Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Review - Lingerie Wars

Title - Lingerie Wars
Author - Janet Elizabeth Henderson
Series - Invertary #1
Genre - Romance Chic Lit
Format - Ebook review copy Netgalley
Published - June 14th 2013
Publisher - Janet Elizabeth Henderson

Synopsis 

Englishman Lake Benson loaned his life savings to his dippy sister so that she could buy a shop. It was a big mistake. His sister has been steadily flushing his money down the drain – and now he wants it back. Years in the special forces taught Lake that if you want a job done, do it yourself. So he steps in to make the shop profitable, sell it and get his money back. The only problem is, the business is an underwear shop. And all Lake knows about underwear can be summed up in how fast he can unsnap a bra. To make matters worse, the tiny highland town already has a lingerie shop. A successful one, run by an ex-lingerie model. A very gorgeous ex-lingerie model, who’s distracting him from his mission more than he’d like to admit. If Lake wants to get his savings back, and get out of Scotland, he only has one option – wipe out the competition. 


Kirsty Campbell has spent years rebuilding her life after she woke up in hospital in Spain to find her body scarred, and her ex-fiance had run off with all her money. The last thing she needs is a cocky, English soldier-boy trying to ruin all she has left. Her home town is only too happy to help her fight the latest English invasion, although Lake is beginning to sway them with his sex appeal and cut price knickers. With the help of her mother, and the retired ladies of Knit or Die, Kirsty sets about making sure that her shop is the last one standing in Invertary.

It’s Scotland versus England as you've never seen it before. It’s lingerie war.


Review
I received Lingerie Wars in return for an honest review from the publisher via Netgalley. Lake purchased a lingerie store for his little sister but after she’s failed to make a profit it’s time that he steps in saving the shop so he can get his money out to invest in his own business. Only after arriving in Invertary does he learn all the crazy requirements of the sale, plus she’s right across the street from another lingerie story. He’s going to have to wage war if he wants to turn the story profitable but it’s against the sexy ex- lingerie model.

Kirsty is dead set on keeping her shop going, so when Lake an outsider arrives dead set to put her out of business she must return the challenge. However Lake is dead set on doing everything even using his good looks to get what he wants. As they both set out dead set to be the one and only lingerie story they each take underhanded techniques in getting what they want. Neither one can deny that they are attacked to the other. Yet Kirsty has scares that are deeper than the skin, she’s been hurt and it’s caused her to close off to the idea of a relationship. In attempt to save her business she shows up at Lakes opening day dressed in a long coat covering her lingerie and steals his party.

With the rising publicity to the town the two shops agree to a Lingerie runway that will help the town as well as the two shops. As things get closer to the runway things heat up between Kirsty and Lake and not just in the bedroom. When someone shows up out of the blue threatening everything it’s up to Lake to save the day but he’s risking more than just his shop he’s risking his heart.

I loved Lingerie Wars it’s a humorous romance that keeps you laughing from start to finish. I think Lake and Kirsty are perfect characters to play against each other in the war they each have their own stories but work well together. I love a happy ever after and Lingerie Wars doesn't disappoint. The supporting characters are awesome I you can’t help loving Betty she’s a hoot. The story is written beautifully I felt I was really able to visualize what was going on like when the ladies broke into Lake’s shop.  I stayed up late reading in bed and had to cover my head to avoid waking up my hubby. A super cute romance that will keep you laughing even after you finish. My first book by Janet Elizabeth Henderson but I look forward to reading more of her books, plus I can't wait for the next one in the series. 
4 out of 5 star

Excerpt
( I have to share this scene it had me giggle so loud my hubby almost woke up) 

