While the blurb sounded interesting, I just couldn’t get into this story. The writing was good but the storyline itself was ehh and not working for me. The characters were hard to like and the way the story flowed was off. My interest was never kept enough and I felt myself skimming a lot. I know people who have read this author before and stated that her stories were good. I will be willing to give her another chance in the future. But unfortunately Stripped Bare was just not for me.

Finn was from the "right" side of the tracks. He had everything he ever wanted growing up, goes off to college and then becomes a self-made billionaire in Vegas. His mom dies while he is at college and shortly after his dad remarries a younger woman. This leaves Finn believing that there is no such thing as love, so he becomes a playboy and doesn't believe in relationships.

Macey is from the "wrong" side of the tracks. Her mother is an addict and she never knew her father. She has been struggling her whole life. At the age of 17 she gets pregnant and the father of her baby was a one night stand. She supports her daughter and herself by waiting tables during the day and stripping at night ... but she can never get ahead. 10 years later, she is still struggling to get by and she hears from another stripper that she can make big money in Vegas stripping, so she decides to try it for 1 week. The last night she's there, she makes the poor decision to try and double her money by playing Black Jack. And really who ever "wins" in Vegas ... certainly not Macey. But after she looses all her money, the boy who stole heart and left her 10 years ago ... Finn ... is there to save her. Finn offers to double the money she lost, if she will be his for a week ... doing whatever he wants in the bedroom and out of it. It's an offer she can't refuse because the money will change her and her daughter's lives.

Even though Finn doesn't remember Macey at first, he soon realizes that he can't keep his hands off her and thinks about her all the time ... but he will walk away when their week is done. The sparks fly between them and Macey knows she is falling for Finn all over again ... but she also knows he will walk away.

There were times that I just wanted to kick Finn where it hurts ... he was a real jerk to Macey! And there were times I wanted to give Macey a shake and ask her to really think about the decisions she was making and how they would impact her life. At the beginning is seemed like it was going the direction of Pretty Woman ... but by the middle, it changed to a second chance book. All in all a good, quick read!

I received an ARC copy from Random House - Loveswept through NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.

Macey Webster is doing the best she can. She's a single mom who aspires to give her daughter a better life than she had. She hates her job but finding something better hasn't happened yet. Following the advice of a seasoned pro, Macey sets her sights on the big money of Las Vegas. She isn't prepared for what, or should I say, who she'll find.

Finn McCormick is a self-made millionaire. He doesn't do relationships after watching his dad move on so quickly after his mother's death. There are plenty of women in line to become Mrs. McCormick including the conniving sister of his best friend, Brady. Running a lucrative casino and hotel business has many requirements, some good, some not.

I loved this twist on Cinderella and was hooked from the beginning. I loved Macey's dedication to being a good mom despite her upbringing and her perseverance. I loved watching Finn's world change even as he fought it tooth and nail.

I have read other books by this author and am happy I read this one. It's a little different than the other books of hers I've ready but I enjoyed it just as much. I would definitely recommend this to a friend.

This book was so much more than I had expected. I was expecting a Pretty Woman type of story, which this kind of was, but it was so well written and the characters had so much depth. I fell in love with Macey and the hard life she has led and everything she has done to create a life different for her daughter than what she had. She did jobs that were degrading so that she could hope for something better. When Finn comes walking back into her life, she has to accept his proposition since he has offered her an insane amount of money. She knows after a week they both walk away. Neither of them expected that week to change their lives.

This book was so well written and it made me so emotional as I went through it with Macey and Finn. I felt like I was right there in the thick of things struggling through with them. Macey's daughter, Morgan, melted my heart. I thought the story was great and loved the characters. It was very well done.

This is quite possibly the worst book I have ever read. No review left since it was a DNF.

Stripped Bare by Heidi McLaughlin.......10 BEAUTIFUL VEGAS STARS!! This book was the best gamble ever, I could not put it down, until I finished. I felt like I was watching the movie Pretty Woman, it was so sweet, beautiful and has all the feels you need. I loved the fairytale feeling of Macey and Finn. Heidi McLaughlin is one of my favorite authors ever, she is an amazing storyteller. I highly recommend this book, it is well worth the money. I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.

