Her: Unstoppable, workaholic, driven force of nature. Him: The exact opposite of that. Phebe Stark needs a punching bag. No, on second thought, she needs a donut. No, on third thought, she needs to escape into a dark bar with a strong drink. She’s just been harassed, for the umpteenth time, by the slimy supervisor standing between her and a shattered glass ceiling at her high-pressure Atlanta … high-pressure Atlanta firm. But then a tall, bearded, sexy lumberjack of a bartender saunters over, and suddenly Phebe knows she doesn’t need gin . . . she needs him.
Brody Cantrell didn’t exactly intend to become a bartender. He planned to help out at his ailing uncle’s bar for a year, then get an advanced degree and rise to the top of his field. Instead, he got a Ph.D. in Real Life from his customers. Brody thinks he’s seen everything—until he meets Phebe Stark. And when he gets a load of her fearless sexting skills, he just has to see what’s under that power suit. Brody’s certain they’ll have a good time or two—nothing serious. Then again, all these steamy messages and breathless trysts have him seriously considering . . . Why not?
This ebook includes an excerpt from another Loveswept title.
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I received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads, so here is my review.
3.5-4 stars
I found that I liked the idea of this story but sometimes I wanted to slap Phebe up side the head. Being an independent woman in a mans world is hard but the way she treated people was a downer for me. She thought that money would solve all problems and she was never wrong. When she met Brody at his bar, she was drawn to him in a way she was never drawn to another man. She found that Brody challenged her by the way he accepted her the way she was.
Brody couldn’t believe the woman sitting across his bar. She was a tough independent woman and didn’t take crap off anyone. He liked to challenge her because it seem to draw them closer. When he tried to show her that like was about more than money, she would get angry and upset.
I really liked the story-line and was rooting for Brody and Phebe but I knew she had to change for things to work out for them. This is a first for me from this author and I am looking forward to read the next book in this series.
**Wicked Reads Review Team**
This story was definitely not for me. While I’m all for a strong heroine, Phoebe took that too a whole new level. A strong woman does not have to treat others like crap. I understand that she had things said to her, but that doesn’t mean that everyone is a creep. I read romance for just that, the romance. Phoebe completely turned me off from her from the start, so I can honestly say I never rooted for her and Brody to be together. She never seemed to grow as a character, and was still her horrible self at the end. Although I didn’t like this story, I would be willing to read this author again.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced readers copy of this book.
3.5 stars
This is my first time reading a book by this author and I enjoyed it. The cover is one reason I was drawn to this book. The blurb had me intrigued but it fell a little flat for me in some areas.
Phebe is a high-powered exec and Brody owns a sports bar. They have chemistry inside the bedroom. The chemistry doesn’t translate outside of the bedroom for a while.
Once I got into this book I enjoyed it and will be reading more books by this author.
Great blurb but sadly the story was not my cuppa
I am sorry to say that I did not finish the book and mostly skimmed the later chapters to find out what happened to the characters. Yes, I did like the premise of the story, both Brody and Phebe are strong and likable characters.
Phebe is strong and very opinionated, to a fault, but she realizes this towards the end and her character softens. I liked Brody who is easy going, loyal, and so much more than he appears. What made it difficult for me is the execution of the story. There were so many distractions and tangents that took my focus away from the developing relationship that I put it down several times to clear my head. Yes, I understand Brody and Phebe do crossword puzzles but too much monologuing and ramblings made the became exhausting and the story suffered.
I received a copy from Random House Publishing via NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.
This is a fun read with plenty of drama and great characters. Phebe and Brody are opposites and I loved the interaction between them. The characters have great depth, and the story is fun, emotion and entertaining. A good read.
Let’s Talk About Sext is terrific! It is a modern day tale of love and romance (or the lack there of). Phebe is smart driven and successful mostly because she hides her femininity behind power suits and brass. Brody is more than a bartender and I love the role reversal. Phebe makes assumptions about Brody based on his job just as others make assumptions about her. The chemistry between the two is off the charts. I really enjoyed watching these get together.
Cute fun story with humor, chemistry and feels! Phebe is a powerful business woman wanting to make her mark in a male business world, she’s all work and no play but when she stumbles into a saloon seeking a drink the bartender seems to be a better option. Brody is taking with the witty blonde that came through his bar, but when she gives him a wrong number his chance might be gone. Witty sexting banter and fun characters make this a good read.
Phebe Stark is a very driven woman. She has plans and goals, but sometimes even a determined woman reaches her limits. Brody Cantrell also had plans, but sometimes life takes you on a different path. Now he finds himself bartending in order to help his uncle’s bar. Before you know it, they are sexting and wondering what more they can have.
