Jane Black has written the break-up album of the century, earning her a Grammy, a huge legion of new fans, and the pressure to repeat her success. Sure, the heartbreak from her husband’s unconventional abandonment might have been her inspiration, but it hasn’t done her any favors in the dating department. So when Matthew Harrigan, the toughest music journalist out there, asks for an interview, Jane agrees—as long as her personal life is completely off-limits.
British, gorgeous, and way too tempting, Matthew’s the first guy Jane’s been attracted to since her husband. As she spends more time with him and their relationship heats up, though, so does her writer’s block. How can the queen of the break-up pen the perfect follow-up when she’s seriously in love?
Alright…I’m not one to gossip. Who am I kidding…yes I am! 😛 Okay, not about everything, but when a juicy little nugget like what I am about to show you gets presented…you do not pass it up. So, I’ve been emailing back and forth with Jane for a few days now, scheduling the interview, working out the deets, blah blah blah…so when I got an email from her confirming, I didn’t think anything of it. The subject was a little strange – but she’s an ‘artist’, so it’s cool, right? So I read her message and it wasn’t until I kept scrolling that I realized what she had sent me. Hehehehe….check it out!
______________________________________________________________________________________________
from: janesecretmail@gmail.com
to: truestorybb@gmail.com
time: 6:43 pm
subject: FW: THEY BETTER HAVE BEEN!
Dear Lisa – I’m so thrilled to be doing this interview with you! There was a time when I wasn’t so fond of reporters, but I’ve always had a special place in my heart for book bloggers. Can’t wait to meet up with you in person to chat in about 30 minutes! Just emailed Matthew to remind him – we are on our way!!
xoxo
Jane
from: thissideofthepond@gmail.com
to: janesecretmail@gmail.com
time: 6:31 pm
subject: preoccupied at work
Mmm….last night was delicious
from: janesecretmail@gmail.com
to: thissideofthepond@gmail.com
time: 6:34 pm
subject: Which part of the menu?
Do you mean the lamb chops or me?
from: thissideofthepond@gmail.com
to: janesecretmail@gmail.com
time: 6:37 pm
subject: so cruel to make me choose
Both of course. I adore lamb. But you were even better.
from: janesecretmail@gmail.com
to: thissideofthepond@gmail.com
time: 6:40 pm
subject: high praise
Do you think everyone at that party realized we sneaked off to their gazebo during dessert?
from: thissideofthepond@gmail.com
to: janesecretmail@gmail.com
time: 6:41 pm
subject: Oh, I had my dessert
Of course not. I’m sure the cameras in the corners of the gazebo were off for the night.
from: janesecretmail@gmail.com
to: thissideofthepond@gmail.com
time: 6:43 pm
subject: THEY BETTER HAVE BEEN!
Speaking of!! We need to go meet that Lisa chick at True Story NOW!! I’m going to tell her we’re on our way. I hope I don’t inadvertently forward her this email chain. She’ll think we’re pervs. Meet you there. 😉
______________________________________________________________________________________________
So…to say I’m excited to meet Jane and Matthew is a bit of an understatement. But we’ll keep that little email exchange our little secret, right? 😉
I arrive at the bar practically at the same time as Jane and Matthew. I give Jane a friendly hug and swoon as Matthew takes my hand and brings it to his lips, lightly kissing the back of it. *Sigh* Never a good sign when I’m drooling and he’s barely said two words to me…this is an omen of things to come. We grab drinks and head to a nice little table towards the back where it’s quite for our little chat.
Lisa: “I’m so glad I could meet with you both, this is such a treat.”
Jane: “Thank you! You’re too sweet.”
Lisa: “Well, I don’t want to tie up your whole night, so let’s get started. Jane, you’re in the hot seat first – you ready?”
Jane: “Sure.”
Lisa: “So, was music always your dream job? Did you have a backup plan if Crushed didn’t do well?”
Jane: “Besides joining the family boat-building business in Maine? It was either that or becoming a ticket taker at the Maine Musical Theater that my mom runs. Or maybe making cotton candy at local fairs. Though when I was younger I wanted to be an astronaut for a brief period of time. So all in all, it’s safe to say I had zero backup plans. I took a leap without a parachute.”
Lisa: “Hmm…I can’t see you building boats, so I’m glad you took that leap. Obviously, your son aside – do you regret your relationship with Aiden knowing the pain you went thru? Granted, you gave the world Crushed but at what price?”
