Book Review: Feeding the Fire (Rosewood #2) by Andrea Laurence

Feeding the Fire
Rosewood #2

By:
Andrea Laurence

Published:
March 16, 2015

Publisher:
Pocket Star

Source:
eARC from publisher for a honest review

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GR's Summary:

Pepper has no interest in Grant Chamberlain…until she accidentally wins him at a school auction and finds the mega-hot firefighter impossible to ignore. Find out what happens next in the second playful and sexy ebook romance in the Rosewood series! 

Living in the small town of Rosewood, Alabama, hairdresser Pepper Anthony has one rule—never date a Chamberlain. She’s always said, “the only thing worse than being ignored by a Chamberlain is being dumped by one.” But Grant Chamberlain, town fireman, isn’t used to rejection, and Pepper has consistently turned him down since high school. She isn’t intimidated by his family; she’s one of the few who refuses to take their crap. 

When Grant volunteers at the charity bachelor auction, to his surprise, Pepper buys him. She hadn’t meant to, but Adelia Chamberlain dropped a cold drink in her lap, sending her leaping into the air at precisely the wrong moment. Suddenly she had a massive bill to the town and Grant at her disposal. Since the money has to come from her “restore the house” fund, she decides to use Grant for manual labor instead of romantic dinners. Grant is happy to help, sweaty and shirtless, because one way or another, he’s going to get Pepper to admit she’s attracted to him. All it takes is a small spark, and soon they’ll be fanning the flames.

Rosewood Series:

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My Thoughts:

Feeding the Fire was a sweet, endearing, and charming small town romance.  It can be read as a standalone.  However, after having read this story, I want to go back and read, Facing the Music.

In Feeding the Fire, we get Pepper Anthony and Grant Chamberlain's story.  Pepper grew up in a working class family, and lived in a run down trailer.  Her mother always warned her to stay away from the Chamberlain boys, because they were the type to use a girl for sex, and then leave her heartbroken.  

In high school, Grant had a huge crush on Pepper, but she would not give him the time of day.  As he got older, he never lost interest in Pepper, and yet she has continued to reject his advances.  They ended up spending one incredible night together, and this only awakened their desire and attraction to one another.  Yet, Pepper continued to turn Grant down.

When the town tornado relief committee organizes a Valentine's Date Night Auction, Grant is roped in to being one of the men being auctioned off.  Pepper buys a ticket to the auction to support her town, but has no plans on making a bid.  She has been saving up to to renovate her new home.  However, things go wrong at the auction, when Grant's grandmother "accidentally" spills ice cold water on Pepper, causing her to jerk up her arm with her bidding paddle in it.  She accidentally bids on a date with Grant, and is very upset to have lost most of her renovation money to the auction.  Grant proposes to help her renovate her home, so that she can get her money's worth.  After an amazing week together, will Grant finally get the relationship that he wants with Pepper?  Or, will a secret destroy their chances at happiness together?

I really enjoyed Feeding the Fire.  I liked the small town setting.  At first, I wasn't a huge fan of Grant's.  He came off as arrogant, use to getting his way, and had cheesy pick up lines.  However, I quickly realized that was all a facade.  When Grant's grandmother gives him advice to just be himself, and act genuine, he makes a transformation.  I fell in love with the genuine and real Grant.  He was sweet, caring, funny, sexy, and adorable.  I'm glad that Grant's grandmother interfered.  She saw the potential for her grandson to be happy, and took the opportunity to make it happen.  Pepper and Grant made a great couple, and I was rooting for them throughout the book!  

My Rating:

I give, Feeding the Fire, by Andrea Laurence 4 Sweet, Humorous, Sexy, Hot Fireman Filled Stars!  If you are looking for a fun and light hearted read, this is a great one!

Book Teaser:

Casting by the Author:

"Pepper"

"Grant"

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About Andrea Laurence:

Andrea is an award-winning author of contemporary and paranormal romance. She has been devouring books since she learned to read at the age of three. An old portable typewriter got her started writing in her room at ten and she’s been writing ever since. Her practical nature led her to pursue a master’s degree and a career that would pay the bills, but the writing bug continued to bite. She started working ferociously in her spare time to become a published author and has become an active member of her local RWA chapter, Heart of Dixie. 

