Imagine lying in a hospital bed and the doctor who pulls the curtain back to treat you is the one who got away. Even if you never really had her in the first place. She’s not only your high school crush, she’s the ex-girlfriend of your ex-best friend. The one girl you’ve always wanted.Here’s a step-by-step list to finally win her over… she snuck back into town without telling you—six months ago.
Key to win #2: Rekindle the friendship to ease the awkwardness. But… DO NOT enter the friend zone.
Key to win #3: Ignore the fact that she went speed dating the night before. Take it as good a sign—maybe she’s looking for a relationship.
Key to win #4: Attempt to keep the two of you out of the town gossip blog and away from your large family.
Make sure you don’t let this last one throw you off your mission.
Key to win #5: Don’t get deterred when you find out the past is about to repeat itself. Because the man she met at the speed dating night is your best buddy from work.
Just remember, you sat back and let her slip away once, you won’t do it a second time. Failure is not an option.
Author Note: This book does NOT contain cheating.
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Oh its finally Kingston Bailey’s time and oh i have been waiting for this one.
Stella was the girl Kingston crushed on in Highschool who was also dating his best friend and he was devastated when she left town to pursue her career.
Years later Kingston is a first-responder part-time fireman and a Smoke Jumper, complete adrenaline junky. When he gets injured at work he never expected to find Stella back in town treating him.
Now she is back he is determined to not let her get away again. Of course with Grandma Dori also meddling she never stood a chance at running away again.
As in all Bailey books there is angst, drama, heartbreak, emotions, steam and so much humour. Seriously this family have no concept of boundaries but I love them.
I can’t wait to read Sedona’s story next!!
4 STARS
Winning My Best Friend’s Girl is Book #8 in Piper Rayne’s Bailey Series. Stella and Kingston’s story is one I have been anticipating from the start of the series. In previous books very few details about Kingston are revealed so I was eager to start this and learn all about him. Kingston is a firefighter, smoke jumper, and is always looking for his next adrenaline fix. He has been deemed as the town playboy (nicknamed Romeo) but has only ever loved one woman. Stella Harrison. She was forbidden in their teen years because she was dating Kingston’s best friend Owen. Stella and Kingston became the best of friends when they were young. They shared an emotional connection right from the beginning but when things got messy in their teens Stella left town. Now that she is back Kingston is determined to win over her heart this time.
After 8 years apart Stella and Kingston finally have a chance to be together or so we think and then Piper Rayne throws a wrench at us and almost makes history repeat itself. I appreciate a book with tension, drama and angst but this one was a lot and it took away from the overall love story between Kingston and Stella at times.
There is a lot of heart and emotion within this story. More than I expected. The lost love of Stella and Kingston broke my heart more than once and I was eagerly flipping the pages until the end to see how everything would turn out. As usual Piper Rayne did not disappoint and this is one beautifully written second chance story that you will adore if you have been following the series thus far.
As always the Bailey crew makes their appearances in this book and as always they show up when they need to and offer their unwavering support and unconditional love. I can hardly believe that there is only one book remaining in the Bailey Series. I don’t want this series to end! This family and the town of Lake Starlight have been imbedded deep in my heart from the beginning of the series and I am excited and sad all at once to get to Sedona’s story next.
*ARC received in exchange of an honest review.
Truthfully this book had me at “we are back in the Bailey family world”. You can’t help but fall in love with this series especially with grandma leading the charge.
Kingston and Stella are amazing together. They have a bit of a messy history. They were part of a best friend trio from their youth. Stella appeared to choose Kingston’s other best friend in high school which change everything and ended what was.
Our dynamic due meet again years later. Kingston our adrenaline junkie smoke jumper/fire fighter. Stella a new resident doctor coming back home. They are trying to find their way back to not only friendship but also explore the attraction they have felt for years.
Weaving in and out of this telling is not only grandma but a slew of the other Bailey’s. OMG this makes the story for me.
Lastly the interracial piece of this story is thoughtful and beautiful especially during these days. It isn’t the complete focus of this story but it is tastefully talked about especially when the subject of children is explored.
This is an awesome. I am over the top excited about the next story in the series. Eek the tease at the end is brilliantly mean. Lol. Happy Reading Everyone!
You guys … The Baileys series is one of the best series I have read in a looooong time. I have yet to be disappointed in not only the writing but also the actual plot/content.
Winning My Best Friend’s Girl was super well rounded. It was as much fun as it was sexy. The chemistry was balanced both between sexual and friendship perfectly. The story was emotional and swoony and had such a great feel-good vibe to it that I wanted it to just keep going. Of course, that’s how I feel about all the Bailey reads LOL I love everything about this family and this author duo!
