I really like Fiona Riley's romances and was excited to read Not Since You. Riley did not disappoint. This romance is set upon a Cruise ship. Charlotte Southwick has decided to take her honeymoon vacation despite the fact that the wedding did not happen. She has spent way to much of her hard earned money not to go, plus her grandfather has help to convince to go. Little does she know that she will be reunited with the one that got away - Lexi Bronson. Lexi has worked on the cruise ship since graduating HS. She has worked her way up the ladder and considering a new direction in the Admin area in the cruise shit industry. Lexi hasn't really gotten over having her heart broken by Charlotte.

One of the things I really liked about this romance is the fact that Riley did not dwell forgiveness. If she had it would have increased the angst factor unnecessarily. I also enjoy the chemistry that was created between Charlotte and Lexi. Clearly they still have strong feelings for each other even though they haven't seen each other in 10 years. They way they come back together is so adorable and I was pretty hooked the entire time reading this. The little bit of angst in this one was not overly done. I know some people enjoy that in a romance, but for the most part I like it to be short and sweet (if I can call angst sweet). There are really good supporting characters in this one too.

So now let me dedicate a paragraph to the total HOTNESS in this one. I remember from reading the Match series from Riley that she knows how to create a sex scene. She does NOT fail in Not Since You. She gathers up that chemistry between the mains and the fact that they haven't been together in 10 years and pours in out into those sex scenes. By no means could they be considered boring. Thank you Ms Riley!

So rating. I want to give this 5 stars, but can't. This was more like a 4.5 for me because there were a few moments where I needed to skim. It was still a well done romance.

Prior to reading this book I was a Fiona Riley virgin. Thankfully, I'm not a literal virgin, as there's plenty of steam between these pages. With that said, not nearly as much as I anticipated based on a few reviews.

You could say the first half is a slow burn, but it wasn't slow going, if that makes sense. The pacing was perfect, the characters fully developed and both likable.

The setting was to die for, I've never been on a cruise other than the one this book took me on. I'm not sure the covers a great fit, but hey it caught my eye, so there's that.

In short, I'm so very happy I've found this wonderful author. I don't give out 5 stars easily, but this one ticked all the boxes of what I enjoy in an engaging story.

This was a very fun read. Like always, Fiona Riley managed to make the sexual tension almost palpable, the chemistry and flirting between the characters very erotic, but not vulgar. I'm a fan of her books, and this one is no exception to me. Both Charlotte and Lexi are very lovable characters with a history between them, so it piques your curiosity, and you are eager to see how will the writer lead you through the book and their re-encounter and relationship re-establishment.

Let me first start by saying that Fiona Riley needs to win an award for hot, steamy sex scenes :) I cant remember a lot of books that have this amount of sex scenes that are not repeated or expected..
The other thing i liked about the book is the setting.. It is basically set on a cruise ship with amazing islands, very nice drinks and food, perfect weather and fun parties.
The supporting characters were very good. I think they added a lot to the overall storyline. The MCs were very sexy! Now you have a book that has the perfect setting, very good supporting characters and sexy MCs, but but but.. my only issue is the book lacked something. I kept trying to figure out what it was and for me this was a very tricky rating and review because everything should've been perfect! The romance was supposed to be great because the writing style of the author is so good. All along i was trying to "feel or believe" their love but i just couldnt! and once i got this feeling, i just couldn't connect with them. I just thought their physical connection was far deeper than their emotional one which is ok i get it but it just didn't work out for me.
I also believe that this is more of an erotic read than a romantic one, which again is ok with me!
So i am going to recommend this book to the ladies that want a HOT and FUN read!
"I received an ARC for an honest review."

This book has so much hot steaminess and so many sex scenes that it could almost be erotica or at least an erotic romance – except that it isn’t – because the emotional driver between the MCs is so strong that it has to be categorised as romance.

