Best Friends...or More?

Amanda Thomas and Jackson Paris

Amanda-Mandy, virtual assistant to romance author Lily Jade. In love with her best friend, only finding resistance from him at every turn. Decides to move on, and puts up an ad on a personal online site.

Jackson, best friends since forever with Mandy Cake seeing her only as sweet and innocent. Until she puts up an ad on the Lustr personal online sitem with the headline mentioning that she;s "Looking for a teacher on how to please a man..."

Jackson, thinking he could scare Mandy off the Lustr site, applied to be said teacher, anonymously. Taking her to the private BDSM club Black Rose Underground backfired. His disguise failed him, the club did not scare her, as he had hoped...it only enticed her all the more.

Lines get blurred and lives change between Mandy and Jackson.

After all these years, can Mandy and Jackson be more than best friends?

Blush, Black Rose, book 1 by Helen Hardt has been a fabulous book. A very entertaining, very sizzling, scorching even in some places book.

If you like to read erotic romance, I definitely recommend this book to you. I give it 5 huge stars.

Friends to lovers
Steamy, hot with BDSM lite
Dual POV
This is the start of a new series and I loved the chemistry between Jackson and Mandy. He has been trying to keep himself in the friend zone and she has been trapped in unrequited love hell for her whole life. They are childhood best friends and she wants to start dating again and he pulls a Tom Hanks you've got mail on her with a mix of Christian Grey.
This starts some enjoyable teaching moments for her. Since no one can have her but me vibes roll off him.
Thank you entangledpub and netgalley for the e-ARC for the honest and voluntary review.

I looked at him as a friend until I realized I loved him...

Amanda and Jackson are best friends. Amanda harbors a secret, she has been in love with him forever. When she realizes he does not feel the same, she decides to put herself out there. A dating app seems the way to go. A man that calls himself Mr. Dark intrigues her. They meet at Black Rose Underground, a BDSM club. Mandy discovers she is very interested in discovering what this lifestyle can offer. When she meets Mr. Dark, she is immediately attracted to him. Mandy is pleasantly surprised when it turns out Mr. Dark is really Jackson.

Jackson slowly introduces Mandy to his world and Mandy discovers her secret wants and desires can be satisfied. I found this book to be erotic, lascivious that will leave you craving for more.

3.5⭐️
3🌶

This is a story about two best friends who love each other but are not aware of the other’s feelings and told from both their points of view.

I love the way their friendship is described and the ease and relative comfort with which these two exist. The hilarity between these two is something else. The ‘dance’ between these two is hilarious.

The way the author has expressed their thoughts is uncanny. She has created two people who know each other more than most married couples do.

I enjoyed the build up to what I will describe as the first climax of the book- there were nervy moments and then the player gets played. It was interesting and was totally unexpected.

I love the way the author turned the story on its head. You will expect the story to go in a certain way but the author has flipped the narrative to spike our curiosity and suspense.

After that, the book fell flat and did not pick up until much later- it dragged and dragged. This continued over several chapters riddled with miscommunications, mischief and misconstruing.

I love Amanda. She is a poster girl for introverts. Despite her nature, she still takes time to go out and hang out with friend. Being an introvert is not one size fit all nature like we have been conditioned to believe. Much kudos to the author for not falling for this.

Jack, on the other hand, needs a knock on the head. I can’t quite describe him as sometimes I want to throttle him. He got on my nerves a couple of times with his wanting to make Mandy’s mind up for her. Dude, she is a grown woman who knows what she wants.

I am glad these two found their way to each other. I loved when Jack said: “I remember you before I remembered myself”. I enjoyed the book and look forward to reading about the other characters.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley and I am voluntarily leaving a review.

