Reviewed for A Wanton Book Lover Blog

Stinger was originally published in 2013. At this time, I read it. Recently (2023), Stinger received a new cover and was re-released. I agreed to review it before realizing that I had previously read it. With that being said, I didn't remember it so I decided to read it again and I am glad I did.
Stinger is about straight-laced law student Grace Hamilton. Grace is in Vegas for a law student seminar. Grace finds herself accidentally running into Carson Stinger, straight male performer, who is also in Vegas at an adult film conference. Although Grace thinks he is nice to look at, she is not interested in someone who would be in that industry. Grace and Carson find themselves thrown together and can't deny their instant attraction to each other, Carson begs Grace to walk on the wild side for the weekend where they can give into their attraction for each other and see what transpires. Grace takes Carson up on his offer and the two spend a non-forgettable weekend together before parting ways. As Carson begins to return to his life, he finds himself wanting to become a better person and be more for Grace than he currently is. He decided to join the military. Flash-forward several years and Grace finds herself at a new job in Vegas as a prosecutor. When Grace joins the detective working on the case she is assigned, imagine her surprise when she comes face to face again with Carson. Neither Carson nor Grace have forgotten their weekend together years ago, and are still attracted to each other but Grace is now engaged.
Stinger is an unforgettable love story of stepping outside your comfort zone, wanting to make yourself better for others' benefit, and an unforgettable attraction that somehow morphs into love in a single weekend. It's beautiful, hopeful, and full of feelings that make it an incredible book.

I went into this story blind. Grabbed it because the author is a favourite and I’m so glad I did.

What happens when the guy who grabs your heart just so happens to be a porn star? Well if you’re no nonsense Grace you let him go. Even if it hurts.

I loved the character growth of Grace and Carson in this story. Both had to make changes, for different reasons and the ending was quintessential happily ever after. Definitely recommend.

3 stars.

Mia Sheridan has been hit or miss for me, and "Stinger" falls somewhere in the middle of the pack. My main complaint is that this book is far too long and pretty dang repetitive. I enjoyed the character development that main characters Grace and Carson both exhibit, but their self-improvement and self-discovery does happen very quickly and seems far too hefty for a single weekend together. Once Grace and Carson part after their whirlwind Las Vegas weekend together, they both change in ways that were influenced by the other. Years later, will they get their second chance? I like Mia Sheridan's banter and (most of her) spice (but I wish she'd stop saying "core" so dang much!!!), but something in her writing style leaves a lot left to be desired. It's a little...pedestrian, perhaps? It's like her stories are supposed to be substantive with these big grand reveals, but almost always wind up feeling very basic, and in this case, kind of cringey. Maybe I just didn't resonated with the story and these characters. It all felt a little too implausible for me. It starts off really strong, and I really enjoyed the first portion of the story, but Sheridan keeps adding one scenario after scenario that left me with raised eyebrows. I also hated how judgmental Grace was about Carson being an adult film star early on in the story. She is happy to reap the benefits of his profession, but shames him about it multiple times in the process. Not very progressive if you ask me.

Thank you to NetGalley, Mia Sheridan, and SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books for the ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated in any way for my review.

I forgot how much I enjoyed this one! Carson and Grace’s journey has scorching hot chemistry, some angst, and unexpected twist. Definitely worth the read.

Stinger By Mia Sheridan
First of all I want to thank Mia Sheridan and NetGalley for the complete honor for the advanced reader copy of Stinger. Happy Release Day!!! I’m giving this book ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️and would give more if I could. I absolutely loved this book. Mia Sheridan is so amazing!!! I have to say it took me a little longer to read it because I didn’t want it to end!!!!
This was the love story of Grace Hamilton and Carson Stinger. They are both at the same hotel for a conferences (completely different conferences might I add) I first they aren’t each others biggest fans and then they get stuck in the hotel elevator and make plan to spend one the weekend together. They did expect feelings to develop their lives are changed forever. This story takes you along for the ride. I loved how the story went back and forth between Grace’s and Carson’s perspective. This is a book that you have to go read now, and will have you thinking about the characters long after you’re done. Mia Sheridan has done it again this will definitely be one people will be talking about!!!!

