This book has such an interesting plot. It is refreshing to have very unique and "never been done before" plots and the author wrote it successfully.

The entire cast have funny backstories and are interesting people; however, I felt as though they had such intensive and detailed backgrounds that were too complex for side characters. The main characters I felt needed more of a solidified personality and the story needed to be more selfish, in, making it solely about them. Instead, I felt as though instead of the story being centered around our two main characters, we were given an entire cast of side characters. The main characters read as side characters and I didn't feel the chemistry between Cam and Josie.

The story also didn't read as "cohesive" to me; instead, it felt as though the author had all of these ideas, with all of these fleshed out characters with interesting characteristics and backgrounds to the point where they....they didn't overshadow the main characters, but, instead, they leveled themselves out and made them as interesting as the main characters. There needed to be more of an emphasis and distinction towards the main two.

I loved the overall message of sex positivity, the importance of teaching sexual education and dismantling the archaic and oppressive views that are included in the negative stigma regarding sex AND the fact that it takes two to tango so both parties should be held accountable for whatever is the outcome.

I didn't find the story to be engaging and it didn't captivate me; but, I could see how others might enjoy it.

2/5 stars

Posted on Goodreads 6/26/2022

This was a hilarious and heart warming rom com from Kristen Bailey!! It promotes sex positivity and self love/self acceptance which is wonderful message to pass on to readers. The characters are all really well written and some of Nan's responses will have you laughing out loud!! Definitely put aside a day to read it, as once you start you won't want to put it down!!

5* Addictive reading

For once the description of a 'romantic comedy' is accurate, this really is funny. Not just a few one-liners, all the way through.

Josie had her confidence knocked back when her fiancé leaves her claiming he's embarrassed by her parents. When she meets lovely Cameron she hides the fact that she runs a sex toy emporium founded by her parents, instead letting him believe she's a caterer. As they become closer, there's never the right time to tell him the truth, until it's too late.

Couldn't put Great Sexpectations down, it was so addictive that I read it in one day, a very funny book that'll lift anyone's spirits.

Thank you Bookouture and NetGalley for the ARC, this review is my personal, unbiased opinion.

I’ve never read anything by Kristen Bailey before so first let me say a big thank you to Netgalley, Bookoutor and the Author for allowing me to read and review this wonderful story.

I love RomComs and this is a goodie!! The premise of the heroine’s parents being former porn stores and now running a sex shop was so unique – I’ve never read anything like it before, anywhere – that I knew there had to be so many good laughs intrinsically built into the story and I wasn’t disappointed.

But the heroine and hero were absolutely marvelous and truly made this book a winner for me. Josie and Cameron are each scared by their pasts in different ways and each has secrets they’d rather not reveal to the other. When those secrets do become known, their budding romance is stalled and it takes a lot of effort by the secondary characters to get it moving it again.

Those secondary characters, by the way, are marvelous. Each is fully drawn, their own person, and each adds something special to the story and the h/h relationship.

If you’re looking for a fun and unique rom-com that’s a little naughty and a whole lot of fun, read this one!
5 well-deserved stars from me.

✨Book review✨
Great Sexpectations
By Kristen Bailey

This was my first book of Kristen Bailey’s, and I absolutely loved it!

Great Sexpectations was such a cute and hilarious Rom-Com, I enjoyed it from start to finish. The characters in this story were well done, and you feel like you are part of this outrageous family……and to be honest I would love that!

I can definitely see this being adapted into a Netflix show! Really hope that happens.
Until then, I will be searching for more books from Bailey!

Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5
This one has a Pub date of July 28th, so go grab it!

Thanks so much to @netgalley and @bookouture for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

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Josie runs a company that sell sex stores, and her parents are ex-porn stars, so when her fiancé leaves her because of this, Josie becomes scared to start a new relationship. However, when she meets Cameron, she cannot stay away. So what if he thinks she works in catering? How bad could be a small little lie? Well, when the lie gets out of hand though Josie is in big trouble. She needs to come clear or risk losing Cameron forever.

I love how sex positive and empowering this book is. It brings up topic on sexuality and the debate around it, and how stereotypes and lack of sex education can harm young women.

When you look out of the window and you see a cloudy day, it often makes you a bit sad. Especially when it’s during the summer and on a day in the weekend. Now you finally have the time to go outside and enjoy the sun, it seems she is on a day off too.

What you need on a day like this is a book to make you smile and that’s when I pick up a story by this author. She is the master of sunny faces and smiles galore. Her books are so lovely and funny. Even a snowstorm in June could not bring me down.

You might remember I was a bit sad after finishing her previous book. Her series about 5 sisters came to an end and I had a hard time saying goodbye. Not being able to catch up with them had left an emptiness in my heart, but she created another great family to fill this up again.

We meet the Jewell family. Josie’s parents did not have the most common job in the past and it’s not something you talk about on your first date. Even her own job is a subject she prefers to keep quiet about. It’s not as if being an MD is something to be ashamed about. It’s the kind of company she works for that often makes people feel awkward.

