USA Today Best Selling Author Leslie Pike brings you a deliciously steamy second-chance love storyOliver and Stori were only teenagers the first time they fell in love.Too young to make it work, they drifted apart.Now Stori runs a speakeasy in Manhattan, and Oliver is doing whatever it takes to get his career off the ground.Both are driven to succeed, and laser focused on achieving their dreams. … focused on achieving their dreams.
Distractions aren’t welcome in either of their lives.
But when they meet up again at a friends destination wedding, the attraction between them is too potent to be denied.
Can they make it work the second time around?
This title was formally published as Sexceptional and has no new content *
A Standalone Love In Italy Novel*
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Oliver and Stori reconnect ten years later at a friend’s destination wedding. She was the one that got away. Now that they are older can they rekindle what they once had and make it to a happily ever after? This story draws you in and have you in their corner cheering them on to finally get a chance for happiness.
A rekindled romance between high school sweethearts. Stori moved away abruptly during high school, leaving behind Oliver and their dreams.
14 years later, mutual friends brought them back together. Inviting them as attendants at their wedding and enjoy a week long cruise along the French Riviera. And what a week it was. A lot of fun, sex, and shennanigans. Both left their world and career behind for a week, only to come back to drama in each of their lives. The meaning of True friendship and love is to put each other first, before career and money.
Wen Ross and and Kai Kennicott brought this story to life. The accents, voices and personalities for each character were spot on! Their ability to transition from one character to the other is flawless. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this story. I was gifted this audio and offered my honest review.
Wonderful Story & Audible Listen A Sweet & Spicy Delight!
The Art of Love
By: Leslie Pike
Narrated by: Wen Ross, Kai Kennicott
This is a wonderful second chance romance, it is my first book written by Leslie Pike and it will not be my last. She is a gifted author, I enjoy her writing style, she created interesting storylines that were captivating from start to end. Her characters are complex and well developed, they are realistic and easy to relate to. I liked both leads, Oliver and Stori, there are some great secondary characters too, including their mutual friends, Fig & Zarah who are responsible for getting Oliver and Stori together again, asking both to be in their wedding party which includes a paid in full celebrity cruise of the French Riviera. Before the trip Oliver is approached by Piper Mann, she proposes a business deal and becomes his benefactor. Stori is a successful business woman, she was hesitant about leaving her business, Whisky River, for a week but she is glad she did, as was Oliver. The chemistry between them is undeniable. I loved how everything plays out in this book, it is cleverly plotted and there is never a dull moment with plenty of drama, a touch of angst, some twists and turns, heartfelt moments and some hot romance. Leslie Pike, thank you for this wonderfully entertaining story.
I listened to the Audible edition, Wen Ross and Kai Kennicott are fabulous narrators and voice artists. They do an awesome job portraying the characters, bringing them to life, giving each their own voice and personality. Wen Ross’s Oliver sounded just as I pictured him to, he captured his attitude as well as his caring side, his Fig was great too. Kai Kennicott’s Stori was a perfect portrayal too, as were all the other female characters too. They are entertaining storytellers and their duet performance enhances the story another level. Thank you for another fabulous listen
Sexceptional was an enjoyable second-chance romance! Loved Stori and Oliver, as they had wonderful chemistry together and didn’t let the past get in their way of finding true happiness with one another. A nice mix of humor, romance, sexiness….overall, a well-put together story.
