Safe Bet by
Monica Murphy
Release Date: January 10th, 2017
Series: The Rules
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Sydney Walker’s new job is perfect. As
the live-in nanny to the most famous quarterback in the NFL and his beautiful
wife, she couldn’t have it any better. Their kids are adorable. Her bosses are
more than generous. Plus, there are hot football players at the house all the
time. Life can’t get much better than this.
Until her life turns into an absolute
nightmare. The media is abuzz with rumors that she and her boss Drew Callahan
are having a torrid affair. Everyone knows the truth—except the public. So Drew’s
wife Fable comes up with the perfect idea.
She creates a fake relationship between
Sydney and one of the rookie players on Drew’s team. Wade Knox is forever
indebted to Drew and Fable and readily agrees to the set up. Pretending to be
in a romantic relationship with the hot nanny for a week—how hard can it be?
Crazy how it only takes one week for two
people to fall head over heels in love…
(This mash-up new adult romance features
characters from both the One Week Girlfriend series and The Rules series.)
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My Review
I received an advanced copy of this book with the promise of an honest review.
Sydney is Gabe's (from In the Dark) sister and desperately needs a job. Luckily for her Gabe manages to get her an interview with someone who is looking for a nanny/assistant. That someone happens to be Fable Callahan. Remember her? Sydney and Fable hit it off famously and before she knows it, finds herself with the perfect job. After the interview Sydney meets Drew and his teammate Knox (Owen's best friend). The meeting is innocent enough, but little do they know that they will soon be spending a lot more time in each other's company. After pictures surface of Drew and Sydney in what looks like a compromising position, Fable comes up with the idea of a fake relationship between Sydney and Knox. It only has to last a week or so (sound familar?), just long enough for reporters to get bored and move on.
I just LOVED Sydney and Knox. Their relationship may have started as a big smokescreen, but from the moment they met, they were checking the other person out. They knew the attraction was there, but they were not expecting to like each other as much as they did. And once they were comfortable they developed a good rapport and actually enjoy each other's company.
“Will you come home with me?”
Dead silence is my answer.
Shit.
“Never mind,” I mutter, glancing in the rearview mirror, ready to head straight across the street so I can get back onto the freeway and go on to the Callahan house. Dump Sydney off, go along with this pretend relationship plan for the next five days and then call it good.
“No, wait. I didn’t say no. Are you—are you sure you want me to come back to your place?” Her voice is a little shaky and I wonder if she’s nervous.
If she is, that’s fine. I’m nervous too, not that I’d admit it.
“Only if you want.” The light turns green but I haven’t turned yet. I don’t want to press my luck, or end it. “Only if you’re comfortable. We won’t do—anything if you don’t want to. I just don’t…”
“Don’t want to be alone tonight?” she finishes for me.
I blow out a harsh breath and nod. “Yeah.”
A horn honks behind us and I glance in the rearview mirror again, realizing there are at least three cars waiting to turn. I turn off the blinker, my foot hovering over the gas when Sydney answers me.
“I’ll come over,” she whispers. “If you want me to.”
“I want you to.” Before she can second-guess her answer, I hit the gas and turn left, my tires squealing. We’re back on the freeway within minutes, both of us quiet, the sexual tension growing with every minute that passes. Or maybe that’s just my imagination, but I don’t think so. The attraction is there, simmering between us. There’s no denying it. I keep sneaking glances at her, anticipation licking through my veins, making me want to touch her.
But I keep my hands firmly locked on the steering wheel.
Sydney’s on her phone, sending a text to someone, but I say nothing. Wait for her to volunteer the information instead. “I let Fable know I’m not coming home tonight.”
Uh oh. “What did she say?”
“She told me to have fun.” She rolls her eyes and starts to laugh softly. “So embarrassing, and kind of weird. I sort of admitted without saying it out loud that I’m spending the night with you.”
Does she think I’m bringing her home only to get her in my bed? That’s not the case. Not really. Though I’d like to get her in my bed, I won’t push…
“I want you to know, I have zero expectations tonight.”
“Well, that’s kind of insulting.” She sounds amused. I hope she is.
“I didn’t mean to insult you.” Now I’m the one laughing, though not at her. More like at the ridiculousness of the situation. “I just mean, whatever you want to do, I’m up for. If you don’t want to do anything, I’m okay with that too.”
“Honestly? I don’t know what I want. It’s not like I plan this sort of thing out, you know? It usually just—happens.”
“Same.” It’s all I can manage to say. Sex is sex. It happens or it doesn’t. I never put much thought leading up to it. No expectations, no emotions, none of that. I treat it like a form of release. Sometimes I’m having it with a fun or hot girl, which always makes sex better.
Like Sydney. She’s fun. She’s hot. The two of us together would probably be pretty damn good.
“A bunch of prep beforehand and candles and silk sheets and rose petals isn’t my style,” she continues.
“Mine either.”
“So you’re not a romantic?”
“Not even close,” I say, shaking my head. “I’m just a guy.”
She’s laughing again. “A big, sexy guy.”
My head whips to the right, studying her. “You think I’m sexy?”
“Um, yeah.” Her tone is pure duh, which hey, is flattering. “You’re good-looking and you know it. Plus, you have a lot of muscles.”
I keep my gaze fixed straight ahead, ignoring the good-looking comment. Over the years, I’ve heard plenty from friends and teammates about my pretty face. It’s annoying. A detriment most of the time, I swear. “Training all those years gave them to me. I used to be a wimp.”
“Right. Well, you’re definitely not a wimp now.” She slaps her hands over her cheeks, comically embarrassed. “I can’t believe we’re having this conversation.”
“I can’t either.” I grin, pressing my foot on the gas a little harder. I can’t wait to get her home.
This book was DELIGHTFUL. Barring the situation in the beginning, this book is pretty drama free. The whole crossover aspect is awesome and you will get lots of Drew and Fable and even a little Owen and Chelsea in there. Both series are awesome and bringing them together just makes it that much better. If you are a fan of either series this is a must read.
About the Author
Monica
Murphy is the New York Times, USA Today and #1 international bestselling author
of the One Week Girlfriend series, the Billionaire Bachelors and The Rules
series. Her books have been translated in almost a dozen languages and has sold
over one million copies worldwide. She is both self-published and published by
Random House/Bantam and Harper Collins/Avon. She writes new adult, young adult
and contemporary romance.
She is a wife and a mother
of three who lives in central California on fourteen acres in the middle of
nowhere along with their one dog and too many cats. A self-confessed
workaholic, when she's not writing, she's reading or hanging out with her
husband and kids. She's a firm believer in happy endings, though she will admit
to putting her characters through angst-filled moments before they finally get
that hard won HEA.
Connect with Monica
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1YUl0Vm
Website: http://monicamurphyauthor.com
Newsletter: http://bit.ly/IW5U0y
