That time I had the brilliant idea to ask my good friend for lessons in sex-ploration… our friendship, I have some specific requirements for his instruction. I want these classes to be hypothetical more than hands-on. So what if he’s hella sexy? I can handle that, no problem.
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I have it bad for Arden. She’s bright, brilliant, insanely fun, and I want to take her home and spend all night together—and then spend the day with her, too. When she asks for my help, I see my chance to win her sweet heart by showing her how much fun we can have getting spicy. Trouble is, she has a different idea of what “sex-ploration” should mean. Now I’m going to have to get really clever to win her over.
Good thing I know exactly how to upend her best laid plans.
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A Review of Best Laid Plans by Lauren Blakely
Arden and Gabe – 5+++++ Stars
Another great story from the incomparable Ms. Blakely! The friendship that these characters start out with and build over the course of a year leads to chemistry that is amazing and very strong for both of them, although she keeps her head buried in the sand of denial. When she finally “sees” what is right in front of her, she has to decide if the leap of faith is worth taking or if it will cause them to lose their friendship. Definitely well worth taking the time to read and enjoy!
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**Honest review voluntarily provided from a Complimentary Copy**
Lauren is one of those few authors that I trust will give me a good story. I can read her books and get the sweet, steamy, romantic, and well-rounded vibes from the characters and their story. Best Laid Plans was no different. This friends-to-lovers romance was wonderfully written and I enjoyed the story. I loved the first meet between Arden and Gabe-it was funny and cute. It showed how their friendship started. As their story progressed, their friendship is at the fore-front. But what happens when a simple request is made and the possibility of more? I loved reading about Arden and Gabe trying to navigate through the sequence of events and feelings. The chemistry, the friendship, and the individual personalities made this story pop. I believed in them. I enjoyed seeing this all play out as the book progresses. I really do love these characters. Arden and Gabe were just the best in all the right ways. Another thing I loved about Lauren’s books is the connection between characters of previous and future books. It’s always a nice and fun surprise. I’m excited for what’s to come with Arden’s two best friends. Overall, a delightful read that I truly liked very much.
The first thing I like about this book are the characters. Arden, our heroine, is a planner. She likes things in order, she owns a bookstore and she’s one of the nicest ladies in town. In fact, her being nice was the reason that one of her boyfriends broke up with her. She was “too vanilla”. It was Gabe that lend a shoulder to cry on (like literally) the second it happened. It started a beautiful friendship between the two.
Between bowling and playing Words with Friends occasionally, they were constant in each other’s life. She was her go-to person. But something else was lacking. She decided it was time for her to dive into a new relationship, but first she needs to shed off her “vanilla-ness”, and the perfect candidate to help her – none other than her best buddy, Gabe.
Gabe is a lady’s man. But there was no other lady he wanted than the lady who is constant in his life. But he’s wary of risking the friendship at first. When he finally had the guts to give in, Arden gave him the biggest surprise of his life offering him to tutor her with regards to sex. Her list was like heaven for him and it almost matches his fantasies! Of course, there are stipulations. How can he possibly say no?
Gabe and Arden’s relationship with the secondary characters (i.e. friends and families) is a nice touch as well. I love how Gabe is with his Pops, and Arden with her girls.
There is indeed a thin line between friendship and love, and I always believe friendship is the strongest foundation of a relationship. I like how their relationship came about. The sex-ed was a little funny, and off-the-charts steamy. Chemistry is already there between the two and all you have to do is to wait when it will finally self-combust, and when it did, it was just so powerful.
I finished this book in one sitting, completely entertaining, funny, hot, and oh-so sweet. Lauren Blakely makes another perfect romance that would make her readers swoon.
