It’s a little hard for me to explain how much and why I like books by Blair Babylon. As a general rule, I hate books with cliffhangers (please don’t stop reading yet) but her stories are so compelling I just can’t stay away from them and – this is important – she doesn’t make you wait more than a few months for the next book. In the case of this story, the next book will also be the conclusion to Arthur and Gen story. Because I appreciate it when other reviewers mention a book has a cliffhanger I feel compelled to do the same but I implore you to give her writing a chance.Blair Babylon is a superb storyteller. Her writing is witty, funny, tear-inducing, snarky (at times) and she uses words that challenge my vocabulary. Her Billionaires in Disguise: Rae series (available now as one book that contains the entire story) remains one of my all-time favorite books. I loved it so much I even bought the paperback copy. Never before in my life have I spent $24.99 on a book but that’s how much I loved that story and I had to have a copy for my keeper shelf.

Now for something about Stiff Drink. We met Arthur in Working Stiff (Casimir’s story) and I have to say he didn’t come off too well. (You don’t need to read Working Stiff to enjoy Stiff Drink as it stands alone with no problem.) Stiff Drink contains several surprises about Arthur and we learn that not everything is as it seems.

Once I started reading Stiff Drink I couldn’t put it down. I fell in love with Gen’s character, too. She’s trying so hard to be British and give up the Americanisms that hamper her climb up the career ladder. Arthur is helping her with that project and they come to work very well together. Here’s a quote that made me LOL:

Arthur is advising Gen:
Over Vegetable Wellington, herbed vegetables wrapped in golden, flaky puff pastry that shattered between her teeth, Arthur whispered, “When we’re in a crowd, you mustn’t say excuse-me and pardon-me to get through. I think you said them twenty times in a row.”
“But, that’s polite,” Gen said, confused. “Being polite is very British.”
“Yes, but we don’t say that when we squeeze through crowds,” he whispered. He glanced around and dropped his voice further. “British children are taught that when one belches in public, one says ‘Excuse me.’ One says ‘Pardon me’ when one audibly trumps in public.”
Gen felt faint. “Oh, my. So when I was getting through the crowd—”
“People were probably wondering what you had eaten to cause such gastric distress.”
“Oh my God!” They all thought she had left a trail of burps and farts through the crowd like a gaseous river of napalm floating behind her.

This story made me laugh out loud in several places and shed tears in others. This kind of reaction from me is exactly what I look for in a good book and Blair always delivers just what I need. I nearly forgot to mention that the sexual tension between Arthur and Gen is absolutely delicious!

I received an advanced copy of this story some time ago but I had a hard time making myself start it because I knew I wouldn’t want it to end. I know that doesn’t make too much sense but it’s been a while since Blair’s had a new full-length novel released and I just wanted to savor it. I’m so glad I learned about her books three years ago; I hope you will give them a try.

♥♥♥♥♥

O Factor: Spicy

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USA Today Bestselling Author Blair Babylon is an award-winning author who regularly publishes contemporary romance and romantic suspense fiction. After writing literary fiction where reviews usually included the caveat that there was too much deviant sex, she decided to abandon all literary pretensions, let her freak flag fly, and write hot, sexy, erotic romance with crazy, breakneck plot turns.