by Avery Flynn
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Source: Publisher
Purchase*: Amazon *affiliate
Heat Level:
Wanted: Personal Buffer
Often snarly, workaholic executive seeks “buffer” from annoying outside distractions AKA people. Free spirits with personal boundary issues, excessive quirks, or general squeamishness need not apply. Salary negotiable. Confidentiality required.
Workaholic billionaire Sawyer Carlyle may have joked he needed a “buffer” from their marriage-obsessed mom, but he didn’t need a waiting room filled with “candidates” to further distract him. (Thanks, bro.) But when a sexy job applicant shooes his mom and the socialite in tow out of his office, Sawyer sees the genius of the plan. And the woman. In fact, Miss Clover Lee might just get the fastest promotion in history, from buffer to fake fiancé…
This “free-spirit” might look like hot sunshine and lickable rainbows, but she negotiates like a pitbull. Before Sawyer knows what hit him, he’s agreed to give up Friday nights for reality tv, his Saturdays for flea markets (why buy junk still baffles him), his Tuesdays and Thursdays for “date nights” (aka panty-losing opportunities if he plays his cards right). And now she wants lavender bath salts and tulips delivered every Monday?
Yup, she’s just screwing with him. Good thing she’s got this non-negotiatable six-weeks-and-she’s-gone rule or Sawyer may have just met this match…
I was browsing through my TBR pile, ARC pile, and audiobook playlist and discovered I had nothing to read. Bwahaha. So like any good, bibliophile, I began browsing online retailers, my inbox and online galley sites looking for something that said read me. That’s when THE NEGOTIATOR by Avery Flynn screamed read me.
Ok, first the cover popped out and said, “Yum, look at me,” then the synopsis indicated it featured one of my favorite troupes. Avery Flynn was on my authors to try list and I couldn’t have picked a better book. Fun, sexy, heartwarming, and filled with swoon-worthy heat I devoured THE NEGOTIATOR. Enjoy my review, check out the excerpt and then enter to win a digital copy of your own.
Caffeinated Dates with The Negotiator
- First Date: I loved how our first date began and right away I adored, quirky, activist and adventurer Jane “Clover” Lee. Sawyers Mom has decided he needs to be wed and has been driving him crazy with a parade of potential partners. Mrs. Carlye is a force and Sawyer’s younger brother unbeknownst to him decides to help him out by running an ad for a personal buffer. The set up is hilarious and how Clover got the job had me grinning and settling in.
- Second Date: They say opposites attract. That is if they don’t kill each other first and Clover may just kill Sawyer. In one moment she has gone from personal buffer to fake fiance and finds herself rooming with one deliciously hot workaholic. If you are looking for a humorous, light, sexy romance you’ll want to download THE NEGOTIATOR. I loved the contract, the build up of heat, the humor and HGTV moments. I love seeing Sawyer relax and loosen up his tie. Little side threads and secondary characters added depth while giving us a better understand of our couple.
- Third Date: While the storyline isn’t full of surprises, the refreshing characters and playful moments as the romance moved into something more had me flipping the pages. The cliche’ drama that unfolded annoyed me, but it did allow for growth of character in both Clover and Sawyer. Reveals as to characters actions particularly those of secondary characters delivered touching moments. The ending was adorkable and I enjoyed the epilogue immensely.
If you are looking for a heated, humorous and feel good romance you cannot go wrong with THE NEGOTIATOR.
Read an Excerpt
Leaving his home office on a Friday was the last thing Sawyer planned on doing, and yet that’s exactly what he did, not stopping until he stood next to the couch. Clover sat with her legs crossed, wearing black yoga pants and—God help him—a thin, oversized “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” T-shirt that hung off one shoulder and did absolutely nothing to disguise the fact that she wasn’t wearing a bra. The hint of nipple brushing against the shirt as she wrote something down in big loopy handwriting into a notebook drew his attention like a tractor beam. He shouldn’t look. He didn’t want to look. He couldn’t look away.
“What are you doing?” “To me” was the obvious ending to that question because whatever it was it had fucked with him greatly.
