Rock Solid, an all-new sexy and romantic standalone by Carly Phillips & Erika Wilde is available NOW!!

Rock Solid by Carly Phillips and Erika Wilde

  Publication Date: November 14th, 2017  

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Rock Solid was a total surprise! I didn't expect to be accepted into the blog tour but I am so glad I did because frankly, it was a treat to read the latest from Carly Phillips and Erika Wilde. They are SUCH a dynamic duo. I loved that the romance that blossomed between the two felt steamy yet undeniably familiar and a lot deeper than expected--seeing it told from rotating points of view makes the connection deeper between not only the characters, but the story and reader.

We know the tropes of romance. It's either love at first sight, lust at first sight or loath at first sight. In the case of Rock Solid, it's the first two. I liked the contrast between the two characters and how the chemistry radiates off the pages and into the veins of the reader. Not many love stories do that for me but Rock Solid really played it heavy and smart--even in such a short time period. Something about this and the connection that Phillips and Wilde pen felt deeply satisfying and unexpected.

Let's get to the basics: one night stand, eventual child, a chance at a new kind of love story. It has all the essentials for a romance novel--drama, sweetness and sexy times. I can't believe I just said the phrase sexy times but to be fair, Rock Solid is one giant sexy time and I'm actually a little distracted by it. 

I didn't expect to like or dislike Connor, for starters. I am used to a totally different archetype, re: male leads. So, I honestly had this idea in my head that I was going to indifferent and unattached to him, but he definitely has a way of warming your heart. Not a lot of men in romance novels are purely good (flaws and all) but Connor is one of the good guys. I liked that he had a different idea of how the night he shared with Katie was going to go because--it was refreshing to see a male character portrayed in such a decent light.

(I usually dislike men in romance novels. Sure, the chemistry is often there--but douche-bags, can we not? So, thanks, ladies.) 

Of course, I loved and am partial to Katie as well. Like Connor, she's a good person. She has a lot more to her than I originally expected. Not that I had it in my mind that she was going to be lackluster, but her development really surprised me in a way that was different to Connor. You really feel for Katie. You want her to succeed in everything she does. You genuinely root for her in all the ways that matter for literary figures and okay, to be fair, I'm a total Katie stan. No shock there. She packs an emotional punch.

Needless to say: you want Katie and Connor to be forever. Like, I don't say that a lot? Even about my OTPs? Because, well, it's not realistic. Even in fantasy and romance, it's just not. But you can't help but to want that for them throughout Rock Solid--starting four years ago in the narration to now.

AND THE TODDLER. Let's not get into the darling, though. Because I don't want to spoil it for you guys. I will say this: MY HEART. My heart is all melted and and and... aw. I am not much of a kid person (I have the maternal instincts of a dirty shoelace) but even I have to admit... this little nugget is precious and there's something about them as a family unit that works. It moves you.

Overall, the reason I rated it lower than a four is simply because (1) I wanted more and (2) I thought a bit more could have been done to confront/tackle various things vs. glossing them over. That being said, I genuinely enjoyed it and found myself swooning. I am definitely going to be purchasing the other books in the Book Boyfriend series--from what I understand, they are all perfectly good as standalones but there was something so beautiful about Rock Solid, that I want to read something similar.

It's the perfect book to unwind with this holiday season. So snuggle up. Open your heart. And remember, it's okay to have book boyfriends.





 
Connor scrolled through the list of movies on pay-per-view for the tenth time, not sure what Katie might be in the mood for. He'd raided the mini bar as promised, and all the junk food loot was on the coffee table awaiting their impromptu slumber party. He was just waiting, albeit impatiently, to find out if Katie was going to join him or not. After her emotionally draining day, he wasn't sure she was going to be up to hanging out, and as much as he'd understand that decision, the thought mostly disappointed him.  

When he heard the door to her bedroom open, a flood of relief coursed through him. "So, what are you in the mood for?" he asked, anxious for her to join him and hoping that she sat on the same sofa as he did instead of the single chair opposite the couch—Jesus, what was he, fourteen? "We've got our choice between a romantic comedy, action adventure, or a horror flick."

 "None of those," she said, her voice soft and husky as she approached from his peripheral vision. "The only thing I'm in the mood for is . . . you."

Certain that he'd heard Katie wrong, he turned his head to glance at her. His jaw dropped open in shock as he stared at the stunning, erotic vision standing a few feet away from him, dressed in a sinful red ensemble that screamed fuck me, please. Unsure as to what was going on—was he being cruelly punked right now?—his entire body went rigid, including his dick, as he desperately tried to clear the lust that was quickly fogging his brain.    

