Knocked Up

So good...5 stars! Knocked Up is another winner for Stacey Lynn. Cara and Braxton lock eyes at their best friends, Jenna and Dan’s wedding. One night of passion results in a bit of a bump. Well, baby bump and six weeks later Cara confronts Braxton about the unexpected news. Braxton Henley is tattooed, muscled, and handsome who grew up poor. Though he may look dark and menacing, and absolutely delicious, he has a big generous heart. The owner of his own tattoo parlor, MadInk, Braxton knows all too well that women look to him for sexual excitement, and not the real man he is. He thought Cara might be the passionate woman he was looking for on the one night they shared, but a miscommunication separates them. Cara Thompson never expected to see Braxton again. But she does the right thing sharing the news. Now that she’s left her rich, judgemental parents, Cara promised her twin to finally live for herself. I love how Cara and Braxton come together and work through the hurdles. I loved every word which made this story such an enjoyable read. It has a wonderful blend of conflict, great characters, steam, and romance. All in all, Knocked Up is a heartwarming romance with a sigh-worthy ending. I received an advance reader copy from Random House Publishing Group - Loveswept via NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed this book.

**I read an early copy of this title courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review** This story just what you would expect from the title - a man and a woman get together for a one-night stand and the woman ends up pregnant. Cara Thompson has always been the child in her family that was overlooked and never did right in the eyes of her parents. In order to escape that, she leaves the very comfortable life she led with them to move out on her own and prove she could make it doing what she loves, which is art, versus going to law school. When she finds herself pregnant after sleeping with the best man at her best friends wedding, she has a lot to reevaluate, including whether or not to tell the father. Braxton Henley did not have the easiest life growing up, but because of the one adult who took him under his wing, he's living his best life. He's got the view he wants from his home and he's got MadInk, the tattoo parlor that he owns and operates. He is in a good place in his life and is not at all expecting the curve ball that comes at him when Cara stops by to talk with him. Are these two people that seem so different really all that different at all? And, will they be able to get out of their own way and give in to what they are both feeling regardless of the life they created? When I read the blurb for this book, I thought it sounded like something right up my alley and I was looking forward to reading it. While I liked the book, there were several things that were inconsistent within the story. The biggest miss in my opinion is the cover of the book. The man used on the cover is good looking, but he looks nothing like Braxton. To me, it's important to have someone similar on the cover if you're going with people on the cover. Also, the dog, Lucy, is a huge part of the story and in the beginning she's referred to as one breed and later in the book, she's a completely different one. The story was good enough, but the inconsistencies really put a damper on my overall thoughts on the book.

4 Tattooed stars for an accidental baby romance. Knocked Up is book 2 in the ‘Crazy Love’ series by Stacey Lynn. It features Cara Thompson and Braxton Henley, the best friends of Dan and Jenna, the main characters from Fake Wife, the first book in the series. After a one night stand following Dan and Jenna’s wedding, Cara, leaves Braxton’s bed thinking that will be it. Six weeks later and she’s left with more than a regretful memory. She’s been knocked up and she’s all alone. She knows she can’t raise her baby by herself. It’s time to contact the dad. Braxton wasn’t ever expecting to see Cara again, but when she tells him her news he’s stunned, but more than willing to step up to the plate. He had felt a connection to Cara during their one night together and had hoped to continue seeing her, now he’s getting the chance. He just needs to make Cara see how good they can be together. Cara had the hots for Braxton from the moment she set eyes on him weeks ago, but thought it was just the emotions from the wedding. Now, she has to decide if she can see a future with the tatted hottie who’d starred in all he nightly dreams. This was a fun, quick read and I really liked it. I’d have liked some of the loose ends to have been tied up, but all in all, another lovely, satisfying read from Stacey Lynn.