Missed Kiss (Nerdy Thirties, #2) by Cassie Mae

Revenge isn't the only thing on her mind. 

Bevin Young has two things in life: her pathetic career in blogging and her service dog. As the money flow comes to a surprising halt, she desperately searches for the next big viral story. As luck would have it, the Thirty under Thirty most eligible bachelor list just hit the news, and a certain stupid face is right at number one.

The perfect plot forms in Bevin's head. She could save her career and serve up some sweet, sweet justice all in one swoop. She'll just have to dress and act the part, snagging Mr. Eligible Buttface and use him for the story.

Hopefully she can keep her heart locked up this time when she faces Robbie Sterling: CEO, stupid handsome, and the once love of her life.

Reminiscent of How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days meets Never Been Kissed, Missed Kiss is a story every romantic comedy lover shouldn’t simply pass over! 

I have missed the realness and relateability to Cassie's novels! Missed Kiss was no different in those terms. It brings to light just how important mental health is and the dire effect of anxiety and the toll it can take on someone. Robbie and Bevie's story was a cute one--as per usual, not your usual, cookie-cutter romance novel but it's the quirkiness of Cassie's plots and characters that draw me in. I only wish that Robbie had to do a bit more grovelling for what he did to Bevie!! The writing is easy to get into and the flow of the story makes it easy to get wrapped up in the story. A great addition to the Nerdy Thirties series! 

Princess and the Pizza Man by Cassie Mae

Matchmaking, mansions, and murder - just another Tuesday for this princess. 

Twelve years of tossing pizzas in his hometown in Alabama is like a dream come true for William Monroe, but his sister is ready to leave the Podunk place, desperate to find herself a man and get hitched. He’s not too thrilled to hear about the mansion she’s dragging him to, claiming it’s haunted with the spirit of Cupid, and it’s his job to make sure she doesn’t fall for the first guy who looks her way.

Winter’s been running the Frostville Murder Mysteries ever since she inherited a hefty sum of cash, wanting to give back in a fun and profitable way for her home city. Noticing a lot of puppy-eyed patrons, she gives herself the job of matchmaking, picking out the ones who seem best suited for one another. But when the outspoken and grumpy man from Alabama arrives with his eager-to-be-matched sister, her focus starts to falter, and she wants nothing more than to prove to Will that her mansion can feel like home, too.

So I actually started the Frostville series out of order. I read Southern Spinster first and loved that enough to pick up another Frostville book! So Princess and the Pizza Man is Will's story. Will is the pizza guy of his small hometown in Alabama. Completely content with his life, but out of love and support for his sister, Maybelle, he agrees to be dragged along for a week out at the Frostville Mansion for a (unbeknownst to him) murder mystery event! After an embarrassing meet cute, Will is soon smitten by the owner/operator of the Frostville Mansion--Miss Frosty, herself, Winter. Through the week, Winter and Will team up to try to find Maybelle a match. Winter is focussed on the task at hand...until she isn't. The more time the two spend together, though, the more Will starts opening up his small-town eyes (and heart?) to the possibility of something he never even thought he was looking for. Is a week too soon for something real to develop? Loved this installment to the series. 

Southern Spinster by Cassie Mae

Maybelle Monroe is ready to find that man of her dreams. At thirty-six, she feels her clock ticking, and there are no takers in her hometown in Alabama. After a disastrous date—or non-date—Maybelle’s desperation hits an all-time high, and she books herself a week-long trip in Frostville, a magical mansion in Michigan said to be haunted by Cupid.

Accompanied by her brother, she enters the mansion ready to get shot right in the heart with an arrow, but when two perfect men start giving her attention, something she never thought would happen, she has to decide which one is Mr. Right. 

I am reading the Frostville series out of order! Southern Spinster, what a cute story. Maybelle is a loud, outspoken force of a woman. She's tired of being single and books a murder mystery week at the Frostville mansion on a whim. Maybelle drags her brother off to the mansion for a week of murder mystery fun in a house full of strangers. In her last ditch effort to find The One, Maybelle finds herself faced with not one, but two extremely different suitors in her first day at the mansion! One week is not nearly long enough to fall in love, right? I don't remember the last time I was this anxious reading a book. The bouncing back and forth--*who is she going to choose?!!?* really got me going and I couldn't put this book down! Off to read the first book in the Frostville series now...

Pillowtalk by Cassie Mae

Kennedy Walters used to be lucky in love—until tragedy struck. Now she’s come to the lakeside town of Lyra Valley to finally put the past behind her. But while Kennedy’s staying at a local B&B, she is shocked to find herself undeniably drawn to a sweet-talking hometown heartthrob. Kennedy isn’t sure if she’s ready to move on—and yet one look in Aaron Sheppard’s eyes makes her wish he'd make his move.

