He’s sexy. He’s southern. And he won’t stop showing up at my door half naked. Meet Elijah Jackson, my hot new neighbor…From the outside looking in? I’ve got it all. Prestigious job. Pretty house. And a perfect boyfriend who just proposed with the perfect ring.I should feel ecstatic—but instead, I feel suffocated. So I break up with my boyfriend, hop in my car, and head south.Charleston, South … south.
Charleston, South Carolina: home to stunning architecture, sultry accents, and—oh yeah—my perpetually shirtless neighbor, Elijah Jackson.
As if his abs for days and inked up deliciousness aren’t enticing enough, he also encourages me to chase down my dreams. And the chemistry between us? Hotter than the kitchen at Eli’s restaurant.
But I still have a life a thousand miles away. One I’ve worked really hard to build. And I don’t know if I can just leave it all behind.
I have to choose. A choice Eli doesn’t make any easier by inviting me out to his cabin for a long weekend. Just the two of us. And one bed. I swear to God this southerner is out to charm the panties right off me. Just this once, I might let him…
SOUTHERN CHARMER is a slow burn, standalone romance with no cheating. It’s the first book in the CHARLESTON HEAT series, set in Charleston, South Carolina.
The books in the Charleston Heat series are interconnected standalone romances, and can be read in any order.
SOUTHERN CHARMER: Eli and Olivia’s story
SOUTHERN PLAYER: Luke and Gracie’s story
SOUTHERN GENTLEMAN: Greyson and Julia’s story
SOUTHERN HEARTBREAKER: Ford and Eva’s story
more
Eli and Olivia
This story really pulls on your heartstrings. Two souls that need each other and stumble a time or two along the journey.
It was a fun read.
I would recommend reading this charming book with wonderful characters…loved the storyline. The author had a way to let you feel the characters emotions…awesome read!!
I really enjoyed this book, it was a page turner.
Loved reading about Charleston, SC as I can relate to the city as I’ve been there on a couple of visits. Great food and great town!. And Eli! WOW!! How he was determined to win Olivia as his HEA. But first, he must forgive himself for losing his second restaurant and she must show him that she is staying. GREAT book.
I was charmed by Peterson’s depiction of Charleston and fully embracing who you are.
Olivia has been pleasing her parents and doing what is expected until she realizes she cannot say yes to the marriage proposal from they guy who everyone else sys is right for her. Running away for a break she wants to finally write her romance novel. For readers of romance novels, the parts of the story about writing these stories is WONDERFUL. Her neighbor is Eli, top chef, hot mess, who is also finding his own professional challenges. Both of them grow while following their hearts as to what to do professionally as well as finding each other.
Amazing stories like these why my head is always in a book. Great job! I suggest you join NōvelStar’s writing competition this April.
I absolutely loved Southern Charmer! Olivia and Eli are so loveable and easy to relate to. The world building was fantastic! I felt like I was back home hanging out in Charleston with Eli and Olivia. I highly recommend Southern Charmer and can’t wait to read the rest of the Charleston Heat series.
Southern Charmer
(Charleston Heat, #1)
Written by: Jessica Peterson
Talk about a southern boy! My! My! My! That Elijah Jackson will give those hot Charleston summer nights a run for their money!
Chef, restaurant owner and dear lord the heat in that man’s voice!
So it’s no wonder that Olivia finds her new next-door neighbor just the distraction she needs while trying to figure out her life. Yes, ma’am you go on over and have grits and eggs with that man for breakfast.
Eli is a sweet talker who is willing to play the long game when it comes to winning Olivia over to his side of the fence, and with the war going on the that girls head, playing the long game might just be the way to win her over.
But into every good relationship there is going to be something that puts that wedge there for the couple to work out. Eli and Olivia are not just fighting one wedge however, Eli is about to go through a business loss and Olivia has started to realize that maybe it’s time to live the life she wants, not the life everyone else wants. When the breaking point comes, it fractures them.
Jessica Peterson gives us two people who need support and find that in each other. Their attraction to each other has steam coming off these pages, the sexual attraction they have with each other might just be hotter than a July Charleston night. However, you can’t make a long-term relationship out of that kind of heat unless you are both 100% honest with each other and these two are each hiding issues that end up keeping them apart. What they need is honesty with themselves and working together to make this work.
I loved this story! Loved Elijah, love Olivia and loved really starting to know Jessica Peterson as a writer. This has quickly become Jessica Peterson binge week for me!
I stumbled upon Jessica in her Royal series, and the Charleston Heart series takes the grits (Eli would be proud!). Jessica sets up such an incredible series in Charleston with Eli and Olivia. I love Eli and his restaurants, and Olivia going after her dreams of being an author! So many times we see people stuck in the career they chose out of college without making any changes, but Olivia goes for it! And she has Eli along for the ride, and his food to help her out! Everyone should grab some grits and read this story!
Wow. I need to cool off from this one! Jessica Peterson has written a hawt book! Joe Arden and Emma Wilder narrate. Joe’s southern drawl is spot on! The book opens with Olivia taking a break from her prestigious college job up north and comes to Charleston, SC to take a break. A break from the hustle and bustle of her life and her current beau. Thats when you she runs right into Eli Jackson. The minute I heard Eli aka Joe speak the words “Succotash” my interest was peaked. Eli is a up and coming chef, not to mention good at yoga and has some mad skills in the bedroom.
