Just One Taste - Carly Phillips

Just One Taste

By Carly Phillips

  • Release Date: 2022-11-29
  • Genre: Contemporary Romance
Score: 4.5
4.5
From 322 Ratings

Description

One grumpy billionaire.

One sassy-sweet supermodel.

Add in a tropical private island paradise.

What could go wrong?

As owner and CEO of Dirty Dare Spirits, thirty-three year old, Asher Dare has it all. Money. Power. Women whenever he wants. A private island retreat when he doesn’t. People he trusts? He can count those on one hand. When one of his best friends asks a favor—hide his twenty-one year old, supermodel sister, on the island until a scandal blows over—Asher can’t say no. But he doesn’t have to like it.

Model Nicolette Bettencourt always acts with decorum. Yet through no fault of her own, scandal seems to follow her every move. When damaging photos surface, the uproar puts her family business at risk. And forces her into hiding with Asher, the hottest—and grumpiest—billionaire she’s ever met.

Under soothing tropical breezes, Asher discovers that Nicolette is nothing like the spoiled brat portrayed in the tabloids. She’s warm, sexy, and a temptation Asher must resist at all costs—or he risks betraying his closest friend, bringing a powerful political dynasty to its knees… and losing the woman he loves.

Reviews

  • Sweet, sexy fun read!

    5
    By Amy L momma
    Nikki and Asher are on an island escaping Nikki’s drama. Asher has seen her drama on occasion, since her brother is his best friend. He wants to stay clear of her because of her brother being his best friend, but also because of their age difference. But things happen, brothers and ages do not matter and they find their way to a HEA! I love Carly’s books. She blends sexy and sweet all into one amazing story!. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
  • Just One Taste

    5
    By Jen G F
    A*R*C for honest review with no compensation Received from BookSprout Just One Taste is book 7 in the Kingston Family series by Carly Phillips and wow this series just keeps getting better! When Asher is asked by his best friend, Derek to look after his sister, Nicolette when some unsavory photos show up on social media that send her into a tailspin but Asher knows he can’t say no to helping.. What happens when these to fly to Asher’s private island..age gap romance, hot steamy scenes, resist temptation or not, tears, laughter and so much more…
  • Asher ❤️ Nikki

    5
    By Newberryd
    Asher agrees to help his best friend Derek’s sister Nikki. She needed to get out of town for a while to hide from a public scandal. What he doesn’t realize is how he would feel after getting to know her. Nikki is grateful that Asher helped her get out of town, but is getting mixed messages from him. Their connection and chemistry are intense, but neither one is brave enough to reveal their true feelings. Asher brings out a strength in Nikki she wasn’t sure she would have again. Nikki brings out a fun side of Asher that he seemed to have lost. They complement each other’s personality in a supportive and positive way.
  • Just one Taste

    5
    By GG's books
    Awesome book, just like all the books in this series! Carly Phillips is the Beast author!
  • There’s just something about Asher Dare…

    5
    By Cheryl SDS
    This is book 7 in the Kingston Family series and it features Asher Dare and Nicolette “Nikki”Bettencourt. This poor girl can’t ever catch a break and she’s nothing but a kind person. A beautiful, mature, 21 year old woman with an old soul. It doesn’t take long for Asher to see all of this in her but her brother is a good friend of his. Can he cross that line if it’s love? Fantastic story line but the characters stole the show! Asher and Nikki are amazing characters and totally deserve to share a life together. The mystery was intriguing but the end result wasn’t really a surprise. I would read it all over, just to watch their romance bloom again. I love all the Dare’s but there’s something special about Asher.
  • Super hot couple

    5
    By Cheryl33610
    I've been waiting for Asher to have his story told, and I couldn't love it more. The man who has been diligent in caring for his younger siblings has been asked by his best friend to take care of his own younger sister. A very attractive, slightly sad and lonely...but with many hidden depths...12 years younger woman. Nikki needs a place to hide from the press after an invasion of privacy forces her from the city. While she doesn't really know Asher, she can absolutely recognize an attractive and interesting man when she sees one. But his mixed signals do nothing to bolster her confidence or assuage her loneliness while at his island home. But they are exactly what each other needs. Nikki needs someone besides brother Derek to have her back and to be both her friend, and more. And Asher needs this shot of adrenaline he feels when he's with Nikki to jump start a generous but guarded heart. While ignoring the age difference and the fact that he's Derek's best friend. I know I probably say it after every book in this series...but this is my favorite couple. I liked the relative absence of drama between the two themselves as the focus was the drama surrounding Nikki. Not that their own doubts and actions meant everything was smooth sailing...because how much fun would that be for the reader! Obviously, I'm now waiting for the next Kingston to get their HEA, but I'm also going to enjoy the joy that Just One Taste has brought to my book collection.
  • Fantastic story!!!!