Of course keeping secrets, leads to funny situations, but in the end you are so entangled in the lies you feel like a fly in a spider’s web. And when then everything is revealed before you had a chance to come clean, it all blows up in your face.

Is everything broken beyond repair or maybe Josie is not the only one looking for an explanation and forgiveness?

This is another fantastic book by this author. I think I will crown her my queen of smiles. I smiled, I laughed, I sniggered and wiped away a tear too. 5 stars. No question about that.

Thank you

This book follows the story of Josie who after meeting gorgeous Cameron one night decides to protect herself and not tell him that she lives at home with her ex-porn star parents and their dog Dave, or about the minor detail that she works for their sex toy empire.

I loved this book - I laughed out loud all the way through it, completely fell in love with all of the characters and couldn’t wait to pick it back up every time I put it down! The writing flowed perfectly and I was sad when the book finished - I could have carried on reading about these characters for ages!

A very easy 5 star read from me and the perfect book to escape into!

I don’t know if I’ll be able to put into words how much I liked this book but let me try… I F*CKING ADORED IT!!! All my great (s)expectations were met and far surpassed.

I know Kristen Bailey was afraid she didn’t have a rom-com in her, and, let me tell you she certainly did, cause Great Sexpectations was one of the most funny, cute, charming and sexy rom-coms I’ve ever read.

She had set the bar pretty high for herself with the Callaghan sisters series, but with this fabulous and fun story full of laughs, love and sex toys (yeah, you read right, more on that later) she has made me fall in love once again with a gorgeous set of characters you can’t help but love right from their first appearances.

Josie and Cameron were such great leads. Their chemistry together was out of this world and I lost count of the number of times I sighed liked a teen in love for the first time or had a silly smile on my face at their interactions. They were so frigging cute!! 😍

As usual in her books, not only the leads were great. The whole cast was amazing! Susie and Johnny, Josie’s parents, ex-pornstars and sex toy empire moguls; Nan, her grandma and (fake) showgirl in Vegas; Michelle, Tina…I could keep mentioning names forever cause I loved every single one (even the hateful ones).

Yeah, yeah, I know you’re still wondering about the sex toys, so when you pick this one up get ready to take a crash course on dildos, vibrators, plugs, beads, vegan condoms and much more. Oh my, that must have been some fun research! 😂

I can imagine some people gasping at this dropping in shock the device in which they’re reading this review as if it was on fire, but do yourself a favor…Don’t be a f*cking prude and give this story a chance (you might even learn something!). This whole backdrop is just the excuse to deliver such an important message on sex positivity, being comfortable and proud of who you are and where you come from, and let prejudices aside when it comes to meeting someone. Not many commercial titles approach sex in such a natural and relaxed way and that’s to be appreciated.

There might be some swearing, some sex talk and even a huge dick (named Henry), but the thing Great Sexpectations has more of is heart. It is a great romance story that will have you in tears both from laughing (those double entendres!) and from those emotional moments that in true Kristen Bailey fashion will have you shedding tears while having a smile on your face.

Hands down, this is my favorite rom-com of the year.

Thanks to the author, NetGalley and Bookouture for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

After being such a huge advocate of Kristen Bailey's previous 5 books about The Callaghan sisters, I was a little apprehensive about the change in direction with the new Rom Com titled Great Sexpectations. However, this sexually charged comedy is a fun read that gets better as it progresses.

It has some fab characters, a very different type of storyline, and is filled with innuendo. and yes, there is a bit of romance at the end too. I also loved that it promoted sex for women in a very different way to how I was brought up. It gave a very positive message. Bravo Ms Bailey. 4.5 star

This book was extremely good. I loved the openness of sex education and how it was made an open issue within this book! I loved Cameron I think he was a really refreshing non-toxic male that you don’t see a lot. I think maybe there was an element of instalove, nothing too major, definitely not in a bad way anyway! I really like Josie and her family and how the story did include a lot about their relationship in contrast to how Cameron is with his family.

I definitely loved the ending, it was so wholesome and just a really good ending to make you warm and fuzzy inside really! Would definitely read again and I will be buying the paperback version!

Great Sexpectations is exactly as it is advertised - a very funny and addictive story. I read through this one quickly, finding it to be a refreshing take on a rom-com. Josie and Cameron were both such good characters (although the appearance of a daughter he hadn't mentioned was bizarre and completely unnecessary), and their chemistry was super adorable.

Josie's misinterpretation of Cameron's Comic-Con date was my far my favourite part, I laughed so hard picturing the poor girl in her sexy costume wearing a big jacket to the convention.

This is a fun read, with plenty of laughs and cute moments. I haven't read any of Kristen Bailey's other books, but I definitely will if they are as entertaining as this one!

Thank you #Netgalley for the advanced copy!