You know the saying “Nice guys finish last”? Well, in Lauren Blakely’s new release, Best Laid Plans, Blakely’s heroine learns the hard way that nice girls seem to get dumped because they’re not naughty enough in bed…at least that’s Arden East’s ex’s reason for breaking up with her. So what’s a good girl to do when she’s basically been told she’s too vanilla in bed…too sweet to want to explore the naughtier side of sex…how about asking Lucky Falls’ resident Panty-Melter, Gabe Harrison, to help her experience all that sex is supposed to be and prove to herself that she’s not too good of a girl to experience the filthy side of fucking!
A short-term guy and a long-term girl hooking up has disaster written all over it, but Arden’s determined to explore her dirtier and naughtier side and who better to help her than a man who seems to know his way around a woman’s body and has probably experienced all the non-vanilla sex Arden wants to try out. I truly wish I could have been in the room for the scene where Arden asks Gabe for his ‘sex assistance.’ I mean…here’s a guy who is more than attracted to his female friend and now she’s offering him a chance to get in her pants and show her what it means to do something other than make love; in a guy’s mind, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, but for Gabe, it comes with its own set of problems and that fact is shown the more he helps Arden explore a side of her that she never knew she had.
I love a title that uses a pun – allowing readers to notice the word play right from the start. Arden is a planner – one who makes list and plots out how she wants everything to go, but when it comes to another person’s actions and what that means for her, there’s no way to know all of those details, and her plans turn into best laid ones, making things end poorly and quite different than she expected despite all of her painstaking preparations.
Best LAID plans also implies exactly what Arden wants to experience with Gabe, helping her explore what she truly wants/likes in bed, checking off different positions and situations that allow her to come out of her ‘good-girl shell’ and be the naughty sex kitten that only Gabe seems to bring out.
Best Laid Plans is such a cute and swoon worthy story…Arden and Gabe are extremely likable characters and I love the fact that these two created a solid friendship before Arden directed them down a path towards less of a platonic relationship, but therein lies the problem as well, because the fear of losing a connection that means everything to her is not something Arden knows how to deal with, which means there are bound to be mistakes on both sides.
The kind-hearted bookstore owner and the sexy fireman will melt readers’ hearts as well as get them all hot and bothered from Gabe and Arden’s sexual exploration, which is exactly what romance readers want!
4.5 Poison Apples
Holy hotness that is Gabe!!! This sexy slow burn friends to lovers romcom, with a hot as heck fireman is a definite must read. I absolutely loved Gabe and Arden’s relationship, characters and banter. Their chemistry is off the charts scorching you’ll be fanning yourself as you turn the pages. I highly recommend this book.
5 She Gets So Much More than She Bargained For Stars!!!
I don’t think there’s a single Lauren Blakely book that I haven’t loved and adored. She absolutely knows how to grab the reader’s attention and keep us engaged with her story. This newest book is no different. Our Heroine Arden is all prepared to ask her boyfriend to move in with her when she gets the shock of her life and she suddenly finds herself being comforted by Gabe who happened to be running in the park that day…and what a lucky day for him if I may say so!!
These two start a somewhat timid friendship that truly blossoms through their texting and playing online games. While they’re drawing closer together, I’m snort laughing at some of Arden’s thoughts and abilities…she’s literally the book and wine whisperer!!! Because she wants to figure out went what wrong with her last relationship, she puts a plan together to have her new bestie Gabe teach her “all the things” that have to do with anything but plain vanilla lovemaking and so the journey begins.
I was at times laughing out loud, a visit to a “toy” shop had me rolling while other times I was swooning and fanning myself. Gabe is determined to prove to Arden, he’s the man for her!!! I adored these two together. They literally are the ying to the other’s yang.
Ms. Blakely has written a book that is funny, sassy, sexy, smart, heartfelt and entertaining all at the same time. If you’re like me and love her words as much as I do, this is your next must read book!!!
In honor of Arden love for lists, I need to list what I loved in this book,and it’d be a shot list if I just said everything, so lets try and expand on it:
1- Gabe. He is now my favorite hero from Lauren’s books.
