A sinfully sexy new standalone romance from #1 New York Times Bestseller Lauren Blakely I’ll say this about Christian — he made one heck of a first impression. When I first saw the strapping man, he was doing handstands naked on a dock along the canal. His crown jewels were far more entertaining than anything else I’d seen on the boat tour, so I did what any curious woman would do — I took his … would do — I took his photo. I might have looked at the shot a few dozen times. Little did I know I’d meet him again, a year later, at a secret garden bar in the heart of the city, where I’d learn that his mind and his mouth were even more captivating. But given the way my heart had been trampled, I wanted only a simple deal — No strings. No expectations.
Our arrangement worked well enough until the day I needed a lot more from him…
***
Let me just say, this whole part-time lover thing was her idea. I’d have gone all-in from the start, but hey, when a gorgeous, brilliant woman invites you into her bed, and only her bed…well, I said yes.
But then, one hysterical phone call from my brother later, begging me to find myself a wife so grandfather’s business stays in the family, and I need a promotion with Elise. Turns out a full-time husband suits her needs too, and a temporary marriage of convenience ought to do the trick, until we can simply untie the knot…
As long as no one finds out…
As long as no one gets hurt…
As long as no one falls in love…
But our ending was one I never saw coming.
more
Readers don’t let the title fool you, Lauren Blakeley is going to make you want more of this lover. Christian and Elise just wow, you can tell right away this won’t be a simple romance. I loved that it was Christian who is all in it but Elise in this case a little hesitant of believing in love again. Cannot wait to see what Lauren Blakely will do next her imagination just gets hotter than ever in each book.
“I received an eBook copy from the publisher for the purpose of an honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own.”
Who doesn’t love a sexy British man? Get ready for a fun rom-com with Ms. Blakely’s all new sexy British man, Christian and sweet adorable French-American gal, Elise. Part-Time Lover is Elise’s story and how she meets an incredibly charming man named Christian. They become fast friends but there is a strong spark between these two. What turns into a part-time lovers deal quickly morphs into something more when Christian’s brother tells them about his big dilemma and the risk of losing their family business. Elise never expects that she will have to help Christian and his brother but they are in a bind and there’s no better way to help them than with a marriage of convenience.
Get ready for a whole lot of sexiness, witty banter and charm with these two in Part-Time Lover. If you love fun, sexy, witty stories, look no further and one-click Part-Time Lover now. I fell in love with the friendship Elise and Christian formed from day 1 and love how it morphed into more. I was happily clapping and smiling along while reading this adorable couple. This is one of those books that makes your heart happy. Get on board and pick up Part-Time Lover today and fall in head over heels in love with Elise and Christian just as I have. 5 perfectly charming stars!
4.5 stars for Lauren Blakely’s fantastic new read. This book is absolutely delicious and has you completely enamoured unable to put this book down. Lauren has delivered us a great story that delivers her trademark romance, steam and wit that keeps you making sure she is on your instant 1-click author list.
Christian and Elle’s story is unconventional but that’s what keeps you turning each page. Their chemistry is scorching red hot and oh how Christian makes you swoon with his romantic side. And can I just say naked yoga?!?! well what girl wouldn’t love that
Loved every word in this book. Second chance romance is one of my favourite types and Lauren has knocked it out of the park with this one. Can’t wait to see what she brings us next.
Part-Time Lover by Lauren Blakely is a standalone romantic comedy about two characters we met from Wanderlust. It’s not needed to read Wanderlust before reading Part-Time Lover, but if you haven’t read it yet, it is a must read.
This novel stars Elise and Christian who first met from afar, by happenstance, while Elise was on a boat tour and Christian was on the docks performing handstands on the docks for the tourists that sailed by. It isn’t until a year later in Paris that they meet again in-person through their best friends. The attraction that sparked a year before is still strong as they begin to get to know each other on Friday dates and become friends and so much more.
However, before their relationship heats up to the next level, Christian receives a phone call from his brother and soon he finds his part-time lover, is now his full-time wife.
A well-written and absolutely romantic story, Ms. Blakely creates another pair of endearing and fleshed out characters with heart and soul. I loved Elise and Christian’s flirtiness and how we get a lot of time to see them as a couple and learn more about them throughout the novel. I also liked their friendships with their siblings, and their friends, Griffin and Joy, and Veronica. The what could go wrong aspect of this book was nicely balanced with how much could go oh so right.
Fun, sexy and romantic, I very much recommend Part-Time Lover by Lauren Blakely. These characters will make you fall in love with them on every page.
