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No Strings
‘I want to worship you.’
With only one night, they have to make it count! A one-night stand is out of the question. Until good girl Emma Allaire meets tall, dark and drop-dead gorgeous Mr. X through an anonymous hook-up app and her sexiest fantasies come to life. Who is this enigmatic man in her posh hotel room bed? Mystery lover, man of her dreams or liar—will he save her heart or break it forever?
With only one night, they have to make it count! A one-night stand is out of the question. Until good girl Emma Allaire meets tall, dark and drop-dead gorgeous Mr. X through an anonymous hook-up app and her sexiest fantasies come to life. Who is this enigmatic man in her posh hotel room bed? Mystery lover, man of her dreams or liar—will he save her heart or break it forever?
- GenresRomance
224 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 1, 2018
24 people are currently reading
56 people want to read
About the author
Cara Lockwood
106 books369 followersI've written more than 30 books in a number of genres: chick lit, romance, suspense, paranormal and young adult. My debut novel, I Do (But I Don't) was made into a Lifetime Original movie.
I grew up in Mesquite, Texas, which for those of you who like livestock shows, is the home of the Mesquite Rodeo. Ironically, Mesquite was named after Mesquite trees, only none of them now exist in the city, which is about fifteen minutes east of Dallas. No, I don't own a pair of cowboy boots, although I do own quite an impressive collection of black shoes. My Dad is a third-generation Japanese-American, and my mom is a second-generation Texan who's mostly English.
I went to school at the University of Pennsylvania, only I'm not sure how I got in. I think these days they only accept students who can solve String Theory. Anyway, I majored in English, and because my dad said "and just what are you going to do with an English degree?" I went to work for the school newspaper. After college, I spent four years as a newspaper reporter, working for an overly excitable editor who sent me running anytime the police scanner went off. I was working insane hours for next to no pay. I was actually sent to cover a grass fire on my 25th Birthday. Let me tell you, it smelled bad. I think some mice may have lost their lives. But that was about it in terms of excitement. Happy Birthday to Me.
So, I decided after I had taken to hiding from my editor in the bathroom at the office anytime the police scanner went off, that journalism probably wasn't for me. I went to work for a marketing firm and discovered that most everyone else didn't stay until ten o'clock every night writing up their riveting story about grass fires. I also decided that I would take advantage of that free time to write some fiction. That's when I started writing "I Do (But I Don't)." A year later, I finished it, thanks to the help of my friend, Shannon, who wouldn't let me slack off and kept asking me for chapters.
And that's how I became a writer. Except that it still feels weird to say, "I'm a writer." I keep expecting to wake up tomorrow and have to go cover another grass fire.
I'm married and live with a blended broad of seven near Chicago, where I'm hard at work on my next book!
I grew up in Mesquite, Texas, which for those of you who like livestock shows, is the home of the Mesquite Rodeo. Ironically, Mesquite was named after Mesquite trees, only none of them now exist in the city, which is about fifteen minutes east of Dallas. No, I don't own a pair of cowboy boots, although I do own quite an impressive collection of black shoes. My Dad is a third-generation Japanese-American, and my mom is a second-generation Texan who's mostly English.
I went to school at the University of Pennsylvania, only I'm not sure how I got in. I think these days they only accept students who can solve String Theory. Anyway, I majored in English, and because my dad said "and just what are you going to do with an English degree?" I went to work for the school newspaper. After college, I spent four years as a newspaper reporter, working for an overly excitable editor who sent me running anytime the police scanner went off. I was working insane hours for next to no pay. I was actually sent to cover a grass fire on my 25th Birthday. Let me tell you, it smelled bad. I think some mice may have lost their lives. But that was about it in terms of excitement. Happy Birthday to Me.
So, I decided after I had taken to hiding from my editor in the bathroom at the office anytime the police scanner went off, that journalism probably wasn't for me. I went to work for a marketing firm and discovered that most everyone else didn't stay until ten o'clock every night writing up their riveting story about grass fires. I also decided that I would take advantage of that free time to write some fiction. That's when I started writing "I Do (But I Don't)." A year later, I finished it, thanks to the help of my friend, Shannon, who wouldn't let me slack off and kept asking me for chapters.
