Friday 14 March 2014

Review: Between Us - Jen McLaughlin

I'm just a girl…

I'm a famous country star who's spent her life cultivating a good girl persona to avoid bad press, but I've reached my limit. I'm going away for spring break with my two best friends from college, and we've vowed to spend the vacation seeking out fun in the sun—along with some hot, no-strings-attached sex. The only thing I needed was the perfect guy, and then I met Austin Murphy. He might be totally wrong for me, but the tattooed bad boy is hard to resist. When I'm in his arms, everything just feels right.

And I'm just a guy…

I'm just a bartender who lives in Key West, stuck in an endless cycle of boredom. But then Mackenzie Forbes, America's Sweetheart herself, comes up to me and looks at me with those bright green eyes…and everything changes. She acts like she's just a normal girl and I'm just a normal guy, but that couldn't be further from the truth. My past isn't pretty, you know. I did what I had to do to survive, and she'd run if she learned the truth about my darkness. But with her, I'm finally realizing what it's like to be alive. To laugh, live, and be happy.

All good things must come to an end...

Sex on the Beach Series:
This is a multi-author series made up of the following linked titles. They can be read in any order or work as stand alone stories if you prefer. (The links below will take you to my reviews)
Before You - Jenna Bennett
Between Us - Jen McLaughlin
Beyond Me - Jennifer Probst

Visit the author's websites for more information:
Jenna Bennett
Jen McLaughlin
Jennifer Probst

Review:
Between Us by Jen McLaughlin is part of the Sex on the Beach multi-author series, the stories are linked by three main characters who have all gone on holiday together for spring break and who are looking for a little romance to go along with their sun, sand and cocktails. The characters spend most of their time apart going off and having their own adventures but they do meet up occasionally so you'll get glimpses of all three of them in each story. The books can be read in any order and they each work fine as a stand alone story so you can choose whether you want to read one, two or all three of them.

Mackenzie is a country superstar, she has lived most of her life under a spotlight and has been betrayed time and time again by people who are only interested in her for what she can give them. If they're not trying to use her to boost their music career then they're selling fake stories about her to the press just to earn a quick buck and she is sick of it. All she wants is one week away with her two best friends Quinn and Cassie, a week where she can kick back and relax somewhere that nobody will know who she is and where she'll just be a normal girl out having fun. Perhaps she can even have a fling and finally lose her virginity. It isn't easy going under the radar when you're America's sweetheart though and trouble has a way of catching up with her.

Austin is a bartender in Key West, he has enough responsibilities on his plate without adding a girl into the mix - especially one who could bring him all the wrong kind of attention - but Mackenzie is very hard to resist. He has no interest in her fame or fortune, in fact Austin wants nothing to do with her career and would rather stay out of the spotlight, he knows that dating her will probably end in disaster but he just can't help himself. The pair have fantastic chemistry but life is never easy if you're in the public eye. Can they manage to keep their fling secret or is Mackenzie's clean cut image about to come crashing down around her ears?

Between Us is a really sweet and enjoyable story and Mackenzie was nothing like I expected her to be - instead of being a spoilt and pampered princess she is really down to earth and generous. She's the kind of girl you can imagine being friends with and I enjoyed seeing the connection between her, Quinn and Cassie. Having read all three pf the novellas it was fun to see each girl's opinions about the others and it really gives you an extra insight into the characters. If I had one complaint it was that the relationship between Mackenzie and Austin developed a little too quickly. Considering this is a fairly short novel and that the time line for their holiday in Key West is only a week I understand why things had to happen that way but I think I'd have enjoyed it even more if it had taken longer for them to fall completely in love. That's a minor irritation though because this was a great story and one I'd happily recommend. I think the whole series is perfect holiday reading material & I'd have really enjoyed reading it sitting on a beach somewhere drinking the series signature cocktail!

Source: Received from the author in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
Bittersweet Book Love
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

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