Big Rock (Big Rock, #1)

by Lauren Blakely

• ISBN10: 0692572031
• ISBN13: 9780692572030
• Publish Date: 18 February 2016 (first published 6 January 2016)
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 9 April 2021
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Michael Friedman Publishing Group Inc.,U.S.
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 244
• Language: English

Reviews

[The Romantic Comedy Book Club]

If you liked Drew in Tangled, you will LOVE Spencer in Big Rock.

A quick, fun read - the book follows the story of New York City Playboy Spencer Holiday. He's gorgeous, he's smart, he's successful, and (without any hesitation) he shares he is gifted in a certain area. Despite being well-endowed, he proclaims to be a gentleman and all around great guy - just ask his best friend Charlotte, cofounder and business partner of The Lucky Spot. The one agreement these two have had since college is that they watch out for each other and come calling as the "significant other" if any person of interest doesn't get the hint to back off. Spencer decides to "activate" this pact when his father's deal to sell his jewelry company is in jeopardy due to Spencer's colorful "dating" history. As the dutiful bestie, Charlotte agrees to pretend to be Spencer's fiancee for a week; but, what happens when pretend starts to cross the line into fantasy?

This book was absolutely hilarious and while the ending is predictable (come on, it’s a romantic comedy), the reveal towards the end was a bit of a surprise (and honestly created a few questions on the plausibility of it). Despite those few questionable moments, the banter was enjoyable, the steamy scenes were sizzling hot, and the brother/sister relationship of Spencer and Harper is endearing. Apparently there is a Book #2 that is the sister’s story so I will definitely be checking that out!

If you are looking for a quick read to put a smile on your face, I highly recommend this one!

[Linda]

3.5 stars
Big Rock was both humorous and hot - and a little bit predictable. It made my commute to work and Uni fun, though :) And I had to make sure the sound wasn't too loud ;)
I love Sebastian York's voice - he could read the phonebook and I'd be a happy camper.

[Berls]

I really enjoyed this book and I'm glad I finally got to it. I love both tropes - friends to lovers and fake relationships. At first I didn't like the main character; he seemed too cocky, but as you get to know him it stopped feeling that way. I look forward to reading more of this series!

That was funny

[limabean74]

First Impression:

The cover....my daughter (9) and I quote "OMG, Are you going to read that? What could it even be about?" "He's naked, MOM!" When she gets older I'll remind her of this moment when she reads this book. This is my first, Lauren Blakely and I am pretty sure it will not be my last. I loved her writing, her story and her characters. This was such a fun book and it had me laughing quite a bit. The banter between the two MC's is flirtatious and it works because you know these two are destined to be together.

The Story & Characters:

• I love a friend to lovers story and this did not disappoint


• I loved reading in a Males POV and I loved being in Spencer's Head.


• Charlotte is a cute characters and I thought Spencer and her were meant for each other.


• Banter in this book is exactly what you want in a friends to lovers story. I really liked in intensity of it and how you can see when it switches from friends to more.


• This is also a fake fiancee story and I enjoy those too, they are so fun.


• I really liked Spencer's Family. This wasn't a boy with a rough life this was a rich guy with a great family behind him.


• Of course all books like this have a conflict and this one I liked. I was over done and it really worked for the story and Spencer's personality.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, I really enjoyed this book, I love reading in Spencer's POV and I think the banter was fun and perfect for the story. Regardless of what my daughter may have thought of the cover, I liked it and the story was a PERFECT fit. Highly recommend, can not wait to read more from this author.

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This review was originally posted on Because reading is better than real life

[Angie]

Big Rock is a friends to lovers, fake relationship turned real, sexy Romance! Spencer and Charlotte have been friends since college, and now they're also business partners. On top of that, they occasionally pretend to be the other's boy/girlfriend to ward off unwanted advances. Except now, a misunderstanding during a business lunch has Spencer engaged to Charlotte. He didn't mean for it to happen, but he knows that dropping his playboy image will help his father with this business deal. Luckily, Charlotte agrees to the charade, but she has a proposal of her own.

Big Rock is told entirely from Spencer's POV. He's super cocky, but he's also likeable. He knows what he's good at and what he's got going on, but he's not a jerk. And he really is a great friend to Charlotte, and he gets along with his family! That's sadly quite rare but also refreshing. Spencer just wants to help his father, and hopes he and Charlotte can pull this off. As for what she wants in return, well, Spencer is hesitant at first. Sex with your best friend cannot end well, but they have some off the wall chemistry! Holy sexy times, Batman!

I really enjoyed Big Rock. It's a pretty standard Romance novel, but there's nothing wrong with that. I loved the characters and of course it uses my favorite trope so I was all in! I'm also glad that there was no unnecessary drama thrown in just for the sake of drama. Lies always catch up with you, as it does with Spencer and Charlotte. But it was all handled realistically and the ending was very sweet.

