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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Work in Progress is the biggest swoon Story ever! Elizabeth @ Carolina Chic’s Read
Tommy and Amelia are going to make you swoon harder than you have ever done before. I fell in love with this couple within the first few chapters. These two are so meant to be. She is the awkward book blogger and he is the author that she is never gives more than three stars to. These two are like magnets for each other. My favorite story from the Red Lipstick Coalition!
What do you get with this opposites attract equation:
Gorgeously, sexy playboy fantasy author + introverted extremely shy book blogger fangirl who writes him only 3 star reviews?
= a fun, wild story of it’s own with a fake marriage twist! I loved that!
This was a love story in the making itself and I enjoyed every minute of the story within the story…you’ll see what that means when you read this book yourself! That cover sold me, the blurb had me very curious and as I read along, I was glad I decided to give this book a click . The H and h were both fun to get to know as they got to know each other, they were adorable together. There are a couple villians that don’t want them to be happy, whose hair you might want to yank out, I did! I got a kick out of hearing Tommy and Amelia reference some of my own favorite authors while discussing Amelia’s favorite romance books, they are both book lovers too after all! A fun addition by Staci there. Let’s also mention her ability to write a very sensual, heated build up to some super steamy scenes that were really hot! Keep your fan handy.
Looking forward to the next book, especially after that little teaser at the end!
The blurb for this book was so intriguing. This book was heartwarming; I didn’t want it to end.
These two characters have were perfect. I love a good slow burn romance where the characters have intense chemistry. That is just what you will get with Amelia a shy, sweet girl and Thomas the sexy bad boy. Work in Progress was just what I needed. I loved this book and couldn’t put it down.
I highly recommend this book!
This book is one of the best books of Staci’s that I have ever read!
I love the way Staci develops these complex characters that shouldn’t connect and yet she manages to make them fit together perfectly. This unique story line and the connection that Amelia and Tommy had made the book unputdownable. I read 70% of the book in less than 18 hours (you know life and kids get in the way sometimes).
If I could , I would personally bring down stars from the sky for Thomas Bane.
Amelia Hall never imagined that her first kiss would be with her fake husband let alone that the Thomas Bane would be the one she’d “marry”. He is a famous author who defines ‘notorious bad boy’. But he’s also incredibly charming. Amelia needs to remember that all of this is just for show or she might lose her heart forever.
First let’s get this out of the way, Thomas Bane is the love of my life and I’d kill for him without hesitation.
I don’t even know how to start explaining why I love this book so much. This story made me feel as if I was travelling across Eden on a rainbow with a unicorn as my best friend. My heart was the happiest of places because of this story.
Amelia Hall is such a pure, fierce soul, I wanted to protect her and unleash her on the World. She grew so much and it just such a pleasure to witness her journey. I think she’s the perfect counterpart to Tommy.
Thomas Bane. Be still my beating heart. I love this man so fiercely. I think he is one of the best written male characters. He might be a ‘bad boy’ but his reasons are completely good. The way he adores Amelia makes me cry happy tears.
This story was such a good slow burn. The angst, the tension and Amelia and Thomas’ chemistry was so exciting. These two had me on the edge of my seats screaming “DO IT” “MAKE OUT”.
I think I won’t be wrong in saying this is Staci Hart’s best book till date.
Shy, virgin, book review blogger heroine with the hot, sexy, bestselling author whose heroes she hates…seriously do I need to say anything more? Having been both a book blogger and an author, this one was perfection, especially those first few scenes. I loved it so, so much!
I definitely recommend this one! It was great.
(And I’m so freaking excited about the final book pairing.)
Player was my favorite out of the Red Lipstick Coalition and I wasn’t sure Staci Hart was going to be able to top it but let me tell you. She went above and beyond with this one. Not that her writing ever disappoints but her writing in this story was phenomenal!
Let’s just take that first “real” kiss for example.. I felt it straight down to my core. I got all the feels from it and the story just progressed from there. I loved Amelia. I loved her shy personality, (which is different for me) but her drive to help Tommy just made her so much more.
This story was full of the feels and this time.. I’m really not sure how Staci Hart will top herself but I can’t wait to see her try!
I received an advanced copy of this book with the promise of an honest review.
