Chelsea & Jessica Get Brazen! Down for the Count by Christine Bell

Hey guys! So happy it's time to get Brazen again! This week we read Down for the Count by Christine Bell! It featured a scorned new bride and an oh so sexy boxer! I do love my fighters!

Truth or dare…

When Lacey Garrity finds her groom in flagrante delicto in the reception hall closet with her bridesmaid, she's saved by her best friend’s older brother—childhood tormentor, crush, and boxing bad boy Galen Thomas. Galen’s solution is both exciting and dangerous. What better way to forget the mess of her life than go on her honeymoon with a hot guy who can’t promise anything beyond today?

…or TKO?

Galen had been counting on Lacey's wedding to put her out of reach—and out of his mind—once and for all, but their steamy Puerto Rican escape is testing all his boundaries. Now that Lacey’s embracing her inner bad girl, Galen is tempted to throw in the towel and claim her for himself. But with the biggest fight of his career on the line and an important business merger threatening to derail Lacey’s resolve, their romance might be down for the count before it even begins.

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You find your brand spankin' new husband of like 30 minutes screwing another woman at your reception. What do you do?

Jessica: Ok. Last week's episode of Bitten absolutely horrified me because of what happened. However, let's just say it involved a man strapped naked to a chair and the other with a very scary looking clamp device. I'll let you make your own assumptions from there. And then I'd get shitty ass drunk. 

Chelsea: Haha! Don't mess with Jess. I am a sucker for a good junk punch and you can bet your ass that my husband would NEVER be able to have children.

 

You have a perfectly good honeymoon waiting for you after the above incident. Do you a) cancel the reservations, b) go by yourself for some R&R, or c) get shitty ass drunk, play a game of Truth or Dare with your best friend's hot older brother who is a boxer, and accept the dare to take him on the honeymoon instead?

Chelsea: C. 100%! Jess?

Jessica: C! ALL. THE. WAY.


What is your dream honeymoon spot?

Chelsea: I would love to go to Hawaii to be honest. I've never been there!

Jessica: I always wanted to get married in Jamaica and then travel around for my honeymoon. I want to re-trace my steps through England, Ireland, France, Italy and then head over to Greece. :)

You meet a very attractive couple on your vacation and you later find out they are swingers. Do you a) run for the hills, b) first use their awesome pool to make out with your current beau, or c) join 'em?

Chelsea: Not gonna lie, C is out of the question but making out in a pool first sounds nice :-)

Jessica: I'm torn between A and B. I would totally freak out, but I wouldn't mind making out with my guy in an awesome pool first.....


You're in a tropical paradise. What is the sexiest place to get it on with your man?

Jessica: I love vanishing edge pools. I would be all for having some sexy times in one of those pools overlooking the beach and ocean.

Chelsea: Ooh, excellent answer! I think a hammock on the private patio of a villa would be pretty hot!


What was your favorite scene in the book?


Chelsea: I really enjoyed the game of "I've Never" that tempted their little trip. I liked how Galen used it to open Lacey up a bit and be playful with her.

Jessica: I have to say I loved the scene where they went on the cruise ship for dinner and dancing. It was fun to see that side of Galen, and I loved that she opened up not only to him, but to herself too.

What do you think of the dating the best friend's brother trope?

Jessica: It's one of my absolute favorites! I had a small crush on my best friend's older brother once! :D

Chelsea: I've honestly never been in the situation but I love this type of plot in a book. It's one of my favorites too!

 

Down for the Count is one of my favorite Brazens so far. I absolutely loved the writing and the characters and the plot. It was fun and sexy and had some really unique elements that made it stand out from the others. I was hooked right from the beginning.

Within the first few pages of the book, Lacey finds her brand new husband banging one of her bridesmaids and best friends. She is hurt, angry and humiliated so she asks her best friend’s brother, Galen to get her the hell out of there. What starts as a drunken game to help get her mind off of things, turns into a drunk dare and they end up on her paradise honeymoon together. A sexy villa in paradise? You can guess what’s going to happen.

