Knocked Up by Stacey Lynn
Publication Date: June 12th, 2018
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publication Date: June 12th, 2018
Genre: Contemporary Romance
First comes love. Then comes marriage. Then comes baby in a baby carriage. Just not necessarily in that order....
Braxton: I should probably be dead or in jail right now. Instead, thanks to some tough love, I worked my ass off and now I own a string of tattoo parlors throughout the Pacific Northwest. And yet the one thing I’ve always wanted—a family—still seems out of reach. When my best friend gets married, I’m just hoping to blow off some steam with the super-hot maid of honor. But after Cara Thompson tracks me down to tell me she’s pregnant, she’s more surprised than I am when I tell her I’m all in.
Cara: For the first time in my life, I’m living for myself—not for my parents and their ridiculous expectations. I gave up on my MBA, dropped out of the Ivy League, and moved to Portland to pursue my dream of becoming an artist. And what’s the first thing I do? Get knocked up. For a tatted-up sex god, Braxton Henley seems way too eager to “be there for me.” Is this guy serious? Maybe. He sure is patient. Because he won’t back down until I admit what I know in my heart: that our one night stand might’ve led me to the one.
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Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2L5kBQl
Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/2GtBFvz
Amazon CA: https://amzn.to/2IpB301
iBooks: https://apple.co/2IPWt5P
Nook: http://bit.ly/2Kyr3hr
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2IrQtwG
Google Play: http://bit.ly/2Isbknw
Add to Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2rR7j0S
A Review by Wendy
3.5 Standing Up and Figuring It Out Stars
* * *
* * *
Spoiler Free
Our need to be secure in ourselves is a serious thing. If we experience negative feelings when we are young... feeling like we aren't good enough because of no money or drug addicted parenting... or on the flip side, feeling never enough for parents of wealth and status... the same inner self doubt has been planted. Both people may come from totally different backgrounds...but when push comes to shove...the trigger points are there and need to be handled.
Stacey Lynn uses those concerns in Knocked Up.
Weddings seem to be life changing to more people then just the bride and groom. Braxton was there at his best friend's wedding. It was not his usual thing but he was willing to be there because of the bond he had with the guy. One of the perks was meeting the cute, kinda shy maid of honor.
Cara has made a break. She has walked away from all of the continual pressure her family has given her. Cara never fit the mold of her family's ideas of what a child should be. All of her siblings locked stepped and obeyed the parents...instead, Cara was a square peg being forced into a round hole. She had no desire to be an attorney, she was an artist and finally stepped away.
As Cara interacted with Braxton during all of the wedding activities, she sensed this tattooed, intense man was more than that. There were sparks and she decided she needed to shed her uptight ways. They hooked up.
But their hook up was more than just sex...Both experienced a connection and Braxton wanted to see what Cara would be interested in doing the next day...Only that next day never happened. Cara woke the morning after totally lost as to how to handle a one night stand. She muttered things to herself which mirrored all the negative talk she was use to saying in her head. She snuck out not knowing Braxton heard her...
Well, wasn't that just great...Braxton had been feeling good, happy even and interested in Cara but when he heard what she had said, it just lived up to another princess full of herself and looking down on him...This was a feeling he hadn't felt in a long time.
Braxton's rearing was not picture book. Abuse and a drug addicted mom made days hard. The only way he survived was due to a man who took him under his wing. This man saw his potential and gave him the necessary tools to thrive in life. This mentor encouraged Braxton to work hard, give back and do the right things. When he passed, he left Braxton all of the wealth he had accumulated in his will. This allowed Braxton to purchase his first tattoo shop and from there a chain grew. He is set, takes care of his friends and has a carefree life....
Cara hasn't been feeling all that great. She finally goes to the Dr. and learns she is pregnant. How can that be... they used a condom! The Dr. explains they are not 100% certain. Cara is overwhelmed and needs to figure all of this out. She takes a bit of time, sucks it up and gets Braxton's info. She will go and tell him but let him know she will be doing this no matter what. She is not expecting anything, she is just going to do the right thing by letting him know.
Cara arrives at the tattoo shop and is barely able to breathe. Morning sickness is not just in the morning for her...she is having it 24/7. As she is talking to the woman in reception, she is fighting to hold it together. Once Braxton comes out and sees her...all the negative comments he heard rile him up. He isn't the most friendly and then when he sees her turn green, he ushers her into his office.
Cara tells him about the pregnancy. At first he is thinking this can't be him ...Condom Every Single Time. As Cara tries to tell him exactly the same thing the Dr told her, she is in desperate need for a bucket...
These two are tied together and we are there to see how all of these misconceptions straighten out between them. It plays on the opposites attracting, on standing up to be who you need to be, to be true to yourself. There is romance and an hea in the end.
A gifted copy was provided by author/publisher for an honest review.
Stacey Lynn uses those concerns in Knocked Up.
Weddings seem to be life changing to more people then just the bride and groom. Braxton was there at his best friend's wedding. It was not his usual thing but he was willing to be there because of the bond he had with the guy. One of the perks was meeting the cute, kinda shy maid of honor.
Cara has made a break. She has walked away from all of the continual pressure her family has given her. Cara never fit the mold of her family's ideas of what a child should be. All of her siblings locked stepped and obeyed the parents...instead, Cara was a square peg being forced into a round hole. She had no desire to be an attorney, she was an artist and finally stepped away.
As Cara interacted with Braxton during all of the wedding activities, she sensed this tattooed, intense man was more than that. There were sparks and she decided she needed to shed her uptight ways. They hooked up.
