But First, Coffee by Sarah Darlington

But First, Coffee (Love & Coffee Series #1)
by: Sarah Darlington
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: September 9, 2018

He’s a barista. She’s the CEO of Java Beans.

LANA BITTERMAN:

Every time I hear the name Joe Coffee, I nearly burst out laughing. However, he happens to be the best barista in the company; single-handedly changing the store he works in from our lowest earner to our highest earner. So, naturally, as CEO I want to meet him and give him a well-earned promotion. But when he walks into my office looking like sin incarnate, covered in tattoos with electric blue eyes that send shockwaves through my body, the only thing I really want is… him… in my bed.

JOE COFFEE:

Lana Bitterman has a stick up her ass. Everyone knows that. And I don’t care about her one way or the other. I’m just trying to live my life my way, which was exactly why I dropped out of law school and became a barista in the first place. Only, my sister landed herself in a bad situation and Doug Maddox, someone with a serious grudge against Lana, know that. Doug’s blackmailing me. He’s using me as his spy. So when I walk into Lana’s office, I’m not actually there on my own agenda. Ms. Uptight won’t know what hit her. Little did I know, neither would I.

Review:

This was such a fantastic fun, fast read!

It was raining outside when I picked up the book to read and what a great decision that was!  It was exactly what I needed that afternoon and putting aside the yummy cover, I loved this book so much!

It ticked all the right boxes as it was funny, smart, emotional and so real all at the same time.

I really liked that both Joe and Lana were very relatable and I think Sarah did an amazing job with Joe.  For me, he was such an amazing character and I found myself rooting for him even though at first it was hard to.

Lana, on the other hand, was different. I liked her from the get-go and she was in a place I could relate to.  I pretty much work like crazy too, so we did have that in common and it sucked me into the story so much more.

We have some surprising secondary characters, one that I loved to hate and another that I am rooting for as well.

There is a good dose of reality check in there, and I realized that for a moment, I took a step back wondering about the things I did not know about the people around me.

Kudos for that Sarah!!!

I finished the book in one go and it was actually a fast read, and as the first book of a series; I have to say that the author nailed it!

From what I have seen at the end of the copy I had, book 2 is already in the works, and I am really curious as to when it will become available.

I am going to very much recommend highly But First, Coffee and I do hope you love it as much as I did.

Buy Links (Kindle Unlimited)

Amazon US: amazon.com/dp/B07GTQ85GJ

Amazon UK: amazon.co.uk/dp/B07GTQ85GJ

Amazon AU: amazon.com.au/dp/B07GTQ85GJ

Amazon CA: amazon.ca/dp/B07GTQ85GJ

Excerpt:

“I’m only a barista,” he answered.

“That’s bullshit and you know it.”

“I’m not your saving grace.”

“I’m just asking for a good employee. Maybe one who can show me a little more respect.”

“Maybe you shouldn’t trust me so easily.”

I closed my eyes for a second, grunting in frustration because he had a serious problem letting me win this argument. He was pushing me, almost as if he wanted to see how far he could take this before I had no choice but to fire his ungrateful ass. I rubbed at my still tender hand and opened my eyes, ready to continue my verbal showdown with Joe.

But he surprised me when I noticed a tenderness in his eyes that wasn’t there before. “Let me see your hand.” I realized I was clutching the one that hurt in the palm of my good hand.

He stepped closer to me.

My heart went off like a wild animal. His nearness had way too much of an effect over me. I didn’t know if it was wise to let him get so close to me, especially when he smelled so good. It wasn’t cologne, just his natural manly scent.

He gestured again for my hand.

I was holding it captive, but I cautiously moved it in his direction. He took it in his warm and—surprisingly—gentle hands. The tips of his fingers massaged and squeezed over my knuckles and fingers as if he knew what he was doing, checking to see if all was okay. “Does any of this hurt?”

I felt numb and breathless as I answered, “Not really.”

“I don’t think anything’s broken, then.”

His fingers stopped moving, but he didn’t drop my hand, and I didn’t pull it from him, either. We both just stood there, trapped in each other’s gaze, technically holding hands, with neither of us making a move to break away.

Giveaway:

Direct Link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/60e61ad324/

Author Bio:

Sarah Darlington grew up traveling the United States—although, she’s called Virginia home for most of her adult life. She’s the proud mom of an intelligent 5-year-old boy with autism, who makes every day an adventure, and a 1-year-old red-headed little girl who is as fiery as her hair color. She believes in true love, soul mates, unicorns, rainbows, and that Hogwarts really does exist. Before having kids she worked as a flight attendant. And when she’s not writing, she’s busy plotting her next grand adventure.

Social Media Links:

Sarah’s Sirens: www.facebook.com/groups/196253814178419

Facebook: www.facebook.com/sarahdarlingtonauthor

Instagram: www.instagram.com/_sarahdarlington

Bookbub: www.bookbub.com/authors/sarah-darlington

Amazon: www.amazon.com/Sarah-Darlington/e/B00IQC0FOK

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7462746.Sarah_Darlington