I never thought my first kiss would be on my wedding day.But here I stand, clutching a bouquet of pale pink roses behind the doors of a Las Vegas chapel, and at the end of the aisle is the absolute last man I imagined would be waiting for me.Thomas Bane.Bestselling author. Notorious bad boy. Savagely handsome, dark as sin, chiseled as stone. And somehow, my soon-to-be husband.Marry him, and I’ll … husband.
Marry him, and I’ll land my dream job. Save him, and I’ll walk away with everything I’ve ever wanted. All I have to do is remember it’s all for show. None of it is real, no matter how real it feels.
But first, I have to survive the kiss.
And with lips like his, I don’t stand a chance.
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Ladies and gentlemen, I am both proud and shocked to say that Sam from Staci’s Player has competition with Thomas for being the most attractive man to grace the pages of my books. Holy hell in a handbasket… I flew through this sucker like nobody’s business. And if you have started the RLC? Well this is basically mandatory reading, sweetheart. Trust me.
I was so blessed to get an ARC of this book, and I am telling you with all the love in my heart: if this is not on your TBR and in your Amazon basket on the 24th, you are doing it wrong. Why? Let me break it down.
First, ever since the moment we met Amelia in Piece of Work, I knew I totally identified with her (as, I believe, did many other readers) since she was so hugely into books and used them as her escape method. So when Staci announced that the next book in the RLC was going to be about her, I was, naturally, very excited. But let me tell you – she exceeded my expectations. Amelia was no wallflower… at least, she was no permanent wallflower. She just needed someone to give her a little push, a little wind in her sails. Make no mistake: she was sassy and well-spoken and genuinely kind, pure. Did she still have anxiety? For sure. But I loved walking along that journey with her, the journey of shedding the insecurities of old in favor of new, sparkling confidence. (She’s still no firecracker Val, but c’mon now…)
And Thomas. Tommy. How could you NOT freaking ADORE TOMMY?!?!?!? Tommy had one of the truest, noblest hearts of any male lead I have read about. Seriously. Tommy was so serious about his ethics, his morals, that it pushed him too far into trouble in the past. He and Amelia had very similarly matched priorities and ethical codes, so not only were they well matched, but Tommy responded well to Amelia’s help since they were SO well and equally yoked. He was funny, cracking plenty of chuckle-worthy one-liners, and kind, so selfless in his courtship of Amelia, and just overall everything you’d (or, most specifically, I’d) want in a male lead. I loved that he was an author, loved how well constructed his character was from the inside out.
Speaking of well constructed characters, this novel yet again featured amazing supporting characters. Of course, there’s the RLC gang and their boy-toys from the two previous novels (which is always so fun to see, love those cameos!), but there’s more. Theo, Tommy’s twin brother, was of special interest to me the whole time. He was the stable half to Thomas’ wild child. There was the Bane brothers’ mother, Sarah, who was a really delightful addition… I almost wish we got to spend more time with her. She was so wise and truly a light in the book. And the ANIMALS. I love my fur babies (both real and fictional) and let me tell you, I totally ship Gus and Claudius. 🙂 The “villains” were written so well – I really wanted to bitch-slap the main two troublemakers, so I think Staci achieved her goal of making them unlikeable AF. Overall, I don’t think you will be disappointed with the host of people in this book.
Another thing I loved was the conflict of the book. Without going into spoilers, I loved how this book’s conflict (because there has to be one, hello!) was centered around morals and their mutual trust and respect between one another. This makes it more scary, of course, because it isn’t a fight about something as trivial as a miscommunication or the like… its roots are deeper than that. My heart actually stopped at a certain point during the climactic crescendo of the book (for those who’ve read it: that moment when Amelia sees the manila envelope in Tommy’s hands). THAT’S the tell of a great book, folks.
I will leave you with the feelings I possess currently. a) That epilogue just gives me ALL the feels. <3 b) That sneak preview featuring Katherine's upcoming book has me shook to the ground and needing her story... let me check my watch... yesterday.
Work In Progress is a complete novel – complete with heart, soul, smiles, and growth. Pick it up, read it, love it.