But their hook up was more than just sex...Both experienced a connection and Braxton wanted to see what Cara would be interested in doing the next day...Only that next day never happened. Cara woke the morning after totally lost as to how to handle a one night stand. She muttered things to herself which mirrored all the negative talk she was use to saying in her head. She snuck out not knowing Braxton heard her...
Well, wasn't that just great...Braxton had been feeling good, happy even and interested in Cara but when he heard what she had said, it just lived up to another princess full of herself and looking down on him...This was a feeling he hadn't felt in a long time.
Braxton's rearing was not picture book. Abuse and a drug addicted mom made days hard. The only way he survived was due to a man who took him under his wing. This man saw his potential and gave him the necessary tools to thrive in life. This mentor encouraged Braxton to work hard, give back and do the right things. When he passed, he left Braxton all of the wealth he had accumulated in his will. This allowed Braxton to purchase his first tattoo shop and from there a chain grew. He is set, takes care of his friends and has a carefree life....
Cara hasn't been feeling all that great. She finally goes to the Dr. and learns she is pregnant. How can that be... they used a condom! The Dr. explains they are not 100% certain. Cara is overwhelmed and needs to figure all of this out. She takes a bit of time, sucks it up and gets Braxton's info. She will go and tell him but let him know she will be doing this no matter what. She is not expecting anything, she is just going to do the right thing by letting him know.
Cara arrives at the tattoo shop and is barely able to breathe. Morning sickness is not just in the morning for her...she is having it 24/7. As she is talking to the woman in reception, she is fighting to hold it together. Once Braxton comes out and sees her...all the negative comments he heard rile him up. He isn't the most friendly and then when he sees her turn green, he ushers her into his office.
Cara tells him about the pregnancy. At first he is thinking this can't be him ...Condom Every Single Time. As Cara tries to tell him exactly the same thing the Dr told her, she is in desperate need for a bucket...
These two are tied together and we are there to see how all of these misconceptions straighten out between them. It plays on the opposites attracting, on standing up to be who you need to be, to be true to yourself. There is romance and an hea in the end.
A gifted copy was provided by author/publisher for an honest review.
Excerpt:
“Ready?” she calls as she’s already pushing open the door.
“Yup.” I sound like I’m about ready to croak, and Braxton’s deep, rumbling chuckle worsens my rattled nerves. He kissed me!
I raise my hand to my mouth and as my fingertips press my lips, they’re taken away, gripped in Braxton’s warm hold. He smiles down at me knowingly and I force my attention on Pam.
She pulls the internal monitor out of the drawer, along with a bottle of lubricant and a condom, and Braxton’s grip on my hand turns almost bone-crushing.
“Is that—”
“Yup.” I cut him off.
“Um.”
“Now you see why I wanted the external one,” I mutter quietly.
I can’t look at him. My cheeks are on fire, and for some absolutely insane reason, other parts of my body are warming and this should not be happening at my midwife’s office.
“So,” Pam says, turning around and back to business. Except it’s hard to take her seriously as she waves what looks like a massive vibrator in her hand. “We’re going to insert this inside of you.”
“Holy shit,” Braxton mutters. And God, kill me. Please kill me now.
If Pam hears him, she ignores him as she steps toward me, and pulls out a set of stirrups from beneath the table. “I’m going to need you to lie down, Cara, and spread your legs, and slip down to the edge of the bed for me.”
“I feel like I’ve heard this before,” I say, unable to stop myself. My filter has evaporated along with my self-respect and all of this is so absolutely humiliating.
Pam pauses, glances at me and then at Braxton and nods, understanding. But I swear, as her gaze sweeps down Braxton’s arms, even she blushes. Which is great . . . my midwife thinks my non-boyfriend baby daddy is hot.
“I feel like I’ve said this before,” Braxton says, and both of our eyes whip to him. My gracious. He’s smiling, shoulders shaking like he’s holding back the world’s most boisterous laugh, and it’s all I can do to not kill him while he’s standing there, glancing between the monitor-slash-vibrator and my spread legs and I can’t hold it in anymore.
“This is embarrassing.”
Pam is back to business, already spreading the condom over the phallic-shaped instrument, and then she drizzles on the lubricant.
Braxton’s breath brushes over my cheeks. His dark locks tickle my temple as he whispers, “I feel like I should be offering to help with this.”
“Shut up,” I grit, my stomach muscles clenching from trying not to die or laugh. “This isn’t funny.”
“Oh. This is the funniest thing I’ve ever seen, I’m not going to lie.”
My fingers squeeze his hand and Pam is in front of me. She holds a small black box in her other hand and the tip of the wand against my center. “I’ll go slow, and it might be cold, okay?”
“Yup.”
“Sweet Jesus,” Braxton whispers. “I don’t know whether to be terrified or turned on right now, Cara.”
About the Author
Stacey Lynn currently lives in Minnesota with her husband and four children. When she’s not conquering mountains of laundry and fighting a war against dust bunnies and cracker crumbs, you can find her playing with her children, curled up on the couch with a good book, or on the boat with her family enjoying Minnesota’s beautiful, yet too short, summer.
She lives off her daily pot of coffee, can only write with a bowlful of Skittles nearby, and has been in love with romance novels since before she could drive herself to the library.
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Amazon: https://amzn.to/2JrBDLk
Stay up to date on Stacey’s latest news! Subscribe to her Newsletter today! http://www.staceylynnbooks.com/contact
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