Read Nows will forever be my weakness. I usually love Mia Sheridan but I didn’t like at all this style of writing. I hated reading it and I couldn’t connect with the story at all. I’m bummed but at least I tried.

Ce roman fait partie de la saga Sign of Love et il n'a toujours pas été traduit. Je l'ai dans ma PAL depuis quelques années et pour sa réédition en ME, j'ai enfin pris le temps de le lire. Une rencontre inattendue, deux univers opposés et pourtant l'évidence. Mais le destin pourrait s'amuser avec nos deux héros et il faudra du temps pour enfin se retrouver.

Grace Hamilton est le genre de jeune femme qui plannifie tout. Elle fait des études de droit, et pour faire un peu plaisir à son père, elle va se spécialiser dans une branche saine et pleine de sécurité. Elle rêve de se marier, d'avoir deux enfants et de vivre un bonheur éternel. Mais la vie, ce n'est pas ce que l'on lit dans les romances et pourtant.. A Las Vegas, lors d'une convention, elle va littéralement tombé dans les bras de notre héros. Il va bousculer son quotidien, elle va se lâcher dans ses bras mais tout cela aura un compte a rebours et leurs choix professionnels sont à l'antipode l'un de l'autre. Elle pourrait avoir peur du qu'en dira t-on et lui ne pourra pas abandonner son métier de la sorte. C'est une évidence entre eux mais la simplicité ne sera pas un mot pour résumer ce qu'ils vont vivre. Elle optera sans doute pour la raison et non la passion mais il n'y a que les imbéciles qui ne changent pas d'avis. J'ai aimé découvrir cette jeune femme qui va s'épanouir et oser prendre des risques.

Carson Stinger est un homme qui déborde de confiance en lui. Il est habitué que les femmes se jettent à ses pieds et qu'elle soit en admiration complète. Mais Grace va lui renvoyer la vérité en face et entre eux il y aura des étincelles. Pour une fois, une femme s'intéresse à lui pour ce qu'il est pas pour ce qu'il dégage mais leur histoire n'est elle pas condamnée par avance? Comment accepter les risques et surtout la réalité de son métier? Lui aussi va vivre une sacrée évolution et j'ai aimé le suivre sur ces cinq années. Il y aura des malentendus, des quiproquo mais quand deux êtres se trouvent, ne peut on pas espérer que le destin leur donne un coup de pouce en attendant les retrouvailles. C'est un homme qui va se dépasser et ouvrir les yeux sur son passé. Ce dernier ne peut pas déterminer qui il sera et on espère qu'il pourra être enfin heureux sur tous les plans.

Bref, une romance bien sympathique qui m'a fait passer un bon moment de lecture. Même si au départ, on est un peu dans les clichés, le développement psychologiques des personnages sera très intéressant et on retrouve des éléments de romantic suspense qu'on adore chez Mia Sheridan.

Stinger

I was a little hesitant going in, knowing the male main character was a porn star. However, I trust Mia Sheridan to take me on a journey, and she did not disappoint!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️

Grace & Carson are both in Las Vega for conferences, but they are quite different. Grace is a law student, attending a law conference, while Carson is a “straight male performer” in the adult entertainment industry.

They literally bump into each other in the hotel lobby, and experience an instant attraction. After finding out each others’ careers, they both pre-judge the other. Grace & Carson get stuck in an elevator, and begin to form a more intimate connection. They decide to spend only one weekend together - but is it enough?

"Maybe having something good and then having to let it go is more painful than never knowing what you're missing."

The second half of the story is told in the present, which is 5 years later. It’s so intriguing and interesting, and completely different from the first! I won’t go into details, cause, spoilers.

I SOBBED through the middle of this book, which seems to be a common thing with me & Mia Sheridan’s stories these days. I really loved their connection, and what they brought out in one another.