After eight years and eleven completed manuscripts, she finally made the leap and got ‘the call’ from Harlequin Desire on May 31, 2011. From there, she’s never looked back with a long list of writing credits since that day. She always dreamed of seeing her work in print and is thrilled to be able to share her special blend of sensuality and dry, sarcastic humor with the world. 

A dedicated West Coast girl transplanted into the Deep South, Andrea is working on her real-life “happily ever after” with her boyfriend and their collection of animals including two cats, two mutts and a Siberian Husky that sheds like nobody’s business.

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Book Spotlight : Facing the Music by Andrea Laurence

Facing the Music
by Andrea Laurence

Released:
Sept. 15th, 2014

Publisher:
Pocket Star

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Synopsis:

Five years ago, high school sweethearts Ivy and Blake’s relationship imploded and both their lives were changed forever. Ivy became a rock star and Blake lost not only his dreams of a successful NFL career, but his reputation. Ivy’s angry song about their breakup, called “Size Matters”; hit the top of the charts and Blake became a national laughingstock. He’s salvaged his career and returned to Rosewood to be the high school football coach, regaining his status as town hero and leading the boys to the state championships. 

When a tornado whips through town and destroys the high school gymnasium and stadium, a committee is formed to help rebuild and plan some charity fundraisers. Blake’s grandmother requests that Ivy return to Rosewood for the events. Forced back together for the good of their hometown and their careers, Ivy and Blake have no choice but to put aside their differences, stop running from their pasts, and finally face the music.

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Eighties Fashion Blog

Oh. My. God. Becky! 

Look at Her Dress! It's Just so...Eighties! 

In my new southern contemporary romance, Facing the Music, my rock star heroine Ivy Hudson returns to her hometown to help them rebuild after a tornado hit the high school. She shows up under the impression that she’s doing a charity concert, but the fundraiser committee has a whole lot more in store. In addition to the concert, they’ve planned a county fair and a dance. 

And not just any dance — a second chance retro prom bringing back the glamour and gaudiness that was the 1980s. I’ll admit that I’m a huge fan of the 80s. The music was fun, the hair was big, and the clothes were bright. Not everyone looks good in neon and stone washed jeans, but we rocked it. Over the last few years, I’ve noticed some of the looks coming back in style. I chuckle at the kids who think they’re so original with their hot pink leggings and their fingerless lace gloves. 

Since Ivy will be the honorary prom queen (and her ex, the honorary king) it was important that they have totally awesome outfits for the dance. For inspiration, I went to the internet in the hopes of finding the perfect choices. Jackpot. 

Here’s the description from the book of Ivy’s thrift shop find – 

“Oh my God!” Pepper exclaimed. “I. Have. Found. It!” 

Ivy looked up to see what Pepper had uncovered this time. The strapless dress was made out of a metallic blue lamé that shifted between bright blue, midnight blue, and black in the light. It was gathered around the waist with a giant lamé rose at the left hip. It flowed down into two asymmetrical ruffled tiers that were edged in black lace. If that dress was in her size, it was so hers. 

Her friend Pepper also finds a dress at the thrift store. 

Ivy turned her attention back to the rack. She snatched out a short dress in dark green and held it up. “You need to wear this one,” Ivy said, hoping to change the subject. “It would look good with your red hair.” 

Pepper inspected it with a shrug, letting the uncomfortable conversation drop. For now. “What about the huge bows? It has one on each shoulder and one very unfortunately placed near the crotch.” 

“Your crotch is not that low.” Ivy passed the dress over to the other side of the rack. “I had issues with bows on the butt. This one is fine. Wear that.” 

Even Ivy’s high school rival got in on the 80s fashion fun.

Lydia had on a tight, short, sequined black dress with a peplum that was hot pink on the underside. There was a big pink bow at her hip that would have made her look wide if she wasn’t so petite to begin with. Her hair was teased and sprayed into submission, making a golden halo around her head like a lion’s mane. She looked just like she’d strolled off the set of an eighties music video. 

“Lydia. I’m sorry you missed the excitement this morning, but honestly, you wouldn’t have enjoyed yourself very much. We both know how much you hate it when I’m the center of attention instead of you. I think you’re the winner tonight, though. I see you got C. C. DeVille’s stylist to do your hair. No one will give me a second glance with that train wreck ingrained in their minds.” 

We can’t forget about the boys, either. Prom King Blake and his brother Grant raided their father’s closet. He never throws anything away, so they found these gems... 

“Where did you find that thing?” 