And that's how I became a writer. Except that it still feels weird to say, "I'm a writer." I keep expecting to wake up tomorrow and have to go cover another grass fire.
I'm married and live with a blended broad of seven near Chicago, where I'm hard at work on my next book!
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
April 6, 2019
3.5
Interesante, me gustaron los protagonistas, me atrapó la historia, pero me parece muy apurada, pasa mucho en poco tiempo... creo que se podría haber extendido más y no apurar los sentimientos de la forma en la que pasó.
Interesante, me gustaron los protagonistas, me atrapó la historia, pero me parece muy apurada, pasa mucho en poco tiempo... creo que se podría haber extendido más y no apurar los sentimientos de la forma en la que pasó.
May 19, 2018
A very modern love story about the pros and cons of online dating and no string relationships.
Writer Emma is talked into using dating app NOST (short for No Strings) in an attempt get herself back into the dating game. App creator Xavier doesn’t believe in true love and happy ever afters, but, one night with Emma begins to make him wonder if there is life beyond the 48 hour relationship his app promotes.
This being the Dare series, Emma and Xavier naturally fall into bed (and bathrooms and alleyways…), but their chemistry is believable and the two are likeable characters who have an assortment of trust issues based on things that have happened in the past. Indeed, by the last section of the book, you really do root for them to overcome their reluctance and take a chance on their future happiness together.
There is a serious sub plot involving a potentially dangerous user of the app who contacts Emma and essentially seems to be stalking her at points, and it is this incident that prompts Xavier to re-think what he is promoting.
Escapist and easy going, this is an enjoyable summer read.
Thanks to M&B for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Writer Emma is talked into using dating app NOST (short for No Strings) in an attempt get herself back into the dating game. App creator Xavier doesn’t believe in true love and happy ever afters, but, one night with Emma begins to make him wonder if there is life beyond the 48 hour relationship his app promotes.
This being the Dare series, Emma and Xavier naturally fall into bed (and bathrooms and alleyways…), but their chemistry is believable and the two are likeable characters who have an assortment of trust issues based on things that have happened in the past. Indeed, by the last section of the book, you really do root for them to overcome their reluctance and take a chance on their future happiness together.
There is a serious sub plot involving a potentially dangerous user of the app who contacts Emma and essentially seems to be stalking her at points, and it is this incident that prompts Xavier to re-think what he is promoting.
Escapist and easy going, this is an enjoyable summer read.
Thanks to M&B for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
February 21, 2023
Inte bra.
Skulle testa på lite nya genrer och böcker för i år tänkte jag som mål och min första ljudbok blev erotik.
Gud så tjatig den är. Boken är verkligen One Note. I varje kapitel och vad som kändes som varje stycke var tankegångarna hos våra protagonister så repetiva att jag synligt himlade med ögonen för var gång.
"Fina tjejer gör inte så här, men nu gör jag det"
"Jag tänker inte på främlingar på det sättet men nu göt jag det"
"Jag brukar inte få känslor för främlingar men nu gör jag det
Oftast i den liknande formuleringen men det var verkligen bara i den strukturen folk tänkte i den här boken. Jag hade blivit galen av att tänka i den formuleringen.
Boken är sedan fylld med klyschor och därmed inte så spännande.
Boring
Skulle testa på lite nya genrer och böcker för i år tänkte jag som mål och min första ljudbok blev erotik.
Gud så tjatig den är. Boken är verkligen One Note. I varje kapitel och vad som kändes som varje stycke var tankegångarna hos våra protagonister så repetiva att jag synligt himlade med ögonen för var gång.
"Fina tjejer gör inte så här, men nu gör jag det"
"Jag tänker inte på främlingar på det sättet men nu göt jag det"
"Jag brukar inte få känslor för främlingar men nu gör jag det
Oftast i den liknande formuleringen men det var verkligen bara i den strukturen folk tänkte i den här boken. Jag hade blivit galen av att tänka i den formuleringen.
