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A wallflower gets seduction tips from a playboy athlete—until love changes the rules.
Socially awkward Joellen Bixby has a date every Saturday—with her cat, a pint of ice cream, and fantasies of the way-too-handsome Michael Maddox. She’d give anything to win over the unattainable CEO of her firm, but how can she when she blends in so well with her cubicle? The answer may be closer than she thinks.
Cameron McGregor is a cocky, tattooed Scottish rugby captain who just moved in next door. He’s not Jo’s type—at all—but the notorious playboy is offering to teach the wallflower everything he knows about inspiring desire. Though a lot of women have rumpled Cam’s kilt, Jo is special. Far from the ugly duckling she thinks she is, in Cam’s eyes she’s sharp, funny, and effortlessly sexy. Now, thanks to him, Jo is blooming with confidence and has the man of her dreams within reach.
Unfortunately for Cam, he’s just helped to push the woman of his dreams into the arms of another man—and now he’s in the fight of his life to keep this beauty from getting away.
344 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 15, 2018
JTG has excelled herself! I loved the evolution of Cam's and Joellen's relationship; from enemies to friends to lovers. Not only is this story extremely funny, it is also quite emotional.
*Arc provided by Netgalley*
“The number of f*cks you should give about what men think of how you look is zero, lass. Every choice you make about your appearance should be about what makes you feel good, not what makes some random lad, or your mother-think you’re cute. Don’t set aside your preference for anyone”
Once upon a time,
in a land not so far away,
A duckling born to a family of swans
Was mistakenly led astray.
It took a prince of beauty and brawn
With a brogue like rich brown sugar
To show the duckling
the way back home
So she could grow bigger, better, surer
Of herself so she no longer had to roam
Through the dark forest of lost hearts.
But along the way
she fell under his spell
From the prince
she never wanted to part,
In the circle of his arms
she longed to dwell.
So the duckling
said to her princely valentine
“For all time I’ll be yours, and forever you’ll be mine.”
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder
Don't forget what you are...
And what am I?
Perfect.
"Love is war, darlin’. Only thing in life worth sheddin’ blood over”
”Your body isn’t a thing to be looked at and judged against some standard of perfection that doesn’t even really exist. It’s the vessel that takes you through life, allowin’ you to experience all the beautiful things life has to offer. Food. Sex. Sunsets. Music. Hugs. Laughter. A healthy body is a gift. Don’t take it for granted. Don’t treat it like some cheap one-night stand. Treat it like the love of your life. Treat it with respect and tenderness, but most of all, gratitude.
And a healthy dose of awe, too. Your body is made of remnants of stars and massive explosions in the galaxies. Every few years, the bulk of your body is newly created by the regeneration of your cells, but you have things in you that are as old as the universe. We’re literally stardust. Every one of us is a little miracle. You’re a miracle, Joellen. Think about that the next time you’re standin’ naked in front of the mirror and want to focus on some stray dimple you don’t like.”
What I haven’t told him is that the last time I went on a date—eons ago—the good-night kiss was so disastrous I cried myself to sleep that night. The guy pushed me away by my shoulders, gasping for air, and said, “That was my lung you just licked!”
I guess I was being pretty aggressive. A long enough dry spell can make a girl desperate, and apparently I had my tongue so far down the poor guy’s throat I was examining his internal organs with it.
Needless to say, I never saw him again.
Joellen the sharp-tongued homebody who has always looked at herself as less than
+
a famous Rugby player that offers her lessons on seduction so she can finally snag the attention of her long pined-over boss
=
hilarious situations and sexual tension GALORE.
I suddenly understand how otherwise rational people can lose their minds and commit murder in a fit of rage. “It’s been real, McGregor.” I swing the door closed. It slams shut in his face with a loud, satisfying thud.
Through the door, he says, “I’ll make you a deal, Joellen.”
“If it involves you swallowing a vial of poison, you’re on.”
“Just make it easier on yourself, darlin’, and admit you’re wild for me and are dyin’ to bring a few dozen little McGregors into the world.”
“You’re delusional.”
“You’re massively in love with me.”
“I’m massively in dislike with you.”
“You’ve finally figured out I’m the real man of your dreams.”
“I’ve finally figured out how you got here. Someone left your cage door open.”
We grin at each other while the stupid rap music blares into the hallway, eroding my hearing another few percent.
“You look awful cheery, lass. Did your lingerie store have a sale on beige granny panties?”
“But sometimes what you think is love is just a beautiful form of self-destruction. The worst thing in life is to give yourself away in exchange for nothing.”
A kiss again, dangerous, like standing at the edge of a cliff and looking over, shifting dirt and rocks tumbling beneath your feet. My fingers twist in his hair. His hands move my head, left or right, however he wants it, a throbbing pulse like drumbeats in my ears. I’m so turned on I feel frantic, unstable, like I might break out of my own skin. Caterpillar becoming butterfly. Chrysalis shed, wings outstretched, wind beneath my belly. Caught on an updraft. Beating, beating, flying free.
He breaks the kiss, suddenly, shatteringly, the separation like breaking glass. Dizzy, I whimper at the loss of his mouth.
“Fuck. Joellen. Fuck.”
He’s panting, his voice a desperate rasp. He radiates heat like a furnace. Even his hands on my head are hot, burning right through my skull. With his scent in my nose and his heat wrapped around me and his heart pounding against mine, I’m somewhere else. I’m someone else. A gypsy, casting spells. A sloe-eyed singer in a smoky jazz club. A femme fatale in a film noir, all knowing smiles and long legs and a throaty voice with an edge like a purr.
