In the Spotlight: Thursday Nights by Lisa N. Paul

Thursday Night by Lisa N. Paul is a part of a series, but can be read as a stand-alone.  Each book in the series will be about another couple and Storm Front (The Charistown Series, Book #2) is due to be released in January 2014. 

Author: Lisa N. Paul

Title: Thursday Nights

Series and Book#: The Charistown Series – Book #1

Genre: Contemporary Erotic Romance

Released: May 6, 2013

“Pain can leave even the strongest of people weak and hollow

Max DeLucca has spent seven years trying to forget the betrayal of his past.

He lives his life from day to day never looking forward and never looking back.

The walls around his heart keep anyone from getting too close and prevent him from feeling too much… until he meets her.

Her entire life, Janie Silver searched for the kind of love that wouldn’t leave her broken and more importantly, wouldn't leave her behind. She longs for a love that can heal the wounds of her past and give her the future she knows she deserves.

She thought she was looking for something that just didn’t exist…until she meets him.

Danny’s on Main is where their story begins.

A neighborhood bar where strangers become friends, friends become family

and some … become lovers

… it all started on Thursday Nights”

Watch the book trailer here

“So, your place or mine?” Janie asked nervously as they left the parking lot. The butterflies in her stomach were starting a revolution as she took in the sexy profile of the man sitting to her left with one hand on the wheel and the other on her thigh. Was she really doing this? Not to mention, doing it with Max DeLucca? 

Removing his hand from her leg, Max placed both hands on the steering wheel of his black Ferrari Spider. Janie held in the whimper that threatened to escape from the loss of his touch. 

Max pulled over to the side of the road, and she felt the butterflies once again trying to take flight. Why was he stopping? Had he changed his mind? “Janie,” he said, his voice strong but calm. 

“Janie, look at me. I need to see your eyes.” She looked into his grassy-green orbs. Callused fingers stroked her jaw, sending shivers through her body. “I won’t hurt you. Your body is safe with me. Do you understand?” 

She wasn’t sure she did, but she nodded silently, the innocent, doe-eyed look on her face bringing out his every possessive instinct. “Words Janie, I need words,” Max demanded. 

“I think I understand, Max.” She couldn’t help the breathless tone in her voice. “But what is this about?” 

He inhaled, holding the air in his lungs for an extra second before letting it go, his eyes smoldering while his body still held the relaxed pose that had become so familiar to her. She could hear her own heart beating, and she could also hear it stop when the next statement left Max’s lips. “I intend to fuck you tonight, Janie. 

I intend to fuck you very well. I am going to make you come in every way imaginable. With my fingers, my tongue, and my cock. I am going to do things to you that you and Lyla have only teased about at Danny’s, things that you have fantasized about, and things that have never even crossed your mind. You will have a say in whether or not we stop, but Janie, you will not have a say on whether it is your place or mine. Got it?” 

She stared at Max her mouth formed an O. She was thoroughly and truly speechless. So she nodded again. 

“Words, Janie. I need words.” 

“Ok,” Her heartbeat started speeding up again as Max’s car did the same.

Thursday Night brings together a collection of people who are probably best described as individually dysfunctional, but collectively a family that works. With each other they have found a sense of belonging and value they have not had with their biological families, or previously in their lives. I'm a firm believe that often our closest 'family' can be those that aren't actually related to us, so I really liked this element of the story.

There is so much potential for further stories about all of the characters - Lyla and Gage, Ashley and Ryan, Kyle, even Danny and Julie and I'm invested enough in all of them to be hoping that Lisa N. Paul does write them all a book! While there were many characters to love, Thursday Night was primarily about Janie and Max and "sex with friends".

Janie has had a succession of poor choice relationships leaving her questioning her worth and whether she will ever find a good man who will love and cherish her. Her self worth is low, although she masks it with humour and sass. Her friendship with Lyla - her sister in every sense of the word but the actual family relationship - gives her some confidence and the encouragement she needs to try and be stronger. Max is a man with a shattered heart. Brutally betrayed by his wife he has closed off the thought of ever having a relationship again.

The two form a friendship when Janie and Lyla start hanging out at the bar Max works at every Thursday night, Danny’s on Main. The friendship between them is strong and part of the extended group that comes together for 'family' dinner every Sunday night. It's not until the fateful night that Lyla utters the words "sex with friends" that Janie and Max dare to acknowledge their attraction to each other and take things to the next level.

Let me tell you there are some steamy, steamy sex scenes in Thursday Night. Janie and Max share a couple of intense encounters and what they feel for each other, beyond the physical is very evident. Despite their attraction, what follows for them is a series of heartaches as they seek to come to terms with their past, their present and the feelings they have for each other.

I got really caught up in this story, hoping for a particular outcome but never really convinced it would come to fruition. Max's relationship history had significant consequences for him and he struggled to move forward, too scared to risk trusting a woman again. Janie was fighting hard to develop a sense of self worth and to believe she was worthy of 'more'. As the two grappled with their feelings Janie managed to find a strength she didn't realise she possessed, the courage to finally stand on her own resulting in some very difficult choices to be made. Watching the struggle play out was like watching two of my dearest friends and it was wonderful that there was this group of people around them both, helping, supporting and being there as they resolved what their relationship would be.

Lisa N. Paul has an engaging writing style that formed a strong connection between me and all of the characters in her story. I will be recommending Thursday Night widely and definitely watching for the release of her next book, Storm Front.

4 out of 5 stars

Lisa N. Paul is a wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend, reader, writer, blogger, and self-proclaimed comedian—just not always in that order. Ever since she was a little girl, she has devoured books. Falling in love with the Sweet Valley High series at a young age drew Lisa to series books and inspired her to write her own. Thursday Nights is the first book in her Charistown series.

When not writing, Lisa can be found eating french fries and Godiva raspberry truffles, or hanging out with her husband and two sons.

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Watch for Storm Front (Charistown Series #2)

The Darker the Storm, The Deeper the Pain…

Love knows no bounds when two people are destined to be together. One fights to maintain the distance; while the other battles to close the gap.

The Brighter the Light at the End…

Will they move forward together or finally close the last remaining door to their past?

It’s time for Ryan and Ashley to decide. But once that decision is made, there will be no going back…

Always Reach for the Light…

A Neighborhood bar where old wounds heal, friends become family, and some…become lovers…

Danny’s on Main is where their story continues… Where they all shelter each other during the …

Storm Front