Boken är sedan fylld med klyschor och därmed inte så spännande.
Boring
June 4, 2018
This is an M&B for the modern woman. Emma is a journalist and is trying a new app called NOST (short for no strings) for an article. She meets Mr X who finds her via the app and he interrupts when the guy she was meant to meet turns nasty. Mr X actually owns the app and never wants to fall in love and Emma doesn't believe in one night stands. The chemistry is incredible and as this is the Dare series, things get hot! . This is a fresh, modern and well written with believable characters . The chemistry kept me hooked from the beginning and with the added suspense of the nasty guy, I couldn't put it down and had to read it in one sitting. Definitely a keeper!
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
May 18, 2018
Hot sexy read with 2 strong leads makes for an interesting read.
November 25, 2019
I am liking these books by Cara Lockwood, her writing is solid and compelling and the storyline catches my interest. I feel like she is really able to invoke emotions in me as a reader, and not every book can do that for me, so straight away she gains points for that.
I liked how phones and the internet are fully integrated in the story. It's not always the case in contemps since technology changes the dynamics so much, so when I see a story that does tackle these added elements I appreciate it because it feels truer to our modern life. I also appreciated that the negatives of dating apps weren't glossed over either.
The situation is intriguing and Lockwood doesn't waste it, she uses it to set up some hot scenes. There is also surprisingly layered characterisation and accurate insights into relationships. The story revolves around themes of cheating, getting bored in a relationship, fear of commitment (genuine fear, not the cliché "I don't want any attachments I'm an alpha male who doesn't want to bother with emotions" kind)... A few sentences felt unexpected in a romance novel and really resonated with me. Well done Cara Lockwood.
Another thing I appreciated so much was that when X does a creepy, stalkery thing that is an abuse of power, it's not excused or swept under the rug the way douchey alpha behaviour often is. It's treated as a breach of boundaries very clearly on the page, called by the proper name for it, and addressed clearly as a violation. I was cheering! So far I am really appreciating how this line is maintaining clear standards for appropriate behaviour by men. I can appreciate heroes so much more when they are considerate people at heart who respect their heroines, even if they mess up sometimes.
Now of course this is a category romance, so it's very short. By necessity the story must progress at lightning speed and the characters reach commitment at a very unnatural speed. Lockwood handles this petty well, the emotional progression felt as progressive as it could in the page count. I have no complaints about that as I am volontarily seeking out shorter stories so I am well aware they will be more rushed. I'm just saying, some level of suspension of disbelief is definitely necessary to accept that these two will commit to each other within a few days, when there are big psychological obstacles that in real life would take longer to work through. However by the end I could really picture these two being happy together, once they have their shit together they are very well suited.
I am a feminist, so I was white-knuckling it in the beginning with the descriptions of Emma as a feminist. It was a little clumsy, but thankfully avoided anything offensive so I heaved a great sigh of relief. It didn't come up again in the story afterwards, so overall, I think it got off well. Whew, I was worried there for a minute!
Another little detail is that Lockwood likes to describe her characters kissing as their tongues meeting in a primal dance as old as time. Now I'm perfectly ok reading that once, but when it's repeated several times in the story, it's such a specific, slightly corny phrase that it becomes distracting.
Anyway, I enjoyed this book, it was a fast read but not devoid of emotional depth! It was satisfying with a sweet ending. I will definitely seek out her other Dare books.
I liked how phones and the internet are fully integrated in the story. It's not always the case in contemps since technology changes the dynamics so much, so when I see a story that does tackle these added elements I appreciate it because it feels truer to our modern life. I also appreciated that the negatives of dating apps weren't glossed over either.
The situation is intriguing and Lockwood doesn't waste it, she uses it to set up some hot scenes. There is also surprisingly layered characterisation and accurate insights into relationships. The story revolves around themes of cheating, getting bored in a relationship, fear of commitment (genuine fear, not the cliché "I don't want any attachments I'm an alpha male who doesn't want to bother with emotions" kind)... A few sentences felt unexpected in a romance novel and really resonated with me. Well done Cara Lockwood.