Gorgeous Charlotte Southwick is on her honeymoon cruise – alone. Just before their wedding, Charlotte caught her fiancée in flagrante delicto and naturally called it off. Charlotte had already made non-refundable payments for the cruise (a VIP suite, no less) and a week in Aruba, so pushed by her grandfather, she decides to go by herself. Lexi Bronson is a bartender and a VIP attendant on the cruise ship. Charlotte and Lexi were sweethearts in high school, but that ended when Charlotte went away to college. Their love and lust for each other, which should have withered and died away during their decade apart, blaze to an inferno immediately.

Charlotte (heart: throb, beat, skip, race, throb, beat, skip, race…ad infinitum). You know that Leonardo DiCaprio movie Inception with its premise of infiltration of the subconscious? We feel that Riley somehow delved into all levels of our conscious, unconscious and subconscious, found our fantasy woman and wrote her as Charlotte. We can’t even begin using adjectives for Charlotte. We’re sure Lexi is also nice (or maybe even more than nice) but we were so completely swept away by Charlotte that everyone else (including) became just supporting players.

Our swooning over Charlotte apart, this book is a great, great read so obviously, we recommend that you dive into it as soon as possible.

Sometimes a sexy read of lost love found again in paradise is exactly what you need. Not Since You is definitely it. What it lacks in subtlety makes up for in spades in sexiness and astoundingly good dialogue. What lies within is an honest progression of captivating drama between Lexi and Charlotte that draws you in and keeps you yearning to find out what’s next for them. Laced within their story is some of the hottest writing this author has penned. Their first kiss on the ship is one of the sexiest scenes I’ve read in a long time, and it only gets better from there. What a fun and tantalizing read to get lost in.

Gorgeous, tropical locations, a luxurious cruise ship and a fated reunion kick off this book.

Charlotte is trying to get her life back together after a shattering betrayal by defiantly taking the (non-refundable) VIP cruise she bought for her honeymoon. Little does she know that her one-on-one VIP attendant is none other than Lexi, her high school sweetheart she left behind with a broken heart ten years ago.

The first third of the book has a lot of emotions, as the MCs meet again and everything that transpired in the past ten years is brought to the surface. The tension is really good in this part, and so is their communication. It is obvious they’ve both matured a lot since they last met. The supporting cast of Lexi’s friends completely endeared me, especially Enrique who takes Charlotte under his sassy wing.

Besides the hurts and misunderstandings of the past, a more real and pressing threat is the fact that if Lexi is even seen touching a guest, she will be summarily dismissed, which would be devastating due to her lack of resources and support net.

However, Lexi is not to be kept down and she mobilizes her entire force of loyal friends, who all have detailed knowledge of the ship and it’s working as well as their own unique talents, who help her in exchange for a lot of favors. Which is a little disappointing.

More disappointing is the banter which never lets up. It’s fun to see friends slinging zingers at each other, but when all communication is increasingly hostile banter that ends up with Zara deliberately leaving Lexi in a physically painful and mentally torturous position in revenge for a lighthearted quip earlier in the scene that she takes offense to, the best-friends vibe gets a little sour. Zara does redeem herself to me at the end, so I’m glad of that.

Okay, let’s talk about the sexy scenes. From the start, the sexual tension sparked and I was on the edge of my seat to see who gave in and made the first move. The scenes were hot, with lots of variety and a lovely balance of action and feelings. And a big bonus for including hygiene and proper consent at all times without breaking the mood. It is really interesting to see the sexual dynamic between our two MCs who share a past, but have experienced so much since their last encounter. One really nice touch is when Lexi notices Charlotte has filled out a bit and she’s completely turned on. Let’s hear it for women with a bit of meat on them, although I’m sure she gets in really good shape with all that *ahem* exercise.

The ending ties up a lot of loose ends and finishes on a happy and hopeful note. I like how all the little details that build up along the way become significant later on.


My rating: originally 3.5 but raised to 3.75 from the big bonus I mentioned earlier.