I couldn’t have scripted a more perfect night.For one fantastic evening, at a masquerade party in the heart of Manhattan, I’m not the millionaire everyone wants a piece of. Fine–multimillionaire. But who’s counting all those commas? Not me, and not the most intriguing woman I’ve ever met, who happens to like dancing, witty banter, and passionate up-against-the-wall sex as much as I do.There’s no … do.
There’s no need for names or business cards. And that’s why I’m eager to get to know her more, since my mystery woman seems to like me for me, rather than for my huge…bank account.
Everything’s coming up aces. Until the next day when things get a little complicated. (Newsflash — a lot complicated.)
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He’s charming, brilliant, an incredible lover, and right now I want to stab fate in the eyeballs.
I’ve had one goal I’ve been working toward, and lo and behold, my mystery man is the very person who stands between me and my dream job. A job I desperately need since my hard-knock life has nothing in common with his star-kissed one.
But it’s time to put that fairytale night behind me, and focus on learning what makes him tick. Too bad it turns out his quirks are my quirks, and his love affair with New York matches mine.
And as we spend our days together, I discover something else that feels like a cruel twist of fate — I’m falling for this modern-day naughty prince charming, and that’s not an ending I can write to our story.
A standalone contemporary romance!*
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I love a story where they meet before they meet if that makes sense.
These two are fire right from the start. Their chemistry is smoken but it’s the way they light up for each other.
When they learn who the other is they don’t let that stop them from the job at hand per say. But in the end feelings and emotions, the connection can’t be pushed aside.
I like that they fall for each other but they also fall for their city, and their families it’s sweet and very enjoyable.
The narration phew I am a fan SebYo is a favorite of mine and Andi always delivers.
Come as You Are by Lauren Blakely
Narrated by: Sebastian York and Andi Arndt
3.5 Stars- I like the idea of the “Masked Ball and the Mysterious Duke” type story line. To fall in love with who they are instead of what they have. It was a cute and easy listen. Narration was great as these two are seasoned pros!
~Paragraphs and Petticoats~
Her books are always good. I liked the premise of this one. They met at a a masked ball and hit it off. The next day she finds out who he is and there is disappointment on both sides that it can’t happen again. I liked the push and pull of their dynamic and the creative way they date without dating. It was a great book.
Come as You Are is Lauren Blakely’s next brilliantly sexy standalone novel. I have read every word this woman has written and I will never get enough. Never. Her stories are fresh, addicting, and make me fall in love every time. I haven’t met a Blakely Man that I haven’t fallen in love with. Some more than others but it’s always love. If you read Stud Finder than you might remember Flynn, Dylan’s twin brother. Well…this is his story!!
It all started when a Duke saw an Angel. It was a magical night of witty banter, flirty fun, and filthy sex against the wall. It ended with a text.
The last eight months of Sabrina’s life has been a whirlwind of chaos. Then in one night things seemed to come together. She was able to let her guard down with a sexy stranger who made her feel alive. To feel wanted. To feel sexy. To feel like she could do anything. She might not know what he looks like but she sure knows how he feels and she wants more. It wasn’t just about the sex either. It was about his words. His wit. His nerdy side. So when he wants to meet her the next day, she says yes. That was when her two worlds collide. He is her next story. The story that would land her her dream job. She knew it was too good to be true. To feel a connection to only find out that he is off-limits.
Flynn wanted one night to be hidden. He was grateful for the life he had. He worked hard for it but he didn’t want any proposals tonight. Not business or marriage. He wasn’t against love. He was against gold diggers. He didn’t know who he could trust. So, why not hide behind the mask for one night? He had no idea that he would see an angel. An angel who made him laugh. An angel who was smart, and sexy. An angel who understood his costume. And when that angel loves his dominate side, it’s the hottest fucking thing he had ever seen. Her becoming undone. He wants more. And when he discovers that his angel is actually Sabrina, the reporter he is both determined and sad. He knows she is off-limits but he doesn’t want her to be.
Flynn and Sabrina’s relationship is complicated and easy at the same time. They have to spend time together for the profile that she is writing. They need to concentrate on the work but why not discover the hidden places of New York City at the same time? See each other’s favorite places. Find new ones. Talk about life, love, and loss in the city they love. Can they spend their days together without the hot nights? Will Sabrina get her dream job? Will they take the risk of being together?
