Sarah Bowen’s life is nothing like she thought it’d be ten years ago. She runs a successful lifestyle boutique with her two best friends, she’s the makeup artist to one of country’s hottest bands, and she’s in love with a womanizing heartthrob who doesn’t give her the time of day. After years of pining after Lex Ryan, she decides it’s finally her turn, even if it might ruin everything she’s … worked for…
Lex Ryan is the sexy Irish lead guitarist for the hottest country band in the States. He’s known as a serial dater, a commitment-phobe, a player who prefers one-night stands. His wild heart has zero plans of settling down—not even with the band’s makeup artist, Sarah Bowen. He’s vowed to keep his heart from falling for her. Until the band travels to Ireland where his past suddenly crashes into his present.
They say wild hearts can’t be tamed. They never said they can’t be broken.
The Makeup Artist is the second book in the Coffee Book Series. It’s a standalone novel, but the author suggests reading Coffee Girl first because of returning characters.
“In a time when so little holds my attention, this book made me smile and kept me entertained.” – Brooke Obsessed
“Sophie Sinclair has created such amazing characters and Tater Tot and Sexy Lexy will always hold a special place in my heart.” – Bookloverlex
“This book is so different from the first book in that it has such a different kind of angst ad it makes you feel alll the feels. Run don’t walk to get your pretty little hands on this one, ladies, and let Sophie’s magical words worm their way into your heart!” – Scandalouslittlereads
“There are some parts that I laughed so hard out loud at, which isn’t something I do easily.” – Emmylovesbooks
“Sophie Sinclair did not disappoint with this book. From the very first page I was drawn in and didn’t want to put it down. Sophie Sinclair painted such an amazing picture with her words and created such a beautiful story. I loved Kiki and Tatum, but damn do I love Lex and Sarah even more.” – Stacie, The Banker and the Book Nerd
“I literally have no words. The Makeup Artist was the book I didn’t even realize I needed in my life. I swooned from page one and smiled and laughed throughout the entire book.” – Allaboutthatromance
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4 stars
Knock knock
Whose there?
Orange
Orange who?
Orange you glad you read this book!
This book was so good! Usually in the second book in a series, I’m not as in love with the couple as in the 1st but that didn’t ring true for this book. I loved Lex and Sarah. And I actually think the “villain”, aka Alana is better in this book than in “Coffee Girl”. I am going totes (love Tammy Jean!) going to read the next one but I am not crazy that it’s Cam. Was hoping it would be TJ but he, well I guess you’ll have to read to find out why it’s not his story!
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for my copy in exchange for an honest review.
Sweet and sexy:
Wow, another fabulous book by Sophie Sinclair. There is the perfect amount of drama, angst, passion and tenderness. Laugh out loud hilarity too and the banter between everyone, whilst often over-the-top, was great fun.
Lex is the consummate playboy and determined not to get emotionally invested with any woman after being hurt years prior. Sarah meanwhile has loved Lex from afar for years but he keeps pushing her away. Their journey was long, bumpy and further complicated by the presence of a clingy ex. I was overjoyed when things finally worked out for them!
This is book 2 in the Coffee series and whilst it could be read as a standalone, I’d highly recommend reading the first one too as it is amazing and it will give you greater insight into all of the characters. Even though Lex is a country music band member, this story was much more about relationships. Once again I just loved the epilogue and post epilogue; it was wonderful seeing where they ended up and I was so happy for everyone!
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.
I loved everything about this wonderful story!
One of my favorite tropes is the Grump and the Sunshine, and this delightful romance is one of the best! Lex is determined to protect his heart no matter whose bed he’s in, while Sarah is going to find her happiness regardless of the obstacles. These two have chemistry for days, and I absolutely loved watching them together as they fell in love.
I haven’t read the earlier book, so I can assure readers that while there may be interconnected characters, this story easily stands on its own. There’s plenty of heat, plenty of heart, and lots and lots of humor throughout, leading to a very satisfying HEA. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.