Read if you enjoy:
💙 Insta-love
💙 Second chance
💙 Past & present
💙 Forced proximity
💙 Emotional read
💙 Opposites attract
💙 Dual POV/first person

Thank you to NetGalley & SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

Whew, this book made me feel all kinds of emotions!
Carson and Grace meet at a hotel in Las Vegas where they’re both attending conferences. Carson is a porn star and Grace is a law school student. They couldn’t be more opposite but after being stuck in an elevator together, decide to spend the weekend together. What starts out as a no strings attached good time, turns into something deeper.
Stinger tells the story of these two over the next five years, and it didn’t disappoint.
I’m not usually a fan of insta-love, but I honestly feel like it was believable in this story. Grace and Carson had fantastic chemistry and their banter was hilarious. Was there some cringey dialogue? Absolutely, but it didn’t take away from the story.
There was a plot line that I honestly could have done without, because I don’t think it was necessary to showcase Carson’s growth, which is why this is a 4 star and not a 5 star book.
Overall, Mia Sheridan knows how to create a couple that you root for, and she is great at making me feel emotions while reading her stories.
Thank you #netgalley and Bloom books for this ARC for review.

I adored how this book has three different sections with a dual POV. Also love its a lawyer and a porn star. I love romance books and fanfics that deal with the adult film industry!

2.5 stars

Stinger was entertaining, but it wasn't quite the story that I thought it would be. I didn't realize it was going to be a second chance romance or that it would address such emotional topics. Please check the CW's prior to reading.

The book started off well and I liked the meet disaster between Carson and Grace, but I had a hard time believing they had a true connection when the majority of their weekend together was them repeatedly having sex. I also found the writing and dialogue cringey and repetitive at times. I don't ever need to see the words "Carson Stinger, Straight Male Performer" ever again. The time jumps and big life upheavals made the story feel disjointed and then in the last half, the story took a turn. Grace's actions and behavior when she's reunited with Carson did not sit well with me and everything with Alex was too neat and convenient. Her job and ethics didn't seem to matter once the truth was revealed and it all felt very shady. She should have withdrawn from the case due to a conflict of interest at the very least. I'm not a lawyer though, so whatever. LOL Overall, this was an OK read, but it just didn't work for me.

CW: stuck in an elevator, panic attack, claustrophobia, death of sibling (past), grief, depression (parent, past), parental abandonment and estrangement, human trafficking, mentions of rape and death, gunfire, combat injury, PTSD, cheating

*I voluntarily read a review copy of this book*

*** 3.5 stars***

Stinger by Mia Sheridan is a kaleidoscope of messy feels. It's hard to describe how I feel about it. What started as a playful weekend fling turned into an angsty heart wrecking journey that ended with some action packed twists. Carson and Grace had a story spreading across years and fate brought them together again and again.

When Carson and Grace meets first time..they were both in Vegas, in the same hotel, for two different conference. Carson was a rising p0rn star and Grace was on her carefully planned path to a solid career as lawyer. They had an instant chemistry and Grace thought she can throw caution in the wind for a weekend. But it was insta love too. She left because she didn't want anymore heartbreak and Carson left his career to join Navy SEAL. Years later..their paths cross. Grace is the prosecuting lawyer of Carson's friend's case. And it's evident their chemistry is still strong. Will Grace join Carson's crusade too? Can they have a second chance?


I felt this story had too many things happening at the same time and I had a hard time processing everything. I am not a fan of insta love or insta lust but Carson was so charming and sexy and Grace was so shy and reserved and their banter was on point. Their Vegas weekend was amazing. And I actually felt how heartbroken they were because their future were in different direction. Then there were few time jumps and we get to see how the characters evolve and mature. It was clear that they inspired each other even when they were not in contact. I expected it to be a heartaching reunion when the puzzle pieces fall. The emotions were definitely there. It felt like no time has passed for them. But then the secret crusade part of Carson kind of took over the story and the romance got overshadowed. I wanted to see more of the emotional turmoil and see how hard it was for them to reconnect with everything going on. But there were the suspense and secret missions. Carson is the full package. Sexy. Alpha. Larger than life. Grace is no less strong and fierce but she has a softness that contrasts and complements Carson's hard edges.

I reviewed an early copy voluntarily through Netgalley and Bloom Books

I went in blind with this book, and it was great! It kept my attention the entire time, and the steam was perfection. I liked the FMC and the MMC equally. This story made me laugh out loud, and tear up. I highly recommend it.

Thank you to the publisher and Mia Sheridan for this ARC of this great book.

This book was having an identity crisis the entire time: is it a military romance? a new adult romance? a light mystery? women's fiction? Who knows, because the pacing was uneven, the plot was baffling, the time jumps were bizarre, and the sex was mediocre. I was able to finish the whole book, but it was mostly because I needed to see where it was going. I now realize this is part of a larger series, but I'm not sure reading those would have helped. The quote at the beginning of the book makes a little more sense (something about Scorpios) but was still an odd choice.

