HANGING BY A THREAD by Jenna Sutton: Review & Excerpt

Posted June 3, 2016 in Reviews / 1 Comment

HANGING BY A THREAD by Jenna Sutton: Review & ExcerptHanging by a Thread by Jenna Sutton
Series: Riley O'Brien & Co. #3
Published by Berkley
Publication Date: June 7th 2016
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 336
Source: Publisher
Format: eARC
Goodreads
Buy Online: Amazon  B&N  Kobo

Disclaimer: I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book. All opinions stated are solely mine.

True love never wears out…

Thirty-year-old Bebe Banerjee is desperate to get rid of two things: her fiancé and her virginity. Escaping her arranged marriage might be impossible, but she refuses to give her firsts to an entitled jerk who lives on another continent. Instead, she devises a plan that guarantees another man will get her momentous firsts. But she never imagined that man would be Cal O’Brien, the gorgeous heir to the Riley O’Brien & Co. denim empire…
 
Although Cal has always been fascinated by Bebe’s brilliant mind and beautiful eyes, he’s never pursued her. She can’t stand the sight of him, and every time they’re in the same room, they end up trading insults. Yet when he finds out about Bebe’s bold plan, he makes his move, unaware of her upcoming nuptials. He promises to make her firsts unforgettable, but he doesn’t know how hard it will be to forget her when their arrangement ends.

 

Review

HANGING BY A THREAD is a really sensuous treat; charming, sweet, funny and passionate. I loved Coming Apart at the Seams, but Cal O’Brien has become my favorite male in this series.

There is nothing sexier than a confident, successful man who loves his family and is incredibly tender with the woman in his life. Oh, and can cook and Cal checks every one of those boxes. I’m not even going to lie, the steam factor was set to very high and the air sizzled when Cal and Bebe were in the same vicinity. While the story-line is a familiar one, Ms. Sutton takes it to another level with endearing characters, exciting dialogue and a strong sense of family that flows through the entire book.

Cal has had the hots for his younger sister’s best friend from the first day he was introduced to her, but her perceived disapproval of him set the tone for their combative exchanges until Cal realizes that he’s got what it takes to help Bebe get rid of her pesky virginity. 

Ms. Sutton did an excellent job in her portrayal of Bebe and made her someone that people can relate with because while she is intellectually smarter than most people, she still struggles with issues that the everyday person does. My heart broke for the young woman who felt like an outsider within her own family and could never get the approval of her selfish, self-centered family no matter how hard she tried to please them.

 I just loved the epilogue of this book and it was one more way Cal stole my heart. I always look forward to a new installment in this series because I know I won’t be disappointed and I hope that we haven’t see the last of the O’Brien family yet. All I can say is get this book. Even better, get the entire series!

 

 

Excerpt

Bebe smiled when she saw him, a tiny tilt of her pink lips, and warmth filled Cal’s chest. She had given him more smiles in the past two weeks than she had in the past four years, and he hoarded them like a starving man saved breadcrumbs.

“Good morning, Cookie,” he greeted her when she reached him.

Her smile widened, giving him a little glimpse of her even white teeth. “Good morning.”

He straightened from his slouch against the side of his car, which he’d parked in front of her building. They were heading to an orchard north of the city to pick apples, and he had made the short drive from his place to pick her up.

This was date number three, and so far they hadn’t done anything more than kiss. Despite the fact that he’d already waited years to get into her pants, he didn’t want to rush things.

He had realized that Bebe wasn’t just inexperienced; she was innocent. Because of her medical degree, she was informed and knowledgeable about intercourse. But she was completely unaware of the pleasure that sex offered—like someone who knew the ingredients in chocolate but had never savored a gourmet truffle.

Given how innocent she was, he didn’t want to scare her. Nor did he want to give her any reason to back out of their agreement. He wanted her to experience all the excitement and exhilaration that led up to sex . . . the tension, the anticipation, the foreplay, both verbal and physical.

That was why he’d decided they needed to go on at least a dozen dates before he revoked her V-card. He would probably be frothing at the mouth like Cujo by the time they got to number twelve.

“I want to amend our arrangement,” he announced abruptly as he passed a to-go cup of chai tea to her.

Her smile disappeared. “Fewer dates?” she guessed.

That thought hadn’t even crossed his mind. He enjoyed their dates, and he would enjoy them even more when they ended with him snug inside her virginal body.

“No, I want to add a new condition.”

“What?” she asked warily before taking a sip of tea.

“When you greet me, you have to say hello with a kiss.”

She studied him over the plastic lid of the to-go cup, her eyes a kaleidoscope of amber and gold. They shimmered vibrantly in the late-morning sunlight.

He bent down until their noses almost touched. “Is that acceptable?”

She nodded but still didn’t give him what he wanted. “The new condition is effective immediately,” he hinted.

Leaning forward, she gave him a quick peck. Her lips barely grazed his before she drew back, her dark eyebrows arched inquiringly.

“No,” he said, answering her unspoken question. “I want a real kiss.”

“That was a real kiss.”                      

“It wasn’t,” he countered.

“I’m sorry,” she replied contritely, but her eyes held a glimmer of amusement. “I’m not an expert like you are. Maybe you should show me how to give a real kiss.”

“Good idea.” He took the tea from her and placed it on the roof of his car. “First, you should put your hands here,” he instructed, drawing her arms up around his neck. “Or on my chest. That works, too.”

He cupped her hips in his palms. “And you should get as close as possible so I can feel you,” he continued, tugging her closer until his belt buckle brushed her stomach.

Bending down until their mouths almost touched, he murmured, “And you should definitely open your mouth so I can taste you.”

He lightly settled his mouth over hers, and her lips parted easily. He eased his tongue inside her mouth, which was spiced with chai tea, and licked deeply.

He hadn’t seen her . . . hadn’t kissed her . . . in four days, not since he’d taken her to a pub in his neighborhood to listen to an Irish band and drink Guinness. After their date, he had limited himself to a brief good-night kiss because it was so late.

Since then, he’d looked forward to kissing her again. And now that he had his mouth on hers, she tasted even better than he remembered. Her tongue slid against his, and he barely held back a moan when she licked inside his mouth.

He was starting to think that kissing Bebe was better than getting naked with other women. And if kissing her was this good, having sex with her was going to blow his mind.

He played with her mouth until a horn honked nearby. She jerked away from him, her eyes a little glazed and her lips rosy from his kiss.

“You want me to kiss you like that to say hello?” she asked doubtfully, pressing her fingers against her lower lip.

“Yes. Exactly like that. Every time you see me.”

“What if we’re in front of people?”

“I don’t care if the Pope is standing next to us.”

 

 

 

About Jenna Sutton

Jenna Sutton is a former award-winning journalist who traded fact for fiction when she began writing novels. Surprisingly, the research she conducted for her articles provided a lot of inspiration for her books.

Jenna is the author of the Riley O’Brien & Co. romances including All the Right Places and Coming Apart at the Seams. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism from Texas Christian University and a Master’s degree in Integrated Marketing Communications from Northwestern University.

Jenna and her husband live in Texas in a 105-year-old house affectionately known as “The Money Pit”. You can find out more about her and her books by visiting www.jennasutton.com or connect with her at facebook.com/jennasuttonauthor or @jsuttonauthor.


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