Jane: “Great question, Lisa, because hindsight truly is 20/20. But my friend Kelly has two sayings “Englishmen do it better” and “regret is a useless emotion.” When it comes to life, I think you have to make your way through the mess of it, and spending time on regret is like a dog chasing its own tail – ultimately a not-so-satisfying activity. Meeting Aidan, marrying Aidan, divorcing Aidan and all that came with that are what brought me to where I am today, and I’m pretty damn happy now.”
Lisa: “What’s your favorite thing about being a mom? And what books has Ethan got you reading now? I love his enthusiasm for reading, that’s awesome!”
Jane: “Best part of being a mom – getting to be a kid again! You can be goofy and silly and smear ice cream on your nose and chances are, your kid will enjoy it! Ethan and I read the Percy Jackson series after Harry Potter, and we also enjoy the comic strip Get Fuzzy, so we bought the whole collection and I read those to him at bedtime as well.”
Lisa: “Awesome, my mom used to read to me at bed time…I blame that for my book worm tendencies. Do you have any plans for the next album or do you finally get to take a break?”
Jane: “I’m on a roll these days! I’m heading to London for a brief vacation before my next tour for my next album. I wonder if anything interesting will happen to me in London…”
Lisa: “Ooooh…I like the sound of that. Alright Matt, it’s your turn. What made you want to be a critic? Your words and opinion can make or break someone’s career, that has to be a heavy weight on your shoulder…is it hard to separate the musician from the music?”
Matthew: “I’m no bloody good at singing, can’t play a guitar to save my life, and I desperately wanted to have a very cool job. Well, that and the fact that music is my passion and second favorite thing in the world, and I wanted a life immersed in it. As for the burden of it, well, Lisa, I’d have to turn that around to you? Is it hard to separate the author from the work when you do reviews? No. I’ve read your blog. You are eminently fair and professional, and it’s simply part of the job. You do what you do. You speak the truth. You remember that your readers – the readers of Beat in my case, the readers of True Story in your case – are who you serve in your reviews. Right?”
He says with a wink. Damn him! I was hoping he wouldn’t call me out on that one.
Lisa: “Touché sir. Since we’re talking about your job…favorite thing and least favorite thing about what you do?”
Matthew: “The best part is listening to great music. The worst part is listening to wretched music.”
Lisa: “And who have you ‘fan-boyed’ over…don’t lie…we know it’s happened!” 😉
Matthew: “Besides Axl Rose, Stevie Nicks, Madonna, Bryan Ferry, Morrissey, Prince, Elvis Costello, and Bruce Springsteen? Well, that would include Belinda Carlisle because the Go-Go’s are fan-fucking-tastic, don’t you think?”
Lisa: “Hmm…you’ve got quite a little collection there. What made you come to the US and do you ever want to go back to the UK? Anything you especially miss?”
Matthew: “Let me tell you something about the UK. When you pay $8 for a cup of coffee, the price of Starbucks here isn’t so bad. What brought me to New York though was the job opportunity for Beat. It was too hard to pass up, and I’m glad I didn’t. I’ve always been a city person, and New York is a pretty spectacular city. Though — I have a secret to tell you –“
He leans over to whisper conspiratorially in my ear, a wicked gleam in his eye. My face hurts from my smile, playful Matthew is fun! Jane rolls her eyes at his antics.
Matthew: “…we plan on going back to London for a visit soon and I might be asking Jane a very important question.”
Lisa: “I like the sound of that!”
He leans back, wrapping an arm around Jane and pulling her into his side, kissing her temple. So cute!
Lisa: “Okay, I have to ask – what made you go after Jane when she went to visit her parents? That really could have been an epic fail if she turned you down – why didn’t you just wait until she came back to NY?”
Matthew: “What made me visit her? Are you bloody fucking kidding me? I love that woman madly. I wasn’t going to let her go. Period.”
Hmm…I’m so distracted cause he said ‘bloody’…and I just think that’s hot, especially coming from his mouth. *sigh* I shake my head and force my attention back on the interview.
Lisa: “Now I get to grill you both together…what are your favorite five things about each other? (physical, non-physical, whatever!)”
Jane: “His sense of humor, those twinkling blue eyes, his sinfully skillful mouth, his sexy emails, and his caring heart.”
Awww….
Matthew: “She’s vulnerable but tough as hell, she cares deeply for her family, from her son to her brother and sister to her parents, she’s fit as fuck, she’s adventurous, and because she is passionate about everything she does.”
Aaaaand now I’m distracted again because he said ‘fit as fuck’ and his accent is so damn sexy…and hot…and British…and yummy…damn it! Focus! I take a sip of my drink…I can’t drool if I’m drinking, right? I might be the first person to challenge that theory.
Lisa: “What song would you say best describes your relationship?”
