Bet the Farm by Fiona Riley is a sexy romance full of witty banter, spicey love scenes, and dairy products!
Lauren Calloway is a successful realtor selling high end properties in and around the Boston area. She’s had a handful of sales fall through in the last month, and she’s in a bit of a funk. A one-night stand with a tall, dark, and gorgeous stranger sounds like the perfect anecdote for what ails her.
When Lauren spots Thea Boudreaux sitting at the bar in her favorite club, she struts over to introduce herself. Sparks fly the moment they make eye contact and it’s not long before Thea is back at Lauren’s place for a night of off the chart passion. It’s the type of connection that makes Thea consider turning in her “player” card and asking Lauren out on a date.
Thea is a Boston transplant. She left her family dairy farm to seek her fortune in the big city after her father’s tragic death. The family farm has fallen on hard times and despite her brother and mother’s best efforts, it looks like they’ll have to sell it to get out from under the huge debt they’ve accrued. Thea is beside herself. She can’t stand to think of her family’s legacy getting sold off and turned into luxury condos.
Thea puts pursuing any sort of relationship with Lauren on pause and goes home to discuss strategies for moving forward with the farm. She’s dead set on saving the family legacy. When she arrives, she’s surprised to find her mother discussing the pros and cons of selling the property with a slick realtor in heels and a power suit. Thea’s not having it, but when she realizes it’s Lauren, both women are taken aback.
Lauren’s there at the request of her boss. A lucrative land sale might get her career back on track but finding out Thea’s involved makes things complicated. Lauren’s committed to try and find a solution where Thea’s family can keep a portion of the dairy farm and continue producing their famous dairy products. But Lauren’s a realist and the numbers aren’t adding up.
Thea and Lauren can’t keep their hands off each other. It’s especially hard when they’re at the farm. Thea’s never been so open and vulnerable with another person. Before they know it, they’ve both uttered the L-word.
When Lauren meets a buyer, who might solve the Boudreaux family’s problem by purchasing the farm outright, Thea is crushed. Lauren was supposed to be on her side. Lauren was supposed to help her save the farm.
Will Lauren be able to come up with some creative business solutions or will selling the family farm derail her relationship with Thea just as it’s getting started?
Pros And My Favourite Parts
The chemistry between Lauren and Thea is the best thing about this story. They’re characters I’d sit down with for a cup of coffee. Of course, they’re both gorgeous and sexy – really gorgeous and sexy, but Riley does an excellent job letting their personalities shine through. Lauren is a numbers gal, and she has a knack for making everyone around her feel at ease. This winning combination makes her a success at work. Her warmth, humor, and spontaneous goofiness seal the deal, making her an irresistible main character. Thea is equally charming. On the surface she may come off as a player, but underneath she’s vulnerable and downright sweet. It’s clear from the moment they meet they’re made for each other.
Cons And Heads Up
Hmmm, this isn’t really a con or a heads up, but something worth mentioning. The smoldering heat between Lauren and Thea practically melted my Kindle. (I’ll never be able to look at a peach the same way again!) I wish there had been one or two more scenes without the flirting or innuendo. I enjoyed seeing vulnerable, and I enjoyed seeing them angry. I just wanted more of them.
The Conclusion
Bet the Farm is all kinds of sexy, not surprising coming from The Queen of Steam. It’s a fun romp, and if you’ve read book one in the Hight Stakes Romance series you’ll get to catch up with the protagonists from that story. (Bet the Farm works as a stand-alone, but I highly recommend the first book, Bet Against Me.) I raced through the book because the characters and plot clicked so nicely. Yes, the cliché is true – I couldn’t put it down.
Excerpt from Bet the Farm by Fiona Riley
“Are you dating anyone?”
Lauren smiled at her as she leaned back. “Are you going to ask me out?”
This was the confident, sure-of-herself woman from The Mirage. Thea felt herself get excited. Gone was the hesitancy to engage from before. She found herself wanting to flirt back. “Mostly I’m gathering intel. But I certainly would be interested in seeing you outside the bedroom, yes.”
Lauren fluttered her eyelashes playfully. “You didn’t see enough of me in the bedroom?”
“I’m not sure that enough is an achievable thing when it comes to you and the bedroom. But I’d be willing to test that hypothesis,” Thea replied.
Lauren gave her a broad smile, and Thea didn’t miss the way she licked along her bottom lip. “Okay.”
“Okay, what?” Thea realized she was staring at Lauren’s mouth.
“Okay, you can take me out sometime,” Lauren said before pointing to her shoe, “but only because you saved me from certain shoe destruction and a likely ass-plant in the mud.”
“Only because of that?” Thea rested her arm on the bar between their seats, leaning in slightly.
“Maybe not only because of that.” Lauren’s hand briefly made contact with Thea’s thigh before settling back on her own lap. “The whole carrying me like I weighed nothing thing certainly plays a part in my decision.”
“You do weigh nothing,” Thea pointed out. Lifting Lauren was as easy as breathing.
“Flattery will get you everywhere,” Lauren said.
“Everywhere?” Thea asked, leaning in closer.
“Within reason,” Lauren repeated from their first night together, and that brought a flood of memories to the forefront of Thea’s mind. Suddenly the distance between them felt too vast.
“I can be very reasonable,” Thea said as she placed her hand on Lauren’s knee, pleased at the soft moan from Lauren that followed her touch.
“I bet,” Lauren said, just inches from her face. “And I can be very persuasive.”
“Sounds like we’d do just fine together, then.” Thea moved her hand up Lauren’s thigh a bit.
“We were more than fine together before,” Lauren said, her voice thick and teasing.
“I’ll say.” Thea brought her hand from Lauren’s thigh to her jaw, bringing her mouth closer. She ached to kiss her. “That was easily the most memorable night of my life.”
Lauren’s full lips parted, and Thea swallowed thickly as Lauren licked her bottom lip again. “So far, you mean.”
Thea smiled because that was all the encouragement she needed to bring their lips together again, until the sound of someone coughing nearby ruined the moment.
Thea leaned back, whipping her head in the direction of the sound. Just behind the golf cart—standing with her arms crossed and a frown on her face—was her mother. Fuck.
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Series
High Stakes Romance Series
Bet the Farm
Bits and Bobs
ISBN number: 9781635557313
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books
Fiona Riley Online
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Note: I received a free review copy of Bet the Farm by Fiona Riley. No money was exchanged for this review. When you use our links to buy we get a small commission which supports the running of this site
