Absolutely loved this story! I previously read it back in 2014 - the story still rips your heart and then gradually repairs the gaping hole. No but seriously, this story is a must read!

🎼 🎸🎤 Sister Christian, oh, the time has come
And you know that you're the only one to say, "Okay"
Where you going? What you looking for?
You know those boys don't want to play no more with you, it's true
You're motoring
What's your price for flight?
In finding Mister Right
You'll be alright tonight 🎤✨🎶 💙💜💖

5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 5 Flames 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 | A Must Read!

📚Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the author/publisher via Netgalley. All thoughts, opinions, comments, and interpretations of the story are my own and bias free. I did not receive any money in exchange for this review. Thank you to the publisher/author for allowing me the opportunity to review. Reviews are usually cross-posted to social media, goodreads, and blog. 🦄

Is that you crying or is that me crying? Mia Sheridan can do no wrong in my opinion. Every time I read one of her books I want more and so I go to get more and more and more. I laugh, I cry, I get angry and want to break things but then I end up happy and smiling by the end. If you have yet to read a Mia Sheridan book, do not hesitate. I repeat. Do. Not. Hesitate. Run to your nearest book store. Go wherever you get your books from and get one of her books, especially Stinger. This is not a book you'd want to say "Stinger? What's that?"

What starts as a chance run in between Grace Hamilton and Carson Stinger, turns into a fun and spicy weekend in Vegas, but what happens when more than fun and spice happens in that weekend?

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the free copy of Stinger by Mia Sheridan, but I want to really thank Mia Sheridan for a book that I could not put down. You do it for me and I need everything you're willing to write.

I fell in love!

This book shocked me, I loved it much more than I’d ever imagined. Was it insta love, kinda? Second chance… one thousand percent. Both of these characters grew, blossomed, and I devoured every second. There were parts on Grace's half where I don’t condone, even for true love, but Grace and Carson loved each other that much was evident. Aside from that, this book is a gem. I could not put this book down and am so sad it’s over!! Carson and Grace have my heart forever!

Carson is so swoon worthy might I add. Can I have a Carson too, please? The way he talks is so ughhh I love it!!! He fell first and harder and is just everything and more.

They say what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. One weekend. That’s all it takes to alter both Grace’s life and Carson’s too.

Grace is a straight-laced law student with a plan. She doesn’t deviate from that. Carson is a porn star that lives life on the edge. When they get stuck on the elevator they reveal some of their secrets to each other, leading to Carson’s proposal of having Grace spend the weekend with him. As they dive deeper into the weekend feelings arise but aren’t voiced.

It was just supposed to be a weekend…Grace wasn’t to permeate every part of his being, just like Carson wasn’t supposed to permeate every part of hers.

The story that unravels has Grace navigating through the end of law school and pursuing her dream job. Carson chooses a path that leads him to being able to offer a woman, namely Grace, more than just being a porn star.

Five years later Grace and Carson come back into each other’s lives. They find out that they were each other’s catalyst for making some positive and necessary changes. Their reconnection is sweet and physically charged. 🥵

I’m not a fan of insta-love but for this story I will make the exception because it’s what propels the story forward. The banter and wit through the story was fantastic. I enjoyed the real life conflicts that Carson faced in his time away from Grace, even if it was a harsh topic to read about. I loved the evolution Stinger goes through and in my POV he evolves the most.

Can’t recommend this book enough!

I've become a big fan of Mia Sheridan. I read Archer's Voice and fell in love, still is my favorite book this year. Stinger is definitely up at the top of that list. The author does a great job at creating so much angst, while including lots of spice too. Those two things are what I love about romance. I really loved Carson and how his character transformed and how he fought against all of his demons. His heart was his biggest asset. The only thing I had a little trouble with was why it took so many years for them to find each other again when their feelings were so strong. I was able to overlook that minor thing, because I loved the rest of the book so much.

I have read this book in 2013 and LOVED it. Now in 2023 I still love it. This is the only author I’m rereading her books because they are AWSOME.

2 people who couldn’t be any different. They shared a weekend that was memorable. Now years later their paths cross yet again.

This was a love that was pure and life changing. They were destined to be together.

An original storyline and beautifully written with a seamless plot. I strongly recommend this story.

This edition is a re-release of the book, which was originally published in 2013. From the beginning it felt familiar to me. I think the book has weathered well. Obviously, social acceptance of the adult entertainment industry has completely evolved, but I still believe there would be a certain amount of judgement even now.