Have you ever wondered what would have happened if Jack & Rose both survived on that door? Well, this book is your answer! (If Jack was a porn star and Rose a law student but yeah, feels like they could have been that in our times, you know!) Amazing, right?

Read it you like: Opposite attracts / Character growth / Second chance / Instalove / Forced proximity / A little bit of enemies to lovers as well

Mia Sheridan never disappoints. She’s able to write deep characters with heartwarming stories. You cannot help rooting for them and wanting them to find happiness. Some passages in that book had me feeling almost sick to my stomach cause I felt so close to the characters and their emotions got to me. There were some endearing moments, some more emotional, and it was all so good.

One thing I did notice was that the flow/pacing was so different at times, so I had moments where I couldn’t put the book down but then I was okay with stopping for a while. I’m not that good with time jumps and there were a lot of them at some point. I had a soft spot for the first part of the book. It was so nice to see the two characters get together and start getting close. They had such an impact on each other's life (Titanic vibes here, my friends) and it was interesting to see how they changed after their time together and how they truly never let go of each other.

Thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

*My Heart Will Go On by Celine Dion starts playing *

I found this book to be good overall. It didn't wow me like Archer's Voice and Travis did but maybe I was didn't connect with the characters as easily as I did in those. I found the story of Grace and Carson intriguing but I found it to be a bit lengthy and choppy at times. I enjoyed the idea that fate steps in and gives second chances to connected hearts. I would still recommend it to anyone who likes a good second chance romance.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book is being rereleased so I snatched an ARC because I have fallen in love with Mia Sheridan. She always writes about two characters that have some growing to do before they can be together. I love books with two flawed characters who need each to bring out the best in them. In this book the characters are not flawed they just need to reevaluate their lives and change for the better. So this had a very different plot line than I had read before. Grace is in Las Vegas for a law convention and Carson is there for an adult entertainment convention. They keep seeing each other and Carson likes to get under the skin of the buttoned up lawyer type. Then they get stuck in an elevator. Grace decides she is only in Vegas for the weekend so why not have a fun fling. Carson is all for it. Then they go back to what is supposed to be their regular lives but that one weekend has changed everything. They both start reevaluating their lives. Cut to 5 years later and they meet again.

-Women begged me, I didn't beg them. End of story.

"Lose control, baby. Just for a weekend. Let me take charge. I'll take good care of you, I promise."

-And though time didn't heal all wounds, it certainly made the pain more bearable, especially if you had others to help carry it.

Thank you Mia Sheridan and Bloom Books for the advanced reader copy of Stinger.

I am in awe of Mia Sheridan’s ability to make a story of an adult film star turn into the admirable human taking on today’s slavery of human trafficking. Making not only a beautiful love story, but a romantic, sexy, and suspenseful love story that will leave you wanting more.

From the moment this story started with a true romantic comedy meet-cute with Grace physically running into Carson Stinger, my heart was attached to this tale. Grace being a goody goody attending her first ever expo in Las Vegas for her law degree to experiencing every sexual fantasy with the one and only adult film star that changes the trajectory of her law career, her growth that is shown throughout the novel is adventurous and exciting.

Carson Stinger, following a similar adventurous and exciting path, but in a more physical way, from being with Grace for a mere 3 days, shows that anyone can pursue anything with the right ambition and mind set. Carson is a one of the most admirable and strong characters I have ever read as a hero in a love story. A truly good human who is sexy, masculine and loving — you couldn’t ask for more.

This story was heart breaking, beautiful and intriguing. I did not want to put this book down, making this story an easy 5 star read for me.

Wow I loved this! Such a unique story..

Chapter 1 started off with Grace (a law student) and Carson (a porn star) staying at the same hotel in Vegas attending a conference for their respective professions. Carson & Grace meet and immediately Grace is judgemental based on his job - the banter between them is super fun. They then get stuck in an elevator together and get to know each other more…

This started off as a spicy romcom but moved to be more series in the second half of the book. Right person wrong time.