    5
    By Mslizalou
    Just One Taste is one of the best books I've ever read by Carly Phillips. I love the older brother’s best friend troupe, and Asher’s and Nikki’s story was done perfectly. Nikki Bettencourt wakes to discover someone has posted nude photos of her all over the internet. Even scarier than the photos alone, is the fact they were somehow taken in her bedroom. Her older brother Derek is ready to do everything possible to find out who and how the photos were taken. He enlists his friend Asher Dare to take Nikki to his private island to stay out of view until the press dies down a bit. Asher Dare has no desire whatsoever to take Nikki to the island, but owes Derek one, so he agrees. I absolutely loved that Asher was attracted to Nikki from the moment she arrived at the airport. He was such a perfectly grumpy hero trying to fight the attraction to one of his best friend’s little sister. No going to lie, I laughed out loud at his display of jealousy even as he tried to keep Nikki at arms length. Nikki is such a sweet woman. She sadly has only ever been able to count on her brother for family support, and has needed to be careful when trusting friends. Her parents are absolutely both horrible people as well as horrible parents. Nikki has never really had their support in anything, and they only ever thought of themselves. Once Asher let himself stop fighting his attraction I felt like they truly became not only lovers, but best friends. I loved they each opened up about their pasts, and were very protective of one another. They also couldn’t keep their hands off each other, and their chemistry was off the charts HOT!!!! Loved them as a couple so very much!!!! Nikki showed how strong she really was as she learned who was behind the photos, and how they had been taken. I loved that Asher believed in her, and her ability to handle the situation in the manner that she wanted. Asher had a few of his own issues to work through with his past. All the Dare children have some issues because of their biological mother abandoning them. As Asher was the oldest, he has always kept things bottled up, and it was so good to see him finally voice some of his feeling from the past with his dad. Just One Taste was a fantastic romance that takes the reader on an emotional roller coaster ride. I found myself sighing, laughing out loud, and crying both angry and happy tears. I loved every minute of this story and can’t wait to spend more time with these characters in future books. Rating: 5 Stars (A+) Review copy provided by publisher
  • Loved Nikki and Asher

    5
    By Nola.passionista504
    Just One Taste is the 7th book in The Kingston Family Series, and it’s the 3rd book in the Dirty Dares Series, but can read as a stand alone. This is a great age gap, grumpy/sunshine, forced proximity, opposites attract, best friends brother romance, with the touch of spice we all need in our lives. Nikki is a sassy, sweet, and misunderstood supermodel who is always being followed by scandal, and has to escape due to a privacy breach by the media. She doesn’t have the greatest family life, except for her brother who would move the earth for her. Asher Is a true alpha. He’s grumpy, Rich, bachelor, who gets what he wants when he wants. But he leads a lonely life, not ever being able to fully trust people. He’s put in a precarious position of lust, and temptation when he helps Nikki escape. They have this push pull, and chemistry but he stays away because of her brother, their age gap and his preconceived notions of her. As they got to know each other they let their walls down, get past the drama, slight angst, and his struggling feelings of falling in love, and we have a heartwarming and sweet romance. Great Read.
  • Take a Chance!!

    5
    By Evergreenbrdx
    After photos of Nikki’s show up in a tabloid her brother Derek asked Asher Dare if his sister could escape to his island for a bit. Asher is reluctant but will help out his friend. I loved how they supported and believed in each other once Asher got over the age difference. They were just what each other needed!
  • The best in each other!

    5
    By 12toot
    I really enjoyed reading Nikki and Asher’s story. It’s not always easy reading an age gap situation but Ms Phillips makes it work. They both had difficult childhoods. Asher never really dealt with his mother’s mental illness or her suicide and Nikki has never dealt with her mother’s coldness and overbearing attitude. When a situation forces them to live together, they find that they have a lot in common and it brings out the best of each other. This was an easy read and was over way too quickly.