us along. Kinda shocking yet funny first meeting her and her mom and tictoc. I wouldn’t know where to look doctor or not. Gotta read it folks. Enjoy.

[Ashley Shelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Found this author on tik tok for this book and definitely not what I was expecting!! He did a fantastic job with the smut and the witty humor! I stayed interested the whole time making it a quick fun read!!!!!!

[Christine Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love reading his books

This was a cute book. It's kind of predictable towards the end. Overall, it's definitely a good read. If you enjoy it you'll love the "Friends with benefits" series!!! I know I do!!!!

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hot & Spicy

I devoured this book. Luke Young knows how to write these characters. I could feel Ally's pain in losing her college soul mate.

[Angel Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so funny and has a great flow to it. It’s not just witty banter but in depth side stories or twists that give this novel humor. There is an age gap romance with an older female main lead. I thought the twists in this book with different surprise lovers was fantastic. I like how this book wrapped up with a realistic closing, it provided closure to the characters and their stories.

[Shirlsreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was definitely surprising for me. I enjoyed the twists in the story. You don't see them coming. The characters are relatable and very modern. It had me giggling out loud and gasping, too! I am usually wary of spice not written by females, but Luke proved me wrong!! This book read so easily. The flow was immaculate. Before I knew it, it was over. 10 stars!

[Amber Cusick · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG!! Spicy and has an age gap. I loved this book . The first chapter had me laughing at what she came home to , it was so funny. Plus, what made it even more funny is the main character's name is Ally, and we call our daughter Ally lol but all in all the book is a must-read .

[Ashley Kinney · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story was fantastic! It was a bit of a slow start, but once it got going it was going full speed ahead. I loved the characters and the situations they all got themselves into. Would be a very good summer read

[Shannise · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this author on TikTok during some booktok drama a couple months ago (iykyk 🙃) so I decided to read one of his books!

I went into it completely blind, not thinking much because I don’t really like to read male authors too much, but this was SOOOO good. It started out a little slow, but it was super spicy and I laughed out loud a few times. I’ll definitely be checking out his other books too!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[DIANE EDGAR · Rating 5 out of 5]

I Liked It!

First book with this author. This was a good story. Glad Ally and John got their HEA. Will definitely read more of Luke’s stories.

[Leslie Fehr · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good read A+

Spoiler alert: I read the back of the book and was ready to read a steamy, sweet book. And that’s just what I got. Ally is grieving the only way she thinks is appropriate. A misunderstanding brings her into a non traditional situation but in the end, things happen that open her eyes to what’s been in front of her all along. I also like that there’s context and the epilogue….sure they got their happily ever after, but the reality is nothing worth keeping isn’t without struggles! Luke, 5 ⭐️’s. Well written and thoughtful from all perspectives….good character development and great story line!