4.5 Stars
And another one bites the dust! Kingston Bailey takes one for the team – the Love Team !
Out of all the Bailey siblings Kingston is the one we know the least about. He’s a sexy firefighter by day, smokejumper by night and up until recently shared an apartment with one of his sisters. The thing I loved finding out about him was how head over heels in love he was with his childhood friend Stella, the girl he loved and lost.
Stella moved to Starlight when she was 10 and one of her first friends was Kingston Bailey and his best friend Owen. Childhood friendship turned to more in their teen years but when Owen man’s up, King loses the girl.
Fast forward eight years and Stella is back in Starlight to take care of her sick mother. Unresolved feelings come back to the surface and the tension between the two is thick. Neither one seems prepared to overcome the issues that kept them apart but one thing that is still clear is that they love each other. It was a torturous and bumpy road to happily ever after but ever so worth it. As always Grandma Dori steals the show along with her new sidekick Allie. TBR this fantastic book and immerse yourself in the magical world of the Bailey Siblings.
We see very little of Kingston throughout the Bailey books, except for some volatile moments with his best friend from high school. This is where we get a hint at Kingston’s love interest. We also hear about him smoke jumping, so he’s out of Lake Starlight most of the time. He’s just kind of a mystery, so it was really great to finally get to know him better in this story. Something I really loved about this story was how Austin and Holly interact with Kingston. It just speaks volumes to how amazing Austin was when he stepped into a parent role with Savannah to take care of their youngest siblings. That is the heart of these books that make them some of my favorites–The Bailey’s themselves. I love the family dynamics so very much.
Okay, on to Stella and Kingston. I’ve got to be honest, they weren’t my favorite of the Bailey story leads, but that isn’t saying much because I love them all so damn much. My issue was that they made everything so much harder for themselves than it needed to be. That being said, as I read and learned a lot of the reasoning, I understood why they were the way they were. Piper Rayne does a wonderful job of fleshing out the story and giving the character realistic depth. I also enjoyed Kingston and Stella’s interactions with the friends in the group and possible dating scenarios happening. What I do love is Kingston’s love for Stella. Even though he’s definitely not perfect, he always wants what’s best for her. That’s how you just know he’s a Bailey. It’s really heartwarming and makes their HEA so much better.
Now, if you read book 7, Secrets of the World’s Worst Matchmaker, you know that epilogue was a perfect way to get me dying for Sedona’s story. But then Piper Rayne had to do what they do best, and one up their own work, and make this epilogue even more outrageously awesome! I sincerely CANNOT wait for book 9, Rules for Dating your Ex!!!! September 1st cannot come soon enough.
Thank you to Piper Rayne and Wildfire Marketing Solutions for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!
5 Failure Is Not An Option Stars!!!
I’ve been consumed by The Bailey’s since the first book was published and I’ve been anxiously awaiting Kingston’s book because we don’t know that much about him as he’s been somewhat elusive in the other books. We know that he’s a smokejumper and that he’s not in Lake Starlight very much because he needs to be out of town to try and stave off the memories of not only his parents but of the girl he so foolishly didn’t get so many years ago… but that’s all about to change when Stella comes back to Lake Starlight and wouldn’t you know she’s going to see Kingston sooner vs. later!!
I loved every single page of this book as I watched Kingston and Stella reconnect and as is to be expected not only Lake Starlight but as part of being a Bailey lots of family interference, their love just may get the second chance they both so richly deserve and want…. They let each other go eight years ago, but this time, nothing is going to stand in their way.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s not smooth sailing for these two by any means. As you can imagine, with the job Kingston has he’s very much an adrenaline junkie and that’s something that could potentially rip them apart again, or it could be something they explore together…let’s just say they find a way to be on the same page when it counts the most. And oh my stars, their chemistry is sizzling hot!!! While there was some angst that had my heart wondering if they’d make it, there were so many more times that I had a smile on my face with this couple. They truly are soul mates!
While I know in my heart we’re getting closer to the end of this series, I’m trying my hardest to not think about it because I’ve completely and totally fallen in love with The Bailey’s and Lake Starlight! I’m anticipating Sedona’s book to be a wild ride and I’m ready to see this family one more time and hopefully not for the last time!
I’ve been impatiently waiting for Kingston and Stella’s story since book one and Piper Rayne did not disappoint. Their story is a little more emotional but perfect for this couple. Winning My Best Friend’s Girl has all the heartwarming, funny, and steamy moments that you expect from Piper Rayne.
