In Tricia Lynne's Moonlight and Whiskey, this contemporary romance debut is red-hot, steamy, sexy, and swoon-worthy too. For Avery Barrows, she's not just your ordinary woman. She's curvaceous and likes the way she looks. She works for an engineering firm and works a lot to impress the board. But when she's on vacation in New Orleans, it changes everything for her, especially when she bumps into Declan McGinn, an Irish tattooed lean singer of a hard rock cover band. The chemistry between them is palpable and scorching hot. This was more than love in first sight. But deep down, there's a hidden darkness in Declan's past and secrets he plans to keep to himself. He wasn't looking for a long-time relationship. Avery protects herself for keeping her walls up whenever she lets her guards down. She doesn't take any BS from anybody. But when she's with Declan, they make more than magic together especially when she becomes herself and sings with the band. At a work-related cocktail party, things change for Avery and Declan, when they belittle her because of her weight and how they reject Declan as her date. That's when she had enough BS and realizes the true potential of being who she is. After a heated disagreement with Declan, they split up and discovers the hurt and how they feel for each other. In the end, they mend their broken hearts and pick up the pieces to find their happiness for each other.

The great character and storyline development kept me totally engaged as I turned each and every page of this must read story!

Quick(ish) Review 2.5 stars
I liked this debut by Ms. Lynne, though with big caveats.

The story begins with Avery Barrows, waiting for her wax appointment (which genuinely made me LOL) and ruminating on the rut that she is stuck in. She’s preparing for a trip with her friend to New Orleans, and try to loosen up and find her big brass balls. When she arrives, she has an interesting encounter with Declan McGinn, a very hot (natch), very charming Irishman with a very broody center (and again, I say, are there any other kind?). Things get wild, whiskey is involved, and yes, romance happens.

The romance itself drew me in. I liked her chemistry with Declan and the Firsts of their romance were interesting and kept me turning the page. Avery and her friend, Kat, are raunchy, funny and outrageous, yet believable as best friends and their chemistry helped to balance the story. Avery’s work does factor into the story a bit, and Declan’s most definitely did, and really I liked meeting Declan’s bandmates and yes - I could see myself revisiting this ‘verse easily.

However, on the downside, the shaming of other female characters while dealing with her own body shaming by others was just not my cuppa tea. There’s alot of time spent setting up the reasons for Avery’s trust issues when it comes to men and relationships, and it was an emotional journey that stood on its own. But having the heroine throwing shade at other women didn’t make her shine to me, and that’s a real shame.

Towards the end, the melodrama came on strong, and the typical devices used to create that final obstacle, so by the time the ending rolled around, I was a bit exhausted from the drama. But, I loved the use of music as a connection between Declan and Avery, I loved seeing her stand up for herself, and essentially seeing these two save themselves and be stronger together. I would give the next book in the series a chance.

**ARC provided by publisher via netgalley for review**

Really enjoyed meeting Declan and Avery! That first chapter is hilarious! I’ve never gotten one but have been curious about it! Thank you for the descriptive details! Believe it or not, I want to do it even more now!

Being a big girl myself, I liked that this leading female was not a stick figure. I shared the same insecurities that Avery did. It just felt so relatable.

This book had humor, romance, angst and some sexy scenes!

I wanted to smack some sense into Avery. Girl, get it together!

After reading this, I’ve got this urge to visit NOLA. I loved the mention of actual places as well as things to do....well, maybe not what they did after their wishes 😏

All in all, I give this story a 4. I really wish it had an epilogue. This story just feels like it needed it. Also, where is the soundtrack to this book? I had to stop reading so that I can remenice to Seethet & Amy Lee’s Broken. So many bands mentioned that I’m a fan of.

Lastly, the book cover, although it’s sensual, it doesn’t match the story. It isn’t a deal breaker for me, as other book covers have been in the past BUT I just wish the male cover model matched Declan a bit....face not included lol!

Simply Amazing, Entertaining and completely sexy! The story of Declan McGinn and Avery Barrows will rock your world and want you to keep turning pages. Avery is on vacation in New Orleans - when she is literally run into to by the sexy, dark bad boy Declan. Avery has some self-image issues - Declan has abandonment issues as they work things in this book it will melt your heart.

