A great debut novel by Tricia Lynne. Great characters, some plot issues but a good read.

Avery Barrows and her best friend Kat go on a vacation to New Orleans. As an engineer, Avery has to appear straight-laced and almost non-sexual to compete in the male-centric profession.
Avery has the skills and the experience to be a partner but the boobs which hold her back. So this trip to N.O. is a “let your hair down and go wild” girls vacay. There is an inner Avery who likes to come out now and then who makes up for straight-laced Avery. I didn’t like that this Avery surpassed my usual enjoyable level of snarky heroine and went straight to crude trucker. While our hero liked when feisty Avery came out to play rough, I felt some of it was over the top from feisty to downright bitchy. Playful sniping is enjoyable, but there were a few lines that went overboard and drew blood.

Upon arriving at their hotel, Avery is knocked over by Declan McGinn, a tall, hot tattooed local. Rude Avery makes an appearance but Declan seems to like the fire and he invites her to dinner as an apology. They have a nice dinner and enjoy each others company, but Avery, who is a shapely, plus-sized girl, presumes Declan is just being polite and couldn’t possibly be interested in her. When he tells her that he has to leave because he has a gig, Avery believes she has gotten blown off until she and Kat stumble upon the bar that Declan and his band are playing at.

Once Avery comes to realize that Declan does in fact like her curves, as he said, they embark on lots of hot vacation sex but as the week passes and the time comes to say goodbye, are either of them brave enough to confess their feelings and take a chance?

As a plus-sized heroine, Avery has had the usual baggage of user boyfriends. Some of these men just used Avery to get close to her best friend Kat, who is a former model. I liked how both Declan and Kat worked on boosting Avery’s confidence during the story. Declan had to work hard to make Avery trust that he truly liked her as she was, curves, foul-mouth and all; and Kat as a former model who put on some weight after retiring (like size 6 vs. size 0) works to make Avery understand that she was the “perfect” size but that didn’t make her life perfect. Kat points out to Avery that she has been happier since she stopped being perfect and started enjoying life.

Some spoilers ahead.



Avery’s insecurity over her body was a major blockade to her overall happiness. Dealing with it was a major part of the story. This whole vacation turned from wild weekend into building Avery’s confidence in her figure and accepting herself as she was. We even have one of Declan’s band mates who keeps declaring that he saw Avery first and if he didn’t stop for a shower, she would be with him rather than Declan. So we have two men desperate to put their hands all over Avery’s ample curves. That is why I was disappointed that the author added a conflict of Declan being caught in a compromising position with a skinny fan, and her suddenly believing that Declan couldn’t really like fat Avery. Of course, it wasn’t what it looked like but instead of standing up and confronting them like the newly confident Avery should have, Avery runs away. This is exacerbated by the fact that Avery then puts herself into what looks like a compromising position, now making Declan feel hurt and betrayed. I was a bit angry that Avery didn’t use more of her very impressive brain at this point in the story. The amount of eye-rolling started to hurt. There was enough hurtles to Declan and Avery having a HEA that this felt so trite and simply romance trope B.S.

What started out as fun-vacation sex was building into something more. That is a pretty big hurdle since Declan has a life in New Orleans with his band and the club that he owns. He might have hired a manager for the club, but finding the right magic with another band would not be so easy.
Avery lived in Dallas, and while she didn’t even like her company, she spent a decade gaining the begrudging respect of the partners and was working to gain her own partnership in the firm. Avery’s company had big projects and Avery specialized in sports arenas and those types of large projects. Quitting and uprooting herself to New Orleans to start her own firm or start from the bottom of a new firm, was asking a lot for what might have been a week of hot sex.

