Review: Sultry with a Twist by Macy Beckett

Title: Sultry with a Twist by Macy Beckett
Sultry Springs Series Book One
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Imprint: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Length: 320 pages
Book Rating: B+

Review Copy Obtained from Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

Welcome to Sultry Springs, Texas:
where first loves find second chances…

Nine years after June Augustine hightailed it out of Sultry Springs with her heart in pieces, one thing stands between her and her dream of opening an upscale martini bar: a bogus warrant from her tiny Texas hometown. Now she’s stuck in the sticks for a month of community service under the supervision of the devilishly sexy Luke Gallagher, her first love and ex-best friend.

If Texas wasn’t already hot enough, working side-by-side with June would make any man melt. Luke wants nothing more than to strip her down and throw her in the lake—the same lake where they were found buck naked and guilty as sin all those years ago. In their heads, they’re older and wise. But their hearts tell a different story…

The Review:

Macy Beckett’s Sultry with a Twist is a spectacular debut novel and first installment in what promises to be a fun and engaging series. It is a well-written second chance at love and friends to lovers story that fans of contemporary romances are sure to enjoy.

Best friends for much of their lives, June Augustine and Luke Gallagher shared one incredible night of passion that ended effectively ended their friendship. Luke left for a stint in the Army while June headed off to college. Following a heated argument with her grandmother, June vowed never to return to Sultry Springs, and she’s kept her word for nine years. That is until the terms of her community service force her to live with her grandmother while working for Luke. Will thirty days be enough time to mend her relationship with her grandmother and heal her broken heart?

June and Luke are beautifully developed characters. Neither June nor Luke have had an easy life and they carry the emotional scars of events from their respective childhoods. Of the two, Luke has the most obstacles to overcome; he feels unworthy of love and finds it difficult to believe that June can genuinely love him.

June is sassy, smart and works hard to achieve her goals and dreams. She is a strong woman and I really appreciate the fact that she stands up for herself when she needs to. She has enough self-worth that she won’t settle for what Luke is willing to give her.

The relationship between June and Luke does not fix itself over night. For every step forward they take, it seems like they take three steps back. Their relationship is complicated and the glimpses of their shared past make their present day relationship more realistic. The sexual chemistry between June and Luke is off the charts smokin’ hot and their sex scenes are positively sizzling.

What makes Sultry with a Twist such an outstanding read are the relationships between the various characters. June’s grandmother, Pru, is stubborn and no nonsense but underneath her gruff exterior lies a marshmallow soft heart. There is conflict between Pru and June, but it does not take long for them to work out the issues between them. Luke’s friendship with his Army buddy Trey is wonderful and the scenes between them are some of the best in the book.

Sultry with a Twist is a deliciously sexy and heartwarming romance. The characters are well-rounded, appealing and genuine. Macy Beckett is a not to be missed new author in the romance genre and I am eagerly awaiting her next novel in the Sultry Springs series.

6 Comments

Filed under Contemporary, Macy Beckett, Rated B+, Review, Romance, Sourcebooks, Sourcebooks Casablanca, Sultry Springs Series, Sultry with a Twist

6 Responses to Review: Sultry with a Twist by Macy Beckett

  1. Maria D.

    Thanks for the review – I’m going to have to pick this one up today:)

  2. Timitra

    Sounds good-thanks Kathy!

  3. suzanne

    Great review, it sounds like a fun story and I bet it’ll Be an HEA. Definite for my list,

  4. Cec

    I really like the sound of this book. It’s going straight to my tbr pile.
    Thanks for the review, Kathy!!

  5. katie dee

    As usual you give a great review Ms. K. Off to purchase this book. Keep ’em coming!!!