What a great debut novel. Two tortured souls finding their way to each other...love it! Then you add in the Tattoos, rockers and New Orleans you have a winning combination. Hope this is a series. Would love to her Kat and Jamie’s story.

Loved this book. It’s witty, angsty, and so, so sexy. The words just flow off the pages. I was immersed in this story and could not put it down. I loved the image of New Orleans and the magic that happened there. I can not wait for more from this talented author.

4 Stars
Review by Elizabeth
Late Night Reviewer
Up All Night w/ Books Blog

Moonlight & Whiskey is the first book I have read by Tricia Lynne. Make sure you have everything you need to binge read!

In Moonlight & Whiskey, we meet Avery, a woman full of wit and sarcasm, and Declan, a bar owner and musician. When they first meet, Declan gets the full side of no filter Avery and it is funny. As the book progresses each of the characters has their own past to overcome and roadblocks occur.

I loved that Tricia Lynne was able to incorporate realism into Moonlight & Whiskey. I also loved that Avery came out of the shell she had put herself in and let her true self show. I was also able to connect with Avery throughout the book as she let her issues with her past out. While there was chemistry between Avery and Declan, I found myself not connecting with Declan. Overall, I liked the book and would definitely recommend it.

DNF. I am sorry I could not finish this book as I didn't like the excess of sex (scenes, conversations, references, etc.). All the characters seem to think of is sex and the need of, desire of, etc. Did not finish the book. In order not to harm the author's statistics, will not post review in any of the book sites.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review. All I can say about this book is WOW!!! I was hooked from the very first word. Anyone who is apprehensive about romance or who loves romance needs to read this book!

This is a voluntary review of an advanced copy.

This book was really hard for me to get into as Avery was just so over the top most of the time and went back and forth between being a "good girl" and who she really was.

I did keep reading because I wanted to know how they resolved their insistence that this was just a fling and I did like seeing that Avery felt she could stop pretending to be someone else.

Was kind of not sure what was going on with the dreams that Avery kept having and wondering if this was going to end up as a paranormal book.

Maybe I am just too old for this type of book but I just could not understand these two women acting like college students on spring break. I did like their HEA but it did take a lot of work to get there!

It’s taken me a long time to write a review for this book. I read the book twice. Yep! I read it twice. This Moonlight & Whiskey was just that good. Borderline superb. The author, Tricia Lynne, has done a beautiful job creating two main characters that you can relate to and fall in love with. I think I read somewhere that this is her first book. She knocked it out of the park.

Lynne’s character development and story line will hold you captivated. It’s thats good. I’m really hoping that this is a first in a series for this books. I want to know the stories of the supporting characters.

I’m really appreciative that NetGalley gave me the opportunity to read this book. It was my pleasure.

Avery Barrows follows the rules set for her by the Good Ol’ Boys club all while her best friend tries to get her to be herself. She’s quite jaded as her past relationships have all ended badly. A girls trip to New Orleans is just the thing she needs even if she doesn’t know it.

Declan McGinn is scarred by his past. The mom who left him, the father who couldn’t get over her leaving. Having a relationship with a woman isn’t in his plans.

This book hooked me from the beginning. It had an awesome opening and the story built from there. It has a great mixture of humor, drama, romance and adventure. The characters are well created and very lifelike.

I liked the heroine isn’t the typical size 2 and that she’s aware of herself. I loved that the hero was able to be himself even if he was a bit bossy.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author and I will definitely be looking for more.

Moonlight & Whiskey was not my book. On the very first sentence of the book, we learn that Avery has a p0rn habit and later on she explains that she likes to watch other people while they are doing it, so I kept dreading that she would want Declan to sleep with someone else or would get off watching him with someone else before the got together. This is not a fun way to feel when you read a book.

I couldn't get over how rude Avery was to her best friend and Declan. I wonder how he put up with her. Avery was so not my person and that was bad not only because she was the heroine of the book, but also because she is the only who tells most of the story. Declan's point of view pops up somewhere close to the book's ending. The book and I shared many wtf moments. For one, there was no need for us to know so many details about Avery's first (and last?) Brazilian wax. I was tired of hearing about Avery having balls. She used that phrase a few times and I always thought that she could use a part of her body in order to be a little more feministic. And the final nail on the coffin came when it came to Avery's weight and her attitude. From the way she was described, I would think that she was like 5 kg over the normal weight and not plus size. Also for someone who was supposed to be ok with themselves, she came off as insecure.

