I know two things when I meet my new boss, Greyson Parker Montgomery III.One, he’s an egomaniac. And two, we’re going to get naked.Something I didn’t know? That I’d end up pregnant.No one is more surprised by our off-the-charts chemistry than me. I’m a free spirit with a passion for design and a taste for the bohemian. Greyson is a cocky venture capitalist who’s as pretentious as his sharply cut … pretentious as his sharply cut power suits.
He owns half of Charleston, and has the other half at his beck and call. But the only place he owns me is in bed…or in the backseat of his car, boneless and begging for mercy.
We argue over contracts and costs all day long. Behind closed doors, however, we engage in a different kind of business. The kind that has me surrendering to his unique brand of dominance.
Our no-strings attached arrangement suits me just fine. Until I wake up one morning with what I think is a wicked hangover.
Only it’s not a hangover.
I thought Greyson was a typical “greed is good” grump. But when he demands to be involved in the life we accidentally created, I start to see a different side of him. One that’s more gentleman than jerk.Am I crazy to think we could be a family together? Or is making me fall for him just another one of his power plays?
SOUTHERN GENTLEMAN is a STANDALONE, full length, accidental pregnancy/enemies-to-lovers romance.
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gent·le·man
/ˈjen(t)lmən/
noun
1.
a chivalrous, courteous, or honorable man.
I’m not 100% sure this definition fits Grey. Whoa boy!!! Talk about the embodiment of gentleman in the streets and a freak in the sheets *fans self*
I LOVED Grey and Julia’s story so much!! Every book in the Charleston Heat series has been better than the last, which doesn’t even make sense because the first two books are phenomenal. This series has such strong female characters that you can’t help but fall in love with every single one of them. Julia is prepared to raise a baby alone, ready to stand up for herself, and not afraid to ask for what she needs. Julia is an inspiration. And Grey… aside from the heat *seriously fanning myself* he’s such an amazing man, working to support his family, holding them up the way that he knows how. Gah, there’s no words for how much I loved him.
I can’t wait to visit Charleston again!! These characters are too good not to read again and again.
Omg I absolutely love this book. It’s soo good couldn’t put it down. I love Jessica’s books. I love Julia and Greyson story. Love to read accidental pregnancy/enemies-to-lovers romance.
I am very fortunate to have visited Charleston, South Carolina, a few times and am just in love with the Charleston Heat series! The author expertly writes each chapter so that it captures the charm and uniqueness of this beautiful city and its residents, including at least four smoking hot and swoony men who live there–Ford is next y’all so look out for book 4, Southern Heartbreaker!
Southern Gentleman is so relatable…it features real people with real jobs, real families, and love stories that will make your heart race. Elijah is a professional chef and Olivia is a popular romance author in Southern Charmer. Eli’s sister, Gracie, who has her MBA and owns the local coffee shop, Holy City Roosters, falls in love with her brother’s best friend, Luke Rodgers, a former pro-baseball player turned farmer in Southern Player.
We are introduced to Julia Lassiter and Greyson Mongomery at the end of book 2. Their alleged backseat hook-up left us all begging for more and Jessica Peterson delivered! Oh, did she deliver…no pun intended. In book three, Southern Gentleman, Julia and Greyson are brought together to work on a project for Luke’s expanding business venture of building a farmers market and storefront. Greyson is a venture capitalist, the money man behind the project, and Julia is the very talented and passionate designer.
When these two meet, sparks fly right off the page. I can’t even begin to tell you how much I enjoyed each and every interaction. She is a little spitfire who holds her own to grumpy Grey. She has advanced degrees, a gift for historical restoration, and familiarity with renovating and designing buildings (both the interior and exterior) as her dad was an architect. And if you couldn’t love her enough, she is also a vivacious reader and professor of romance literature at Charleston College!
While working with Grey who is technically her boss, Julia is no pushover and is not afraid to go head to head to get what she wants–both in business and in pleasure! It is so fun to read and the slow burn will have you turning page after page! If I lived in Charleston, she and I would be besties. That’s how much I adored and respected her.
These enemies to lovers fight every step of the way as he tries to curb her vision due to financial constraints. Their sexual tension brews deep in their bellies and all of their banter builds and builds and is just a big old orga$m waiting to happen. Obviously they give in to their desire because as the overview states, she gets pregnant. That is when Grey has to make hard life choices and decide if he is all in, willing to be vulnerable, and share his past so that he may have a future.