Honestly, I don't think there is a better start to a great love then the characters being from two totally different worlds. And Finn and Macey, have just that, a great love. The chemistry between these two is completely off the charts. The writing is simply flawless and I loved it. The storyline is completely original and a story that will stay with me for years to come.

Stripped Bare by Heidi McLaughlin
Stripped Bare takes a familiar story and makes it, its own. There are moments where you go aww I know, I’ve heard something like that before. But Finn McCormick is not Edward Lewis any more than Macey is Vivian Ward. she does have Vivian’s feistiness although sometimes it takes a while to come out. She takes a lot from Finn mainly because she can’t resist the hot, sexy bossy alpha S.O.B.
Macey was 17 when she got knocked up and her baby daddy left their hometown for college and another life. He never knew she was pregnant and went merrily on his way, while Macey had to struggle living with her drug-addict mom, and raising her child alone. Left with what she sees as no choice, she works 2 jobs just to survive. Waitressing during the day and stripping at night. A stripper friend tells her she can make way more money if she goes to Vegas. In desperation, she finally does. One week and her nest egg is secure, until she decides to risk it all on the turn of a card.
One week, one card, one chance encounter.
Finn has it all, the lifestyle, the women the world at his fingertips. Until he sees Macey. Somehow he knows her but it’s not until her speaks to her that he realizes he knows her from home. Seeing her lost and desperate, he does something he’s never done before. Offers his help. Be his date for one week and he’ll solve all her money problems. Macey has nothing left and agrees. It’s only a week, what could happen in 7 short days.
It’s not like they’ll fall in love. God, he won’t even kiss her on the lips.
But, love works in mysterious ways and sometimes, it only takes one glance, one touch.
Can a girl from the wrong side of the tracks change a serial womaniser? Can he made up for a lifetime of missed opportunities?

Finn McCormick is one hot, sexy driven man, but he turns out to have a soft side. I loved how he took Macey under his wing and helped her flourish. How he accepted her daughter Morgan into his life too.
Macey is a fiercely protective mother who is willing to put everything on the line for her child, even her heart. Sometimes, she needed a bit more strength, I felt her pain, her happiness. Felt the lost when Finn let her down.
I really enjoyed this story and look forward to more from the author and this series.

3.5 stars----STRIPPED BARE is the first installment in Heidi McLaughlin’s contemporary, adult VEGAS BILLIONAIRE erotic, romance series. This is Vegas billionaire/hotel owner Finn McCormick, and exotic dancer/ single mother Macey Webster’s story line.

Told from dual first person points of view (Finn and Macey) STRIPPED BARE is a second chance romance between former high school class-mates Finn McCormick, and Macey Webster. Finn and Macey hooked up back in high school but college was just around the corner and Finn never looked back. Fast forward to present day wherein Finn finds Macey down on her luck, losing big in his casino, and makes her an offer she cannot refuse-one week at his beck and call, and he would pay her three times what she lost. What ensues is a familiar story line ala Pretty Woman in that Macey will fall in love with a man who demands everything but offers only money in return.

Macey is a struggling single mom; a young woman who has resorted to stripping in Vegas to pay the bills but Macey only intended to stay in Vegas for a limited amount of time. Losing all of her money meant Macey was going home broke without the satisfaction of money in her pocket. Finn McCormick is about to open his third casino and hotel but coming face to face with his high school fling, a woman whose name he doesn’t remember, stirs a possessiveness in Finn from deep within. But Finn’s arrangement and contract with Macey is a one week, all inclusive for anything our hero wants making Macey feel more like a well paid whore than a woman down on her luck.

The relationship between Macey and Finn is one of an arranged business contract. Macey and Finn’s past relationship never enters into the story until Finn discovers the secret that Macey was desperate to hide. While Finn struggles to gain financial backing for his latest venture, a threat of another sort takes our hero by surprise. The $ex scenes are aggressive and intense. Finn’s treatment of Macey is questionable at times especially when her emotional frailty and financial circumstance forces a choice she is reluctant to commit making our heroine see herself as nothing more than a well paid whore.