I loved the chemistry between Lacey and Galen. They are clearly hot for each other and being in such close quarters only amplifies them. Lacey is so reserved and I really enjoyed watching Galen open her up and help her relax and experience new things. She didn’t know what she was missing out on until Galen and losing her ex was the BEST thing to ever happen to her. I was a little frustrated with Lacey at times, however, because she really let people walk all over her and despite what her ex did to her, she really fought her desire for Galen because she was technically married. Fuck that! She owed NO loyalty to him and I was glad that Galen was able to wear her down and make her see her worth and show her was she deserved.

Overall, I absolutely adored this book. Not only was it sexy but it was fun and entertaining. Cat, Galen’s sister and Lacey’s best friend was so awesome and one of my favorite characters. Her friendship and loyalty to Lacey was awesome and she cracked me up with her fiery attitude. I’m super excited to dive into another Christine Bell Brazen again soon!

I had a lot of fun reading Down for the Count by Christine Bell! Not only was it sexy and steamy, but it had quite a bit of humor to it as well! I have to say- this was probably one of my favorite Brazen storylines I've read thus far. First of all, I love the best friend dating the older brother trope and second-  I can't even imagine being in Lacey's shoes and experience what she did!

 

Lacey has had a crush on her best friend's older brother, Galen, for some time now. However, when he calls her squirt and teases her- it doesn't seem like he reciprocates those feelings. He is really there for her now during a really awkward situation and I don't think there was anyone better for her in that moment than him.

 

I love how Lacey handles said situation. Sure, she's upset, angry, and hurt, but I love seeing her snark and sass come spewing out! My inner cheerleader was hooting and hollering at her comments to Marty, her new husband.

 

I LOVED Cat, Lacey's best friend. She reminds me of what MY best friend what do in this situation, and I thought she was made of awesome. Even though Lacey goes with the grain on a lot of things her parents say, Cat is the one exception to the rule. Lacey's mom never thought Cat was good enough and was too wild for her daughter. However, Lacey refused to bend to her mother's will on this one. It's a good thing too, because Cat is definitely a friend I'd want in my corner.

 

Galen had initially warned Lacey about marrying this guy and now that the shit has hit the fan, he doesn't want to get involved. He knows that it's a bad idea, as the lines have really been blurring between seeing her as his sister's best friend and as a beautiful woman that he can't help but be attracted to. He dares her to go on her honeymoon to Puerto Rico with him and she drunkenly consents, finding herself on a flight to paradise with someone who is NOT her husband.

 

Lacey is not good at embracing the unknown or being spontaneous. She likes everything planned down to the finest detail. Her mother is very overbearing and Lacey seems to always fall in line behind her and not go after what SHE wants. Her mother is also a pro at blame shifting and I hated that Lacey tended to make excuses for not just her mom, but for her pathetic relationship with Marty too. Galen is 100% right: she really did dodge a bullet with Marty. Lacey has so much to experience sexually and Galen wants to be the one to show her.

 

Their relationship is so much fun. I loved watching Galen slowly remove the stick Lacey had up her ass and show her what it was like to be free. It took a bit to get her to loosen up and enjoy herself, as she has so many things on her mind- worrying about keeping the merger for her father's company, dealing with her mother, and fighting her attraction to Galen when she's still technically a married woman. I thought she was crazy. The moment I would have walked in on my new husband screwing the hell out of someone else, I wouldn't have given a rat's ass if I were married or not. I'd be on my best friend's single, sexy older brother in a heartbeat!

 

Lacey and Galen's trip to Puerto Rico definitely changes everything for them both. Galen sees firsthand the depth of Lacey's feelings for him and how much she believes in him by keeping up with all of his fights and Lacey is exposed to so many situations that are beyond her control and that exposure is what slowly leads to setting her free. Yet, it's easy for Lacey to embrace her new freedom when there are no external factors hammering down on her.

 

This is a super short read and while that doesn't hinder the plot, I did feel the length affected the ending, as I felt there wasn't quite enough build up there. I am very excited to read the next book in the Dare Me series, as it is Cat's novel and is a falling in love with the brother's best friend story!

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Thanks for joining us for another Brazen feature this week! Come back next week as we get Blissed with Her Summer with the Marine by Susan Meier!