Oh my goodness! Work in Progress has GOT to be one of Staci Hart’s best books to date! Staci Hart creates the sweetest stories with these unbelievably sexy characters. I mean, am I the only one that smiled the entire time while reading this? I know I had to look like a crazy person as I was reading and smiling off in space. It’s a seriously amazing feel-good story. Tommy and Amelia have stolen my heart from me.
Add in the tight friendship all these women have. They are so deeply rooted in each other’s lives. I want friends like that!! With every book Miss Hart gives us, she gets better and better. The writing flows and pulls you in without giving the reader any other option. Amelia reminds me of myself… honestly I bet that every woman will see a bit of themselves in her. Prepare yourself to be blown away! Staci Hart pulls out all the stops… did she leave anything for Katherine? Of course she did! Can’t wait for it.
I received an ARC of this book with the hope that I would leave an Unbiased Opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… my opinions.
***4.5 ‘ Right Reason, Wrong Way’ Stars***
That opening line of the blurb was the lure. I mean, how could it not be?
To have your first kiss on your wedding day?
So, my curiosity got the better of me and I NEEDED to find out just what the hell was going on and I got soooo much more than I could have imagined and LOVED every second of it!
This was a sweet, slow burn and smexy ride with characters I ended up loving (well, most of them anyways) and have me wanting more!
I loved Amelia. She is all at once innocent, shy and naive and yet fierce and determined. She’s carved out her own niche despite the obstacles in her way. I loved her passion and her snark and how just how golden her heart is. Thomas is that person that you want to hug and Gibbs smack all at the same time. The man is a really good man, he is. He loves hard and protects those who are his in every way possible, and though his moral compass is a lot more straight than most believe, he tends to find himself in situations that put it all into question.
From start to finish I really enjoyed Amelia and Thomas’ slow burn romance…Well, maybe not all, that little hitch in the road was unfortunately expected. But I loved how they met and how their relationship evolved from there. Their bantering was a lot of fun, the chemistry between them was smoldering and I loved how they helped to make the other stronger by simply being who they were. As for that ‘hitch’ saw it coming, hated the fall out, but LOVED the reconciliation.
This is my first read by the author and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The writing was engaging, the characters were all well written and I could definitely relate to all that was going on. My only issue was pacing, it dragged for me in places but considering the whole, it’s a thing but not a thing. As for the crew surrounding Amelia and Tommy, I really liked them and thankfully have the first two books in the series, so will be doing my best to get those read before the next one drops because after that little tease…is looking like it’s going to be everything!
~ Copy provided by Social Butterfly PR & voluntarily reviewed ~
This book was fabulous! I love Staci Hart’s writing and these Red Lipstick Coalition girls are amazing. They start out insecure about themselves but then grow together and love each other through everything.
I loved Amelia and Tommy’s story. Right from the start you are taken into their story. Amelia is shy saying to herself, “Remember the ABC’s- acknowledge, breathe, connect” as she going to meet Thomas Bane, the author. She’s the blogger who is honest and tells what she thinks and he knows right away who is she because of how critical she is of his books. But he knows he needs her and her honesty and their connection grows from there.
I don’t want to give spoilers but you really need to read this book. It is so well written, it flows, isn’t rushed, you fell the pull of them, the sweetness of both of them. This beautiful story of two totally different people who find an intimate connection and the relationship grows from there.
I laughed, I cried, I never wanted it to end. From the girls to Tommy, his brother Theo and his mom, there is a story I couldn’t put down. It’s real life and how people deal with real life issues to help and protect and be honest with the ones you love. This book is spectacular! Go read it!!!
Sweet stories about women we can connect with and the men that fall in love with them is what you’ll get with Author Staci Hart. Her Red Lipstick Coalition series is girl power fun mixed with a lot of sexy and a little bit of seriousness. Work in Progress features bad boy author Thomas Bane and sweet, introvert Amelia Hall.
Thomas Bane has the weight of the world on his shoulders. I could feel it. He’s a writer who’s lost his mojo and suffers a bad reputation of his own making, but will do anything to set it all to rights.
