Today, I’m excited to have Robin Bielman as a guest at
Reading on the Rocks. Bielman is the author of Keeping Mr. Right Now, Kissing the Maid of Honor, Her Accidental Boyfriend, Wild About Her Wingman, Risky Surrender, Worth the Risk, Yours at Midnight & Veiled Target. In addition to her latest release, Keeping Mr.
Right Now, I've read Her Accidental Boyfriend.
Bielman’s novels have realistic characters, well-developed conflicts,
and engaging storylines. So without further ado, Welcome Robin!
Guest Post
Hello Reading On The Rocks gang! I’m so happy to be here to celebrate the release of my Red-Hot Bliss, KEEPING MR. RIGHT NOW. Thanks so much for having me today, Andrea!
Summer is my favorite time of year and the beach is my favorite place.
“The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net forever.” ~Jacques Cousteau
This is so true for me! Being a Southern California girl, I’ve been lucky enough to spend a lot of time at the beach. Growing up, I wanted to be a marine biologist. I couldn’t get enough of the ocean and its sea life. I collected seashells like crazy! And the idea of studying all the things that made the ocean so fascinating filled my head with wonderful dreams… Until I got to college and discovered how much math and science I’d need to take to follow through with my childhood ambition. So I minored in biology (the fun part!) and since I was in San Diego, visited Sea World often.
Nowadays, if I could have the sand between my toes every day, I would. Plop me down on the beach with the waves at my feet, and I’m a happy camper. I love to breathe in the salty air, feel the sunshine on my back, catch sight of a dolphin, and people watch. I especially enjoy watching the surfers. ;) So don’t tell my other heroes, but when I decided to write a book with a pro surfer hero, I maybe, sort of, had the best time ever writing him. I’ve been Zaned, and I hope if you read the book, you will be, too.
I feel like the beach is the kind of place where you can do absolutely nothing, and be totally content. Or you can get busy – surf, swim, boogie board, snorkel, scuba dive, paddleboard, kayak – the list goes on for creating memorable adventures. Not many places can boast something magical from two different extremes like that.
"At the beach, life is different. Time doesn't move hour to hour but mood to moment. We live by the currents, plan by the tides and follow the sun." ~ Unknown
What’s your favorite thing about summer?
A temporary agreement neither could keep…
Brainy, organized Sophie Birch is no
beach bunny. In fact, she’s totally out of her element among the sun-bronzed
crowd at a film festival in beautiful White Strand Cove. When a surf lesson
introduces her to Zane Hollander, suddenly she's up close and personal with the
world's sexiest surf star. But what can a great-looking, experienced athlete
possibly see in a klutzy out-of-towner who’s never set foot in the ocean?
Zane Hollander's playboy reputation has
never been a problem…until recently. Now his management team wants him on his
best behavior to entice a meaningful new sponsor. Sophie Birch is the perfect
girl to help reform his image. She's genuine and respected—and their
relationship is purely fictional. But the more Sophie blooms under the beachy
sun, the more Zane knows he'll just break her heart. Because nothing's more
important to Zane than following the tide.
“Hey.
Sorry about losing you.”
“You
didn’t lose me. I left.”
That
she did. “Can I come in?”
She
hesitated a moment. “Uh, sure.” She stepped aside and he entered the large room
with an ocean view. The sliding French door was open, and the gravitational
pull of the beach led him to the patio.
“Nice
view,” he said over his shoulder.
“It
really is. This is the nicest place I’ve ever stayed at. Not that I’ve stayed
in very many places.” She came up beside him, and her cinnamon sugar scent
teased him.
He
wanted to taste her. Eat her up. “Is
this your first time seeing the ocean, too?”
“Yes,”
she whispered like she was embarrassed about it. “And I’m sorry I didn’t tell
you that before our lesson the other day.”
“No
apology necessary. I’m pretty impressed you did what you did.”
“Really?”
