Bestselling author Staci Hart is back with a brand new romantic comedy and clever spin on Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Meet the Bennet brothers, get to know Longbourne, and fall in love in this steamy opposites attract romcom.They say there’s no such thing as perfect.But I’ve built my life to perfection—the perfect boyfriend, the perfect apartment, the perfect career planning celebrity … perfect career planning celebrity weddings. My job—my only job—is to make sure every event is absolutely and completely perfect.
What’s not perfect? Kash Bennet.
And I wish I didn’t find that so appealing.
I could have told you every perfectly imperfect thing about the gardener at Longbourne. Like his hair, lush and black and far too long. Or his nose, the flat bridge of a Greek god, bent a little like it’s been broken. Or his size. Beastly. Roped and corded with muscles, gleaming with sweat and peppered with dirt. There’s no escaping him, not if I’m going to use his family’s flower shop for my events.
But nothing is what it seems. And in the span of a heartbeat, my perfect life is turned inside out. They say the best way to get over somebody is to get under somebody new. When Kash offers his services to the cause, it sounds like the perfect plan.
What’s not part of the plan? Falling in love with the gardener.
But they were right—there’s no such thing as perfect.
And I’m the fool who finds out the hard way.
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A masterpiece of beautiful prose, there is no question that Gilded Lily–Staci Hart’s Pride and Prejudice retelling–does Jane Austen and the Bennet clan justice!
In Hart’s retelling, Kassius Kash Bennet is our Elizabeth. Kash, the one with the green thumb–he’s the gardener. The one who stayed and never left Longbourne, content doing what he loves. He’s unselfish, nurturing, always putting the happiness of others above his own. Quiet and charming with a dashing side of humor. He gives to the earth, creating beauty from seeds. But the earth has not always been kind to him. One relationship in particular has left Kash scorned. Filled him with fear, creating in him prejudices, and making him a rather prideful man.
Lilac Lila Parker is a wedding planner and uses Longbourne as her florist. She’s very independent, having gotten where she has by her own merit. But Lila comes off as a cold, uptight, high maintenance, priss of a woman in pristine white that no one at the Bennet’s floral shop wants to work with. No one but Kash. He doesn’t mind being the one Lila takes shots at whenever she ventures into the shop. He handles her with ease and even easier smiles and over time that ease and those smiles unravels the mystery of one Lila Parker.
And he does. Eventually, Kash gets to know Lila and see who she is beyond surface level. He becomes her safe place, giving her dreams she would have never dreamt prior to him. This causes Lila’s character to experience character development in a way that makes her vulnerable. But happily ever after does not come easy for these two. Not with the drama that Lila’s latest celebrity clients bring and drama galore it is. With every flip of the page, with every immersion into the depths of said characters’ inner monologues there was a feeling of impending doom. A feeling that what these two characters had was going to end in ruin and I felt that doom, that angst right along with them as this bittersweet feeling planted itself, rooted itself so very deep inside of my heart.
A novel that is romantic and heartwarmingly funny, Gilded Lily is a well-down nod to the beloved Bennets of Longbourne.
Staci Hart has a knack for dramatic flare and lyrical prose, which Gilded Lily had in spades! This is the second book of the Bennet Brothers series.
Kassius “Kash” Bennet is jaded. He’s been burnt by love which makes him distrustful. He’s got the gardener gene and the love he has for the greenhouse shows in the beauty he creates with the flowers. He’s not shy when it comes to putting Lila in her place or calling her a priss. So naturally, he’s the one tasked to work with the edgy wedding planner.
“She was a tree aflame with autumn. The strike of a match, embers and sparks. A sunset that set the sky on fire.”
Lilac “Lila” Parker I would say was the character to have grown and changed the most. She was superficial in the beginning with her high heels and white suits (explains the cover)… Until Kash offers her the chance to be her rebound and flips her whole world upside down.
“God, he was massive, a brute made of muscle and sinew. He belonged to the earth he tilled, cut from stone, hair black as a raven, eyes blue as the sea. Beautiful in the rugged, wild way, unpolished and unrefined and unquestionably right just the way he was.”
This was very much an opposites attract romance. What started off as a “rebound” soon bloomed into more. Lila dreamt of a different life and in each vision she saw Kash. But with any good relationship there has to be a bit of drama and drama there was.
Its hard not to fall in love with this family… These siblings. Gilded Lily was such a heartwarming story with lots of family dynamics involved. The perfect mix of sweet and sexy. Now, many may say Kash is their favorite but I feel like Marcus might take the cake. That PREVIEW! I need his book today!