We are introduced to Finn’s PA Hannah and right hand man Lamar, as well as Finn’s friend Brady, and his sister Brandy who is trying to force Finn into a permanent relationship. Macey’s ten year old daughter Morgan is a breath of fresh air.

STRIPPED BARE has many similarities to Pretty Woman including a man who refuses to kiss; shopping for respectable clothes; the friends whose treatment of our heroine is questionable; and in the end treating our heroine like a whore for his taking. Macey’s point of view is heartbreaking knowing that her time with Finn is strictly a business arrangement but she is a mother desperate to make a life for her daughter as they struggle to pay the bills. The premise is familiar; the characters are controversial but colorful; the romance struggles with the hero’s treatment of the woman with whom he will fall in love. I had a difficult time with the romance aspect of the story line. Although the heroine fell in love I didn’t feel the connection from the hero’s point of view.

Copy supplied by Netgalley


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A waitress by day and a stripper by night, Macey is a single mom struggling to make a better life for both her and her 10 year old daughter. Hoping to turn her dream into reality, Macey heads to Vegas for a short stint, where stripping is much more profitable. But when Macey gives into temptation and gambles her money away, she’s left broke and despairing, her dreams drifting further out of reach.

When Finn McCormick spots Macey in his casino, he recognizes her as someone from his hometown. A girl from the “wrong side of the tracks,” Finn and Macey hooked up once, shortly before he left for college. Now, seeing Macey in his casino and in need of help, Finn makes her an offer she’s hard pressed to refuse.

Reminiscent of the movie Pretty Woman, Finn offers Macey a large sum of money to be his companion for a week. During the course of that week, Macey would belong solely to Finn--in both social settings AND behind closed doors. While Macey finds the very notion of selling herself for money to be abhorrent, she can’t deny that the proposition isn’t tempting—not just financially, but because Macey has been crushing on Finn since high school.

From here, the story pretty much plays out as one might expect. While the general premise is somewhat predictable, overall, the story is fun, flirty and sinfully sexy. The characters themselves are flawed and at times, unlikeable. Finn, the sexy millionaire playboy, is arrogant as much as he is rich. His interest in Macey is short-term and strictly physical, despite the feelings he starts to develop. Macey, on the other hand, is constantly at war with her feelings, wavering between love and hate for the man who has stolen her heart. Still, I found myself rooting for this improbable pair. But the road to “happily-ever-after” is not a smooth one, for no story is complete without a conniving ex-girlfriend and a secret from the past.

Another Five Star book by the talented Heidi McLaughlin. Stripped Bare is a book you will read from start to finish in one sitting, I just couldn’t put it down. Finn is a sexy powerful owner of Casinos in Vegas, he is a reluctant to love and relationships at all costs. Macey is a stripper trying her best to provide for her girl, so she finds herself going to Vegas to find a way out of her Mother’s home and a new start for her and daughter.

What happens when their world collide? Sparks, amazing chemistry and they sure find more than what they where looking for.

This book is a second chance romance, a very strong heroine and a hot, sexy alpha male that will stop at nothing for her.

Heidi is one of my one-click no summary needed author, if you haven’t read any of her books, let me tell you that you are missing a lot. Go get this book now and enjoy the ride.

Stripped Bare (Vegas Billionaire #1) by Heidi McLaughlin
3.5 stars!!!

“Finn, I do believe you’ve met your match…”

Stripped Bare is a classic take on the film Pretty Woman with the added twist of a second chance romance of sorts, if you count a one night stand ten years prior. This was a cute read with little angst and drama but does contain a hero that needed a good slap in the first instance, but once you got to know him, you couldn’t help but adore him.

Finn McCormick is a self-made millionaire who lives in Vegas. Finn comes from a well-off family but wanted to make it on his own two feet and has worked hard for what he has. Finn owns hotels and casinos and lives the playboy lifestyle with his best friends, he has a revolving door of women, his heart is definitely guarded and he definitely doesn’t do relationships.

Macey comes from Spokane, from the wrong side of the tracks and her life was derailed when she found out she was pregnant while still at school. Her mother was a waste of space when she was growing up and remains the same to this day leaving Macey to work all the hour’s god sends just to keep a roof over their heads and food on the table. Waitress by day and stripper by night, Macey is struggling, desperate to leave the hell hole she calls home and frantically saving so that she and her daughter can leave her mums.