2 – Arden. What is not to love? She is a book lover like us!
3 – Rescue cats living in a bookstore!
4 – A really great group of friends
5 – Crazy book club ladies
6 – A man that loves his family
Ok, let me stop here so I don’t tell you everything that happened on the book, but I have to say that I read it with a smile on my face. Really, I couldn’t stop smiling. Go grab your copy and read it!
From the moment Arden and Gabe met there were evident sparks, and a mutual attraction. But at that particular time she was just getting out of a bad relationship and he wasn’t really in the market for a girlfriend because he was too busy sowing his wild oats. So a friendship bloomed and through the last year they have spent copious amounts of time doing friend-type things, but things between them are about to head in a whole new direction!
Arden wants to improve her bedroom skills, and she thinks that Gabe is the perfect partner for the job, because he is “safe” and won’t judge her for her inadequacies, and well, because he has tons of experience that he can share. But what starts out as an innocent teaching lesson quickly becomes something else entirely… something a whole lot hotter!!
Best Laid Plans is a sultry little friends-to-lovers story that comes brimming with emotion, humor, and loads of naughtiness!! I loved my time with these two quirky love birds, they brought life to the pages and kept me thoroughly entertained with their sex-ploration antics! Every once in a while I need a steamy romantic comedy thrown into the mix, to even out of all the angsty stuff I usually go for, and this one was the perfect antidote! It had me smiling barely a chapter in, and that smile hung around long after the last page was swiped! Ms. Blakely really brought her Rom-com “A” game with this one, it had laughs and swoons galore! If you are in the mood for something light-hearted and a little on the steamy side then I highly suggest you give this one a try, it’s a sure bet!
I requested an advanced copy of this title from the publisher, and I am voluntarily leaving my honest opinion.
4.5*
You know those memes that make the rounds on FB, with the different colored pills that can either transport you into your favorite book or bring your favorite bbf to life, among other things? Well, I’d take the pill that would transport me into the world of Best Laid Plans, because I want to be Arden. Like, seriously want to be her. And not just because of Gabe. Okay fine, Gabe may be a Giganotosaurus reason why I want to be her. But let’s be real- Arden owns a freaking bookstore! And isn’t that the dream of every bookworm the world over? Plus, she has her own yellow cottage with a wraparound porch and has some really wonderful girlfriends. Why wouldn’t I want to be her?!? Yes, sure, Gabe is all kinds of swoony deliciousness, but honestly, Arden is pretty awesome herself!
Best Laid Plans is an entertaining take on the friends with benefits arrangement. Arden and Gabe have been friends for about a year, (Time-out, let’s talk about the start of that friendship for a minute, shall we? The way Gabe handled Arden’s meltdown- I knew right then he was going to be something special!), and in that time have grown incredibly close and comfortable with each other, leading Arden to approach Gabe with a proposition. Little does she know, though, that he’s been harboring much stronger feelings for her than friendship, and her plan might be just the push he needs to let her know.
This story was all kinds of cute romcom fun. Arden is a terrific heroine. She’s sweet, caring, kind, and completely relatable-she’s someone I’d want to be friends with, if I didn’t want to be her so badly. Gabe is all kinds of swoony, as I may have mentioned before. He’s also very kind, as well as generous and soft-hearted. As much as he wants to take the next step with Arden, he lets her set the pace, and that made him all the more loveable.
I found Best Laid Plans to be such a delightful read. It was light and easy, with terrific characters and such a sweet love story.
I didn’t stand a chance.
Gabe. Sweet, charming, lovable, quirky, OH-SO-SEXY Gabe. This man is the epitome of the perfect book boyfriend. And I haven’t even mentioned yet that he was a baseball player and is now a firefighter. On a scale of one to ten, those two attributes alone bump him up to a twelve. Add all of it together and he’s off the charts. He’s so funny and has the best personality, one that puts Arden at ease and is simply irresistible.