I always liked Grey even when he was a distant, brooding, alphahole. But once he found out he was going to be a father, that is when the true hero emerges. I don’t want to give much away because reading his transformation and commitment to Julia and his unborn baby is just beautiful. I LOVED him and would marry him in a heartbeat. He not only is smart and successful, but a family man who just had to forgive himself. Julia is so up-lifiting and supportive and it was very emotional to read at times. I smiled and laughed so hard my cheeks hurt; I sighed and cried, my eyes went wide during all the sexy times, and I felt every emotion when reading this book.
An added note is how much I loved how the returning characters from the previous books were featured and new characters were introduced like Ford, our hero’s brother. Julia is blessed to have such great friends and they are there for her as she tries to figure out her future as an unexpectant mother. She wouldn’t settle for less than she felt she and her child deserved, and I so admired her honesty and high standards. She was independent and didn’t need to have a man in her life, but did she want to? Read Southern Gentleman and find out just what she decided.
This book is a stand-alone but I highly recommend you read all of the books in this series so that you, too, can bask in the glow of all this Southern Heat.
It takes a baby thrown into the mix for these two to finally give in and accept their interest towards each other is more than just carnal attraction. Greyson is so grumpy but beneath the surface he is a sweetheart and a family man. Always looking to be accommodating and worried about providing for others. That is his main focus. Julia is a strong independent and dominant woman with no worries about telling the truth as is. She is direct and she doesn’t sugarcoat anything. So when two dominant, take charge people come together you would think they won’t make a good match with all the building tension. Turns out they are great for each other. Because they are both focused on family and open to new beginnings even if they are scared. This story is very realistic. With lots of details included. So you get a good insight on the ins and outs of a pregnancy and how to navigate it.
What a great story. An unexpected twist, well, maybe not, but it’s enemies to lovers and Julia is quite the quick wit to Greyson’s barbs. He’s her boss, she works for him on a project, the sparks fly and things escalate quite quickly in the back of a Yukon. It’s wonderful writing about all the ups and downs of what she’s going through, quite detailed which brought back a lot of memories for me as the mother of three grown boys. Some of it’s quite hilarious. You see some of your favourite characters from the first two books in this series, which is great. The TDP chapter is over the top and bust a gut snickering. That’s all I’ll say. I loved Charlie Brown. You need to read this book.
I received this advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.
I adore the Charleston Heat series, but had no idea just now much I’d come to love Greyson! He and Julia together were magic and she absolutely brought out his best side. Their enemies to lovers story is pretty fun, and most fun of all is that author Jessica Peterson is herself expecting at the time of this release- I can’t help but wonder if some of her own pregnancy cravings and annoyances made it into Julia’s story. Everything in the book felt so authentic, so real. Southern Gentleman can be read as a standalone, but you’ll certainly want to go back and meet the characters from the first two books, who we get to catch up with in this book. I highly recommend the whole series!
Overall Rating:
“She’s got a nuanced understanding of me. My story. The world.”
There is just something about Jessica Peterson. Southern Gentleman is the third book I’ve read that she’s written, and she’s quickly setting herself apart as a romance writer with an intentional voice geared at socially-conscious romance.
As was the case with Southern Charmer and Southern Player, Southern Gentleman gives us a heroine with the internal fortitude to accept and love an imperfect hero. And Greyson is pretty imperfect.
Julia is a modern-day woman. She isn’t your typical romantic heroine who easily navigates her accidental pregnancy. With most heroines, there would be no question about keeping the baby. Yet, Peterson takes a modern-day route and actually has Julia toy with the idea of choice. Whether your personal beliefs lean a certain way, Peterson isn’t necessarily asking us to choose. Instead, she’s offering a real-life dilemma in a fictional realm. In Julia working through her decision with her “tribe” or her “village,” Peterson is marrying realism with fiction. She does it further when Julia struggles with pregnancy. This is real life thinking. This is how real women do pregnancy. And that’s the power of Peterson’s kind of Romance, and it’s what hooked me in.
Even more, the wisdom in this book resides in Julia. As Greyson struggles with his past, trying to atone for it in the present, Julia reminds us that everyone’s imperfect and that adds the spice to life: “‘…Villain in one story, hero in another.'” Julia is profound and a “straight shooter.” It’s one of the qualities that Greyson adores, and it’s one of the many reasons this book is so good. Her direct manner forces Greyson to evaluate his life. In doing so, it advances the plot and draws them even further together. Peterson has drawn such a strong woman in Julia that she creates this eloquent realistic tale of an imperfect love.
Greyson is all of us, or at least he’s many of us. Always striving but never progressing. He represents the broken human condition who needs healing through his love for Julia. And the Greyson of Southern Player is really nowhere to be found in this book. Thankfully, Peterson gives us a character with greater, more emotional depth especially after he bares his soul to Julia. You can’t help but fall in love with him as we discover his soft underbelly. I love that she makes him a feminist for his niece. I love that he adores his family. And I love that he requires more saving than Julia. He is Peterson’s version of a modern-day hero, and it works well.