“Can I get that in writing?”
Gilded Lily is book two in the Bennet Brothers series. You can’t read it and not fall in love with the Bennet family. I’ve gotten invested in each of their lives. This book is all about Kassius “Kash” Bennet. The story is sweet, sexy, and so much fun. Wait, did I mention sexy because when I hear the word SEXY right now, my next thought is KASH. He’s all man but, I’m convinced he could handle me as well as he handled Lily and let me tell you that wasn’t easy. He’s got the patience of a saint. Lily, well, she was uptight and closed off. I was rooting for her to throw on a black outfit and let loose. I just knew the way these two had eyes for each other they would be explosive together, for the record, they were. It’s a great enemies to lovers romance. If your looking for a “rebound” read, look no further.
There is something about this Bennett Brother’s series that makes me unable to look away. Maybe it’s because I live in NYC, work in the neighborhood this book takes place in. Maybe it’s because I’m so used to the jaded, entitled, rushing around frenzy that I encounter everyday that reading Staci Hart’s characters make me want to slow down. Savor the small moments. Legit smell the flowers. Or maybe, it was Kash!
Oh my stars, Kash. He was instantly likeable. Mellow. A family man. Hard working. Creative. A people pleaser with his silly t-shirts and shy smile. The complete opposite of Lila. With her white suits, meticulous, planned down to the minute, schedule and unbreakable persona. But under that facade was a tender heart that just wanted to love and be loved in return. It started so innocently. But what was to be a rebound fling quickly became so much more. Feelings and hopes and dreams and futures. A soft place for each of them to land.
With a group of bratty sisters (that’s putting it mildly), a scheming co-worker, an annoying ex and the event to end all events bearing down on her, it was only a matter of time before things imploded for Lila. When they did, it was epically awful. And caught in the cross-hairs of the blow up was Kash. My heart ached for both of them. They were just trying to do the right thing. Salvage the situation. Their hearts.
What I loved the most about Gilded Lily was how, despite the pain, both Kash and Lila learned to see themselves through the others eyes. As more than enough just they way they were. For what was in their heart and not their failures and fears. Staci Hart did that with humor and class and heat. And that ending- swoooooooon city it was so perfectly romantic and heartfelt that it left me grinning from ear to ear and ready for the next brother to get his story.
Shel: If you’ve followed the blog you know that I’ve been a huge fan of Staci Hart for years. I’ve enjoyed all of her novels and sworn that I loved many of them, because I did. Tonight, though, I think I’ve found my number one favorite—Gilded Lily. The combination of Lila and Kash hit all the right notes for me. Lila’s hard exterior and Kash’s laissez fare demeanor played well off each other and their falling in love was simply delightful. Court: YES! Her writing is so good, and her series are ones that we really have fell for every single time. And each of them offers something different…every single time! This one, though, I realllllly like this series!
Shel: I loved getting to know them separately–they were interesting all on their own– and then to see them mesh so well together was (chef’s kiss) perfect. But it wasn’t just their story that made this such a good read to me—it was also getting to know the Bennets more. The parts when the parents interact with Kash was sweet and funny and to also have the siblings all continually band together was heartwarming and added to all the good vibes I was feeling…vibes that even terrible, manipulative, horrible characters couldn’t steal (the villains by the way were perfectly villainous in every way). Court: Good vibes are my fav…but Shel always says it so well! This world is a delight to be in, and I will say it again…this band of characters because I always tell you how much I love great supporting characters really make our hearts happy over here.
Shel: I adored this opposites attract romance. It was sweet and sexy and fun and has me very eager to see who can bring Marcus to his knees. Court: Ditto, babe. I can’t wait for more, and hope y’all get this one and the first one because you will not regret it!
Staci Hart is one of my go-to authors when it comes to slow burn romances…to feel good love stories…to well-developed characters who change/transform the further into the plot Hart takes readers. I could absolutely stay in one of Staci Hart’s stories forever. The worlds that she creates and the way she crafts her stories allow me to revel in her words and get caught up in her heroes and heroines’ witty banter, stubborn personalities, and the desire that resonates from the pages of her books.
