PRETTY INSTINCT
Finally Found #1
SYNOPSIS:
“If opposites attract, then I am nothing. Because you, you are everything.”
There’s no easy road traveled to such an intense sentiment, one I never dreamt I’d feel….
But I also never planned on Cannon Blackwell climbing aboard my tour bus.
REVIEW:
4.5 STARS
That synopsis doesn’t leave much for you to go on, but I can tell you
that I enjoyed this book. It was very long and it’s a standalone, so you get a
full story in one book. So, sit down and get comfortable…..and soak in all that
is Cannon Blackwell.
This is a down to earth, really good “comfort” story. Liz and Conner
are sister and brother. Jarrett and Rhett are brothers. Together, they are a
family…..and they travel together on a bus in a band. Liz is very sarcastic
with a backbone to boot, very guarded and very protective. I had no shortage of
giggles and laughs throughout the book and really enjoyed her smart ass!! Rhett
and Jarrett take care of Liz on every necessary turn. Their relationship is
nothing short of special; it really is amazing. I love seeing a deep rooted
friendship that never wavers and they are always there to support each other
and not tear them down. They always have her back and make sure she never has
to worry about anything. Liz returns the favor and takes care of them. It
really is a cohesive relationship and they are all the best of friends. It’s
nice to have this ‘family’ after the being dealt the hand they were.
Along the way….they need a new member because the last one just didn’t quite work out. Lo and behold, sitting
at a rest stop, is the gorgeous Cannon Blackwell. Liz decides she has nothing
to lose and walks up to him to try and see if he would like to join the
band….he is, after all, carrying a guitar slung around his back. And they are
in a slight jam, missing a key player in their band. She is a little concerned
about walking up to him, and her internal debate made me laugh.
I wouldn’t be this anxious if I was
walking up to an ugly man. Or even a kinda good-looking man. Shallow much, Liz?
Nah, I have no control over biological response.
Up close, he’s better than photoshopped,
a clear-cut case for Guinness Genetics.
Her meeting of Cannon was quite hysterical, and her
bad-girl-I-don’t-give-a-damn attitude is freakin’ hilarious!!! I loved giggling
as I read their banter and how he came to be invited along and all the “tests”
he had to make it through. The best part? It set the stage for the best kind of
relationship between Cannon and Liz….and as comical as it was, it was sexy as
hell too! Reading about Liz and all the things that Cannon does to her, things
she didn’t know she did…..like blush. Ok? He brought something out in her and
she wanted to be guarded, but found herself allowing Cannon in.
The other characters played a key role in this story…..one of the best
wrapped stories I have read in a while. I really enjoyed that ALL the
characters were involved in this story and that they were all integrated really
well. As you read through the story, you really get a feel for each character
and what they are really like, and it made for a well-balanced storyline with
great growth and development.
The relationship between Liz and Cannon was not an easy road for Liz to
accept. Finding out Cannon’s past and dealing with the fall-out, she really has
a hard time letting him “in”; no matter how hard he tries. Her inner dialogue had me rolling…..I cracked
up so much. I found myself giggling out loud several times!
What have I done? I’ve knowingly
invited a walking, talking panty shredder onto my bus!
Cannon is nothing short of hot…..lip biting HOT. And the way he handles
her, you can truly tell he is a standup man and really feels a connection with
her. I felt it too, and it was so sweet. He is all man, with a dash of bad-boy.
Like, kinky bad boy with a very strong alpha side. He.made.me.SMILE. He was so
super sexy!
You open that smart mouth again, and I’ll damn sure keep it
better occupied….with my dick shoved in it. o_O Hellloooooo Cannon!!!!
One thing about him that makes me drool over him is the fact that not
only does he want to take care of Liz (which he does an amazing job of!!), he
notices every little thing. When a man can take note of what makes a girl
smile, cry and swoon, and then uses it in a very nonchalant way to benefit HER and not HIM, yeah….he’s a winner in MY book.
Panty melter? Check.
The progression of their relationship was very giggly-cute….and it made
me smile as I was reading it. Yes, Liz was very sarcastic and I laughed at her
smart-ass remarks, but the way you got to feel their relationship grow and all
the ‘firsts’ and the way Cannon started to take care of Liz, it was just a
super sweet relationship. I loved that he took her very structured life and
threw in some fun and quirky (and heart-thumping) things and he turned her out.
TURNED.HER.OUT.
If sexy was a sound, it’d be Canon
Blackwell’s voice.
They definitely go through their ups and downs, and given Liz’s lack of
experience in the boyfriend department, we have some downs that were very hard
to see happen, but it also showed their ability to get through anything that is
thrown their way. I think one of my favorite parts included Cannon’s ex, and
the way Liz came out of her shell and took care of business. I laughed and
laughed!!!! You go, girl!!!
This book solidified my thoughts on SE Hall’s ability to write a story
that makes you laugh and swoon, all in ONE story. She truly is one of my
favorite authors, and I know that if I should need a guaranteed easy read, she
is the one I know I can grab and not be disappointed.
