An all-new STANDALONE from New York Times bestselling author Julia KentIt all started with the wrong Help Wanted ad. Of course it did.I’m a professional fluffer. It’s NOT what you think. I stage homes for a living. Real estate agents love me, and my work stands on its own merits.Sigh. Get your mind out of the gutter. Go ahead. Laugh. I’ll wait.See? That’s the problem. My career has used the term … problem. My career has used the term “fluffer” for decades. I didn’t even know there was a more… lascivious definition of the term.
Until it was too late.
The ad for a “professional fluffer” on Craigslist seemed like divine intervention. My last unemployment check was in the bank. I was desperate. Rent was due. The ad said cash paid at the end of the day. The perfect job!
Staging homes means showing your best angle. The same principle applies in making a certain kind of movie. Turns out a “fluffer” doesn’t arrange decorative pillows on a couch.
They arrange other soft, round-ish objects.
The job isn’t hard. Er, I mean, it is — it’s about being hard. Or, well… helping other people to be hard.
Oh, man…
And that’s the other problem. A man. No, not one of the stars on the movie set. Will Lotham – my high school crush. The owner of the house where we’re filming. Illegally. In a vacation rental.
By the time the cops show up, what I thought was just a great house staging gig turned into a nightmare involving pictures of me with an undressed star, Will rescuing me from an arrest, and a humiliating lesson in my own naivete.
My job turned out to be so much harder than I expected. But you know what’s easier than I ever imagined?
Having all my dreams come true.
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Don’t read this book in bed or you will snort-laugh your entire house awake at 2 a.m. In Fluffy, Julia Kent cooks up a second-chance meet-cute so wildly funny that you won’t put it down until the last delicious and outrageous page is turned.
Julia Kent has absolutely done it again! I really needed a fun, loving, and laughter filled novel with all the romance for a change of pace! Mallory is a 28 year old that is very smart yet she doesn’t know much about things that most her peers know about at her age. She’s also still carrying a crush for Will from high school and can’t seem to find a guy that likes all her quirkiness. I love that she has her two friends to stand beside her and to also give her a push when she wants to go back in her shell.
Will was the popular high school quarterback and also very smart. He has moved back to his hometown to take over his parents real estate company. I absolutely fell in love with Will! He’s sweet and sentimental and not at all a jerk that he portrays to be.
When him and Mallory meet again it’s the one of the most hilarious parts of the story. I laughed so hard, I cried throughout the entire book! This story is so true to real life and that’s what makes it even better!
Fluffy
Julia Kent has absolutely done it again! I really needed a fun, loving, and laughter filled novel with all the romance for a change of pace! Mallory is a 28 year old that is very smart yet she doesn’t know much about things that most her peers know about at her age. She’s also still carrying a crush for Will from high school and can’t seem to find a guy that likes all her quirkiness. I love that she has her two friends to stand beside her and to also give her a push when she wants to go back in her shell.
Will was the popular high school quarterback and also very smart. He has moved back to his hometown to take over his parents real estate company. I absolutely fell in love with Will! He’s sweet and sentimental and not at all a jerk that he portrays to be.
When him and Mallory meet again it’s the one of the most hilarious parts of the story. I laughed so hard, I cried throughout the entire book! This story is so true to real life and that’s what makes it even better!
Every now and again you come across a book that rescues you from a week that you just want to forget about…and this is just such a book. From its witty banter to its unapologetic heroine to a dreamy hero that reminds readers of a John Hughes movie to friends who support you while still calling you to account…this book was a delightful breath of fresh air. Laugh out loud moments were nicely balanced with a sweetly sentimental romance that began over a decade ago and which I was invested in from the first page to the last.
