4 stars
A new author for me and I was taken away from my everyday life. This had a romance, humor and of course, two people who are fighting the attraction but will give in.

The Makeup Artist is book number two in the Coffee Book series, and while this can be read as a standalone novel, I would recommend reading the first book first. Most of the characters are recurring and get introduced in the first book. We get a little bit more of Kiki and Tate, which I obviously loved, but the main focus is on Sarah and Lex.

We’re picking up the story at Kiki and Tate’s wedding. Sarah is still hung up on womanizer Lex, but it seems like he finally notices her. All of Lex’s commitment issues are being put the test, as he’s trying his hardest to not fall in love with Sarah.

The band starts their Europe tour and travels to Lex’s home country of Ireland. Instead of a happy welcome, the group stumbles upon Alana, Lex’s ex. Alana’s appearance isn’t coincidental, she wants Lex back and she would do anything to make that happen.

I don’t think this book was as funny as the first one, but I still enjoyed it a lot. Lex is mysterious and I loved learning more about him and why he behaves the way he does. Most of the story takes place in Ireland and the author did some great research on the language. We get some Irish slang and cute accents, which was so fun to read. Sarah and Kiki’s friendship is even stronger in this book, and TJ definitely completes that trio perfectly.

Lex and Sarah definitely have chemistry, and their connection goes back all the way to when they first met, but I guess I am surprised that Sarah would still be interested in Lex after seeing him constantly hook up with random groupies and women. I am a little confused as to why he suddenly realizes that he actually has liked her all along. Their story is full of angst. There already is a lot going on with Lex trying to overcome his commitment issues and his ex showing up, the whole situation with Jax was maybe too much for me.

Overall, I really liked this one. I saw that we are getting a third book, and I couldn’t be more excited to read Cameron’s story next!

I received a free copy from the author/ publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Based on the synopsis and good reviews, this book looked promising and I was very excited to read it. The book is not long but finishing this was a big challenge for me. I started considering DNFing this around the 14% mark and almost gave up at many other points, but I wanted to read it all to give a fair opinion.

It is very hard for me to enjoy a story when I don’t like the main characters, in this case, most of the characters. There are so many problems with the main female character: minimal confidence/self-respect during most of the book, immature behaviour (she is not a teenager), exaggerated reactions, she slut-shames other girls a lot and was too obsessed with Lex. Sarah is incredibly annoying but not the only reason I didn’t enjoy this, there are a few other negative points as: the male character’s “I’m not good enough for you” attitude and inconsistent behaviour, too many cringe/cheesy situations and dialog, one-dimensional and stereotypical characters, specially the villain. The childish behaviour of Sarah and her friends was also incredibly irritating.

Overall I was just so annoyed with the characters’ behaviour/decisions/attitude that I couldn’t enjoy the story. Also, it is good to point out that I read this as a standalone, so if you read the first book of the series (focused on Sarah's friend) and liked the style and characters you may enjoy this book.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC.

Where can I get a dreamy, tattooed, bad boy, Irishman? This book will make you want one of your very own!

I read the first book in this series, and even though this is a stand alone, I really recommend starting at the beginning because these characters are just perfection! Sarah is the female lead of this story and her best friends, Kiki and TJ, are just the greatest. You get the full scope of their friendship and lots of laughs if you read this series in order. There is also a lot of mention of Kiki's older sister and you won't really get the humor if you don't read the first book. Ugh, just read the series in order already....don't MAKE me turn this car around!

Back to Lex and Sarah. Lex is a great leading man with lots of broody goodness. It's kind of hard to read how man-whorey he is in the beginning of the book, but I can get past it because he is well-written, sensitive, and sweet underneath his blatant badass exterior.

Sarah was less likable for me. This story often mentions how emotionally strong she is, having had a crappy upbringing, but her actions in the story suggest otherwise. Her character is very inconsistent. She tells of creeps who hit on her, but then can't get up the guts to ask a man out that she's had a crush on for two years. She is a strong business woman, but dissolves into tears when her love interest is speaking to another female backstage at a concert...literally just speaking. She is decisive about what she wants out of life and her career, then stays with an awful boyfriend who is mildly controlling and kind of a dick for months. This writing doesn't feel like complexity as much as inconsistency. This character inconsistency made me take a star off of my review.

