RATING 4.5 STARS

Misadventures of a Backup Bride is book four in the Misadventures series. This book is by Shayla Black. This book was so sweet (and I mean that both literally and figuratively) and sexy and I completely enjoyed it. There were also a couple of little surprises that I never saw coming!

Carson Frost has unexpectedly inherited his birth father’s multimillion dollar candy company, Sweet Darlin’, after his passing. Carson couldn’t have been more surprised since he barely knew his father. He was always so busy running his company. Carson was raised by a very loving mother and step-father. The company is cash strapped and if he can’t secure a loan soon, everything will be lost. He wants to save the company to honor his father. No bank would loan him the money he needs so he turned to a rival candy company. He will give him the loan but with some very unique stipulations. The owner is worried about his wayward daughter and he wants Carson to marry her!

Carson agrees to the terms but try as he might, he and his fiance just can’t seem to find any common ground on which to base a marriage. There is exactly zero chemistry between them. He’s pretty certain she feels the same way. So a new plan is hatched. Carson will invent a long lost love,

Carson met Ella Hope about six months ago but she was on a date with a friend of his. There was an instant spark, something that kept him from forgetting her. He remembered she was an actress in Los Angeles and she was the first and only person that came to mind to pose as his love interest.

Ella has had little luck jump starting her career as an actress. She needs rent money so when Carson called and offered her a job posing as his long lost love, she agreed. She definitely remembered Carson. She couldn’t take her eyes off of him the time they met. She doubted he felt the same way but had no hesitations in accepting the job. As soon as she arrived in North Carolina and they were face to face, that same spark was there only this time it was more like huge arcs of electricity between them. Needless to say, these two decided very quickly to act on their mutual attraction and if their chemistry could have been bottled, they would have been able to light up the entire city.

“He wants to conquer me. Heaven help me, I want to let him. This is so not what I planned on happening.”

As the days pass, their bond grows into something more. But Ella was raised by two parents that rarely had time for their own children. The thought of falling so fast for this man is frightening. No way could she trust that what they have found together could last. Plus, her life is in Los Angeles and his is here. If they were going to make this work, who would be the one to sacrifice?

“When this assignment is over, maybe the glow I’m feeling with this surprising attachment will have dimmed. After all, what are the chances that the guy who hired me to jilt him would be my soul mate?”

As they try to convince everyone their love is true, they realize that they aren’t play acting. But Ella is convinced that she will end up with a broken heart if she stays. Somehow Carson has to convince her that he truly wants her. That he has fallen in love with her and she is all he wants.

This was such a sweet and sexy story. I loved both Carson and Ella. Both had their demons to conquer. But together, they filled a need neither of them realized was there. They completed each other. The end of this was so cute and there were a couple of unexpected surprises as I said. This was such a fun little book. I completely enjoyed it and would not hesitate to read anything by this author in the future.

Talk about a whirlwind! Carson Frost inherits his biological fathers billion dollar candy business that was leveraged too high and left the company cash strapped. He never had much to do with his father, nor stepped foot in the company before. He's working ten times harder to make sure he can turn things around and not let it go in default.

Carson is left with very little choice but to take the competitions offer. Sign over stock in the company and marry the daughter of his fathers rival. The problem is, neither him nor the daughter want this marriage.

At a last ditch effort, Carson tries to talk sense into Gregory and not doom his daughter to an unhappy marriage, but nothing works until he admits that he is already in love with another woman. Gregory is a shrewd business man and he dares Carson to marry his supposed love of his life in two weeks time or the offer for the bail out will have higher consequences.

This is where we meet Hope. Carson and Hope are no strangers. They met months before at a party where she was his friends date. They had an immediate attraction but could do nothing about it. The date never went further than that night between Hope and his friend, but soon after Carson found out he inherited the candy company and moved states away.

When Carson told Gregory that he was already in love, he immediately thought of Hope and decides to contact her to see if she is willing to play the part of a woman falling in love while he works on changing Gregory's mind. When she agrees to pretend to give them a chance, both Carson and Hope learn that their attraction is still very much there.

This was a crazy plot twist that was entertaining but also a bit on the unbelievable side. I still enjoyed the story and was curious how it would all play out in the end. I couldn't figure out why Gregory would allow Carson to switch out his daughter for another woman but the authors did a good job of explaining his behavior in the end. ARC provided by NetGalley.

FINAL DECISION: This story had an interesting premise and I enjoyed the intrigue of the characters competing against the "villain" dad. A reader who can accept insta-love stories can enjoy this one.