Great main character development, great erotic scenes, great associations with secondary characters, just great. The only “flaw” I’d say this book has is that it’s incredibly repetitive. From one chapter to the next, there’s overlap of conversations and thoughts, and it gets to be a bit much after awhile. This book is 57 chapters and could definitely stand to be whittled down a bit. Overall, the story sucked me in, and I was reading until the wee hours of the morning trying to finish. Looking forward to a sequel (if there is one), as it ended on a bit of a cliffhanger, I felt….

This ARC was provided by the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

This is an ultra-spicy friends-to-lovers romance that packs a real punch with a BDSM twist. I think lovers of Katee Robert will enjoy this story. Mandy is in love with her friend Jackson, who only sees her as a friend. Yet he’s alarmed and more than protective as she seeks out knowledge of the kinkier sides of sex… and maybe he wants to be the one who shows her. I really loved Mandy, who always knew what she wanted, and Jackson I eventually warmed up to. I did love the emphasis on consent, which truly enhanced this story, and could not put the book down for the twists, turns, and drama that took place! I highly recommend this!

I am sorry for the inconvenience but I don’t have the time to read this anymore and have lost interest in the concept. I believe that it would benefit your book more if I did not skim your book and write a rushed review. Again, I am sorry for the inconvenience.

Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing, LLC for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Review: 3 stars

Mandy finds herself in a midlife crisis when she hears that her younger sister, Frankie, will be getting married. She always had a longtime, major crush on her best friend, Jackson, but she knew he was never interested in her. To get over her feelings, she used a dating app to find someone to gain more experience. Little did she know, Jackson, whom she enlisted to help create her dating profile, uses the app to reel her in. His purpose: was to show her some sense and frighten her of the idea. As Jackson's taste runs on the kinky side, he disguises himself and brings Mandy to the BDSM club. Little did he know that Mandy's taste may almost run the same way. 

When I read the synopsis, I was intrigued. However, the book falls flat midway through, since the disguise ruse falls apart super early. For most of it, the characters are in denial about their feelings which leads to a push and pull and off/on miscommunication anddd it took multiple chapters of the same and an event for them to realize otherwise giving it a repetitive vibe. It was also told in both POVs which makes it entertaining but frustrating at the same time since the characters are predictable. 

I wasn't invested in any of the side characters either. There were some parts where I felt Mandy perceived the side characters to be looking down at her and there was some fat shaming involved. I also don't understand why it feels like she woke up one day and says I need to go to the gym and this keeps coming up off and on. 

This book is also deemed erotica with BDSM thrown into it. Spice levels were standard for what is expected.

Blush, the first book in the Black Rose series centers around Amanda aka Mandy and Jackson, her childhood best friend. Mandy has been in love with her best friend for years and Jackson has never been one to settle down. He thrives on the kink he is into by visiting the Black Rose, an underground BDSM club that is familiar to those who have read other books by Helen Hardt. Mandy has had enough and is done being the demure, plain “vanilla” girl that Jackson has deemed her (at least in his own mind). Mandy wants adventure and spice and signs up for a dating app that will get her what she thinks she wants. Of course, this doesn’t sit well with Jackson, for reasons unbeknownst to him.

The relationship between Mandy and Jackson evolves into one of intense sexual attraction, but the back and forth between the two did drag on a bit. The constant “I don’t want to affect our friendship” played out a little too long and I wish there was a bit more spiciness between the characters. I feel like this book was one to set the stage for a new series, but there was a bit of repetition that I could have done without. Will that stop me from reading subsequent books in the series? Absolutely not! I am a huge fan of the author and will read whatever she writes. This particular book just didn’t knock my socks off.

Thank you to NetGalley and Entangles Publishing, LLC. For the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book!

Haawwwttt... Actually I loved reading this book so much. This is my first book of the Author and now I have added up all her books into my long TBR list. The way the writer expressed the feelings of the main characters was heartfelt to read.

Jackson Paris - The fear of losing a friend like Mandy was always there with him. His dark side which wasn't aware to his best friend was also eventually opened up by him. I did wait a long for him to accept his feelings for her but then when he did I felt like that was the right momen he must have realised how much she meant to him.