Aaron returned to Lyra Valley because he was fed up with the big city and everything he was missing: beautiful, down-to-earth girls like Kennedy. Turns out Aaron has more in common with Kennedy than he realized, and suddenly he wonders if he should give her a little space. But after a power outage strands them together, their innocent flirtation turns to intimate conversation. And over the course of a night that neither will ever forget, Aaron and Kennedy learn just how compatible they could be—if only they’d let themselves fall into each other’s arms.

Pillowtalk is available for purchase:

Pillowtalk is a sweet story about loving, losing and learning to move on in the most unexpected ways. It starts off quite heavy, with Kennedy taking Jared's (her late fiance), ashes back to his hometown as per his wishes. There she meets Aaron, who has just returned home, himself, from the big city life.  Conveniently, Aaron happens to be Jared's former best friend (that he had never mentioned). A bit more coincidental than I tend to like but c'est la vie. Their story is one of a fresh relationship trying to break a cycle of guilt and forge its own way. Part of a reason I didn't absolutely love this story is because I found that Kennedy flopped back and forth too much for my liking. She's constantly going from falling into the arms of Aaron to retracting back into the shell where she still sleeps with Jared's urn. Perhaps that's the whole point of the story--the fact that she's having so much trouble moving on with her life while desperately holding onto Jared. Either way...I wasn't in love with how the story panned out, however, I did enjoy Cassie's writing style and it was still an enjoyable read!

Flirty Thirty by Cassie Mae

Maya never expected to get kissed when she walked out in her ratty old hoodie (and nothing else) to get the mail. But when a shirtless god jogs down your street, grabs your face, and kisses you… you kiss that man back! 

Cooper is on a mission to find the love of his life, and he’s gotten desperate. Over thirty years old with more money than he could spend in his lifetime, he’s ready to spoil and love his soul mate. After hiring the beautiful woman he kissed on the street as his realtor, he’s convinced that fate has led him to her. 

Maya doesn’t buy into fate and definitely doesn’t want something serious. She’s not ready to become one of her baggy-eyed friends who all have two or more kids and one or less husband. But when Cooper challenges her to a week of living the married life, Maya dives in headfirst thinking she’s sure to prove that singlehood is really the way to go, even if she does end up falling head over heels.

Flirty Thirty is available for purchase:

Another great story from Cassie! The nerdy element makes her books that much more relate-able for myself and the fact that this story is about people of about my age group makes it that much better! True to her usual humour, Flirty Thirty continues her trend of awkward moments and comedic scenes that have you laughing throughout the book. The characters are loveable--Cooper, moreso, I found in this book and very much full of amusing antics. Maya and Cooper have a great chemistry together and that set the stage for a fun, light-hearted read. I recommend this novel for anyone looking for a good storyline, and characters that feel like they're real enough to fit into your own group of friends! Definitely enjoyed the first installment in this series...bring on some more, Cassie!

Cover Reveal: Princess and the Pizza Man

Matchmaking, mansions, and murder - just another Tuesday at the castle for this princess. 

Twelve years of tossing pizzas in his small town in Alabama is like a dream come true for William Monroe, but his sister is ready to leave the Podunk place, desperate to find herself a man and get hitched. He’s not too thrilled to hear about the mansion in Freezing Somewhere North she’s dragging him to, claiming the tourist attraction is haunted with the spirit of Cupid, and it’s his job to make sure she doesn’t fall for the first guy who looks her way.

Winter’s been running the Frostville mansion ever since she inherited a hefty sum of cash, wanting to give back in a fun and profitable way for her home city. Creating a murder mystery week for her guests, she gives herself the job of matchmaking the lucky patrons, picking out the ones who seem best suited for one another. She’s found satisfaction in helping others find love, even though she is perfectly happy single.

But when the outspoken and excitable man from Alabama arrives, she wonders if she should aim Cupid’s arrow at herself instead.

Crazy About Love by Cassie Mae

Single again on Valentine's Day, struggling actor Alec Tucker agrees to help out his longtime friend--and unrequited love--Theresa Jones by filling in as one of the bachelors for her company's charity auction. Alec figures it couldn't hurt to meet someone new. Still, working with Theresa reminds him of all the reasons he never got over her. So it feels a little bittersweet when, out of nowhere, a beautiful young street artist buys a date with him for a whopping four grand.