Let’s Talk About Sext by Evie Claire was an opposite’s attract story. Phebe and Brody had a push and pull relationship. I liked Brody right from the start, but it took me a bit to get into Phebe. They did not always work for me, but I loved Brody’s determination.
3.5-stars. Happy reading.
I was so intrigued by the idea behind this book! It was so much fun watching Phebe & Brody learn to love together! I couldn’t put the book down and kept wanting to see what would happen next! Looking forward to the rest of the series!
After reading the blurb for this one, I was hoping for a lighthearted, possibly funny romance, and I suppose it does fit that bill in part. The story has a pretty low angst level overall, and there are some amusing moments along the way, but it drags on much longer than needed for a story with so little drama. The story’s biggest downfall for me lay in the characters, who are almost caricature-like with their personalities. I like a strong female, but Phebe takes that to ice queen level and is just unlikable, and she’s so hung up on power and money that nothing else matters. She does redeem herself later, but it’s just too little, too late for me. Brody is the all-around likable guy. He’s laid back and easy going, so much so that he has zero ambition. Opposites attract is one thing, but these two are on such extreme opposite sides that they just don’t work. They have great sexual chemistry, but they do so little talking that there isn’t much to base a romance on. The only way they find out things is when things blow up in their faces, then they bother to explain later. In the end, I could see the ‘buddy’ status that starts it all, but I never felt enough connection between them to see any kind of romance.
This one was not my cuppa and I had to struggle to get through it, though I did since I received it as an ARC. There was something about this one that didn’t ring for me, it didn’t find it’s rhythm and seemed to be more telling than feeling and after reading so many really good books this one just really dinged. The premise was good and I was rooting for Phebe and Brody to connect but didn’t feel they ever really did. Just because it wasn’t for me, doesn’t mean it won’t be for you. I may go ahead and try the next one in the series though…
This book sounded really good and I had high hopes for it, but I just couldn’t get into it. I tried extremely hard to like it but I had a hard time connecting with the characters and it felt almost like that had no true chemistry or feeling for each other. I really didn’t like Phebe. I had a few choice words for her that I just can’t say here because they aren’t nice. And Brody seems to be a little too laid back. I don’t know, I just can’t put my finger on exactly what turned me off so much with this one. It’s not so much a bad book, the writing wasn’t bad. The story itself wasn’t necessarily bad, it just wasn’t my cup of tea. I’m not sure if I would re-read it but I’m sure someone else will probably love it. It just isn’t for me!
Phebe Stark is all about setting goals and achieving them. She doesn’t care what she has to do to climb the ladder to achieve her dream job. The only thing she won’t do is use her body to move up. Brody Cantrell is bartender extraordinaire.These are two people that shouldn’t work out. It all starts with a text that turns into a phone call. They have been living in a bubble and when they stepped out into the real world, it burst. Can they solve the issue that drove them apart? It isn’t until friends intervene, that Phebe finally knows what to do. I loved the ending
I hate leaving negative reviews. I do. But that is part of the job of writing a book blog. You need to showcase the bad along with the good.
I did not like Phebe at all. From the minute she appeared outside of Brody’s bar, I got the vibe that she was a ball buster and a snob. My vibe was confirmed in the next chapter when she went from zero to witch on Brody. My dislike of her started around that time also. It grew and grew until the first breakup scene happened. That is where her true colors came out. She was a snob and was all about money. From that point on, I read her scenes a bad taste in my mouth.
I did like Brody but I thought that he was a pushover. I also couldn’t understand why he kept taking Phebe back after everything she put him through. I would have told her to go take a flying leap after what happened at the Boys and Girls Club gala.
Because of my dislike for Phebe, I couldn’t get into the sex scenes. They did nothing for me. If Phebe had been more likable, then the sex scenes would have been fun. But they were colored by her actions throughout the book.
I did like the secondary characters in this book. Phebe’s friends weren’t afraid to call her out and let her know how she was acting. When she told them what she said to Brody during their last fight, their reaction was the same I would have had.
I did appreciate the author trying to reign Phebe in. I did. But I didn’t believe that she changed in that short amount of time. I mean what she said to Brody was awful.
A bartender with Daddy issues
Who says that to someone that they loved? And over something that she had no business being a part of? What Brody did with that land was up to him. Not her. I would have booted her butt out of the door and blocked her number.
