Great sexpectations exceeded my expectations…..A good story like this needs a quiet afternoon, a sofa and a warm blanket. Moving and heartfelt! Enjoy! Whimsical but never frivolous, sweet but not sugary, deeply kind rather than merely nice. I loved it. The story itself was also even more interesting than I had anticipated. I went into it expecting a romance story and got so much more.

Kristen Bailey has done it again! This wordsmith and talented author has once again delivered a book that will make you blush, laugh out loud and feel empowered. I will warn readers who are not fans of any sexual-related content and innuendos to stay away from this book. Great Sexpectations follows the journeys of Josie and Cameron, whose paths cross at a Halloween party. Love has tested their disclosure levels and errs on the side of holding their cards to their chest. While they do not disclose their lives, both are entwined in the flames of natural chemistry and overzealous family members. There were numerous times when I had to keep my iPad away to giggle! The pacing of this book is incredible, with further insights into the main and supporting characters. One of the reasons why I also loved this book is the underlying message that it conveys on being body and sex-positive. The conversations between Josie and her family (I love you, Nan) were memorable, heartfelt and beautiful. This book is a celebration of the diverse manifestations of love. Overall, buckle up for a hilarious, fun and sincere adventure! A 5-star read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for an ARC. This honest review is left voluntarily.

I devoured this book so fast. The characters were relatable, well-thought out and bloody hilarious. I found myself cracking up so many times when reading that I'm sure my family in the rest of the house thought I was mad. I'm usually not crash hot on the miscommunication trope or when the love interests hold important information back from each other and that area of the plot wasn't super up my street because sometimes I felt like pleading with the main character to just tell him and it can get frustrating on occasion. However, I found that the motives of Josie and the personal struggle faced by her fit the storyline well and found that I ended up empathising with her as to why she couldn't just come out with her real identity to Cameron. This has made me come around a little bit to this trope but on the whole not super up my street. I think a lot of people who don't mind miscommunication so much will absolutely adore this read but personally because of the trope it wasn't my favourite. Still a fantastic book though. I also adored Josie's family and the really close platonic and familial relationships in this book. I'm also here for the representation of positive, information-based sex education and body image education which I found was done really well. These kinds of books can help shape a more positive view of accurate and respectful sexual education and I really admire the author for this. Overall I thoroughly enjoyed it and found it a sweet, funny, easy-to-love quick read that would appeal to lots of romance readers.

This book was so cute and funny. I really enjoyed Josie’s quickly personality and it really shone with the writing. I love all the sex positive takes in this book!! Josie and Cameron’s relationship was so cute and I loved how they bonded over nerdy things. I also quite enjoyed all the references to the Marvel universe having just recently watched all the movies! Overall I cute fun rom com read!

I’m pleased to say that, whilst I approached this book with very high expectations, they were all surpassed. Bloody love Bailey’s sense of humour and turns of phrase and I sped through this one at the speed of light. A fantastic, funny and well written read. Cannot recommend more highly.

Oh, my goodness, this author has done it again! She’s managed to get me blushing from head to toe and laughing out loud all in one go! A quick word of warning for the more prudish amongst us though, this book does contain a lot of sexual references, so if you prefer not to read about these then you may want to give this book a miss! Personally, I loved it! Not only was it funny, light-hearted and enlightening (it certainly taught me a lot about all the different sex toys!!), but it was refreshing to see sex being talked about so openly!

Josie who meets Cameron at a Halloween party. She runs a sex toy business; her parents are former porn stars, and her brother is a famous soap star! Fearing that Cameron will be scared off when he knows about her family and the business she runs, Josie decides to bend the truth a little about her life! Cue an hilarious journey with Josie and Cameron to find out if her secrets are found out! The storyline flew along, moving from one chuckle to another, with great characters to add to Josie’s story. I loved her parents, but particularly loved her Nan, who was an expert in inventing a new life for herself!

It wasn’t all laughs and giggles though; the more serious topic of sex education and empowerment was brought to the forefront, and it certainly gives you a lot to think about. Overall though, this was a fabulously fun, romantic read with that added naughty edge to it! Love this author, loved this book! Would recommend!

I devoured this book in one sit and I’m still smiling when thinking about this hilarious, smart, and sweet romcom. The story leans a bit more on the comedy than on the romance aspect, but the wonderful side characters (especially Josie’s parents and nan) will make you swoon anyway.

Josie’s upbringing in a sex positive environment doesn’t always sit well with everyone. Her parents being ex-porn stars and Josie’s work at the family business selling sex toys can be quite intimidating. In fact, it made her ex-fiance call it quits by a note on the fridge. So it’s not completely unreasonable to tell a little white lie when Josie meets this cute, blue eyed guy.