While I really liked Grace and Carson's story, I really could not connect with it. They had a sweet second chance, opposites attract story, but something about the pacing and the plot prevented me from just loving the book. I never got hooked or anything, and while I've loved all the other Mia Sheridan books I've read recently, this one just did not have any of the writing that I've come to love from her.

Addicting, Emotional, & Beautiful in true Mia Sheridan style!

The Gist
Grace Hamilton is a law student who has her whole life planned. She has absolutely everything spelled out for her future. Then, at a law conference, she literally runs into Carson Stinger, a porn star attending his own conference. Carson is hot, but cocky and immediately makes Grace uncomfortable. Right away they hate each other, until getting stuck in an elevator together ignites the tension.

Things I loved:
-Fast paced and hooked me in EARLY.
-Carson’s resolve
-Navy SEAL rep
-Heroic MMC

My Reflection:
Stinger is a wonderful love story full of spice, angst, and emotion.

This is my 4th book to read by Mia Sheridan and I continue to be blown away. Mia has a true gift as an author for most well written love stories, I’ve ever read! She writes beautiful stories, but still manages to surprise the reader with something totally unexpected.

I put this book off longer than I care to admit because I was worried about the content with a porn star MMC. I absolutely should have picked it up sooner because it was NOT what I was thinking. Ive seen a lot of other people say this as well, so hear us when we tell you don’t let his job turn you away!

Read if you like:
-Forced Proximity
-Fake Dating
-Law Enforcement/Military Rep
-Soulmates
-Second Chances

Thank you to Bloom, Net Galley, and Mia Sheridan for the ARC. I can’t wait to read more by Mia!

What a whirlwind this story was. Mia Sheridan has done it again. Totally swept me off my feet with this one. A chance meeting between two complete opposites turns into a life changing weekend and a heart racing journey. I love Grace and Carson and what this encounter does for them not only in the love department but also for who they are as people. The time jumps in this book gave me whiplash. I feel like every time there was one my heart ached a little. The ending was perfect, I loved it. I really don’t know how Mia can knock it out of the park every time. However she does it I’m here for it!!

I saw who the author of this book was and immediately requested. I should have read the synopsis, so that was definitely my fault.

Grace is at a Law Convention in Vegas, and runs into Carson Stinger who is also at a convention. But he is at a pornstar convention. They get stuck on an elevator together and sparks fly, and Carson convinces Grace to spend one weekend with him. He agrees to show her everything she needs to know in bed. But towards the end of the weekend, Gracie realizes this is truly just a fling and at the end of the day, Carson still has sex with women for his job. They leave on less than ideal terms and are not reunited for many years.

This was not my book. I did not enjoy the storyline, and the pornstar aspect. I usually like my spice to have a little more build up. Then when they reconnected many years later, the cheating really bothered me. There were times I was truly cringing while reading.

I read the first 30% and then skimmed and picked back up reading... and eventually decided to just DNF it. I won't post this one to Instagram .

Mia Sheridan gives us another excellent story with Stinger. It was everything I wanted to read in a New Adult Romance plus more. Look forward to reading more books by this author.

This was an odd, but exciting read. Typically authors will do a short flashback and then jump to the present, but this author divided her book by two separate timelines. At first, I didn't think we needed too much insight into the MC's past relationship, but the more I read, the more I appreciated the in-depth understanding of who the characters were when they met and who they grew into before they were reunited. I was also worried the opposites attract theme would be cliche, but the author makes it work and it was a fresh perspective. AND making the MMC a porn star was an odd choice for this type of novel, but I loved it and loved Carson. There are some taboo/controversial topics, but nothing that made me hate everything about the book. Overall, I really enjoyed this read and I would love to read more from Mia in the future.

It is so hard to put into words how much I love Mia Sheridan. Her writing flows so effortlessly and her world-building is so beautiful; it is hard not to be immediately drawn into her stories and never want to to leave. Stinger is everything I have grown to love from Mia, and I completely fell in love with Grace and Carson.

4.5 out of 5 stars!