Arden is wonderful! From the beginning, I knew there was a whole side to her that we couldn’t wait to uncover. She’s just as quirky and funny as Gabe, and I think that’s one of the things that makes them fast friends – and one of the reasons why they mesh so well together. She’s ready to break out of her shell and it’s so much fun to watch.
Best Laid Plans is probably my new favorite LB book (disclaimer: I might say this about every book she writes). It’s fun and flirty, sexy and enlightening, quirky and heartfelt. This book checks off all the boxes for a sweet and sexy love story.
Freakin’ adored this story!!
“The man has charm for miles – a playboy with a heart of gold.”
Arden East is a nice girl. However, under the niceness is a naughty girl desperate to break free. Her niceness is the reason that her ex broke up with her – on the same day, she begins a beautiful friendship with hot-as-hell firefighter, Gabe Harrison.
“She’s the one I want for more than a one-and-done date. I want more than a casual thing with her. I want all in.”
Gabe Harrison has a reputation for being a one-and-done kind of guy. Since the day he met Arden, he’s always wanted her. When she’s finally single, she friend-zones him. During the year that their friendship blossoms, his feelings grow but he just can’t steer them out to deeper waters. When Arden approaches him with an outrageous proposal, he finally gets his chance to change the status quo. Unfortunately, her fears and his reputation are very real barriers for Arden.
“I want to get under her skin, like she’s under mine.”
Gah! I just adored this story! It was a butterflies-inducing, slow burn romance. So deliciously sexy! I loved Arden and Gabe’s easy and fun friendship. They are such solid friends who love spending time together and are there for each other. An attraction has always simmered below the surface and Arden’s plan to explore her naughty side really gets Gabe’s engine revving! These two are seriously dynamite! I thoroughly enjoyed their journey from friends to lovers.
As always, I love the colourful cast of characters that appear in this author’s books and can’t wait for their stories.
There is so much to love about this friends to lovers romance! It is hilarious, hot & steamy and a new sexy alpha hero that you can’t help but fall in love with. When Arden wants to break away from her ‘nice girl’ label, looking to find her ‘naughty side, she asks her best friend for help. She knows that Gabe is a playboy, so who better to be her coach? Gabe has wanted his sweet and sexy friend for awhile and finally sees his chance to convince her that they are perfect for each other. But his little ‘sexlete’ isn’t making it easy with miming her very specific list. This was such a fun and heartfelt romance that Blakely is a master at creating. I love Gabe and Arden together because they feel so genuine, honest and relate-able. They have fun together, their banter is witty while discovering each other’s pasts, quirks, dreams, and desires, and their chemistry is explosive! This is a multifaceted story with a depth that is truly satisfying. Their family and friends all make appearances adding to the fun and setting the stage for upcoming stories that I can’t wait to read!
Best Laid Plans is Lauren Blakely’s newest romantic, sexy comedy. As you know, I’m Lauren’s biggest fan. I’m a huge fan of the woman, her writing, her characters, her sense of humor, her witty banter, her storytelling and the way she keeps coming up with new, fresh and exciting ways to entertain us. Best Laid Plans is Gabe and Arden’s story. We briefly met Gabe and Arden in Unzipped and I was instantly intrigued by the sexy fireman and the pretty bookstore owner. Gabe and Arden are friends. Just friends. They have fun together, talking, bowling. When Arden decides she wants to know what it’s like to be naughty, she enlists the help of her handsome friend, Gabe. He is ecstatic and thinks this is finally his chance to show her he thinks about her more than a friend. Until she tells him it’s a “hands-off” lesson. What the what? Ok, he can do this. He’ll just tell her, lead her and then maybe get the chance to actually show her. What could go wrong? Their friendship is strong and it will survive and if he has his way they will become more than friends. Arden didn’t really think this plan through. She didn’t realize how much just Gabe talking to her about sex would turn her on. But of course he’s a player so he’s good at this. He’s just a friend helping out another friend. Right? Once they touch for real and can’t seem to keep their hands off each other, Gabe knows this is his chance. But Arden is freaking out. She doesn’t think he truly cares about her. But he does. He so does. Will Gabe fight for his woman? Will Arden finally see what their future could look like? I loved this story. So much! It’s fun, sexy, sweet, romantic and swoony. Gabe isn’t just a sexy, gorgeous fireman. He cares about people. Wants to help them, save them and provide for them. Arden is smart, funny and knows just the right wine to pair with a great book. I wish I could go visit her bookstore and ask her advice! I loved that Gabe was the one who wanted to jump in feet first from friendship to much more! Overall, I laughed, cried, laughed, swooned, laughed some more and had to fan myself. Lauren never disappoints with her sexy characters, fun stories and romantic words. Sometimes your best laid plans turn out the way you never thought they would. Backwards. Upside down. Even better.
