Review – Spiked Lemonade by Shari Ryan

This book was so much more than I expected. From the intense emotions of the beginning scenes to the moments I laughed so hard my stomach hurt, I just loved this book! Sasha, the sweet Southern Belle, and Jags, the down and dirty Navy Medic have a totally different kind of love and romance. Even as I sit to write this review, I remember some of their antics and cannot help it – I am laughing hysterically.

They met under some stressful situations and through their best friends Tango and Cali (their story is begins in TAG). Tango and Cali knew that Jags and Sasha could bring out the best in each other. Jags was lost and jagged from his time in combat overseas. Sasha is coming out of very bad relationship where her life was at risk. He’s foul and wants to f*ck. She’s so repressed she can’t even say the word f*ck. So what do you get when you combine surly with sass? I got an amazing story that once I started I could not put down.

I will admit that for a bit I wasn’t sure what story I was reading. If you had not read Cali and Tango’s story before, it would be easy to feel somewhat lost. Still the story was written in such a way that after a time it was simply Sasha and Jags’ story. Two people who really were quite lost and trying to discover who they are underneath the disguises that they wore. No way was Jags this manwhore that he professed to be and no way was Sasha this stuck up wanna be Southern housewife in training.

They both had demons to face and decisions to make so that they could be together. They have an all out amazing journey discovering who they are individually as well as being a couple. A bit of insta-love and really, I cannot said it enough about the belly aching laughs. Don’t read this in public. I got the worst looks for laughing! My favorite line and scene from the book? “Are you Irish?” And there I go laughing all over again.

This was my first read from Shari. What a great introduction. This is not your typical romance! It’s down and dirty, complex and complicated. It’s fun and frivilous. It has moments of serious contemplation and deals with a very important issue that needs more attention. It has just some of the hottest sex scenes. It was a total blast! Fantastic, Shari!

5 Jack and Lemonade Stars!

I traded in my Navy uniform and short hair for tats and a scruffy beard to become a man on the run. Moving from town to town, taking comfort in hot cars and fast women was the only way I could outrun the nightmares.

Then I met her…

Looking like a Southern Belle in a small Texas town, all layered in pretty dresses and perfume, I call her beautiful.
She calls me a perv.

This beauty won’t admit I have something she wants (wink, wink, nudge, nudge), or that I’m the one she’s looking for, but I love that she has something I never knew I needed.

I may be labeled as a jerk, but she’s going to fall in love with me, and I’m going to make her cuss and drink whisky instead of lemonade. Why? Because sometimes beauty comes with a dirty mouth and sometimes your lemonade needs to be spiked.