Two people meet in Vegas, each there for a conference. Right off the bat Grace and Carson clash. She’s a straight-laced law student with a plan; he’s an up and coming rhyme with “corn” star. After being trapped in an elevator together, they agree to a weekend fling. What they didn’t count on was the lingering feelings for each other. Taking everything they bared to each other to heart, Grace and Carson change the trajectory of their futures, making choices and changes for themselves. When they finally met up five years later, the author didn’t give them a quick HEA. NOOOO… I had to wait for it. What the heck!?!?! Like all the books I have read by this author, Grace and Carson had to work for their HEA, knowing full well that when it did happen that it was really forever.

I received and advance copy of this book at my request and voluntarily left this review.

I’ve been a big fan of Mia Sheridan for almost 10 years. I read Stinger the year after it was originally released in 2013. And when I saw it on NetGalley I thought why not read it again and see if I still like it?!

Here’s the thing: this author has always been a great storyteller and this book is no exception. I loved the good girl falls for the “bad” guy storyline and how their lives took them in opposite directions, only to be reunited when they least expect it. I love stories where characters go their own ways so they can accomplish goals - no one is giving up their dreams for the sake of love - and they meet back up when they are in a good place to come to the relationship whole and mature.

But the writing in this book (and many of the author’s early books) left a bit to be desired. Many of the sentences are clunky and there’s a lot of repetition of internal thoughts. There’s so much fluff in this book that doesn’t move the story forward and the pacing often dragged. It took me over a week to finish this book - and that’s with some skimming.

Sadly, this one didn’t stand up under the weight of my increased expectations - reading over 1000 books in the last ten years has done that to me. Thankfully, Mia Sheridan’s writing skills have improved vastly over her first dozen (or so) books - which pleases me immensely. Where great storytelling and great writing intersect is a beautiful thing, and I’ve gotten that from Ms. Sheridan many times the past couple years. But I don’t think I’ll be going back and reading any of this author’s earlier books that I have such fond memories of. Better to leave me with my rose-colored memories.

* thank you to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review

Thank you @read_bloom @netgalley for a copy of this love story. It starts with what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas between Grace, a law student, and Chase, a porn star stuck in an elevator. I love how the story started and the weekend they had in Vegas but was annoyed with Grace continuing asking why he called her buttercup. I think in real life, if someone asked that and gave an answer, you don't ask it again.

I love that they randomly reconnected 5 years later and there was so much growth in both characters. I didn't enjoy how Grace handled her situation as she questions her decisions about love. Overall, I enjoyed the story about each of their growth journey - especially Chase's journey.

Grace, a Georgetown law student, lands herself in Vegas for a law conference. She’s the girl with a plan— she’s got her whole life mapped out, right down to the number of sexual partners she needs to have before meeting Mr. Right, getting married in a big white dress and her grandmother’s pearls, and having exactly two kids…a girl and a boy, of course. Well, we know life rarely goes according to plan, but Grace had no idea just how much things would change for her by meeting Carson Stinger, “straight male performer” also in Vegas for a conference.. ahem… the Adult Entertainment Expo. Yep, that’s right- Carson is a porn star! Grace literally runs smack dab into Carson after checking in at the hotel. He’s manly and boyish at the same time- simultaneously rugged and pretty- and she’s reluctantly drawn to him from the start. He lives life according to his own rules… a total fly by the seat of his pants kinda guy. Pretty much the exact opposite of Grace. A twist of fate brings them together and their story begins. After a spend a steamy weekend wrapped up in each other, they part ways and return to their normal lives to find that nothing is is as it was. They try to navigate a new, post Vegas conference existence and take life’s twists and turns in stride until they each find their way. And that’s all I’ll say about that; you’ll have to read this one to find out what happiness looks like for each of them.

I was intrigued by the premise of the book but didn’t expect to like it as much as I did. I felt really invested in these characters and their story. I loved their banter and their nearly instant chemistry. I loved their journey of personal discovery and quest to find their own kind of happy. This story has so much more depth than I was expecting. It’s not your typical second chance romance (my favorite trope) but I loved it. I enjoyed Archer’s Voice, one of Mia Sheridan’s most popular books, but I think I liked this one even more!!

Stinger by @miasheridanauthor was originally published in 2013 but is being rereleased on June 6th with this pretty new cover!!

Thanks NetGalley and Sourcebooks Bloom Books for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.