Second half of the book was much deeper and had subject matter not everyone would be comfortable reading about.

The only con is the first half and second half of the book almost felt like 2 completely different books based on the 180 the story took.

I would still recommend this as I really enjoyed it! I love Carson

5⭐️ 3🌶️

- MF
- Opposites Attract
- What Happens in Vegas Stays in Vegas
- Stuck in an Elevator
- Right Person Wrong Time

“Why do you call me buttercup?”

No body writes angst like Mia. This is my second book by her and I am learning to trust the process. That she won’t actually push me past what I’m comfortable with but she might toe that line and everything will work out beautifully in the end.

Grace and Carson bump into each other, literally, while in Vegas. Grade was in town for an International Law Student Conference and Carson was in town for an Adult Entertainment Convention. They but heads from the moment they meet but after getting stuck in an elevator together they can’t avoid their attraction to each other and agree to spend the weekend together. When they part way neither of them knew just how much their lives would change or how long it would be before they once again meet unexpectedly.

I loved the story telling in this book and the journey that Grace and Carson went on. When they first met neither was entirely happy with their lives but were just coasting along and doing what they thought was expected of them. But they saw something special in each other and motivated each other to make changes that resulted so much growth and happiness.

I loved their banter when they first met and how they quickly created traditions that reminded them of each other no matter how much time had passed or how much distance was between them. I was so anxious for them to be reunited and loved Carson’s determination to be with her despite her initial hesitation. But it’s a romance so of course they get their HEA in the end.

This book follows Grace, a lawyer, and Carson, a male performer. The two are more opposite than one can imagine initially, though from the moment they meet their is no turning back.

Both characters show an insane amount of character development from just one weekend that they spend together. They both impact one another in different ways and the readers are gifted a second chance romance for Grace and Carson.

The second part was harder to get through, with a lot of time skips and filling in on the characters lives. But by part 3 the story is in full motion again and will leave you stuck in the pages.

Stinger by Mia Sheridan

⭐️: 3/5
🌶️: 1.5/5

I’m not entirely sure how I feel about this book. It was too long and so repetitive and I’m not a huge fan of time jumps if I’m being honest. It was broken up into 3 parts and the first part really grabbed my attention which is where my three ⭐️⭐️⭐️ are coming from. I read it so quickly but after that it just slows way down and it’s the same thing over and over. And part three was extremely rushed at the end. It felt like the snowball effect. Nothing was happening and then suddenly everything was.

The characters weren’t very exciting and I just didn’t connect with them at all in any way. I also didn’t love that they convinced a 17yr old girl to keep a child she didn’t want that was the result of abuse. I didn’t think that was their place at all. I honestly don’t know what else to say. I didn't love it and definitely won’t be recommending it to anyone else.

I did love how much Carson and Grace helped each other be the best versions of themselves that I did love. It was sweet and it had me really rooting for them!


Thank you to Netgalley, Bloom Books & Mia Sheridan for sending me this eARC in exchange for my honest review!

En bref, j'ai adoré apprendre à connaitre Grace et Carson, ils sont tous les deux touchants, attachants et pour le moins intenses ! Je ne savais pas à quoi m'attendre en commençant ma lecture et une nouvelle fois l'autrice a réussi à me happer, à me faire vibrer et ressentir pleinement le questionnement de nos deux héros. Ils vont vivre en ce weekend non seulement des moments forts mais aussi une remise en question qui va faire dévier leurs routes qu'ils pensaient toute tracée l'un comme l'autre. Leurs routes nous tiennent en haleine jusqu'à la fin qui nous permet de les quitter avec un immense sourire aux lèvres. Une très belle histoire que je regrette de ne pas avoir découverte avant !!

Stinger is a lengthy missive about second chances, and the potential magic of human connection. As a fan of author Mia Sheridan’s novel, Asher’s Voice I was excited to dig into this book.

