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.

Stinger is a captivating and unpredictable story that is both entertaining and enjoyable. The writing is beautiful, and the plot is amazing, making it a must-read for anyone who loves a good romance. The chemistry between the characters is perfect, and the story is full of twists and turns that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

And just like that... Mia Sheridan gets me again.

Opposites attract. One weekend stand. Close proximity.

Porn star with an attitude meets sweet, law student. Opportunity strikes and they spend time together. They loose touch for years and when they speak again everything has changed.

Carson is initially irritating because he has such a chip on his shoulder. Grace is irritating because she is so good... and judgmental. I loved the effect they had on each other and how they changed the trajectory of each other's lives despite not speaking for so long after the one fated weekend. This is an HEA that I could definitely get behind. (No pun intended for the spiciness of this book.)

I enjoyed this book. Grace is a law student attending a convention in Las Vegas when she runs into (literally) Carson Stinger- a Straight Male Performer who is there for a convention as well. Grace and Carson quickly think they’ve figured each other out from their small encounter. Grace, a does everything right planner and Carson, a gorgeous but cocky p0rn star. Although shortly after their meeting, they end up stuck in an elevator together and play a game to get to know each other better and come to realize there’s more to each other than they had thought.

This started off as a cute, hilarious romance. I was laughing out loud through a lot of it. I enjoyed Grace being able to change her well thought out plans to be spontaneous for a weekend. I also enjoyed Carson’s sweeter side that he reluctantly ended up showing. It was nice hearing both of their stories of their childhood and past and seeing why they are the way that they are now. I just felt like there was a lot happening at times or maybe like I needed to be reading two separate books.

That being said, I still really enjoyed this book! I loved seeing that both Grace and Carson were able to change their career paths and be successful at something that made them happy and made a difference. Thank you for allowing me to read and review!

Loved this opposites attract / second chance romance! This book has been on my TBR since 2013! It’s about time I read it!

I loved what a big impact their first weekend together had on the lives of Grace and Carson. The inadvertently changed the courses of their lives with their weekend fling. Grace lived a quiet life of safety and Carson lived life wide open, but to what end?

All that has changed when they accidentally meet up years later. Once they rekindled their romance, they were both all in! I loved that they got to work together and use their skills to make an important impact.

This is one of those books that has you laughing, crying and gasping all in the same chapter. Great read!

This was a little too instalove for me, but overall I enjoyed it. Good banter, good spice but with the middle section having them apart, I kind of lost interest by the end.

4.5 stars

Grace thinks she's settled in her future when she heads off to Vegas for a law school convention. What she doesn't expect is to get stuck in an elevator with Carson Stinger, straight male performer--a porn star who doesn't think he's any better than the business. Grace and Carson clash at first, but then find their attraction too overwhelming to ignore.

Mia Sheridan is one of my go to authors and this book was no exception. Here's what I loved.

Dual POV. You get both Grace and Carson's perspectives in each chapter which really adds to their story. This works especially well when they are separated.

Grace and Carson. Both need to work through things in their lives that they are ignoring. It takes them coming together to see that and help each other through.

Vegas setting. The City of Sin is the backdrop of this book and it works well. Sheridan lets us into a lot of the landmarks and through the floors of the casinos, giving the book that technicolor feel.

Bit of a spoiler.....
The equality when it comes to the future...IYKYK. This makes me so happy.

Overall, this was a great book filled with angst and true love.

-dual pov
-time jumps
-enemies to lovers

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*