In line with the sex positive and no shame message of this book, I recommend everyone to read this book in public, at work, and in front of their kids and family. Just make sure you don’t drink or eat while reading. You might choke unpleasantly while laughing.

After her ex dumps her through a note on the fridge, Josie moves back in with her ex-porn star parents and their dog Dave. She also works for their sex toy empire. When Josie meets Cameron, a cute video game designer, she decides to tell a little white lie about her family and her job.

This was my first read by Kristen Bailey and it did not disappoint. It was a hilarious rom-com that was easily bingeable and actually has you more invested in the family rather than the relationship with Cameron. Nan was probably my favourite character. I’m not a huge fan of the miscommunication/lying trope so that’s probably why it wasn’t a full 5 stars for me. Also everyone is so focused on the fact that Josie is lying to Cameron meanwhile he’s also hiding parts of his life. Despite that I really enjoyed the with and humour of this book, definitely one that will put a smile on your face. Thank you to NetGallery and Bookouture for this eARC!

Josie was born and raised in the sex industry thanks to her parents, former porn stars turned sex shop owners. Josie has always felt proud of her family and her own accomplishments, but a recent failed relationship has left her feeling shame for her upbringing and job, which results in a lie spiraling out of control and a new relationship being built on a very shaky foundation.

I enjoyed this book, and while the conflict happened at the "right time" for a romance book, I will admit I felt sad that 80% of the book was based on a lie and that we didn't really get to see Josie and Cameron in a real relationship. I hope there is a second book in this universe and we get to see Josie in the peripheral.

Absolutely loved this book had a huge grin on my face throughout and a lot of laughs, anyone who doesn't feel the same should probably remove the stick from their rear and replace it with one of Josie's toys.
Not a great deal of actual sex in the book but more about the hilarious banter of Josie trying to navigate her love life as CEO of a sex toy company and daughter of parents who worked in the adult movie business.
Great read, Josie and her family are funny and unprudish in anyway, Cameron is geeky, adorable and flirty definitely a book that'll put a smile on your face.

Great Sexpectations - Kristen Bailey

4🌟

Thanks a mil to Netgalley and Bookouture publishers aswell as the Author Kristen Bailey for an ARC of this book (due out in July) in exchange for an honest review.

After reading a bunch of thriller reads this month, I wanted something light and easy for a change so picked this one up and boy am I glad I did. It was such a refreshing fun read, a twist of a typical romance novel and one that you'll defo get a giggle out of. Quite a few laugh out loud moments. I just Loved it. It was a short enough read with less than 300 pages and I devoured it in a few hours. It was such a refreshing take on a rom-com, with plenty of laugh out loud and cute moments. The characters were lovely and the romance was a sweet one. I just loved Josies family. I've read Kristen Baileys books about the Callaghan sisters and really enjoyed them so knew this one would be a safe bet and it really was. I 100% recommend it if your looking to escape the stresses of work and life for a few hours - full of cute moments and giggles, the perfect tonic. I also loved how sex positive and empowering this book is. Defo an ideal summer read. Full of heart. Make sure to read it when it comes out next month.

🌟🌟🌟🌟

“Yes, that’s my business, I sell dildos”
“Why is it the girls’ problem when they get pregnant?”
I wasn’t expecting this book to be so good!!!
A contemporary romance where apart from the romance itself we have whole chapters of sex education where you can FINALLY get why it should be important for people to teach some things before it’s too late!!!
A controversial family made of good and kind people working in the “adult industry” against another family where the father is … well a misogynist !!!
I loved how the romance between the main characters developed and I honestly believe I learnt a lot from this book … especially when it comes to be open minded and respectful before anything else!!!
Judging people for their past job … really??? Undermining someone else’s opinion because of something they did in the past ???
We definitely should move on from such antiquated behaviours.
Jodie’s family is amazing !!!! One of the most caring and kind family I can ever read about. And she is too!!
I’m so glad I had the chance to read this book !!!! People check it out when it’s published !!!!
“True love hath a sense of timing that is both a farce and a shitter”

Josie runs a company that sell sex stores, and her parents are ex-porn stars, so when her fiancé leaves her because of this, Josie becomes scared to start a new relationship. However, when she meets Cameron, she cannot stay away. So what if he thinks she works in catering? How bad could be a small little lie? Well, when the lie gets out of hand though Josie is in big trouble. She needs to come clear or risk losing Cameron forever.