I absolutely loved this book! Sarah is a makeup artist for a hot country band, Lex is the guitarist; their chemistry is off the charts but neither makes a move. Lex has sworn off “feelings” and so just uses the groupies that come along. Sarah sees all of this and is a relationship only girl; so feels him off limits. The supporting characters are fleshed out and real! it makes for a fun, lighthearted read that I couldn’t put down. There is an lgbt couple and some steamy sex scenes with Sarah and Lex. I am excited for the next book!
I am not exaggerating when I say you need this book in your life. I honestly don’t think my words could do this book justice. I loved being back in the Coffee Book world with all the previous characters from book one. They are still a huge part of book two and it makes it all that more amazing. The Makeup Artist will make you laugh out loud, cry, want to punch someone in the face, and melt your heart all at the same time. How is that possible you ask? It just is. Sophie Sinclair has an innate ability to create characters that are so down to earth, real, and easy to connect and relate to.
I loved learning how Sarah became a part of the group and how her and Lex first met. Sarah is so freaking adorable and full of sunshine, I couldn’t help but feel all the happy energy that she was feeling. Now Lex, well he is swoon-worthy and just an amazing human. That accent in my head melts me into a puddle of butter. I love it! We also learn about Lex and his past and why he is the “no relationship” man that he is. I thought these two were a perfect match for one another, as they complement each other well.
As I mentioned before this story took me on a roller-coaster of emotions and I had a hard time putting the book down. When it was all said and done I was left feeling so happy, like I was floating on cloud nine. I highly recommend The Makeup Artist. It can be read as a standalone, but trust me you’ll want to read about Tatum and Kiki from Coffee Girl.
Couldn’t get enough of this book and it’s amazing host of humorous, dynamic, characters. A wonderful escape!
A captivating book two in the Coffee Book series – a friends to lovers romance is well written and filled with witty banter, drama, angst, humour, off the charts chemistry, amazing characters, heartache, frustration, and more. A heartwarming and emotionally deep read with some twists and turns and it pulled me in from the first page. I look forward to reading more from this series! Definitely recommended!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Loved this book so much! I couldnt put it down! It cought my attention from the very beginning. I didnt want it to end! I wanted to stay in this world! It gave me all the feels! I found myself laughing through most of it, but feeling emotional when warranted. I loved Coffee Girl but I think The Makeup Artist is my favorite out of the two! I cant wait for Camerons story. Sophie Sinclair is quickly becoming a must read author for me!
Received an arc for a honest review
Love this sweet and sour rockstar romance!
I loved Sarah in book one of this series, Coffee Girl, because she’s so sweet, energetic, and an awesome bestie! I wasn’t so sure I wanted to hear about Lex. Even though Sarah had been crushing on him for years, he was just that typical rocker manwh..e. I wasn’t sure if there would be redeeming qualities.
Wow! I was so wrong! I think I loved this better than the first book!
A friends to lovers rockstar romance!
Sophie Sinclair is an author to watch, and has been a fave of mine since reading and loving The Coffee Girl. If you haven’t read Sinclair’s books, The Coffee Girl is a great intro to her romance novels. I fell in love with Sinclair’s writing and her amazing characters from The Coffee Girl book.
In The Makeup Artist, Sarah Bowen was immediately smitten with Lex Ryan ‘sexy Levy’, the handsome Irish lead guitarist to one of the hottest band in the country. Sarah gets a job as the makeup artist for the band and this crush with Lex blossoms over the years. Their relationship is as complicated as ever despite the obvious attraction, and I loved seeing the push and pull of their magnetic relationship.
Sinclair’s writing style is easy to read, funny as heck, has great steam, and full of side characters that really builds the story, and support the main characters. I enjoy the great banter, the immersive story telling that will have you rooting for the characters. A fun weekend read that I really enjoyed and absolutely loved!
I cannot wait to see what Sophie Sinclair has for us next as it is surely a guaranteed great read!