If you love the whole marriage of convenience trope, then this book is for you. We have super famous author Thomas trying to save his reputation and career and ridiculously shy and somewhat awkward blogger Amelia helping him accomplish that. Despite Amelia’s shyness, she manages to compose herself when she first meets Thomas and tells him exactly what is wrong with his books. What starts out as a completely working relationship where Amelia is helping Thomas with his writing, turns into so much more after he puts his career in jeopardy.
Thomas had such an interesting back story. His TWIN brother is his manager and the two of them have carefully crafted a persona for the public. Amelia comes into his life and everything is turned upside down. She challenges him like no other person has done before and he loves that. Her being around him make him a better writer as well as a better person.
This book has the signature humor that Staci brings to her books, but it also brings the angst. And let me tell you…when the angst made the grand entrance, I was a mess. I felt EVERYTHING those characters were going through. It was rough for a little bit, but by the end I had unicorns and rainbows bursting out of my chest.
Every time I read one of Staci’s stories, I am in awe of her talent. Her books always bring out emotions in me and I want to be friends with all of the characters. And don’t even get me started on the next book…OMG! The little preview at the end had me saying “Say whaaaaaaaaaaaaat?” out loud. Thank god I was home alone.
There are 26 letters in the English alphabet. Each on their own nothing more than a doodle, insignificant and emotionless. When Staci Hart takes these little black marks and form them into words and put them in order within a sentence, within a book, they become life. Fabulous, vibrant life.
Amelia is shy, painfully so. Shy in a way, that she leads a life safely ensconced behind the wall of strong woman she calls friends.
Thomas Bane is scared. Debilitatingly scared of being used and exposed in such a way, that he has created a fortress of smoke and mirrors to hide from the world.
Can they break down these walls together and build something true and strong?
Work in Progress had a visceral effect on me. At times it had me shaking with laughter, and other times left me holding my breath for far longer than healthy. The characters are so well written, that you believe them true. The chemistry so tantelizing, you can hardly bear it.
These people, figments of Staci’s imagination, but stiĺl so real hold a special place in my heart, and eventhough each story on it’s own are complete and perfect they leave me aching for more.
I am grateful for knowing we have one more to come, and desolate for knowing there is only one more left…
I’m a fan of Staci Hart and this book was an auto-pre-order for me. I started it last night and couldn’t put it down because I loved the characters and the fake marriage plot. I just wish I could read the fictional fantasy Tommy wrote in the book! Highly recommend this book and can’t wait for the next release.
I love this book so much! Love the comedy and chemistry between Amelia and Tommy. By far my favorite couple of the RLC!
“I will rewrite the stars. I will shake the heavens and mark them with your name. Because without you, I am lost.”
Staci Hart has really become one of those authors that I’ll always one-click and she’s definitely become one of my favorite authors. Her words just get to me every single time and it’s the way she writes that will always keep me coming back to her books! If you haven’t read anything from her yet, you are definitely missing out… This book was a bit different from what I’ve read from the author before but really one that I enjoyed reading. There were some scenes I just had a big smile on my face; the story has heart and soul, but it’s definitely a story that will get to you in a way you don’t seem coming! And for me also being a blogger, somehow, I could relate to what the leading lady was feeling, to some extend though 🙂 A story not to miss!
Thomas Bane has been one of the best selling authors in the world but lately his inspiration has been non-existent and he’s trying to find a way to get back into writing and out of his writers block. When he first meets his number one critic blogger, Amelia, he’s already floored by her personality. It sparks something inside him. When something happens yet again to tarnish his own reputation, he’ll need something drastic for his publisher not to drop him and he’ll make an offer to Amelia she’ll find very hard to refuse…
Amelia loves reading and blogging but being in public is something that gives her anxiety but is necessary for the job she’s doing at ‘The Times’. When she first meets Thomas, she’s shy but there’s something about him that makes her speak out and he’s charmed by her honesty. When he’ll make her an offer she isn’t able to refuse, they embark on a journey that’s new terrority for the both of them. What began as a fake relationship will evolve in something more. But when secrets threaten to tear them apart, it’ll shake them to the core. It’ll be up to them if they make it through it all and let love lead the way…
This was so freakin’ good. Easily my favorite in this series of standalones so far. A book blogger and an author falling in love? SOLD! I adored Amelia and Tommy and I’m pretty sure that everyone who reads this will too. When I read that Amelia was married in the last chapter of Player I knew that I had to know every detail on that one.