Mallory Monahan is at wit’s end with a rapidly shrinking bank account and a fear that she’ll end up moving back home after her designing job was cruelly ripped away from her. Desperate for money she answers a Craigslist ad and ends up in the middle of a Big Misunderstanding on a porn set at the home of the parents of her unrequited high school crush. With the shocking reintroduction of her teenage dream Will, and an embarrassing picture of the two of them and a Beastly actor hitting the internet, life takes an even more unexpected turn for Mallory. Accepting a job from Will repeatedly puts her in close quarters with him, bringing up their past interactions, in heartfelt talks that slowly turn flirty. A surprising invite to their upcoming high school reunion opens up even more emotional floodgates as Mallory deals with her feelings of diminishment in the eyes of those who think they’re better just as she discovers Will’s true feelings in a heartwrenching series of events that ultimately had me cheering. Along with navigating her complex feelings for Will, we see numerous interactions with her girlfriends that were endearing and easy to relate to. Fiona, Perky, and Mallory are a boisterous trio of women, bold in their words and desires. Each is strong-willed, self-deprecating in their views of themselves, but a strong support to each other when they need a kick in the pants the most. On her own Mallory’s an immensely appealing heroine, a bit naive in some ways but unflinching when in defense of her beliefs. Her self-esteem’s a bit bruised though from an older sister’s judgments and the high school years of being picked on for her intelligence. These cruel words have left their mark and become especially hurtful at their reunion with the fallout putting her and Will’s HEA in danger. Through everything though I found myself drawn to Mallory, applauding her for her realism and for her unapologetic nature in a tale that pulled at my heartstrings while putting a smile on my face.
Will Lotham was the Golden Boy in high school, a top football player with smarts who was beloved by all. He was a dutiful son who did what was expected of him according to his social status. Though he never said it out loud, he knew the strong feelings Mallory had for him and relished every exchange they had as he enjoyed the challenge she presented him, even as he was too afraid to do more. Their years apart were years teeming with temptation as he always wondered whatever happened to her which makes his discovery of her on a porn set at his parent’s house all the more compelling. It’s a delightfully wicked first meeting that brings out his protective side and is the first of many encounters he has with her as he slowly ingratiates himself to her. Sweet and sexy, Will charms his way into Mallory’s life with me cheering him on every step of the way as he proved himself more than worthy of her. A master of flirtiness and subtle sexual innuendos, Will was more than a match for Mallory in a relationship that was over a decade in the making.
Ms. Kent put on a master class here when it comes to writing banter. The banter in this story was crackling, rapid-fire, and led to many laugh out loud moments. Between the three girlfriends it solidified their friendship, making their bond even more relatable, while turning up the heat when the banter was between Will and Mallory. The banter between these two was teeming with sexual tension and made the long wait until these two got between the sheets more bearable. Will and Mallory were utterly delightful together as they addressed some heavy emotional issues from their pasts while charming me with their getting reacquainted now. Though I wish we’d had more scorching encounters between them throughout the story, I still enjoyed their journey to HEA. Surrounding this wonderful main couple was an equally appealing cast of secondary characters. Those characters are Fiona and Perky, Mallory’s best buddies since high school who’ve had their own embarrassments over the last decade. They’re bold and brash heroines who pull no punches as they say what they mean and mean what they say. I look forward to learning more about them, and with the exhilarating epilogue found in this book, Perky’s story promises to be a non-stop and sizzling rollercoaster ride! Those looking for a bit of girl power, with a charming romance, will want to grab this book for their very own.
Second chance romance
Rom-Com
Hilarious
Reunion romance
A start to a brand-new series
This is a slow-burn, “second chance/crush” romance with a high school reunion that takes on the issue of our past selves vs. our present selves, and lots of comedy, too!!!
Fluffy is a fun read. Mal is a fluffer in the real estate business, which is she stages houses to help them sell. She needs a job and answers an ad for a professional fluffer. She gets the job but the problem is the job is not for a real estate fluffer but instead it’s for a porn set fluffer. If that not bad enough the job is at Will’s house. Will is her high school crush. The whole beginning is funny and I think I may have actually laughed out loud. At whole mess is of course embarrassing for Mal. Mal is super cute and naive and that make her a prefect character. After the fluffer job mess, Will hires her to be a real estate fluffer to help sell the house. I liked Will. He’s sweet and nice and perfect for Mal. This one is a great rom-com read.
This new book from Julia Kent is a hilarious, second chance romance and the start to a brand-new series! Don’t miss this one!
Funny hilarious entertaining rom-com!
I loved the writing, the dynamic between Mal and Will, the interaction, the fun, the sexy times, everything
I loved this book so much I couldn’t put it down!
