Happy Release + Review: Addy and The Smart Guy by Carter Ashby- Big Girl Panties Series – Book 3

91zQCr+kx4L._SL1500_

Addy And The Smart Guy

Big Girl Panties Series- Book 3

By Carter Ashby

Synopsis

If it weren’t for her best friends, Zoey and Maya, Addy Hart would be a prudish, uptight Barbie doll. Thankfully, through love and persistence, they’ve helped introduce her to her wild side. Unfortunately, even her wild side doesn’t have the courage to go after the one thing she wants more than life itself.

Dr. Greyson McDaniel has resisted his lovely teaching assistant for three years, now. He has no intentions of endangering his job or her reputation. But as spring break approaches, he’s seized with a wicked impulse. He invites her to his mountain retreat for a week. Just one week of intense escape.

What they both discover after their affair is that a week isn’t nearly enough. But as much as they long to be together, there are obstacles in their way, and the ethics of student-teacher relationships are the least of their problems. When she realizes how deeply rooted Grey’s commitment issues are, Addy begins to despair of ever having a happy ending with him. But Addy’s love might be just what’s needed to free him of his past.

Buy: Amazon 

4 Star

Tina’s Review

The synopsis is strong. The cover is not as impressive to me; the couple do not seem to capture the essence of Addy and Grey as they are describe and I’ve imagined. But aside from that, we’ve got the story itself. It’s the third in the series and includes the previous couples as secondary characters. While this can be read as a stand-alone novel, the reader would gain the most out of it if it were read in order of the series.
Addy’s been crushing on her college professor for years and even becomes his TA to be closer to him. She’s a 23-yr old virgin who’s saved herself for the man she thinks she can never have. He’s 12 years older and afraid of commitment and fears putting his career on the line for his young student-turned-assistant. Even though he knows he can’t have her, he’s just caveman jealous enough to want no guy to have her. <- I’m not sold on that whole storyline, the series was great without trying to add all of the taboo and obsession elements. There are moments that I really like Addy and others that I really, REALLY don’t. Same with Grey. Most of the time, I really truly liked him… but every now and again he’d screw it up by acting like an idiot. The cast of secondary characters, both new and old, were beneficial and supportive to the plot. Dialogue was believable, interaction felt mostly natural. His using “kiddo” as a nickname for her was a little off-putting. The plot certainly contained enough drama and plenty dynamics and writing style flows very smoothly. The conflicts were mostly resolved, but there really was no clear-cut resolution to the Gwen issue. Predictability was low. The conclusion was mostly wrapped up. It had the HEA, but I felt it could have benefited from an epilogue covering all three couples if this is meant to be the end of the series. Overall, I was a huge fan of the series and liked this book, but I hate to say this… I liked the other two books better.

_______________________________________________________________

Author Bio:

7059335When I got my first email from the man who would one day be my husband, it was very clear that he did not want to email me. Friends had set us up and he was obviously bowing to their pressure. His email consisted of a numerical list of facts about himself that he clearly meant to be the end of our correspondence.

My snarky response was a numerical list of facts about myself, and for some reason, he liked it. So that’s what I’m going to do here, since I’m not so good at writing about myself.

Carter is not my real name. Imagine how you would feel if your strictly right-wing religious family and friends found out you wrote stuff with sex and bad words in it.
I’ve been married 11 years and have three kids and two dogs.
I like to garden but I DO NOT like to talk about gardening. So please, let’s not talk about gardening.
I’m deeply introspective and welcome anyone who wants to bitch-slap me back into reality, should I float away a little too far into my own thoughts.
I think fiction is a basic and essential element of our existence as humans. I think it’s part of what makes us human. And I think we relate better to each other through stories than we do through fact–bitch slap me now, I’m getting introspective.
I’m a little flighty about hobbies. Reading, writing, and bread baking are the only ones that have stood the test of time. Current hobbies include mixing drinks, making mead, gardening, fermenting stuff from the garden…I think that’s all at the moment.
I’ll read anything. Most of my loved ones stick to their favorite genre, so I will go read what they’re reading so we can have stuff to talk about at the dinner table.
I homeschool my children. Not because of religious reasons. Not because I hate the system (although I’m not overly fond of it). But because I just want to be with them. And playing school is fun. Remember that? Playing teacher and making your younger sister do a bunch of homework? Was that just me?
Last one: The first time I dropped out of college was because I was having one of those existential crises teenagers are so fond of having. When I went home, I found stacks and stacks of notebooks in my closet full of unfinished (and god-awful) stories. I didn’t even remember writing them. But that’s when I realized that I was a writer. Because I have to do it. It’s who I am. The publishing thing is virgin territory, but I have always, and always will, write. Because I have to.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

91zQCr+kx4L._SL1500_

ARC Review : Maya -And The- Tough Guy by Carter Ashby – Big Girl Panties Series – Book 2

91OR+PPrvoL._SL1500_Maya ~And The~ Tough Guy

Big Girl Panties Series – Book 2

By Carter Ashby

d8082-add-to-goodreads-button3

Synopsis

Maya Bradley is on her own now. With the help of her dear friends, Zoey and Addy, she’s determined to give her children the lives they deserve, away from their abusive father. But the journey is destined to be difficult, and she meets her first roadblock when she asks sexy, tattooed bar owner, Jayce Gilmore, for a job serving drinks.