Sheridan manages to bring the angst, and also construct a story that spans over years, but it didn’t quite hold the same magic for me as AV. Honestly, it felt a little bit dated in its telling, which makes sense because this is a re-release of an older title. But there are certain references and plot elements that place it in another time and maybe haven’t aged super well. While this isn’t necessarily all a bad thing, it definitely took me out of the story.

I also didn’t connect with the plot because of certain elements. But I could see it being compelling for other readers. If you are a fan of Sheridan’s other work, Stinger is definitely worth a try.

Thanks to Bloom Books and NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Happy re-release day to Mia Sheridan. This is my second book of hers, and I can say without a doubt I love her writing style. I enjoy getting lost in her characters and her storylines are different and capture you from the very beginning.

This book was a surprise from the start. Law student meets a porn-star in the middle of Las Vegas and right away they bump heads until they’re stranded in an elevator together, alone.

The banter right off the bat was fun to watch unfold and downright enjoyable. Carson was the unexpected hero I did not expect and my favorite male character of hers (coming from the girl who’s read 2 of MS’s books 💁🏼‍♀️).

This was a one night-stand turned weekend hookup turned “I fell for you but…”

A heart-warming, fate brings us together second chance romance with some interesting twists that you feel like you’re reading two separate books.

“𝘐𝘯 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘴𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘶𝘴, 𝘣𝘰𝘵𝘩 𝘪𝘯 𝘣𝘪𝘨 𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘭. 𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘦𝘵 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘢 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘬, 𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘳𝘰𝘰𝘮, 𝘰𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘶𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘣𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘔𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘯, 𝘪𝘵 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘪𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘢 𝘣𝘪𝘨 𝘭𝘪𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘳𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭.”

The way these two fed off each other in the most positive way was uplifting. Carson brought out a different, wild and carefree version of Grace, while she made Carson realize he is more than who he thinks he is, that he has the potential to be something more if he wanted it and watching them grow into that person without each other but because of each other was magic.

Grace has her whole life planned out. Career, sex life, marriage, family, until she meets Carson Stinger.
This book was full of spice, heart break, redemption and more.
If you love a spicy romance and second chances, this is the one for you!
Thank you to netgalley for letting me read this!

I knew I was going to read Stinger as soon as I saw it was set in Las Vegas. I love reading books set there because it was where I got married! But, I also love Mia Sheridan and this book sounded awesome. Again, somehow I missed it when it was originally published.

Grace is your quintessential "good girl" type. She is studying to be a lawyer and she has always stayed on track. Carson is a porn star. Grace looks down on him because of this, but eventually, they get to know each other better and Carson finds out Grace has only had 1 sexual partner. Their story spans several years, so there is a lot of longing and such that really pulls at you emotionally. As much as I expected to not like Carson that much (I'm so over the manwhore/virgin thing), Sheridan does a wonderful job of creating well rounded characters. But, this is a small part of the story. I was 100% not prepared for where this story goes. It was beautiful and wholly unexpected. It was all the feels that Archer's Voice gave me and I wasn't expecting that from a story about a porn star and a lawyer.

Mia Sheridan has a way of writing that you simply can't walk away from. She hooks you and surprises you and delights every time. I hope that you will give Stinger a try because it is really beautiful!

Thank-you Bloom Books and Net Galley for an Advanced Reader Copy. throughly enjoyed this book. I'm giving it 4.5 ₽.
This book is perfect for someone who eniovs instant love connection and a bit of grumpy/sunshine trope.
We have our Female Main Character that is in Vegas for a law conference. Grace is a good girl, and very driven . She literally bumps into our Male Main Character, Carson Stinger. Carson is in Vegas for an adult entertainment convention. Sparks fly.
They board an elevator which gets stuck between floors. To calm her down from having a major panic attack. They share stories and then kiss. Once the elevator moves they decide to spend the weekend together.
They ignore the outside world for as much as they can.
However, outside pressures interfere and the magic is gone.
They go on with their separate lives.
Ten years later, Carson and Grace see each other again in Vegas. This time he's a part of a criminal investigation she's prosecuting.
Read the book to find out what happens to our main characters.

I am a big fan of Mia Sheridan however this book did not do it for me. I was cringing at how some of the characters were acting and what they were saying. Love her work but this book was not for me.