Book Review: Blush by Helen Hardt

Get ready for fast-paced, sexy, and fun in the latest release from Helen Hardt. Blush, the first book in the Black Rose series, is now live!

Blush (Black Rose #1) by Helen Hardt

What he wants from you will make you…Blush

Amanda Thomas is hopelessly in love with Jackson Paris, but he will never see her as anything more than his sweet and innocent bestie. After being virgin-adjacent for too long, Mandy is officially ready to move on. She wants to learn about hot, dirty sex, so she joins an online dating app where the enigmatic Mr. Dark promises to fulfill all of her wicked fantasies...

Jackson Paris has been keeping secrets from his stunning, too-innocent best friend—like forbidden sexual proclivities and his membership at the exclusive Black Rose Underground club. But Mandy has decided she needs an education—the filthy kind. As Mr. Dark, Jackson can safely give her a taste of what she wants—and deter her from pursuing more—without revealing his identity.

But in the dim, provocative atmosphere of Black Rose Underground, there are no secrets. Here, every wicked appetite is satisfied. And for the first time, Mandy will discover who her best friend really is...just in time to shock him with a secret of her own.

3.5 out of 5 stars

Blush was a super entertaining and spicy read! It was quick and easy with likable characters, fun scenes, and smoking hot heat. It made for a great friends-to-lovers story that I enjoyed it!

This is one of those stories that's not very deep so you don't have to think too hard about it, you get just what you need to keep it moving along and you can immerse yourself in the entertainment of it all. I liked learning about Jackson and Mandy, their friendship, his lifestyle, her unrequited feelings for him, and how innocent he thought she was. When she tries to put herself out there and move on from her feelings, he’s not having it and the back and forth between them begins. I liked her figuring out who she is and what she wants, and that she's not as innocent as she seems. The push and pull between them was great at the beginning but by the end, it was a bit much and I was ready for them to figure things out.

The story moved along nicely, I liked the dual POVs and learning about them, though some things were slightly repetitive. There are several characters introduced that I liked but sometimes they seemed like filler. I never warmed to her sister and their relationship, I felt I was missing something and wanted a bit more context.

This was sexy and fun. It was a really good story if you're looking for something easy and steamy.

Complimentary copy received from Entangled Publishing.