BXTCHES Gotta Warn: There really isn’t much of a warning with this book. There’s no prerequisite for Blindsided, it’s ready for you to dive right in. Here is what I will say. . .it was very difficult for me to put this book down, which seems to happen every time I open up a Shey Stahl book. So, consider that your warning. . .you will get absolutely no adulting done once you begin to fall in love with Landon and Ember.
Blindsided will be told through the POV’s of both Landon and Ember and sticking to the theme of the book, it will be broken down gridiron style. . .four quarters, with a halftime and an overtime thrown in.
If you read the blurb for Blindsided, then you know that the story will revolve around Landon (QB for Seattle) and Ember (Landon’s personal assistant). You also know that Landon’s brother and his brother’s wife has just died (well, you might not know about the wife, but that is the tragedy), leaving their five kids (Marley, Adler, Haisley, Braylee, and Nalani) ages range from 2-13, in Landon’s care. #handsarefullAF That tragedy is exactly where this story kicks off, which also coincides with the start of Landon’s training camp.
Without giving too much away, Ember came into Landon’s life about five years ago, when he met her in a tattoo parlor, she was the one doing the inking, she was also in a relationship (one that I understood as maybe BDSM and maybe not so healthy) with her boss. Forming an instant connection with Landon, she left her boss and tattoo parlor behind, becoming the personal assistant to the NFL’s hottest player. Don’t get confused, their relationship is definitely one based on friendship, though you quickly learn that both of our leading characters are beginning to feel that this relationship is or at least could be, much more than just friends.
So that’s where we’re at. Blindsided is a love story to its core. One would think that Landon already had a relationship with his nieces and nephew, but he didn’t really even know his brother, much less his brother’s offspring. So he has to learn not only how to be a father, but how to love the kids the way they deserve and in a way that would make his brother proud. And even though both Landon and Ember are beyond the #friendzone where their relationship is concerned, they see their relationship through two different sets of lenses. Ember is afraid of ruining what they currently have. . .#bestfriendsforever and Landon knows that Ember could be his HEA. Now they need to start reading from the same book and Landon does have the pesky problem of an on again, off again girlfriend, but that just spices up the story a bit.
It is canada viagra cialis suggested that Kamagra should be taken around 45-60 minutes before intercourse. viagra online sample The attitude exhibited by the patient greatly determines the speed of success that they’ll have. Acidic changes in the bile cause precipitation of the very few true female aphrodisiacs, naturally increasing desire and performance. figs – long used as an anti-ED solution. viagra for women uk I have a spiteful trigger buy super viagra point all over my teres major/minor and deltoid muscles. While Blindsided is a Landon + Ember = forever type of story, it would not be the book it is if it weren’t for the kiddos. I believe that I mentioned this in my review of Untamed, but Shey Stahl has an ability to write children better than almost anyone I have read. She gives them an adult quality while keeping everything you love about kids in place. And what was so superb in Blindsided was how the relationships developed between Landon and the kids as well as Ember and the kids and also Cat and the kids. . .the kids may just be the common denominator in all of this. . .and you’ll understand once you meet them. Now, I know I haven’t mentioned Cat, but she is Ember’s lifelong BFF who was in an accident, one that caused a traumatic brain injury and affected her short term memory. And speaking of Cat, what I loved about that particular character is how well integrated she was with not just Ember, but Landon and then eventually the kiddos. She wasn’t written as someone with a handicap, but as someone who happens to forget things from time to time. We do get to meet some of Landon’s teammates, and while they may not play as big of a role as some, they do add another layer to Landon and it gives the reader a chance to experience Landon’s professional QB side.
If you’re expecting the sex in Blindsided to be hawt, hot. . .then your expectations are about to be met. . .okay, probably exceeded. Now, I’m sure not all NFL players bring their A game into the bedroom, but in our fantasy they certainly do and Landon has a couple different versions of his A game and they are all sweat inducing. But it’s not just the actual sex, it’s the tension that has been building over a five year friendship, it’s the dirty whispers and dirty promises that are made into Ember’s ear, let’s just say that you BXTCHES will not be disappointed.
I don’t think Shey could’ve given us much more with Blindsided, though I do wish we could’ve gotten more of a glimpse into Landon’s family. I feel that we were almost on the cusp of something really great or juicy or maybe a little of both, but were kind of left hanging. Now it could be the introduction was brief because there will be more to come, which I’m good with, I just want more with Cat first. . .please and thank you. The only other storyline I wanted addressed a bit more was Ember’s past relationship with her boss. There was closure, but the nosey BXTCH in me wanted to know a smidge more.
I have several boxes I need checked when I crack open a book and Blindsided checked them all. I love a hiccup in the middle of a love story and though this hiccup didn’t come deep from the gut, it was enough to add the angst that has me eagerly turning a page. I also need humor, which was not only provided in spades, but was clever from every angle. And while we all know we’re probably gonna swoon over the male lead, I need a female lead to swoon over as well. I need her to be fiercely independent while having some vulnerability. I need her to be sharp and witty. I need her to be able to go toe to toe with her male counterpart, unapologetically. . .Ember encompassed it all and then some.
Shade was my introduction to Shey Stahl and I was hooked from jump street. I’m not even sure how I came across that book, but I’m thankful nonetheless. I also think I have mentioned this before, so I apologize for my redundancy. I believe I have read about six of her books and one of the qualities that keeps me captivated is how conversational her imagination is. I love how the reader isn’t just an observer of a story, but you feel included. She welcomes you into whatever world she has created and invites you to sit back, have a drink, and fall in love. . .#overandoveragain