Also, and yes I'm a cranky grammar bitch, there are multiple uses of the word OWE when someone is exclaiming in mild pain. It should be spelled OW. Is it stupid that it really bugged me? Yes. Did it really bug me? Also yes.

A huge bright spot in the book was a side character and his romance with another man. It's a lovely thing to see a family embrace one of their own as he "comes out" and also a same sex relationship that is sweet and satisfying. I love, love, loved it!

I received an advanced digital copy of this title from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Just as good as the first one!! Loved it!! If you haven’t read the first book, Coffee Girl you are missing out. This book is just as good if not a little better than the first.

I absolutely loved this book! Sarah is a makeup artist for a hot country band, Lex is the guitarist; their chemistry is off the charts but neither makes a move. Lex has sworn off "feelings" and so just uses the groupies that come along. Sarah sees all of this and is a relationship only girl; so feels him off limits. The supporting characters are fleshed out and real! it makes for a fun, lighthearted read that I couldn't put down. There is an lgbt couple and some steamy sex scenes with Sarah and Lex. I am excited for the next book!

The Makeup Artist By Sophie Sinclair (2020/06/11)
Rating 3/5 Stars
Disclaimer: Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC to review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
TW: Drugs, cheating, death of a loved one

The Makeup Artist is the second book in the Coffee Book Series by Sophie Sinclair. This can be read as a standalone novel; however, it does feature characters from the first book so I suggest reading that so that you can enjoy the full experience of this one. This story follows Sarah Bowen who has a lifestyle boutique with her two best friends and is a makeup artist for a country band. She's been in love with the Band’s Guitarist Lex Ryan for two years.

This year she vows to finally put her heart out on the line and tell Lex how she feels so that she can either be with him or move on. Lex Ryan is a Irish lead guitarist who is known as a womanizer and has no plans to ever have a relationship. When the band travels to Ireland Lex’s past starts to haunt him. He must decide if he is able to truly let go of his past and love Sarah or if he just let her go.

I enjoyed this story; it was really easy to get into and there were many funny scenes which I enjoyed. However, many of my dislikes from the first book stayed the same. I still felt like the characters were way immature especially for their age. It was hard to connect with the heroine at times especially when she would cry over things that she had no control over. I liked how friendship was such a significant part of this story. I liked that TJ got his happy ending with Connor (Lex’s brother).

I really liked Lex as a hero, I found him really sweet. I didn't really like the surprise baby plot that was thrown in there, I found that it was unnecessary and didn't really add to the story aside that it was used for a conflict. I didn't like how Lex didn't know when to draw the line between him and his ex-girlfriend (Alana). I feel like a lot of Sarah's concerns were understandable especially with how kind Lex was treating Alana.

I wish we had got to see the hero grovel for the heroine at the end. I feel like although he spent time and worked on himself, he didn't really work that hard to get the heroine to forgive him or for the relationship in that matter.
Overall, I would recommend this to someone who wants to read a cute country friends to lovers romance.

I really wanted to love this, but it fell a little short for me. Things I liked: the friendships, and Ireland. Things I didn’t like: the wishy washiness of Sarah and Lex’s relationship. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC.

Ten years ago, Lex’s life was way different than it is today. He did, however, like today fall head over heels for a girl. Even though his twin Connor said he didn’t trust his first girl. So, this is why we see all the things we see our Lex doing with other chicks and not giving his second love a chance, Sarah, the makeup artist.

That is how he ends up here in the US and why he is so closed off in many ways. When he lands in Nashville, he meets the guys and as they say, the rest is history. They were getting ready to go on tour to his motherland, Ireland, and he was late for the plane and when he arrives, he is drunker than two skunks. Everyone knew something was bothering him after Tate and Kiki’s wedding but no one knew what.

Even at his worst, there will still always one woman who will want him no matter what, Sarah. For two years Sarah and Lex, not knowing it, has a crush on the other, yet knowing they were both coming from broken dating lives never wanted to be the one to make the move.

Now being thrown together for this ten-day tour in Lex’s homeland boy will life be exciting. I have to say this second book for me by far outdid the first book. The author allowed the humor and yet the pain and anguish of the characters to shine through. I truly could not put this down until 6:15 a.m. from seven the night before, so that I could finish it.