(I voluntarily reviewed an advance review copy of this book I received for free in exchange for my open and honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.)
This! This right here is why I love reading romance!! Another winner for Lauren Blakely! Engaging and sharp writing, great dialogue, likeable and relatable characters… it’s all here. At the end of this book I am blinking, happy tears and smiling so hard my face hurts. The mark of a truly great romance.
Our main characters are Elise and Christian. We met both of them in Wanderlust as friends of Joy and Griffin ( respectively). Even if you have not read Wanderlust ( which is fantastic so pick this one up too), you will have no trouble diving into this. Big theme in this book is…..do you believe in fate? Is anything fated to be? Or simply chance? The book begins with a missed opportunity for Elise and Christian to meet. A plan to get together that through a misunderstanding never happens. Fast forward a year when Christian and Elise are introduced through friends.
Christian is refreshing as a basically happy, well-adjusted guy. No darkness or deep secrets or manhoe behaviors. Content with his life and not looking for love. Elise is sophisticated and kind. Loving her life in Paris. Elise has built some inpenetrable walls around her heart. And when we find out why it is completely understandable.
Their relationship begins as fun which progresses to physical. The author excels at bringing on the sexual tension and when it happens…. Boom! Super hot, beautiful and emotional all at once. Without spoiling any plot points, various circumstances cause them to spend even more time together both in and out of bed. Feelings develop much to the chagrin of them both. So will fate have its say with these lovers? You will have to read to find out.
This romance is flawless and I loved it. I knew Christian and Elise’s story would be awesome and it really was. Two big thumbs up for Ms. Blakely’s latest!
Reviewed by: Jamie B.
How could Elise not be smitten or at least quite a bit intrigued when her first ‘encounter’ with Christian is of the naked variety?!? I mean…it’s not every day that someone exploring the sights of a city finds herself ogling a man who just so happens to be doing a naked handstand on the shore.
I would have definitely taken a picture for posterity or late night ‘moments’ as well!
But their ‘Kodak moment’ was all Christian and Elise had until quite some time later, but now that they’ve reconnected and realized that their attraction is worth pursuing, Elise’s strategy to not let her heart factor into another relationship is adamantly tested by a flirty Danish Brit who has a ‘head for strategy and a body for sin,’ and while Elise can’t quite attest to the first statement yet, what she can attest to is the package that Christian is sporting underneath his clothes, not only because she has the visual reminder of their first interaction but also because a man like Christian can’t have a body that is anything but physical perfection.
I adored Christian and Elise’s banter throughout the course of their story. They are both intelligent people and that shows through their savvy business sense as well as their practical natures. The fact that neither of them believes in marriage bodes well for the new partnership that they embark on as does the fact that there is an ‘expiration date’, but it’s still a dicey situation for both Christian and Elise because there has not been too many pairs who enter into a deal of this nature who don’t end up becoming attached, especially when the chemistry between them is as electric as it is when it comes to Christian and Elise’s mutual attraction.
I do have to admit that I didn’t really connect with Elise, but it’s not for the reasons some may think. I understand why Elise doesn’t want to venture into marriage or love again; Lauren Blakely clearly illustrates Elise’s feelings of shame and embarrassment when she found out the truth about her husband of six months, and even though it clearly had nothing to do with her being naïve because her husband was clearly a convincing liar, I even get the fact that she blames herself and won’t allow herself to be fooled by another dishonest man. What didn’t quite work for me was how contrary she seemed…almost like her head says one thing while her heart and body say something completely different, and while that kind of thing happens all the time in romance stories, for some reason, Elise’s contrariness annoyed me more than most.
I will say, though, that the small glimpses into Elise’s past from her Perfume blog definitely shed much needed light into the woman she was when she was being wooed by her now deceased husband and the woman she became because of his betrayal. Stop and Smell the Days blog is a fitting title for Elise’s musings and through them, her walls made a lot more sense, but it also made me believe that the romantic inside of Elise is still there and Christian is the perfect man to bring down her walls and prove that not all men are like Eduardo.
I adored Christian’s playfulness, his intelligence, and his ability to go with the flow when it came to Elise’s obsessive need to remind him and her that their ‘arrangement’ had an end date. His mind for business and language impressed the heck out of me and his relationship with his brother made him the perfect hero for this story.
The settings of Lauren Blakely’s stories play such pivotal roles in the story lines and that idea holds true in Part-Time Lover. Readers get descriptions of several historical and beautiful places and those areas create a fantastic atmosphere for the characters to find one another, get to know one another, and find a way, despite their pasts, to make things work, perhaps forever.