“Shhhh,” Clover hushed him, not even bothering to turn around. “I’ll catch you up at the commercial break.”
“Catch me up on what?”
“This episode of Flea Market Flip.” The show went to commercial then, and she glanced up at him, narrowing her eyes and giving him a naughty little smile that made his cock twitch. “You’re totally in violation of the contract, but I’ll let it slide since it’s our first Friday night.”
He was so lost. He’d blame the lack of blood in his brain, but it seemed to be his reality whenever he was around Clover. “What violation?”
“To binge watch HGTV on Friday nights in preparation for hitting the flea market on Saturday morning.” She gave a little cheer and turned her attention back to the TV, which was now showing a commercial for birth control. “We’re totally going to find something fabulous to pop your cherry.”
The mental movie that started rolling at the phrase “pop your cherry” had absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with a flea market unless she had a kink for public sex.
“I didn’t think you were serious.” There were a hundred—a billion—things he’d rather do with her—and to her—than go to some dirty flea market.
She shrugged, the move dragging the thin cotton across her full tits. “Too bad, so sad, buddy, because you signed on the dotted line.”
“You’ll never get a judge to uphold anything scrawled on a napkin.”
“Sure you want to gamble on that?” she asked. “Anyway, I already came up with our backstory. I know how you hate dealing with the details. Your mom was a little shocked when I told her how we met, but she took it better than I’d expected.”
There wasn’t a single part of those two sentences that didn’t make his chest burn. “You talked to my mom? What did you tell her?”
“That we met when you modeled for a wine and paint class I took.” She looked up at him, all sweetness and innocence except for the hard glint of trouble in her eyes. “I told her that I was a goner the moment you slipped off your tighty whiteys and were able to hold your pose for so long, even though I could see it was very hard.”
Good thing his family had funded Harbor City General’s new cardiac wing because he and his mom were both going to need it. “You did not say that to my mom.”
The Negotiator by Avery Flynn delivered humor, swoons, and heat Share on X
About Kimberly
Kimberly is a coffee loving book addict who reads and listens to fictional stories in all genres. Whovian, Ravenclaw, Howler and proud Nonna. She owns and manages Caffeinated PR. The coffee is always on and she is ready to chat. BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram
Blessie San Jose
This is definitely something right up my alley! Fake relationship tropes are my guilty pleasure. Great review!
kimbacaffeinate
I love them to Blessie 🙂
Naomi Hop
I love it when a book pops out at you! Glad it ended up being a good read!
kimbacaffeinate
Thanks, Naomi 🙂
Cyn
Oh I’m intrigued! I’m glad to hear that was a freshing read! I do love the fake fiancée/ hate-to-love trope! Awesome review, Kim!
kimbacaffeinate
This was a lot of fun Cyn!
Lily B
oh my goodness I enjoy this trope as well. I haven’t read a lot of it tho. This looks like it was a fun time
😀
Thank you for the giveaway!
kimbacaffeinate
It was a fun one. Good luck!!
Amanda D
I love the arrangement trope. This book looks so good. Win or not I plan on reading it.
kimbacaffeinate
Enjoy Amanda 🙂 I had fun with this one.
Ksenia
I have never heard about this book before, or have seen this cover for that matter; it’s definitely an eye-catching one. Arranged relationship is one of my favorite tropes. I love steamy romances with humor, thanks for putting this story on my radar. Great review, Kim! And thanks for the giveaway!
kimbacaffeinate
I hope you love it 🙂
Geybie's Book Blog
Despite your issues, glad that you enjoyed this book. Sounds great. Love the cover.
kimbacaffeinate
Thank you Geybie. I enjoyed reading it.
Christy LoveOfBooks
Haha – yes, that is definitely what the cover says. Sounds like the yum part is right about the whole book. I’m all for good humor.
kimbacaffeinate
This was fun Christy 🙂
The Bibliophile Babe
Oooh, this one looks fun!
kimbacaffeinate
OMG..seriously it was delightful!