The CHEMISTRY you guys. THE CHEMISTRY! I was obsessed after the first meeting. Hearing Amelia tell him what she thought of his writing was amazing and I loved how he wanted more of her. Also, a marriage of convenience is one of my favorite tropes. Even though I’m screaming at you about the chemistry, the best part of their relationship was the friendship that they had. They had so much in common and it honestly felt like they knew each other forever. Their dialogue and just the way that they were around each other felt easy and effortless.
As much as I loved it, I sadly couldn’t give it 5 stars. There was just something about it that I couldn’t. Maybe because it was over 400 pages. I don’t really see a need for a contemporary romance to be that long, but that’s just me. Also, I can get the reason for the drama but I can’t stand it when it’s on the fence of unnecessary.
Overall, this was the best one yet of this series. The romance and the character were so good! The next one is about Katherine and all I can’t wait till April!
Marriage
Staci Hart knows how to put into words the most profound feelings and the warmest heart.
Amelia is a very shy bookworm, hiding away from everything and everyone behind her books.
Now imagine you meeting your favourite author and helping him, and doesn’t matter if he is the hottest man you ever met.
Thomas is the best shyness medicine for Amelia; he can bring out the best of her.
He’s a best selling author having some writing trouble, and Amelia, of course, will help him, but that’s not all because her being all critical assessing his work, Amelia will help more them critical papers.
Tommy looks such a player but is he has a heart of gold, he is kind, warm, tender and I’m in love with him.
I love the chemistry between them is no forced is natural, beautiful and gorgeous to watch.
Staci hard delivered a heroine that most of us can relate as a bookworm, we can be shy, but we are strong and fierce.
Love and Laugh work together, the perfect chemistry.
All the stars.
Where does one possibly begin to describe the amount of love I have for this book? I guess I’ll start by saying: Work In Progress is hands-down my absolute favorite book by Staci Hart. I’m throwing every single star in the galaxy at it. There were so many aspects to this story that I easily related to, the writing was exquisite, and I simply could not get enough of it.
Firstly, reading and blogging is a big part of my life, so I adore that this entire story revolved around authors, bloggers, and the general overall love for books. Then there’s the dedication. I love reading them so when I flipped to it, I knew this book would leave a big impact. I instantly thought, “she’s talking to me!”
“If I’d ever passed Amelia Hall on the street, she wouldn’t have caught my attention. But that was the thing about girls like her—once you saw them, there was no unseeing them.”
If you’ve read the previous books in this series, then you know Amelia is a painfully shy person, which I can totally relate to. Growing up, I was the same way. I know what it’s like to want to say something or contribute to a conversation, but at the same time experiencing this overwhelming feeling of: “What if my words get jumbled up? Or they’ll probably laugh at me. Girl, your voice sounds like a cartoon.” I also know what it feels like to be the target of the “quiet girl” jokes. But we also learned that she is sweet and witty. Exceptionally smart and clever, and I didn’t find a single fault in her. She’s easily one of my favorite heroines ever.
“I was changed, rearranged, and every piece of me had Tommy’s name on it.”
Okay, so…THOMAS FREAKIN’ BANE has officially catapulted in as my FAVORITE book boyfriend of all-time. ALL TIME. And I don’t see that changing anytime soon. It’s going to take a lot to knock him from his cozy spot at the top. He was so incredibly dreamy, patient, and gentle with Amelia in every single aspect. A protector to the core when it came to the ones he loved most. He was simply EVERYTHING.
“Your weakness is this idea that you’re invulnerable. But you can’t go through life without being hurt. You can’t love without risk to your heart.”
Is “death by swooning” a thing?! I’m totally making it a thing because that’s exactly how I felt while reading Work In Progress. This book stole a piece of my heart with every caring action shown from Tommy, and courage Amelia gained. Their story is romance and passion in it’s purest form. Incredibly heartwarming, funny, and one I soon won’t forget.