I loved the dual POV. Mia Sheridan is so good at character development and chemistry. I couldn’t figure out how Carson might be able to put his past aside and create a new life. When his path was revealed, I thought it was perfect for his character. I loved the second chance aspect. There was never any doubt Carson and Grace were IT for each other and I enjoyed seeing how they finally came together.

Thank you to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books for this complimentary ARC. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I may have set myself up for this one but the book hasn't done me any favors! I feel it's necessary to defend my choices here, I saw this on NetGalley and zeroed in on the fact that VEGAS is on the cover. I. LOVE. VEGAS. Perhaps I should have done more research, and I would have realized that this isn't a new book, but a 10 year old book being republished. Perhaps I would have spared myself from whatever this is, but alas.

Never have I ever felt this disconnected from a story so early in the book. I got about 40% through before I started more of a skim. I've never dnf'd because I have a compulsive need to see every story through but this was really testing my patience. Plus when this went off the rails and did a complete 180 it was like a car crash, I couldn't look away. Admittedly this is not my genre. I am very picky when it comes to the smutty romances, 9 times out of 10 I find the writing too cringe when they start getting down to it. This is all partly my fault so I don't want to be too harsh, should I have expected a romance between a law student and porn star to be anything but far-fetched, over dramatic, tropey, etc. etc.? Probably, but you don't understand, I LOVE VEGAS.

That all being said my expectations were low but JESUS. First of all, I didn't get the Vegas content I love and deserve. Yeah the Bellagio is pretty but give me clubbing, late nights in casinos, crazy shenanigans! For a whirlwind romance in one of the weirdest and interesting cities in the country this was so boring! Maybe that is a product of these bland characters. The good girl with a plan kind of character rarely ever does it for me, and I found Grace to be one of the worst examples of the trope I've read. Carson has no discernable traits besides being... carefree I guess? A little tortured? Also his name is Carson which is a small detail but concerning all the same. With nothing but the most generic character traits to go off of the connection these characters form is so devoid of any substance, they go from bickering in the lobby to stuck in an elevator to ripping each others clothes off in record timing. I'd defend these choices by suggesting that things moving way too quickly is just the way many of these stories go, but to use this magical weekend they have together as a primer to whatever the rest of this was is... certainly a choice. I think I'd much rather have preferred the bulk of the book to be this sexy little weekend in Vegas with more of a build-up in a relationship, sure these characters were boring but at least I would've gotten my scenery! Even when we return to Vegas later in the book the location doesn't matter in the slightest. They make up a luxury hotel instead of simply picking a preexisting one and adding to the lore?? Come on!

I knew we were in for it when Carson storms out of his porno shoot and drives straight to a military recruiter. By the way, the way these characters talked about porn stars and sex workers was so demeaning? Obviously there is a lot wrong with that industry, but the constant 'why are these people doing this to themselves?' 'you can be so much more than this' bs was just so weird and unnecessary. And don't get me started on the military of it all. If a character in your book is going to become a navy seal 40% of the way through, please allude to that in the description so I can save myself the read.

Due to the fact that I rarely read books like this I found myself comparing it to one I've read that has virtually nothing in common besides the age of the characters and being what the tik tokers call 'spicy'. I read Icebreaker by Hannah Grace last year and while I didn't love it and it felt like a chore to get through by a certain point I still read it so quickly, as these books usually go, and there were actually times in which I enjoyed it! Mainly because the characters had some good chemistry and the story had a lot more to work with. This book has taken me over a week to get through and like I said, I SKIMMED A LOT OF IT!

In conclusion, did I set myself up? Probably. Am I the authority on smutty romances? Absolutely not. Do I think there is one out there I will enjoy? Maybe, but Stinger is not one of them.

I love the dual POV and enemies to lovers aspects of this book. Through reading this book I loved that the characters had the weekend to be able to let lose and determine what they wanted to do outside of their norms. I loved the spice aspects mixed with the character development throughout. The opposites attract throughout the book kept me interested and wanting more. Mia Sheridan knocked it out of the park with this one. I would definitely recommend this book to others.

Duel POV — trapped in an elevator with your enemy — one weekend to throw your rules out the window

“Looks like we’re both here to hone our skills when it comes to getting people off.” - Carson

I was not expecting all of the different directions this story went!! I was a bit concerned that I wouldn’t like Grace, but the story is fast paced and immediately Carson ruffles her feathers in the best way possible. I loved how both her and Carson’s character develops. And for the people who like spice, I can concur this book is spicy. I loved reading Carson’s POV, and seeing his perspective on his life and how that one weekend changed everything. Makes you feel like if you’re in a rut yourself, there is still time change it.

