Good Girls Don't Kiss and Tell
by Codi Gary
Series: Rock Canyon, #6
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: February 28, 2017
They used to be enemies…
Gracie McAllister has never been the relationship type…until now. After a brutal visit from her happily married parents, Gracie is looking for Mr. Right…not Mr. Right Now. And despite their recent truce, there is no way sexy Eric Henderson is anything but.
Now they’re allies…
Eric has always had a thing for Gracie, but they could never manage to get on the same page long enough to explore the heat between them. When Eric gets the opportunity of a lifetime, he asks Gracie for help…and swears her to secrecy.
But is that all?
Now the whole town thinks their romance is real, but it’s just a business arrangement. There’s no way they’re actually falling in love…right?
“Feels like snow,” Eric said.
“Yeah, my weather app showed it was coming.” Gracie pulled her jean jacket closed over her breasts, but the thin material was meant for style, not warmth.
Eric pressed a button on his keys, and his car roared to life.
Gracie smiled as she waited for him to unlock her door. “Automatic start, huh? That’s nice.”
“Especially on days when it’s too cold to function.”
“That’s why God invented coffee,” she said as she climbed inside.
“You’re an addict.”
“Flatterer.”
He closed the door with a grin, and she relaxed against the seat, enjoying the rush of hot air blasting her. Since she was the best friend not on kid patrol, she was going to have to bust out the phone tree to let everyone from the shower know that Gemma was okay, starting with Gemma’s close friends, Ryan Phillips and Callie Jacobsen. It was going to be a really long night.
Eric got in and blew on his hands. “Shit, I say I wouldn’t ever live anywhere else, and then the cold weather hits, and I think Hawaii sounds nice this time of year.”
“I like the cold, as long as I’m able to stay home in my fleece-lined leggings and comfy sweater.”
“I can’t wear leggings. My thighs are too big,” Eric joked.
The image of big, bearded Eric Henderson strolling around in tights sent Gracie into the giggles. Soon, she could hardly breathe, she was laughing so hysterically.
“Really? The image of me in skintight cotton is that funny?”
Suddenly, her whole body sagged and her mirth turned into gut-wrenching sobs. When Eric’s large arms wrapped around her and pulled her across the middle console, she buried her face in his chest and let it all go.
“Hey, don’t cry. You can laugh at me all you want.”
Gracie would have been suspicious of his sweetness if his embrace didn’t feel so damn good.
She pulled away, wiping at her eyes. “I’m sorry, I keep crying all over your shirt.”
“I really don’t mind, Gracie Lou.” His gaze locked on hers, sending her heart pounding into overdrive at the warmth in his dark eyes. “You should know that I’d do just about anything for you.”
“Yeah, my weather app showed it was coming.” Gracie pulled her jean jacket closed over her breasts, but the thin material was meant for style, not warmth.
Eric pressed a button on his keys, and his car roared to life.
Gracie smiled as she waited for him to unlock her door. “Automatic start, huh? That’s nice.”
“Especially on days when it’s too cold to function.”
“That’s why God invented coffee,” she said as she climbed inside.
“You’re an addict.”
“Flatterer.”
He closed the door with a grin, and she relaxed against the seat, enjoying the rush of hot air blasting her. Since she was the best friend not on kid patrol, she was going to have to bust out the phone tree to let everyone from the shower know that Gemma was okay, starting with Gemma’s close friends, Ryan Phillips and Callie Jacobsen. It was going to be a really long night.
Eric got in and blew on his hands. “Shit, I say I wouldn’t ever live anywhere else, and then the cold weather hits, and I think Hawaii sounds nice this time of year.”
“I like the cold, as long as I’m able to stay home in my fleece-lined leggings and comfy sweater.”
“I can’t wear leggings. My thighs are too big,” Eric joked.
The image of big, bearded Eric Henderson strolling around in tights sent Gracie into the giggles. Soon, she could hardly breathe, she was laughing so hysterically.
“Really? The image of me in skintight cotton is that funny?”
Suddenly, her whole body sagged and her mirth turned into gut-wrenching sobs. When Eric’s large arms wrapped around her and pulled her across the middle console, she buried her face in his chest and let it all go.
“Hey, don’t cry. You can laugh at me all you want.”
Gracie would have been suspicious of his sweetness if his embrace didn’t feel so damn good.
She pulled away, wiping at her eyes. “I’m sorry, I keep crying all over your shirt.”
“I really don’t mind, Gracie Lou.” His gaze locked on hers, sending her heart pounding into overdrive at the warmth in his dark eyes. “You should know that I’d do just about anything for you.”
Fake romance, enemies to friends to lovers, secrets, gossip, a bit of breaking and entering, a new puppy, and a cute little girl who needs a home – throw all that together and you have a fun romance that also pulls at your heartstrings.
Gracie and Eric are a lot of fun – they can fight with the best of them, but there is still a genuine caring between the two…even if they both are trying to fight the crazy attraction they have for one another. When Eric proposes a fake relationship it’s an offer Gracie finds hard to turn down…especially since it will help to get her parent’s off her back during their upcoming visit – and after meeting her parents it’s no wonder she couldn’t say no! And Eric needs her just as much since he has a work thing that he needs her help with. And did I mention that Eric had a dirty little mouth…always throwing that attraction out there when they were fighting just to get a rise out of Gracie – I totally loved that!
And in usual fake romance fashion, when things cross the line on the physical side it’s hard to keep the heart from getting involved. Their physical relationship never seemed to be a problem, but these two didn’t make it easy on themselves or each other as they tried to build something real. With the secrets in Eric’s life and Gracie’s insecurities, it was no wonder these two had a hard time finding their way to each other. Gracie could be a bit frustrating at times – she definitely played with Eric’s emotions a bit when things got too…much, but I did like the fact that she would own up to her behavior. It was fun getting to see the sweet side of Eric, and I loved the way the author was able to really make me connect with these two during those moments.“Even if I agree to this, which I’m too angry to do at this point in time, my parents wouldn’t buy us suddenly getting together. They know we’ve done nothing but fight and bicker for years.”
Eric had the audacity to grin. “They’ll believe it. It’s like I told you, all that back-and-forth was just foreplay.”
I loved the supporting cast of characters – Eric and Gracie’s friends and family really helped tell their story. Watching Gracie deal with her mother berating her was hard, but it was awesome watching Eric stand up for her. I loved seeing Eric’s family interact during their dinner’s, and the interplay between all of their friends made me want to be one of the group. And of course there was a little girl and a puppy that played into the story which helped to really round out the emotional character of both Eric and Gracie.
This is part of a series but can be read as a standalone. There is definitely some back-story with some of the plot points and specifically with these two characters from other books, but I don’t think the story loses anything by just jumping into this book since enough background is given to get you quickly up to speed.
An obsessive bookworm, Codi Gary likes to write sexy contemporary romances with humor, grand gestures, and blush-worthy moments. When she's not writing, she can be found reading her favorite authors, squealing over her must-watch shows, and playing with her children. She lives in Idaho with her family.
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