The ending was perfect and to be able to see the growth and transformation of both characters was so much fun. I loved Maggie and TJ in this book and how his life was lived large and how he was just the perfect friend and how he made the bluest day shine. He was my friend in high school. Kiki was out there in this book compared to the first book but hey if I had chicks after my man…Shampoo it is.

I give this: 5++++ stars. Netgalley.com. Follow us at www.1rad-readerreviews.com.

Oh the cuteness!! Lex and Sarah took my heart for a rollercoaster ride and left me feeling that exhilarating thrill of the wild ride to happily ever after.

Kiki and TJ are comedic dynamite. I loved the antics, the friendship, and the ridiculously adorable nicknames. Lex’s family was so realistic, loving, and sweet. Sophie’s descriptions of Ireland were vivid and completely drew the mental picture for me. I swear when this pandemic nonsense is over I am getting my arse to the UK!

If you loved Coffee Girl, The Makeup Artist will not disappoint—more smiles, delightful romantic comedy, swoontastic love, and such an endearing cast of characters. Can’t wait for Cam’s story next in The Social Hour!! Thank you to the author for my review copy—get The Makeup Artist on your kindles now and prepare to fall in love.

I have absolutely enjoyed the hell out of this Coffee Book series so far. The Makeup Artist is the story of Sarah and Lex. I was suuuper excited to get to their book after I read Coffee Girl.

The Makeup Artist does end up being notably more angsty than the first book. I'm not typically into OW drama and the whole letting past relationship significantly alter everything about your daily lives, but I'm a salty married lady so, what do I know. But where there was extra angst there was also serious laugh out loud moments. (And I, again, was up until the wee morning hours reading this- did, in fact, wake up the hubs laughing so loud- Sorry, not sorry!)

There were quite a few moments I did want to smack the shite out of Sexy Lexy and his Ex, or his just his stupid male-ness, ::shrug:: But, he's a dude, and they can just be simple arseholes sometimes. But again, the funny would catch me or just the crew/fam getting together to support each other or the saucy times. And, all was right with the world again.

Oh, and I was super excited we got not only Lex's twin in the story but we also had a little love action for Kiki's BFF TJ. But, I'm a little disappointed we didn't get more on that story. I would have enjoyed some more MM representation.

I am so excited to where the series will take us next. I think it's Kiki's brother (?). Either way, More, Please!

*ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

Thank you to NetGalley and Sophie Sinclair for the ARC copy of The Makeup Artist in exchange for my honest review.
Sarah has gotten a dream job being the makeup artist for a country music band. She is whisked away on their latest tour.
Lex Ryan is a member of the band and sparks fly between the two. Sarah has been trying to keep her feeling inside but the chemistry between the two takes over.
While on tour in life gets in the way and Sarah is sure it is over between the two and she goes back to the US while Lex stays behind to work out the kinks in his now complicated life.
While reading the book you can feel the emotion between the two and with each page you want the outcome to be the best for them.
This is the second book in the Coffee Book series. The first book Coffee Girl will have you hooked and wanting to pick up this book the second in the series. Thank you, Sophie Sinclair, for keeping the journey you have us on with this series.

Loved this one! The story makes you laugh out loud one minute then cry along with the characters another.

This was fun and flirty! I found myself flying through it, although I didn't really connect with it as much as I'd hoped. I'm not sure what the issue was exactly, but it was "just okay".

The MakeUp Artist by Sophie Sinclair a five-star read that will make up your day. This is number two in the Coffee Book series and they are stand-alone, but I simply adored them as the series as they each tell different characters stories, they do follow on from each other in timeline and number three cant come soon enough, but I don’t know what to think of that one after the teaser we have already!! Anyhow this one simply took my breath away, honestly my heart was soaring, and I was so happy then my feet were knocked from under me and my heart was in my stomach and I wanted to sob my heart out several times during this story, at one point in this story I had to stop reading as I so badly wanted to punch something, anything honestly I just saw green and not the good type that came later. Lex Ryan, what a little Irish charmer you are, he is so smooth you could hear those sweet nothings whispered in your ear, and you can imagine being around that breakfast table, laughing at him folks and just soaking in the love. Sarah Bowen was such an easy character to relate to, not just as she gets called Sare more often than not like me, but it wasn’t just the name, it was her whole character. What a sublime author, I am so excited to see what words will come next.