What I thought would be a funny read turned out an hilarious story full of sexual innuendos and double entendres that will make you burst laughing through the entire book!
Could Mallory be more naive? LOL, OMG the situations that woman goes through are impossible! Luckily she has a group of good friends that are always there to help her (or not…) most of the time.
I loved how Mallory and Will’s relationship bloomed. ADORABLE, I tell you! Will is the perfect book boyfriend, so many times he made me swoon!!
If you need a good romcom you will grab this book and enjoy a good afternoon of reading!
Fluffy – Julia Kent
As I expected, another winner from Julia Kent.
Fluffy was a complete laugh fest and a story so engaging, you can’t help but love it.
Mallory has no job and no prospects in her chosen profession of a house stager so with funds running low and the prospect of having to move back in with her ever meddling parent, she replies to a job on Craig’s List for a Fluffer.
It all looks like it’s going to work out but things take a decidedly awkward turn and her high school crush, Will, bails her out of a very sticky situation.
Brilliantly funny, with all the usual endearing Julia Kent characters that will just completely crack you up. Part of a new series and one I’ll definitely be following and relishing with delight.
4.5 Stars!!!
Oh my goodness! Fluffy was the cutest Rom-Com by Julia Kent. Add a little spice and BAM! You have the perfect story that will stay with you days to come.
From the first couple of chapters I was snort laughing so hard my sides were hurting. I was nervous that I was not going to be able to finish the book because I could barely keep my eyes open! The characters were amazing! Don’t fret friends! Fluffy is a great read that will have you smiling through and through. You may fall in love with the characters too 😉
Laugh out loud hilarious!!! I laughed so hard while reading this! It all starts with a job that goes completely wrong. I mean imagine the worse things immaginable and times it by 3 on the embarassment scale. Mallory was a fun character. She has friends that push her to do things she’s not comfortable with. She was the top of her class in High School but she refused to leave her little town. She turned down Harvard.. I mean that’s just crazy right? She gets herself into some sticky situations and it just makes the book so much funnier. Will is a great character. I mean he is sweet, snarky and truly cares about her. He knows her and knows what she’s capable of. He wants to make sure she has dessert lol. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who needs a laugh and sweet romance. This book was great and I highly enjoyed it!!!
Funny and touching, a great slow burn second chance romance
Note that you don’t need to have read the prequel, Little Miss Perfect, first (I did), but it does give some background—the events of the prequel are mentioned several times here—and I thought having read it first gave me a slightly different slant to both Mallory and Will than I would have had coming in cold.
I’m not really a fan of over the top rom coms, mostly because I’m usually identifying with the heroine in the story, and the over the top humor just makes me cringe instead of laugh. So the blurb for this had me a little bit leery. Still relatively new to this author, I really enjoyed the few stories from the Shopping for a Billionaire series that I’ve read, so I decided to go ahead and give this a try anyway.
I particularly identified with the heroine, Mallory, here for a couple of reasons, though I’m far less picky about my guacamole to taco ratio—and no, none of that is a euphemism, lol. For one, when she talked about the pressure to “dumb herself down”; well, I’ve gotten the same message myself a time or two, if usually delivered more subtly. And while I don’t usually quote from books I’m reviewing, this really resonated with me: “Why does the fact that I make choices that don’t conform to yours mean that I’m the deviant?” (I may have cheered a time or two for Mallory, lol). So with that strong identification, the beginning did make me cringe a little, but after that the humor always manages to stay on the right side of the laugh/cringe line—at least for me.
Will is wonderful, too, of course; he’s smart, charming and persistent when he needs to be, and I love how he is with Mallory. There’s a handful of great secondary characters (Perky certainly has me intrigued!) and the plot has enough twists to keep things interesting.
Funny and touching, this slow burn second chance romance was another great read from this author for me, and the epilogue made sure I’m anxiously awaiting Perky’s story. 5 stars
B2B Kelly
First book I have read from this writer. This was definitely quite the book. Full of rolling on the floor laughing moments. If you don’t have a smile while reading this one there is something wrong. Fluffy is not what she thinks it is when she goes for the job. Not even close and that is what starts her life going down hill. Until her high school crush offers her a job and flirts with her. But will these two actually get together ? Well written funny a feel good book from beginning to end. Can’t wait to read the next one.