THE STORY: Carson Frost inherits a company from his biological father that is in financial trouble. In seeking a loan, he turns in desperation to the company's rival. The rival agrees to a loan on the condition that Carson marry his daughter.  Two weeks before the wedding, Carson recognizes that this is going to be a disaster and tries to get out of the wedding by making up another woman who he is love with. The father calls his bluff and demands that Carson produce the woman. Carson can only think of one possible woman to call -- Ella Hope, and actress who he met six months ago when she dated one of his friends. Ella agrees to take the job, but the passion explodes between the two when they meet again in person. When the father meets Ella, he agrees that Carson doesn't have to marry his daughter -- but only if Carson and Ella marry in two weeks.

OPINION: This short novel sets up an interesting conflict. What happens when the woman hired to pretend to be the love of a man's life becomes the love of his life? I enjoyed this story and the characters. This is my favorite of the series because the characters are well drawn even in the short space allowed for them in this story. Plus, there is a tremendous amount of conflict. It's also really interesting that there are no terrible "evil" characters in the end. Plus, the story is really sexy. What I didn't expect was the turn towards a more traditional and emotional romance story towards the end. I thought the twist on the events of a romance story worked really well here.

WORTH MENTIONING: Much of the relationship development between Carson and Ella takes place around of during sexual escapades because of the nature of the book.

CONNECTED BOOKS: MISADVENTURES OF A BACKUP BRIDE is the fourth book in the Misadventures series. The books in the series are all standalone stories without any connections or overlapping characters.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4 stars.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in order to provide a review. I was not required to write a review or to write a positive review. All opinions contained herein are my own.

This review will be published on October 17th.

A nicely written romance in this series where things are never quite what they seem at the start. Not forgetting that despite misunderstandings and misadventures it all ends OK - predictably.

The best in this series that I've read so far.

This was a cute book and quick read. I love this series and can't wait to dive into the next one. I liked both Ella and Carson and their story line, it was a little different. Their relationship may have started off fake, but the heat and intense connection they shared had the possibility to turn into something real. I really enjoyed this one and I do recommend it if you are looking for a quick read.

Carson Frost needs a fake bride. These kind of stories always make me roll my eyes because they just seem to be so repetitive and boring if I’m honest. Carson wants to save his company and asks Ella who he knows to pretend to be his fake fiancée in order for him to do that. I like Ella a lot, she’s an actress who just wants money so she can pay her way in life.

The one thing I didn’t expect to happen was for me to actually fall in love with Carson. The storyline is one thing but I fell head over heels in love with Carson and Ella. I was rooting so hard for their happiness. This book ended way too quickly and my only criticism is that there didn’t seem to have a lot of character development at all. Other than that it was a decent read for a Sunday afternoon.

3 stars

This was a quick lighthearted read which is just what you need to take your mind off the crazy days. I loved the writing style and the romance feel this book has. The characters were charming and I loved that they had such an instant connection. Sometimes love hits you in the face when you least expect it. The story progressed at the perfect pace and I enjoyed it in one sitting. I look forward to reading more from this author and this series.

This is a fast paced, quick but steamy read like the previous books in the series. Each book is uniquely different and I definitely recommend this book for anyone who wants a quick but steamy read.

Misadventures of a Backup Bride - Shayla Black - Book #4 in the Misadventures Series.

I received this book for an honest and unbiased review.

Continuing to entertain and delight, the next instalment in the Misadventures Series is delivered by the talented pen (or keyboard) of Shayla Black.

A fabulously sweet but sexy story of Carson Frost, long ignored son of the king of Sweet Darlin' confectioners - Edward, and now heir to the struggling company. Carson's in a bind when his confectionery competitor, Gregory Shaw, offers him financial backing with the proviso that Carson marry his ditsy daughter, Kendra and secure not only his own finances but also the trust fund for Kendra.

Enter the sweet Ella Hope, struggling actress and stand in parent to her two younger sisters. Ella just hasn't found a man who honestly will put her first and treat her well but her needs always come after those of her sisters, Eryn and Echo. Their parents are perpetually too busy for them, both ingrained in the Hollywood set in their careers.

A proposition to Ella by Carson sets them on a course that may lead to both their happiness or their demise but only time will tell and I'm not about to divulge a spoiler. Suffice to say though, that this was a beautifully written story, with plenty of wit and fun, a little sadness and a whole lot of hot sexy scenes. I loved Ella's candidness and her sassy way with Carson but I also adored Carson's alpha ways in the bedroom.

Can't wait to delve into the next book in this series.

I received Misadventures of a backup bride ARc from Netgalley and Waterhouse Press for a honest review.

