*I received a free copy of Laid out from Loveswept via Netgalley. This has in no way influenced my voluntary review, which is honest and unbiased *
Warning: This book includes mature content such as: sexual content, and/or drug and/or alcohol use, and/or violence.
Laid out by Sidney Halston Series: Worth the Fight #4
Published by Loveswept on 18 August 2015
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Erotica, Romance
Pages: 302
Format: eARC
Source: Netgalley
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Growing up an Army brat, Violet Channing could never meet her dad’s high expectations. But in the eyes of her best friend, she could do no wrong. He even insisted that he should be her first kiss. Now Cain Sorensen is all grown up, hardened by years in special ops and always looking for a good fight. Tall, with striking blue eyes and impossibly blond hair, he’s a modern-day Viking warrior. Of course, Violet’s all grown up, too, and she’s ready to surrender to his every command.
Cain knows he’s bad for Violet. His work is dangerous, and his hobbies are downright deadly. As a private mercenary and a mixed martial arts fighter, he could never let such an innocent soul into his world. And yet his most grueling combat training is no match for Violet’s killer curves, hot touch, and suggestive glances. Now all of Cain’s most explosive fantasies are coming true—but once they cross the line between friends and lovers, there’s no turning back.
Laid Out was hot, and it was filled with so much longing my heart almost burst with it! Apart from some typos that are probably fixed in the final version the story is well written with characters I enjoyed getting to know.
My Laid Out review:
Violet and Cain have known each other their whole lives, but apart from sharing a kiss, twelve years ago just before Cain and Jeremy deployed for the first time, they have been best friends. Laid Out is a friends-to-lovers romance, and it is gritty and filled with tension. And both Violet and Cain had their own demons to live with after Jeremy had died in combat, leaving Violet without her fiancé and Cain without his best friend. Luckily, to dispel the dark aspects of the story, Bird and JL were there for some much needed comic relief.
It was six years since Jeremy died when Laid Out started, but Violet hadn’t really been able to get herself back to the land of the living since then. Between feeling insecure and not like a woman, she also didn’t really know what she wanted in a man. Having been with Jeremy since she was just over sixteen, she had grown into a woman while he was deployed. Cain was dealing with a lot of guilt since Jeremy’s death, and when Violet came back into his life, things didn’t get any better.
Most of the action in Laid Out happens in Florida, where Violet is a nurse and Cain is fighting professionally when he’s not away on secret operations for a private company. Because Violet and Cain know each other very well, I loved it when they were sharing moments – even in the beginning when they were really just friends. And when Violet explained to Cain why she had such a hard time dating, that she didn’t really want to be naked in front of a man, Cain suggested that he could help her… by having her strip in front of him, watch a porno, or kiss her languidly. His little game kind of blew up in his face rather quickly, though, because the two of them were combustible!
Written in third person, past tense mostly from Violet’s perspective, Laid Out was a very hot story, where the anticipation was almost as good as the actual action! Even if this is the fourth book in the Worth the Fight series, I didn’t feel like I was missing out, I will, however pick up the first three books in this series so I can get some more hotness, and probably some of the fighters from Cain’s academy.
Some of my favorite Laid Out quotes:
This was the most difficult part – watching him leave. She was sixteen, old enough to know that sometimes men and women didn’t return from war. Her father was tough and unexpressive, but he was her father and she loved him.
“Hot and sweaty sex, that’s what you need.” Jamie Lynn, better known as JL, said as she threw clothes on Violet’s bed.
“Hot sex. Hot sex.”
“Shut up Bird!” Violet’s hands were on her hips as she tapped her foot and scowled at her annoying parrot, appropriately named Bird.
JL pranced over to the bar; Violet followed and sat on one of the empty chairs. Her friend had described John as tall with dark hair and a sleeve of tattoos on both arms. She wasn’t really into the whole tattoo thing but she also wasn’t really into the whole single thing.
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
About Linda @ (un)Conventional Bookworms
Linda is an English as foreign language teacher and has a Master's degree in English Language and Literature. She's an avid reader, blogger, compulsive one-clicker and a genre omnivore. Ever since she learnt how to read she has been seen with a book or two in her hands everywhere she goes.
Ohh yeah, this sounds like a winner. Hate to love is my favorite, but a long established friendship to love is a very close second.
This was definitely a winner, Christy, so well done, and friends to lovers is my favorite trope. I enjoy hate to love, too, but there’s just something about friends to lovers that is so sweet.
Twitter: ailynk
it’s good when a guy gets out of friendzone, but a nurse and a kickass guy seems like good combination
Yeah, it was a great combination 🙂
Oh man I love friends to lovers romances. They’re always filled with such tension.
I agree, lots of tension and also so much sweetness 😀
Twitter: kbaby81
OMG, he looks like my classmate Wes! Although, he’s definitely more blonder, but dang. *fans self* I love me a good friends to lovers romance.
Oh my… How can you ever get anything done if you have a guy like that in your class, Lekeisha?
Twitter: kbaby81
He was definitely distracting, but so were all the guys on the football team. He’s a personal trainer and family man now, but a girl can still appreciate his looks. I bet the women swoon when he walks in a room.
🙂 I’t nice that he’s a family man now! And there’s nothing wrong with swooning 😉
Great review, Lexxie! You know…I was really tempted by this one on NetGalley. I am trying hard to catch up before getting any new books to read but I may need to re-think that. I love a good friends to lovers romance!
Friends to lovers are the best! Because there is already history between the characters before the story starts, there are just so many possibilities!
Great review, Lexxie, and friends to lovers is one of my favorite trops, right behind enemies to lover (nothing beats a good fight !) 😉
Enemies to lovers is great, too, I think it’s because of the fact that in both of these tropes, the characters already have a history, and whether that is positive or negative, the possibilities for romance are endless 😀
You know I’m a sucker for friends-to-lovers, Lexxie, and I think the circumstances that lead to this couple going in that direction seem like they’ll make my heart hurt but eventually leave me feeling warm and fuzzy. I’m sure the deployment left major marks on them both… I’ll have to check out this series.
I hope you had a lovely time with your family over the holiday and that your surprise goes over well! 😉 **BIG HUGS**
Yes, your heart will definitely hurt a little, but in a good way, Brandee! *BIG HUGS*
Twitter: Mollykatie112
I like the sound of this one a lot. I may have to check it out! Thanks for sharing 🙂