He’s the one she’s never forgotten.
She’s the one he regrets letting go.
Now they have a second chance to get it right.
When Skye Tremont runs into her sexy former flame, Tripp Daniels, she’s reminded of the baby pact they’d made years ago… If she was single and childless by the age of thirty, he’d step in and be her baby daddy and fulfill her dream of having a child.
Now, after a bitter divorce that has left her guarding her heart, and wanting only one thing, Skye is ready to take Tripp up on his promise. When he’s one of the bachelors up for bid at a charity auction, it’s the perfect opportunity to have him all to herself for a weekend of baby making fun, as long as he agrees to her terms.
Tripp is on board to fulfill the promise he made to Skye. If he’s going to have a baby with anyone, it’s going to be the one woman he’d foolishly let slip through his fingers. But not this time because he’s all in. Skye is even more beautiful than he remembers, and the chemistry between them is hotter than ever, but while she gives him free rein with her body, she’s made it clear her heart is off limits.
Now, with a second chance within his grasp, Tripp is prepared to do whatever it takes to win the woman he loves and give them both the family they’ve always craved.
| Title: | Just A Little Promise |
| Author: | Carly Phillips & Erika Wilde |
| Series: | Dare Crossover (Book 3) |
| Pages: | 242 |
| Genre(s): | Contemporary |
| Trope(s): | Temporary Relationship Second Chance Romance |
| Point of View: | Third Person, Past Tense, Dual Viewpoints (H&h) |
| Location: | New York, US |
| HEA: | ✔️ |
| Release Date: | 23rd January, 2024 |
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Baby making fun
This is another fun collaboration between Carly Phillips and Erika Wilde, the third in their Dare Crossover series. It features side characters from the Dirty Dare / Kingston Family series’ who are all connected in some way or another. But you don’t have to have read any other books to understand and enjoy this one. In fact, when Tripp is trying to tell Skye about all the connections, he often leaves it with just a “it’s complicated”! So if she doesn’t need to know, neither do you!
I’m pretty sure Tripp and Skye were teased in the previous book in this series, Just a Little Secret, about Tripp’s brother, Derek. But I don’t think that the authors stuck with their original plan as how Skye and Tripp reconnect isn’t the same as it was in the teaser and the bachelor auction takes place mid-story rather than at the start. But no bother – it’s all good so long as I get a good romance.
And I definitely did. Tripp and Skye were, well, mostly friends with benefits back in college until Skye caught feelings and Tripp decided he wasn’t ready for commitment. Not a terrible crime on Tripp’s part but even if we did feel he’d been cruel to Skye, it’s more than made up for by the realisation that he’s regretted his decision ever since. He’s a likeable character all round and I enjoyed the way that he knew that he wanted Skye forever rather than just as a hook-up or as her baby daddy. Sort of unrequited / he falls first vibes even if we know fine well that Skye feels the same way but is just scared to open herself up again.
“…you’re reading a book from the queens of Harlequin Blaze (RIP).”
Skye is more complicated than Tripp in that she’s gone through an abusive marriage that has definitely left some emotional scars. You understand her reticence to have a real relationship even if it’s fairly obvious that her walls aren’t going to last under Tripp’s onslaught. I liked her blend of feisty and a little damaged. She was real and I rooted for her.
Together Tripp and Skye have a good chemistry and seeing that they’re old friends, sex happens very quickly in the book. But due to their shared history, they still have an emotional connection which is essential for me to enjoy the characters. Tripp has a bit of a bossiness in the bedroom which is what Skye needs and what I like. Definitely two thumbs up for the sex scenes. Hardly surprising when you’re reading a book from the queens of Harlequin Blaze (RIP).
There’s also a little bit of, well, I suppose you could call it suspense, happening in the book what with Skye’s ex-husband causing problems. Perhaps ‘danger’ is a better word. It doesn’t dominate the story, it doesn’t unnecessarily scare you, but it adds a nice tension to the story later on. It came at a time when the story was just beginning to slow, so it definitely kept me hooked.
I make no bones about the fact that I love Carly Phillips writing and her characters – and she and Erika Wilde definitely make a great writing pair. The stories are short, sexy and always an enjoyable and satisfying read. Whether you’re a fan of either author or you just want a cute, second chance romance, I would recommend this to you. 5 stars.
*I received this book in exchange for my honest review*
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| Carly Phillips gives her readers alphalicious heroes to swoon for and romance to set your heart on fire, and she loves everything about writing romance. She married her college sweetheart and lives in Purchase, NY along with her three crazy dogs: two wheaten terriers and a mutant Havanese, who are featured on her Facebook and Instagram. She has raised two incredible daughters who put up with having a mom as a romance author. Carly is the author of over fifty romances, and is a NY Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestseller. | Erika Wilde is a New York Times Bestselling author. She is best known for her super sexy Marriage Diaries series and The Players Club series, and has also co-written the Dirty Sexy Series and the Book Boyfriend Series with Carly Phillips, her best friend and writing buddy for the past twenty years. She lives in Oregon with her husband and two daughters, and when she’s not writing you can find her exploring the beautiful Pacific Northwest. For more information on her upcoming releases, please visit her website at www.erikawilde.com and sign up for her mailing list for updates and news! |
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The Dare Crossover Series:
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