Matthew: ““Baby I’m Yours” by the Arctic Monkeys”
I reach over a grab my iPhone, pulling up my Spotify app.
Lisa: “Totally adding that to my playlist…right this second.”
Jane smiles at me and Matt winks, too cute.
Lisa: “Worst Regret?”
Matthew: “ I should have told Jane something sooner than I did. I wish I had. But it worked out.”
Jane: “Screw regret.”
Lisa: “Favorite Memory?”
Matthew: “Favorite memory of Jane? The look in her eyes when she agreed to have a drink with me after the Dave Letterman Show.”
Jane: “The spanking. Definitely the spanking.”
Lisa: “Good choice Jane! 😛 Where do you see yourselves in 5 years?”
Jane: “Making music, making whoopie, making babies! (Oops, did I just say that!)”
Lisa: “Yes…yes you did, and I am completely okay with that! 😀 Alright, Rapid Fire time – tell me the first thing that comes to mind…Favorite Song?”
Jane: “Tempted by Squeeze”
Matthew: “London Calling by The Clash”
Lisa: “Trust?”
Both: “We have it.”
Cute.
Lisa: “Favorite Musician? “
Matthew: “Her.”
Lisa: “Smart answer!”
Jane: “Too hard to choose!”
Lisa: “Favorite Book?”
Matthew: “Raymond Chandler- The Big Sleep”
Jane: “Harry Potter series – doesn’t get better than that.”
Lisa: “So I have been told. Music?”
Jane: “My heart’s desire.”
Matthew: “One of the best things ever.”
Lisa: “True Story…Love?”
Matthew: “You know this is going to sound totally cheesy, but this woman of course.”
He squeezes Jane and she turns to look at him, her face lighting up with happiness and love.
Jane: “What he said. But you know, this man.”
Awwwww…I’m going to melt.
Lisa: “Okay, last bit of fun…a little game of either/or – US or UK?”
Jane: “I’m an American girl through and through.”
Lisa: “Go out or Stay In?”
Matthew: “Out to a club, then inside the rest of the night, all night long, over and over, many times, multiple O’s.”
He has this sexy grin on his face and I would love to wipe off his face…but it looks like Jane has the same idea as me with that look in her eye!
Lisa: “Chocolate or Vanilla?”
Both: “Chocolate.”
Lisa: “Hard or Soft?”
Jane: “No fair!”
Matthew: “Both rock.”
Lisa: “Fair point…Books or Movies?”
Matthew: “Books.”
Jane: “Totally. Books.”
Lisa: “City or Country?”
Both: “City.”
Lisa: “Last question…Happy Albums or Heartbreak Albums?”
Jane: “Both are necessary for survival.”
I smile at her answer…very true. We have a fabulous evening chatting about music, books, England…and as much as I have enjoyed myself (and Matthews accent) it is time to say good bye. I make plans to catch one of Jane’s upcoming concerts – it’s good to have friends in high places. 🙂 #BrittishMenRock
Far Too Tempting by Lauren Blakely
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
*ARC Given to Blog for Honest Review*
3.5 “Lucky Deck” Kisses
Music and a hot Brit – yeah…I’m so on board with this book! 🙂 I have a slight fixation with Lauren Blakely books. I can always count on her to write emotional love stories with awesome heroines, deliciously dreamy BBF’s that are super sexy with just enough angst but always leaves me with a smile on my face at the end, and Far Too Tempting completely lived up to my expectations.
Jane Black…or Jane Stanchcomb, when she’s not using her stage name, is a lot of things. She’s a mother…she’s a daughter…she’s a sister…she’s a soon to be ex-wife…and she’s a recent Grammy award winning rock star. The soon to be ex-wife part has everything to do with her success and over the past year her life has changed drastically in a lot of ways. Not only does she have the fame and success to deal with but the pressure to have a repeat performance of greatness weighs on her shoulders. And if only that were the tip of the iceberg. Her problems are surmounting and she has a lot to deal with…mentally. Plus she still has to be a mom too – and for the record, Jane is a kick ass mom. But she’s also a woman. A woman figuring out who she is after a life changing event that leaves her questioning…herself.
‘This is my zone; this is where I belong. Singing my heart out, because I love music like it’s my life force. A microphone in hand, I sing the song I know so well, the song I lived, the chorus so harshly me…
But you said you’d love me
You said you’d stay with me
And now I’m that girl
Saying those words
But you said, but you said, but you said…’
Matthew Harrigan Oh boy… Matthew so deserves one of my lists…what do I love about Matthew:
1.) He’s British – so he’s got manners and class and all sorts of other sexy things just ingrained in him
2.) He loves music
3.) He loves to read
4.) He’s got an accent…that’s worth like a million hotness points right there
5.) He tall…yumm….