This book is by far Staci Hart’s best work to date. I have never hung on words so much than with this book. I read and reread passages as I went along. You don’t get more extreme polar opposites than you do with Amelia and Tommy. Amelia is as shy as they come in person but she can let her opinions fly behind the words in her book blog. She gets the opportunity to meet Thomas Bane, author of books she loves to critique. Tommy is immediately taken with Amelia, something he finds hard to wrap his head around, just as Amelia finds herself unexpectedly easily able to banter back and forth with Tommy. He has a very public, playboy, and bad boy image that his publisher tries to force him to calm. Tommy seeks that calm in Amelia while she tries to learn to be brave and not so shy from Tommy. This book is everything you want in a romance. There’s raw emotion, secrets, angst, heart eyes, heartache, laughs, and of course a happily ever after.
I have yet to read a Staci Hart romance that I didn’t absolutely fall in love with. This is no exception. This one was sweet and sexy and truly heartwarming. Amelia and Tommy completely stole my heart and kept me smiling the entire story.
Turns out the quietest one in the group had so much to say. Amelia, the introvert, the bookworm, the shy sweetheart was pure gold. I loved that she was trying to put herself out there and find her confidence. She was sweet and pure but she still had knowledge about sex, which is refreshing. She had a backbone and stood up for herself when she needed to. Her personality totally blossomed throughout the entire story and I loved it.
Tommy is absolutely one of my favorite in the list of Hart men. He was constantly cracking me up with his antics and personality. I loved that he wanted Amelia to come out of her shell as much as she wanted to. He’s a protector, he wanted nothing but the best for Amelia. The friendship and chemistry develops so naturally with this couple. It’s just so easy to become smitten with them.
Every single RLC heroine is so uniquely amazing. They are all pushing each other to be bolder, braver version of themselves. They all have flaws and fears that make you relate, but also have you cheering for these boss babes to find their voices. The friendship between these women is just as important as the romances that develops in the stories. I love the strong theme of sisterhood and the bond that they’ve formed. All of this mixed with ultra swoony Heroes, simply put, it’s romance perfection.
I’ve said this before and I’ll probably say it again (wait, there’s no probably about it. I WILL say it again!), but Staci Hart writes such wonderfully complex romances that my heart aches just thinking about them. It’s the good type of ache, though. The type that makes me cheer for the characters a they figure things out and hurt for them when their dark moment falls upon them.
Amelia and Tommy are perfect in that regard. They’re passionate and scared and, in the end, they’re willing to take the risk that makes all the pain from before worth it. I just…man, I liked them together. The virgin and the playboy. The painfully shy blogger and the man who built his career by putting himself in the spotlight. Angel and devil. You get the point, right?
They’re as different as night and day, but they’re perfect for one another. She smooths out his hard edges and he gives her the courage to be brave.
Seriously, I love these two. There was a point where I could see the black moment building and I had to put down my book to take a deep breath. Because OUCH, man. The fallout was going to hurt.
And the tease for the final book? OMG! I’m ready! SO READY!
The Red lipstick ladies are back and it’s Amelia’s turn to get her man! Which seems impossible for awhile.
She’s shy and doesn’t like to be in public.
Thomas Bane is an author who has made a name for himself being the bad boy with a different model hanging off his arm or so he plays to the press.
Amelia realizes pretty quickly that there is way more under the surface than meets the eye.
I loved how they bring out the best in each other. A press scheme throws them off balance and the not know what is real or fake will break someone’s heart.
It’s another fantastic read to add to the series and I’m dying to know what’s next for the ladies!
Staci Hart is always making me swoon with her books; Work in Progress was so amazing. I could not put this book down; I loved the way it was written, how well everything was explained. Staci Hart just gave us our next favorite couple.
Amelia and Tommy are completely different from each other; the last thing you would expect is for these two to get together. But as you read the story, as you get to know each character, you see how much they complete each other. Tommy makes Amelia the encouragement she needs to keep going, and Amelia gives Tommy the understanding and love that he needs.
These two had me swooning like crazy, I love how much deep down they understand each other, and how they know they’re so different yet cannot seem to stay away. This is a must read guys, Tommy will have you on the floor swooning for him.