Both Avery and Declan had parent issues growing up which screwed with them as adults. Declan’s father drank himself to death after his wife left him, so Declan never wanted to be that attached to a woman. So much so that he announced, was too early in the story, that he didn’t want a relationship. Since Avery wasn’t a new girl in town but a woman on vacation looking for a good time, it seemed a little silly for him to announce at the very beginning that he didn’t do relationships. Avery was just looking to use Declan for hot sex, she wasn’t looking for a ring first. But his declaration stayed in her head while their relationship built. So we have Declan declaring how much he liked Avery, like her curved, like being with her, but she also knew he didn’t do relationships so Avery wasn’t thinking long-term and should I quit my job thoughts, and then Declan is hurt that Avery isn’t thinking about what happens with them after she leaves. Declan also starts to wonder if Avery is too smart for him and we find Declan has some issues of self-worth himself.

For a first publication, I think this was a great story. All the characters here–Declan, Avery, Kat, the band members, and everyone they met in New Orleans–were well presented and even secondary characters were fleshed-out enough to make them feel real. Avery crossed the line a few times from fun and snarky to cruel and bitchy, but not enough to make the reader dislike her. And while Avery and Declan’s declarations of their feelings crossed the line into romance-novel flowery, rather than true life, we can forgive that a bit since Declan was also a song writer.

The romance had a nice build and Avery and Declan had good chemistry. The building of Avery’s self-confidence grew nicely and wasn’t instantaneous. The sex scenes (which were plentiful) where sexy and fun and not awkward or over the top. My only complaint is the ruining of all that great build up with the awkward conflict which screams “publisher guidelines” to me.

I am going to look out for what Tricia Lynne publishes next.

Moonlight and Whiskey has it all. It's a rock star who falls for a girl who doesn't think she is up to his level. She is a big beautiful girl who doesn't see herself as others do. They have a romance but it's rocky. She thinks he cheated, he thinks she cheated. Say roller coaster. But above all of that is a story about two people who love each other and see the best of each other.

So good. Avery and Declan, wow. They both had childhoods that left them scarred. They were able to open up to each other about what happened in their lives. LOVED when Avery figured out how Declan felt about her. I'm hoping the series continues with others in the band.

I picked up this book because I LOVE Rocker romances. There is just something about a bad boy..... any who, I read the blurb and thought, this seems right up my alley! And a newly published author too! I couldn't resist. I love finding new authors to love! But, sadly, it's always a risk. Sometimes, you get a new author that isn't really all that great, or their story doesn't make sense, or they forget they need to proofread. And then other times, you find that jewel in the rough, just waiting to be let loose on the world, to share their amazing talent with readers everywhere. And that is where this book fits in. I absolutely adored this book! From the instant connection between the characters, to the descriptions that are so vivid, I can actually picture the amazingness that is New Orleans. From the steamy love scenes, to the parts that ripped my heart in two, this author put together a book that I could not put down, even if I'd had to.

Avery is a woman who knows who she is, but feels she has to hide it. She is a woman in a man's world, trying to get ahead by keeping her head down and working hard. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but she seems to have lost parts of herself in the process. So she takes a girl's trip with her bestie to the Crescent City, hoping to find the part of herself she's hidden away for too long.

Declan is a musician with a past that he doesn't talk about, a past that has jaded him to all things relationship. He wasn't looking for her, but he burst into her world and couldn't keep himself away from her.

These two.....Lets just say, I was laughing so hard I was crying by the third chapter. They had such an electric connection, but they also challenged each other. This book has the bad boy, the good girl that is letting out her bad girl, and a bit of New Orleans mysticism thrown in for good measure. Declan and Avery made a perfect couple, despite their differences, and their story is one that will stick with me for a long time to come!

