BOMBSHELL

by Angela Parkhurst

“You’ll think about me tonight. Tomorrow. The next night. You’ll get off at the thought of me on you, but you’ll never know the truth, because you don’t like girls like me, right?”
Bet.

Meet Bash Beckett: insanely famous, ultra-hot, MVP football player. Tall and ripped in every way. The kind of guy Lola would have went after, if he wasn’t such a jerk. And yet, she still wanted to grab his firm, muscular shoulders and ride him to the finish line. If only he learned to control the words coming out of his mouth.
Curvy girls weren’t Bash’s type until he met Lola Davis, a sassy, curvy radio DJ who puts him in his place. Normally, Bash would’ve walked away, but he was curious and they were on vacation with their friends, so whatever happened in Grand Turk stayed in Grand Turk, right?

Wrong.

When their wild hookup gets exposed live on the internet, it has the whole world asking, who is Lola Davis and why is the infamous Bash Beckett, obsessed with a curvy radio DJ? Despite Lola’s best efforts, she has a hard time resisting his charm in and out of the bedroom. Will their chemistry be enough for Lola to break all the rules and follow her deepest desires?

From the author of the Wrecking Ball series & the Forgotten Fairytales series, comes BOMBSHELL by Angela Parkhurst, a sexy standalone romance with friends with benefits, secret romance, sports romance, plus size heroine, he falls first, opposite attract, celebrity romance!

Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Enemies To Lovers, Celebrity, Sports Romance, Sports

313 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 7, 2022

About the author

Hello from Sunny Florida!!! I am the author of the COASTAL COCONUTS series, BOMBSHELL series, WRECKING BALL series and THE FORGOTTEN FAIRYTALES series!

I love reading dirty books, drinking coffee, yelling at sports and tattoos. I'm a boy mom & I'm married to my high school sweetheart. I have an obsession with books, coffee, Disney, and hockey/football/soccer. Soccer Moms FTW.

tiktok @angelawrites87
You can follow me on Twitter @angelaparkhurst or on Facebook: www.facebook.com/angelawrites
Insta @angelawrites87

Reviews

[Julia Cottrell · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the characters and the story, but I was jarred by errors in continuity and typos that were missed in editing. The story is good, the guys are hot, but I wish there'd been one more editing pass.

[Tenika Clemmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m an extremely slow reader so the fact it took almost 3 months for me to get through it is a testament to my busy life not this novel. Omg was it hott and steamy and amazing. It’s a must read. Go get you a copy NOW!!

[Amy HIgel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book in a matter of hours! The story is new, innovative, entertaining and HOTT! Angela is a phenomenal writer that hooks you at the very beginning and doesn’t let you go. I’ve have read all her books and will continue to with every one she writes. Angela, you slayed it!

[Evie Blackstaff · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book but Lola is so annoying I couldn't get past 30%. I love a plus size baddie but she was not it.

[Sharrons_Chapter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so happy I found this author. I loved this book soo much! Warning- there is a fair amount of typos and missing words but I loved it so much I didn't care. The story and chemistry between the characters made it all worth it!

This is the first book in the Bombshell series, and it follows Lola and Bash. Hot football player wanting the curvy radio host?! YES, sign me up! The dynamic between them is absolutely sizzling. I loved watching their relationship evolve to something deeper. The banter between them was witty and fun, and the tension had me hooked from the very beginning. It's a perfect mix of romance, humor, and steam with just the right amount of emotional depth.

If you love swoon-worthy romance with a strong, curvy relatable heroine and a charming, sexy hero, then this is definitely the book for you!

[Wendy R. Wolfe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous story telling! A main character who is REAL. This book tells a great story and is steamy! Can’t wait for the next one

[Jeanne Jabour · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was pleasantly surprised with Angela Parkhurst’s latest novel Bombshell, about a real woman, Lola Davis, a radio DJ with her own following, who actually captures the attention and interest of Bash Beckett, the NFL’s infamous MVP player who changed his underwear as often as he changed women. Lola is a free spirit, who holds her own regardless of what those around her say or think, and that includes her exploits in and out of the bedroom. Lola has full breasts, generous hips and a plump bottom that entice and draw her fair share of men. And Lola knows how to use these assets to her advantage. She has long ago earned her self-confidence having weathered and mastered the insecurities of being a plus size woman in a society that worships stick-figure, size negative-zero models. She is extremely quick-witted and uses that wit to battle and triumph all the naysayers who have challenged her. And then she meets Bash, who cannot keep his mouth closed or his eyes and hands off of her. He is obsessed with Lola but cannot figure out why since she is not the type of woman he is usually attracted to. And Lola has certainly seen his type hundreds of times and been hurt just as many times. Lola valiantly resists the attraction between them for as long as she can. I won't give away any more of the plot. It is an absolute delight to read this novel. The characters are well-developed, and the plot will make you laugh, cry and turn on the A/C full blast! Buy this extraordinarily hot story ASAP!.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[mspotts · Rating 4 out of 5]

4-4.5 stars

A well-written and interesting curvy girl romance. It definitely got better as I kept reading. There were a few grammatical errors and missed words but not enough to stop me from steamrolling through the story.