My favorite live in the book was “She was my anchor and yet I was drowning in her.”

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

"It was sex and it was a good time - just for the weekend. It was all I had to offer. And it was all she wanted to take." - Carson

Literally running into each other in a hotel lobby, Stinger quickly introduces Grace and Carson in a classic meet-cute that ends with them volleying quick-witted barbs at each other due to mutual dislike. Both characters have their own reasons for assuming the worst in the other, but it only took a few hours of forced proximity for them to acknowledge the chemistry they had together.

Grace was very uptight and stuck in her own head, a bit of a wet blanket. Her entire purpose in life seemed to be jumping from one well-made plan to another, not leaving any time for enjoying life. She picked Titanic as her all-time favorite movie, need I say more?

"It was The Plan. I'd always had a plan, and I never strayed from it. Never. And once I achieved one, I moved on to the next." - Grace

I disliked how she judged Carson in the beginning but loved that she had enough self-awareness to recognize her character flaws and want to be better. After meeting Carson and spending a whirlwind weekend together, Grace changed her approach to life, opening her mind to spontaneity and becoming less rigid.

"'Why do you call me buttercup?' I whispered sleepily. I'd keep trying until he gave me a real answer. He had to run out of silly ones eventually." - Grace

Carson was so likable once you got passed the mask of cockiness. Wayward, he put up a wall between himself and everyone else, using his looks to as a defense mechanism. Underneath it all though, Carson was considerate, kind, and playful.

"Hot, uptight, little brat, but a brat nonetheless. I knew her type. She could get all indignant stick that haughty little chin in the air, tell me why she was better than me, and walk away, but I saw the way her body reacted. She wanted me." - Caron

Grace and Carson had opposite outlooks on life at the beginning of the book, one had plans and the other none at all. However, both were unhappy. Throughout the book, the characters made huge strides in growth and I loved how much credit they gave each other for helping them each make something of their lives.

"Carson wasn't part of my plan as I'd convinced myself - he was the antithesis of my plan. And I wasn't sure anymore if that was bad or good." - Grace

It's been a while since I've read a book this spicy, but I knew what I was getting into with a porn star as one of the main characters. That being said, this book definitely has a storyline outside of the bedroom which made the spicy scenes even better because I was invested in the characters.

"I craved structure and definitions and control. And here I was throwing all of that to the wind. For sex. With a porn star." - Grace

Stinger took off in a completely different direction than I expected based on the blurb, and that was a great thing. There was so much more depth to Grace and Carson and they truly changed for the better after their weekend in Vegas together. Mia Sheridan can do no wrong, and Stinger is no exception, everyone needs to read this book.

"Life is wild, he'd said. Fate could be wild. Putting you just where you should be at just the right time. And perhaps intervening in ways you never even realized until you could see the big picture later." - Grace

THIS. BOOK.

I knew I was going to love it- Mia Sheridan never misses the mark in my opinion, but I had no idea how much I was going to adore this book.

Grace and Carson meet at a Las Vegas hotel while they are both attending work events. Grace, who is always living by a plan and is a student at Georgetown, is going to a law conference, where more carefree and spirited Carson is attending an adult entertainment expo, where he is one of the main attractions. After being stuck in an elevator together, they decide to throw responsibilities aside and spend the weekend together. Their weekend adventure pulled each of them completely outside of their comfort zones and forced them to evaluate the direction their lives were heading. As their weekend came to an end, knowing their lives would never mesh due to their professions, they said their goodbyes, expecting never to see each other again. And they wouldn't.. until 5 years later.

From the synopsis, I thought I had an idea of what to expect.. and for the first 50%, that's exactly what I got. I literally thought I was reaching the end of the book, only to check and be at 45%! The whole second half of the book was a complete surprise and at times it felt like I was reading a completely different story. I loved loved loved it!

Read if you enjoy:
- second chance
- dual timeline
- it's always been you
- opposites attract

Thank you, NetGalley for the early copy!

I was sucked into this book from the first chapter. Sometimes it takes me a good 50% of the way before I really get into a book, but this wasn't the case here. I was literally 30% in when I thought to myself "how am I not near the end" (in a good way). I really felt the characters connection even though you could tell how different their lives were from the get-go. I absolutely loved how they grew and changed from both being together and after. This is definitely going to become a must-read author for me (and I already have 3 more of her books in my tbr). I really hope this book gets the recognition it deserves when it is released.