I fell hard for this book. The characters. The city. The love. The laughs. The nerdiness. Flynn is the definition of nerdy hot! I can just picture him with his black glasses and sexy abs while quoting my favorite books. Yum! And Sabrina, she is a strong woman who doesn’t want Flynn for his money but for him. All of him. She is brilliant, beautiful, and doesn’t back down from a fight.
Overall…Together, these two are amazing!! The connection is beautiful. The sex is fucking hot. Those scenes were some of Lauren’s hottest ones yet. I also loved that they had their differences but they also had some of the same passions. I want to go to NYC!!
P.S. Daisy seems like a cool chick.
Quotes:
“Are you in a rush to read something?” she asks coyly.
Flynn is a pattern I want to make over and over. He’s a word I never tire of using. He’s a song I can blast in my earbuds all night long.
“You can’t quote Andrew Marvell, especially when his words are all randy. I told you poetry is an instant orgasm for me.”
Love this author and have read most of her books.
A masquerade ball begins a romantic connection between Angel and Duke. Their love of New York shines in this happily ever after.
my personal reaction was giggling, sighing, gasping, sadness then smiling. What a roller coaster and wonderful unique story, not the usual canned romance theme, absolutely loved it, will read again
I loved the mystery of the masquerade ball. Flynn and Sabrina are great together. Funny , witty and packed with passion.
Easy to read and very entertaining story line and characters.
Wonderful play on loving match and Grammar with the techie and reporter. Great story. Enjoyable read. Nicely spun. Brought all the threads together. Took too long to do it. The middle part with the various meets to interview was too many over too long a time … dragged it out.
Good story, quite cute, with great characters.
I loved the first chapters, but the end was more predictable and simple.
Flynn and Sabrina a/k/a Angel and Duke a/k/a word smith and mathematician a/k/a poetry reciter and poetry receiver.
Lauren Blakely does it for me AGAIN!!! I loved EVERYTHING about this book. There is nothing sexier than a man who knows exactly who he is embracing his masculinity as well as hit neediness. Flynn Parker was this man. He knew exactly who he was. He didn’t need to pretend to be anyone else. He was very straight-forward. For a extremely wealthy man, Flynn was humble and enjoyed the simple things in life, including numbers and words.
Sabrina was hilarious. She was sassy and loyal. She sacrificed a lot to take care of the ones she loved. What I truly loved about Sabrina is that she was this woman who was down on her luck yet she stood tall finding ways to move on. She was so positive.
I loved the chemistry between Flynn and Sabrina at the masquerade. It was hot. It was as if their disguises allowed them to be completely free to explore.
This book gave me both Stud Finder and Knock-Out Plan vibes as all three have this “fairy-tale” like feeling to them. The dates Flynn and Sabrina went on reminded me of the 10 dates Ryder and Nicole went on for their researching purposes. The dates were simple yet very unique and intimate.
I CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF LAUREN BLAKELY’S BOOKS.
I’m a big fan of Lauren Blakely. She uses the tropes I love but her execution is far superior to the majority of romances published today. She also writes delightfully unexpected twists so the books hold my interest despite following well-loved patterns.
One quibble: the hero quotes a line of poetry which the text characterizes as “romantic.” Eliot’s poem “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” is very decidedly NOT romantic.
Of special importance to me is the heroine’s brother and the role he plays in her story. People who call themselves “Christians” have been so badly-behaved in the last few years that I get nervous whenever I read about them in fiction. The heroine’s younger brother is a seminary student preparing for a pastorate, and he is a gentle, sympathetic man who provides his sister with unconditional love and emotional support. He also deftly and gracefully helps the heroine make a difficult and ethical choice that results in great joy. It was nice to see a person of faith behaving in a positive way.
This was another witty romance from Lauren Blakely. I find myself needing one of her books at least once or twice a year to clear the pallette so to speak. Her characters are fun and this one takes place in Manhattan. What’s not to love? The imagery and descriptions in the story were outstanding. The couple have great chemistry that feels like a fairy tale. It had a Cinderella quality that was light and flirty.