“What the heck are you doing?” Kirsty hissed into her mobile phone as she looked out of her bedroom window.
Her mother stood in the middle of the street looking up at Kirsty as she talked back.
“We’re trying to break into the shop like you told us to,” said her mum.
“At the back of the building,” Kirsty said in exasperation. “You’re supposed to be at the back. No one breaks into a shop on the high street. There are people. And lights. This is insane.”
“Don’t you call me insane, young lady,” her mother said in that tone mothers were gifted during childbirth. “You forget that we’re doing this for you.”
“Fine. I’m sorry.” Kirsty pinched the bridge of her nose. “You need to break in at the back of the shop.”
“We tried, but it was too dark and we forgot to bring a torch.”
Kirsty wanted to bang her head against the wall.
“What the heck is Shona doing?” she said.
“She’s picking the lock with some bobby pins. She saw it on CSI.”
Kirsty didn’t say anything.
“It’s taking a wee while. It’s harder than it looks on TV.”
“Look,” Kirsty said. “Lake is sitting beside the living room window. You guys need to keep it down. Every time there’s a noise he looks at the curtains. He’s going to see you.”
“Well, distract him,” said her mother. “For goodness’ sake, Kirsty, use your womanly wiles.”
“I did not just hear that coming from your mouth,” Kirsty said.
“What? Do you think I’m too old to know about womanly wiles? I’m fifty-six, Kirsty, I’m not dead. Get in there and be distracting.”
She pointed her phone at Kirsty to make her point. Then she dropped it. Kirsty watched her fumble for the phone, then try to figure out how to dial Kirsty back. Meanwhile, behind her, Shona was trying to pick a lock with hairpins and Heather was sitting on the edge of the pavement eating a chocolate bar. Kirsty dialled her mother back.
“Just smash the window,” she said.
Her mother looked horrified.
“I can’t smash a piece of glass that big,” her mother said. “That’s wrong. Plus you were complaining about little noises. That would be a big noise. You’ll have to do a lot of distracting to make sure he didn’t hear that.”
“Smash the little window. The one on the door,” Kirsty said. She was beginning to believe that she got her intellect from her father.
“Oh,” her mum said.
She turned and said something to Shona. The three women looked at the door. Shona shrugged and Heather nodded.
“Okay,” her mother said, “we can do that, but we’re worried about an alarm. Does Lake have the shop alarmed?”
“How the heck should I know?”
“Kirsty Campbell, if I hear that tone again we’re all going home.”
“Fine. I’ll find out.”
“Lake,” she shouted as she covered the mouthpiece on her phone. “Just curious, but does your shop have an alarm system?”
“Subtle,” she heard her mum say. “Very subtle.”

Lake was about ten seconds away from rolling on the floor with laughter. When he’d sauntered up the hall to hear what crazy pep talk Kirsty was giving herself, he really hadn’t expected this. He’d peered around the door, saw her at the window and on the phone, listened for a minute with a grin on his face, then went to look out of the living room window. This was priceless. The Three Stooges were breaking into his shop. He hadn’t seen anything this hilarious since—well, ever. Kirsty’s dinner was getting cold, so he reached for her plate and ate her steak while he watched the show.
“Lake,” Kirsty shouted from the bedroom. “Just curious, but does your shop have an alarm system?”
He choked on a bit of steak. He thumped himself on the chest while tears streamed down his face, he was laughing so hard.
“No,” he shouted in a strangled voice. “Why do you ask?”
“No reason,” was the reply.
He wiped his face and grinned widely. One thing was for sure: Kirsty was not cut out for subterfuge. He watched as her mum talked some more on the phone while staring up at Kirsty. He could see where Kirsty got her skills. Lake poured himself a glass of wine and settled back. He knew he should intervene and stop the women from breaking into his place, but he honestly couldn’t. He really wanted to see what would happen next.
“Are you coming to eat your dinner?” he called. “Or should I come join you in the bedroom?”
“No!” Kirsty squealed. “I mean, I’ll be there in a second.”
He saw her mother point to Kirsty’s living room as she obviously ordered her daughter to get back in and deal with her guest. A few seconds later, Kirsty appeared. Lake wiped his face of all emotion, tried not to think about how funny this was and smiled at Kirsty.
“What were you doing in there, anyway?”
Panic flashed in her eyes. She hadn’t even prepared a story to excuse her disappearance.
“Folding laundry,” she said at last. “I can’t get it out of my head if it sits there, and I want to concentrate on you.”
She sat down elegantly at the table.
“You ate my steak,” she said incredulously.


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