From New York Times Bestselling author Tessa Bailey comes the first novel in her hot, new Romancing the Clarksons Series.

When Rita Clarkson’s Suburban takes its last breath on a New Mexico roadside, rescue roars up on a Harley in the form of smooth-talking honkey tonk owner, Jasper Ellis, a man as mysterious as he is charming. Rita’s cross-country journey to New York City–with her three estranged siblings in tow–is only beginning, but now that Jasper has found Rita, his plans do not include her leaving.

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When rescue looks like a whole lot of trouble . . .

The road trip was definitely a bad idea. Having already flambéed her culinary career beyond recognition, Rita Clarkson is now stranded in God-Knows-Where, New Mexico, with a busted-ass car and her three temperamental siblings, who she hasn’t seen in years. When rescue shows up—six-feet-plus of hot, charming sex on a motorcycle—Rita’s pretty certain she’s gone from the frying pan right into the fire . . .

Jasper Ellis has a bad boy reputation in this town, and he loathes it. The moment he sees Rita, though, Jasper knows he’s about to be sorely tempted. There’s something real between them. Something raw. And Jasper has only a few days to show Rita that he isn’t just for tonight—he’s forever.

About Tessa Bailey:

Tessa Bailey is originally from Carlsbad, California. The day after high school graduation, she packed her yearbook, ripped jeans and laptop, driving cross-country to New York City in under four days.

Her most valuable life experiences were learned thereafter while waitressing at K-Dees, a Manhattan pub owned by her uncle. Inside those four walls, she met her husband, best friend and discovered the magic of classic rock, managing to put herself through Kingsborough Community College and the English program at Pace University at the same time. Several stunted attempts to enter the work force as a journalist followed, but romance writing continued to demand her attention.

She now lives in Long Island, New York with her husband of eight years and four-year-old daughter. Although she is severely sleep-deprived, she is incredibly happy to be living her dream of writing about people falling in love.

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REVIEW:

Tessa Bailey is one of my favorite contemporary romance writers so I know that pretty much anything she writes, I am going to love. No one writes a steamy sex scene quite like Ms. Bailey. So I loved what she did with the story of Rita Clarkson, who has just accidentally burned down her mother’s award-winning restaurant. On top of that, it was her mother’s dying wish that Rita and her siblings – who aren’t exactly close – travel to the East Coast to swim in the ocean on New Year’s Day.

The Clarkson bunch is headed off on their road trip when their truck breaks down in the middle of New Mexico. The oh-so-hot Jasper enters enters the picture and offers them a ride into town and help with the local mechanic. So now the Clarkson family is stranded in the middle of nowhere. Yes, Jasper and Rita have instant chemistry BUT once again, Tessa Bailey surprises with Jasper: he’s trying to make something of his life and live down his bad-boy reputation, and low expectations that everyone has of him.

What if— to Rita—he could be Jasper, the decent soul and sparkling conversationalist? Standing right in front of Jasper was a woman without any preconceived— or hell, conceived— notions about him, and he couldn’t recall the last time that had happened.

Rita and Jasper were amazing!! But Rita is worried about her future and can’t stop thinking about life without Jasper. She thinks he is just a temporary diversion but Jasper is so much more than that! He is shocked that he actually wants to spend time with Rita and can’t stop think about her. Tessa Bailey always creates such terrific characters and Rita and Jasper were no exception. I LOVED their scenes together – Jasper is TOTALLY Alpha – and adored the alternating POV’s. You know you will always get an incredibly hot and sexy story with Ms. Bailey and add to that the wonderfully unique Clarkson family, then you have a great recipe for a funny, sexy and heartwarming story.

Here’s the thing. I swore off women. But then you came pedaling into town with this mouth, those eyes and the way they see everything… and fuck yes, I want to kiss you. I want to do all manner of things to you.”

Too Hot to Handle is a very enjoyable start to the new series involving the Clarkson family!!

4 Stars

(ARC provided by the publisher in return for an honest review.)

EXCERPT:

“Believe this, Rita. I think you’re gorgeous as sin and I need your mouth on mine.”
Rita nodded, meshing their wet lips together in the process. “I want to believe that. You might have to help me.”
“Thank Christ.”
Their mouths slanted and somehow—somehow—that feast of lips and tongue and teeth was even more potent than the night before. His knee rammed into the bike—almost as if his leg had tried to buckle—shooting pain up his right thigh, but it vanished under the pleasure. Vanished into vapor. The stroking, hot, abandon of Rita. They were both breathing through their noses so as not to break the voracious mouth-fucking they were engaging in, and that shouldn’t have been so all-out sexy. But it sure as shit was. They were attacking each other with seeking tongues and open lips, playing chicken to see who would give in first.
When her hands slipped under his shirt and pulled down on his belt buckle, putting pressure on Jasper’s cock, he cursed into her mouth, securing his fist in her hair like a goddamn barbarian. And she liked it, too. Why else would she be tugging on his belt, encouraging him to rock into the notch of her pussy? Too far. This was going too far. Any farther and they’d end up somewhere naked.
She’d leave the encounter with no doubt of his experience, because, hell, Jasper knew every button to press, when to change rhythm, when to be forceful or pull back. Knew it all. But Rita wouldn’t look at him the same way afterward. She’d see the local tramp, like everyone else.
She’d leave. And he’d have failed in his one attempt to be more to someone.
Jasper tore his mouth free, releasing a gruff exhale into her neck. “You have me ready to bust in my jeans, beautiful. I was smoother than this in high school.”
“That’s a scary thought,” she breathed out in a rush, her fists still curling in his shirt. “Was that the other half of your apology for last night? B-because I have to say, it was pretty effective.”
“At the risk of sounding arrogant, Rita, I haven’t even moved my hips yet. You’ve barely gotten a preview of how thoroughly I can…apologize.”
“Don’t leave me in suspense,” she whispered, those golden-brown eyes going as big as salad plates.
Don’t do it. You’ll have a hard-on for a decade. “If you agree to go out with me tonight, I’ll rub that wet, aching seam of yours with my own ache.”
Rita’s head fell back on a whimper. “Fine. Yes.”

Tessa Bailey’s TOO HOT TO HANDLE – Review & Excerpt Tour Schedule:

May 19^th

A Literary Perusal – Review & Excerpt

Book Angel Booktopia – Review & Excerpt

Bookaholics Reading Haven – Review & Excerpt

Booklovers For Life – Guest Post

CherryRed’s Reads – Review & Excerpt

Krista’s Dust Jacket – Review & Excerpt

Lit. 4 Ladies – Excerpt

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