4.5
Super sarcastic and sexy stars!!!
Love,
Bethany
PURCHASE LINKS:
EXCERPT:
“I can’t let a stranger on the bus with Bubs. What if he’s a mass murderer?” What if he’s not as pretty on the inside as he is on the outside?
“Ah, Mama Bear, run him through all the tests. You’re careful. And he might say we’re crazy and tell us to fuck off. Let’s ask before we worry about it.”
Biding my time, I chew on the inside of my cheek and look back, confirming Conner’s still tossing the Frisbee happily, Rhett watching him. “You asking or am I?” I sigh, hopefully masking the foreign tingle of anticipation working its way up my battered spine.
“He’s hetero, I can tell from here. I say we send in,” he flicks a finger back and forth between my boobs, “the big guns.”
“Don’t lick your lips!” I shove him, mouth agape. “You’re like my brother. That’s illegal in at least forty states, and gross.”
“You didn’t think it was gross when—”
“Enough.” I slap my hand over his mouth hastily. “I’ll go, but you stay right here and watch, closely. He makes a move for a weapon, dial 911 as you run to rescue me.”
“On it.” He grins at me, full of victory, a hint of his earlier teasing still lingering in his expression.
Girding my loins, I think, do women have loins and can they be girded or is that only a guy thing? Summoning my courage, I move with slow, hesitant steps in the miraculous unknown’s direction, reminding myself with each one that it’s for the boys, the band, the overall goal of staying the hell out of Sutton. And it is, but I’m kidding myself if I don’t admit I wouldn’t be this anxious if I was walking up to an ugly man. Or even a kinda good-looking man. Shallow much, Liz? Nah, I have no control over biological response.
Almost there now, his head lifts and turns at my approach, connecting eyes as sable brown as thick molasses to my own. He was tummy-turning enough far away. Up close, he’s better than photoshopped, a clear-cut case for Guinness Genetics. His lips are full, much plumper than my own, and he has a strong nose and jawline, both very masculine, the latter covered in a dark scruff. His hair is the same rich chestnut as his eyes, not too short, but definitely not too long. “Just fucked” hair (isn’t that what they call it?) be damned. He’s got “just fucked her and she had to hold on” locks, unruly in the most intricate fashion. The black boots at the end of long, thick legs are scuffed, faded jeans worn, well, and the long sleeved black thermal he’s wearing? Oh, he wears it, or rather, every muscle in his torso holds it up flawlessly.
Bottom line—he’s easy to look at.
“Are you a deranged serial killer and/or rapist?”
I like to open subtly.
“No, are you?” His timbre is deep and gravely, sending my vagina subliminal messages. Something along the lines of “yup, you want it.” With a voice like that, I’m praying he isn’t a chain smoker. To fuzz this perfect picture with the stench of an ever-present cloud of smoke would be one helluva slap in the face of the Almighty creator.
“No,” I answer too defensively, this instant, highly unusual attraction frying my staple “too cool to care” attitude that, up until right now, I’d like to think I pull off fabulously. “You any good?” I lean and point to the instrument on his back, brows bowed in questioning antagonism.
“Define good,” he deadpans, head down as he pulls the guitar off his back and puts it back in its case.
“Hendrix.”
“Not left-handed.” He shrugs as he straightens back up and captures my gaze.
“Page.”
He laughs, treating me to one seriously enlightening sound, accompanied by the sexiest blindingly white smile. “Then no, not even close to good.”
Damn, I should’ve gone with a mediocre guitarist! Now I’ve backed myself into a corner, Stranger Danger not giving me anything in the form of segue. Struggling, I shove my hands in my back pockets and rock nervously back and forth on my heels, forced to come up with another revealing yet seemingly aloof question.
“Why do you ask?” he rescues me.
“Our band.” I toss my head back toward the bus. “We need a bassist. And since you’re hitchhiking, I thought maybe—”
He drops down from his perch on the top edge of the bench and stands, well over six feet of sinister sex appeal stretching out before my eager eyes. “Do you know what a hitchhiker is?”
“What?” I shake my head to clear it and take a step back. “Yes, of course.”
“You sure about that?” He eats up the steps I’d retreated, placing his body close enough to mine that I can literally feel the battle of push and pull between us. “‘Cause where I come from, hitchhikers stand at the road, where you can see them. It increases their chances of actually landing a ride.” His left eyebrow curves up at one end and that same eye, I swear it, twinkles at me. “Seeing as how I’m sitting at the back of a desolate rest stop, I’m either the worst hitchhiker in history,” another step closer, “or you’re labeling me with the wrong tag.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
S.E. Hall
S.E.Hall resides in Arkansas with her husband of 18 years and 4 beautiful daughters. When not in the stands watching her ladies play softball, she enjoys reading and writing. She's also being clutch at Baggo, when it's warm outside!
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