This is the second book in the Coffee Book series, and I recommend you read Coffee Girl first. There’s a lot of characters in book 1 that are in book 2, and some of the story continues through to book 2.
Sarah’s life is in such a great place. She’s the makeup artist for an award winning country music band, and she owns a lifestyle boutique with two of her best friends. The only problem, she’s been in love with the band’s guitarist Lex Ryan the entire time she’s been working for them. He doesn’t give her the time of day, relegating her to a “sister” role a long time ago even though he gets with anything in a skirt.
Lex doesn’t want or need a relationship. After a disastrous relationship years ago, he isn’t planning to give his heart away again, preferring to be a love ‘em and leave ‘em man. He wants no commitment, so groupies are best. Even when Sarah gets drunk and reveals her feelings, he doesn’t want to get involved. No matter what that little tiny part of his heart is screaming.
When the band heads to the land of his birth, Ireland, he’s stunned to discover that the reporter who will be going on tour with the group is none other than his ex. He doesn’t know how she wormed her way into the job, but he wants nothing to do with the crazy woman who showed her true colors right before their wedding day all those years ago.
As Sarah and Lex become closer, his crazy ex Alana tries everything she can to keep them apart. When she reveals her ace in the hole, will that be the final nail in Lex and Sarah’s budding relationship, or will they be able to get through and move past.
I truly loved “Coffee Girl”, book 1 in this series, and I actually think I liked this story even more. When Lex revealed exactly what kind of guy he was, I swooned. I need Lex Ryan in my life. Ms. Sinclair has done an absolutely amazing job with this series, and I can’t wait for more!!
*I received an ARC from Netgalley and this is my honest and voluntary review.
This book sent me on a whirlwind journey of emotion that I really wasn’t ready for. I really enjoyed Sarah in Coffee Book #1, Coffee Girl, so I was very excited to see that she was the star of book #2. Unfortunately I liked her a lot less in The Makeup Artist. As we know she has secretly been in love with Lex for years, however the reason for her near obsession with him doesn’t (in my opinion) negate his behavior. Sure he is the hottest thing since sliced bread, but is it really just his looks that keeps her interested in him for YEARS? This is the only reason we get for her pining over him and being a fly on the wall to his whorish ways. That quickly grew tiresome. I wish she would have stood up for herself. She had no self respect and that grated on me. Sure she is “Sunshine” and always happy on the outside, but I wanted her to lose her cool a little, just once, and stick up for herself at the beginning of their relationship.
I did like that we get to see all of our old favorites in this book. We also get a beautiful new setting for this book as most of it takes place in Ireland. I think out of all of the characters in this book TJ is my favorite. He is a great source of comic relief and the friend that I wish I had. I almost DNF’d this book several times and I’m glad I didn’t. I liked the ending and the epilogue and post-epilogue were fantastic. At the end of the book we also get a sneak peek of “The Social Hour”. I’m not sure if that will be part of the Coffee Book series but it does feature a secondary character that I like, so I’ll definitely check that out whenever it gets published!
I loved Tate and Kiki’s story in Coffee Girl, and after the hints, I couldn’t wait to find out more about Sarah and Lex. Oh man! Their story did not disappoint. I stayed up way later than my bedtime because I just had to finish this book. It was so good I couldn’t put it down! Once again, it had me laughing out loud! Sarah and Lex had such great chemistry and I loved their history. And when Lex says beautiful words to her in Irish… Uh, swoon worthy! Couldn’t get enough of Sunshine and Sexy Lexy.
You can find this book available on May 1st! Keep an eye out and be sure to grab yourself a copy!
“Have you ever wanted something so bad, but it’s just out of reach? Do you ever just go for it?”
Lex and Sarah’s friends to lovers story was everything I wanted it to be. We got a bit of them in Coffee Girl and I was happy to see their story continue here.