Jayce has two reasons for not wanting to hire Maya. One: she deserves a more respectable job. And two: he’s been madly in love with her since he was a young boy. But when he finally realizes how desperate she is for work, he has no choice but to bring her on.

With Maya struggling to earn a living, get an education, and raise two children, Jayce finally finds himself in a position to help her. And though she isn’t interested in a relationship, Maya is showing definite signs of physical attraction. Jayce is sure he can keep his love hidden and fulfill her every fantasy. Unfortunately, he has severely underestimated the needs of his heart. As the moment of truth fast approaches, Maya must decide whether to break a tough guy’s heart, or open her fragile soul to the risks that come with loving again.

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble 

4 star

Tina’s Review

This is the second book in the Big Girl Panties series. It can stand alone, but would be more meaningful if you’ve read book one first.
Eight years ago, Jayce and Maya almost had a “moment” on the night of their high school prom. When she backed out, Jayce was kind about it. He took her home and gave her his number. That was the night that irrevocably changed Maya’s life forever. With Maya trying to gain some independence after a lengthy healing process and having Damon arrested, she tries to find a job. Not an easy task for someone afraid of her own shadow. After discovering the lengths she’ll go to to provide for her children, Jayce employs her. Suddenly he’s nearly as afraid of her as she is of him!
Emotional. I laughed, I cried. I love Maya and if I thought she broke my heart in the first book, it was nothing compared to this one. Jayce pulls off such a strong and confident persona for the world, but inside, he’s still pretty broken too. What a wonderful pair. The secondary characters are terrific. They are strong and supportive without trying to take over the plot. The interaction and dialogue is real… it sucks you in, makes you *feel*. The plot is terrific and the story flowed quite smoothly. The conflicts are plentiful, some minor while some are complex and most were resolved. It’s a small puzzle piece, but no further mention is made of Maya’s dad’s outcome. Predictability was not obvious. This story concludes well, but leaves you anticipating Addy and Grey’s story.

___________________________________________

Author Bio:

7059335When I got my first email from the man who would one day be my husband, it was very clear that he did not want to email me. Friends had set us up and he was obviously bowing to their pressure. His email consisted of a numerical list of facts about himself that he clearly meant to be the end of our correspondence.

My snarky response was a numerical list of facts about myself, and for some reason, he liked it. So that’s what I’m going to do here, since I’m not so good at writing about myself.

Carter is not my real name. Imagine how you would feel if your strictly right-wing religious family and friends found out you wrote stuff with sex and bad words in it.
I’ve been married 11 years and have three kids and two dogs.
I like to garden but I DO NOT like to talk about gardening. So please, let’s not talk about gardening.
I’m deeply introspective and welcome anyone who wants to bitch-slap me back into reality, should I float away a little too far into my own thoughts.
I think fiction is a basic and essential element of our existence as humans. I think it’s part of what makes us human. And I think we relate better to each other through stories than we do through fact–bitch slap me now, I’m getting introspective.
I’m a little flighty about hobbies. Reading, writing, and bread baking are the only ones that have stood the test of time. Current hobbies include mixing drinks, making mead, gardening, fermenting stuff from the garden…I think that’s all at the moment.
I’ll read anything. Most of my loved ones stick to their favorite genre, so I will go read what they’re reading so we can have stuff to talk about at the dinner table.
I homeschool my children. Not because of religious reasons. Not because I hate the system (although I’m not overly fond of it). But because I just want to be with them. And playing school is fun. Remember that? Playing teacher and making your younger sister do a bunch of homework? Was that just me?
Last one: The first time I dropped out of college was because I was having one of those existential crises teenagers are so fond of having. When I went home, I found stacks and stacks of notebooks in my closet full of unfinished (and god-awful) stories. I didn’t even remember writing them. But that’s when I realized that I was a writer. Because I have to do it. It’s who I am. The publishing thing is virgin territory, but I have always, and always will, write. Because I have to.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

91OR+PPrvoL._SL1500_