NO WEDDINGS
Authors : Kat and Stone Bastion
Genre: Contemporary Romance
No Weddings
Summary:
Award-winning author Kat Bastion teams with her husband, Stone Bastion, in this first book in the No Weddings Series about Cade Michaelson, a successful man with his sights set on a new venture in business, and Hannah Martin, the woman who makes it personal.
I think I have my act together as a successful bar owner, my master’s degree within reach, and a list of no-strings-attached women warming my bed. Turns out, I don’t.
Hannah believes she has safeguarded her wounded heart by shunning men and focusing on her new baking business. The thing is, she hasn’t.
When my three sisters and I form an event-planning business with Hannah as our baker, I have no idea how my life is about to change. As Hannah and I work closely together, the attraction between us becomes irresistible. And complicated. I’ve promised my sisters I wouldn’t mix business with pleasure. But I’ve never been one to follow the rules.
Rating:
One Funeral
Chosen by FreshFiction.com as their Fresh Pick for October 7, 2014
Summary:
The stakes climb higher in this second book in the No Weddings Series for Hannah Martin, a woman restrained by her past, and Cade Michaelson, the man who could help set her free.
I’m drawn to Cade as he charms his way into more of my life and offers me something I truly haven’t ever had: a friend. Yet his humor, patience, and drop-dead sexiness take my breath away, and I know my heart is at risk. I want to move forward but am terrified I can’t.
Cade seems to have it together from his own devastating heartache. His subtle actions, however, suggest a different story. And even though he says he wants more, I wonder if he’s able to trust in our developing relationship.
As we navigate through our tangled feelings, we vow to take it slow. Yet no matter how careful we try to be, things between us intensify—and there’s nothing we can do, or want to do, to stop it.
But the biggest question remains: Is chemistry enough to move beyond the past and toward a future together?
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Review
Rating:
Two Bar Mitzvahs
Summary:
Summer heats up in this third book in the No Weddings Series, where Cade Michaelson strives to balance his and Hannah Martin’s new relationship with the growing demands of his financial success.
Waiting for Hannah has been the best and worst kind of torture. Now I can claim her as mine. We believe we’re done with the past and can move forward together.
Hannah grows stronger than ever as she trusts in me—trusts in us. And when obstacles appear, she shows a surprising fierceness that rivals my own.
However, all is not perfect in paradise. Things get chaotic while I try to juggle multiple businesses, an ex from hell, and a girlfriend I’d do anything to keep. And in the middle of the whirlwind, I recklessly think I can handle everything.
But when all the madness is over, will I have everything I want—will I still have Hannah?
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Review
Rating:
Three Christmases
Summary:As the holiday season approaches in this fourth book in the No Weddings Series, Cade Michaelson strives to be better at balancing work and love, and Hannah Martin’s growing ability to trust is put to the test.
Lust and friendship brought us together, but with the increasing demands of my two businesses, Hannah’s thriving bakery, and our successful event-planning company, stability becomes my focus.
Then a once-in-a-lifetime career opportunity takes me to the West Coast, and everything goes into a tailspin.
Laughter, love, and excitement fill our lives, but Cade refuses to settle into the wonderful bliss we’ve found—he wants spectacular fireworks and an unshakable foundation. Driven like no one I’ve ever met, Cade insists a dream job across the country will be better for our future together, but I worry about whether we can survive the present apart.
When intimate time diminishes…and lives get more hectic…
Will a little bit of faith be all that it takes? Or will the sacrifice to get there be too great?
Rating:
I was pondering which ones of the books to review today and as I was pondering about it I came to the conclusion that I will review the series as a whole. If you want to read the reviews I've written to a specific book you can click at the respective link and find it on Goodreads.
Before you read on: *warning there are some mild spoilers*
The writing style of this, is clearly up my alley. I would have never read four books if it wasn't. But the prose is really beautiful at times and really witty. And let me tell, while you gotta wait two full books to get to the smut. It is well worth it. The smutt throughout is seriously hot. And we not talking about the same thing over and over, nope the Bastion's managed to keep it interesting and surprising- and sizzling over the series.
The character building of the two MCs is fantastic. I mean FANTASTIC. I feel like I know Cade and Hannah, understand them and most importantly I totally can related to them.
See I'm one of those No-Wedding-Commitophobes, who ended up married to a guy, who like me, works a lot, running his own business, we also both do help with charity events... and we both travel a lot for work- the best part, I wore green to my non-wedding. So somehow this clicked with me on a personal level, but the characters became real because the character building was done precise and thought through. We talking down to minimal details. I know these two, I feel like I spent a year with them, seen them grow and change.