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.

[manonblackbeak]

This is one of the worst books I've read in my life.
It's just ridiculous

[kimbacaffeinate]

Caffeinated reasons to grab your earbuds and devour Big Rock

• Told completely from Spencer Holiday’s perspective Big Rock offered humor and heart.


• My first encounter with Spencer brought forth the words, “tool” and “douche” but it did not stop me from laughing aloud. The man is cocky and talks about his junk in third person, but as I got to know him he turns out to be a pretty dang sweet guy. Ok I totally fell for him and would gladly hang out with him!


• Spencer is successful, close to his family and has had the same best friend since college. He owns a cat and even though he has a tendency to mentally brag, he is also adorable and I loved seeing him fall.


• His best friend is Charlotte. The two of them co-own a chain of bars called The Lucky Spot. They support each other and genuinely care for one another. They are the perfect BFFs.


• When Spencer’s Dad needs him to clean up his persona to sell his business, Spencer asks Charlotte to pose as his fiancé for a week. This leads to a pretend kiss that has Spencer looking at his friend in a completely new light. I loved this and Blakely had me laughing and the rolling commentary in Spencer's head.


• The tale that unfolds was a blast to listen to. York nailed Spencer’s attitude, confusion and delivered the heat. He even did a lovely job portraying Charlotte. Spencer’s inner dialogue had me laughing, sighing and wondering if he was going to muck this all up. The two end up making rules as they try to squash the physical attraction that rears up between them. I love the arrangement trope and Blakely provided an entertaining twist with this romantic comedy.

This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer

[stacey_is_sassy]

Faking it led to making it.

Obviously, the cover of Big Rock is sexy, but the story is too. It's also extremely funny, cute, sweet and romantic. One thing I find interesting when I read friends to lovers story is that one or both are scared of ruining their friendship if they take it to the next level. It's interesting because I think a deep friendship with your partner, should be the cornerstone of the relationship. My hubby is my best friend in the whole wide world. My Mum and Dad are best friends and I'm pretty sure hubby's parents are too. I think because of this, my belief in a HEA for friends to lovers storyline is stronger.

This story is completely told from Spencer's point of view, and to be honest, I started out thinking he was a bit of a douchewaffle. It's probably understandable that he's a wee bit arrogant, considering he's good looking, rich, has a great family and strong friendships. It also helps that he's got decent "equipment" and knows how to use it...or so he's been told. Spencer is a manwhore and proud of it. He doesn't want a serious relationship and is happy the way things are. He has become a little famous in his exploits, and unfortunately, it could end up costing his dad a big business deal. His solution...change his ways and become respectable. Bring in The Fake Fiancee.

Charlotte is Spencer's best friend and business partner, owning and working in their three bars together. Their friendship is strong and they know they can count on each other. When Spencer comes up with his wacky plan, she, at first, hesitates but then decides it will work in her favour too. Charlotte has a pesky ex who won't leave her alone. She can use Spencer to make her ex finally accept they're not getting back together. Besides...it's only for one week.

They set ground rules and make plans and everything is going along swimmingly. And then they kissed. Sizzles and sparks set this couple on fire and because they know each other so well, the connection is intense. I could feel it jumping off the pages. Before long, their emotions get involved, but neither knows how the other feels.

I really enjoyed Big Rock and loved that it all started because Spencer was trying to help his dad sell his jewellery store, so he could retire. I did not like the family involved in the business deal. He was a sexist pig and between him and his wife, they were both narrow-minded and old-fashioned. I loved Spencer's best friend and sister and can't wait for their story.

This is a very sexy read and by the end, I was convinced Spencer really did know how to use his equipment. The romantic scenes at the end were very sweet.

If you're looking for a funny, lighthearted and sexy story, Big Rock would be perfect. I will definitely be reading more from this author in the future.

To purchase Big Rock from Amazon - http://amzn.to/1SJduMD

I’m an Aussie chick who loves to read and review romance, drink coffee, be a Style Setter and stalk David Gandy. To see more of my reviews, fashion, food and pervathons -

[leelu92]

This is officially my first recommendation for 2016... buy/pre-order this book now.

I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about Spencer, but I'm here to tell you that I LOVED him and I LOVED this book. Don't let the title or the first few sentences of the book fool you... not only is this book hilarious but it is so romantic and sweet. And the sexy times are off the charts (as they usually are in a Lauren Blakely book) I'm having a bit of a hard time explaining how much I enjoyed this book...

Ms. Blakely has so perfectly combined laugh out loud humor smoking hot romance in Big Rock and I cannot wait for more!!

Probably more gushing to follow closer to release.