Eli is immediately smitten with Olivia and takes interest in Olivia’s budding romance novel career. These two fall quickly and passionately in love! The sex is hawt! Overall this southern setting and these cute, adorable characters are so easy to fall in love with. I just loved it! (less) [edit]
4 STARS
*AUDIOBOOK*
What a sweet story this was! Buckle up and prepare to fall for Eli and Olivia. Eli is a super confident, sexy southern. He goes after want he wants without apology. He owns a restaurant and is passionate about life. Olivia is sweet, loyal and hard working. She is a little lost and doesn’t know what path she is on at the moment. From the moment she steps into Charleston, South Carolina her meeting Eli turns everything she thought she wanted for herself upside down. Her character frustrated me at times. She wanted to hold onto her comfort and safety net a bit too long. There was no doubt that Eli was her future but it took her forever to realize it! I did love how encouraging Eli was in helping her go after her dreams. I also loved all the side characters developed in this story. Jessica has set the scene perfectly for Luke and Gracie’s story next. Can’t wait! Listening to audio was a real treat! Is there anything sexier than Joe Arden doing a southern accent?!
The South is known for its heat…this book has it in spades! Upstate NY tenured professor, and secret romance author, Olivia is on a break in Charleston, SC to find herself…and write her book…after turning down her bf marriage proposal. What she discovers is an epic romance…and beta reader…in renowned chef, Elijah! Lots of steam, endearing moments, and an adorable pooch make you stay for more.
****** AUDIOBOOK REVIEW ******
There is nothing like a good southern man! Jessica Peterson gave me the sexiest chef ever.. add in Eli’s preference for going topless while being covered in tattoos (holly sexiness!!) plus the sweet and caring way he cared about Olivia. I was smitten, darn near immediately!! Olivia has it all.. the job, a possible fiancé… but is it really what she’s wanted? The life she’s building while on sabbatical seems to fit as well. What’s a girl do? Does she completely upend her seemingly happy life following this new but happy life?
Lordy, Joe Arden was AMAZING with that southern accent! Goodness, I needed a good tall glass of sweet teat to calm my racing heart after hearing him give life to a southern chef with some of the BEST attributes! Emma Wilder also played Olivia’s part to perfection! I’m not sure I could have loved this audio performance more than I did. It really helped with the story was a tad slower to get going but once it got up to speed I could NOT stop listening!
First off any book narrated by Joe Arden is perfection especially with his southern charm accent! Eli and Olivia’s story is one of combustible lust and love however they each need to find themselves in order to truly know and understand this. The felt as if the story was a little slow moving but I really loved the characters and found myself rooting for them. Definitely worth the read!
Charming audiobook indeed! Southern Charmer by Jessica Peterson had it all: feels, steam, an awesome heroine, and hero who can cook. Yup, he’s southern and a chef! Dear lord I was weak for Eli!
Narration was performed by Joe Arden and Emma Wilder and do I even have to say any more? Both narrators did wonderful work bringing the characters and story to life and I’m excited to listen to the rest of the series! 5 stars.
I received an copy of this on audio on behalf of the author and I volunteered to leave an unbiased review.
This is my first Jessica Peterson book and it won’t be my last. I don’t usually go in for foodie books, but this made me SO hungry. It also made me want to write and read more historical romance. Eli and Olivia had me hooked from the first chapter. Olivia is on the run after feeling pressured and suffocated by her life in New York. She decides to have a break in South Carolina. There she meets smoking hot chef Eli.
Sparks fly.
This book was a whole lot of fun. And now I’m hungry. And I don’t even know what grits are. But hearing Joe Arden talk about them made me really want them. Emma Wilder is also a big favourite of mine.
This is my first book of any kind by author Jessica Peterson. I was excited to listen because this is narrated by two of my faves Joe Arden and Emma Wilder. They both gave amazing performances filled with emotion, vulnerability and lots and lots of heat. Olivia is at a crossroads between doing what is expected of her, or embarking on a journey to find her happiness. Her conundrum is one that is highly relatable and was addressed so well in the writing of this book. There was definitely some life imitating art meta moments when Olivia was trying her hand at writing a romance novel. Eli was like an onion with his many many layers and it was so enjoyable to watch him peel them all back for Olivia. I loved how supportive he was of Olivia’s dream. What is sexier than a man who reads romance novels? There was drama and some low angst, but I didn’t feel that the characters ever made decisions that were intentionally dumb, which can be a pet peeve of mine.
This book was a five star read for me, now more than ever, it is important that we take time to be strong independent people, who can find their passions within themselves. This book was wonderful on so many levels, I highly, highly recommend!
Elijah a southerner, chef and hot alpha is taken and falls for Olivia a Northerner, college literature
professor and taking a break from her fiance who is waiting for her in NY. The premise is one that
gives thought to do material things make you happy? Olivia, wants to be a historical romance
writer. She lacks the confidence to leave her tenure behind. Elijah is her muse he convinces her
to stay in N. C. But life never goes as planned. Elijah loses confidence in himself and doesn’t think
he is good enough for Olivia. The story takes you through the ups and downs of their relationship
and how Olivia becomes strong and confident and Elijah needs her. Eli and Olivia have instant
attraction but is it enough to see them through the tough times?? Read on and enjoy the sweet
story of love and life.