The book had an inauspicious start, joining the heroine, Avery, as she went for her first Brazilian wax job. And for me it was a harbinger of what was to come. I found the rest of the book equally as crude and distasteful. I simply could not relate to either of the main characters, or any of the secondary characters for that matter. Avery and her best friend, Kay, go on a girls vacation to New Orleans, and while they are there Avery hooks up with a guy she literally runs into at their hotel, Declan. He is somewhat a man of mystery, though we eventually find out that he is lead singer in a local band and quite wealthy from various investments. Avery and Declan decide to embark on an affair during her week-long vacation, though both of them seem drawn to one another in ways they hadn’t expected. Both of them seem to wax poetic at times, which was pretty to read, but just didn’t sound like something a person would say to someone they had just met. I wanted to like this book, I really did. But the way the characters spoke and acted just didn’t appeal to me. It’s a personal thing, and I’m sure there are lots of people who won’t mind it. The writing was good, but I just couldn’t connect with the characters or the situations. The author writes in the acknowledgements, “You take me as I am, foul mouth and all.” She has imbibed her characters with that same foul mouth, and it just isn’t for me.
Note: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Oh my! This book has it all! An air of mystery, hilarity, emotion, steaminess!
I was completely enthralled by Declan and Avery’s story from the first page. They are both such tortured souls. They fit together but not sure if they can get out of their own way to make it happen.
5 stars!!

OMG, this book is amazing! I would give it ten stars if I could. It wraps a voodoo hold over you and you cannot put it down. I am looking forward to a sequel or a trilogy!

This book was so powerful. It mesmerized me and I couldn't put it down. The relationship hardships and the ups were very addicting. I've been married over 10 years and this book even makes me wish for a more powerful love story. I cannot rave enough about this book. The way she wrote it, adding a new narrator at just the right part. I loved everything about it.

Scorching hot, sexy, erotic, can't put it down...these are just a few words to describe this book. Avery is a beautiful, bold, brilliant, bigger woman who is still learning to love herself as she is. She is intelligent & a woman trying to work in a man's world (engineering) & wanting to make partner at her firm in Dallas. Her best friend, Kat, was a super model but is enjoying "regular" life now. They go to New Orleans together for a vacation. Avery gets knocked over by an extremely sexy man that she finds out is named Declan & is a musician. Declan has self-esteem issues as well. The way they get to know each other & the ups & downs of their relationship is so worth the roller coaster of a ride. Highly recommend getting lost in this book!

Avery is a curvy engineer that goes to New Orleans the week after Mardi Gras on a girls trip with her best friend. Declan, the hot lead singer of a local band, literally runs into Avery in their hotel's lobby. They end up spending much of the week together, at first to make up for his accident and then because they can't deny the pull between them. I enjoyed reading about all the places and experiences they went on as Declan showed Avery his city. And I loved that being around him gave her the freedom and push to truly be herself. This book was very enjoyable, with plenty of heat, sass, and hot rock stars.

“Under the bright moonlight in a city full of the dead, I saw Declan McGinn’s ghosts crystal clear.”

I wasn’t familiar with Tricia Lynne before being sent an advanced copy of Moonlight & Whiskey. To my knowledge, I’ve not read any of her previous work and, if I’m being honest, the blurb sounded cute or whatever but nothing stand out. Based on that, I didn’t have a lot of expectations going into this read.

But, holy geez Tricia!!!!!
Color me SLAYED!

I was really blown away by this author’s talent. The book is set in New Orleans and the writing style complements the mystical, otherworldly and kind of.... intense feel of the city perfectly. Lynne is a wizard of imagery and her incredibly descriptive writing style feels almost poetic. It is really beautiful which isn’t necessarily something you expect to find in this particular genre. It definitely took me by surprise in the best way.
Avery & Declan are both well developed, multidimensional characters with closets full of both sunshine and skeletons. They are very likable, even in their flaws, and I appreciated the chance to get to know them more wholly by seeing how they interacted with other people in their lives (another facet not always explored in similar storylines).
Very well done!

Well this book came dangerously close to a DNF for me. I persevered and finished it pondering what did I really read? And did I like it?? The answer is yes and no.

I liked Avery-at first. I can get behind a woman standing tall in who she is, and Avery is funny and smart too! I was not drawn in by her "wild" side when it came out. She was so very rude slinging insults to any and everyone! Plus she was just too handsy with Declan's friends! I had to wonder what Declan saw in her! I liked him way more and that was what made me finish the book.

Ultimately, some will love this book, but I just was soured by the heroine and what she offered the hero.