Pros:
- I liked the instant dislike between the main leads, it was a good enemies-to-lovers set up
- The MMC characterisation was good. Bash gained more depth as you got to know him and the secondary characters really took centre stage here.
- There was a good level of humour. I'm personally not into a lot of comedy in my romance but I enjoyed a few chuckles here and there, mainly at their respective families' behaviour.
- The relationship developed at a realistic pace, it wasn't insta-love at all, even if it was an instant attraction.
- It was a long book and that meant the author had enough time to put in a lot of interesting scenes. Luckily I never found it boring (although the constant sex scenes did get repetitive).
- Lola didn't agonise over their comparative wealth difference. So many times in romances, women are deeply insecure if they're with a wealthy guy and thankfully Lola was only a bit insecure about it but not too much.
- Low angst / no unnecessary drama. Bash and Lola were a great couple and the novel was more about exploring that, once they'd agreed to be together, rather than putting in obstacles to their growing love.

Cons:
- Sadly, most of my cons had to do with Lola herself. Her character just wasn't as well-rounded as Bash. Despite her 'curvy confidence' Lola was deeply insecure about herself but refused to acknowledge it, instead she covered it up with a lot of bravado. It was a shame no one called her out on it.
If her confidence had been a bit more authentic as her character grew, then maybe she would have done some self-reflecting about how she used sex as a means of feeling good about herself (something she did as a teen and apparently never grew out of).
- Again, we see Bash develop as he spent more time with Lola, but aside from slowly letting him into her life, she never really changed or grew as a person. Literally until the final scenes where she apologises and confirms her love, she still believes everything she did before about sex and relationships. That was disappointing. A little bit more questioning of her beliefs before the final act breakup would have been good.
- Finally, the only time I considered DNF'ing the book was in one of the earlier scenes where Lola is ranting about size inclusivity in fashion. At this point, the reader had heard her make the same spiel at least twice before, so I had to wonder if this was all her character had to offer, and I say this as someone who wholeheartedly agrees and supports Lola's goals. Being a body positivity champion is amazing but it didn't need to be her whole personality, which is how it came across at right then.
Luckily, that was the last scene where that happened but I'm including it as a negative because it was so close to making me roll my eyes and give up.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[M W]

DnF 20%
The Fmc Lola is a plus sized radio dj that goes on a vacation, which, with her all bets, is off on vacation. The moment the book starts all we were talking about is her weight from her, friends, fans etc .Then her bff has a friend stay with them before vacation and his name is bash who is a famous football star and within seconds of meeting her says he would never be or give a time a day to a plus size girl. She stands up for herself, but still ends up kissing him. Somehow, he goes on vacation with them, and he's Intruigued by her now that he could be attracted to her. I couldn't go fwd this made no sense how much worth she put in herself and was giving this man a time a day even though everything he said was so fat phobic I was so immediately turned off by him and honestly than her because no one who knows her worth would let a hot guy be little them so quickly. It was giving high-school for me and kinda triggering to what I dealt with in hs.

[Ida · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genre: Sports Romance
FMC: Lola
MMC: Bash
POV: First Person
Heat: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
HEA: Yes
Tropes: Sports Romance, Celebrity Romance, Curvy FMC, Friends with Benefits, Secret Romance, He Falls First, Opposites Attract
Angela Parkhurst's "Bombshell" is a steamy romance that pairs Bash Beckett, a cocky football star, with Lola Davis, a confident plus-size radio DJ. Their vacation hookup becomes a public sensation, challenging them to navigate fame and desire. The story delves into their evolving connection, highlighting body positivity and self-acceptance. The novel captures the thrill of opposites attracting and discovering an unexpected love.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this entire book in less than 24hrs of receiving it. I literally could not put it down ! I related with the main character in so many ways being a curvy babe myself. My therapist tells me all the time I AM ENOUGH , but this book really made me feel it. When I got to the last chapter I was on my toes how was it going to end ? I shouted if it doesn’t end the way I want I’m burning it! It exceeded all my expectations and I can’t wait for the next one ! The confidence I gained thru this book alone makes it worth it !

[Caitlin Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I laughed, I squirmed, I loved it.

Another TOUCH DOWN for Angela Parkhurst. It was SO refreshing to read a plus size MC who knows her worth! This was an absolute joy to read. It's sexy, it's funny, and I love how EVERY character is so well developed!
My husband actually picked up my physical copy of this and read it in a day and loved it too!

You WILL NOT BE SORRY!!

[Vicki Allard · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me about 2 weeks to read this book but I was super busy at work. I also don’t think I was prepared for the “smut” in this book lol. This is definitely the raciest book I’ve read but I’m not mad. As a plus sized woman myself, I identified with so many of the situations and things that had happened to Lola in the past. I cried more than once while reading. My only wish is that there were fewer typos and grammatical errors. The book also made me a bit homesick for Florida and Tampa Bay.

I can’t wait for the next book in the series. I’m very prepared now.

[Bai Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a win for the curvy community.

It was so refreshing to read a plus size character who didn't hate themselves for what they looked like. Lola was confident as hell. She was comfortable in the skin she was in--which I don't know about you, but that's my goal in life as a curvy babe. Angela's writing of Lola was just magnificent. Truly. I also absolutely adored Lola's mother. What a trip, omg.

The chemistry between Bash and Lola was intense, intoxicating, and memorable. The spice hit in all the right places. This novel managed to tug on my heart strings, made me want to punch certain characters, swoon over Bash, and laugh so much. I'm obsessed!