Amanda Thomas - Always crushing on this one guy who never looked at her. God! She's amazing and innocent with little thoughts of putting herself down among her sisters best friend's. When she's made known of all those certain activities insides the dark club by her Mr. Dark and Sexy, she from the bottom of her heart learns to please him as well. In every single chapter I was able to see how much Jack truly means to her.

MANDY CAKE - This nick name truly made me wish to have a Mandy cake. As much as she hates him calling her by that name. In the end... She's okay with that as well because all that matters for her is that He's with Her.

“Hey, Mandy Cake.” Then he widens his eyes. “I mean… Mandy.”

“Mandy Cake is fine . You call me whatever you want to, Jackson. I’m just so glad you’re okay.”

This scene made my eyes water. The emotion out here is something I wanted to see between them.

I wanted to see more happy moments between them. I was heavily feeling the thirst for this couple. Somewhere I felt the ending was rushed. I wish to hear them both express there feelings for each other even more.

I'm already excited to see Frankie's story in Bloom. I have already paired her with someone in my mind as Jackson somewhere gave us clues.

Thank you so much for the ARC @netgalley @entangled_publishing and @authorhelenhardt as this made me feel better.

Unrequited Love - For Now!!

Amanda has loved Jackson as long as she can remember. They are best friends and Jackson doesn’t have a clue how she feels. When Amanda’s younger sister gets engaged, she decides to move on, partially by joining a dating app. Amanda may be shy, but she works for a romance author so she has “read it all”.
When Jackson , who has had non “friend” thoughts of Mandy he decides to interfere. Mostly in the hopes of scaring her away.

An emotional journey, with lots of chemistry. Can two long-time friends keep that relationship while ramping up to the next level? Terrific read!

***** I am voluntarily leaving my honest review of this book *****

3.5
I like how this story is written very matter of fact. It allowed for me to get invested quicker. And that twist? Great! I didn't see Amanda and Jackson's story going that way. They need to get out of their heads and stop letting a good thing pass by. And this is a test to either strengthen their relationship or break it.
One thing I did find annoying is the indecision. It caused the issue to be repeated constantly and it was a turn off for me. Other than that, I found their friendship very strong and sweet.

This one was spicy!!

Jackson and Mandy have been best friends since they were in diapers. She clearly has some underlying feelings for him, but she pushes them down and denies, and he won't even let himself go there. She's his Mandy Cakes.

When Mandy's younger sister gets engaged, she decides it is time to join a dating app. Jackson tries to talk her out of it, but ends up helping her with her profile.

She meets a man and when they finally meet, he takes her to a sex club. She thinks she recognizes him and you see where this is going! Jackson doesn't think she can accept his "hobbies" but Mandy is more on board than either of them think possible.

There was a little too much of them both denying their feelings, but otherwise I did enjoy their cat and mouse game. Jackson was a horrible communicator and I felt sorry for Mandy some of the time. While being spicy, it was also sweet and had some fun banter between the two.

Many thanks to Entagled Publishing for an ARC and also an eARC through Netgalley!

I really enjoyed this book. Mandy and Jackson have been best friends since they were born. But polar opposites, Mandy an introvert and Jackson the popular jock. Mandy is coming to terms with the fact that Jack will not see her in the same way. And that she needs to put herself out there and move on. So she ask for Jacks help setting up a dating profile. After matching with Mr. Dark and agreeing to meet him, the last person she expects it to be is Jackson. Jackson is determined to show his best friend that she doesn’t want to learn about bdsm and taking her to a club should scare her away. But that backfires. I really liked that even though Mandy was an introvert and quite she didn’t but up with Jacks bs. This had some light bdsm. It is definitely a read that will be hard to put down.

5/5⭐
4/5🌶

Blush is the first book of the Black Rose Series. Which is a sister series to Helen's Follow Me Series. If you Loved that one you're sure to Love this series too.


