So Much More (The Chrome Series Book 1)

The closest story that Taryn Plendl has come to with So Much More is When Harry Met Sally, although it can give that classic chick-flick a good run for its money! It's just as fun and sassy with its own share of crazy scenes that make you laugh out loud while all by your lonesome.

I didn't expect the he-said-she-said POV of this book but it's one that works well for me, especially since I don't mind being to see into brains like these! Avery has such a special, snarky sense of humor that I enjoy. Blake is a sweetheart - a nutty, annoying playboy - but still a sweetheart. These two characters work so well together that I'm glad they were dreamt up!

Avery makes her living as a writer, and when she refuses to let Blake know what genre of books she writes, I have a sneaky suspicion as to what kind they are. How true this aspect can be: real life and fiction somehow blend for authors. While they create for the public, it may be their pen name is more known that their real one. And who's to say what is in a novel is fact or true fiction?

Blake is the typical handsome jock who has girls falling over themselves to get him. Not so strange that Avery is the first girl who he is just friends with, other women wouldn't have been platonic for so long.

This is one relationship that will last a long time, if it were in real life. It's richer and deeper if it's based on a strong friendship rather than basic physical attraction and Blake and Avery proved it on more than one occasion in this story.

So Much More is light, enjoyable read that flowed very quickly. In fact, it read so well that it was over before I expected. When is the next one, Taryn Plendl? I hope it's about Sean and Morgan!

While I wrote fictional stories and had even gotten them published. Working to make a living by writing sexually explicit romance had me earning a good living. Though the real thing had eluded me I felt I'd one day find a man to do all I wrote and more...so much more.
So hanging out with our new friends Sean and Blake who happened to co-own the hot new bar in town was another story . Speaking of stories Blake decided to check out what I wrote about. Being surprised was only the beginning of some wonderful discoveries. Just when we thought we knew each other well......not so much!

Sometimes guys are friends, right? Well it’s good in theory and I’m sure there are those brother/sister type relationships out there but I bet if truth be told it’s normally very difficult to be attracted to someone and be only their friend.

Avery is freaking hillarous!!!! LOVE LOVE LOVE her sense of humor:

Excerpt:
…Holy hell, this wasn’t a gym! It was a freaking meat market! The same girls in the sports bras that I’d watched walk past my car had multiplied into a rainbow of sports bras and black spandex covering just about every surface of the room. Loud music rattled off the walls as two guys for every girl strutted around, spreading their testosterone-soaked pheromones. Some of them were bouncing around on the balls of their feet, swinging their arms back and forth in what I could only assume was some kind of gym mating dance to attract the females. The smell was that of musky gym shorts and made me shiver as I was temporarily transported back to the days of high school gym class. Not a place any of us needed to revisit.
“Good Lord, Avery, you act like you’ve never been in a gym before. Don’t look like I just kicked your puppy.” Morgan continued to pull me toward a room at the other side of the gym.
…….
“Aaahhhh!” A loud, deep male voice bellowed right next to me, causing me to jump back, nearly falling flat on my butt.
“For the love of all that’s holy! Why in the hell is he yelling?”

Avery is quirky and funny and such a smartass. She just happens to meet Blake at the gym, he helps her out of a tight situation and he is best friends with the guy Morgan (her BFF) likes, Sean. The two of them own the hot new bar, Chrome, together. Even though Avery is seriously sore from her gym experience Morgan talks her into hitting this club since she has VIP access, via Sean. Of course they run into Blake & Sean and have a wonderful time and really funny, quirky conversations. Blake likes her personality and sense of humor - it’s refreshing to talk to someone that isn’t so serious and can joke and make fun of themselves. They are instantly friends. It just sorta happens that they are put into immediate friend zone. Will it change? Will one or the other begin to have feelings?

Blake & Avery hang out all the time. They have Wednesday night hang out sessions. With her being an Author and up all hours of the night and Blake up till the wee hours, they often talk in the middle of the night. On top of everything, Morgan is off on a business trip and unavailable a lot of the time. She turns to Blake as her stand in BFF. She talks to him about the guy she’s dating and he discusses his sex life with the girls he’s…..well….having sex with. He’s not much of a relationship guy. Will his relationship with Avery make him have different thoughts about his future? Is he tired of just sex and one night stands? If so, how can he move on?

Blake is such a genuinely nice guy you can’t help but love him. Avery is so funny and has such a great personality I found myself sad when the book ended! I could have read more of them for a lot longer. I love Taryn Plendl’s writing!! She weaves the funny, the sad, the smartass’ness and most of all the heart into all the characters. This is a quick easy and fantastic read - Highly Recommend!!!!

