Publisher: Audible Studios / Lauren Blakely Books
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Paperback Release Date: March 20, 2018
Source: Purchased by Reviewer
Buy it here: Audible | Amazon | B&N
The first time I met him, his sexy British accent almost talked me into giving him my number on the spot. The second time, he nearly charmed the panties off me with his wit. Then I learned he’s the key to success in my new job in Paris. The man who tempts me into fling-worthy dirty daydreams has turned out to be my personal translator, and his accent is the hottest thing I’ve ever heard.
My mantra is simple — Don’t mix business with pleasure. I do my best to resist him as he teaches me how to converse with my co-workers, navigate the metro and order the perfect bottle of wine at dinner. But I also figure out how to tell the charming and clever man what I most want to say — that I want him to take me back to his flat — tonight.
Except there’s a catch…
***
One more assignment before I take off on my big adventure…
And it involves the toughest work ever — resisting the fetching American woman I spend all my days with. But you know what they say about best intentions. Soon, we’re spending our nights tangled together, and I don’t want to let her go. The trouble is, my wanderlust is calling to me, and before we know it I’ll be traveling the globe to fulfill a promise I made long ago.
What could possibly go wrong with falling in love in Paris? Nothing…unless one of you is leaving.
I am completely in love with Wanderlust. It’s beautiful, romantic, sensual, and fun, with a whole lot of heart. Joy is, well, joyful. She’s immediately endearing and is so lively that she practically pops off the page. She’s the kind of heroine you want to be friends with and she just plain charmed the heck out of me with her attitude, big smile, intelligence, and her love of things like pink doors, hidden angels, and red umbrellas. It’s easy to see why Griffin fell for her and she for him. Griffin isn’t just a sexy hero (though that doesn’t hurt). He’s also playful, interesting, smart, and as likeable as Joy. Like Joy, Griffin is in Paris to start fresh; only he doesn’t plan to stay. He made a promise to his dying brother and fulfilling it means his time in Paris is almost up.
Griffin and Joy hit it off from the start and their interactions made me grin. Because they’re working together (she’s a chemist and he’s her interpreter), they try to resist the pull between them, which made the sexual tension all the more delicious. Their love story is absolutely wonderful because you see them become friends first and the fall from lust and friendship to something more is seamless. When they do give in to their mutual attraction, Wanderlust gets incredibly sexy. In bed and out, Griffin and Joy are a perfect match. Their love story is bright and exciting, but that doesn’t mean it or they lack depth. Both of them are fully developed, well-rounded characters. I feel like there’s no way to do them justice in this review because I cannot adequately express how happy these two made me. Their journey is one best experienced for yourself and I defy you not to fall in love with them.
Joy and Griffin are the heart of this book, but Paris itself is every bit as important to the story. Lauren Blakely does an incredible job of transporting readers to the City of Light – not to the famous sites we all know, but to the smaller shops, alleys, and hidden treasures. Griffin is British and Joy is from Texas, and the fact that neither of them are native Parisians added to the story. I was able to fall in love with Paris alongside Joy and the sheer romance of the setting had me sighing thanks to Ms. Blakely’s writing.
I listened to Wanderlust on audio and I highly recommend enjoying the book this way. Good narrators enhance already wonderful stories and I don’t think you can get much better than Grace Grant and Richard Armitage. Grace Grant perfectly captures Joy’s spirit, but it’s Richard Armitage (also known as John Thornton, Thorin Oakenshield, etc.) whose narration is to-die-for. He not only brings Griffin to life, but his voice is like melted chocolate and makes Wanderlust an aural delight.
I cannot recommend Wanderlust highly enough. It’s an utterly enchanting story with characters you care about and a romance that makes you laugh, swoon, and sigh. This is the first book of Ms. Blakely’s I’ve read/listened to and I cannot wait to glom up her backlist!
FTC Disclosure: This book was purchased by me. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
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