Release Day Review ~ Will You Be My Escort (The Carlisles: Book Two) by Meg Harding

Release Day Review ~ Will You Be My Escort (The Carlisles: Book Two)  by Meg Harding

Title: Will You Be My Escort
Series: The Carlisles: Book Two
Author: Meg Harding
Release Date: October 14, 2016
Category: Contemporary
Pages: 200

Dreamspinner ~ Goodreads



Jackson Carlisle has rotten luck with men and women, and after an especially bad situation, he takes a step back from romance. But with a two-week family reunion in Hawaii looming, his mom is determined to set him up with one of the sweet singles she knows would be perfect for him. A normal person would tell her no and be done with it. Instead, Jackson tells her he has a boyfriend. The only problem? He doesn’t.

Aaron Wilkes is an escort. He’s a little surprised when a friend’s girlfriend hires him to date her brother, but he’s had stranger jobs. Jackson is cute, and he thinks a fling with Aaron might be just the kind of no-strings-attached fun he needs to get over his dry spell. As they explore the islands together, their carefully laid plans begin to get away from them. Feelings aren’t supposed to come into play, but that shouldn’t be a problem. After all, you can’t fall in love in two weeks….

*** Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie by Dreamspinner Press in exchange for a fair and honest review.***

Will You Be My Escort is Book 2 in Meg Harding's The Carlisles series.  Jackson Carlisle has spent his adulthood ready to meet "the one".  He dates men and women and seems to only pick those who aren't "the one" but tries to change himself to make them be it.  He wants his HEA.  After his latest break-up, he's taken a break from dating, much to the disappointment of his mother.  When it comes time for the Carlisle family to head to Hawaii for a family reunion, Jackson's mom tries to set him up with a friend's son or another friend's daughter and Jackson, to save himself from this, tells her he's dating someone.  In a panic afterward, he texts his siblings to tell him what he's done and his sister tells him she has a solution.  Her boyfriend's best friend works as an escort and he can go and pretend that he's Jackson's boyfriend.  Neither Jackson or Aaron expected the attraction to the other and neither were ready for a relationship.  

I absolutely love the Carlisle family.  They are a large, close-knit, in your business family that loves, respects and accepts each other for the person they are.  Jackson is the baby of the family and has let his failed relationships beat him down.  He's lost himself in his bid to try to make himself whatever he needed to be for the person he's dating.  Aaron is able to show him what a relationship should be like and to teach him that he doesn't need to change for anyone.   The scenario for this book, though probably ridiculous to those who don't have large families, was hilarious and light-hearted!  

This book was less steamy than book 1, but the main focus was repairing Jackson with the feelings, sex and love coming later.  But it's still very enjoyable and I can't wait to read the next book in the series!

Rating:  4.5 stars

Jackson breaks up with his boyfriend after finding him in bed with another man. To add insult to injury it was Jackson's bed that the men were tainting.  Months later with no desire to try love again he is faced with the Carlisle Family Reunion. Two weeks of Carlisle family fun in beautiful Hawaii. The impending threat of well-meaning family members trying to fix him up with eligible men and women drives Jackson to lie to his mother about his new boyfriend, the one that doesn't exist.  Now with the help of his sister Georgina he has a paid escort to accompany him on the trip, he'll pose as Jackson's boyfriend and keep the matchmakers at bay. 

Aaron is the perfect boyfriend and he gets paid very good money to be. When his best friend's girlfriend asks him for a favor by accompanying her brother on a family vacation he is pretty hesitant. He generally likes to keep his personal and professional lives separate.  However, after careful thought and Tristan vouching for Jackson, Aaron decides to take the job. He had no idea that this would be one of the hardest jobs he'll do. He's promised he'd never get involved with a client again but is Jackson different? 

***A copy of this book was provided by Dreamspinner Press in exchange for a fair and honest review***

I truly, truly, hate reading books that are written in present tense. I find it so hard to connect with the story and the characters. It's as if I'm being told what happens instead of seeing it happen. It almost feels like the author is reading from a list or an outline of the story and I don't get the opportunity to use my imagination to conjure up a picture of everything happening.  I am aware that this is a personal pet peeve and others have no problem with this style of writing, though. 

Putting that aside, I liked the story itself. I thought it was cute, fun and entertaining. I liked both Jackson, who I liked from the start, and Aaron, who I wasn't quite sure about in the beginning but ended up liking as the story progresses. It was pretty easy to see that the MCs would fit well together and as out there as the premise is, it felt authentic.   

There are a lot of characters throughout the book, some supporting and background characters. Others more just on the periphery, it was a little confusing at times to keep brothers and cousins and friends and what not straight in my head.  I can see how a series can easily be centered around the Carlisle family, however, I hope in future books it's a little easier to keep track of who's who. 

I recommend this book with caution. If you aren't a fan of present tense, beware. 

3.5 Stars!