The Charmer (A Hot Romantic Comedy)

Avery Flynn

Sep 2017 · Harbor City Book 2 · Sold by Entangled: Amara

About this ebook

Don't miss the hot new romantic comedy follow-up to the smash hit The Negotiator...

Hot, filthy rich, and usually irresistible, Hudson Carlyle just met the one woman in Harbor City who’s immune to his legendary charm. Nerdy ant researcher Felicia Hartigan is the unsexiest dresser ever. She trips over air. And she’s in love with totally the wrong man. Hudson can’t stop thinking about her.

His regular moves won’t work here. He’s going to need a new plan, starting with helping her win over the man she thinks she wants. And if in the process she ends up falling for Hudson instead? Even better. Step one, charm her panties off. Step two, repeat step one as frequently as possible.

But what if the famous Carlyle charm finally fails him when he needs it most? Or worse, what if she figures out the one secret he’s kept from everyone, including his family, and walks away for good?

Each book in the Harbor City series is STANDALONE
* The Negotiator
* The Charmer
* The Schemer

Ratings and reviews

Three and a half stars. Hudson Carlyle likes to pretend he's as deep as a puddle but in reality he is the famous artist Hughston whose works are highly sought after and acclaimed. His widowed mother has successfully married off his older brother and now she has her sights set on Hudson, but she wants Hudson to help mend the rift between his brother and his brother's former best friend Tyler Jacobson. The book opens at a fancy charity cocktail party at the Harbor City Museum of Natural History, Hudson watches one of the members of staff make goo-goo eyes at Tyler, despite her ugly clothes he finds her fascinating and desperately wants to paint her, so he tries to make a deal with her, he'll help her win over Tyler and when she succeeds she'll let him paint her. But to his surprise she turns down his offer, not once but twice! This novel ticks off a fair few romance tropes: billionaire playboy meets the nerd, dating guru, fake relationship, the only woman not bowled over by his charm. I enjoyed the novel but not as much as the first one. Interesting because it is a cross-over with the Hartigans series - our heroine Felicia being the youngest Hartigan.

This RomCom is a light-hearted, amusing read. The story is well-written and the flow is good, and I did get a few chuckles along the way. The problem, for me, is the heroine in this romance. Supposedly determined to land the elusive Tyler, Felicia's actions are quite contrary to that. I get that she is a bit obsessive about her lists and completing them, but falling into bed with Hudson, over and over, and getting right back on task with catching Tyler before the sheets have even cooled, is not what I would expect from an accomplished woman. I did enjoy Hudson's chase and failure to capture his love interest, as well as his run-in with her crazy feline, and the steam between this pair was fan yourself hot, but Felicia just left me with a sour feeling. The author is talented and the writing style is quite good, so I will continue to read her books. This one just missed the mark for me.

A charming story by Avery Flynn, The Chamer, book two in her Harbor City series is the perfect title for this wonderful and funny book, but you might be surprised as to who is the real charmer. What begins as someone helping another attain goals set fifteen years prior turns into a charming tale of secrets, family, humor and a steamy attraction between two people. Carefree billionaire, Hudson Carlyle has had no trouble charming his way through life. He agrees to help ant researcher Felicia Hartigan check off that last goal on her before thirty check list, get asked out by her dream guy. He decides to play Henry Higgins to Felicia’s Eliza, My Fair Lady in modern times. This story contains a lot of flirting, a number of laughs, a few secrets on Hudson’s part, and a few unexpected twists and turns. I really enjoyed reading this book. Ms. Flynn is an excellent storyteller, keeping me interested in this story so that I had trouble putting it down. I definitely recommend this outstanding book to other readers. I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

About the author

When Avery Flynn isn't writing about alpha heroes and the women who tame them, she is desperately hoping someone invents the coffee IV drip. She has three slightly-wild children, loves a hockey-addicted husband and has a slight shoe addiction. Find out more about Avery on her website, follow her on Twitter, like her on her Facebook page or friend her on her Facebook profile. Also, if you figure out how to send Oreos through the Internet, she’ll be your best friend for life. Contact her at [e-mail]. She’d love to hear from you.