Best Laid Plans is Lauren Blakely’s next sexy, sweet, and funny rom-com. I adore Lauren and all of her words. I love all of her characters. She always makes me fall hard for each and every one of them. I will make this fast since the synopsis kicks ass and explains the story perfectly.
Arden is a good girl who wants to learn to be little naughty. Gabe is a fireman playboy with a heart of gold. This unlucky pair became friends in the funniest way. And a year later, Arden proposes a deal. One that Gabe would never turn down.
Gabe is stunned silent. He wants Arden. So much and this might just be the way to show her how much. How much she deserves to be worshipped in the bedroom. Loved and adored. For the woman she is and not the woman she thinks she needs to be. He has one week to figure out how to get out of the friend zone with the only woman he has ever truly wanted.
Arden has no idea this would be so hard. Of course she knew Gabe was hot but damn. Being this close to him, seeing his charm really shining though. She is also noticing much more. The looks. The sparks. Sparks she shouldn’t be feeling.
Will Gabe and Arden move out of the friend zone?
Overall…I loved every minute of this book! It was so much fun, flirty, and hot. Their banter is friendship goals. Their passion is more than friends goals. God, I loved Gabe & Arden.
Quotes:
“I think it’s time to find out if you have a little Ana in you.”
I want to know the landscape of her body. Want to slide my hands up and down her legs, nibble on her ass, and make her whimper.
This is going to be the toughest game of charades I’ve ever played.
There is a chance I say this every time, but I think this is my favorite Lauren Blakely story so far!
Gabe and Arden are so amazing! I laughed out loud several times! I love how light and sweet this story is, but there is also a lot of heat to go around!
Another FIVE STARS for Ms. Blakely!
Lauren Blakely has a gift that no other person on this planet can do. She can make me sit, perfectly content, for hours on end, and read her hilariously sexy stories from start to finish. Best Laid Plans is most definitely my favorite book of hers to date! A friends to lovers romance that made me swoon, made me laugh and had me begging Arden to REALLY tell Gabe what she wanted 😉 I mean, a hot fireman and a bookstore owner? Every woman’s fantasy! The slow burn in this book…oh my…so much fun, so incredibly HOT! I truly loved everything about Best Laid Plans and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for just a good, fun, sexy story <3
Two words. HOT. FIREMAN.
Enough said.
But, there’s so much more to this book that that, of course there is. There’s always more in a LB book! Slow burn, friendship, lust, HOT FIREMAN, sweetness, swoon worthy times, did I mention HOT FIREMAN? Ok, so I have a thing for a sexy hot fireman.
Oh, and there also teaching. Yup, teaching. Arden is so “vanilla”, at least that’s what her last boyfriend claims. How’s she supposed to know anyways? She hasn’t been with that many guys, and she can only go by what he told her, right? Gets her thinking…would she like it more naughty? The whole “lady in the streets and freak in the sheets” thing? Well, there’s only one way to find out if she likes naughty….and that’s to experiment, to test this theory of hers that she might indeed like naughty better than nice.