If anything, I would have liked to see more of his “villain” because I think we see more hero, and it seems confusing that Julia remains at odds with him when he clearly adores her easily.
That being said, once they truly connect, their coupling is electric. Their chemistry screams off the page, and it’s palpable for the reader. Together, these two are hot.
Lastly, as Peterson illustrates her message of imperfection, her words in Southern Gentleman are profound. I spent so much time highlighting her words, her golden nuggets of truth found in the mouths and minds of Greyson and Julie. To illustrate:
“‘Shadows come with the light. You can’t have one without the other. And you have to know by now that I believe they make the other more interesting. It’s our shadows that give us depth. Literally and figuratively,’ she says, reaching up with her other hand to trail her thumb over the indent in my chin. ‘I like your depths. Same as you like mine.'”
This is but one example. Peterson’s depth of language and thought is only one of the many reasons to buy and read this book.
Peterson’s Southern Gentleman is a modern-day romance seeking to remind us that romance isn’t about perfection. It’s about “life turned all the way up.” Greyson struggles to live the perfect life but, in doing so, lives no life at all. Until Julia.
And in a typical romance, Julia would never doubt pregnancy. It would be perfect, all sweet feelings. Except that, in the real world, it isn’t. Jessica Peterson is giving us real love, real feelings, and real people in Southern Gentleman because it places us, the reader, directly in her story. Because it IS our story.
Oh my grits!
Greyson and Julia were so superbly matched. A hugely successful and private man, Greyson Montgomery is broody, smart and doesn’t have time for relationships. He doesn’t want personal. Well, in swoops Julia, a breath of fresh air, wildly creative and a visionary.
Sometimes it doesn’t matter if you like the person you want to bang. Greyson and Julia navigate an accidental pregnancy with such tenacity. Differing opinions don’t help.
Julia’s pregnancy is raw and real. It deals with the emotional struggles that women deal with every day. Jessica Peterson didn’t shy away from this and I salute that and celebrate it. Growing a human being isn’t easy. It brought back some pregnancy thoughts I had.
Jessica Peterson’s writing continues to get stronger and these characters are unforgettable.
I loved every word and minute spent reading this book. While it is Book #3, all of these books could be read separate or out of order, but who would do something crazy like that? Not me.
I loved this enemies-to hate sex buddies-to friends-to healthy relationship story. I loved how even though there was a baby involved they didn’t rush into the whole marriage thing. I love how Julia was a strong heroine that wasn’t looking to be saved by Grey. I loved how Grey turned out to be my favorite hero so far. I love how these characters WORKED and had a relationship. This story was REAL. The thoughts of pregnancy, the hormonal craziness of it all.
You will not regret choosing this book.
An opposites attract in a wonderful setting! Ashley @ Carolina Chic’s Read
My first book by Jessica Peterson and I can’t wait to read more of her books set in Charleston. Julia and Greyson are complete opposites and will their chemistry combust! These two meet on the job and the energy that surrounds them is electric. The electricity leads to some hot encounters and some surprises. Can these two move through these surprises and find each other? I love to see my home town in this book!
This book was so good, with so many things to appreciate. Greyson and Julia start out with this magnetic attraction to each other mixed with a banter that takes no crap as they trade barbs back and forth with each other. Julia is such a great character. I love how she is non-judgmental, embraces the people in her life, and doesn’t get hung up on societal expectations. Greyson is a bit buttoned up to begin with, but Julia helps him get past that pretty quick. Oh, and he is super-hot!
This book follows their relationship in a very real way that is not always present in books. Julia really struggles with the pregnancy and how it makes her feel physically as well as how it is going to change her life as she knows it. Grey struggles too with what it means to be all in as a co-parent and a solid half of their committed relationship. I appreciate that it is not all roses all the time because life is not either. Real relationships take work, communication, and compromise and the author nails that as this couple develops their relationship from hate sex to love.
As always in this series, we also get to follow a historical romance story-within-a -story written by Olivia from “Southern Charmer.” It echoes some of the struggles faced by Julia and Grey. As romance as a genre is discussed within the story, with shout outs to other authors (Yay!), the reader gets to experience the discussion of how romance has changed as social tenets have changed. Certainly, I have been reading romance for almost 40 years and there have definitely been changes within the genre. I love that we are in a place now where a story like Julia and Grey’s can be told honestly and beautifully with a very real HEA instead of the fairy tale that used to be the expected norm.