When one of her fellow strippers mentions a gig in Vegas that could solve all her money worries, Macey is hesitant, mainly because she doesn’t want to leave her daughter behind even though it is only a week but also because she doesn’t do a full strip or sleep with patrons. Reassured that you only go as far as you want, Macey heads to Vegas to earn a quick buck to enable her to take the first steps of a life she has dreamed about for over a decade.

“I’m far from jaded. You assume I have a habit of ‘buying’ people. I can assure you that I don’t mess with human trafficking or prostitution. Like I said earlier I’m a busy man and this week I need a woman by my side to do my bidding. No strings attached, we both walk away at the end of the week. If I wanted the phone calls, text messages and the whiney bullshit that comes with dating, you wouldn’t be in my car right now.”

I will say, some of Macey’s decision making does leave a lot to be desired but I understand that sometimes desperate times call for desperate measures. The result of one of her foolish mistakes leads her straight into the path of Finn and while he was her ultimate school crush back in the day, to him she was only ever a one night stand.

As I said, this does have that Pretty Woman vibe and if anyone deserved the knight in shining armour it was definitely Macey. While I could see the plot a million miles away, even though I knew what was coming I still loved reading the journey to get there and Heidi McLaughlin did a great job in taming the playboy. Finn’s attitude in the beginning was a little hard to swallow and a lot of his misconceptions could have been avoided if he actually took time to ask questions, but it did make for some hot action between the sheets and one dirty mouthed millionaire.

“Macey, when it comes to you I have a 24/7 hard-on. My dick is addicted to your pussy, my mouth to your tits and my hands to your body.”

Yes, it was predictable, but it was a sweet, cute read that left me with the warm and fuzzies at the end. I was glad that we got to see the real Finn and that he did have the balls to stand up when needed. Overall, a quick, easy read that quenched that insufferable hopeless romantic that resides inside me.

www.theromancecover.com

I am such a huge fan of Heidi McLaughlin all her books are a must read for me. This one was no different.

Macey didn’t have an easy life growing up on the wrong side of the tracks; add in being pregnant while still in school. That just made her life even harder and with a mom who is no help she’s basically on her own. Macey has two jobs to help support her and her child and even that isn’t enough.

When one of Macey’s workers mentions a way to solve her money problems she is hesitant. She doesn’t want to leave her daughter for a week and go to Vegas to strip. She has her limits and isn’t comfortable baring it all and sleeping with the men. Once she is assured you only go as far as you want that’s all it takes for her to agree.

Finn comes from a well off family but wanted to make his own money. He loves living the playboy lifestyle and doesn’t do relationships. Finn owns successful hotels and casinos.

This was sweet and easy read that I couldn’t put down.

Heidi McLaughlin is back with what looks like her spin on Pretty Woman with a slightly different twist-- An Cocky Billionaire and Sassy Stripper.

Macey is a woman who is a single mother to a 10 yr old girl. She grew up on what we call the wrong side of town and didn’t have the best role models growing up- her mom is a prostitute –Back in HS, she had a mad crush on Fin McCormick. In HS, he was such a jerk, thinking his you know what didn’t smell and he was mister big man on campus. When he finds out Macey has a crush on him, he immediately takes advantage of her , has a 1 night stand with her and forgets about her totally.
Fast forward 10 years later and nothing really has changed per say for our Main Characters—Macey still is from the wrong side of the tracks, and She's a waitress by day and a stripper by night. But one thing did change—she has a major secret that no one knows. She is afraid to tell anyone . Macey wants more than anything to change her life to make things better for this one person in her life so she goes to Vegas with all the money she has in hopes she can makes more back in order to make a better life for her and her special someone… Plus she wants to win a lot to get away from her drunken mother.
When she loses her money in an effort to double it at cards (as one does in Vegas) she runs into someone from her past and he offers to "buy" her for one week. Guess who? He is now a powerful casino and hotel owner in Las Vegas. Oh he is sexy, hot, handsome and oh so arrogant. He is so darn rich, its this one week that starts something that will change their lives forever.
Oh I haven’t forgot about Finn, he is now a powerful casino and hotel owner in Las Vegas. Who do you think Macey runs into while out in Vegas? Their love story is filled with twists and turns, angst and recriminations. Finn isn’t such a nice guy at first and I will admit I didn’t like him. He was horrible and nasty but he goes thru this transformation. I adored Macey- she stayed sassy and independent. She was a good mom and even though she came off as looking like she didn’t love or care about her daughter, she did what every single parent does, take care to the best of her ability. Their love story will make you think, make you root for them and make you want to visit Las Vegas.

