The Sapphire Affair by Lauren Blakely Series: Jewel #1
Published by Montlake Romance on July 12th 2016
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Format: eARC
Source: Netgalley
Purchase @ AMAZON
Add to GoodreadsRating
Bounty hunter Jake Harlowe knows how to track a criminal. So when a group of swindled shareholders hires him to trail their former CEO, Jake expects a quick trip to the Cayman Islands to close another case. Until a devastatingly beautiful woman gets in the way.
Steph Anderson is visiting the Caymans for a rock climbing and dive trip—or so she tells Jake. She’s really trying to find out whether or not her stepfather embezzled money from his company. The last thing Steph needs is the distraction of a sexy, charming man whose kisses drive her wild.
Soon, the pair discover they’re after the same target—and millions in jewels. While Jake can’t be certain Steph isn’t working for her stepfather, and Steph can’t be certain Jake isn’t after the diamonds for himself, they can agree the heat between them is intense, and neither can deny the passion for long.
But the morning after, Steph discovers that she just might have slept with the enemy, and now she’ll have to outwit him to get everything she needs…
Micah’s Thoughts:
What can I say about this book? Well, it was great. I loved it. It was like an adventure and mystery and romance tied into one. Lauren Blakely is like a really good glass of wine from a really great winery. She knows what she is doing and what she does is ON POINT.
Let me warn you that this DOES have a cliffhanger. I hate it when I’m not 100% sure and I go in not knowing that. I’m not one to go into a series unless all the books have been to be released OR unless the release dates are close together. BUT! You’re in luck! Because they TOTALLY ARE!
So, in this story, we have all around badass, scuba goddess Steph Anderson. She owns a dive tour business that runs out of the islands and recently has suffered some blows in her personal life. Her most recent ex tried to demolish her company and her mother and her stepfather recently got a very nasty divorce. Jake Harlowe is in the recovery business-he obtains items that have been stolen. That can vary in meaning, but most recently he has taken the job of investigating Steph’s stepfather to see if he is up to any nefarious dealings with his new fiance. Steph’s mother actually wants her to do the same thing. A chance encounter in a bar has them crossing paths and sparks fly!
Because it’s called The Sapphire Affair, it can’t NOT involve jewels, right? It totally does. What a way to a girl’s heart. I can just picture these gorgeous jewels. I LOVED these characters. They are both feisty and have depth in their own way. I love that they are both after the same cause: the truth. I also like how it isn’t instalove. Instalust? Sure, but they put that aside for the common goal for a time.
I would give this book 4.75 stars. It was really entertaining. The added elements of the mystery and adventure really added to the budding romance and I cannot wait to start book 2: The Sapphire Heist. I cannot wait to see what is in store for these characters!
The Verdict:
Excerpt:
He’d have to get to the bottom of this on his own, and figure out if he was being played by the woman with the starfish belly ring. He wasn’t going to let last night’s kiss cloud his focus. He wasn’t going to let that blue bikini that hugged her hips, and had the good fortune to snuggle up to her breasts, distract him. Absolutely not.
“I’m glad you made it. I thought you’d get a kick out of Happy Turtle Cove, since you named me Happy Turtle,” she said, then dropped her voice to a faux whisper. “But it’s really a cove for turtles. I was just swimming with them.”
Stop. Just stop.
Swimming with turtles was too adorable. Especially when her nose crinkled. A constellation of freckles was splashed across her nose. He hadn’t noticed them yesterday. Briefly, he wondered where else she might be hiding freckles that he’d uncover on a proper and thorough investigation of her fantastic body. Preferably with his tongue, across every inch of her skin. “You were actually swimming with turtles?”
She tapped the mesh bag on her shoulder. “My snorkel gear is in here.” She gestured to her body. “Sorry, I’m still in my bathing suit. I’ll put on a sundress as soon as this is dry.”
“Or just remove the bikini entirely so it’ll dry faster. It’s not ever necessary to put on a dress on my account. I’m completely OK with the bikini as a sole item of clothing on a woman like you,” he said, then nearly smacked himself. He had to stop thinking with his dick. He had to use that head on his goddamn shoulders.
Cover up that body. Put a paper bag over your face. Stop being so damn sexy and sweet. Stop making me think about taking you back to my hotel room and peeling off that bikini and tasting how sweet your sun-kissed skin is.
“I’m glad to know that both nudity and skimpy bathing suits have your sartorial approval. But I actually hope to look somewhat decent when you take me to the Coconut Iguana. My friend Sandy runs it.”
He arched an eyebrow in question.
She tapped her wrist, even though it was bare. She didn’t strike him as a watch wearer. “Lunch time. I’m hungry. So I decided to let you take me out to lunch as a reward for your showing up and following my napkin instructions. Plus, they have the best fish tacos on the Islands, and absolutely amazing coconut drinks,” she said, stepping closer and bumping her hip against him.
A groan rumbled in his chest. Why was the universe torturing him?
He forced his brain to take over. To focus on facts, not lust. Because it made no sense why she’d be hungry, since he’d seen her at a restaurant two hours ago, and she didn’t look like she noshed around the clock. This was another sign that she might be working for the enemy.
“I’m hungry, too. Let’s head to the Coconut Iguana.” He held out a hand, telling himself that lunch was the perfect opportunity to get to the heart of who this woman was. Since she knew Eli, she might be a valuable asset. And if this woman was playing him, he could play her.
Purchase Now!
✦ Amazon US ➙ http://amzn.to/1St4NCU ✦
✦ Amazon UK➙ http://amzn.to/1Ubq9cy ✦
✦ Amazon Paperback➙ http://amzn.to/29loook ✦
✦ Amazon AU➙ http://bit.ly/1VwuFDJ ✦
✦ Amazon CA➙ http://amzn.to/1NrrLxn ✦
✦ Audiobook (narrated by Sebastian York)➙ http://adbl.co/29fbETU ✦
About Lauren Blakely
Lauren Blakely writes sexy contemporary romance novels with heat, heart, and humor, and her books have appeared on the New York Times, USA Today, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and iBooks bestseller lists. Like the heroine in FAR TOO TEMPTING, she thinks life should be filled with family, laughter, and the kind of love that love songs promise. Lauren lives in California with her husband, children, and dogs. Her novels include Caught Up In Us, Pretending He’s Mine, Playing With Her Heart, and Trophy Husband. She also writes for young adults under the name Daisy Whitney.
