Banging the Enemy

Lili Valente

Feb 2020 · Self Taught Ninja

About this ebook

Pop Quiz: You just banged a rock star you vowed to loathe until the end of time. What’s next? 

Hint: You don’t agree to be his fake girlfriend. And you certainly don’t fall in love… 

Once upon a time, Cutter Comstock was the hot older boy who tormented me in high school. Fast forward thirteen years and I find myself in his bed, riding him like the last stud at the sex rodeo… 

Needless to say, mistakes have been made… 

But as a chef, I turn food flops around all the time. I can turn this around, too. All I have to do is ignore the insufferably gorgeous (and generally insufferable) Cutter until he goes on tour. 

Too bad my nemesis has other plans. 

Cutter wants my help winning back the one who got away and he knows just the bait to dangle—the chance to open my own restaurant in a dream location. I can pull off pretending to be the devil’s devoted girlfriend in order to make my dreams come true. Right? 

But what happens when my dreams start to include the clever, funny, unexpectedly sweet man Cutter has become?

Ratings and reviews

I adore Lili Valente and all of her books, and the Bangover series has been a true delight. Lili's great at writing characters that are more than meets the eye, and the boys of Lips On Fire are no exception. Take Cutter Comstock, for instance. He's living the rockstar life, with his dirty mouth, his devil may care approach to love, and his fear of all things commitment. But, wait, could there be some romance under that bad boy exterior? Yep, and who'd have thought that this love 'em and leave 'em heartbreaker would want to ever settle down? Enter Theo Devi, Cutter's longtime nemesis. She wants something, and so does he, so why not scratch each other's backs to get it? Oh, when will they ever learn... I was already way in love with Cutter Comstock when I started this book. He's stood disdainfully by while his bandmates have found true love, but, him, well, he's the holdout. Or is he? When the one that got away suddenly becomes available, Cutter's going to have to prove that he's the keeping kind. And who better to help him out than Theo. She can help give him the image that he needs to win another lady's heart, and, in return, Cutter will help her achieve her dream of owning her own restaurant. What could possibly go wrong? This story, like the others in the series, had my heart from the get-go. Cutter and Theo are hardly a match made in heaven, at least until they open their eyes and see what they have in each other. Lili's sure to deliver a HEA, and these two surely deserve it. With all the stock Lili sass, sizzle, and snark, BANG ON LOOSELY hit all the marks for me. This book, along with the others in the Bangover series, are so much fun, sweet, sexy, and sizzly, with plenty of snark to keep things interesting. Do yourself a favor and make time for these reads...your TBR will thank you! ❤️

Yes, yes, and YES! I already knew going into Bang On Loosely that I was going to get the laughs I've come to expect in this series, and after reading the prequel novella, Enemies with Bang-ifits, that this was going to be an enemies-to-lovers romance that has as much bite as it does bang. But what I wasn't expecting was that dash of angst that led to third and emphatic YES at the beginning. Dare I say that with every new novel Lili Valente releases in her Bangover series, the bigger a chunk of my heart is taken. Would it be too soon for me to declare this my favorite series from Valente ever? Because as much as the male main characters are rock stars, the stories in this series are more than your typical rock star romance trope. And have I mentioned that you end up falling in love with the heroines as much as you do the heroes? But I'm getting ahead of myself! Let's delve into a bit about this fab book. Bang On Loosely is the third full-length novel in the Bangover series, and this time around, the spotlight shines on Cutter Comstock, guitarist and songwriter for Lips on Fire, and Theodora Devi, a chef dreaming to open her own restaurant. When Cutter learns that Megan Blankenship, the only girl he's ever considered having a future with, has filed for divorce, he realizes this could be his chance to be with her. All he needs is to find a fake fiancée to convince Megan that he's capable of committing and settling down, and Cutter's got his sights set on Theo to play that role. Sure, they hate each other, but that means no hearts are going to get broken. Cutter gets Megan and Theo gets her dream resto. Win-win. It's a foolproof plan...until they foolishly catch feelings and lose their hearts. Enemies-to-lovers happens to be one of my ultimate favorite tropes, so I've read more than my fair share. Lili Valente's treatment of this trope with regards to Cutter and Theo's story happens to be one of the best I've come across in all my years of reading, and those are A LOT of years. There were no secret long-held feelings of unrequited love from our main characters, and the snark were, at times, thinly veiled barbs that were highlighted how there was no love lost between them. But as Cutter and Theo get to know each other--allowing readers to get to know them better as well--the animosity turns to begrudging affection and admiration and then more. Cutter's back story made him much easier to empathize with, which in turn, had me cheering him and Theo on towards their happily-ever-after. This book also had a pinch of suspense to it, making for an even more entertaining read overall. I highly recommend you check out Bang On Loosely, which gets five-plus stars. Read the other books, too! ♥

Bang on Loosely Cutter and Theodora have been enemies for as long as they can remember. But when Cutter returns home from touring and suggests a fake romance to help him win the one that got away in exchange for helping Theo with her dream, she agrees. But as the time they spend together becomes more frequent, Theo’s feelings towards Cutter begin to change. Will Cutter ever let the walls around his heart down and recognize the true love that already stands in front of him before it’s too late? The banter between Cutter and Theo is fun and entertaining. Although they’re both strong-willed and driven individuals, I loved the internal vulnerability they both feel which ultimately wanes and allows their souls to join together. And the magnetism that sparks between them is sexy and oh-so-hot. Bang on Loosely is a fantastically fun enemies to lovers romantic comedy. Lili Valente has remained at the top of my must read authors list for years and with each new novel, series and couple she shares, she continues to solidify her top spot there.

About the author

Learn more at www.lilivalente.com.