Drunk Dial

CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE

Title: Drunk Dial
Author: Penelope Ward
Publication date: 08/19/2017
Kindle Unlimited: No
Cliffhanger: No
 
I’ve read every book Penelope Ward has ever published. If you follow any of our “best of” Friday list posts, you know that I recommend her books ALL THE TIME. There’s a reason why, folks. Many of them, actually.

First of all, I adore a good meet-cute, and this author is a master of them. Drunk Dial is no exception. Rana’s drunken phone call to Landon was epically adorable. It’s really no surprise he fell for her without having any idea what she looked like. ​

Second of all, I love a good friends-to-lovers romance, and I also love a good second-chance romance. This story was both. There was no annoying instalove, or characters falling immediately into bed. These two childhood friends reconnected and fell in love well before they hooked up, and that was really refreshing.

Landon and Rana both have pretty messed up pasts (they both made some terrible mistakes and learned from them) and very different backgrounds, but they somehow complement each other perfectly. While reading, I actually believed they’d make it as a couple. (If they were, you know, real people and all.) They were, quite simply, made for each other.

While Landon was predictably yummy and swoon-worthy, Rana was a real surprise for me. Sure, there were times that I wanted to smack her and urge her to get some self-esteem. But as her story and character slowly unfolded throughout the course of the book, I came to realize why she was the complicated, beautiful mess she was, and I understood it. She’s not a perfect heroine, but hell, in my opinion, that just makes her all the more relatable.  

I will warn y’all, though. The sex scenes are off the charts steamy (and a little, um, adventurous at times). If you’re looking for vanilla, fade-to-black sex scenes, you won’t find them here.

All-in-all, I can’t really say much more than get to your Kindles and one-click the crap out of this one. It’s another winner, folks.  

Does this book contribute to or help crush the romance stigma?
Crushes it! No rehab needed.

Other reading suggestions
I suggest the entire Penelope Ward backlist. And for other reads that blend laugh-out-loud humor, gut-wrenching emotion, and really, really sexy times, try Vi Keeland, Emma Chase and Melanie Harlow.

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