He managed to close his mouth, but that only made his jaw clench achingly tight as he fought off the urge to do something stupid, like push her down to the couch and give free rein to the attraction they'd both been skirting. Jesus, he couldn't tear his eyes away from her and the see-through lingerie that exposed more than it covered, teasing him mercilessly. The sheer underwire cups pushed her generous breasts up like an offering, barely containing all that mouthwatering fullness, and her tight, rosy nipples pushed against the thin, lacy fabric. The skirt of the short gown draped over her midsection like a veil, sheer enough for him to see the indentation of her waist and flare of her hips, and a pair of tiny red matching panties he wanted to tear off of her with his teeth.  

He swore beneath his breath, and when she made a soft, uncertain noise in the back of her throat, he jerked his gaze back up to hers. He caught a quick glimpse of apprehension shimmering in those big brown eyes, which contradicted the bold, brazen woman currently standing in front of him.  

"Maybe this was a really stupid idea," she said in a voice that cracked with a wealth of doubts, right before she turned back around and rushed toward her bedroom in a blur of red material that swirled around her waist and thighs.  

Realizing that she believed his hesitation was because he didn't want her, Connor jumped to his feet and reached Katie before she made it halfway across the living room. He caught her around the waist with a strong arm and hauled her up against his body, her back to his front—and quickly realized what a huge mistake that was. 
   
She valiantly struggled to break free of his hold, the curve of her delectable ass shifting and wriggling against the thick length of his cock already straining the zipper of his jeans. He gritted his teeth at the onslaught of lust racing through his blood, threatening to eradicate his self-control and any rational decisions he needed to make. And the situation definitely called for him to remain level-headed so he could think with his brain and not his unruly dick.  

She tried to push away his arm one last time, but when it didn't budge, she made a frustrated sound. 

"Just let me go, Connor," she said, her voice defeated and so damn vulnerable. "Please."  

He wasn't releasing her until he knew she was okay. 

 "Katie—"  

"Don't make this any worse than it already is," she said, cutting him off, her entire body still unyielding against his. "I must have misread your interest, and I don’t think I can handle getting rejected twice in one day."  

Aww, fuck. The very last thing he felt for her was disinterest, but he didn't want to take advantage of her or the situation, either. He released her and turned Katie so that she was facing him, hating the wariness in her gaze. She looked like she was going to bolt again, and he wasn't about to let that happen until they got a few things straight. With his hands gripping her hips so she couldn't go anywhere, at least not easily, he backed her up a few steps, until she was trapped between him and the wall.  

The impulse to run his hands up the indentation of her waist to the breasts nearly spilling out of her flimsy top was so strong and so distracting he had to place his palms safely on the wall on either side of her shoulders. She tipped her head back to look up at him, and he nearly smiled when he saw the earlier doubts that had been clouding her gaze were now replaced with a stubborn attitude that turned him on way too much.  

"First of all, you didn't misread anything," he told her. "You surprised the fuck out of me, because I didn't expect you to come out of your room looking like a goddamn sex kitten. And secondly, I'm not rejecting you personally."

  Her chin lifted obstinately. "Just what I'm offering?"  

The corner of his mouth quirked at the impudent tone of her voice, and before he could think better of it, he touched one of the soft, blonde strands of hair that fell to the swell of her breasts. He rubbed the silky texture between his fingers, immediately imagining how it would feel to have his entire hand wrapped around the length. Tugging. Pulling. Her gasping. Moaning. Begging. The heady images in his head fueled his growing hunger for her. 

 "What, exactly, are you offering, Valentine?" he murmured, knowing he was torturing himself but beyond caring any longer.  

She rolled her eyes at him. "Isn't it obvious?"

  He watched as her tongue dampened her bottom lip, spurring more dirty thoughts to fill his head. "Tell me," he said, the words a gentle demand. "Just so it's clear for both of us."

  She hesitated for a moment, as if gathering up the nerve, then spoke. "Remember that fantasy I told you about earlier? The sex-with-a-stranger-in-a-hotel-room fantasy?"  

How could he forget something like that? 

 "Yes." She exhaled a breath. "That's all I want. No last names. No personal information. Just a night of hot, mindless sex."  

 Carly Phillips is the N.Y. Times and USA Today Bestselling Author of over 50 sexy contemporary romance novels, including the Indie published, Dare to Love Series. She is happily married to her college sweetheart, the mother of two nearly adult daughters and three crazy dogs. Carly loves social media and is always around to interact with her readers.