Ashley Montgomery
I’ve heard great reviews of this book. I don’t like arranged marriages but arrangements like this can be fun to read. Thanks for the giveaway!!
kimbacaffeinate
I wouldn’t want an arranged marriage but know a few people who were paired as children to be married and are very happy.
Katherine
Don’t love the contrived drama but love everything else. A fake fiance is one of my absolute favorite things and this looks adorable!
kimbacaffeinate
It was a fun one Katherine.
Nise'
Glad this hit the spot for you.
kimbacaffeinate
Thanks, Nise.
Angela Adams
Ok, first the cover popped out and said, “Yum, look at me,” — Before I even read your post, I took one look at that cover and went, “WOW!”
kimbacaffeinate
Right, and he isn’t even half-naked!!
Nick
Adding this to my TBR, Kim, because this just sounds like a complete blast! The romance sounds like a whole lot of fun, and I’m down for a sexy and funny one.
Thanks for highlighting this one, Kim!
kimbacaffeinate
It was fun Nick, the kind of book you read in one sitting and laugh along with.
Tyler H. Jolley
Thanks for the steamy giveaway, Kimba!
kimbacaffeinate
Anytime. 🙂
Melissa (Books and Things)
Hm… I might have to try books by Flynn. I have several on my wishlist but not on my read list. This one sounds like it is entertaining. I don’t mind no surprises as long as it is enjoyable.
kimbacaffeinate
I feel the same, Melissa and the road to our HEA was a fun one
Heidi
I am glad that the cliches that bothered you didn’t drag down your overall enjoyment!
kimbacaffeinate
They were minor Heidi and I had such fun.
Mary Kirkland
Sure sounds like an interesting story. Sounds fun though.
kimbacaffeinate
It was light and fun Mary 🙂
Quinn's Book Nook
Well, I think I need to read this soon. Little nervous about the cliched conflict, but it sounds like over all the book was worth the read.
kimbacaffeinate
It wasn’t dragged out, and I seriously had fun with this!
Angie
WOW – I feel like that man on the cover can see right through me. Lots of sexiness there. This sounds like a good read. Thanks for sharing the excerpt! 🙂
kimbacaffeinate
Hehe. I hope you get a chance to read it Angie.
Kim
I’m looking forward to reading this book. I haven’t read Avery in awhile, but she ALWAYS sucks me in.
Kim
I forgot to answer the question. I don’t read a lot of arrangement tropes, but if the couples are likeable I’m usually all in.
kimbacaffeinate
Good luck Kim!
Brooke Bumgardner
I haven’t read many arrangement trope books…but this one is high on my TBR! That cover…swoon!
kimbacaffeinate
I hope you get a chance to read it, Brooke, this was a fun one!
sherry fundin
Couldn’t help laughing my way through the excerpt.
kimbacaffeinate
It really is a fun read, Sherry.
kindlemom1
Bwahhh, I know that nothing to read feeling (with over hundreds of books in my Amazon account LOL!). So glad you found a good one and a new author to love to boot. Nothing better than that. 😉
kimbacaffeinate
Right. I have so many unread books and well…..you understand.
Debbie Haupt
Oh yummy, yummy. Thanks Kim!
kimbacaffeinate
Yummy indeed!
Nadene
That excerpt is hilarious. Yes I enjoy arrangement tropes and I would love to read tis title. Thanks for sharing
kimbacaffeinate
The whole book is like that..such fun!
Ailyn Koay
if that job is real, i will gladly *gladly* go on a diet and exercise for it
kimbacaffeinate
LOL, the job is 24 hours, 7 days a week…but I bet it would be a lot of fun!
Ailyn Koay
just 6 weeks though I’ll live
cindy
This does look good and the cover is hot!! Great review, thanks for sharing.
kimbacaffeinate
I am a cover whore. I know it’s wrong, but that is always what speaks to me first.
blodeuedd
I would try it 🙂
kimbacaffeinate
Oh, I would love to see you review it.
Melliane
It is true that this one looked good so it’s nice to see it’s actually the case!
kimbacaffeinate
Right. It really was delightful