The chemistry between these two characters was incredible. The steamy scenes were amazing, but there were moments that I found much sexier when they were just talking or interacting – the scene where they sing in Conner’s bar was electric. When Lex sang the first line of the song at the music festival, I got goosebumps and I may or may not have cried!
Lex (who makes my top 5 list of book boyfriends, by the way) jumped off the page for me. From his tattoos to his brooding and his accent (which I heard in my head again) he was perfect. I loved his little names for Sarah, whether he said them in English or Irish.
Sarah, (aka Sunshine) was his perfect match. A little insecure at times, which frustrated me…I just wanted her to dig her heels in…she was also strong and believed in love (and Lex,) even when she didn’t want to.
Again, the secondary characters were wonderful! Conner and Mrs. Ryan were great! Kiki and TJ were hysterical once again. The ups and downs were written so well that you didn’t even mind the emotional roller coaster that you’re riding. I can’t wait to read what she writes next!
It might sound like an exciting life — being the makeup artist and hairstylist for one a hit-producing country music band, but as Sarah Bowen knows, it also means heartache. Especially when you’ve been pining after the band’s sexy lead guitarist while you’ve toured with the band for the past two years. Lex Ryan may feel attracted to Sarah, but as he tells her, he doesn’t do relationships. A betrayal in his past has convinced him that he can’t trust women, and the depression he suffered after that betrayal–along with the alcohol and drug abuse–has convinced Lex that sweet Sarah deserves far better than he.
But the more time he spends around Sarah, the more he yearns to replace one-night stands with a real relationship. So he tells Sarah he is willing to give it a try, if she’s willing to take a risk on him.
Their fledgling relationship is off to a wonderful start, until the band travels to Ireland for a series of concerts. That’s when Lex discovers that the woman who betrayed him in the past–Alana–will be traveling with them, covering their concerts for her magazine. (She’s now a journalist.) Of course, the presence of the beautiful and sophisticated Alana shakes Sarah’s confidence in herself and in her relationship with Lex. How could he want her, Sarah, when he could have someone like Alana? Sarah knows that Alana broke Lex’s heart in the past and wonders if he still has feelings for Alana. Will he succumb to memories and Alana’s pleas to get back together?
Lex swears to Sarah that he has absolutely no interest in Alana and that she, Sarah, is his soulmate. But then Alana drops a bombshell that makes Lex believe he should quit the band and move back to Ireland. When Sarah tells him she has a business back in the U.S. and can’t stay with him in Ireland, he lets her go.
But then something else happens, and Lex realizes he should not have trusted Alana. Now he’s given up the band and lost Sarah forever…
Or has he?
I don’t want to give away too much more, so I’ll stop describing the plot here, but the story doesn’t end at this point.
I really enjoyed this story. This is the second book I’ve read by Sinclair; just finished the prequel to this book, “Coffee Girl.” Sinclair has a writing style that keeps you chuckling. Both books contained some interesting secondary characters, like Sarah’s flamboyant gay friend TJ (who is hilarious!) This time, we’re also joined by Lex’s identical twin brother and Lex’s typically Irish mother who coddles the band like they are all her sons.
My only criticism: I felt like Kiki, who was the main character in Coffee Girl, seemed a little childish and silly in this book. She was great in the last book, so I was disappointed that she seemed more immature in The Makeup Artist. But perhaps that’s the way Sarah saw her, since the book is written from Sarah and Lex’s points of view.
Even though rom-com’s usually have a Happily Ever After, Sinclair has thrown enough twists and turns into this story to make you wonder if Lex and Sarah will ever get back together, and you’ll find yourself cheering for them to do so.
