Making Up by Helena Hunting
Synopsis:
A new
standalone, laugh-out-loud romantic comedy by New York
Times bestselling author Helena Hunting.
Cosy Felton is
great at her job—she knows just how to handle the awkwardness that
comes with working at an adult toy store. So when the hottest guy
she’s ever seen walks into the shop looking completely overwhelmed,
she’s more than happy to turn on the charm and help him purchase
all of the items on his list.
Griffin Mills is
using his business trip in Las Vegas as a chance to escape the broken
pieces of his life in New York City. The last thing he wants is to be
put in charge of buying gag gifts for his friend’s bachelor party.
Despite being totally out of his element, and mortified by the whole
experience, Griffin is pleasantly surprised when he finds himself
attracted to the sales girl that helped him.
As skeptical as
Cosy may be of Griffin’s motivations, there’s something about him
that intrigues her. But sometimes what happens in Vegas doesn’t
always stay in Vegas and when real life gets in the way, all bets are
off. Filled with hilariously awkward situations and enough sexual
chemistry to power Sin City, Making Up is the next
standalone in the Shacking Up world.
Excerpt:
We’re a couple of minutes
away from my apartment, which also means we’re almost at the end of
our date. End-of-date protocol often means a goodnight kiss.
And I’ve eaten onions.
Lots of them. What the hell was I thinking? I feel around in my
shorts pocket, hoping I have a random stick of gum. I find a tiny
square packet and pull it out, along with an old tissue. I shove that
back in my pocket and sigh with relief as I carefully open the
Listerine Pocketpak. There’s one strip left. I pop it in my mouth,
wishing I had water since my mouth is dry and I’m suddenly super
nervous.
Griffin pulls up in front of
my apartment building. I swallow a bunch of times, trying to get the
strip to dissolve on my tongue and glance out the tinted window,
seeing it from his perspective. I don’t live in a bad part of town,
but I sure as hell wouldn’t leave this car sitting out here for any
length of time unless I wanted it keyed or stripped down.
Griffin shifts into park and
turns to me, one hand resting on the back of my seat near the
headrest. “I had a great time, Cosy.”
“Me too, thanks for
dinner.” I tried to fork over my share, but he was quick on the
credit card draw.
“It was my pleasure.” He
leans in the tiniest bit, a nonverbal cue that he’s going in for a
kiss.
I mirror the movement,
giving him the go ahead. My stomach flutters in anticipation. I
exhale slowly through my nose. Even though the Listerine strip should
be doing its job to mask the onions, I don’t want to ruin the
moment by breathing that in his face.
His fingertips skim my jaw,
and I close my eyes. And then his lips brush my cheek. I wait for
them to move a couple of inches to the right, but after what feels
like a lot of seconds—and is probably only a few—I crack a lid.
Griffin is still close, a
wry smile on his lips and a smolder in his eyes.
“Seriously, that’s it? A
kiss on the cheek?”
His smile widens, making his
eyes crinkle at the corners. He’s nothing like the guys I usually
end up on dates with. College boys don’t take things slow. If I
were out with one of the guys from school, I’d be sitting in a
beat-up Civic with some stupid music playing, and he’d be all over
me with his tongue halfway down my throat, copping a feel.
“I thought all the onions
you ate were the equivalent to garlic for vampires.” Griffin
fingers my hair near my shoulder. I’d really like him to finger
something else. Wait. I mean I’d like to feel his hands on me. Not
in my pants. Okay, maybe I’d like them in my pants, but not after
date number one.
“I wasn’t thinking, and
I really like onions. A lot. In hindsight, it’s not a great date
food. I feel kinda dumb. And I guess at first I wasn’t so sure
about you. How was I supposed to know you’d actually be kind of
normalish?”
“Normalish?”
“Well, you drink club soda
on purpose, so you can’t be all there.” I tap his temple.
Griffin circles my wrist
with his fingers and drops his head, lips brushing over my knuckle.
“We can’t all be perfect, now, can we?”
“I suppose not, and
perfect is boring.”
“That it is.” He hums
against my skin, and I feel it through my entire body. “I would
like to try that kiss again, if you’re still interested.”
BOOKISH STACY RATING:🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
It's Vegas, baby!
Gah, this series just keeps getting better and better. I LOVED Griffin and Cosy! Their witty banter and crazy chemistry definitely makes them one of my favorite Helena Hunting couples. These two just really melted my heart (and other things, at times. 😉) I loved watching them come to realize that in all of their differences, they were very much alike and could rely on each other. HH knows how to put the swoon-factor in her book boyfriends and Griffin is no exception. The supporting characters, as in all HH books, were a great addition the story. This thing was jam-packed with tons of heart, heat, and so many belly laughs (I mean, the book starts out in an adult toy store, so what would you expect?)
Although this is book four in the Shacking Up series, it can absolutely be read as a stand-alone. I've completely fallen in love with these characters and highly recommend the whole series.
Helena
Hunting Blog Tour Q&A MAKING UP
What
inspired you to write Making
Up?
I’d
introduced Griffin in the previous Shacking Up Series novels,
Shacking Up and Hooking Up—he was a bit of a mystery for readers
because he was talked about, but not really present. I had a very
clear picture in my mind of who he was, and the kind of woman who
would end up being the perfect fit for him, and it was not his fiancé
from the previous books.
Introduce
us to your main characters!
