Sideways by Lisa Hughey Blog Tour

She’s a political princess and media darling...

There’s no such thing as bad publicity. Yeah, right. Tell that to the PR firm that handles Tracy’s very prominent political family. Pushed by scandal from Boston to the boondocks, now she’s on the other side of the serving tray, dishing up beer and burgers, hoping no one recognizes her. But there’s something very familiar—and maddeningly tempting—about the new caterer at Speakeasy.

He’s a cranky recluse...

Colton was the star of the celebrity chef circuit until he wasn’t anymore. Now he lives in a remote country cabin and spends his time alone, far from the spotlight and liking it that way. Until the gorgeous new waitress at Speakeasy starts poking at his resolve and suddenly all he wants is to see her let down her hair. And spread it all over his pillow. She’s got secrets he knows he won’t like, but he can’t stay away from her.

She lives in the spotlight, and he hates attention. When her public life collides with his private one, can their love write a fairy-tale ending after all?

Sideways is a stand-alone novel set in Sarina Bowen’s World of True North.

Welcome to Speakeasy, where the beer is handcrafted, the patrons wear flannel, and the romance is steamier than the gourmet kitchen out back. The Speakeasy Taproom books are standalone romances set in small-town Vermont. Jump in anywhere!

Don’t miss our reviews of the rest of the Speakeasy Taproom series!
For book one, Touchstone, click HERE.
For book two, Heartwood, click HERE.
For book three, Homecoming, click HERE.

 

 

Book 4
Buy Links

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She didn’t know why he didn’t like her.

Everyone liked her. She went out of her way to be cordial and welcoming. But this guy had a shield around him so thick that even in a crowded bar he sat alone and isolated. He watched the action on the restaurant floor with a bit of wistfulness. And she wondered what his story was.

“Is there a reason you don’t like me?” She couldn’t believe those words had spilled from her mouth. She had spent her entire life being nice, being polite, and being agreeable. But when she asked him, there had been a challenge in her voice. The freedom was liberating.

He ate his hash slowly as if savoring each bite of food. The chef was pretty amazing.

She waited as he chewed. He glanced out the side of his eyes, a gorgeous hazel that she totally should not have noticed. This close to him his scent was a mixture of sunscreen and warmth and clean sweat as if he’d spent the day in the sun. Earthy. Masculine. And very, very sexy.

She shouldn’t notice how sexy he was. He didn’t like her.

She was tired of waiting for an answer. She propped her hands on her hips and leaned into his personal space. “You don’t even know me.”

“I don’t have to know you.” He flipped a glance her way. “I know your type.”

Her type? “What type? Nice? Invested in making people happy?”

“Rich, clueless, and arrogant.”

“Yeah, well you’re grumpy, irritating, and wrong.”

Her feet throbbed and now her head ached. She rarely cried but everything about today had been difficult. Feeling like a fish out of water wasn’t pleasant. She wanted to go back to her busy life and her active friendships. But she was stuck here for the moment. And her eyes burned.

Tracy took a deep breath and focused on something else. She needed to channel her alter ego. What would Cee-Cee do?

She had imagined Cee-Cee For so long. Cee-Cee spoke her mind and didn’t worry about optics. She didn’t even know what optics were.

“I’m making the best of a bad situation.” She defended her actions.

But as she looked at him, she realized there was more going on than his slightly derogatory comments about her. He’d done a weird turn thing so he wasn’t facing the bar but sort of sideways. It had to be hard to eat that way.

“You need to stop running away from your problems.”

Her heart stopped. Did he know who she was? Hopefully he was just intuitive. “Easier said than done.”

“Of course it is. Hard things aren’t supposed to be easy.” He said it as if he was intimately familiar with hard things.

She wasn’t about to let him off the hook. He clearly had his own issues.

“Maybe you need to take your own advice,” she shot back. Damn straight.

“Maybe you’re right.”

 

 

 

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
This is the fourth book in the Speakeasy series, and part of the wider Sarina Bowen True North world. I would definitely suggest that you indulge in them all, but I have to admit I would place this before book three, Homecoming, as the timing for me works better – but it doesn't matter all that much! It was good to see other characters from earlier stories, and the linking between plot lines generally worked well.

Tracy has (a little like Phoebe) had a PR disaster which has caused her to flee Boston. In her case, she was prepared to disappear should the need arise, and has a friend book her a rental car and adopts a secret identity and uses burner phones. By mere chance, she ends up in Colebury, and we all know by now how lucky a coincidence that is for her!

While hiding out, she makes the acquaintance of a very grumpy man, who she recognises as a celebrity chef who vanished a little while ago after a blow-out, which also featured heavily on social media. Colton is very well aware that Cee Cee, as her secret identity is called, is trouble, from his old world, and clearly just in town for a short time. But he also can't help but guide her in the ways of normal life – like how to do one's own laundry.

I really enjoyed the banter between them, and the fact that she helped him regain his control and his ability to cook without melting down or indulging in alcohol. I liked the whole app idea and how it was going to expand. Whilst it felt a little preachy at times, it was always from a good place and not entirely unbelievable. It was inevitable that they would give in to their chemistry, but the buildup was good, and the acceptance of no strings with thick ropes equally binding them together was amusing.

Another good addition to the series, and I look forward to seeing who gets their happily ever after next!

 

 

 

USA Today bestselling author LISA HUGHEY started writing romance in the fourth grade. That particular story involved a prince and an engagement. Now, she writes about strong heroines who are perfectly capable of rescuing themselves and the heroes who love both their strength and their vulnerability. She pens romances of all types—suspense, paranormal, and contemporary—but at their heart, all her books celebrate the power of love.

She lives in Cape Ann Massachusetts with her fabulously supportive husband and one somewhat grumpy cat.

Beach walks, hiking, and traveling are her favorite ways to pass the time when she isn’t plotting new ways to get her characters to fall in love.

Connect with Lisa

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Facebook Group: Lisa's Legends

 

 

 

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Sideways (Speakeasy Taproom #4) by Lisa Hughey to read and review for this tour.