We get to see characters from the first two books in the series progress in their relationships, and characters are developed for the upcoming “Southern Heartbreaker.” This book has all of the good southern food, sweet tea, hot sex, and soft heart you need in a story. The city of Charleston remains a solid character in the series with descriptions of different areas of town. Do not miss this great addition to the series and the beautiful story of Grey and Julia and their sweet baby.
Peterson is at the head of my repeat offender pile. With humor, heart and heat, I can never stop at once, I have to revisit again and again. Southern Gentlemen can fire up your hormones while putting a crack into your heart. Greyson and Julia are a heartache waiting to happen. They fall in lust before they find love. When the hands of fate push their secret affair into a surprise pregnancy, life turns real and emotions become involved. What I love most about Greyson and Julia is if you peek behind the sensuality, you’ll find a depth of character that adds to the attraction of the story.
Although Southern Gentleman is the third book in this series, it’s easy to read as a standalone. I know because I just have. I didn’t realize it was part of a series when I opted to read the ARC. But, no biggie. Greyson and Julie had amazing,. Off the charts chemistry and some flipping hot banter too.
Julie’s an independent woman with her own thriving business when she meets Greyson. Sparks fly and it seems not all are good. But come the end of the day, there are some serious hate smexy times going on. And on and on. Weeks later, Julie has become a statistic and thinks she has to deal with it alone. Until Greyson hears the news. He’s all in for a co-parenting deal. But as always in these situations, nothing goes to plan and failures crop up. It’s how you deal with them that counts in the end. Greyson found his way, but he needed some help. This was a sweet, sexy fun read and I will definitely read the first two now.
Southern Gentleman is book three in the Charleston Heat series by Jessica Peterson. This is my very fist book by Jessica. The books can definitely be read as stand alones. I fell so in love with ALL of the characters in this book. The main two, plus all of the secondary characters, which means I’ll need to go back and read the first two books!!
By day, Julia Lassiter is a professor of twentieth century literature. She loves romance and one of her classes is specifically on just that. On the side, she is an interior designer. She’s great at both of her jobs, loves them. She’s sort of a free spirit, kind of a bohemian in style. Julia is currently working on a project for Luke, designing an old barn into a farmer’s market. It’s at her first meeting with Luke to map out the project that she meets his investor, Greyson Montgomery.
Greyson owns Montgomery Partners, along with his brother Ford. When Greyson and Julia first meet, it’s like Luke isn’t even in the room. They can’t take their eyes off of each other. The chemistry is zinging between them. But Greyson immediately sets the tone of their relationship. He’s the boss. He challenges every single thing Julia does and shows up every time she’s at the site. It doesn’t take long before Grey and Julia give in to that pull between them. Julia calls it hate sex. But one thing for certain is that it is only sex. Hot, Fast and Dirty. Wherever and Whenever! No strings attached. Until everything changes. Until they realize that no matter how careful they were, they defied the odds and managed to make a baby.
Julia always hoped she’d fall in love one day and perhaps have a family. But was she ready now? And how would Greyson react? Would he want to be a part of their lives. Greyson has a past, a past he feels he has to atone for. He has never forgiven himself and buries himself in his work. Is there even room in his life for anything more?
As Julia and Grey adjust to their new reality, they begin to get acquainted. They are obviously doing this out of order. The more Julia gets to know Grey, the more she realizes that she had him all wrong. That the growly buttoned up business man is only one part of him. That he is also a loving brother, uncle and son. That when he smiles, really smiles, the sun seems to shine a little brighter. And it makes Julia determined to see that smile more often.
I loved this book. I loved Greyson but I think I loved Julia even more. I loved her “village” of friends as well. These women had her back. I think what I really loved about this book was that what these characters experienced was so real. The doubts, the fears. I loved the effect that Julia had on Grey. She got him to relax a little bit, to smile, to open up, to finally live. And I need to mention that these two burned up the pages. They were hot! This was fun, sweet, sexy as heck, and lots of swoon. Because Greyson is going to melt your heart. All I can say is that you need to read this. It’s okay to read them out of order like I am. Or do the smart thing, and start at the beginning of the series if you haven’t already. Because this is a series you don’t want to miss.
This is my first read in the Charleston Heat series, so they can be read as stand-alones, but I can’t wait to go read the first two books in this series! Grey and Julia’s story was everything I didn’t know I needed it to be! LOVED! So emotional, and so much heat! FIVE STARS!
My first book by Jessica Peterson and I am completely floored. Greyson and Julia melted my heart with this sexy and heartwarming love story! It had intense emotions in spades. It was deliciously sexy and dirty. And above all, Jessica Peterson’s writing was impressively addictive and flawless.