Another thing I appreciated so much was that when X does a creepy, stalkery thing that is an abuse of power, it's not excused or swept under the rug the way douchey alpha behaviour often is. It's treated as a breach of boundaries very clearly on the page, called by the proper name for it, and addressed clearly as a violation. I was cheering! So far I am really appreciating how this line is maintaining clear standards for appropriate behaviour by men. I can appreciate heroes so much more when they are considerate people at heart who respect their heroines, even if they mess up sometimes.
Now of course this is a category romance, so it's very short. By necessity the story must progress at lightning speed and the characters reach commitment at a very unnatural speed. Lockwood handles this petty well, the emotional progression felt as progressive as it could in the page count. I have no complaints about that as I am volontarily seeking out shorter stories so I am well aware they will be more rushed. I'm just saying, some level of suspension of disbelief is definitely necessary to accept that these two will commit to each other within a few days, when there are big psychological obstacles that in real life would take longer to work through. However by the end I could really picture these two being happy together, once they have their shit together they are very well suited.
I am a feminist, so I was white-knuckling it in the beginning with the descriptions of Emma as a feminist. It was a little clumsy, but thankfully avoided anything offensive so I heaved a great sigh of relief. It didn't come up again in the story afterwards, so overall, I think it got off well. Whew, I was worried there for a minute!
Another little detail is that Lockwood likes to describe her characters kissing as their tongues meeting in a primal dance as old as time. Now I'm perfectly ok reading that once, but when it's repeated several times in the story, it's such a specific, slightly corny phrase that it becomes distracting.
Anyway, I enjoyed this book, it was a fast read but not devoid of emotional depth! It was satisfying with a sweet ending. I will definitely seek out her other Dare books.
June 14, 2018
Emma Allaire is approaching her thirtieth birthday and her love life hasn’t exactly been anything to write home about up to now, so when her best friend Sarah signs Emma up to a new app called Nost, Emma is reserved but intrigued. Nost is short for No Strings, and it’s similar to Tinder – you can see other users who are near you and can hook up with them for a one night stand (or two, if you like). However, after 48 hours, their profile is gone from view forever.
Emma pushes out of her comfort zone and agrees to meet a man at a bar. When he turns up, however, the man has obviously used a fake profile because he’s nothing like the photo. Emma tries to be nice but he gets nasty, so she’s grateful when a tall, dark, handsome stranger intervenes. Turns out he’s Mr. X, another user whose profile she’d viewed. They have a drink and talk, and Emma finds herself unable to refuse his invitation to go to a room at the hotel they’re in.
The next morning, Emma finds herself bereft to see Mr. X has gone, but he’s left her a note instructing her to meet him in the hotel lobby that night. What follows is a series of hookups in which Mr. X walks away after every encounter.
Mr. X is Xavier Pena, the man who developed Nost. After watching his bipolar mother cheat on his devoted father for years, and then having his own fiancee cheat on him with other men, Xavier has given up on the idea of true love. So he developed Nost with people like himself in mind – those who want sex with no strings attached. He’s made good use of the app, burning through women without a second thought, but that all changes when he meets Emma.
Emma wants to know more about Xavier, but he’s a closed book. She does eventually learn about the cheating ex, and he tells her about his mother. Emma understands why Xavier is so reticent to be in a long-term, committed relationship, but she realises she’s in love with him. However, when she realises he’s still messaging other women on Nost, she ends the relationship.
Xavier comes to realise that he doesn’t want anyone else but Emma, so he faces his demons and goes after her. When Emma has another run in with the creep from the first Nost date, Xavier gets to her just in time.
I enjoyed this book and the chemistry between the leads, but I found Xavier a little annoying at times. I understood his reasons for not wanting a serious relationship, but Emma was a great heroine, and his constant pushing her away became grating. But they got there in the end, and the epilogue provided a nice little insight into their relationship down the track.