Which takes us to the end of the book. I know because its a romance, they are supposed to have a HEA. But in this case, I can’t see it happening. I have a feeling that Phebe and Brody’s relationship will be a quick one. Like a Kardashian marriage. I was left feeling unfulfilled by the ending. Which is something that I rarely feel when reading any type of book.
3.5 Stars
This was my first book by this author and wanted to like it but there were just a few too many things missing for me.
Phebe was really unlikeable for me. I love strong female characters but I hate when they feel like they need to down other people in order to show their strength. Sorry but that’s the opposite of a strong character for me. The best part of this book was Brody. If only there were more redeeming things about Phebe, this book could have been great.
I’ll give this author another try and hopefully I’ll connect more with the next.
*this is my voluntary review of an advanced reader copy*
“The kind of love that lasts is the one you can’t control.”
Brody and Phebe find themselves with just that kind of love. They share a passion that can’t remain emotionless, a chemistry that consumes them even when neither one can see how they could ever be compatible for the long run.
Brody is a barroom poet, a bartender by choice who has no interest in the fast-paced corporate world where Phebe is determined to make her mark. Their romance is the stuff of legends – intense heat, stormy conflicts, a soul-deep understanding of each other that defies logic.
This exquisitely-written romance is tightly paced with memorable characters and laughs that pop up seemingly out of nowhere. It was thoroughly captivating, a story that deserves to be read again and again. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.
One of the great things a person gets when being lucky enough to receive ARC copies of books is finding new authors that you would never normally find. Evie Claire is a new author for me, and I absolutely loved this book! You have this hi-powered, work alcoholic, strong willed, strangely funny, witty, sassy and gorgeous Phebe Stark who ends up in the Guns bar after being sexually harrassed by her supervisor. She finds the “bartender” Brody Cantrell, who is downright sexy as all get out, quick witted, funny, and ends up having the same obsession with crossword puzzles as she does, but he has this natural talent of putting her at ease, something no man has ever done. I absolutely loved the hot chemistry between this couple. I adore books that make me laugh, where the characters give as good as they get, and when they sear the pages of the book off in hot steamy sex. Brody understood Phebe like no one ever had, knew when to stand back to give her space, but there were a lot of growing pains in this relationship, which made the whole book very well written and difficult to put down. This book has it all, sucked me in from the first page to the very last word. Very well worth the read, and I will definitely be reading more books from this author. Plan to add this one to my paperback library.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC copy of this book book.
I received a copy of this story from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I’ve been on a romance binge lately so this seemed like a good read. And for the most part, it was a good read. Solidly okay. It wasn’t anything to write home about and I’ve certainly read stories that drew me in more but I didn’t finish this to finish it. I wanted to know how this was going to wrap up. I don’t know that I’ll read the next installment but I was happy enough with this one.
First, MAJOR KUDOS to Evie Claire for having a cover that even remotely resembles the leading man! It’s one of my biggest pet peeves when the guy or gal on the cover looks nothing like the actual characters. So well done there!
Second, I love that it wasn’t just about the romance. Obviously that was a huge driving factor but other elements – career, family, gender politics, etc – were effectively brought in to add more depth.
What stopped this from moving further up the star rating for me was that it seemed too easy. It was clear where it was going and the moments of tension or discord didn’t last long enough. I wasn’t emotionally drawn into the story. And that lack of a hook made me a bit sad.
I’d cautiously recommend this to anyone who:
– needs another beach-y, palate cleanser of a read after having finished a bunch of others
I personally think there should be a new troupe just having to do with texting. I think that this is a fun way to see characters flirt and it gives us readers a chance to see their thought process. This was the way I felt about this book. I loved these two characters but I also loved the games and discussions they would have during their texts.
These two characters were so different from each other it was fun to read. In this book, even thought they were opposites, they admired that other quality in the other.
Phebe is a ballbuster to the Nth degree. She works in a high pressure mans world and has to do more to prove herself because she is a woman. In many cases, this makes her come off as cold and harsh. Brody was able to see over that. He could see the woman she was so desperately trying to hide so she could be seen as an equal. Brody’s laid back attitude and charm was what Phebe needed in her life.
While I mentioned above that they both admired their opposite quality in the other, it also made their fights much more. Phebe’s gut reaction in a fight is to verbally hit below the belt and it take a strong man to be able to deal with that. Luckily for her, Brody is such a man!
This is my first book by Evie Claire.
What I liked:
The writing style
Brody
Dual POVs
Part of a series: Let’s Talk About Sext
Standalone
HEA
I look forward to reading the other books in this series.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC from NetGalley.