First off this is my cherry popping book with Shayla Black..... and I loved every moment of it. Carson has inherited a candy company from a dad he never knew. But when he gets it, he wants to do everything he can to save it from being destroyed.....even if it means marrying his dad's competition daughter. And this daughter, Kendra is nothing but every high school/ sorority movie bleach blonde you ever known. The only way out of this fake engagement.... another woman. The only problem is he has to prove his in love with Ella(the other woman) to no other then Kendra's daddy to keep the company. When Ella and Carson met everything seems to click sexual, conversation, and intimacy....will this relationship stay fake?

Carson Frost has just inherited a sweet business worth billions, the downside is that the company is too cash strapped to last another 2 months. In desperation he takes a loan from his father’s rival, but there’s a catch. He must sign over a stake in the company and marry the man’s daughter. When he tries to back out of the marriage by claiming that he is in love with someone else his bluff is called. Marry her within 2 weeks and he’ll still get the cash. Problem is there is no other woman.
Ella Hope is an actress who needs to pay the rent. Need I say more? Carson and Ella enter a world of make believe that can only end in disaster, right? Don’t miss this very funny and sexy story by Shayla Black.

I didn't finish thus book as I found it too far fetched and awful. I deleted it from my Kindle.

If you can overlook the ridiculousness of the plot - and it's waaay out there - most of the characters are good, and Misadventures is a fun, light read. The fact that Kendra was pretending to be ditzier than she really was will make you laugh, and both Carson's and Ella's characters felt real. I wish I could say the same about Mr. Shaw's character, but he was so single dimensional that he felt like a cartoon, and no real businessman would act the way he did. And his tie-it-all-up-with-a-bow scene at the end may have tied off the loose ends, but it was so unrealistic I actually went back and reread it to be sure I read it right. (I did.)

3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 stars because of the quality of the writing.

If you like Shayla Black’s novels, you’ll like this one. I usually find her books short on plot and character development. There’s too much insta-lust turning into insta-love after one night of epic love-making for my tastes. I don’t mind epic love-making, but it should be balanced out by the plot. This one has a bit more of a plotline than some of her other books that I’ve read. We have a version of the fake fiance plot here as Carson Frost has to hire actress Ella Hope to pretend to be his love interest so he can get out of a deal with a billionaire candymaker who has roped Carson into getting engaged to his seeming twit of a daughter in return for a loan for Carson to rescue the candy business that his father left him. If you can suspend disbelief for the whole plotline, there are a few plot twists that help to rescue the idea and make this the best of the two earlier Misadventures book.

I was give a free ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Insta-lust to insta-love, with a silly, ludicrous plot, but immensely better than the other two "Misadventures" books I'd previously read. I could read this one without cringing. Heavy on the smut, but some character depth and a sense of trying to do the right thing helped balance it out. I liked the hero, but too much emotional back and forth by the heroine for my taste - drama for the sake of drama. It played out predictably but with a few little twists that kept my interest.

A company in need of help, a unique wedding offer and a battle of the heart. Will Carson end up at the alter with the right woman? If he's to spend the rest of his life happy will he choose love or honor?

If Carson can convince the only woman he can imagine being with forever to help him, there just might be a happy-ever-after.

The chemistry is smokin' hot, the plot twist keeps you reading till the last page and the characters are fun. I hope we see them again!

The newest Misadventure story is from Shayla Black and its called Misadventures of a Backup Bride and oh WOW...this story was stunning, ultra sexy, and so...SO alluring! I am in absolute LOVE with this particular Misadventure story the most so far. The characters are appealing and charming with amazing personalities that I couldn't help but to like.

The chemistry between Carson and Ella is seductive and RED HOT! The sex had me biting my lip and fanning myself while the story itself was everything you expect from a Shayla Black story...it was dreamy, sexy, and oh so dreamy. It has the perfect mix of heat and heart and is frankly brilliantly written.

Misadventures of a Backup Bride gets a MOUTH-WATERING FIVE SHOOTING STARS! Its breathtaking and SUPER HOT! Perfect for the Misadventures!

A funny, light read that had some very sweet moments. Carson is about to marry a woman he doesn't really want to marry. He's in a business relationship where if he doesn't marry her, he'll lose everything he worked so hard for. Enter the funny Ella. She's an actress who isn't exactly classified as star material.

It's a well written and happy story without being over the top in its silly and sweet moments.

This book is a big case of it's me not you. I normally really like this author, but this book was a stinker for me. I could sort of get on board with the premise, but what didn't work for me was the rest. I had a very hard time buying into Ella and Carson as a couple, especially considering they met once before, even them jumping into sex hours after meeting again for the first time seemed off. In fact their whole relationship seemed based on sex and a big game of chicken with Shaw. Shaw's big surprise at the end was off too, I had a hard time buying into that situation.

The sex scenes are too frequent and graphic. The plot is interesting but it would have been nice to have a better sense of the characters.