Emma pushes out of her comfort zone and agrees to meet a man at a bar. When he turns up, however, the man has obviously used a fake profile because he’s nothing like the photo. Emma tries to be nice but he gets nasty, so she’s grateful when a tall, dark, handsome stranger intervenes. Turns out he’s Mr. X, another user whose profile she’d viewed. They have a drink and talk, and Emma finds herself unable to refuse his invitation to go to a room at the hotel they’re in.
The next morning, Emma finds herself bereft to see Mr. X has gone, but he’s left her a note instructing her to meet him in the hotel lobby that night. What follows is a series of hookups in which Mr. X walks away after every encounter.
Mr. X is Xavier Pena, the man who developed Nost. After watching his bipolar mother cheat on his devoted father for years, and then having his own fiancee cheat on him with other men, Xavier has given up on the idea of true love. So he developed Nost with people like himself in mind – those who want sex with no strings attached. He’s made good use of the app, burning through women without a second thought, but that all changes when he meets Emma.
Emma wants to know more about Xavier, but he’s a closed book. She does eventually learn about the cheating ex, and he tells her about his mother. Emma understands why Xavier is so reticent to be in a long-term, committed relationship, but she realises she’s in love with him. However, when she realises he’s still messaging other women on Nost, she ends the relationship.
Xavier comes to realise that he doesn’t want anyone else but Emma, so he faces his demons and goes after her. When Emma has another run in with the creep from the first Nost date, Xavier gets to her just in time.
I enjoyed this book and the chemistry between the leads, but I found Xavier a little annoying at times. I understood his reasons for not wanting a serious relationship, but Emma was a great heroine, and his constant pushing her away became grating. But they got there in the end, and the epilogue provided a nice little insight into their relationship down the track.
January 18, 2020
Another brilliant book from the Dare series. These are some of my favourite books. They are a cute size to keep in your bag and full of romance that sometimes you just want and need. I really enjoyed No Strings, the characters where really interesting and of course the book was filled with some hot scenes, drama and romance.
There is a dating app called NOST short for No Strings. The app creator Xavier doesn't believe in love and happily ever afters he'd rather just have sex, no strings and move on. Emma is a writer and she gets talked into using the app to try and get her dating life back on track. But, one night with each other things might change. Will Xavier think there might be more than just these 48 hours between them or will he just push past these feelings?
I really love this story. It was more than just finding someone for a hook up it also talks about the safety of online dating. Of how people aren't really who they say they are on a dating app and when someone takes an interest in Emma, someone who can't take no for an answer, Xavier might start re-thinking things about this app and also his relationship with Emma. With both of them trying to move on from things in their past and now with this happening can they both overcome their fears and their past to move on and finally have a happily ever after? Or will someone try and make sure that doesn't happen?
A fantastic book in the Dare series. Full of two characters who have had their hearts broken and just want a hook up but, this could lead to something better, something they both need in their lives to finally be happy. Emma and Xavier are two people you will be rooting for. I can't wait to read more from the dare series and I can't recommend this one enough.
There is a dating app called NOST short for No Strings. The app creator Xavier doesn't believe in love and happily ever afters he'd rather just have sex, no strings and move on. Emma is a writer and she gets talked into using the app to try and get her dating life back on track. But, one night with each other things might change. Will Xavier think there might be more than just these 48 hours between them or will he just push past these feelings?
I really love this story. It was more than just finding someone for a hook up it also talks about the safety of online dating. Of how people aren't really who they say they are on a dating app and when someone takes an interest in Emma, someone who can't take no for an answer, Xavier might start re-thinking things about this app and also his relationship with Emma. With both of them trying to move on from things in their past and now with this happening can they both overcome their fears and their past to move on and finally have a happily ever after? Or will someone try and make sure that doesn't happen?
A fantastic book in the Dare series. Full of two characters who have had their hearts broken and just want a hook up but, this could lead to something better, something they both need in their lives to finally be happy. Emma and Xavier are two people you will be rooting for. I can't wait to read more from the dare series and I can't recommend this one enough.