Oliver was a nude model he decided it would pay enough so he could do his own painting. He is photographing Pruthe scene from above. She kept moving but they stop every so often as he sketched her. He goes to his class to work and when he walks in he sees the same women he saw at another class at NYU. The women comes up to Oliver and gives him her card and told her she is interest in his paintings. Stori is in her speak easy watching her dad work the room. Stori goes to meet her friend and boyfriend at the bar. When she walks in she sees Oliver going towards the men’s room but he spots Stori both of them looked at one another then Oliver came over to her. Stori friend told them that she is getting marriedAnd Stori was so happy for her and Fig. Oliver only said minimum abouthimself he then finds out that Stori owned a speakeasy. When she said it was her baby he asked if there were anymore. She asks him the same thing and he tells her it is only him and Louise. Stori asks if it was his wife he tells her no his dog. Oliver and Stori are asked to be best man and maid of honor. Fig told them they will get a surprise the next day. It was a an amazing surprise airline tickets to the wedding in Italy but he told his parents that he is not going to be going. Also,they would be there for eight days on a yacht that means eight days with Stori. Meanwhile Piper Mann shows up at Oliver’s apartment uninvited she wants to see some paintings. Piper is known throughout the art scene with a reputation of discovering new talent he tells her he only has a couple the rest are at a gallery. Piper has put demands on Oliver but he feels he can deal with it. Oliver is having a show at gallery and asked Stori to come she told him she has a friend in town but they would show up. Stori and her friend meet up with Oliver at first felt jealous but then learns her friend is gay. While talking with Stori she sees at of the corner of her eye Piper who was giving her the stare. Piper comes over and tells Oliver that she has some people that he wanted to introduce him too. Oliver and Stori are on their way to Italy when they were talking both found out that they wrote letters that were never received. She says something to him that he remembered when they were young. Starting to fulfill the thing he asked her to do she was starting to get into it but the stewardess came over and ask them if they want to have a drink. Oliver and Stori knew that this week is going to be fantastic. Stori get to the yacht and her their friends an old 90’s standard. Oliver and Stori get aboard and they are like old friends like years ago. When Stori and Oliver finally emerge from the room their friends want to hear about it. They are both having fun exploring St.Tropaz and going back to the ship with their friends. That night they had a talent contest each doing their own thing as a couple. Now is the time for the wedding which goes off without a hitch. Oliver tells Stori that he loves her and she says the same thing back. When they get back home they decide to stay at her apartment but when they get to his apartment there was Piper is waiting for Oliver. They have words and Piper was not having any of it she gets into her car and leaves. Oliver knows he has to give Piper and apology. Piper tells him about a meeting he must go to but, he told her where he was and she told him to come right over to the meeting. Meanwhile Stori has her own problems she was going to buy the property but the seller died. Her grandson took over and he has already sold the building out from under her. Stori goes to the vet to meet Oliver there. Oliver’s dog poisoned herself he had rush her to the vet. The next day Oliver goes to talk to Mr.Rush at the hotel but he had to find him fast since he already checked out. Thing are going slow for Stori so she makes her way down to the speakeasy . As she gets ready to tell her employees that she has to let them go. While standing there she gets a phone call from her father and tells her to meet her at this address. She’s goes to meet her father and he tells her the news.
Meanwhile Oliver’s paintings are selling and they are getting closer. Now all the other friends have hooked up even Piper. Will Oliver and Stori stay together for the long haul or was it two lost ships in the night
SEXceptional was HOT! Always love Leslie’s writing and this book was no exception. If you want to read a great second chance love story this is the book for you!
Holy hotness!!! Take me to The Grotto and never leave. So many great characters and an awesome storyline. I would love to know more about Magoo, got a big kick out of him. The travel and parties in the French Riviera and Italy…I want to go, too! Thank you for a great story, my mind fully enjoyed the trip. The hot scenes were even better!
4.5*
I loved Stori and Oliver’s second chance romance, what a love story!
After being torn apart so abrubtly when they were just 16, they’re reunited years later…and what a reunion it is! So sweet and heartfelt, it had me completely choked up!
This isn’t just a terrific story of lost love. It’s a story of growth and perseverance, of dreams and passion. Just as Oliver’s dream is coming true, Stori’s might just be coming to an end. But after
having been separated for so long they both realize there’s so much more to life than jobs and careers, and as long as they have each other they can face any obstacle that comes their way. And it may take years, and there may be changes and stumbling blocks along the way, but dreams really do have a way of coming true.
4.5 stars!! This is a great story about high school flames reconnecting, friendships, family and love. I love that the relationship(s) are more mature (the main characters are in their early 30s) and that there isn’t isn’t that immaturity that seems to be common with couples in their 20s. The chemistry between Stori and Oliver is hot! The antics between the friends is hilarious, especially on the boat. I hope to see more from these characters in the future. Great job Leslie!! <3
I’ve read up to chapter ten . Reading as fast as she’s writing. Can’t wait to see what Oliver has in store. (Feb)
I couldn’t wait to dive back into Oliver and Stori. This was a romantic look at a second chance with someone who you due to life circumstances were torn away from them when Stori moved away unexpectedly. They have a surprise meeting years later when their best friends get engaged and invite them on a wedding cruise and the sparks from years ignite and they explore each other but will it last when they get back to New York and real-life hurtles in both their lives. Read this wonderful #secondchance romance and find out. (July)
I am on cloud nine! This book…gah one of the most enchanting second chance romances ever. Leslie Pike has this unique talent to write utterly perfect detail in every aspect of the book. I felt transported through every chapter of this exceptional journey right along with Oliver & Stori and the rest of the supporting characters. I loved every single one of them. Different from anything else I’ve read. So refreshing!
Fig & Zarah were best friends of Oliver & Stori growing up. They recently reconnected and fell in love themselves. They then hash a plan to include their best friends in their wedding festivities and finally reunite them after 14 years. This remarkable storyline is so thoroughly entertaining! Excellent rom-com elements. Off the charts chemistry. And when the air is finally cleared between these two love birds…downright exhilarating! I practically jumped out of my chair cheering for them when they learned the truth about their unreturned letters and losing touch. So freakin’ excited knowing wickedly hot moments were on the horizon for this couple. So much time to make up for and so much to look forward to in the future. From start to finish Oliver and Stori go through quite the transformations both personally and professionally. Priorities become clear. Goals change. Love is rekindled. And this cruise…such a fun, creative setting for this story to take place. The event they plan for entertainment one night on the ship is one of my favorite book moments of all time. So stinkin’ funny!