I love Kristen Bailey books and was so happy to get an early copy. In this read we follow Josie, a young professional who runs her families company, The Love Shack. A company that specializes in sex toys, a company started by her parents who were previously porn stars. Josie and her brother Sonny try to find the right balance of sharing their personal lives with others in fear they may judged for their parents background and company. To avoid this from happening to her new love interest, Josie opts to hide these parts of her lives. Then as you can imagine it blows up in her face due to their families crossing paths.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, the characters were believable and brought quite a few smiles to my face in the course of the story

I loved this couple right from the get-go. I was rooting for them and was hoping they got their happy ever after. This book was funny and made me laugh out loud multiple times. This was my first book by the author but I would definitely read more.

I was given an Advanced Reader Copy by NetGalley for an honest review.

Ah Kristen Bailey has smashed it again!
From the first few lines i knew this would be funny and it only got me giggling more and more throughout.

I love how this embraces the sex industry and shows 'normal' people who work these roles. They are clumsy, they are businesswomen, they are empowered- yes yes yes!

The romance was a sweet one, although how anyone could fancy anyone dressed as a ghostbuster is slightly surprising.

Some major cringe factor moments and one awkward dinner that'll never make you want to meet the parents ever again.

Throw in a crazy Nan, a strange hotel meeting, and an unforgettable TV appearance and this has the perfect ingredients for a rom com read.

I was shouting Yes so much in agreement with this read that I suspect my neighbours may have even suspected my own Meg Ryan moment. Just good writing. Promise!

This book was a fun ride! Just a warning, it is NSFW based on the major themes and sex topics. It features our narrator, Josie, who is funny, selfless, recently out of an engagement, and the manager of a high end sex toy company. If that wasn’t enough, her parents are former adult film stars and her brother is a famous soap opera star. She has faced many relationship problems in the past due to others’ judgements of her family. She meets Cameron, a video game developer who has so much in common with her, and sparks fly but misunderstandings and deception occur.

There were so many aspects of this book that I enjoyed, but one of the biggest was Josie’s parents and grandmother. They embodied an amazingly supportive, sweet, and hilarious family. I want to go to their parties! I appreciated the funny jokes and innuendo throughout the book, as so many of the characters had a great sense of humor- especially Nan! I loved the messages about acceptance, sex positivity, judgement, and being true to yourself. The only thing I didn’t love about this book was some of the deceptions that both main characters took part in. I’m not a huge fan of those types of dishonesty, especially when both had so many opportunities to be honest. I liked how the more spicy aspects of the book were secondary to the characters’ banter and character development. Overall, I would recommend this book to those who enjoy hilarious banter, quirky but fun family dynamics, and lots of innuendo!

Thank you to Netgalley, Bookouture, and Kristen Bailey for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

3.75 rounded up to 4

I thought this was going to be a typical romance book with a cartoon cover, and while it did have a very sweet romance in it, the real centre of the story was about family ties and friendships. It really was a lovely read, with two people from very different backgrounds colliding, plenty of outlandish white lies that start to pile on top of themselves, and lots of wonderful characters, which all comes together to make it a book that's incredibly easy to love.

I'd recommend it to anyone who wants a funny, light read with some sweet and fluffy romance.

Great sexpectations is another great read from Kristen, fabulous, fun, frivolous, flirty and frank!
Josie recently dumped by her awful ex, meets the lovely Cameron whilst they are both in fancy dress at a party at her brother sonny’s house!

The path of true love never runs smoothly though as how do you disclose to your new love interest that you are in charge of a sex toy shop, your parents were well known porn stars back in the day and your brother is famous! Misconceptions abound with hilarious consequences particularly when friends and family become involved particularly Nan! However the truth will out! Which it does in spectacular style! Will this be the end for Kristen and Cameron?

Aided and abetted by Josies wonderful friends and families a plan is put in place, however it seems Jodie is not the only one with secrets! Will they be able to resolve these issues and have the perfect happy ever after??

Such a brilliant eclectic mix of characters, great plot, unexpected surprises and romance what more could you want? Would live to see a sequel to find out what happens next!

Thank you netgalley for this early read.

First things first - this is most definitely NSFW. There’s willies and dildos and vibrators flying about.

I love that it doesn’t take itself too seriously. It’s a barrel of fun; funny, sweet and entertaining. It’s funny and frivolous but there’s a real heart to it. A real sense of family and being proud and never being ashamed of where you came from or who you are. You’ll find yourself in tears, for both happy and sad reasons.

It is a relatively short book at less than 300 pages, which is good as it is impossible to put down. It’s definitely one to be shared with your girlfriends. I’d say it’s not one for your Nan…but there is a fabulous grandmother in it who is possibly my favourite character.

There weren’t any characters I’d say I disliked. No…that’s a lie. There were a couple, but they were written like that, they’re meant to be disliked, so in a roundabout way….I liked them too.

It may be set in this unique environment, full of porn and sex toys, an environment not everyone is comfortable with. But it’s so relatable. The adult themes are just a backdrop; it’s more about the characters and their hearts and minds and souls. For me, it’s more character driven than plot drive, but that’s fine, because the characters were gorgeous.

It’s a real laugh-out-loud book. I loved it!