The Bailey’s are everything!! I adored this book, I couldn’t put it down, that ending left me wanting more! I can’t wait for the next book!
Gahhhhh!! Another stellar story from the minds of Piper and Rayne! I absolutely love the world they have created with Lake Starlight and the Bailey family!
Kingston and Stella! Their story has intrigued me since Piper Rayne started dropping hints about them in the previous books in the series.
The roadblocks that both Kingston and Stella had in front of them and how they were able to break down the barriers between them were spectacular.
The history between King and Stella was rich and moving. It made my heart melt and swoon. Reading about them seeing each other again was so inspiring and I couldn’t put this book down till the very end!
I admired the fact that King and Stella were an interracial couple. Love knows no color or creed, the heart wants what it wants and two souls shouldn’t be separated because of it! This story is doesn’t focus on race, it focuses on love and being with your soul mate.
As always, there are surprises aplenty and I was gasping when I read them! I am hoping with Sedona’s story next, we will find out who is behind the Buzzwheel!!
A perfect second chance with the only one
I love Piper Rayne books, with The Baileys they have a winning formula of strong family ties, all encompassing love mixed in with laughs a plenty and low angst, well Stella and Kingston’s (King) was a very different format, but in the best way possible.
Kingston and Stella met at the age of 10, both suffering loss, they immediately bonded, something that only grew stronger and hotter as they grew older. There was a third wheel to their friendship though, Owen, Kingston’s best friend and the one who asked Stella out first. After a fight breaks out between the pair over Stella, she leaves Lake Starlight, not looking back and breaking Kingston’s heart in the process. When Stella finally returns, it seems history is going to repeat itself as Stella turns out to be the woman his new best friend can’t stop raving about, but this time Kingston can’t just walk away, he chooses to fight for her and the future he knows they are destined to have.
Slightly more morose than the rest of The Baileys series, we get to experience flashbacks to their younger days and get to know Stella and Kingston, in a different way, feel the strength of their connection and the love they shared before they were adults, but also, the aftermath of the fire their attraction ignites.
The humour in this story comes, as usual, from Grandma Dory, who we don’t see much of, but also Allie, Stella’s new friend and BuzzWheel enthusiast!
A fantastic second chance at a love that never got the chance to be, and with that ending, a great Segway in to Sedona and Jamison’s story, which I am now dying to get my hands on!
Ah, the Bailey’s continue to find love their own happily ever afters. This one, though, brought an extra dose of angst that made your heart hurt for who surprisingly is probably the sweetest and more sensitive of the Baileys, Kingston.
He’s loved Stella since he met her in elementary school, and she felt the same way; however, like most young love, it’s overthought, over the top, and easily broken. Such is the way with King and Stella over many years. She’s becoming a doctor; he’s a firefighter but also a fire jumper. He is doing the most extreme of everything.
Their story takes time; it takes them moving beyond their teen years and recognizing the adults they have become. These moves are hard for them because, in reality, they have been in love with each other since they were kids. And facing our truths is much harder than continuing to live in denial.
Once they get there, though, it is such a sweet, sweet story of the culmination of years of longing and desire. I especially loved how King never saw Stella as a different race; he only saw her beauty and dreamed of the beautiful children they could have. Yes, love is blind. Thank God!
Piper Rayne are killing it with The Baileys series. Eight books in and each book seems to be better than the last!
Winning My Best Friends Girl is Kingston’s story. If you’ve read the previous books in this series you already know Kingston is the adrenaline junkie out of the siblings, he’s the guy who likes to throw himself out of planes, the guy who runs towards danger instead of away. In this book you find out what makes Kingston tick, what made him the way he is today. And of course there’s a woman involved! The one that got away, the one he’s never really moved on from….welllll, she’s back in town and Kingston is going after the girl he’s always wanted! We’re all just going to ignore the fact she’s the ex of his ex best friend, we’re not to mention she could soon be the girlfriend of his work friend and we’re definitely going to pretend that we didn’t know she’s been back for six months without letting Kingston know. None of it matters because Kingston’s learnt from his mistakes and he’s going for what he wants….right?
This is another great book from these authors. The characters have things they need to work out between them but that’s half the fun of been a reader, watching them work stuff out and try and compromise. Like all these Baileys books this one also shows just how tight and supportive the Baileys siblings are. I always get a warm feeling after finishing one of the Baileys books and this one was no different. I don’t know what I’m going to do with myself when the next (and final) book in this series is released and there’s no more Bailey shenanigans to entertain me. I’m really hoping the author of the Lake Starlight Buzz Wheel is revealed so I can be put out of my misery (not knowing is killing me!). I definitely recommend this book.