“Don’t stop,” I say in my new voice. “You taste so good.”
He stares right at me, his eyes intensely aglow. Tiger eyes. Wolf eyes. The eyes of a predator about to pounce on his meal.
I suddenly understand how otherwise rational people can lose their minds and commit murder in a fit of rage.
"You're depriving some poor village of its idiot."
"If you were on a life support machine, I'd unplug it to charge my phone."And this line is PERFECT...
When a man orders food for me without asking what I want, I don't feel taken care of, I feel disrespected, and honestly a bit murderous.Joellen might not be the heroine for everyone. She is very insecure at times, but I didn't mind because I could really relate to her.
"No one, ever, told me it was okay to be me."And she's also a bit obtuse about how Cameron feels but I understood given her insecurities. Plus it's always easy for readers to think duh, of course he likes you, but in real life we'd probably be just as unsure. And in the end, I was very pleased with her development.
"Maybe I don't have to be perfect. Maybe having one person who thinks I am is enough."And Cameron... good God 😍😍😍😍😍 I'll be honest, I wasn't sure about him when I started. I held the same judgements as Joellen. But I loved getting to know him and once I did, I fell hard. He's so damn sweet and very passionate about Joellen.
He drags his gaze up and down my body, says faintly, "Holy shit," and sinks into a nearby chair.
"Your body is made of remnants of stars and massive explosions in the galaxies. Every few years, the bulk of your body is newly created by the regeneration of your cells, but you have things in you that are as old as the universe. We're literally stardust. Every one of us is a little miracle. You're a miracle, Joellen. Think about that the next time you're standin' naked in front of the mirror and want to focus on some stray dimple you don't like."
"Don't forget what you are, Joellen, not for anyone."This is definitely a slow burn, and it's SO worth it!!!! I couldn't put it down because I had to know what would happen next. I'm really looking forward to the continuation of this series 🤗
"What am I?" I whisper, terrified of the answer.
"Perfect." He bends his head and kisses me, the softest, sweetest brush of his lips against mine.
“Because we’re friends.”
His laugh is short and bitter. “Your ability to lie to yourself is remarkable, lass.”
I’m hurt, defensive, and angered by his words and his tone, which indicate he thinks I’m a complete idiot. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
He leans in closer, so close we’re nose to nose. He says with soft vehemence, “It means we’ll never be friends.”
“I’ll pretend he’s you!”i will never get over cameron mcgregor.
Cam stares at me. His jaw works. He shifts his weight in his chair, and the cat jumps off his lap, unsettled. “Come again?”
“Like you told me to do when we kissed, pretend you were him!”
“And did you?” he challenges quietly, his gaze steady on mine.’
Over the line comes a blistering silence, then Cameron’s voice, hard as stone. “I don’t ever wanna hear you put yourself down again, Joellen. Don’t do it out loud, and don’t do it in your head, either. Show yourself some damn respect, woman, or no one else will.”
🥺❤️
He enunciates each word slowly, as if he’s biting them off with his teeth. “Who. Told. You. You’re. Ugly.”
“Every mirror I’ve ever looked into.” Wrong answer. Wolverine goes full mutant mode. It’s lucky he’s not wearing a shirt, because it would be ripped to shreds by his sudden angry expansion. “Stop, McGregor. Just stop. I know how I look.”
“Maybe you need new glasses.”
“Just make it easier on yourself, darlin’, and admit you’re wild for me and are dyin’ to bring a few dozen little McGregors into the world.”
“You’re delusional.”
“You’re massively in love with me.”
“I’m massively in dislike with you.”
“You’ve finally figured out I’m the real man of your dreams.”
“I’ve finally figured out how you got here. Someone left your cage door open.”
Pressing his big hand over mine, he says in a thick voice, “When it comes to the body, I know what I’m doin’, lass. Gimme a chance to show you what I mean. I promise you’ll be satisfied.”
“It’s too bad you got stuck in puberty, McGregor—you might’ve been a productive member of society one day.”
“Oh, I’m plenty productive, lass.”
“Name one way you’re productive that doesn’t involve the amount of sperm you produce. I’ll wait.”
He dissolves into gales of laughter that seem to continue forever.
He slightly shifts his weight, and things are clarified. I bite my lip so hard I might have drawn blood. My heart is a hummingbird beating frantically against a cage. I whisper, “You said you wouldn’t get aroused.”
He looks at my mouth like a warlord looking over a kingdom he’s just seized. “I lied.”
“Your body isn’t a thing to be looked at and judged against some standard of perfection that doesn’t even really exist. It’s the vessel that takes you through life, allowin’ you to experience all the beautiful things life has to offer. Food. Sex. Sunsets. Music. Hugs. Laughter. A healthy body is a gift. Don’t take it for granted. Don’t treat it like some cheap one-night stand. Treat it like the love of your life. Treat it with respect and tenderness, but most of all, gratitude.
“And a healthy dose of awe, too. Your body is made of remnants of stars and massive explosions in the galaxies. Every few years, the bulk of your body is newly created by the regeneration of your cells, but you have things in you that are as old as the universe. We’re literally stardust. Every one of us is a little miracle. You’re a miracle, Joellen. Think about that the next time you’re standin’ naked in front of the mirror and want to focus on some stray dimple you don’t like.”
“It’s not bad. You want to please your man—I get it. Just don’t forget who you are. Don’t forget what you are, Joellen. Not for anyone.”
My heartbeat is now the wild, thundering gallop of a pack of stallions flying over the open plains. “What am I?” I whisper, terrified of the answer.
“Perfect.”