4 Poison Apples
Amazing! Lauren Blakely does it again! Amazing characters, wonderful story line and so much chemistry!! I was so glad that Christian and Elise got their own story!! It was perfect!! FIVE HUGE STARS!!
4.5*
Another wonderfully romantic and swoon-worthy read from Ms. Blakely!
Christian and Elise are originally introduced in Wanderlust, but no worries if you haven’t read that yet, their story stands all on its own. And it’s such a great one!
From their very first encounter (what a doozy that was!) I found myself falling for both Christian and Elise. Sweet and sexy, and a bit of everything in between, these 2 characters made my little heart skip a beat. Secure in what they think they want, or don’t want, out of life, they’re both a little wary of fully opening themselves up to another. But it’s hard to hold yourself back when you have such a natural connection with someone, like these two had with each other. I loved the easy way they fell into things and the way nothing was ever forced between them. They might not have planned for what was happening between them, but they couldn’t deny it either.
I’m not sure I believe in fate, but when it comes to Elise and Christian, I just might!
Wow, what a fun and flirty, second chance romance! I loved this refreshing, and witty tale filled with serendipity. During their first meet cute, Christian was shocking the tourists as he did naked handstands on his dock. He was so impressed when a beautiful young woman, on a passing boat, applauded him and took pictures, that he asked her to meet later for drinks. Due to fate or chance, it takes a year for that drink to happen. They have instant chemistry, but neither Christian or Elise are looking for anything serious. They agree to meet, as friends, in the most ‘undate’ like places, where they have a blast getting to know each other. Christian is fun, charming, and thoughtful with a swoony hint of vulnerability. Elise is smart, independant, and gracious. She loves to give people unexpected gifts, so when Christian and his brother are in a bind, she is eager to help. I loved the different turns this story took, keeping me totally engaged from start to finish. Christian and Elise were great together. They’re both successful, love to explore and have fun, and their chemistry was off the charts. I liked catching up with Griffin and Joy, and meeting Christians loving family as well. This is a fun, witty, sexy story that is so full of heart. This beautiful tale made me feel many wonderful emotions, but mostly, it made me happy!
Part-Time Lover by Lauren Blakely is the newest rom-com in a series of standalones.
Christian Ellison is the man who captivated Elise´s attention by unique sports demonstration. Yes, that´s a bit vague, but lets stay it by that.
Elise is out of a bad relationship and lost her trust in men. She wants a no-string affair. Christian knows that she´s his one, but also she´s skittish. They agree on a arrangement, but neither is happy about that. When fate decides to meddle they´re in for the ride of their lives.
Lauren Blakely wrote a beautifully and unique story. I very easily connected with the characters and I can´tv express how much I love them. I could find myself in both.
Part-Time Lover was sweet, romantic, enchanting, and just a story that needs to be read. If you haven’t read any of Lauren Blakely’s books yet, this is the book to start with. It is everything a romance lover is looking for. 5 Stars.
Swoon alert! Blakely’s latest destination romance is filled with charm, wit, and some passionate foreigners! A chance encounter in another country…a year ago Elise spotted the elusive Mad Naked Handstander of Copenhagen on a tour. On a dare the exchange words and agree to meet at a local bar for a date. Ah but the struggle of tourist mix-ups, Elise misses her chance and thinks she’ll nervous see the mysteriously sexy Viking again. But fate would have another say; when visiting her friend and her new man, who should be their compatriot but the daring Dane himself. A few wistful dates and a crazy notion (crazier than asking out the Mad Naked Handstander of Copenhagen) is laid at their feet.
Christian was heartbroken that his delightful flirt never showed for their date a year ago. So when fate puts her back into his path, he doesn’t hesitate to *ahem* give her the full monty…JK he doesn’t hold back on the charm AT ALL. Christian is smooth, funny, and an ostentatious flirt. I loved this lighthearted hero! Now for the challenge: in order to save his family’s company, and all the hard work his brother’s put in to it, he must marry. I did not think I’d be here for a marriage of convenience but that’s what you get and it could not be more fated!
One word comes to mind with Christian and Elise’s story: whirlwind. Its a whirlwind romance that took a year to land on solid ground and then a few weeks from there to hold steady. And Elise, my my it’s been sometime since I’ve found the HEROINE the charming creature of a romantic duo. But Elise is just that,the elusive lady of flavor; she’s filled with splendor, poetry, flirtatious and living life as she sees fit. It makes sense that a woman who searches to enjoy life’s pleasures would find a man just so daring. I’m so glad to have another classic romance from Blakely!