June 27, 2018
No Strings is written by Cara Lockwood and is part of the Mills & Boon Dare collection. Emma Allaire is a writer who is persuaded to use the NOST (No Strings Attached) dating app to improve/ spice up her sex life. The creator of the app, Xavier Pena doesn't believe in love but enjoys the philosophy of no strings attached sex and then move on. They meet on the app, then in real life, have great chemistry and great sex. Will Xavier see that love can and does exist. The novel also has a more serious angle- namely internet safety and the potential danger of dating apps. Emma is stalked by another app user and Xavier has to intervene.
This is a very modern romance, hook up on a dating app, have lots of hot sex everywhere and ... fall in love! The book also reveals not only the pros but also the cons of these apps. A side storyline had Emma being stalked by a deranged app user. Lots of chemistry, interesting, up to date storyline which I enjoyed reading.
I received this book via Netgalley and Mills and Boon in exchange for an honest review. I am a #MillsAndBoonInsider #netgalley
May 31, 2018
An interesting story line! I like stories were dating sites feature. I was quite annoyed with Xavier’s App though as it wasn’t very safe! So that made me root for him less, although I liked how smoking hot he was and enjoyed the chemistry between Emma and Mr X. I much preferred Emma’s character and felt she was quite grounded and real. I liked the parts of the story also were Emma and her friend were exploring the app, that was fun! Preferred those light hearted sides to the story than some of the heavier stuff like the odd ball she meets from the app. It’s worth a read.
June 27, 2018
I enjoyed this book. Few topics were brought up in this book that I wish people would talk about more like slut-shaming, feminism, commitment phobia.
I liked both main characters and I appreciated that the hero mentioned/thought about his ex without calling her all possible names.
I'm always looking for more erotica/ romance books with feminist themes.
I'm a total sucker for the 'one night was not enough and I need more' trope and this book definitely delivered.
I liked both main characters and I appreciated that the hero mentioned/thought about his ex without calling her all possible names.
I'm always looking for more erotica/ romance books with feminist themes.
I'm a total sucker for the 'one night was not enough and I need more' trope and this book definitely delivered.
September 28, 2018
I loved this book. I won't summarize the story, because that's what cover blurbs are for. The sex starts from page one and surprisingly the premise works and works well. The character's backstories fit into the plot flawlessly and the graphic sex scenes were elegantly written. I was sympathetic towards both the hero and heroine and found myself rooting for them until the last page. Every book in the Dare line should be held to this level of writing.
July 10, 2018
This book starts with banter about dating apps - it has female friendships (although it's questionable as to whether the friend of the heroine is good for her or not?), and the pros and cons of online dating/sex apps.
June 18, 2018
Cara is amazing. I loved every chapter, each is a pager turner, must read. Sipping wine and getting lost in this book was the greatest mind exertions ever.
June 28, 2018
Absolutely loved this short story about Emma and Mr X who meet through a dating app. The date is supposed to last for 48 hours, but neither seems to be done... Hot! For adult readers.
July 21, 2018
Actual rating: 1,5/5.
April 25, 2019
Mer på bloggen senare.
November 6, 2018
Other then this being a cautionary tale of what not to do when using a hook up app, I enjoyed the story and didn't want it to end.
July 17, 2020
4.25 stars! Chemistry + angst = 👍🏼
October 7, 2025
love the spice
April 18, 2020
very sexy , and a great love story
couldn't put this book down x
the characters in this book are more on and off than a light lol :)
couldn't put this book down x
the characters in this book are more on and off than a light lol :)
January 19, 2019
When Emma's friend stacey hook her up to Nost no strings sex app emma is clearly from the start not a great candidate for it yet ends up with mr x yet afterwards clearly wants a relationship which clearly shows Nost is so not her thing. So makes for a tug of war between mr x wanting no strings sex n emma with her need for a relationship. Also shows the cons n creeps that showup on apps for singles or the like.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews