Blurb:
Millionaire bad boy Jordan Fawkes has problems. Big problems.
That molten-hot intern he hooked up with at Comic-Con is now his assistant. No one can know they’re the stars of the cosplay sex tape that broke the Internet.
Business school hopeful April Weiss has drama. Big drama.
Working under the CFO of Draco Multimedia should be the opportunity of a lifetime for her, but Jordan Fawkes is the boss from Hell—a sexier-than-sin boss from Hell who holds all the cards for her future career.
And then there’s the small problem of a certain video…
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Excerpt
“Check that, will you? I want to make sure it’s not the asshole banker backing out on our meeting.”
Gingerly, I picked up his phone and saw the text that popped up on the notification screen. My brows climbed sky high as I read it.
“It’s not the banker,” I said.
“Oh? Who is it?”
“Uh…well, you have her in your contacts as Sexilicious Sondra.”
He snorted, but didn’t seem to want to know the contents of the text message. I provided them anyway. Because they were too juicy not to share.
“She wants to know if she left her pink fuzzy handcuffs at your place last time she was there.”
I enjoyed the slow creep of color up his neck from the collar of his dress shirt. Without looking at me, he reached up and held out his hand for the phone. I slipped it into his palm.
“You shouldn’t read it while you’re driving.”
“I’m not going to.” He set it down in its own little cubby specially designed to hold it.
“Sure you don’t want me to reply? You can just unlock it with your thumbprint, and I’ll let her know whether you still have her handcuffs or not. And I can tell her where she left her vibrator while I'm at it.” My cheeks started to hurt from the grin I was wearing.
“That’s okay,” he said between clenched teeth.
“It also showed that you had five other unread texts, but they had scrolled off—”
“All right, Weiss. I get it. You’re amused. Can we move on?”
“Well, you don’t want to keep your lady friends waiting. I’m very concerned that they might feel neglected.”
In truth, the idea of him with another woman made more than a little heat rise under my own collar. I clenched my jaw at that thought. Was I…was I jealous? I promptly told myself I was being silly and forced myself to ignore it.
“And in what way does that concern you?”
I shrugged, trying not to feel the sting those words caused. “It is in my best interests. If you have a lack of regular…companionship, you might get even grumpier than you already are.”
Author Q&A
How did you come up with the idea for this story?
How did you come up with the idea for this story?
I had the idea for a cosplay sex tape story around the time that I was writing At Any Price and I was dying to get to it. I love taking weird set ups and giving them a geeky spin. I knew I was going to have to wait a few books (because Adam and Mia’s story became a trilogy) before I could write it. When the character of Jordan became fully formed in book 2 of the trilogy, I thought it would be a fantastic set up to put him in so he could learn a lesson about his player ways!
Where do you find your inspiration?
Anywhere and everywhere—in books, TV shows, news stories or just the strange wanderings of my not-so-conventional mind. I figured out a long time ago that I don’t think like everyone else.
Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
Time management! It’s very hard to do—to plan a book from beginning to end and know exactly when it’s going to be ready for publication. I’m still working on scheduling each and every little phase. My books require a team of editors and graphic artists working with me to make it the best it can be so coordinating all of that along with my own writing schedule has been a challenge!
What are your current projects?
I’ll be working on the next Gaming The System novel, For The One, as soon as I can start it. But I plan to take a little time off to spend with my family earlier in the summer. And I have some shorter and collaborative projects up my sleeve as well.
Tell us about your first book. What would readers find different about the first one and your most recent published work?
My first book, At Any Price, has been beloved by many readers and I’m so grateful but I honestly do not feel it is my strongest work. I feel like I learn more and progress more in my craft with writing and with storytelling and so each book becomes better than the last one. At least I hope that’s the case!
Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
There is a lot of ground covered in this latest novel—namely sexual equality in the workplace, how women treat other women with regards to their sexuality and issues like slut shaming. The novel explores the nature of power and equality in a sexual relationship as well as the nature of that power balance at the office.
Does music play any type of role in your writing?
Yes for brainstorming purposes and it also helps me while I daydream about my characters—something that I do a lot of. Every one of my books has a “theme song” which encapsulates the emotion and thematic elements of each couple’s love story. I usually share that with my readers shortly before releasing the book. My play lists and theme songs are on my web site listed on each book’s page. The theme song for For The Win is “The Heart Wants What It Wants” by Selena Gomez.
Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your life?
Occasionally I’ll pick out elements of a characters’ background or their back-story from my own life or those of people I’ve known but no one character is based on any one person or event. I’m kind of like a knitter who goes to my box of yarn ends to pick something out and incorporate into my design. It might be the leftovers from a baby sweater I once worked on or the last project, a blanket, that I barely finished. Writing is a lot like that only with words—and my “yarn box” is actually my really weird brain.
What books have influenced your life most?
Wow so many to name but the most impactful: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë, The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley. Persuasion by Jane Austen. Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery.
Are there any new authors that have grasp your interest?
There are so many talented indie authors! I could name a ton of them but some of my favorites are Natasha Boyd, Marquita Valentine, M. Malone, Roxie Rivera… the list goes on and on. Check them out! Their books are sexy!
Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?