Who better to ask than her HOT FIREMAN best friend, right?? Friendship on fire…. in more ways that one.
LB fans definitely don’t wanna miss this one!
Loved it! Loved it! Loved it!
This is exactly what I needed to fall into after a hectic holiday to help with the blues. It made me smile, laugh and swoon and I want to know more and more. I couldn’t put it down, and read it in one sitting.
I loved each character immensely. Arden was someone I could connect with because of her quirkiness and planning. I thought she was sweet and entrancing with a wicked side. I wish I had her job! Gabe melted my heart. He is that guy that is your protector as well as your biggest supporter and best friend. He realizes before Arden does that they could have so much more if they took their friendship to the next level. It just takes Arden some planning and role playing to see where her heart belongs.
There are a few shelves you could rest this book. It’s a contemporary romance with humor, so a rom-com too. It could even be considered a slow burn story but once they do finally click, it is a quick conclusion. Don’t fret, as there are two epilogues that will give you a complete HEA and with the next book in the series being released soon, I think we will hear more about Arden and Gabe, as well as the new couple.
I absolutely adored Best Laid Plans! The story started with a bang and didn’t let up from there. A sweet and sexy rom-com that left me begging and pleading for more.
Arden East is beautiful, bright and funny. She is the sweet, girl next door type who doesn’t know a thing about being naughty. She’s a bit too vanilla, hence why she finds herself single, time and time again. Would she even like being a dirty girl? Feeling bold, brave and curious, she is determined to find out. And who better to help her than her sexy new best friend?
Gabe Harrison is hot AF, witty and absolutely charming. A calendar worthy fireman that girls would drop their panties for. While out for a run, he meets the lovely Arden who’s crying and upset. He soon has her smiling and the two become fast friends. Gabe is really quite smitten and desires something more, but Arden has him friend-zoned. Can he convince her to take a chance and give him a shot?
When Arden presents him with an offer, he’d be a fool to let this pass him by. Lessons on how to be naughty? HELL TO THE YES! It’s a win-win for all until he learns it’s not hands-on. Sure he hates this, but he plans to show her just how much fun it can be. Maybe he can even win her heart after all is said and done.
All in all, Best Laid Plans is a terrific and swoon-worthy read. It’s incredibly well written and entertaining from beginning to end. The characters are so much fun and hooked me from page one. I loved the ease of their relationship and how well they meshed together. Their pull was instant and I loved the banter that they shared. And of course, you can’t forget the sparks. Ugh, I just couldn’t get enough! If you’re looking for a sweet, sexy and funny read, then do yourself a favor and pick this one up.
Call 9-1-1! This book is a four-alarm fire!!
Deliciously spicy and HOT as a blazing flame, this book will have you looking for ice to cool you down. Take a gorgeous fireman and mix him up with a quirky and sweet bookshop owner and you have the beginnings of a tasty treat.
Arden is the beautiful girl next door type who is always nice. Vanilla nice! After being dumped because her boyfriend found her too nice, she concocts a plan to have her best male friend help her loosen up and upgrade her bedroom repertoire from vanilla to naughty but nice. Who would say no to that?
Gabe is the player every girl wants to date but never gets to a second date. He is still looking for the perfect match and so far has not met her. Meeting Arden while jogging right after she was dumped by her boyfriend opens his eyes to her sweetness and loving nature. She is devastated and crying her eyes out. Instinctively, he is there to protect her and make her feel safe. Too bad he must wait in the friend zone until she is ready to move on from her break-up.
Anticipation is the name of the game. Imagine… two friends, male and female, discussing sex, toys, and other similar topics while not touching each other. Can a man survive? Can a woman not blow her body’s thermostat?
With a smile on my face, I truly recommend this masterpiece on quirky dating. The humor, emotions, and hotness will not disappoint you!
I am voluntarily reviewing this book. Thanks to the author for sharing a copy with me.