Griffin
Mills is the oldest of the three Mills brothers. At thirty-three he’s
had several very long term relationships and was formerly engaged,
but that relationship went up in flames. He’s gorgeous, smart,
loves the numbers side of the family business he’s part of—a
chain of hotels he’s set to inherit with his brothers. Also, he’s
a little awkward, which I love, because there’s nothing quite like
a hot guy who doesn’t have all the lines and fumbles a bit when
he’s dealing with someone he’s attracted to. It makes for some
hilarious banter with his love interest, Cosy Felton. Our heroine is
a twenty-two year old who has been a bit of a nomad for most of her
life, but is finally finishing school and happens to work at an Adult
Toy Store part time. It’s definitely not her favourite job, but it
pays the bills. She’s sassy, not much of a planner and definitely
more than Griffin bargained for.
Lots
of aspiring authors out there. Any advice for them?
Just
keep writing. Every day put words on the page and surround yourself
with positive people who are there to support you. Ask questions,
join book groups, be an avid reader and an observer.
How
is Making
Up different
from your other books?
Making
Up has a trope I’ve never really explored or played around with
before, so it was a lot of fun to write. While I’ve written age
gaps before, it hasn’t been a key part of the storyline, or had a
significant impact on how the characters perceive the relationship.
Griffin and Cosy are from two very different worlds and balancing
their expectations and insecurities was one of my favourite parts of
writing their story. Making Up has my signature quirky, sassy
heroines and I love writing heroes that are sexy, yet a little
awkward. While it’s a light read, there’s some drama, and some
heavy baggage, which I think grounds the story and balances out the
hilarity.
I
know asking someone’s all-time favorite book is a loaded question
so what’s your current
favorite read?
I’ve
been so lucky to read so many amazing books this year but I’m going
to go with Broken Knight by LJ Shen which releases this August. I
love YA/NA romance and angst, and she knows how to deliver both
flawlessly.
Alright,
the ultimate question: why should we read your book?
We
all need a little escape from our own realities once in a while and
Making Up is a fun, sexy romance that’s perfect for the summer.
Also, Griffin is hot, and not particularly suave at times. I think we
can all appreciate a guy who doesn’t have all the lines, especially
if he looks like he should.
A
famous movie producer wants to make your books into movies and they
want you
to cast your characters from Making
Up.
Which actors/actresses make the cut?
This
is always a fun question and I’ll be 100% honest, I never actually
look at actors prior to writing a story because I generally have a
picture of the character in my head. But, I went on a Pinterest
mission and Alex Morgan (she’s a soccer player, not an actress)
would make a fabulous Cosy if she suddenly switched career paths.
Hailee Steinfeld (Bumblebee) is super sassy, and could definitely
play up the humor in this story, so she would be a legitimate actress
choice. Gabriel Macht has a great smolder and can rock a seriously
sexy suit, so I think he’d be great as Griffin.
Favorite
quote or scene you wrote in Making
Up?
Making
Up is definitely a rom-com with some incredibly hilarious moments,
but Griffin has some heavy baggage, which means there are also
serious moments, and this is one of my favourites: “Talk to me.
Fall apart on me. Show me your weakness so I can give you my
strength.”
What
inspired you to become a writer?
I’ve
always loved to write, but finding time was a challenge during
university and then afterward I was building a career and we
renovated a house down to the studs—which takes up a lot of time
and doesn’t leave much of an opportunity for putting down words
(but it was an amazing experience). When I gave birth to my daughter
she struggled to sleep—or rather stay asleep—and that meant I
spent a lot of time awake in the middle of the night. So I started
writing again during those late nights, and finally penned my first
full novel.
What
is a typical writing day like?
I
usually start with a run and then copious amounts of coffee while I
manage the administrative side of things—ie emails, social media
posts etc. But when I sit down to write I have a playlist I put on
repeat, more coffee, sparking water (so I can stay hydrated) and my
cat Pumpkin generally lies on top of my closed laptop and supervises
me for the day.
Do
you have any interesting writing quirks or habits?
I
listen to the same playlist while I write a novel. So if it takes me
two months, then I listen to the same set of songs for two full
months. I’ve destroyed A LOT of albums for my husband over the past
several years. I just need the background noise, and listening to the
radio or unfamiliar songs can be distracting.
What
has been one of the most surprising things you’ve learned as a
published author?
I’ve
only been in the industry for five years and there has been so much
change, learning to adjust and adapt and just staying true to your
personal goal is really the most important thing I’ve learned. I
think when you start out there are just so many unknowns, and taking
risks can be scary, but if you don’t take those risks, it’s hard
to grow as an author.
Can
you tell us about what’s coming up next after this for you writing
wise?
I
have one more book in The Shacking Up Series, HANDLE WITH CARE, which
releases at the end of August! Griffin’s cousin and best friend,
Lincoln Moorehead, is the hero and if you didn’t know, he is also
Armstrong’s brother. Lincoln is the polar opposite of Armstrong so
it was so fun to write. I can’t wait for people to meet Griffin and
Cosy and Lincoln and Wren.
How
can readers connect with you online?
They
can connect with me all over social media!
Bio:
New York
Times and USA Today bestselling author of
PUCKED, Helena Hunting lives on the outskirts of Toronto with her
incredibly tolerant family and two moderately intolerant cats. She's
writes contemporary romance ranging from new adult angst to romantic
sports comedy.