My rating: 4.5 stars ****
"I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review***

Stripped Bare

Loved this book! Another hot read from Heidi McLaughlin!!
There's nothing like picking up a book and not being able to put it down. It was sexy, heartbreaking and emotional read, wrap that all together and you get one hell of a story. The chemistry between Finn and Macey was crazy hot!
I loved Macey, a single mom who will do anything for her daughter. When a chance to go to Vegas to strip, she can't pass up the chance to make double the money. What she didn't expect was to run into someone from her past.
What can I say about Finn? He came off like a pompous jerk, and yet I kind of liked that about him. Finn is definitely one hot dirty talking alpha male.
One of my favorite things about this book is how real Macey's situation was. Heidi definitely didn't sugarcoat the struggles of a single mom.
Heidi McLaughlin is at the top of my list of go to authors and books like this are the reason why. Do yourself a favor and one click Stripped Bare.

When you come from nothing and have nothing, it’s not hard to imagine a life where you have everything.

I have to admit, Stripped Bare wasn't what I expected… in a good way. I thought it would be lighter, funnier and though it definitely gave me some serious (and seriously welcome) Pretty Woman vibes, it also had a heavier undertone which made it very readable.

The question is, what would you be willing to do for your child? For Macey, the answer is anything and everything. I couldn't help but admire her determination to do better for her child, the sacrifices she had and was willing to make to give Morgan more, though, admittedly, I found myself at times frustrated by her. She was ruled by her body and by the demands of Finn—the hero who felt less heroic than I might have liked.

He's a jerk, there's no other way of saying it. For much of the book, he's cocky, closed off and slightly crude, and his reasoning is shaky—at best—as to why. He does, however, have some deliciously swoony moments (shopping montage, anyone?) and very sexy moments (Heidi McLaughlin, a new-to-me author, gives good sex *wiggles eyebrows*). I might have been much deeper into the book than I expected to be when I finally began to feel him change, but when it did happen, it was more than welcome.

Why? Because I was invested; this book was engaging, and I loved the small-but-vital role Lamar played, the Pretty Woman feels and the fairytale of it all. I read it in a matter of hours—ever eager to find out if my predictions were correct, whether secrets would be outed and if a HEA was on the cards.

To that end, I wouldn't be surprised to find that there'll be another book for Finn and Macey. Rest assured, there is no cliffhanger here, but there are a few loose ends I'd like to see tied up, and I like to see it in a follow-up for this couple. If only to get some more Pretty Woman vibes.

Everything Macey is doing is sending me over the proverbial cliff and the free fall feels absolutely amazing.

~ 3.5 STARS ~

Sadly, I had to do something that I have only had to do a few times in my career as a blogger which is not finish a book. This was just not the book for me. In addition to a part in chapter one that made no sense to me (even after asking my two cl-bloggers to look at it in case I was reading it wrong) I also just could not get in to the story. I think this was just for me but hopefully others will love it.

This book was not for me at all... I just kept thinking Pretty Women with a weird Vegas spin...

What are the odds that Macey and Finn will meet again? Fate right? I really felt Macey. She is a good mother, but she had to struggle to provide for her daughter, without the help of nobody. That she had to do whatever to do that is heartbreaking. The scene where she came back from work late and her mom did not give Morgan dinner, and the poor girl could not sleep was so sad. Macey had to take her out to eat.

So Finn? I am not surprised to find out who he is. It is also fate that this book went in the direction it did. I was so happy for Morgan. Macey too. That epilogue was awesome. I dont want to give too much away. Excellent read.