Part-time Lover is a full-time masterpiece that captures your heart and is created for readers who enjoy romantic comedies that combine sexy and sweet in one delicious package. A Buffet Boat Tour in Copenhagen serves up more than architectural landmarks when Elise snaps a photo of a naked man doing a handstand on a nearby dock. Flashing canal tourists means Christian’s mates will be buying his drinks that night. But just a 30 second conversation with Elise across 50 feet of water is enough to spark his interest and ask for a date. Unfortunately they don’t actually meet for another year but the attraction is still there. These two divorcees are not interested in a commitment and bite off more than they can chew when they agree to a sham marriage to help save Christian’s family business. When their pretend partnership produces real feelings for each other they face a much bigger dilemma than just rescuing a company. In true delightful Lauren Blakely style, she seduces her readers with her descriptive detail, witty one-liners and captivating chemistry between her main characters. Part-time Lovers is pure entertainment at it’s best!
An amazing read about fate and second chances… Christian is definitely swoon worthy, his personality is so sexy and flirty you can’t help but fall in love. A read you’ll devour from their first encounter until the last page. I laughed as my heart melted and fanned when the heat turned up. I highly recommend this read!
5 STAR Review by Jodi for Ruby Red Romance Review
Ms. Lauren Blakely has knocked it out of the park with this amazing book. Lauren’s books and witty, hot, sexy, with a bit of romance all rolled into one action packed story. I loved everything about this story from start to finish. Lauren’s writing sucks you in from the very beginning and doesn’t let go until the end.
Christian is everything I’ve come to know and love in hero by Ms. Blakely. He’s handsome, charming, and incredibly sexy. Christian is smart. He could still be working, but he wants to be free, because he can. Christian is everything and more when it comes to fantasy. I loved the first interaction between Christian and Elise.
Elise…girlfirend is classy, sassy, and a little smarta$$. I flipping love her. She’s everything I want to be and more when I grow up. She’s caught the eye of Christian, but is only being together once and a while going to be enough for these two?
I’m sure as hell not going to tell you. Please pick up this amazing book. I loved every second of it. I been reading so pretty heavy books lately and Part-Time Lover was just the escape I was looking for. Another win for Lauren Blakely!!!
* A review copy was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review *
Do you believe in FATE???
What happens when a series of chance meetings turn into a special arrangement, but then turns into something more??
Read Part-Time Lover to find out how Christian and Elise navigate this journey.
Part-Time Lover is Lauren Blakey’s latest contemporary romance novel. This is a companion novel to Wanderlust because we are first introduced to Christian and Elise in that story. We also get to see some of Joy and Griffin in this book. I thought this was an entertaining read. Perfect for the beach. This is a swoony romance novel without a lot of drama. It’s a fairly easy read. Lauren does add some other drama into the story to keep things moving, but it revolves more around Christian’s brother Erik.
This is a standalone novel and can be read that way. You don’t have to read Wanderlust to thoroughly enjoy this story. But if you are a fan of Lauren’s books, why not read them all 😉 Part-Time Lover is told in Dual POV and is a fairly quick read. I found the characters extremely lovable, especially Christian, and I also enjoyed the storyline.
In this story we follow the chance meeting (or sighting as it may be) of Christian and Elise. While on a tour of the canals, Elise gets a side show from Christian. Doing handstands on the dock, Au Natural 😉 To say she is intrigued is putting it mildly. So when Christian asks her to meet him at a local new spot, she is hesitant, because of a past relationship that has broken her trust in men. From here we get a story of chance meetings, but when something rocks Christian’s boat (in business) he turns to Elise for help. So what happens when a simple arrangement turns into something more?? Can Elise and Christian get their HEA?? Will they learn to trust each other?? Read this story to find out.
I would recommend this book to all of Lauren’s fans out there. This is another swoony love story that will have you melting 🙂 but in the best way!!! If you haven’t read any of Lauren’s books yet, this is the perfect place to start. Once you read one of her books you will be hooked and a fan for life.
**I received an early copy of this title in exchange for an honest review**
There is something about Lauren Blakely’s books that just automatically bring a smile to my face. I know they are going to be entertaining, they’ll be humorous and they’ll be sexy and Part-Time Lover was no exception.