I’m not sure how these girls keep doing it, but I swear, each book has been better than the last!! Winning My Best Friend’s Girl was the eighth book in Piper & Rayne’s Baileys Series!! It can be read as a stand-alone, but you would be missing out on so much amazingness! It was sweet, raw, and oh so hot!!
Kingston found himself staring at the girl who got away. She was his first crush, and the first girl to break his heart. Was she really there, or had he hit his head harder than he thought?
Stella had snuck back into town, she was hoping she would have had more time before running into Kingston, but no such luck! After starting out slow, could they finally find the relationship they had been dancing around since they were kids or would history repeat itself?
What an adventure! I loved getting to see all of Kingston since he hasn’t been around as much as the other siblings. These two were like fire and ice; burning hot one second and freezing cold the next. They each had to find themselves before they could surrender to the other. It made me fall in love with them that much more!! This was one of my favorites of the series!!
I love me some Kingston. I wasn’t too sure about Stella at first. Her reasoning for doing what she did wasn’t enough for me and took a little longer to win me over. However she finally gets it together and I couldn’t have been happier for Kingston. Add in more family drama/excitement and this was a great read! Sedona next!
After 7 books of comments & short appearances we finally got a story for the Bailey everyone is most curious about, KIngston. The elusive Bailey sibling and his often remarked about relationship with Stella is the star of this book, and I’m so happy to finally have answers!
Kingston has always been on the fringe, never really around as much as his family. I had a billion different theories and expectations about his character going into this book, and I definitely wasn’t disappointed! It was pretty obvious why everyone loved Stella, and I will fully admit I have a bit of a crush on her, too! The pull between these two characters was undeniable, and I really enjoyed how their story unfolded.
While I was a little disappointed we didn’t have as much Bailey craziness as I’ve gotten used to, my favorite family did have quite a few cameos. I think that the way this story was, it wouldn’t have made sense to have them as present as in the others, so while I normally think there is never enough Bailey’s I do agree it worked best here.
We did get a lot of Sedona, though, so it was really exciting getting the two Bailey siblings we never got enough of before! I loved her relationship with both Kingston & Stella, and I’m both excited and dreading the next book. I love all these characters so much and I don’t want to say goodbye!
Finally it is time that we get to know more about Kingston Bailey! The one sibling (together with Sedona) who was not often around in the previous books.
First things first, tho. While reading the description of the book, I was unsure if I would like it. That’s because I’m not really a fan of triangles. There’s always to much pain involved for everybody an it just stresses me out. But let me tell ya, this wasn’t your typical triangle.
This book is a slow one, but that’s why it’s so great. Everything else would’ve been wrong for Kingston and Stella. First we needed to get to know them on a deeper level, and also we finally heard the story about their past!
I absolutely adore Kingston and think his dedication towards Stella is so admirable! The same thing gos for Stella! I can understand why she is struggling and why she made the choices she did. She’s just a wonderful person.
They are meant to be and even tho it wasn’t an easy way, they made it.
I absolutely adore this book and am in love with those two characters.
4.5 Stars
When I saw Winning My Best Friend’s Girl on my kindle, I had to stop what I was doing and start this book. I have been waiting for more of The Bailey’s. Kingston and Stella’s story was so much more than I thought it was going to be.
Kingston has always loved Stella, she is the one that got away. Stella is back and he can’t seem to stay away and all those feeling that never left come rushing back to the surface. He doesn’t want to get his heart broken again but he may not get another chance to make things work. There is so much heartbreak and things left unsaid. Will Kingston and Stella be able to start over and get their happily ever after?
I am a huge fan of Piper Rayne and can’t wait for Sedona’s book
The one that got away! Elizabeth @ Carolina Chic’s Read
Kingston and Stella have a first love that you never get over story. It takes a while for our love birds to get together… and they do it in a spectacular fashion.
So much love for the one that got away.
Disclaimer: Kingston and Stella were neck and neck with Colton and Juno… Colton and Juno won by just a hair. It’s that good. Hell the entire series is a must read!
5 Stars
Ohhhhh Kingston & Stella how you captured my heart!
I do not know how Piper Rayne does it, but each and every book just gets better and better. The emotions leap from the page with the complex history that each character has. It always feels new and refreshing. The emotional hurdles that both Stella and Kingston are up against hurt my heart, but in true Piper Rayne fashion they handle it with love, strength, and a renewed hope that together they can get through it.
The issue of race is touched upon and I love that Piper Rayne was not afraid to branch out and give us an interracial couple! It is 2020 people this should be the norm by now! Kudos to them for taking this step especially in the social climate we are currently in.