We are going on a journey of enlightenment, exploration, desire, but most of all Love.

In Blush we're following the story of Amanda and Jackson. Two opposites that have been Best Friends their entire lives. Two people who each complete each other.
They're best friends in every sense of the phrase, they know more about each other than they know about themselves most of the time. However even the best of friends can keep secrets from each other.


Amanda has loved Jackson since she was old enough to understand the true meaning of what she was feeling. More than just the love you give you friend. She's been his biggest fan their whole lives. Always there for him just never in the way she's desired. He was the High School all Star. The outgoing and socially popular Jock. She was the introvert, shy keep to herself"Band geek". Not much changed after High School but Amanda is determined to move her life forward. Even of it means never having Jackson in the ways she's dreamed.

When Amanda is tired of being alone and having her life be not so stimulating. She decides to loot to see what's out there. She makes an account for a not so wholesome dating app and recruits Jackson's help with her profile. She's ready to put herself out there.

Jackson isn't thrilled. He want to help but is not sure this particular app is the right way to go about it. He thinks he's done a good job of vetting her profile bio so creeps won't come near Amanda. He was sorely mistaken. His curiosity got the better of him. He created an account and sees she changed everything. She's looking for a "teacher" someone to teach her how to please a Man. Someone with experience to show her more. She's inexperienced and she wants to learn more. Jackson is immediately filled with an unusual urge to make sure none else grabs her attention and an overwhelming need to protect what's "his". So he messages her on her profile... under a fake identity.

When they meet up, Jackson is disguised so Amanda can't possibly know who he is. He takes her to the private club the Black Rose. He shows her what inside. He's trying to sc a re her away from this lifestyle. He believes she's too sweet and innocent for this world. He is in for a surprise!

Amanda and Jackson are fire! Their chemistry is so off the charts hot it will make you feel the heat. They have the best kind of chemistry. It's the doubt that gets in their way. The confusion, the fear and the need for not breaking the bond they already have. Jackson's fears of losing her is overwhelming and cause a rift between them.

Blush will take you on an emotional journey you won't be able to forget. You'll be blissfully Undone by Amanda and Jackson's story.


5 Blushing Bright Stars for Blush by Helen Hardt!

Mandy is tired of being alone and inexperienced after being in love with her best friend Jackson since they were kids. She's decided she needs to take charge of her love life and sets up an account on a dating app. Mandy decides to ask Jackson for pointers on her profile. Seems like a no-brainer since Jackson is an outgoing playboy, right? Problem is once Jackson realizes someone else could have a taste of his Mandy he's suddenly not sure he wants to share.

I enjoyed most of this book but overall I had some issues. The best friends to lovers trope was super cute and is always a good one. This one just kind of made me mad though. Jackson really doesn't handle things well. He has had a deep crush on Mandy that he doesn't acknowledge because he's not the settling down type. Jackson is secretly into the bdsm scene and decides to try to scare Mandy away from dating by bringing her to his club under an assumed name. That all backfires quickly when Mandy figures him out almost immediately. I was actually so happy that the ruse didn't last long. Sadly it probably should have because once that was out of the way the rest of the book was Jackson being a bit of a dick and stringing Mandy along. Like alot. Lots of back and forth, hot and cold, "you don't really want this" moments. It got old very fast.

The actual spice itself had some good moments. An interesting look into the bdsm lifestyle but it didn't really go too in depth since everytime a good scene would start Jackson would pull back and start the "we shouldn't do this" song and dance again. I did feel like their friendship was sweet but Mandy is a bit of a doormat to Jackson and her sister. She tries to stand up for herself but ultimately just does what the other person wants anyway. The few times she had a backbone really made me love her.

The little extra angst at the end wasn't really necessary and that epilogue could be seen coming a mile away. This was my first Helen Hardt book and I'm actually still interested in reading more from her. All the elements were there for a good story but the characters and their attitudes didn't do it for me. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC opportunity.