In Gilded Lily, Lila Parker and Kash Bennet may seem like they have nothing in common, and for the most part, it’s a valid appraisal: she’s a bit high strung while he’s pretty laidback…she wants to make it big as a wedding planner, living it up in high society, while he’s perfectly content to work for the family business, remaining in his hometown, staying as far away from society girls as he can, simply because his lifestyle is nothing like theirs and it never will be. But as anyone can see from the interactions these two do have is that despite their differences, they bring out something in one another that no one else can.
But what Lila and Kash begin to realizing, as they work closely together for a wedding and have a little no-strings fun when it comes to helping Lila get over her break up, is that as different as they appear to be, who they are at their foundation and the goals and dreams they have for themselves and those they love make them connected in a way neither could have imagined.
Gilded Lily proves that opposites most certainly attract and that
first impressions, misconceptions, and opposing personalities can actually thrive together, in a way that lasts…in a way that’s about so much more than a rebound or a mistake.
4 Poison Apples
TOP RECOMMENDATION! Now live! Staci Hart’s writing shines in this poetic installment to the Bennet Brother series. The characters were fresh and real, the story was absolutely captivating, and the romance was simply put: perfection. I fell hard for this family, these brothers, and this mesmerizing love story. 5 stars really isn’t enough for the beauty in this book. Trust me when I say this is a romance you CANNOT MISS!
Staci Hart’s books are truly like flowers, little treasure boxes, stunning inside and out.
Staci Hart’s lush prose feels like a homemade quilt of words, the story enveloping you as its warmth takes you deeper, inviting you to burrow in and stay a while in comfort and fun. Kash and Lila are complex, nuanced characters supported by a sprawling cast of family and friends with their own foibles. This retelling of an Austen classic feels familiar and new all at once, just like falling in love.
This was my first Staci Hart and I loved this book and the world of the Bennett brothers. I’ll be reading them all. Highly recommended.
I know you’re not supposed to pick favorites when it’s your children, and thank goodness the Bennett boys aren’t MY kids, because Kash might just be my favorite Bennet boy. The story between Kash and Lila flows so effortlessly it’s easy to forget that you’re reading a book. It’s almost as if you’re watching your own friends lives, at least that’s how it is with me and pretty much every Staci book ever. I laughed, I cried and definitely swooned over these characters and I can not wait to see the rest of the Bennett family again.
In this enemies to best friends/opposites do attract story, Bennett is going to fall hard.
Kash and Lily have always been like acquaintances who enjoyed to push each other’s buttons, back and forth interactions and having two different perspectives about life.
But when they had to work together for one big client in Lily’s firm, all bets were off, and suddenly the proximity make them think about things in a new way.
The man who didn’t want to commit started to fall for the one who was looking for stability, you could feel that their lives were going to be turned upside down. I adored Kash’s spontaneous and refreshing side and how it balanced Lily’s structured and planned life.
They frustrated the hell out of me sometimes but it was worth it.
Mostly because of Kash, I won’t be lying.
Kassius was the laid back guy, supporting his family business, one day at a time, carefree and accepting his mother’s matchmaking dates. His favorite pastime is to rile up Lila, pristine, cold and not really friendly. When his family flower shop is hired in a big show, they’ll have to team up and finally Lila wasn’t the woman she seemed to be more caring and passionate, the opposite of her business side.
Lila was living her dream job but in a nightmare. Her boss was a jerk, the clients she had to work to, totally thriving in drama. But still she has such strong willpower and tough facade not to get into it. I admired her strength but her stubbornness drove me crazy at times. Only focusing on her job and also on the material, not on the individual and not finding her happiness. She kept enduring the crazies and turning almost into a version of herself who wasn’t really chasing her dreams.
Together, they truly shine.
I adored their banter and they collided so beautifully.
How someone you couldn’t bear turn into something more? Well, you’ll have to read their story to find out.
It was a journey filled with humour, great sparks and sexiness.
Gilded Lily is the second book in the Bennett Brothers series by Staci Hart and boy is it a good book. There are moments of pure drama, laugh out loud moments, mis-communication and pure unadulterated love. Looking at the story of Lila (A type A wedding planner) and Kash (laid back gardener). You know straight away that sparks are going to fly between the two.
The story is all about family, balancing life and doing things for the right reason. Lila is determined to make it in a cut-throat workplace without having to sell her soul, whilst Kash seems to balance her out working for his family florist and being surrounded by an amazingly supportive family.
Both characters also bring their own baggage to the scene with self-doubt, goals differences and even personality differences to name but a few and they definitely come up as landmines throughout their relationship. But the story really works around that and it feels like a real relationship more than a one that has been made up in the authors head. The side characters also help to make this book enjoyable and they leave you with a sense of happiness which I haven’t found in many other stories like this.