Yes! I big huge THANK YOU for reading the books, caring about the characters and for talking about the books to your friends. You are so important to me and I’m grateful for your support. I have the best readers ever.
How can readers discover more about you and your work?
My website is the best place or they can try some of my work for free. My debut novel, At Any Price is currently free at all vendors. I have a novella available to borrow in the Kindle Unlimited program. It’s called It Was Always You.
Do you have a special time to write? How is your day structured writing-wise?
I work full time so my writing time is whenever I can slip it into the cracks between my work day and being Mom in the afternoons and evenings! I’m usually most productive in the evening after the kids are in bed or on the weekend when I can get it in!
Why did you choose to write Contemporary Romance stories?
I love writing love stories and setting them in the contemporary, geeky world.
What is for you the perfect book hero?
He’s sexy, strong, intelligent and deep. He’s handsome, perceptive and very, very much into his heroine.
When you start a book, do you already have the whole story in your head or is it built progressively?
My stories come to me layer upon layer. I get the groundwork down based on the plot hook, the situation and the barest bones of a background for the hero and the heroine. Upon that scaffold, I build more about them—fleshing out their histories, their attitudes, the why of how those attitudes formed and the protective barriers they erect to prevent them from finding love with the other character. I rewrite my stories at least four or five times before they are ready to polish up and share with the world. With each pass I add more layers, more motivations and more realism to make the characters and their world all the more believable.
When and why did you begin writing?
I started writing to shut my brain up! People lived and talked and dwelled in there and the voices wouldn’t stop. Yes, it sounds like I am certifiable but that’s actually how a storyteller’s mind works. Before the story comes out of a persons mouth or out through their fingertips, it has lived in that person’s brain for quite some time beforehand.
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
I think I’ve always considered myself a writer. It’s a “heart” type of thing. My brain has always drifted into daydream land where stories are manufactured. I’m of the school of thought that says “If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it’s a duck.” So…if a person thinks like a writer…
List three books you have recently read and would recommend.
Deep Blue Eternity by Natasha Boyd: Deeply emotional, hauntingly beautiful. The setting, the language and the characters are to die for!
Gabriel’s Inferno by Sylvain Renard: My first book by this author, I loved the take on the forbidden professor-student relationship with the literary elements of classic literature and art interwoven within the story.
Hero by Samantha Young : I love everything she writes—sexy, emotional and authentic.
Tell us something that people would be surprised you know how to do.
I speak fluent French as a self-confessed Francophile. I try to use it every chance I can get.
Will you write more about these characters?
I definitely think there is more in store for Jordan and April. Some threads were left open to explore in future books as a secondary storyline, but I think Jordan and April may get another book. They were so much fun to write—their chemistry is explosive and the tension between them electric. Most especially, I loved their banter. They got high marks from me in the banter department!
*Thank you to the publicist for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and I was not compensated for them in any manner.*
Review
★★★★ 1/2 stars
I had a feeling this book was going to amazing and it totally was. I'm not even sure how to put it. It was like candy for both the brain and body. Sort of like realizing the person you're crushing on for their good looks is interesting and amazing too. I really shouldn't have been so surprised, It is a book set in the gaming world and smart is totally the new sexy. Plus it's written by Brenna Aubrey and she's got some amazing writing game.
When I say this book was hot, I mean like it was scorching hot. April and Jordan really burned up the pages with their chemistry. I think for me it was partly because their relationship was forbidden and they had so much invested in their jobs, but also because how they couldn't stay away from each other, even with the the threat of discovery looming over their heads.
I loved April. I could really relate to her angst over her parents, her fears at fitting in at work, at what she wanted to do with her life, and more. I really felt like I connected with her. When it came to Jordan, I like him, lusted after him, but also wanted to hit him a couple of times when he said or did something I felt was ridiculous. I did grow to love him though. He showed moments of maturity and sincerity that blew me away. I absolutely love dialogue and banter, and these two were wonderful when it came to that!
Another thing I loved about this story was some of the topics it addressed. A lot of them are very relevant and raised some very important questions about how women are treated in the work force compared to men. I was really impressed with the way a number of situations were addressed and handled. The only reason this book wasn't 5 stars for me was because I didn't feel like the person who was responsible for a lot of the chaos April and Jordan experienced was dealt with. I'm usually not vindictive, but what this person did and wanted to do was disgusting and it just felt wrong that I/readers wouldn't get to see this person getting what was due to them.
Thankfully, the series isn't finished yet, and I'm hoping the threads that were left open will be closed at a later date. I loved seeing Mia and Adam. I really need to go back and get up to date with everything that has happened between them. I loved being in April and Jordan's heads and I hope to read about them again in the future. This series keeps getting better and better, and I can't wait to read more!
About Brenna Aubrey:
When I’m not dreaming up people and worlds and writing them down, I’m also a mom, wife, teacher, avid reader, a proud geek-girl, a self-confessed gaming addict, a French-speaking Francophile, lover of nature and beautiful sunsets.
Website: http://brennaaubrey.net/ Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5824327.Brenna_Aubrey Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BrennaAubreyAuthor Twitter: https://twitter.com/BrennaAubrey
For more information on the Gaming the System Series:
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