We originally met Elise and Christian in Wanderlust, as they are friends of Joy and Griffin, but there is no reason this book can’t be read as a standalone.
Both Elise and Christian have had issues in past relationships that have shaped their current thought processes on love and marriage. A chance encounter while Elise is visiting Denmark puts them on each other’s radar, but an innocent mix-up leads to them never meeting up later that night as they had planned. It isn’t until a year later when they happen to meet once again (or could it be fate?) in France where they are both now living.
While the chemistry between these two is off the charts and they have plenty of flirty fun together, neither one of them is looking for a relationship. It isn’t until a situation arises with Christian’s family and they realize they could help with the situation, that things really get interesting. If they go through with helping, it’s going to mean putting themselves out there in a way that could hurt one or both of them in the end. Will they be game enough to do it and if they do, will they emerge on the other side unscathed or more broken than before?
This was a story filled with a roller coaster of emotions, but it was so entertaining and engaging. It’s not one that you are going to want to miss, so pick it up today!
I felt so much with this book…it reminded me why I read romances. But, hearing this story told by the talented voices of, Grace Grant and Shane East, brought this story to another level!
Smells of sweet breads and candies; blossoming, vibrant colored flowers; and the soft light highlighting the beauty in the European cities our characters navigated throughout this story, held me captive from the beginning of this book until the very end. Hearing this all described by the voice of Elsie, Grace Grant, made it that much real in my mind.
Fate and the question of does fate exist is questioned and argued by, in my opinion, two of Lauren Blakely’s most marvelous characters to date – Elsie and Christian. I don’t want to take away one thing from this book by trying to describe the characters or the plot of the story. I want you to experience these characters for yourself.
The voice of Christian, Shane East, had my heart flutter from the moment he spoke. I was held captivated and had an almost intoxicating feeling as I listened to him speak to Elise throughout this story. He was so scrumptious that I would gladly listen to him read my grocery list any day of the week!
I have to be honest. It has been a long time since I was completely and utterly consumed by a romance story. Having just read this book, I didn’t think it could get any better, but I was wrong!
As I listened to this story, these narrators reignited the spark in me, the spark that had drew me to contemporary romance in the beginning. The passion I have for stories like these was reawakened and I felt rejuvenated and hopeful again and for the first time in a long time – that may be, like in our story, fate could play a role in all of our lives, leading us to our special someone.
This was a couldn’t-put-down-sizzling-buildup-yummy-kind-of-read.
I don’t know if it was the early summer heat, the holiday weekend, or that Lauren Blakely just gets better with each book I read. Part-Time Lover checked off all of my boxes for a cozy up on the couch and do nothing kind of day. Christian and Elise were a fabulous pair and I loved reading every minute of their story.
Elise has been hurt by love before. Married and now widowed the walls around her heart are tall and thick. It doesn’t mean she doesn’t know how to have fun, it’s quite the opposite. Her friends adore that she lives by a carpe diem philosophy, but living life to its fullest doesn’t mean she has to fall in love. She has her career on full speed and nothing stands in her way when she wants to achieve her goals.
Christian loves his life. Retired at age twenty-eight, fit and healthy. The world is his oyster for plucking. He might be a bit bored now that he has nothing to do, but luckily a job offer comes along where he can put his bilingual skills to use and he’s fortunate enough to decide what it is he wants to do next in his life.
What neither Christian nor Elise expected was for fate to intervene on their behalves. When Christian’s family business needs the kind of help that only a woman can provide and Elise’s business needs the kind of expertise that Christian has in spades…well…what’s better than a business deal with a little bit of pleasure on the side? No harm in them getting what they both want, besides it’s just business.
Pack your bags for a whirlwind adventure overseas. Fall madly in love with Christian and Elise in Part-Time Lover.
It began with a fantasy that ultimately changes the course of their destiny. Hot guy, intrigued girl and a hauntingly tempting visual began a bumpy road of twists and turns for two strangers. Part- Time Lover can make a believer out of even the most skeptic of romantics. Elise and Christian let readers take a glimpse inside their deepest thoughts with humorous angst and bits of emotional upheaval. Definitely an attention grabber. From the beautiful backdrop to the witty dialogue and the heartwarming romance, Part-time Lover is a keeper. Lauren Blakely is one addiction that I wholeheartedly cultivate.
If there is a more entertaining way for a couple to meet I haven’t heard of it yet. And the book only gets better from there. Christian’s flirting was simply the best. I loved the way Elise’s walls came down. This book was full of fun, heart and heat and adored every page.