Reviews

A Guy Walks Into My Bar by L. Blakely

ayjayy's review against another edition

emotional hopeful fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

baeb_'s review against another edition

5.0

Description: Fitz, a 27 year old American NHL star is in London for a few days and meets Dean, a 31 year old British bartender/bar owner. Neither wants anything serious, but there is an instant connection/draw to every part of each other. 

Tropes: vacation fling, instalove despite both characters fighting it, passionate lovers/whirlwind romance, HEA 

Quote: 

“Flings are supposed to be wildly intoxicating. They’re meant to consume you for a few days, like a star that burns twice as bright, but half as long. You can bathe in the intensity for a few days, drape it over you, roll around in it. You can drink it up and swallow it down, savoring every drop, knowing it’ll be gone soon enough.”

Notes: 

-not a sports romance

-audiobook is duet narration by Joe Arden and Shane East with a full supporting cast  (5/5)

-both MCs are gay and out

Spice Rating: 4.5 🌶️  /5

Spicy Tags: lovemaking, top/bottom preference but a couple versatile scenes, topping from the bottom, mirror sex

Spicy Quote:

“Pleasure roars through me, intense wave after wave, and I want to just fuck into blissful oblivion, till we are drowning in orgasms. But Dean set the bar high earlier, and I am not going to fail. I am not going to come too soon. I rise up so I’m kneeling, grab his hips, and slam him hard on my cock. Which doesn’t help matters. But that’s okay. I know what I’m doing. I know how to slow down. And that’s what I do, stealing control back from him. I downshift like the music, like the low pulse of the playlist. I slow-fuck him like this, with long, leisurely thrusts, taking my sweet time, driving into him, then pulling out, almost, almost all the way, but not quite.”

TBRR✨

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

zaza_bdp's review against another edition

3.0

3.25 ⭐

Hmmm je viens tout juste de terminer ce livre et là, à chaud, le sentiment qui domine, c'est un sentiment de déception. Pourtant, dans l'ensemble j'ai bien aimé, même si j'ai mis un temps fou à le lire.

La première partie (en fait 80% et quelques) est vraiment top, le jeu de séduction entre Dean & Fitz est un vrai régal à suivre, les dialogues sont très réussis, c'est le genre de répliques du tac-au-tac dont je raffole. J'adore ces jeux de séduction où chacun cherche à avoir le dessus sur l'autre, cet espèce d'esprit de compétition sexy et joueur, et là, c'est super réussi, et c'est très agréable à lire. Et puis, c'est aussi très chaud et sexy entre eux, ils mettent le feu aux draps et sont absolument insatiables et affamés l'un de l'autre. J'ai aimé aussi les voir déambuler dans Londres, se taquiner sur certaines expressions british Vs américaines (et d'ailleurs, j'aurais préféré que dans les chapitres avec le POV de Dean, l'autrice aille à fond dans les expressions british).

Le truc, c'est qu'on est vraiment dans l'instalove, et l'autrice n'y va vraiment pas de main morte sur ce point. Donc c'est sexy, c'est joueur, mais c'est aussi super romantique, enfin romantique à la sauce harlequin bien rose bonbon, dégoulinante de sucre, de paillettes et de tous ces trucs-là. Et du coup la toute dernière partie vient pour moi tout ruiner, sans doute parce que ce genre de dénouement, si "romcomesque" soit-il, est tout sauf crédible, et me fait largement plus rouler des yeux que soupirer avec des coeurs plein les yeux. Et puis la fin est longue, mais looooongue ... On sent que Lauren Blakely kiffe ses personnages et a du mal à les lâcher, mais du coup, ça m'a vraiment paru interminable.

Donc bon, ce sera plutôt un bilan en demi-teinte, mais la première partie est quand même vraiment chouette, et les dialogues sont franchement réussis.

satchelpaige's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

5.0

Audio narration was phenomenal!! 

jpeden314's review against another edition

funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

inkdrinker_8's review against another edition

4.0

Dean is a British bartender/new bar owner who plays by the rules and thinks things through he is focused on running a successful business with absolutely no interest in dating. Fitzgerald is a professional American hockey player who knows what he wants and doesn't hold back. He's a full force kind of guy with no interest in falling in love. It doesn't take Fitz long to convince Dean to have a no strings attached fling during his last week in town with no plans for a future relationship or any complications is should be easy right? But when It's the hottest night of their lives and neither one wants to say goodbye at the end of the week decisions have to be made and neither are ready to give up on their careers and dreams. 


This dynamic duo is incredibly hot and their chemistry is through the roof.

sarahbook's review against another edition

hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

This book was middle of the road for me. It accomplished what it wanted to do. The sex scenes were fine enough, the dirty talk was pretty good, the banter was repetitive. And holy smokes this is the most insta-love I’ve ever encountered. Good lord it was like 3 days before they decided they loved each other. And then they waited two months before getting engaged? Positively wild. 

givingyouthemomlook's review against another edition

4.0

Holy man-spice! A delightful and saucy story with lovable characters. It lacked some depth in the MCs histories and most of the secondary characters, but this will cure your reading slump, no doubt.

migimon2002's review against another edition

lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No

4.0

emlawrence's review against another edition

fast-paced

4.0