Sarah has been crazy over Lex for years since she first started as his band’s makeup artist. But as much as she secretly wants him, she also knows he’s with different women all the time with no desire to settle down. When she decides it’s time to finally give up hope, all of the sudden she learns that he wants her also. But as they travel to his home in Ireland, she learns more about his past and part of his past that won’t go away.

I loved Coffee Girl and completely fell in love with Tatum and Kiki. But I think I may like The Makeup Artist just a tiny bit more! This novel is romantic, funny, sexy, frustrating, and at times, sad. But those components are perfectly balanced to make a fantastic read. The characters are well-developed without leaving the reader to wonder why they do something or don’t do something – their motivations are clear. The story was engaging and kept me turning the pages like wildfire until I was done. There was an appropriate amount of conflict to make me wonder “will they or won’t they” and she didn’t let her resolution come too easily. But the best part was Lex and Sophie. Their characters were already fantastic on their own but put them together and the chemistry was off the charts. Their banter is sweet and funny, their sexy scenes are fantastic but not over the top, and I loved the raw and honest emotion between them.

I was completely shocked to learn that Coffee Girl is Sophie Sinclair’s first novel and that The Makeup Artist is her second. This author writes as if she has been doing this for years and honestly demonstrates better writing skills than a lot of books I’ve read by more veteran authors. She is certainly one to watch and I cannot wait to read the next book in this series!

The Makeup Artist is without a doubt a 5-star read for me. I give my highest recommendation to readers who love romance with a bit of comedy. The characters will pull you in, the music will move you, and I really think you will love it.

*Thanks to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for providing this review copy in exchange for my honest opinion!

I read Coffee Girl a couple of months ago and thought it was one of the best books I had read in ages. The Make-up artist is just as good. I enjoyed it from start to finish. The characters were brilliantly written and so funny and relatable. If I could award more than 5 stars I would. It was definitely a book that I did not want to finish as it was so enjoyable being involved in their story. The only good thing was the teaser about Cameron at the end. Really looking forward to reading that one.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read a preview copy

After reading, well devouring Coffee Girl in one sitting I was so excited when The Make Up Artist came out. We don't learn much about Lex in CG which makes him an intruiging man of mystery. I was laughing from the off at this one. Sophie brings such a good level of humour into her romances which I love. Lex came across as such a damaged and tortured soul and we finally discover why. I loved the story line with his ex coming out of the woodwork although it was a tad predictable near the end. I really like Sarah shes such a nice character but at times I did want to shake her and tell her to get it together. TJ is still my favourite his scenes always provide much hilarity and I adore his wit and the banter that he has especially with Sarah Kiki. A fab addition to the series and I'm eagerly awaiting Kikis brothers story next

🎸 The Make Up Artist 🎨 was so so perfect.⁣
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☀️ ☀️ ☀️ ☀️ ☀️ ⁣
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Thank you to @sophiesinclairauthor for not making me wait another month to read the second book of Coffee Girl. I loved being able to dive right into the next story to follow Lex and Sarah, the perfect follow up from Tatum and Kiki.⁣
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This book was laugh out loud funny. TJ couldn’t get any funnier. His friendship with Sarah and Kiki couldn’t be any more fun to follow and these three have each other’s backs through and through and it’s awesome. ⁣
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I loved that a good portion of this book was in Ireland and the culture, accents and scenery were beautifully written and you felt like you were there with the crew, minus “skanklana.” ⁣
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So we are here for Sarah and Lex, and their story is beautiful and heart wrenching all in one. I could feel their darkness at times. Their friends to lovers romance was a perfect drama filled, steamy rainstorm. They both had so many feelings and such a difficult time just letting the other one in because of their pasts but they couldn’t be more perfect for each other. I couldn’t get enough of them.⁣
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Can Sunshine tear down the hot Irish bad boy’s walls and lead him into her light?! ⁣
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“Ain’t no sunshine when she’s gone...”⁣
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#bookstagram #romance #books #booklover #coffeegirltwo #themakeupartist⁣
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Sinclair did it again with this wonderful story of Lex and the Make-Up Artist. I loved revisiting these old familiar characters just minutes after finishing Coffee Girl. I already cannot wait for the third book in this series. I am so excited that Sinclair is keeping these characters alive.