ARC for honest review with no compensation received from NetGalley

Moonlight and Whiskey is a standalone book by Tricia Lynne and my first book by this author. Will certainly be looking for more of her books and sure hope she writes more about the secondary characters in this book!!

Avery and Declan come from two different worlds but when they meet it is explosive! This is a must read with lots of steamy romance, dirty talk, laughter, angst and a sharp tongued curvy woman!!

This story was written in dual first person point of views of both Avery Barrows and Declan McGinn. It was written as a narrative, with the conflict being both characters versus themselves, others and society as a whole. The characters are described in a direct manner from two different point of views. The theme includes popular topics such as love, death, power and corruption and also individual versus society, but all these are covered in an unique way.

Avery Barrows is a successful businesswoman in the engineering department but feels she must hide her true self in order to fit in the male dominated field. She is a round character, who goes through a dynamic change as she decides whether or not to embrace her true self. Her main confidante is best friend Kat, who is all about bringing the true woman out of Avery. Declan acts as our antagonist to Avery’s protagonist. He may look terrifying and a bad boy with all of his tattoos, being the singer of rock band but deep inside he is just as jaded and vulnerable as the rest of the community. The exposition shows us Kat and Avery’s dynamic as they are on their way to New Orleans for some fun that is well deserved, they happen to meet Declan. The rising action is all about Declan and Avery pushing their chemistry together as far as they can. The climax is about dark past secrets and pushing each other to let their true selves out. The falling action brings more drama than any other part of the book. The resolution is fast paced and sort of gives the characters a conclusion but not really.

The flow of the story makes complete logical sense in the way that the point of view is going back and forth between Declan and Avery. The word choice is good as we do not get any lingo from either job and are able to envision exactly what the author has written. Yes, I would recommend this book. It is good for those looking for a short and steamy read, looking for female characters who are rough around the edges and not afraid to be themselves, or anyone looking for a strong chemistry. This is not for readers who dislike or do not enjoy explicit language or scenes of a sexual nature, are not for characters with body issues or are not into hookups.

*I received this book free from Random House Publishing Group - Loveswept via NetGalley.*

Avery and her girlfriend slip down to New Orleans post Mardi Gras for a little fun and relaxation. She may have wanted to get her groove on, but never expected to lose her heart in a matter of days.

Declan doesn't do relationships. No one has ever captured his attention long enough. However, one little mishap in a lobby where he not only literally fell over Avery, but then proceeded to get his balls handed to him by her, and he was a goner.

From the very beginning Moonlight & Whiskey captured my attention. At first it was a trip to get waxed that had me laughing so hard I was crying. Followed by steamy rock star loving that had me needing a cold shower. And it was all mixed up with the things that randomly flew out of Avery's mouth. Tricia Lynne did an incredible job with this book!

I also wanted to add that Avery is a curvy girl (like me) and the things she worries about are genuine concerns for girls like us. Her character was written perfectly to portray real world truths, wrapped in a little sass for entertainment. Okay, a lot of sass. Her mouth has almost no filter. Love it!

I love any book that promotes the sexiness of curvy women! Add New Orleans to the setting and a hot tattooed, rock singer. You have an explosive combination!

This one was difficult for me. I tried to connect with the main character and as hard as I tried just couldn't. I wass able to get about half way through the story and could not go any farther.

Moonlight and Whiskey is Tricia Lynne's debut novel, but you wouldn't know it from reading it. She will be added to my must read authors!

Moonlight and Whiskey brings us Avery and Declan in an emotional and steamy rockstar romance. I fell in love with Avery from the first page. This girl cracks me up. The mouth on her is what I aspire to be someday. Declan is so swoon-worthy. Though they don't start off on the right foot, those sparks fly when they come together. This book will put you through the emotional wringer and then leave you feeling complete. You'll wanna smack them both but hug them tight. I highly recommend and Tricia, I can't wait what new stories you'll be bringing us next. 🙂