**I received an ARC copy from Netgalley for an honest review.**
I loved how this book began. Avery is a plus size girl who is tired of being judged unworthy by her curves. Although she’s terrified to put herself out there, when a sexy stranger knocks her off her feet, she is attracted. Of course, he gets the full force of her temper first.
Declan is a hot guy who cannot believe the mouth on the woman he almost knocked down. The fact that’s she’s gorgeous and curvy is just icing on the cake.
These two have complicated pasts and I love how the author revealed how similar their upbringings were. They both make mistakes but they keep trying.
There is steam and it is well done. I loved that Declan wants Avery to understand how sexy she is with no barriers. She’s curvy. He lovee it and wants her to love it too.
I have to say that I did not understand the dreams that Avery has or how they were important to the story. I also didn’t like the amount of drama that kicked up at the end.
It is a quick read with interesting characters that I wouldn’t mind seeing again.

Rating 3.5 Stars.

This might be the hardest review I've ever written. Bad books are as easy to review as good ones but this book defies me. I loved parts and hated parts. I was immediately drawn to Avery. She's a smart, fun and relatable person. Initially. I liked her wild side to a point but she often went over the line. She was too brash, too foul-mouthed and way too flirty with Declan's friends. Declan was easier for me to enjoy. I like the broody boys with a troubled past especially when they, like Declan, can work past their issues to be able to have a good relationship. Kat and Jamie were interesting though a bit over the top too.

And the sex... This book is one sex scene after another. It seemed like few scenes include clothes, note even the trip to the cemetery!

I love the concept of girl power and a high power business women who doesn't meet society's physical perfection rules. I wanted Avery to find her inner strength and break her bonds from the misogynists at her office. I wanted her to get the hot guy. I got all that but wrapped in a character I didn't like when she blossomed. She was too contrary, and unpleasant and rude.

All in all a good story. I think many of us can relate to Avery and her struggles with self confidence. There was quite a bit of back and forth in the relationships, but was happy how it ended. If you’re a sucker for romance with a little steam, this is the book for you!

When Declan and Avery have a chance encounter in the hotel lobby of Avery's vacation in New Orleans, their two souls immediately recognize one another as their other half. Avery is a determined woman working in a man's world where she feels that she must keep part of herself bottled up each day in order to succeed; while Declan appears to be a bad boy musician with tattoos. The two can't fight their attraction for one another despite their differences and their chemistry is hot, hot, hot!

Anything set in New Orleans usually grabs my attention and this book is no exception. Hot sexy and fun Avery Barrows goes to NOLA with a friend just to have fun but it turns into much more. Not only is this a hot sexy romance its also a book about being yourself and not hiding who you are. People are cruel, and jealous and petty, you do you, don't mold yourself into someone else for anyone, not for work, not for a relationship not for anything. If you feel good about you it will show. Your weight, you tattoos etc don't matter own your self esteem and show the world how truly amazing you are.

I love Avery's wit and crass quick come-backs, I love that she had a great right hook and that she loves her curves. Declan is just sex on a stick and I love that he loves Avery for everything she is and more. Definitely recommend this romance from this new author and hope she keeps up the writing!

Wow! This book blew me away! Avery is such a strong heroine and her connection with Declan is palpable. Spoiler alert: I wasn’t sure if they would get their HEA, but I’m so glad they did!

Moonlight & Whiskey (Kindle Edition) by Tricia Lynne This the first book I have read by Tricia Lynne and I give it 4 stars.. thanks to the publisher and #NetGalley for letting me preview this book. This book has a lot of steamy sex and talk.. This is Avery and Declan's story ..she fears rejection and he has his own demons. There are a lot of laughs, some tears, doubts and angst all to get to a HEA. I enjoyed the other characters in this book and hope there will be more books with their stories.

Reasons I enjoyed this book:
Happily Ever After Romantic Funny Steamy Page-turner Wonderful characters Great world building Easy-to-read

I really enjoyed this one!
Avery is a kick a$$ heroine and Declan is hot hot hot! They both have their demons but they come together in an explosive way. Loved the NOLA setting.
The author’s writing was truly eloquent at times and I really dug it.