It looks like we’re adding another rule to the list:
Don’t let anyone find out the truth.
Influenced, an all-new addictive new adult romantic comedy from USA Today bestselling author Kelsey Clayton, is available now!
From USA Today bestselling author Kelsey Clayton comes an addictive, laugh out loud romcom that will have you falling in love with more than just the main characters.
Welcome to the Swype House,
where the secrets are bigger than the…
The rules are simple:
Fake it for the cameras.
Do it for the views.
Don’t kill each other.
It felt like an easy yes when I was invited to change my bio from, “Kaia Blakely, college student,” to “Kaia Blakely, newest influencer at the Swype House.”
Then I met Declan Royce. His profile highlights his looks and his humor, but it ought to read, “Owner of an ego so large, it was given its own zip code.”
Suddenly, not killing each other feels like an impossible task.
So yes, it was death threats we were whispering in the background of that viral video, not sweet nothings. So no, there’s zero reason to keep the #Kailan hashtag trending.
Except that it’s our job. So it looks like we’re adding another rule to the list:
Don’t let anyone find out the truth.
Grab your copy today or read FREE in Kindle Unlimited!
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3wcKV4n
Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/InfluencedKC
Add to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3LFI61L
Excerpt
“You’re going to love this place,” Lux tells me. “And just a heads up, they don’t card. So order whatever you want.”
“Good to know.”
I look over the menu, listening to Maisee tell me which cocktails are her favorite and which one she avoids, like the margaritas. Apparently, when you’ve had seven of them, you tend to lose the ability to make good choices. I decide on some rum drink that looks like it has more juice than alcohol, and Lux says she’s going to have the same.
Except, Declan seems to have other plans.
He smiles up at the waitress in a way that makes her blush as he orders.
“I’ll take a rum and coke, babe,” he tells her. “And a Shirley Temple for the kid over there. She’s underage.”
Lux’s jaw drops as I exhale in disbelief. He looks smug as he rests his arm on the back of Oakley’s chair. I don’t know what the fuck his problem is, but if he could remove the stick from his ass, that would be great.
Beau pinches his nose and shakes his head while Lux orders her Rum Breeze.
“I’ll actually take the same,” Havoc says.
While everyone looks at him like he’s lost his mind, Mayhem snorts. “Do you want a flower for your hair, too, princess?”
“I might,” he claps back. “Depends on the color. Don’t try giving me that cheap dandelion shit either. Those fuckers are weeds. I want a real hibiscus.”
The waitress giggles as she walks away to get our drinks. Once she’s gone, everyone’s attention is on Declan.
“You’re such a dick, Dex,” Lux tells him.
Nate hums. “We don’t call him Dicklan for nothing.”
Even Beau gives Declan a look. “Not cool, man. I don’t know what’s gotten into you, but just leave Kaia alone. She hasn’t done anything to you.”
He scoffs and rolls his eyes but doesn’t argue further. “Whatever. I’m going to the bathroom.”
The moment he saunters off, Maisee smiles at Oakley. “I love you, but I don’t know how you deal with him.”
My brows furrow. With the way things have gone the last twenty-four hours, I never thought for a second that those two were dating. Especially after he just openly flirted with the waitress.
Oakley glances back at where Declan just disappeared and sighs. “I don’t know what’s gotten into him lately. I’m sorry, Kaia.”
“Don’t be,” I tell her. “You did nothing wrong.”
The table goes quiet for a moment, before Nate and Lux get into a debate on whether or not veganism is an extreme like the women use their placenta as a skincare treatment after birth. Some of us get involved in the conversation, while others, like me, just listen and laugh.
“All I’m saying is there are a lot crazier people out there than those who just don’t want to jerk off a cow for a drink,” Nate argues.
Lux has to fight to keep from laughing. “That’s not at all how that works.”
He looks her up and down. “Oh yeah? Then please, explain to me how you milk a cow, Miss Beverly Hills.”
Her eyes narrow on him but then she’s given the perfect out when the waitress comes back with our drinks. Everyone gets their beer, wine, and cocktails, while I get stuck with a Shirley Temple.
Thank you, Dicklan.
At least she put a few extra cherries in it.
She takes our food orders, with Oakley ordering Declan’s meal for him since he still isn’t back yet, and then she leaves to go put them in.
“Well, cheers,” I say sarcastically, holding up my toddler drink.
Everyone chuckles until Havoc reaches across the table and switches out his Rum Breeze with my soda. That makes us all go silent, staring at him like he’s grown a second head.
“What?” he questions.
Lux smiles. “Aw. The tin man does have a heart.”
“That’s not all I have,” he teases. “Come sit on my lap, Luxie. I’ll show you.”
The grin drops right off her face. “And now you ruined it.”
Laughter bubbles out of us all while I grab my new drink. “Thanks, Havoc. Seriously.”
“It’s no problem.”
“What’s no problem?” Declan asks as he sits back down.
No one says a fucking word. We all stay perfectly still as he looks around, but when his eyes land on my drink, his brows furrow. He checks out what everyone else has until his eyes land on the Shirley Temple sitting in front of Havoc, and he glares at it.
“So,” Nate says loudly to change the subject, “did anyone else see Jessica’s new boob job? Jesus be a plastic surgeon who can fix that shit, because her nipples are crooked.”
Maisee sputters on her drink. “How did you see her nipples?”
“Because they’re poking through her bikini top in the photo! Those things could poke eyes out if they weren’t less straight than me.”
I look over at Beau to see him laughing while pressing on his temple. “The dinner conversations you guys insist on having. I swear.”
Review:
Declan and Kaia get off on the wrong foot, mainly due to his assumptions about her. He acts like a school boy with a crush, in some ways, and in others he is hard to like. Some of the things he says and does in the beginning make me wonder why she even gave him the time of day.
She is nervous and excited for the opportunity to live in Swype House, and Declan makes it almost unbearable for her. She hates that she finds him attractive but she refuses to act on anything. When one of the things he posts affects his career he asks he to help him fix what he broke.
I enjoyed meeting all of the characters in this book. Declan turned out to be a complex character and the misunderstanding they had about their relationship was hard to read. Communicate is key and when one comment upsets the other person in the ‘relationship’ things end. Both of them needed to learn the importance of saying what you mean.
I really enjoyed this book and can’t wait to find out what happens in the next book. I received an ARC and am leaving my honest, voluntary review.
Meet Kelsey
Kelsey Clayton is a USA Today bestselling author of Contemporary Romance novels. She lives in a small town in Delaware with her husband, two kids, and dog.
She is an avid reader of fall hard romance. She believes that books are the best escape you can find, and that if you feel a range of emotions while reading her stories - she succeeded. She loves writing and is only getting started on this life long journey.
Kelsey likes to keep things in her life simple. Her ideal night is one with sweatpants, a fluffy blanket, cheese fries, and wine. She holds her friends and family close to her heart and would do just about anything to make them happy.
Connect with Kelsey
Website: https://bit.ly/3DsOofS
Facebook: https://bit.ly/3EpVov3
Instagram: https://bit.ly/3lyBjLz
Twitter: https://bit.ly/3xTlhkk
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