Amelia Hall is painfully shy but highly opinionated when it comes to what she believes. She also is a little too self deprecating that’s slightly annoying. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to shake her or give her a big squeeze.
While the pacing was a little slow in the beginning, the build to the meat of the story hit full stride around the halfway mark. Their attraction is evident. The tension growing, each wanting desperately to cross the line. The realizations and inevitable heartbreak along with some real rage at the source of that heartbreak, all help their sweet romance of forgiveness and acceptance, life and love.
WORK IN PROGRESS by Staci Hart is the story of Thomas Bane and Amelia Hall.
Amelia is the shy, bookish blogger who has wrote some critical articles about Thomas’s writing. Thomas is the ultimate playboy but who writes books but of late has had writers block. In addition, he needs to clean up his image. So when he meets Amelia he thinks she could lead him out of his writers block and his image. But to do so they would need a marriage of convenience.
Just loved their story…its one that once you start…it is hard to stop.
Y’all! This book just makes me want to Julie Andrew’s it around the hilltop!!!
Gah it’s so sweet and dreamy and steamy and all. the. words!
“Love, I’d decided, was magic.”
I had a smile on my face half the time and then towards the end (85%ish) I was emotional because I felt as though I was witnessing firsthand what was happening between the two characters.
Thomas Bane is THE ultimate dream! I loved how he SAW Amelia and embraced her so-called “flaws”. I loved how Amelia continuously pushed herself to get beyond her “limitations”. She is the epitome of the strong, silent type of female that, at times, can be overlooked and viewed as a pushover. Amelia is anything but a pushover.
“Faith is complete and absolute. Faith cannot be shaken. Faith believes, even when what you can see betrays what you know.”
I did feel a little “eh” over the conflict in the story; I felt it needed to be stronger, however, the characters and their story outweighed this for me and I was able to largely overlook it.
This will definitely be in my top favorites reads this year! And I LIVE for the sneak peek at the end of the book!!!
ARC provided by the author in exchange of an honest review.
Work In Progress is by far my favourite book in the RLC series. Now I’m curious if the next book in the series can top this awesomeness.
Especially in the beginning of the book I could really relate to Amelia. We share a fear of public outings, talking to strangers and big crowds. While Amelia found her Knight is shining armour to help her deal with this fears, I still deal with my fears on a daily basis. That’s why it was harder for me to connect with the Amelia of the second half of the book.
Don’t get me wrong, I love that she progressed this much throughout the book, but I wish she wouldn’t have changed so much just because of the right guy.
I totally agree with the fact that writing romance is a lot like writing a fantasy. Things go a lot smoother than in real life.
If I continue to see this book as a fantasy and not be so critical about certain aspects in life I can totally love this book. Staci Hart’s writing is as always amazing. And the story line is great. I love the marriage of convenience trope. It is constructed really well.
Thomas Bane is swoon worthy. He’s my favourite male lead in the RLC books. Amelia and Tommy are a great fit and I hope to see more of them in the next book.
What I also love a lot about these books is the strong friendship between the girls. I love how they support eachother through thick and thin. And of course their funny conversations. I’m really looking forward to see more of them in the next book.
If you love a good marriage of convenience book I defenitely recommend this book. It’s one of the best I’ve ever read.
Once again Staci has given us an amazingly awesome story of faith, trust and love between two unlikely souls. Amelia is a sheltered, shy young lady who lives vicariously through her book blog. Her blog goes viral when she reviews literary’s sexy bad boy Thomas Bane’s book and she rates it 3 stars. This gets the attention of a major newspaper and Amelia begins freelancing for the paper her first assignment is to go to Bane’s book-signing and get books personalized to Amelia. Of course Thomas recognizes Amelia’s name and the story begins. What an avalanche of emotions you will feel as Amelia and Tommy forge a relationship. The chemistry is explosive as both characters develop. Truly a five plus star read. A book you’ll definitely won’t want to end and you’ll reread.
Amelia – tiny, fair, painfully shy book reviewer whose blog posts ripping the popular author Thomas Bane to shreds have gone viral.
Tommy – tall, dark, charming playboy author who is frequently in the public eye for his bad boy ways. He has read Amelia’s reviews skewering his books and actually agrees with her arguments.