The story line is the biggest surprise in some ways. At times a wee bit too cliche and fantastical for me, at others too long wound and slow paced, it did keep my attention and more importantly this is not the story of the everlasting one and only that was discovered by one glance - insta-lust and love are nowhere to be seen. THANK FUCK! To quote Cade. No this is a story of two people who after first attraction become friends and then more and more. It is beautiful. And looking back, it's one hell of a satisfying journey.
The best and my favorite part is definitely: CADE. *sigh*
And then there are the little details that the Bastions added to Cade and Hannah's relations ship. The three dots, utility closets, smocking marsh mallows, burlap sack and many many more.
This is what makes this a really unique series- a great series for lovers of the genre. If you are however looking for insta-fix you might wanna move on, or which is what I would suggest, reconsider. The long wait to the fluffy happiness that the end provides is well worth it in my opinion.
I still wanna ask the Bastion's questions... I got a few that were unanswered, since book one. Like; how does one co-author a novel but also; how much of this is autobiographical? And; How did they meet?
Well just to mention a few...
There are a couple of things I need to discus as well.
First: washing chicken? REALLY?! I am sorry but this is just a no-no... at least where I trained it was. And I did actually ask AJ if maybe I got old fashioned views on the chicken thing--- he trained in the Bristol, Paris and worked for Ebulli, Barcelone, he also trained me and is still working as a chef--- he was very quite for a minute. Then he said: "Please tell me, you're not consider doing it? I would have to disassociate myself from you professionally and possibly privately as well..."
I guess there is my answer.
Second: Wasn't bad, although nothing beat a cup of reliable Starbucks in the company of Hanna
I don't know what to say.... does Cade mean any coffee with Hanna beats the italian blend he was drinking? OR shock-and-horror that Starbucks coffee beats the italian? Well, since I haven't had the italian, I couldn't really comment on it, except there is the word RELIABLE..
So let me just say the worst coffee I ever had in my entire life was at BEA'14- it was from Starbucks.
And that is quite a feat. I drink a lot of coffee, I mean A LOT. At least 2 cups a day, but more like 5 a day. AND if we wanna talk good coffee? NOT Starbucks. It should be a micro roaster to start with...
but I shall shut up before I go on a coffee tangine, not only do I adore coffee and drink buckets of it, Mr. O has a micro-roastery... so yeah. *zips her mouth*
Despite my two rants, I did love the food writing. I am kinda passionate about it- you might have noticed. ;)
So: a must read for lovers of the genre!
And I for one hope that there will be more in the future from the fabulous Stones.
Rating:
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Award-winning and bestselling romance author Kat Bastion has teamed up with her husband Stone Bastion to create the new contemporary romance series No Weddings.A few factoids about the writing team…
Kat enjoys her chocolate rich and dark, her music edgy and soul-filling, and her vacations exotic with toes dug into the sand. And she’s wildly, madly, deeply in love with Stone.
Stone likes pounding the trails on a mountain bike, vibrating the sound system with rock music, and down time spent on a stand up paddleboard. And he loves Kat wildly, madly, deeply…and then some.
Together, they’re having a blast bringing fun-filled romantic stories to life and hope you’ll join them in the exciting adventure.
Kat’s first published work, Utterly Loved, was a twentieth anniversary gift of love poems to Stone that they decided to share with the world to benefit charity. Net proceeds from Utterly Loved, and a portion of net proceeds from all their books, go toward charities involved in the fight against human trafficking.
Kat and Stone live amid the beautiful Sonoran Desert of Arizona. Visit their blog at www.talktotheshoe.com, website at www.katbastion.com, and their Twitter accounts at https://twitter.com/KatBastion and https://twitter.com/StoneBastion for more information.
Keep informed about new releases by joining their Email Subscription list.
Enter Kat and Stone's Giveaway!!
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Quotes
A connection flared stronger there. Some unnamable bond, fragile new, had begun to form between us, and it had flickered to life long before she'd created a mural of every tattered heart's emotions exploded in a million pieces. Only now, I realized something very important- she knew devastating heartache too.
No Weddings
Love is a complete and utter disaster. But even with all the heartache, we have to believe there is joy.
No Weddings
Real love is messy. It's fights, but more about making up. It's pulling apart to find our own paths, but running together and holding on tight, refusing to let go. Love is the calm in the middle of the storm.
No Weddings
Why was I so black and white when it came to my heart? As I sat there, held by someone who had been there and survived, I remembered why. And accepted it. I'd buried my emotions behind a wall of steel because I hadn't been ready. I didn't want to trust that it would never happen again. And... it had hurt like a motherfucking bitch.
No Weddings
Well, that made two of us, because in the next breath after saying how noncommittal I was, I felt drawn toward her in a way I hadn't with anyone in a long time. And it scared the shit out of me.
