ALWAYS HEATED by Irene Bahrd is AVAILABLE NOW
Blurb:
“You’re not sunshine after it rains. You’re the f*cking storm, Cass. But you’re my storm.”
Ten years after making a marriage pact with her brother’s best friend, Cassidy Rogers is finally engaged. Except, it isn’t Travis Harrison on one knee. Cassidy’s sweet veterinarian boyfriend, Zack, pops the question before Travis has a chance. While she loves Zack, there’s no passion, no fireworks. Still, she agrees to marry him, unknowingly breaking Travis’ heart.
Doing everything in his power to break them up, Travis is unwilling to accept Cassidy’s love for Zack. When all of his plans fail, he’s left with one final option—admitting his feelings for her have nothing to do with their pact. If Zack is out of the picture, does Travis have a chance with the one woman he’s always loved, or will everyone get burned in the process?
Always Heated is a sort-of spicy, romantic comedy-ish love story, intended for mature audiences. Just because it has funny moments, doesn’t mean you should forget to check your content warnings… There are a LOT with this one.
Buy Link:
https://mybook.to/alwaysheated
Available in KU
Sunny Shelly’s Review: 4 Stars
Irene Bahrd is a new-to-me author, and I really enjoyed the depth she gave to the friends-to-lovers trope in Always Heated. Travis and Cassidy grabbed my attention from the beginning, and I loved seeing how much was actually behind this marriage pact that they made a decade ago.
Travis and Cassidy have been pining for each other since they were kids — he’s best friends with her brother, Caleb, and the three are close in age. Travis never made a move on his feelings for Cass, and instead dated everyone else in town. The book opens on his birthday, when instead of going forward with a one-night stand, they instead make a pact to marry each other if they are both still single in ten years.
Flash forward 10 years later, and just as Travis, having realized that he has bona fide feelings for Cass, is about to propose, her current boyfriend pops the question. And that spurs Travis into action to try to win her over. At first, Cass is convinced he only wants her because of their pact — despite all of their friends and family telling her otherwise.
The chemistry between them is intense, and Travis is a swoony boyfriend. It’s a bumpy road for these two, and Cassidy goes through some major events along the way. But Travis never falters in his faith in their relationship or his assurance that he wants to spend his life with her. I loved that dedication, and how he wasn’t afraid to be vulnerable and show his feelings to her.
Always Heated is a standalone, but there are lots of references to Ingrid and Caleb’s story, Never Yours (Cassidy’s best friend and brother). I felt a little lost at times because I didn’t know the details, which was a minor inconvenience. I didn’t think that Travis’ guilt over losing his dog Blaze was explored enough, or *why* he was so depressed that night of his birthday when they made the marriage pact — so I was kind of surprised when those plot points came back into play at the end of the book. I appreciate the mental health rep portrayed by both characters, but I thought that Travis’ could have been explored better. And I’m still not sure how Ashlyn fits into the friend group.
Overall, this is the first book I’ve read by Irene Bahrd and I enjoyed it! I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
Meet Irene Bahrd:
Irene Bahrd is a Gryffindor Capricorn and one of the most avid readers you will ever meet.
She started her writing journey as a dare from a friend, after recounting dating stories from her early twenties. They inspired her to write spicy parody and romantic comedy novels that feature a variety of book boyfriends—from growly alpha heroes to cinnamon roll golden retrievers.
Her favorite genres to read include fantasy romance, romantic comedies, and contemporary dark romance. You’ll find some of her favorite books and authors referenced by main characters in her own books.
Irene can be found on Instagram and TikTok under @irenebahrdauthor
Connect with Irene Bahrd:
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