After meeting at a book signing, Tommy asks Amelia to work with him on his next book, editing and critiquing as he goes. He needs someone not afraid to tell him his ideas suck. Amelia agrees, recognizing that a reference from Thomas Bane would open all kinds of career doors for her in the future.
After yet another bout of negative media exposure, however, Tommy is facing losing everything. He pleads for one more chance to clean up his image and finish the book. To do this, he makes a deal with Amelia: one year of fake marriage, friendship, and amazing career opportunities for her at the end. He will also help Amelia with her fear and diffidence by extreme exposure therapy.
The trouble is, how do they know what is real and what is fake? Can they both walk away after a year?
I loved this couple. This is totally a case of opposites attracting, both physical and personality opposites. Amelia is almost mute around people outside her circle, resulting from childhood cruelty regarding her speech impediment she’s since corrected. Tommy has carefully cultivated a bad boy/playboy reputation, initially to gain fame and attention and now to keep the press distracted from his family and his background. These two work so well together, though. They are adorable together. Other things I liked: Sarah, Tommy and Theo’s mother. Amelia’s supportive friends. Gus and Claudius.
What didn’t I like? It ended and the next book isn’t out yet! This one is definitely a standalone, I didn’t even realize it was part of a series, but the epilogue hints at the next story and with what is revealed about another character, I can’t wait to read it and see what happens. And I hope we get more Tommy and Melia in that one, too.
Overall: Such a good read! This is the sweetest, most charming couple. Read it!
This book was everything! It was such an intense slow-burn romance. Even though it was a “marriage of convenience” book, it rang as so much more! I loved the lead female character so much. Amelia’s character came across as shy, submissive in character, yet also strong willed. She wasn’t weak, but her inexperience and naivete was a large part of the story. Her personal and familial background was unique, and somewhat comical, but that helped add some humor and lightness into the story. I really felt tied to Amelia, and as the story progressed I found myself anticipating her next steps and really rooting for her.
The male character gave me all the swoons!!! Tommy embodied all the things I love in a book-boyfriend. He was confident and experienced, with a well-crafted play boy reputation and professional success through the roof. He was so yummy to read about. As soon as the chemistry started sparking, I knew that Amelia and Tommy would be perfect together.
I’m not typically a fan of slow-burn romance, but this book won me over!! I loved the steady progression from friendship to lovers. I loved how Tommy took Amelia’s inexperience into his hands with such great care. They were so good together. I can’t say that enough. This book made my swoon, laugh and cry. I highly recommend that you pick it up!
6 Stars
I finished this book days ago and needed a few days to figure out the best words to express my feelings. This book is everything I’ve ever wanted or needed, and even though it’s still January I can confidently say it will end up being one of my favorites this year. Considering two of Staci Hart’s books were top favorites of mine last year she would have had to do some major work to surpass them in my mind. And somehow she blew them both out of the water!
Work in Progress is book 3 in the Red Lipstick Coalition series and by far my favorite. I really enjoyed Rin & Court, I loved Val & Sam, but Amelia & Tommy? They are my absolute favorites. They are the epitome of relationship goals, one of those couples that latch on to your heart and doesn’t let go. I felt myself rooting for them before they were even a “them.”
Staci Hart has a knack for writing my favorite heroines, real women with flaws and insecurities. Amelia is no exception. She’s shy, scared & extremely inexperienced. She’s also sweet as can be and will do anything to help. Which is how she ends up married to bad boy Thomas Bane. Only he isn’t the person the media has made him out to be, and he may end up helping her more than she’s helping him.
Tommy is a playboy & media heartthrob, or at least that’s what he wants everyone to think. He’s also currently suffering from writer’s block and decides to enlist the blogger who hates his writing to help.
He’s shocked when she agrees and even more shocked when she agrees to his next proposal.
The chemistry between these two characters is completely different and unexpected. It’s not sizzling and overly sexual, it’s heartfelt and emotionally charged. They are complete opposites but complement each other perfectly. Sweet moments, laughter and mutual respect lead to a relationship unlike others I’m used to reading about. Nothing is rushed or unrealistically portrayed, their story perfectly paced and everything
And on top of everything is the one constant in this series that I have come to love more than anything – friendship. These girls are there for each other without question, providing support and guidance whenever needed. The relationship between these four is the greatest love story, never wavering and seeming to get stronger with each obstacle they help each other through.