“My dad was the best man in a formal wedding in 1984.” Blake held out his arms and did a little spin on Ivy’s front steps. “What do you think?” 

“I think I’ve never seen you look like that before.” And she hadn’t. The tuxedo was a pale gray, almost silver. The jacket was cut high in the front, about at the waist, with tails in the back. It had a dark blue cummerbund and matching bow tie. “You even got matching accessories to go with my dress.” 

“I rented that part from the formalwear store in Gadsden. I didn’t even know you could still get a cummerbund, but the lady had some in the back.” 

“Nice touch.” 

Blake had been right about his tuxedo. It was awful. It had black pants and a rust-colored jacket with black buttons and piping along the lapel and pockets. The ivory shirt underneath had ruffles down the center with matching rust thread on the edges. 

I’ve shared my character’s embarrassing eighties fashions, but unfortunately, I don’t have any scanned pictures from my own prom I can share. I’ll tell you that one year involved a dress very similar to Pepper’s with teal satin and lace. It was...unfortunate. Instead, I’ll leave you with pictures from the retro 80s birthday party I had a couple years ago. 

Giveaway

-5 ebooks of Facing the Music 
by Andrea Laurence (INTL.)

Now it’s your turn! Tell us about your prom or homecoming dress. Was it awful? Did it have puffy sleeves? Did you go through half a can of AquaNet for your hair? Bonus points if you’re brave enough to post an actual prom photo. I want to see some mall bangs!

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Abouth the Author

Andrea Laurence has been a lover of reading and writing stories since she learned to read at a young age. She always dreamed of seeing her work in print and is thrilled to finally be able to share her special blend of sensuality and dry, sarcastic humor with the world. A dedicated West Coast girl transplanted into the Deep South, she's working on her own "happily ever after" with her boyfriend and their collection of animals including a Siberian Husky that sheds like nobody's business.

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Cover Reveal: Facing the Music by Andrea Laurence

FACING THE MUSIC

Author: Andrea Laurence

Release Date: September 15, 2014

Publisher: Pocket Star

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Summary:

Five years ago, high school sweethearts Ivy and Blake’s relationship imploded and both their lives were changed forever. Ivy became a rock star and Blake lost not only his dreams of a successful NFL career, but his reputation. Ivy’s angry song about their breakup, called “Size Matters”; hit the top of the charts and Blake became a national laughingstock. He’s salvaged his career and returned to Rosewood to be the high school football coach, regaining his status as town hero and leading the boys to the state championships.

When a tornado whips through town and destroys the high school gymnasium and stadium, a committee is formed to help rebuild and plan some charity fundraisers. Blake’s grandmother requests that Ivy return to Rosewood for the events. Forced back together for the good of their hometown and their careers, Ivy and Blake have no choice but to put aside their differences, stop running from their pasts, and finally face the music.

Excerpt:

God must be rewarding him for his patience. That had to be the answer. There was no other reason why he would trip over a scenario this sweet. Ivy was outside wearing nothing but a pair of bikini bottoms and a frown.

Blake killed the engine and slowly pulled his boat up to the dock. He tied it up, taking careful steps to secure his baby and make Ivy wait as long as humanly possible. From what he could see, she wasn’t going anywhere, even if she wanted to.

He climbed onto the dock and strolled causally over to the Hudson cabin with his hands thrust into his pockets. Taking his time, Blake soaked in every delicious detail, from Ivy’s irritated scowl to the full globes of her breasts pressed beneath her inadequate hands. He’d never been so jealous of a pair of hands in his life.

His jeans tightened uncomfortably as his inspection ran over her mostly bare body. He was frankly surprised by the reaction. Not because she wasn’t a beautiful and sexy woman—she was; that was a given—but because his dick had a deep, abiding hatred of Ivy. So did the rest of him, but it was his penis that had become the center of national attention for being woefully inadequate. At the moment, however, he had ample evidence to the contrary.

Preorder At:



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Author Biography:

Andrea Laurence has been a lover of reading and writing stories since she learned to read at a young age. She always dreamed of seeing her work in print and is thrilled to finally be able to share her special blend of sensuality and dry, sarcastic humor with the world. A dedicated West Coast girl transplanted into the Deep South, she's working on her own "happily ever after" with her boyfriend and their collection of animals including a Siberian Husky that sheds like nobody's business.

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter

Giveaway:

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