Little does he know, Theresa's had a major change of heart. She's crushed when someone else wins a date with Alec--but she isn't going down without a fight. After a pep talk from her best friend, Theresa makes a desperate move that goes against her better judgment...and things only get crazier from there. But with Alec ready to move on and Theresa afraid she's pushed him away for good, maybe a little crazy is exactly what they need--before they both miss their shot.

Out of all of the three books in the All About Love series, I think I enjoyed this one the most and I loved the first two! The characters are two that we are familiar with from the first two books. Crazy About Love is Alec and Theresa's story. Though there are references to the first two books, this novel can be read as a standalone. 

Best friends make the greatest lovers...when you can get them to see that you'd be good as more than friends!! Alec is having just that trouble with his best friend Theresa--he's head over heels in love with her, he's put all his cards out on the table but she's just shuttin' that door in his face! Being the gentleman he is, he keeps his feelings under wraps and tries his best to continue on with his bff as if nothing has changed between them...AWKWARD! Theresa asks him to fill in as a bachelor for an auction for her company's charity one night with a grand plan up her sleeve. Ready to declare her feelings to Alec and hoping that she's not too late with that, a wrench gets thrown into her plans when someone else outbids her for Alec's company for the evening. What Alec doesn't know is that Theresa has changed her tune about how she feels about him so he tries to use this blind date as a step in "moving on". Theresa isn't about to let things get away from her so easily, though. Cue crazy lovestruck girl tactics to try to (finally) win over Alec.

I liked how Cassie jumped back and forth with the "past" and the "present" and kept Alec's POV a completely separate section of the book. Actually, by the time I got to it, I almost forgot that there was Theresa's side of the story to get to so it was a really nice surprise (that the book wasn't over) lol. Crazy About Love is well written and, of course, the signature humour you find in Cassie's novels is present throughout the story. It was sweet and I was really rooting for timing to be on Alec and Theresa's side in the end. Really enjoyable and, actually, it made me want to go back and re-read the first two books in this series! 

You Can't Catch Me by Cassie Mae

My body suuuucks. After lounging around on my butt all summer (okay, so maybe that was my bad), this body decided to become something completely foreign. So now I’m trying to make the track team and I feel like I’m a baby learning to walk again. 

A couple pounds wouldn’t have been so bad. Work those off, run like a mad woman, no problem, yeah? But no. I’ve also developed a couple of things that I definitely didn’t have before. And now my guy friends are all sitting in a pool of drool as they not-so-subtly stare at my chest. 

Combine all that drama with the fact that the new track coach is getting major flack for being a little chunky, and all I’m trying to do is convince the team that I’m not running slower because of her coaching style. 

Oh, and did I mention that I’m totally falling face-first in “like” with some guy I met in a cemetery? And no one understands it just because he’s also a little chunky. But he’s also adorable and wonderfully weird and I don’t care what they say, his look sure does it for me. 

But… I don’t know… how can I be in “like” with someone, when I have no clue how to like myself anymore?

You Can't Catch Me is available for purchase now on Amazon

There's something to be said about books that really speak to you. They don't come often but when they come, they hit you like a a tonne of bricks. You Can't Catch Me was that book for me. I don't know what it was but it just got to me. Cassie teaches a lesson about something I think just about every teen goes through and she does it so well. Through Ginger and Oliver, she voices a beautiful story through a heck of a lot of humour. In true Cassie style, this book is not short of any laughs. The awkwardness of Oliver and the insecurities of Ginger give the characters a sense of depth and realism. The two of them mesh and balance each other in the cute, high school sweetheart sort of way. They meet in a graveyard, converse using Post-Its and embrace each other's quirkiness. The story itself is super sweet, hilarious and well written. It's been awhile since I've come across a book that is meant to be passed on to all your friends, daughters, granddaughters, etc. but You Can't Catch Me is definitely one of those books.

No Interest in Love by Cassie Mae

Readers of Emma Chase are sure to fall for bestselling author Cassie Mae’s All About Love series! In No Interest in Love, Hollywood’s hottest young actor hits the road to chase his big break—and discovers a leading lady where he least expected.

When Jace Carver snags a minor part in his buddy’s zombie flick, he suddenly starts getting noticed all over the place. Even Hollywood megastar Carletta Ocean—known for her extensive “research” with her male co-stars—wants Jace for her new rom-com. The role could be a game-changer . . . if Jace nails the audition.

As Jace’s agent, Shaylene Kwak is all business, and isn’t about to let her favorite client blow this opportunity. Since their college years, Shay has been immune to Jace’s charm and rock-hard body. But long hours in close company have a way of wearing down even the best defenses, and when their platonic teasing turns into serious flirting, Jace and Shay are no longer able to resist what’s been right in front of them the entire time.

