The Mix-Up (Southern Hearts Club #3) by Melanie Munton

ABOUT THE BOOK

She thought she accidentally slept with her boss…
Then she met his twin brother.

Real talk: I slept with my boss. Back before he even was my boss. Back when I had no clue who he was.

Real talk: My boss is an arrogant jerk. I hate him. If we didn’t work so well together, I would have told him exactly where he could shove his pompous attitude a long time ago.

Turns out…my boss has a twin. Identical twin.

Now I know why he’s always acted like our one night together never happened. Why he acted like he’d never met me before when I started working for him.

It wasn’t him that night. It was his brother.

A brother who’s just as gorgeous as my boss and a hell of a lot nicer.

Real talk: I’m kind of…bothered that it wasn’t my boss that night.

But that’s before certain revelations about that night come to light.

MY REVIEW

Oh, Ms. Munton you have outdone yourself on this one. I knew Gretchen was going to be fabulous, but I’m totally blown away by her and Ryder’s LOL sexy verbal foreplay and hot, hot, hot panty-melting moments. Gretchen is MY spirit guide, folks!

Gretchen’s tried and true mantra of “distract, deflect, and disengage” has always worked for her, but this whole boss and his twin thing (ya, there are two of them, and boy do they have a doozy of a surprise) has thrown her for a loop. She doesn’t do emotions because she doesn’t know how to deal with them. But her girlfriends are calling her out on it and so is her boss…the extremely desirable and exasperating Ryder Colson. Trying to keep her career separate and not being the brunt of the gossip at the water cooler, she holds him off, but it’s only a matter of time they’ll both get what they want and holy crap, it is worth it!!

What can I say about Ryder? He’s gorgeous, he’s demanding, he’s sexy, and he’s completely committed to winning over the very difficult and beautiful Gretchen come hell or high water. And OMG, the pursuit is incredibly provocative and frickin erotic!! He’s like a dangerous dirty-mouthed possessive panther ready to pounce. I was ready to take her place in a heartbeat. YUM!!!

I have been waiting for Gretchen’s story since The Divorce Attorney and The Six Month Lease which are incredibly delicious and funny on their own with the love stories of her BFFs Sloane and Harper. Why Gretchen, you ask? It’s because of her snarky straight-shooting one-liners, her stellar work ethic, and her self-confidence with men. Hell, I want to be her. In this book, we get to hear Gretchen’s story and why she has an aversion to the feels which goes back to her domineering father, “The Major”, and her mother. Thank God she has her loveable brother, Ross, to help her out when visiting the parents. We also get to see that Gretchen has met her match hand-to-hand, tooth-to-tooth, body-to-body, with Ryder’s unrelenting endurance in the office, in the elevator, and yes, a little peep show in a helicopter.

The scenes are hilarious, emotional, and oh-so-hot!! The characters are audacious and fearless, but also vulnerable and confused. Ya gotta love Ryder’s identical twin, Myles, for giving his all to bring them together. And of course, Gretchen’s BFFs, Sloane, Harper, and Quinn, who keep her honest.

I can’t recommend Gretchen and Ryder’s story enough. The HEA ending is remarkably satisfying, but it’s the chase that drew me in and no one does it better than Ms. Munton. It will give you a new lease on life to buy a bigger bathtub, a rechargeable vibrator, and a soundproof room. I also suggest if you want the full effect of this delightful rom-com series, please read all three. I guarantee you will not be disappointed. I can’t wait to see what Quinn is up to.

Thank you again to Ms. Munton for giving me the opportunity to read this book with no expectation of a positive review.

The Southern Hearts Club Series

The Divorce Attorney (2020) – My review
The Six Month Lease (2020) – My review
The Mix-Up (2021)
The Bareback Cowboy (2021) – My review

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EXCERPT

Why did you keep working here?”

My head snaps up, my confused gaze colliding with Ryder’s. “What?”

