Title: Choice Matters
Author: Jamie Salisbury
Series: Southern Heat (Book #1)
Genre: Contemporary Erotica
Publisher: Secret Cravings Publishing
Release Date: August 17 2014
Edition/Formats Available In: eBook & Print
Blurb/Synopsis:
Apolo Choice…self-made billionaire before the age of thirty. At a time when most men are still trying to figure out what direction to take their careers, Apolo Choice is enjoying luxuries they are still dreaming about. But behind every powerful man come secrets, and Apolo is no exception.
Confident, intimidating, arrogant and handsome, Apolo Choice is a man who gets whatever he wants. At least in the boardroom. Away from the power deals, he has a dark side. One he allows few to enter. Until he meets Caitlyn White.
Caitlyn White…smart and self-assured, she has quietly worked at Choice Enterprises for four years. Until one day her world is turned upside down by the man at the top. Taking her from the cubical to executive suite faster than you can blink an eye.
Together they become a power couple both in the boardroom and the bedroom.
Book Links
Excerpt #2
He maneuvered the Ferrari onto the main road leading back into the small town. He sat at the stop sign, foot slightly on the accelerator gunning the engine with care. I gazed over at him, curious about what was running through his mind.
“So, Apolo, you going to take me to this floating palace of yours or what?” I blurted out.
My hand flew up to my mouth. Not in horror of what I’d just said, but to stifle a giggle. I couldn’t believe how brazen I had suddenly become.
He was eyeing me with interest.
“I mean, we both want to have sex…‘fuck’ as you put it. We can’t go to my place—roommate. Your place is off limits—don’t want your staff seeing me there just yet. So, we either pull over and do it in this cramped piece of fine machinery, go get a room at one of the nearby hotels, or we take this party to your houseboat. It’s up to you. Balls in your court, so to speak.” I chuckled once again at my attempt at humor.
Without uttering a single word, he bent over me and covered my mouth with his. Resisting never crossed my mind. I melted into him. I’d wanted him to kiss me all evening.
Apolo Choice did not disappoint. I was instantly caught up in the moment as I felt his tongue outlining my lips before the two met and played their courtship ritual. The white glow of headlights behind us brought it to a thundering halt. He righted himself and engaged the clutch.
“My houseboat it is,” he growled, pressing his hand on my thigh, in between gear changes.
We continued traveling along the shadowy, two-lane road when suddenly he pulled the Ferrari over onto the side and stopped.
“What? What is it?” I asked, peering over at his handsome face, which had now turned dark and brooding. Even in the soft light of the car’s interior, I could see his gray eyes were now intense.
“We can’t do this, Caitlyn. Not tonight. Especially not at my houseboat.”
“Why?” I was totally confused.
“Because if I take you there, I can guarantee my brother will have made some calls to have paparazzi staked out waiting on us..”
“Your own brother would do that to you?”
“Yes, of course, he would. It gets his name in the newspapers, along with his new restaurant. I don’t want you to remember our first time like that.”
Had to give the man credit for being a class act.
“Rain check?” His lips sealed over mine, and we kissed as though we were long lost lovers.
“But of course. Thank you, Apolo.”
“I’ll always look out for you, Caitlyn. I will not have you, or whatever may transpire between us, put out there. What happens between us is between us. No one else.”
“Thank you.”
He turned, put the sleek sports car in gear, and headed us in the opposite direction toward Atlanta.
A very simple review of a new favorite author of mine. Love her writing style and voice. Keep in mind that my reviews will be simplier and more to the point than before. 🙂 You don’t need a synopsis of the book or 1k words to sum up a book if you liked it or not. Trust me, I stop reading reviews after the first 200 words and skip to the rating. I’m hoping to make it easier for my readers.
Top things I loved:
1. Apollo – He could have been the uber jerk but underneath all that swagger was a good man, dealt with a bad hand. I understood him from the beginning and fell in love instantly.
2. Caitlyn – What a strong heroine. She’s no pussycat and can go toe to toe with the best of them.
3. To me there was a bit of instalove but when I finished the story, I understood why. This was a great character novel with tremendous growth by both characters. They had to dig deep once the family got involved and that made it a much richer story.
4. Apollo’s family was a trip. His brother is a jerk and I got the fact that he was trying to shelter Caitlyn from it all, as the above excerpt leads you. Trust me, read the book and you will get it too.
5. This book is more than an erotic retelling of a boss/employee relationship. It deals with two people who start out as a fling but end up something so much more that is also worth fighting for.
6. I love tropes and the boss/employee is one of my favorites. Ms. Salisbury brings a fresh spin on it and I was hooked from the first page. She didn’t let me down with the different turns that she used and I can’t wait to read the next book in the series.
On a side note, the publisher of this book rocks. I really have to shut out to Secret Cravings for turning the tropes upside down. Ms. Salisbury took a tired trope and while some of it was a stretched, it was the characters that made the story believable and authentic.
Author Information
Since Jamie Salisbury began publishing her Romance stories, she has seen her books soar to #1 on Amazon. Her novella Tudor Rubato was a finalist in the 2012 RONE (Reward of Novel Excellence) award, and the cover won for Best Contemporary Cover. Now in 2014, her novel Life and Lies was been nominated for a RONE in the Erotica category. She has expanded her audience to include several now published by Secret Cravings Publishing.
Her previous career in public relations in and around the entertainment field has afforded her with a treasure trove of endless story ideas.
Thank you so much for hosting Choice Matters and the awesome review. Glad you enjoyed it!
Jamie