Delight wiped out her shame, coaxing big-ass smiles out of them both.
“You’re
a lot tougher than you look.” He turned his head toward the ocean, afraid that
if he looked only at her, he’d do something stupid. Bikini-clad women dotted
the beach, but not one sparked his interest like the woman next to him.
Especially now that pink colored her cheeks. He wanted to take her full bottom
lip between his teeth, kiss her, slip his tongue inside her mouth, and once
he’d had his fill, lick his way down her body until—
“What
about you?” She curled up on one of the cushioned patio chairs.
“What
about me?” He took the other seat, stretching his legs out and situating
himself for an easy view of the beach through the iron slats of the patio
railing.
“How
would people describe you?”
Her
question drew his undivided attention. “Depends on who you ask.” He smirked.
“Women and men have very different opinions of me.” The sun glittered off her
auburn hair, casting a radiant halo. “All good, mind you.”
She
rolled her eyes. “Do you ever get tired of it?”
“It?”
“The
fame. Being recognized everywhere you go. Having to always wear a certain
image.”
His
heart beat a little faster. The image he shared with the world was far from the
guy his family and close friends knew. He got the feeling from Sophie’s warm,
interested eyes that she really wanted to know what made him tick. In his
world, women only wanted to know how to get in his board shorts, so it took him
a minute to process her curiosity.
And
damn if it didn’t bother him that she apparently didn’t want in his pants.
My Thoughts
Looking for another great beach read for the final days
of summer? From the start to the finish, Keeping Mr. Right Now by Robin Bielman
is an amazing book. I wish I could tell you that this story would cool you
down, but that’s just not the case with this red hot Bliss.
The book is primarily set in California as Zane and
Sophie have a bit of fun in the sun. I loved the beach scenes in which the
descriptions were vivid and I got a real sense of the surroundings and what the
characters were feeling. I could only imagine Zane’s connection to the sea and
his backstory tied in perfectly with his career choice.
Sophie’s character added a special touch to the story. She
wasn’t the typical perfect woman with that perfect body. She was average,
klutzy, and had tousled red hair. Sophie
seemed to understand Zane and wasn't only looking at his superficial aspects.
What starts out as a favor evolves into something more. I
loved that Zane and Sophie spent time together without expectations. The story was believable because although they
were attracted to each other and fantasized about each other, there were
barriers/insecurities that interfered with them making a move. However, the
chemistry between them seemed genuine as they spent time getting to know each
other.
So if you want to take a trip to the California shoreline
and don’t have enough time left this summer, you’ll want to read Keeping Mr.
Right Now.
Rating 5/5
I received an E-ARC of Keeping Mr. Right Now from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
USA Today Bestselling Author Robin Bielman
lives in Southern California with her high school sweetheart husband, two sons,
and one crazy-cute dog who loves to chew on everyone’s socks. When not attached
to her laptop, she can almost always be found with her nose in a book. She also
likes to run, hike, eat cupcakes, and dip her toes in the ocean. Writing is a
dream come true, and she still pinches herself to be sure it’s real.
She loves to connect with readers. Learn more
and sign up for her newsletter on her website at http://robinbielman.com.
Giveaway
- Beach Lover’s Gift Bag – with a Beach Rules journal, DVD of the surf movie, Chasing Mavericks, lip balm, a beach ball, signed copy of Kissing the Maid of Honor, tiny Life's a Beach book and an I've Been Zaned t-shirt.
- $20 Gift Card (Winner’s choice)
great book! I loved it! my favorite thing about summer is icecream and vacation on the greek islands.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Elena!! Oh, I love ice cream, too! And I have to get to the greek islands!!!
DeleteHi Andrea! Thanks so much for having me here today and helping me celebrate my new release! And huge thanks for your very kinds words!! I'm so happy you enjoyed Zane and Sophie's story! Yay!! *hugs!*
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your new release and thank you for stopping by Reading on the Rocks! :D
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