Shay knows Jace’s love-’em-and-leave-’em history with women. She’s not about to be just another notch in his belt. And it’s true, Jace has never wanted more than a one-night stand—until now. But at the end of the line, he’s got a choice: sleep with Carletta and seal the deal, or risk his career for a shot at true love with Shay.

This book is totally a case of "it'll hit you when you're least expecting it" lol. LOVED it. Cassie Mae comes at us with her humour once again. The more I read of this series, the more I embrace my nerdy side and I have these books to thank. They make you feel a lot more human and a lot better about real life than your typical knight-on-a-white-horse-romance. My favourite so far in this series, I loved the the point of view it's told. Jace's mind is hilarious to be in and the way he narrates his life is great. For all you How I Met Your Mother fans, very Barney-Stinson. In my mind, Shay is played by Lane Kim's character (Gilmore Girls). The way Cassie developed Jace and Shay's characters just made everything that much better. Their adventurous roadtrip is something out of a movie--shit like that just can't happen in real life lol. Anyway, great novel, funny and awkward--just perfect. I can't wait to see what the rest of this series brings!

Oh, and can I say that the X-Men references in this book totally give it that much more street cred around my parts? ;)

Blog Tour: Doing It for Love by Cassie Mae

Cassie Mae’s charming, sexy new novel, perfect for fans of Emma Chase, puts a steamy twist on modern love as one bride-to-be tries to put the spark back in the bedroom—by any means necessary.

Elizabeth Fanning’s life looks pretty perfect, judging by the diamond ring on her finger. Her fiancé, Landon, is sweet, handsome, and hilarious. The trouble is, before they’ve even tied the knot, their sex life has gone from mind-blowing to “meh”—and Liz isn’t ready to be part of an old married couple. After a cathartic call to her best friend, Liz comes up with a brilliant idea. She and Landon may never be able to re-create the magic of their first time, but how amazing would their wedding night be if everything below the neck was off-limits until then?

Liz thinks it’ll bring them closer together. Landon’s convinced she’ll cave first. So they raise the stakes: Whoever lasts longer gets to pick their honeymoon destination. With her heart set on the Bahamas and Landon fighting for snowbound Utah, Liz simply has to win. But pretty soon, her body is screaming for attention, and Landon’s never seemed so far away. Has Liz’s experiment backfired? Losing their little competition would be frustrating—but the one thing she can’t afford to lose is him.

Doing It for Love is available for purchase:

Link to Follow Tour:  http://www.tastybooktours.com/2015/07/doing-it-for-love-all-about-love-1-by.html 

Excerpt

My cell vibrates, so I speed through washing my hands to answer it.

“Hey,” I say, really trying the innocent thing, but I’m too stoked to pull it off.

“Are you in the bathroom?” Theresa sleepily chuckles. “Your voice is echoing.”

“I’m not peeing.” I crack the bathroom door and check on Landon. His entire body is covered with the comforter minus one leg dangling off the edge. I press the door closed and whisper into the phone. “So, can I cash in?”

“For real?”

“Hell yes.”

“You need a maid of honor?” Her voice squeaks on the last word, and I do a total Snoopy dance, buck naked in my bathroom, stifling my squeals with my girlfriend. Theresa asks question after question, but she’s rattling them off so fast I don’t understand them.

“Wait, what?” I say through my smile.

“When? How?”

“Few hours ago.” A large sigh flits through my lips as I grab a towel for my waist and slide to the chocolate brown bath mat. “It just fell out when we were in the shower.”

She snorts. “It wasn’t in the middle of sex, was it?”

“No. It was . . . sweet.” I let my mind replay Landon’s eyes, his words, his hands. “Perfect.”

“Good. You deserve nothing less.”

“Thanks.” My fingers splay across the bath mat, and I mindlessly pick at the fraying edge. “We did it after though.”

“Ah, engagement Chocolateville.” She sighs now, and I laugh picturing her taking that huge bite of cheesecake. “I’ve heard it’s up there with make-up sex.”

A weird weight sinks into my stomach. “It was nice.”

“Nice?” She gasps. “Oh no. Less than stellar, huh?”

“It was fine. I’ve just had so many mood swings. Then we couldn’t find a condom, so we had, like, a halftime breather. So, you know, not totally revved up. Not his fault.”

“That’s too bad. I’ve heard that engagement sex is better than the actual wedding night.”

“What? No.” I wrap my finger around a loose string in the mat and pull. “The wedding night will beat out everything.” It has to. I am determined to find our spark again specifically for that night.

