Checkmate: This Is Reckless (Drew & Courtney, #1) ~by Kennedy Fox

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

Drew Fisher is the type of guy every girl wants.

Noble police officer by day, charming prince by night.
He has no idea the effect he has on women, especially me—his little sister’s best friend.

I’m the blonde Southern belle who lives up to the cliché, except I have my own quirks. I’m smart as a whip, can change my own oil, and recite The Pledge of Allegiance backward, but he doesn’t see that girl.

It’d be easier to forget him if he wasn’t my roommate and if the first thing I saw in the morning wasn’t his shirtless body covered in tattoos. I’ve crushed on him since the day we met, but he’s made it perfectly clear where we stand. Just friends.

I know I need to move on and accept that his feelings will never be mutual, but every day he smiles at me, I’m left dreaming of what if.

He has girl issues, and I’ve got a crush I can’t deny.
We’re friends, but I want more.

One drunken hookup leaves us with much more than a platonic friendship. Pretending it never happened proves to be more difficult than anticipated.

A crazy ex-girlfriend, a dangerous war of stolen glances, and passionate kisses leads to the most reckless battle yet. I won’t be a pawn in his game, but I’ll play by his rules if it will show him I’m the one worth breaking them for.

Checkmate, Prince Charming.

*Recommend for ages 18+ due to sexual content and adult language.*

So I should start this review by admitting that I have not and do not read many romance novels. It may come across as a bit of bookish snobbery, but I find myself repeatedly disappointed when the books are all romance with no plot, and it never fails that those are the romance novels that have ended up on my radar. But Kennedy Fox has shown me the light!

First, let me say that I loved these characters! They were smart, witty, and sassy, and their chemistry was perfect! I wanted to be friends with all of them. Wait, I take that back. I only wanted to be friends with most of them (there’s always that one character. . .).  Second, the level of heat in this novel was exactly where it should’ve been; the relationship between Drew and Courtney felt realistic and authentic as opposed to overkill or completely lacking. Third. . . I need to try some of those damn blueberry muffins! And fourth, the strong female characters in this book rocked my world.  I can’t tell you how much I appreciate a woman who knows what she wants and goes for it, and doesn’t let someone tell her otherwise.  Fox nailed it.

This was the first book that I had read by Kennedy Fox (I have fellow book blogger Heather to thank for this intro), and I still can’t figure out how or why these books have flown under my radar for so long. I can’t say enough how much I loved the writing, the characters, and their journey from friends to so much more.  And I can’t wait to start the second book in the duet (This Is Effortless, releasing 4/25/17)! In the meantime, I’ll be “going back” to read Checkmate: This Is War and Checkmate: This Is Love, the enemies to lovers story of Travis and Viola, two of the characters in Drew and Courtney’s story. (It’s important to note that while these two books are part of the same series and come earlier in the timeline, you can read Drew and Courtney’s story as a standalone duet.)

~Amber

Purchase Links: Barnes & Noble Amazon

About the author (from their Website):

A secret duo of romance authors team up under the USA Today Bestselling pseudonym, Kennedy Fox who share a love of You’ve Got Mail and The Holiday. When they aren’t bonding over romantic comedies, they like to brainstorm new book ideas. One day, they decided to collaborate and have some fun creating new characters that’ll make your lady bits tingle and your heart melt. If you enjoy romance stories with sexy, tattooed alpha males and smart, independent women, then a Kennedy Fox book is for you!

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Thank you to Kennedy Fox for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.