I DNF’ed. I felt like I was reading it forever, thought I was in the third act breakup and I was only at around 35% into the book. It just wasn’t keeping me hooked enough to want to continue.

📖 Romance
⭐4/5
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

➡ One steamy weekend in Vegas changes everything for law student Grace Hamilton and adult film star Carson Stinger.

She has her life planned out to a T. He's just making it through the weekend. She's innocent. He's experienced. When fate pushes them together for a weekend of passion, they never expect it to turn to more and repave both of their futures-- but will those futures be together or apart?

💭 "Sometimes, you don't even realize anything is wrong until someone comes along and changes you and makes you want more."
◾
🙏 Thank you to NetGalley and Bloom Books for the e-ARC of Stinger's re-release in exchange for my honest feedback.
◾
🎯 What I loved: Stinger was bookended by steam- there was a lot in the beginning prior to the plot really taking off and then again later in the book. There was a ton of character development for both Grace and Carson- each really transitioning and coming into their own spurred on by their weekend together. I loved that despite their initial connection, they recognized that the circumstances of their relationship wouldn't work initially but their spark reignited after both developing and they got a right time/right person love. And I actually liked the second act subplot (think a little bit mystery/thriller) although I could see how this book may feel like it's throwing hooks out of left field for some readers.

🙅‍♀️ What I didn't: Some of the timing was confusing. The book never specified that the initial scenes took place in the past; there were just some big time jumps and then a 'present day' note. Also, the characters took a lot of showers. Not like steam scene showers....just like a lot of showers. Hygiene is great but I swear these people were showering like 3 times a day.
◾
Read if you love:
* opposites attract
* insta-steam/hook-up to more
*second chance romance
◾
See also: Scandalized, The Roommate, Good Girl Complex

It is very clear from the beginning that Carson and Grace are two very different people. Both attracted to one another but can’t stand each other. When fate intervenes and they are stuck in an elevator together, they realize that they aren’t what the other person expected….
Stinger took me on a wild ride. From the beginning with the steamy romance between the two characters when they’re younger, through their transitions growing older, their second chance at love, and the military romance vibes. I loved it all! Can’t say that a Male Porn Star turned Navy Seal is something I normally would expect to read but it worked for me.
This was my first Mia Sheridan book but definitely will not be my last. I want to thank the publisher and Netgalley for a copy of the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

As always with Mia Sheridan, this novel is casted with likable characters. It takes place over the span of 5 years—something new as far as Sheridan’s stories go—and even though it’s easy to read, I wasn’t a fan of both MCs being separated for so long. Other than than, I very much enjoyed it.
Thanks to NG and Bloom Books for the ARC.

I absolutely love everything by Mia Sheridan and I am so grateful I was given the opportunity to read this early. I love love love this book. The plot was great, the build up and romance were top tier, and the spice was 10/10. Would 100% recommend this to everyone!

Stinger
4.5 ⭐️
5 🌶️

Stinger what an amazing book! Adult entertainer meets good girl with a plan. Will one weekend change their life?

Let me tell you it’s HOT 🥵 Carson is someone you want to meet and read about. He will definitely be a good book boyfriend to add to my list of fictional men.
I be laughed and I was shocked & it has some topics towards the end that are all too read everyone needs to read!
Is it instant love ? Yes is it a slow burn? Also yes! How is that possible idk but it’s great!
There’s a 5 year span and everything in between & it really feels like you get a view of their whole life after they meet.


As my first Mia Sheridan book and I was absorbed by the story it’s so good keep you engaged. I will definitely be picking up Archers voice next!

OK, so I've read 3 books in this series. First two (Leo and Leos Choice), and of course Archers Voice. Which aren't connected, I don't believe. Except with the possibility of books 1 and 2.

Grace and Carson meet in Vegas. And they can't be more different. Grace has a life plan. She wants to be a lawyer and has dedicated her life to her plan. Carson is more of fly by the seat of your pants. He's living a life far, far away from Grace.

She's not impressed with him when they first meet. In fact she kinda looks down on him. But an opportunity arises at the hotel they're staying at. And they get closer and begin to understand each other. And boy do they. A lot of time is spent on their time together and I liked that. It showed how close they got in such a short amount of time.

Circumstances though keep them apart. It was a really great book. Both characters are changed by each other. But what's going to happen if they get to see each other again? Are their circumstances the same?