This one took a bit for me to get into. And that’s saying a lot, because it was narrated by two of my favorites, Sebastian York and Andi Arndt. But once the story picked up, I really got into it and as you can tell from my rating, I loved it. This had the whole Cinderella leaving her shoe behind at midnight, but it wasn’t her shoe this time. I did really like though, the way the author had the two meet up after they found out who the other was. I like that he didn’t automatically assume she’d played him to get her story. I like that honestly they were realistic about how it had all happened, no one accusing the other unrealistically. I like that what so often becomes an insurmountable obstacle for the two doesn’t do that, because they are honest with each other, instead of keeping things to themselves, hoping not to have to share them in order not to hurt them, or whatever dumb reasons characters usually keep for not telling something. Like the last problem, the mom, I like that it wasn’t automatically assumed the other one had been lying and actually sent her for money. I like that he knew her well enough to know the mother was acting on her own greediness.
There were so many other good things, the grammar jokes were hilarious. And all the things in NYC that I now want to go back and try to see, like the abandoned subway stations for one! While all the sex was steamy, one scene I listed to on my way to work in the morning, and thought maybe I should have listened to the night before when I was in bed, because yeah…definitely had to fan myself before going into work.
I found this story to be very sweet. I loved that they are both kinda nerdy and they really click with each other.
I don’t know how Lauren Blakely managed to give us an exquisite slow burn romance when the couple got it on within hours of meeting each other, but she did! Sabrina/Angel and Flynn/Duke were so sweet and sexy and just the perfect counterparts for each other – they’re adventures in New York and banter were EVERYTHING! Besides the traditional love story, with Come As You Are we also get an adorable expression of the love of New York, science, and word play. This was another absolute winner from the author and a great example as to why she is firmly at the top of my “Must Read/Auto-Buy” list. 5 out of 5 wine glasses.
I started this book and then I could not put it down, each page keep me wanting to know more. I really enjoyed this one!
A millionaire has an anonymous tryst with a mystery woman at a masquerade ball? Why, yes, Lauren Blakely, I WOULD like to read that story! The author always gives her books I’m blushing just thinking about the deliciously naughty, clandestine circumstances that brought two strangers together in the author’s newest release, Come As You Are. With an oh-so-delectable hero, a heroine who’s a vivacious force of nature, and a romance that’s both adorkable and scorching hot, Come As You Are provides plenty of reasons to make you smile in delight, sigh in contentment, and melt in a puddle of swoon. Come As You Are had me hooked from page one and captured by unwavering attention right up until the very last page.
With faces hidden behind masks and identities concealed by costumes, protagonists, Flynn Parker and Sabrina Granger, meet at a masquerade ball. Sparks fly, flirty banter is exchanged and, like a masked hero straight from a masquerade ball in one of the historical romances Sabrina devoured as a young girl, Flynn whisks Sabrina off her feet. They engage in wild, unrestrained, carefree passionate sex, and plan to pursue their attraction beyond the ballroom. Reality intrudes, however, and their would-be romance comes crashing to a screeching halt. Their relationship is forced to switch gears from romantic to professional, yet an undeniable spark remains between them, as does a heaping amount of sexual tension. Both Flynn and Sabrina are torn between what their brains are telling them what to do and what their hearts and bodies desire.
While there are many things to love about Come As You Are – a fun, lighthearted storyline, witty, engaging dialogue, and just enough angst to tug on your heartstrings (to name a few) – what makes this book so memorable is the connection between Flynn and Sabrina. They have this easygoing rapport and similar tastes, both personally and professionally. Their chemistry is off-the-charts and impossible to ignore, no matter how much they may try, while their intimate conversations, and games of pretend and what-if build the hunger between them to a maddening, all-consuming degree. I was glued to my Kindle for the entirety of the story, experiencing a whirlwind of heart-pounding, gut-wrenching emotions, and I couldn’t help but be wholly invested in the outcome.
A little nerdy, a bit forbidden, and a whole lot sexy, Come As You Are is another must-read romance from Lauren Blakely. The author delivers a swoon-worthy, hopelessly romantic love story that’ll leave you completely and perfectly satisfied.
*complimentary copy provided by the publisher for an honest review
Thoroughly enjoyed this. From the moment Flynn and Sabrina met, where neither knew who the other was, I loved it. It wasn’t a story filled with never ending drama. It was just a sweet, sexy romance. The building of feelings between two people who fight not to feel for a while. Flynn’s used to women being after him for his money and Sabrina’s been hurt before, plus she’s fiercely independent. Loved the nerdy ways of both characters. Loved the tour of New York through their eyes. Over all, a beautifully romantic story.