His expression is inscrutable, but it’s…intense. Whatever is going on behind his blue eyes must be a doozy. “If you thought you had slept with your boss, why didn’t you just quit?”

“You really want to talk about this now?”While sober?

I do confrontation best with some liquid courage.

He says nothing. Just watches me and waits.

I toss my pen onto the table. “Because if you >didn’t remember it happening, then I could pretend like it never did, too. Clean slate.”

When his tongue slowly drags over his lower lip, I can’t tell if he likes that answer or not.

I roll my eyes with a huff. “Plus, not to add to your already inflated ego, this is the best market and ad firm in the area, despite your abhorrent people skills. It was a dream job for me.”

He taps his finger against the gleaming wood of the table. Tap, tap, tap. “You made it clear right from the start that you weren’t my biggest fan. Can I now assume that was because you were angry that I, from your perspective, didn’t remember us having sex?”

I have no answer.

What the hell am I supposed to say to that? I’m afraid the truth will make me sound like a naïve girl who became obsessed with a guy after only one night.

FYI, I didn’t.

Tap, tap, tap of his finger. “But being angry implies that you wanted me to remember.” A muscle pops in his jaw. “It was that good for you?”

‘Kay, now I’m rattled.

Because now I know that I never slept with Ryder Colson. My long-time annoyance with him is unfounded, yet it feels as strong as ever and I don’t know what to do about it.

“We’re not talking about this,” I state firmly.

“Why not?”

Seriously? “Because now I know it wasn’t you. Which means that none of this is your business. We”—I gesture between us—“never slept together.”

Your brother and I did was the unspoken part of that sentence.

He hears it. And his nostrils flare.

“You’re right,” he admits gruffly. “It wasn’t me. Because if it had been me, I wouldn’t have forgotten a single detail. Like Myles obviously did.”

My face goes slack.

Did he just—? Did I hear him say—?

Ryder just took us into another realm. Another dimension. For the first time ever, he turned a sexual corner with me. One I thought we both silently agreed to never even approach, let alone maneuver around.

But he went there. He put it there.

“Are you saying I’m not worth remembering?”

His face darkens, hardens. “Fuck, no. I’m saying anyone who doesn’t remember a night with you didn’t deserve to have you in the first place.”

I just stare…

…mouth agape…

…and stare some more…

…and drool a little…

I shake my head. Like a dog. What the frig is happening right now?

Is Ryder saying that he wants a night with me? Or is this just some male chauvinist thing where he has to assert himself as the most virile man in the village because he senses another encroaching on his territory?

He does realize I’m not his territory, though, right?

I’m not his anything. Except employee.

“I’d say it’s for me to decide whether or not someone deserves me,” I eventually say, my voice oddly hoarse.

Tap, tap, tap. “You never answered my question.”

I know which one he’s talking about, but I still ask. “What question?”

Tap, tap, tap. “Was it good for you?”

I cross my arms over my chest, assessing him. Okay, fine. He wants to go there? Let’s do this. “We’re talking about your brother here. You really want to know?”

Tap…tap…tap. “He may not remember it, but you clearly do. It couldn’t have been the worst you’ve ever had.”

“What if I said it was the best?”

His face reflects a range of emotions in a matter of seconds that confuses the crap out of me. At first, his eyes crinkle in the corners, as if he’s pleased. Then they narrow to slits as banked fury emanates from them.

“Then I’d say that’s because I haven’t had you.”

My jaw unhinges like a snake’s.

He slowly nods, his eyes burning holes through me. “Yeah, duchess. I said that.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Traveler. Reader. Beach-goer. St. Louis Cardinals fan. Pasta-obsessed. North Carolina resident. Sarcastic. Bit of a nerd.
Author of the Cruz Brothers, Possession and Politics, and Timid Souls series, Melanie loves all things romance, comedies, and suspense in particular because it’s boring to only stick to one sub-genre! From light-hearted comedies to sexy thrillers, she likes to mix it up but loves her some strong alpha males and sassy heroines.