This is certainly the authors retelling of Jane Austin’s and it is wonderfully told in this new voice. If you like the classics or even a re-working of the classics, then you are bound to love this enjoyable, well written novel by Staci Hart.
ARC received for a fair and honest review.
More of my reviews can be found on my blog: https://thehotmesslibrary.blogspot.com
5 Kash Filled Stars!!
Staci Hart is back and she brought back the Bennet family. This time it’s all about Kash and Lila
Lila has worked hard to get her dream job at the only place she had her eyes set on. Lila’s an event planner and has the clients from hell. They’re from the hottest reality TV show and known for their drama. Lila is in charge of planning the wedding for one daughter and the birthday party for the other.
Lila likes to keeps things professional. Her sister Ivy has been trying to get her to use the flower shop Longbourne where she works at for awhile now. Lila finally caved and she’s using them.
When Lila walks in on her boyfriend sleeping with her client she was shocked. If him cheating on her wasn’t bad enough, her boss makes her life miserable. Purposely going out of her way to make Lila mess something up. Luckily, Lila triple checks everything.
Lila knows this wedding and birthday party must go off without an issue. If only that was easier said then done. The family is full of drama on the regular. But, add in the fact her ex-boyfriend cheated on her with the youngest daughter and now they’re dating, so the daughter is going out of her way to make Lila’s life unbearable.
Lila’s sister tries telling her the best thing to happen to her was her boyfriend cheating on her. I’ve never liked him and tells Lila the best way to get over him is to get under someone else.
Whenever Lila sees Kash, the Gardener he instantly gets under her skin. Between his stupid shirts and his comebacks makes her go crazy. Until one day things change and things will never be the same.
Kash is the only Bennet sibling that never left the flower shop. He’s a lot like his father. Kash likes spending his days digging in the dirt, making the flowers and is perfectly OK with it.
Kash has had his heartbroken awhile ago. She let him know he wasn’t in the same league as her. Kash vowed to never get hurt again. He’s all for hooking up, no commitments, no strings attached.
Kash is very calm and doesn’t let many things rile him up. Which is why he’s the Bennet sibling stepping up and taking the lead to handle everything Lila. When she goes crazy, Kash just smirks and goes back at her.
Kash won’t let Lila get under his skin. Instead he chooses to be the one Lila goes under. Kash wants to be the one to help Lila forget her ex and he also doesn’t like the way she’s being treated at work.
Kash has the need to protect Lila. There’s something about her that makes him want to be her protector. He’ll do anything to make sure she has whatever she needs. Even if it kills him.
Lila and Kash make each other feel things they’ve never felt before. They both want more then right now. But, there’s a lot of things that are against them, outsiders wanting to take them out.
But, the worst thing they have to worry about is themselves. They have to learn to believe each other and believe in themselves to get their HEA.
This is a must read!! Kash and Lila were a slow burn romance and it was completely worth the wait.
The Bennet family story isn’t over yet. They’re still fighting for their legacy, that’s their flower shop. This is the perfect example of a family fighting for what’s right. I can’t wait to see them all get their HEA and their flower shop saved.
Lila appears to be living a charmed life as she has a successful career, a boyfriend that makes other envious and a lifestyle that anyone would want. She is demanding and knows what she wants when it comes to the weddings she arranges which is how she and Kash cross paths.
Kash has accepted that when it comes to love he is better keeping his distance. His past has shown him that woman are more interested in a suave businessman rather than a man who prefers flowers to people. His calm and easy going demeanor is the perfect foil for Lila which is why he is tasked with helping her find the perfect flowers for the wedding she is planning.
When Lila realizes both her personal and professional life are not what she believed she finds herself struggling and it is Kash who is there for her when she needs someone the most but is he a fling or has Lila found her forever?
Hot chemistry, witty banter and so much emotion as two people who couldn’t be more different except when it comes to their hearts.
Gilded Lily was a highly entertaining, sweet, sexy, funny and emotion-filled read. Kash and Lila are my new favorite couple from the Bennet Brothers series.
Kash Bennet was such an enigmatic character that I was looking forward to meeting with this book. He pulled at my heartstrings hard as the way he saw himself was slowly revealed throughout his story. Charming, laidback, nurturing and completely unassuming Kash always placed the needs of his loved ones above his own. From the outside looking in Lila was the polar opposite of Kash from her cool, guarded yet determined mindset but these two just clicked together so beautifully. I loved watching Lila and Kash dance around what was building between them as they were drawn closer to one another.