This book is amazing and I truly hope everyone experiences this story and loves it as much as I do. And while I’m nursing a major book hangover I’ll also be impatiently waiting for Katherine’s story. Each book has outshone the others, and I’m already preparing myself for an epic conclusion to the series.
Oh em gee!!!! Work In Progress goes down as my all time favorite Staci book. Amelia and Tommy were the most perfect characters. I fell head over heels in love with them. I love how Tommy gave Amelia such confidence and helped her grow out of her shell. And I love how Amelia kept Tommy in check. They balanced each other amazingly. The storyline was perfect. It was like a modern day fairytale. I can’t wait to finish the series and read all about Katherine and Theodore.
When Staci Hart announced her next release Work in Progress I couldn’t wait to dive in because it sounded like another hit and oh my goodness it was abso-freaking-lutely amazing! I am still BEYOND speechless by this story…literally no words could possibly express what is going through my mind after devouring it! This was a beautifully captivating and hilariously funny romantic comedy that will have your stomach filled with butterflies. I could not put this one down, not even for a second!
Thomas Bane and Amelia Hall’s story shows just how extraordinary Staci Hart’s storytelling is. It feels as if you are stepping into the story and feeling every emotion her characters are. This story right here is hands down one of my favorite reads. Truly ah-freaking-mazing! I wholeheartedly adored that this story gave us an insanely shy book blogger and an outgoing sexy bad boy author. Two people that couldn’t be more opposite and yet so perfect for each other. Their chemistry was immediate, even if it had started off as a…fake marriage and that slow burning romance (even though it was evident they were attracted to each other right from the very beginning) left me on the edge of my seat in frustration for them to finally realize how much they needed one another! Like seriously you two belong together…forever and always!
Readers make sure to one-click Work in Progress right away. Trust me when I say that you all are not going to miss out on this phenomenal story and one of my top reads of the year!
I loved how Amelia meets Tommy. He is an author and she is a book blogger/reviewer that never likes his books. Their first face-to-face meeting is fun as Amelia is trying to fight her fear of speaking to strangers while doing an assignment for her new job. Tommy is that charismatic, charming, alpha male and Amelia is no match for his prowess. When he suggests she help him with his latest novel, a fabulous partnership is created. Then Tommy gets into more trouble and finds that he needs to clean up his reputation. What better way than to get married to the one honest person he knows, Amelia. The relationship is wonderful as Tommy helps Amelia be brave while he opens up his inner romantic to improve his stories. What happens when outside forces know that Tommy doesn’t do real relationships and wants to expose all his secrets? Can Amelia handle the spotlight with her debilitating fears? I devoured this fun, sexy romance as this unlikely duo found a beautiful chemistry. Even Gus and Claudius got in on the act (you have to read to find out who they are)! I voluntarily read an ARC of this book and this is my honest review.
*** ARC Received for Honest Review ***
500 Stars!
PERFECTION!!! Pure and utter perfection! I F-ing LOVE this one! I can’t stop, it is just that good.
Staci, you have created a couple that I love and adore with all of my heart. Amelia…what can I say? Has there ever been a better heroine? She is amazing; quirky, shy, introverted, quiet, but strong, opinionated, kind, sweet and like Tommy always says, “pure.” I have the biggest girl crush on her. I want to be her best friend (sorry Cat, move over) and hang out with her and her friends. I thought Player was superb. But I knew from reading the sneak peek that Work in Progress was going to blow my mind and it did!
Tommy is not only insanely H-O-T, he is a writer! Hello! And he has a twin.
Staci honestly, I feel like you took everything that is most adored by me and everyone else and made us the ideal read. I cannot wait for the next one. I want to say a million times THANK YOU for one of the best of 2019! If you can’t tell, you would be crazy not to one click this one. This has no place on the TBR list, it goes straight to the top. (Review by Terri “Jane”)