Fluffy was so good!! I was laughing to the point of tears several times! I loved that we got to see Mallory deal with her crush on Will after so many years! The beginning had me cringing in embarrassment with Mal!! Oh man, I would’ve died!!
Julia Kent is the queen of romantic comedy as far as I am concerned, but this title actually does not truly do her justice. She is so much more than that! She is also a bloody good writer, and her commentary, the musings of her characters etc, bring a depth and richness of thought, to her books.
In Fluffy we start with a rich trawl of wonderful, almost slapstick humour, which had my face aching with laughter. Oh my god! The crazy misunderstandings and rapid fire dialogue, the descriptions of the beastman…not to mention the dog toys….classic!
And so it continues, but also builds into a touching, sweetly funny and totally rewarding love story. Our heroine, Mallory, is a delightful mix of confidence and insecurities. Her friends, Perky and Fiona are wonderfully barmy and as for Will. Well, he’s just delicious.
Congratulations Julia. Another brilliant book which has succeeded in making my day brighter!
4.5 stars
#awkwardeggplant
Lol. I had a ridiculously entertaining time reading Fluffy. I managed to get kicked out of bed for laughing, shushed at the YMCA lobby for cackling like a crone, and then profusely questioned by my children for my inability to talk during a laughing fit.
To say that awkward, innocence doused with more innuendo than my teen years is entertaining would be an understatement! Julia Kent may not have harmed any chickens in this book but I advise not drinking while reading- choking is a legit hazard.
Fluffy is without a doubt highly recommended. But if you have zero sense of humor, a fake valley girl accent, and more extensions than natural hair- this may not be the book for you!
Wildly inappropriate situations and woefully misinterpreted words make Fluffy the genuinely heartwarming story about a woman who mistakenly became a Fluffer. Clearly, Craigslist should not be the main source of employment searches.
This one that never was story is all about a second chance…or really unrequited crush from long ago. Or is it about the dream guy. The football star? So many ways to try and explain away the funniest book I’ve read this year!
Be careful what you wish for.
Never let your phone run out of battery.
Always listen to your friends…But only when they have good advice!
Don’t take your reunion too seriously.
Always be you.
Reviewed for Sweet Spot Sisterhood
Loved this laugh out load, action packed and emotionally thrilling second chance at forever with your child hood crush…. This journey was so heartwarming, fun, exciting and nostalgic I could not help but fall in love with the town and all the interesting people. Will and Malory are an adorable couple, but the teaser at the end wow… So looking forward to Perkys story.
Ready for a sweet, second chance romance, which quickly turns “hot” for our heroine, Mallory, when she misinterprets a job listing which leads into an embarrassing situation with her high school crush, Will. You should try to read the short prequel to this story, Little Miss Perfect, when Will and Mallory first meet in high school (it’s free and a quick read). Although not absolutely necessary, LMP provides more background to all the characters you’ll re-meet in this story, especially Mal’s best friends, Perky and Fiona, and Will’s teammates.
After 10 years of not seeing each other, Mallory still holds a crush for Will. The flirty banter they started back in high school seems to have followed them into the present day, but Mal’s insecurities keeps her from exploring if there could be more. Julia Kent’s style of quick-witted dialogue creates many laugh out loud moments which can easily turn into scorching hot, sexy romance. A really fun read, and I can’t wait to read about Perky next!
This book starts out light and silly and one of the funniest things I’ve ever read. Then it goes deeper as it digs into those angsty teenaged emotions that still plague us even as adults. Mallory is this beautifully neurotic geek girl who just resonates with my own social awkwardness. I felt an instant kinship with her and felt every one of her pains and dreams. I would have given my left arm to know what Will was thinking. But even though Mallory misinterprets a lot of it, his actions convey what he feels pretty well. I loved watching this pair spar with one another. The double entendre game in this book is strong. (I’m almost afraid of what the author’s search history looked like while putting this book together.) And after reading the teaser in the epilogue, I’m rather desperate to get my hands on the next book about this group of friends.
I received a complimentary advanced copy of this book from the author.