Yes, I definitely recommend this book! Thank you to Netgalley for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
The MakeUp Artist by Sophie Sinclair a five-star read that will make up your day. This is number two in the Coffee Book series and they are stand-alone, but I simply adored them as the series as they each tell different characters stories, they do follow on from each other in timeline and number three cant come soon enough, but I don’t know what to think of that one after the teaser we have already!! Anyhow this one simply took my breath away, honestly my heart was soaring, and I was so happy then my feet were knocked from under me and my heart was in my stomach and I wanted to sob my heart out several times during this story, at one point in this story I had to stop reading as I so badly wanted to punch something, anything honestly I just saw green and not the good type that came later. Lex Ryan, what a little Irish charmer you are, he is so smooth you could hear those sweet nothings whispered in your ear, and you can imagine being around that breakfast table, laughing at him folks and just soaking in the love. Sarah Bowen was such an easy character to relate to, not just as she gets called Sare more often than not like me, but it wasn’t just the name, it was her whole character. What a sublime author, I am so excited to see what words will come next.
I can’t stop re-reading this book .. slow burn, angsty, dialogue that will make you SOL (sigh out loud)
The Makeup Artist is Sophie Sinclair’s second book in a series started by Coffee Girl. It’s an angsty, slow burn with hotspots that will melt your e-reader, characters that will make you laugh out loud, and dialogue between Sarah and Lex that will have you sighing out lout as you read.
Favorite characters from Coffee Girl keep the story alive, but it’s a standalone that is only enhanced if you read CG. …and Ms. Sinclair has artfully woven in subplots of staying true to oneself while trying to tamp down a soul-rendering crush, being chased by a selfish former love, and having a posse behind you that props you up when things get tough.
The book has a dual point of view … and bonus chapters in the ending that will leave you simultaneously skim-reading to get to the good parts and then re-reading as though you’re savoring fine wine! Ms. Sinclair’s writing is just terrific. She’s super creative with characters (what pulls me in), dialogue, and has a flair for bringing characters to life as she moves the story forward. She’s zoomed to the top of my favorite author list!
Favorite chapter: Sarah visiting Lex and hearing why he likes thunderstorms…. and what comes next
I am totally in love with this series and I can’t stop reading. Download this now! I received an ARC. This is my honest review.Sophie Sinclair
Starkeeper and Sunshine
The Makeup Artist (Coffee Book 2) by Sophie Sinclair is an exceptionally well written, highly entertaining book with all the feels. Lex and Sarah cover the entire spectrum of emotions in this one as well as turn up the heat to scorching. These two are the perfect couple, flaws and all. Lex with his sexy accent and Irish endearments and Sarah with her sweet, eternally happy sunshine personality are drawn to each other and finally can’t deny or prevent the attraction and all the sexy times that brings about, not to mention the hearts and feelings. If I were Sarah, I’d fall and swoon too! Lex = sexy, swoon-worthy alpha rock star. What’s not to love?
I absolutely adored reading this book with it’s laugh out loud moments as well as emotionally evocative conversations between amidst the fun, love and heartbreak. This one has it all throughout. But it’s really the exceptional character development that made this one a winner to me.
Overall, a really wonderfully fun read that brought two fantastic characters together for the sweetest and happiest HEA.
I read an ARC of this book from Hidden Gems and voluntarily share my review.
This entertaining read kept me turning the pages. This was well written, has wonderful characters that pull you into the storyline. Sarah and Lex have a lot to get through to their HEA ending but it was well worth it. I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
Oh man. I enjoyed and thought Coffee Girl was just amazing but The Makeup Artist blew me away!! By far Sophie Sinclair’s best work so far!!
This whole series I can already tell is going to be amazing and in my top 10 favorite series.
Lex is my new favorite. I loved him in CG and always wondered what his POV was of Sarah and why he couldn’t see she had a big crush on him. But to get more insight on him, I understood him more. He was the perfect blend of bad boy with a touch a sweet.
I love Sarah’s take no bull attitude but you get a different side of her in this one. And I love that! She broke my heart with her under cover love for Lex. Oh man did she get to me. I loved her friendship with Kiki and TJ. They made me want to be friends with them!
I didn’t want their story to end. I was so happy I got a post epilogue! I just still need more Lex and Sarah! I guess I will have to wait for book 3 now lol.
5⃣
recommendation