Julia is an independent woman who is sassy, smart and a die hard romantic in heart. She doesn’t let her new boss Greyson Montgomery to push her back while working on the new prestigious restoration project as designer. Now Greyson can be really obnoxious, arrogant and bossy. This constant power play is only fuelling their electrically charged attraction. And they are happy to indulge in some out of the world, commitment free hate sex until Julia finds she has a surprise baby coming! Now Greyson has to find forgiveness and acceptance for the past he unnecessarily blames himself for. Will Julia be the woman he always needed to forget all the self loathing?Can he be the man Julia deserves?
This story is one hell of roller coaster ride. I was basking in the glory of the filthy, dirty, sultry and life altering chemistry between Julia and Greyson and BAM! The story changes track and now I am in the angsty, heartbreaking and intense mode! Grey is oh so delicious but that man can be infuriatingly obstinate and stubborn and completely blind sometimes. But his change and his dedication was admirable. I loved how the author made Julia ‘s pregnancy a real one with all the real life difficulties and without the rosy glasses. The struggles were real. And it was absoultely heart wrecking to read about this relation going through some painful times. The HEA couldn’t come in any better way. They fought, they loved, they conquered their own insecurities and they supported each other to be a better person through the gruelling trial. And isn’t love all about it?
Southern Gentleman by Jessica Peterson checked all my boxes for a great romance. Great characters with deep connection and brilliant chemistry. A captivating story line that kept me hooked from beginning to the end. And powerful writing that poured breathtaking emotions and intense passion in the pages.
Received ARC for Honest Review
Wow wow wow!!!! I am swooning over Grey! I think Julia is really amazing as well. I love the brutal honesty between them. They balanced each other perfectly. He ended up being the perfect mate once the armor was taken down.
I really enjoyed reading the closeness of friends and family they each had.
I loved the nick name Charlie Brown.
All of the sweet gestures in the book from bringing pumpkin muffins to Julia’s class to cooking family recipes it was just perfect!! Without giving away all the secrets to the book it defiantly should be on your TBR!!!! I can’t wait to read about Fords journey i hope he’s next .
LOVED this book and i wish i could star it more!!!
I adore this series! Jessica Peterson is a master of writing romance. Just like all her other books, this one is beautifully written, emotionally charged, and downright sexy.
The characters in Southern Gentleman are fabulous. It was great to see some of the characters from previous books show up again. But it was the main characters who really shined! Julia is the best. I really admire her for her bravery, her tell-it-like-it-is honesty, and her bohemian chic style.
Greyson is awesome too. But, to be completely Julia-style honest, he wasn’t really my brand of sexy heroin, so to speak. He is a drug for sure and I get why so many others have found him to be addictive. But, for me, Greyson is like this awesome guy that my BFF would gush about. And I would see why she loves him and be happy for them without wanting to steal him away. Greyson has a dark side, but at his core he is generous, kind, and thoughtful. And dirty in a way a lot of women like.
Plus, I have a weird thing about pregnancy. I’m just not a big fan. Everything about it is off-putting to me. But Jessica Peterson writes from a very real place and doesn’t sugarcoat the experience. Which is incredibly admirable.
I truly enjoyed reading this installment. There were happy moments, emotional moments, and everything in-between. I was definitely rooting for Julia and Greyson as if they were old friends. My favorite thing about them is how they grew together as individuals and how they learned to embrace all the imperfection in their lives. And now I’m looking forward to finding out Ford and Eva’s story. Their introductions only left me wanting more!
I received a review copy of Southern Gentleman before release for an honest review.
This book is #3 in the series and its my absolute favorite. It features two new characters, Julia who is best friends with the heroine in the 1st book and Greyson who is in partnership with the hero from the first book. So both don’t know each other but are friends and work together with the previous couple/s.
When Julia and Greyson meet its very HOT but she is an employee and he is the boss. So they keep it under wraps. That is until fate takes a hand and makes things very messy. This forces the two to work together and find out who the other one is and well its what made this book so awesome.
I truly loved this story and loved both characters. I would have enjoyed less smoking as I don’t find it sexy but least they do try and quit.
Jessica has done it again!! All I know is I need to take a trip to SC in the future.
Julia and Grey are the ultimate enemies to lovers and boss/employee story. These two only hook up to take care of each others needs, no strings attached. Then the last thing they wanted happens and they have a new story to move on to.
I have thoroughly enjoyed each of these stories and they are all different men and their leading ladies. I think this could be read as a standalone but to get the full experience I would recommend reading the other 2 books prior to this one. So much hot sex, some tears and a lot of banter with these two.
I will always read anything this author puts out as it is pure gold!!