Gilded Lily was a fantastic pageturner that kept me hooked from beginning to end. I enjoyed both the storyline and dynamic between Kash and Lila. I loved catching up with my favorite group from Longbourne and can’t wait to see what’s in store next for the Bennet family!
I will start off with the fact that I love just about everything the Staci Hart writes, I enjoy her style and how she weaves a tale. Gilded Lily is no exception here. Kash and Lila were such a treat to read! Their slow burn was everything I wanted, as a reader I was able to really get on board with them as a couple as they went. Feeding into their natural chemistry I was hooked from page one. I loved their banter and total opposite natures that worked so well together. The amount of Feels I had for Lila and Kash was through the roof! Reading their romance blossom over the chapters brought in more validity to them as a couple and when you spring in such wonderful side characters brought the story full circle and kept it well rounded. I jumped right into this story so it was the first time I have been introduced to any of these characters and now I very much want to go back and read Coming Up Roses. I can not wait to see what comes next for this series!
-Mackenzie
Gilded Lily is the second book in the Bennet Brothers series, and it is a great continuation of this family’s story.
It’s an opposites-attract story with a lot of heart. Kash is the laid back and even-keeled Bennet, and so he’s ‘assigned’ to Lila Parker, Ivy’s sister. Lila and Kash clash instantly. When Lila’s love life takes a turn for the worse, Kash is there to help her pick up the pieces.
What starts as a simple rebound moves hard and fast into much, much more.
Kash is kind, compassionate, laid back, personable, and present every moment with Lila. And Lila is a tough cookie, a strong woman that gets things done. They are each strong separately, but together they are a true force.
If you’re looking for a sweet, sexy, heartwarming fall-in-love story, this is the book for you.
Staci Hart exceeds all expectations in this charming, effortlessly funny story of love and friendship.
Lila and Kash have a chemistry that’s off the charts, but they also have something much deeper. They share a mutual trust, respect, and friendship. Staci Hart gives us a beautiful story, enhanced with whispered echos of Austen. As always, the characters are perfectly developed and three dimensional. It is easy to fall in love with the Bennet family. They are boisterous, fun, and above all, supportive of each other.
This story is exactly what I’ve come to expect from Staci Hart. While this book more than stands on its own two feet, there are enough call backs and character reappearances that warrant the reading of the first book (Plus, the first book “Coming Up Roses” is fantastic! 5 stars!), and will keep you reaching for the next in the series. I cannot wait to see how the Bennet brood will continue to come together and save the shop.
“For the first time in my life, I wished I was something else. Something more. Ambitious and successful and rich. Powerful. I wished I was the kind of man Lila wouldn’t just fuck. I wished I was the kind of man she’d keep.”
Lila Parker does not admit faults. In her strict, controlling manner, all the goals she set for herself are being met. She has the perfect job as a wedding planner, the ideal relationship and nothing hits her. Her world is perfect and organized, as she always wanted. And extremely boring. Ignoring all the mishaps that occur in her life for the greater good, if she were honest with herself, she would see that her job is suffocating her, her boss drives her crazy, her new clients are bombs about to explode and her love life is apathetic. When her boyfriend cheated on her, she will find that not everything needs to be monochrome like her white clothes. Sometimes just a hint of color will make everything better.
Kash Bennet would rather deal with his flowers than with people. The quietest and most reserved of the brothers, he would rather be an onlooker than protagonist. After a broken heart and some harsh words, he believes he is only good for having fun. After all, being a gardener, he can’t be a good catch.
Bring Lila and Kash together is synonymous with confusion and fights. Always initiated by her. And unrequited by him. But even if their spirits are high, they cannot deny that they are attracted to each other. And when an indecent proposal happens, a very colorful friendship begins.
As time goes on, Lila will realize that in some cases, in our eagerness to try to conquer the sky, we forget that the most important thing may be closer than we think. In the midst of her chaotic life and the problems that arise, Kash will be the relief and the company she seeks. Even not meeting the standards she expects.
A funny, sweet novel with interesting characters and a good plot. The characters of the first book appear in the story, and with Lila being Ivy’s sister, we’ll follow her life as well.
Kash and Lily are opposites that attract each other. And that works very well. The next book will be about Marcus, the brother who most arouses my curiosity. Can not wait.