Wednesday, March 18, 2015

BLOG TOUR AND REVIEW: Shaken, Not Stirred by Sawyer Bennett


Welcome to Blog Tour for Shaken, Not Stirred, Book 5 in the Last Call series.  It's no secret that we're big fans of Sawyer Bennett around here and this one does not disappoint.  With each book there is more drama and intensity.  We hope you enjoy the review. Be sure to check out the other stops on the tour.  

Casey Markham is a man-eater in a rut. Swearing off relation- ships may keep her heart safe, but she’s beginning to question if her casual flings will ever leave her satisfied. She’s wondering if it’s finally time to let go of the past and stop letting history control her future.

Bad boy biker, Tenn Jennings can’t get Casey off his mind. A chance encounter with the beautiful blond has left its mark, and now he’s determined to prove her wrong about everything she thought she knew about men.

It’s safe to say… Casey Markham has met her match.

If you a fan of the Last Call series, you will know why Casey’s story is highly anticipated.  Sister to twins Hunter and Brody, she is a wild card.  She has a posse of great girlfriends, a supportive and loving family, and a great job as a real estate agent, and is a beauty both internally and externally.  Yet, she dates and dumps rich guys exclusively, especially if they start to get too close. Where does this callous attitude come from?  It seems out of character for this fun-loving gal pal. What we learn is that despite everything, Casey suffers from low self-esteem. Casey struggles to find her purpose in life. She hasn’t really settled into her career. She feels like she is a disappointment to her family. Furthermore, based on incidents when she was younger, she struggles with feeling worthy in relationships. She responds to men by loving and leaving them. She only picks the shallow ones, the ones she believes lack character. This way she can always keep them at arms length.

Riding into her life comes, Tenn (as in Tennyson, not Tennessee).  Tenn comes to town with his friend, Kyle, brother to Andrea Sommerville.  Tenn is former cowboy, turned Marine, mechanic.  As Casey describes him, “He’s like forbidden fruit.  He’s like fire.  He’s all the things I shouldn’t touch but the temptation is too strong to ignore.” For Tenn, Casey is not only the sexiest woman he’s ever met, but also the most intriguing. She is an enigma that he wants to solve:

“She has some part of her locked away…something that she’s protecting and thinks is untouchable. Whatever this is – this things she’s hiding – I’m like a kid in a candy store with grabby hands and I want to touch it.”

The story takes a dramatic turn at about 80% and we discover another side of Tenn. We change locations from the beaches of the Outer Banks to the wide-open skies of Wyoming.  I enjoyed this change of venue because we really got to see another Tenn.  We shift from a man on a motorcycle story to one about a man on a horse.

Undoubtedly Sawyer Bennett writes sexy, grip-the-arms-of-your-chair, books.  It would be easy to focus and highlight the spectacularly intimate scenes. Good gracious!  That incident on a horse is burned into my brain.  However, I think one of the author’s best gifts is her ability to write quiet, poignant moments.  I enjoy Casey’s encounters with her family at dinner, her interactions with her girlfriends, and even the quiet moments with Tenn. Moreover, after a serious misunderstanding where Tenn withholds some seriously important information from Casey, Casey could’ve lost her temper and held a grudge righteously.  But she doesn’t, and I think the way that scene is handled shows a level maturity that is perfect for the situation. I truly appreciate this aspect of the narrative. 

I don’t normally comment on the covers of books I read unless there is something outstanding about them.  Take a good look at this cover.  That is a mesmerizing look on his face.  I see that same intensity between the characters in this book.  This cover is sheer perfection.

IN A NUTSHELL:
I was eagerly awaiting this book and I was not disappointed.  This is everything you want in a Sawyer Bennett book. I highly recommend this read for the sexy characters and for the softer moments.  It is book 5 in the series, but it can read as a stand alone.  Happy reading.


New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author, Sawyer Bennett is a snarky southern woman and reformed trial lawyer who decided to finally start putting on paper all of the stories that were floating in her head. Her husband works for a Fortune 100 company which lets him fly all over the world while she stays at home with their daughter and three big, furry dogs who hog the bed. Sawyer would like to report she doesn’t have many weaknesses but can be bribed with a nominal amount of milk chocolate.

Sawyer is the author of several contemporary romances including the popular Off Series, Cold Fury Series, the Legal Affairs Series and the Last Call Series.



Join the rest of the tour and make sure you say hello at the stops.  Click HERE for the schedule.

2 comments:

  1. I have several books of this author on my to-read list and even one already on my tablet (I just moved it up my TBR pile thanks to your review !)

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    1. I don't think you will be disappointed. Sawyer Bennett is a great author and I really enjoy her books. I hope you will enjoy it too.

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