Great Sexpectations was full of wit and charm, easy to read and sex positive in a way that makes it feel very current. This was full of really endearing and sweet moments especially surrounding Josie’s relationship with her parents

Great Sexpectations was full of wit and charm, easy to read and sex positive in a way that makes it feel very current. This was full of really endearing and sweet moments especially surrounding Josie’s relationship with her parents. I have never cried so much at a book for purely lovely reasons (Josie’s Dad buying her all the biscuits after a break up and their neighbour Arlo drawing a Halloween picture being particular highlights.
That being said, at times the relationship with Cameron almost felt like a secondary plotline to the relationship Josie has with her parents and dealing with the shame and loss of self as a result of her previous relationship. A lot of the scenes with Cameron seem to be ruled by the fact that she is continuously lying about huge aspects of her life, especially when her family are brought in to the lies. The fact that the reunion between Josie and Cameron happens right at the end means we don’t get to experience them as a couple without the lies hanging over their heads, and I feel this is a bit of a shame.
It has a casual writing style which endears us to Josie like we’re hearing from a friend. However some of her internal dialogue is written in the same way as actual dialogue, i.e. it’s written in 2nd person, almost like what she would like to say or an alternate response. This came across a little confusing in sections and though it isn’t a completely new technique, whenever I’ve seen it in the past it’s written in italics as to properly differentiate it from the rest of the dialogue.

Thankyou to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me an early copy of this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it, i loved the concept of this book, it wasnt something i had seen before. i loved the characters - Cameron was by far my favourite character in this book. i was invested all the way through and i will be checking out more from this author.

This book was a fun ride! Just a warning, it is NSFW based on the major themes and sex topics. It features our narrator, Josie, who is funny, selfless, recently out of an engagement, and the manager of a high-end sex toy company. If that wasn’t enough, her parents are former adult film stars, and her brother is a famous soap opera star. She has faced many relationship problems in the past due to others’ judgements of her family. She meets Cameron, a video game developer who has so much in common with her, and sparks fly, but misunderstandings and deception occur.

There were so many aspects of this book that I enjoyed, but one of the biggest was Josie’s parents and grandmother. They embodied an amazingly supportive, sweet, and hilarious family. I want to go to their parties! I appreciated the funny jokes and innuendo throughout the book, as so many of the characters had a great sense of humor-especially Nan! I loved the messages about acceptance, sex positivity, judgement, and being true to yourself. The only thing I didn’t love about this book was some of the deceptions that both main characters took part in. I’m not a huge fan of those types of dishonesty, especially when both had so many opportunities to be honest. I liked how the more spicy aspects of the book were secondary to the characters’ banter and character development. Overall, I would recommend this book to those who enjoy hilarious banter, quirky but fun family dynamics, and lots of innuendo!

I really, really enjoyed this book! It was cute, funny, charming, and compelling and it kept me hooked!

Josie is the CEO of her parent's company "The Love Shack" which specializes in sex toys. After having her fiancé Mike leave her due to the nature of her work, she's a bit tentative to get back on the market. However, as fate would have it she bumps into a new boy, Cameron, at her brother's Halloween party who seems to perfect to be true for her. Not wanting to scare him away with what she does for a living, she starts living a lie that she works for a catering company. Josie get's her whole family on board with her little lie to try and keep Cameron from running away scared by what she does. The more Josie falls for Cameron the harder it is for her to come clean with the truth.

This was such a fun summer read that had some funny awkward cringe-worthy moments involved. This is such a fun twist on a romance novel that I would recommend to anyone! Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review

I do occasionally like to read Rom-Com but they have to be funny too with a somewhat strong female character and this book ticks all those boxes. There were plenty of laugh out loud moments and more when I just said aw. Definitely a five star read.

This book has such an interesting plot. It is refreshing to have very unique and "never been done before" plots and the author wrote it successfully.

The entire cast have funny backstories and are interesting people; however, I felt as though they had such intensive and detailed backgrounds that were too complex for side characters. The main characters I felt needed more of a solidified personality and the story needed to be more selfish, in, making it solely about them. Instead, I felt as though instead of the story being centered around our two main characters, we were given an entire cast of side characters. The main characters read as side characters and I didn't feel the chemistry between Cam and Josie.

The story also didn't read as "cohesive" to me; instead, it felt as though the author had all of these ideas, with all of these fleshed out characters with interesting characteristics and backgrounds to the point where they....they didn't overshadow the main characters, but, instead, they leveled themselves out and made them as interesting as the main characters. There needed to be more of an emphasis and distinction towards the main two.

I loved the overall message of sex positivity, the importance of teaching sexual education and dismantling the archaic and oppressive views that are included in the negative stigma regarding sex AND the fact that it takes two to tango so both parties should be held accountable for whatever is the outcome.

I didn't find the story to be engaging and it didn't captivate me; but, I could see how others might enjoy it.

2/5 stars

Posted on Goodreads 6/26/2022