No Weddings
In the history of dating, I'd be willing to bet no man has ever made an appointment for sex and a musical on the third date.
No Weddings
We've come a long way in a couple of months after burning bad memories of our past, in this very backyard, to give us a chance at a future together. And now here we are.
Two Bar Mitzvahs
I'm shocked at you, Maestro. Who are you, and what have you done with Hannah?
She's gone camping!
Two Bar Mitzvahs
And so, safe in our campsite in the middle of the Pocono Mountains, beside the only person in the world I wanted to be with, we watched our poor innocent marshmallows give up tendrils of smoke in surrender right before they burst into flames
Two Bar Mitzvahs
I'm a guy; we go there. Not gonna feel guilty about it.
Two Bar Mitzvahs
Little sandwiches - food no grown man would touch unless nothing else existed - were arranged on a tower of connected silver platters
Two Bar Mitzvahs
...beer, of the all-is-right-in-the-world variety
Two Bar Mitzvahs
I leaned over to my comrade in normalcy. "Wanna see if they have a supply closet?"
Two Bar Mitzvahs
Kikki grabbed another miniature sandwich. It was her fourth; I'd been counting.
And still, when you added hem all together, it didn't equal a whole sandwich
Two Bar Mitzvahs
Two Bar Mitzvahs
Shaking my head, I set my nearly empty bottle down. "Captive audience, outrages rates, and low nutrition. Keep the members brain-dead, and they'll keep spending money.
Two Bar Mitzvahs
"Are you two coming?"Kendal popped her head around the corner. No. But we'd like to be.
Two Bar Mitzvahs
I needed what she provided: grounding, understanding, comfort. To be lost and found - with her.
Two Bar Mitzvahs
There aren't enough words to describe what you do to me, for me. Every day, I wake thinking about how I can make you smile, cause your laugh. I know I love you because of the things I want to learn about you, endless ways I want to touch your body, your heart. There are so many adventures I want to take you one, experiences I want to have with you- just to live in that moment with you.
Two Bar Mitzvahs
Where did those annoyed looks originate, anyway? Women must've patented the damned thing and gifted the ability to each other when men weren't paying attention.
Two Bar Mitzvahs
Wasn't bad, although nothing beat a cup of reliable Starbucks in the company of Hanna
Two Bar Mitzvahs
I gripped my coffee mug like an anti-puke lifeline and raised it up in front of my face in self-defense.
Two Bar Mitzvahs
Fuck. Do all women have an ingrained ability to remember old resolved screw-up to recycle at a later date?
Two Bar Mitzvahs
Intimacy doesn't take a lot of time, but you have to make the time. You can't work long hours, days at the time, only keeping the prize at the end. A healthy relationship meeds constant attention, daily, even if just a few moments to connect. Like a pot on the stove - you want to keep it on simmer so it doesn't boil over.
Two Bar Mitzvahs
"The next time I run. And there will be a next time; I am going to run- this we've established." She paused, and the corners of my lips twitched as I fought a smile. Her hand squeezed my knee.
"You have to chase me. I'm so fucked up when I'm lost in the middle of a panic attack, I don't think. You have to think for me. Chase after me. Always fight for us, even when I can't" Her voice fell to a pleading whisper, her tears spilling over onto her cheeks. "Promise me."
Two Bar Mitzvahs
"That's why I came back."Laughing, she tilted her head."My soaking wet kiss?" I tapped her nose. "Nope."I arched a brow. "Although I do like you wet..."She shoved at my chest with little force. "Neanderthal."
Two Bar Mitzvahs
I could've done a meadow of cupcakes and run naked through them. But I bake for shit, and arrested for streaking seemed like the wrong message
Two Bar Mitzvahs
"Did you just smell me?""Mmm-hmm. You smell amazing, spicy male."Glad you like my sweat."
Three Christmases
But I held back, dimply aware the authorities frowned upon standing sex in the middle of an airport terminal.
Three Christmases
I flipped him off. Hey, I missed the crazy fucker. Had to show him some reunion love.
Three Christmases
"Damn, I missed the fuck out of you"
"Any other swear words you'd like to fit into that sentence?"
"No"
Three Christmases
A lazy smile curved his lips in concert with mine. Words weren't necessary. He knew. After all we'd been through, he spoke my language.
Three Christmases
"Perfection."I grinned. "And the chicken's damn good too.""
He knew. I knew. And we both knew the other knew. The impasse between us was like a drug.
Three Christmases
"Yeah,"he murmured against my skin. "Do I love having sex with you? Fuck yeah, I do. Making you laugh or throw cupcakes at my head? Yes. And yes. But the quiet after, when all we need is to lie together, touch. Absolute favorite time."
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