6.) To quote Jane…he’s ’eminently lickable’
7.) He has beautiful blue eyes
8.) He’s a divine kisser and deliciously sexy and kinky – there is spanking involved… 😉
9.) He has a kick ass job
10.) He’s royal…umm…score!
Matt is really easy to warm up to…he’s got a very laid back personality and while he’s cool and almost has that untouchable vibe, he’s really not. He’s very down to earth, honest and up front. He’s smart, funny, witty, plus…I want to steal his job! Don’t get me started on the British factor…the accent, his pedigree, his innate sense of just being such a complete gentleman (that can then turn around and fuck you silly 😉 ) – he’ just drips hotness.
‘He wraps a hand around my waist, tugging me closer as he kisses me, and I’ve lost allawareness of my surroundings, of the city, of the last several days of my life because the second Matthew’s lips touch mine, I know it is one of those kisses.
The kind you could write a song about.’
So Matt and Jane have had a good working relationship up to this point – he’s a critic, she’s a musician…they keep it nice and professional. So…with Jane being ‘back on the market’ if you will, there have been flirtatious undertones…which are awesome. I’m sorry, but rock on Janie girl – flirt with the Brit! 😉 But they have still had to toe that line…between professional and personal…until all bets were off and then it was just smooth sailing into sexy-ville. I loved Jane’s personality and the way she was with him. Her history with her ex has completely changed the way she reacts and handles men…when you’ve grown accustomed to being treated a certain way, seeing what it’s like on the other side…it can be liberating and exhilarating. That’s what Matthew gave her…those emotions back…the ability to feel wanted and desired…to be able to crave a man and go after him…to feel and act passionately without restraint. It was hot and awesome.
“There are so many parts of you I haven’t tasted yet. But I want to.”
That’s it. Put a fork in me. I’m done. I am officially turned on beyond any and all reason. “It’s working,” I say in a low, ragged whisper.
“My plan to get you thoroughly aroused before you take the stage?”
“yes.”
“I’ve barely even started.”
This story really was more about Jane for me (rather than Jane and Matthew)…she had a lot to work thru…her career and how being a Grammy award winner changed her life….her relationship with her ex-husband and dealing with the emotional mess that left her…how that revelation changed her…navigating a new relationship…and still being a mother. She has her plate full! I loved her development though – watching her growth and figure things out while still staying true to herself. I mean, of course I loved her relationship with Matt, but seeing Jane progress…seeing her become a happier person, happier with her life…that was just as rewarding. She had a lot of insecurities to work thru especially where Matt was concerned – but that was completely rational given her past. I did appreciate the way that Matt responded to her. He knew what he was getting into and he was perfect…just like I knew he would be. He was receptive and honest and up front. He wore his heart on his sleeve when it came to Jane and it was exactly what she needed.
‘He runs his hands along my arms, then scoops my hair off my shoulders and holds it up in a big pile on the back of my head. He looks at me, his hands still mimicking a ponytail holder. “You are gorgeous Jane. And you don’t even know it. You don’t know how sexy, how beautiful, how absolutely divine you are. And that’s why you are so sexy, because you don’t realize it. You just are.”’
This was another great Lauren Blakley book for me. Strong heroine…sexy BBF…engaged plot…tons of emotions…it was fabulous from beginning to end. Usually I am left at the end wanting more or not wanting to come to terms with the fact that the story is over…I’m such a series whore, I’m always begging for a next part or a continuation…but I am 100% satisfied with Jane and Matthew’s story…it’s perfect, just the way it is.
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Lauren Blakely writes sexy contemporary romance novels with heat, heart, and humor, and her books have appeared on the New York Times, USA Today, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and iBooks bestseller lists. Like the heroine in FAR TOO TEMPTING, she thinks life should be filled with family, laughter, and the kind of love that love songs promise. Lauren lives in California with her husband, children, and dogs. She loves hearing from readers! Her novels include Caught Up In Us, Pretending He’s Mine, Playing With Her Heart, Trophy Husband, and Far Too Tempting. On November 21, she’ll release the edgy new adult novel THE THRILL OF IT. She also writes for young adults under the name Daisy Whitney.
Thank you for the chance(:
Thanks for the giveaway!
Thanks for the giveaway!!!
What a cool giveaway! Thank you 🙂
Thank you for the giveaway
Thanks for the giveaway!!
Thank you for the giveaway!
I’ll definitely add it to my goodreads!
Thank’s for the giveaway! 😀