Like I said this is one of the best! With every book I read of Leslie’s I feel like it is her best yet. Sexceptional really is a fantastic book.
I received an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. Truly an honor. I respect this author so much and can’t wait to see what she has in store for us next.
Loved this second chance romance! – Audiobook review
Stori and Oliver missed out on their chance at romance when they were teens. They unexpectedly meet up again as adults as they get ready to travel for mutual friends wedding. Love how they rekindled their romance – they are just such great characters! I enjoyed all of the characters in this book. The narration was great, as it always is with Wen and Kai! I would totally recommend this book!
This is a sweet second chance to love. I loved to follow Oliver and Stori in their journey to love. The supporting characters are great. Kai Kennicott and Wen Ross did a great job with the narration. I enjoyed it.
***** AUDIOBOOK REVIEW *****
Oh my gosh, I just adored this audiobook! The Art of Love was a completely new take on a romance for me. I have never read one like this and I really liked the posing naked for art aspect. It’s a storyline I haven’t read previously. The actual romance in the story was a sweet aspect. Oliver and Stori really touched me… that reconnecting to your first love after almost two decades. They had this immediate reconnection and everything just rekindled right away. Besides their sweet and just charming romance, I really liked the secondary characters. I found the correlation to September 11th to be really an interesting.
Kai Kennicott and Wen Ross are just a power duo! There narrations are always a delight to listen too. Wen Ross has this deep and manly voice and he just seemed to channel Oliver so perfectly. Kai Kennicott was sooo perfect as Stori. I really enjoyed how cautious Stori was. She was hesitant and a bit hesitant to lose her heart again but she was confident and caring…. Kai pulled off the balance of Stori so very well.
Loved this second chance read. Oliver and Stori have both blamed the other for years for why they lost touch. Oliver is struggling to make it as an artist and Stori is working to keep her speakeasy afloat. When they both end up at their respective best friends wedding in Italy sparks fly!
Love this author and am looking forward to reading more of her work. She creates characters that are real and flawed and so relatable. Her books pull me in from the very beginning.
What a truly sweet story of second chances! Stori and Oliver are torn apart through family circumstances when they are 16. Both have longed to have that romance back, but moved on to achieve their dreams as adults. When mutual friends become engaged and they are in the wedding, they are given the chance to reconnect through a private cruise with their friends. They find that they each never forgot the other over the years and it was through no fault of their own that letters were not received by the other when they were torn apart as teens. They immediately allow their attraction and chemistry to take the lead and leave the past heartache behind and focus on the future. They are both great and humble characters. They both were there for the other as they watched their dreams possibly being shattered. But they stand by one another and support the other unlike any story I have ever read. And in the end their hard work, determination and fate allow an amazing HEA!
Oliver is a struggling artist, working as a figure model to help pay the bills and help his parents with his sister’s medical care. After one modeling session, he is approached by a benefactor who is renowned for making artists a success. Stori is the owner of a successful Manhattan speakeasy, on the verge of purchasing the property outright and securing the future of her family and her employees. Stori and Oliver were high school sweethearts, but when Stori’s father is sent to prison she and her mom move away and she loses touch with Oliver. The reconnect when their best friends get engaged, and bring them on a weeklong European cruise and destination wedding. But can their relationship survive the real world once they return from paradise?
This was a good book. It wasn’t heavy on relationship drama, but there was “real life” drama. I loved all the characters. And the karaoke contest on the yacht was amazing. The book is entertaining and easy to read, but isn’t a light and fluffy book. It has depth, and heart.
Oliver is a cocky, funny artist, and Stori is a sweet girl, and the one that got away. Now 10 years later the reconnect at their friends wedding, but will Oliver be able to convince Stori, who is wary of losing her heart, to give them a second chance? No spoilers; this is a definite must read you will not be disappointed. This is a well written story which is fun, humorous, and an all out entertaining read. I look forward to reading more from this talented author, whose work I highly recommend for all.
I am not sure why I have waited so long to read this book! I loved this second chance romance about Oliver and Stori. They are reunited years after having to be separated and what a reunion it is. We get to see their strength of character during their struggles and happy times. And we get to travel along with them and their friends along the French Riviera while they are making their way to Italy for their friend’s wedding. Not only do we get some super sexy times between them during this trip but we get to see them develop their love all over again. I just wanted to stay immersed in their story and their lives. I hope in some way we get to see them all again.