Mandy has been in love with her best friend, Jackson, forever. Knowing he doesn't return her feelings, she joins a dating app. Jackson is afraid for his best friend because he knows what men on that app are looking for. He joins the app and matches her. Quickly, the match spirals to him teaching her the art of seduction. From there, it is hard to keep emotions in check, on both sides.
Opinion
Helen Hardt knows how to write a spicy book that leaves the reader happy. While I enjoyed this book immensely, there were a few spots that made me cringe. The book does revolve around a BDSM club so some touchy scenes are expected. The scenes in particular that made me cringe were not necessarily from what was being done, more so how it was described. With that said, some people will find it alluring and to each their own. This book though is not for the faint of heart nor a novice romance reader.
Many thanks to Net Galley and to Entangled Publishing for providing me with an ARC of this book.

If I ever see the word "cream" again in a sexual manner it will be too soon. Aside from that, I liked the characters, wanted more of the smut and didn't hate the plot. The cliffhanger here was much better than the ones in some of Hardt's other novels as at least it feels like this storyline is wrapped up. Overall, I liked this read but not sure I'd read the next book in the series.

**I received a free copy of this in exchange for my honest opinions.

This book was hot, hot, hot, hot. A fire so strong it could burn down the entire street. Aside from that was a deep friends-to-lovers romance.

For years Mandy has been in love with Jackson. Born a couple of months apart, the two were raised as besties and remained besties into adulthood.

The problem for Mandy is she has had a lackluster sex life and she wants more. However, she knows part of her problem are her feelings for Jack. She can't quit comparing all men to him. She is in an unrequited relationship with her best friend.

Jack is a great guy. He's so nice and ambitious, but he has a dark side. He is a member of a sex club where anything and everything happens (but in a respectable way - is that even possible - apparently so).

Long story short - ha - Jack introduces Mandy to his underworld and what do you know - she loves it! She really loves it. Jack, of course, now sees her in a different way and figures out his true feelings for her.

This is not my usual cup of tea in the romance genre, but I enjoyed watching these two figure things out.

Look, this story isn't going to win any best novel awards. It's kinky and kind of out there, but I just thought it was a good sex-positive story in which two friends finally unravel their feelings for each other. It's just a fun romp.

I can't wait to read the next book in the series.

Thank you NetGalley and Entangled Publishing LLC for an e-copy of BLUSH to review.

I fate BLUSH four out of five stars.

RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
SPICE: 🔥🔥🔥🔥

Mandy Cakes, Mandy Cakes, Mandy Cakes.

If Amanda Thomas hears that stupid nickname one more time from her best friend Jackson Paris, she should not be held liable for what she would do. The moniker is only the tip of the iceberg for the stupid friend zone her gorgeous BMF has firmly placed her in. As someone who has loved Jack since they were in high school, it was time for her to move on.

And she was going to start by being no longer Ms. Innocent. When Jack finds out that his best friend is on Lustr, asking strangers to fulfill her dirty fantasies, he takes it upon himself to protect her. Will his actions open a Pandora's Box that neither Jack nor Mandy are ready for?

This was a good spicy short read about friends struggling with a possible future of being lovers. Mandy and Jack do struggle with a bit of emotional tug-of-war, which can come off as repetitive, but to me, it gave credibility to their emotional and mental struggles with commitment. I could have had more spice given the description of the book, but maybe I am just being greedy because what Helen Hardt served was pretty hot.

This is the first book in the series, and it leaves an interesting cliffhanger that has nothing to do with Amanda and Jack. Now I am seriously intrigued as to where that road will lead us readers, especially since the side characters tied to that cliffy might be in for a wild ride.

** I am voluntarily reviewing an advance copy of this book. Thank you to Helen Hardt, Amara, Entangled Publishing, and NetGalley for providing an ARC. **