No Dress Required: Love Required #1

No Dress Required
Cari Quinn
ebook, 61 pages
Published December 27th 2011 by Entangled Publishing (Flirt)
ISBN13
2940013807136

After years of ho-hum dating, Noelle Gregory is tired of fooling around. There’s only ever been one guy for her—Jake Conroy, her best friend’s older brother. Now that Jake’s back in town, she’s headed to his sister’s New Year’s Eve party to make her move. Purse full of condoms? Check. Sparkly dress guaranteed to show Jake the sexy woman she’s become? Check.

Carjacker that makes off with both two hours before the party? Check.

When Jake finds Noelle stranded on the side of the road—looking sexier than ever in her striped socks and silly holiday shirt, damn it—he’s glad for the snowstorm that cancels his sister’s party. His and Noelle’s friendship has tormented him for years, and now, Jake wonders if he should dare to sample what he’s always wanted…and if he’ll be able to walk away when it’s over.

LOVE!

• He pressed against her, his thumbs framing her face, and closed his eyes, wanting to savor these last seconds before he kissed her for real. There wouldn’t be another moment like this between them again.

Or at least a very strong like.

I was having a little trouble focusing on my current book so I grabbed up this one for a quick flavor change. Plus, it had been a while since I'd gotten my hands on a good friends-to-lovers read.

Which this certainly is.

It's playful while still holding a level of maturity. They do examine the consequences before tumbling over the line, which is always a refreshing reality check to me and holds fond memories.

4 out of 5 stars.

• It wasn’t fair. The one woman who’d stirred his interest—and other parts of him—since Mo wasn’t a possibility. Not because she wasn’t perfect, but because she was. She’d grown up into a smart, stunning woman, exactly like he’d always known she would, and he couldn’t have her. Fuck, but what if he could? She was acting possessive. Demanding. Almost jealous.
     “Shit,” he muttered, rocking back on his heels. No way. She didn’t want him. They weren’t about that. Were they?
     She frowned. “What?”
  He was just going to say it. If she thought he was a complete loser then, well, he’d take her to her house—or to Alexa’s, since she seemed determined to go to the party—and he’d head home to soothe his wounded pride in private. But he had to know. Jake speared his fingers through his hair and clutched a handful of it against his head, searching for the right words. Surely he had some finesse somewhere.
     “Jake?”
     “You want me, don’t you, Nellie?” At her stricken gasp, he groaned inside and wished he’d bitten his tongue off instead of asking. At least, not like that. “I mean, you’re interested in me?” Interested sounded better. Less threatening. “You have to be,” he continued, a little desperately.