“Think about it. You’re running around all day. Waking up early, getting dressed, undressed, standing in heels, hugging a million people you don’t know, lugging the presents up to your apartment after, or even worse . . . you might jump right onto a plane and the second you get to your hotel you’re jet-lagged and beat. You’ll probably draw straws for who can just lay there while the other person does the work.”

“Wow, thanks for that thought of encouragement.” I pull my towel around my chest and rest my forehead on my knees. “I was really looking forward to that night. First time with him as my husband.” My heart thumps hard when the word tumbles out. “He unzips my wedding dress, and I rip off his tie. We’re on a California King somewhere tropical and fun.” The honeymoon had better be somewhere tropical. My Southern ass freezes here on Long Island. I constantly have to put my feet against Landon’s legs to warm them up at night.

I blow out a breath, making the line fuzz. “Kind of ruins the whole picture if you’re telling me the sex will suck.”

“I’m just saying you’ll be tired.”

“I’ve been tired before and had epic sex.” Landon was gone for a month visiting his parents, and I jumped him the second he got off the plane. It was four in the morning, I hadn’t slept all night, and he was majorly jet-lagged. Did not matter at all. We started up in the car, he had me screaming in the front seat, screaming against the door when we got home, and we made it as far as the living room couch before landing double-fudge raspberry cheesecake together.

But that was, oh hell . . . I don’t know, a year ago? Maybe more.

“Well, do whatever you did that time.” Theresa laughs, and I sort of chuckle with her, my buzzed brain skipping tracks left and right. It was epic sex because we’d been waiting for it . . . anticipating it.

“Hmm . . .”

“What?” she asks through a yawn.

I pull at the bath mat again. “Do you think . . . ?” My thoughts steal my voice as they run through my head. Sex with Landon is good. Always fun. It’s just not new. It’s . . . longtime- relationship sex. Scheduled, predictable, and usually ends with a snoring Landon and a bowl of ice cream. So how can I make sure I land a ticket to Chocolateville the day we become husband and wife? Oh my hell . . . will we even have sex on our wedding night?

Theresa clears her throat. “Do I think what?”

“You think maybe . . . we should wait?”

“Wait for what?”

“Like no sex until that night. Then it’ll be amazing because we’ll be dying for it.” It’s ridiculous. I don’t think Landon will go for it. But Theresa will tell me if I’m totally craz—

“I’ve heard of couples doing that,” she says, her tired voice picking up. “Sounds like a test in great restraint if you ask me, but also could be . . . well, fun.”

“You think?”

“Totally. When was the last time you guys went as far as you could without going there? I think it’s exciting. Might bring something back . . .”

I want to defend my sex life, but my mind is on the track she painted. My heart warms and thumps as a grin spreads across my face. Foreplay without sex could amp us both up so much our wedding night will be one I can guarantee we won’t forget. I have to clench my legs together just thinking about it.

It will be like new relationship sex all over again.

My interest in this novel was mainly due to the fact that I'm a great fan of Cassie Mae's prior novels. Her humour is translated into her writing and carried on through her characters. Doing It for Love is no different in those aspects. I was kept amused by her nerd-culture references and I loved that she took a different approach to hot and steamy scenes. They were not (all) in-your-face sex scenes but they were still fully loaded and left enough for one's imagination to take flight. I enjoyed that Doing It for Love wasn't your typical A and B meet and fall in love but rather it's about a couple who are dealing with their relationship and life after the initial honeymoon phase is over. Personally, I find that there aren't enough novels that are about what happens after the 'Happily Ever After'. I read so many of the 'A meets B, they fall in love and The End' that I am often left wanting more. Doing It for Love is that 'something more'. The perfect splash of sexy-times and the more real-life issues (think Raisin Bran) is what gives Liz and Landon that realistic feel to them which makes for a totally relateable novel. I definitely enjoyed Cassie's humour in a new adult genre and I look forward to the next book in this series!

About the Author

Cassie Mae (who dons the name Becca Ann on occasion) is the author of a few hundred—okay, maybe not that many—books. Since writing her bestselling debut, Reasons I Fell for the Funny Fat Friend, she has published books with Random House, Swoon Romance, and Tulip Romance. She has a favorite of all her babies, but no, she won’t tell you what it is (mainly because it changes depending on the day). Along with writing, Cassie likes to binge-watch Teen Wolf and The Big Bang Theory. She can quote Harry Potter lines quick as a whip. And she likes kissing her hubby, but only if his facial hair is trimmed. She also likes cheesecake to a very obsessive degree.

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