This book had me laughing out loud at Avery, yelling at Blake for not always thinking clearly and hoping that everything will work out for all in the end!!!
Avery is a little spit-fire, who just happens to be a published book writer of romance with steamy sex scenes. (Too bad her real life is not like her books) Avery has a great sense of humor; she is able to crack a joke in any instance and definitely says what she means without hesitation. Blake loves this about her.
Blake is a self-proclaimed playboy that has no interest in a relationship. He is happy with one night stands and never talking to them again. The connection he forms with Avery is a new territory for him, and it was a great journey to watch.
After their initial awkward encounter at the gym, they meet up again when Morgan (Avery's best friend) is invited to go to Sean’s club Chrome to hang out. Avery had no idea that Sean and Blake were best friends, or that they were the owners of this club. This chance encounter began a wonderful friendship between Avery and Blake.
I absolutely loved the characters of this book. Avery was a riot, she might have been little, but she definitely knew how to get her point across. Blake was a great guy, gorgeous and nice, what more could you ask for. The friendship that they develop is amazing and so much fun to watch develop throughout the book.
The fact that she was a writer of sexy romance books was just a bonus, especially when Blake finally read one. The fact that it caused fear in his ability to measure up to the men in her book, definitely made me laugh out loud!!! I loved that the author actually had Blake read her book to learn more, because I believe in life if more men would read these books they might learn a little. J Thank you for an amazing read and I can’t wait to see what you have coming out next for the Chrome series.

Avery is a successful romance novel writer, but she is lacking actual romance in her life. Her friend Morgan convinces her to join a gym where they meet and become friends with Blake and Sean who own a bar. Avery and Blake become fast friends and begin spending a lot of time with one another. They continue to date other people, but as their friendship becomes more important to both of them than their other relationships they realize that they may need to take things to the next level.

This is a pretty quick read, partially because I didn't put it down once I started. Avery is a great character. She's awkward, funny, and self-depricating, but not in a way that takes away from her self confidence. Blake is pretty great. Even during his days of sleeping around, he does it in a way that won't affect his co-workers, and will not be deceptive to the other people involved. He is extremely loyal to his friends, and his intentions seem to always be good. If you are in the mood for a friends to lovers story with engaging characters, this is a good choice. I look forward to reading more by this author in the future.

This is a fabulous book and the characters are so funny and real. Avery, the romance author, and Blake the bar owner are best friends. They spend time together whenever possible. He doesn't have any relationship plans when he brings home his chickies, one and done. She does the dating thing, totally at different ends of the spectrum. But, they can't shake the growing feelings between them and soon both are single and in each other's arms. A lovely story.

This book contains two of my all time favorite plotlines: opposites attracting and friends that turn into lovers. Taryn Plendl managed to combine both of these elements into one great book that is also sexy, fun and an outright fantastic read. I loved the two main characters- of Avery and Blake. One is a head in the clouds, adorable, and quirky romance novelist while the other is a hunk of walking man love. Avery and Blake meet and bond over a very awkward situation that cements their friendship. This friendship has great sexual chemistry that eventually leads to so much more. These characters were well written as was the entire story. This is a shorter read but does not suffer for it. If you enjoy love, laughter, sexual sparks, a hot lead character then you need to read SO MUCH MORE.
4.5 out of 5 stars

Loved the way Avery and Blake's relationship evolved. They started just being friends w/out even being attracted to eachother until later on after getting to know eachother more. Love the protectiveness that Blake has over Avery when she's at his bar by herself. Avery herself is funny and sarcastic which makes her even more funnier. The chemistry on both Avery and Blake is something that started off just being friends then later on realizing that they are falling inlove with eachother w/out even realizing it :).

So Much More is a hilarious but touching read, as it is a contemporary romance that a lot of people can relate to, as it is the perfect start to a life time of true romance. These were the basics of a true romance according to Taryn's story,

1 You meet someone and you really like them.
2 You start meeting up once a week to just kick back like friends do and maybe watch a movie, so you have something to look forward to!
3 You start feeling things, and as you continue on your friendship route you may still be dating other people, but somehow everyone you are with comes up lacking in one way or another.
4 You find yourself reaching out to that person before reaching out to even your very best friends.
5 and last but not least you may feel devastated when they are not in your life any more, when something happens.
6 Your friends on both sides give you what you think is unwanted advice when they tell you to get your head out of the clouds and look around- you are a mess!
7 YOU ARE IN LOVE AND THE LAST ONE TO KNOW IT!!!!

This book had really great dialog and Avery comes across as sarcastic and hilarious at some of the things she says, but inside is a heart of gold, and her new friend Blake is the same way. After months of looking forward to every wednesday, things happen. Blake realizes his life without Avery in it is no life at all, and Sean, his best friend since he was a little boy, is quick to point out to Blake that he is in love and everyone but Blake knows it! The same hold true for Avery, when her best friend Morgan marches into her house one afternoon and tells Avery her pity party is over she needs to get out and start living.

The plot is good and the book is well written, it is funny, touching, and romance at it's best! Also the dialog between all of the characters is really good, and as you read this book, you actually feel like you are there! You know it is a great book when you can forget everything around you and just keep reading, to see how things end up. This story also had a really good cast of minor characters that I would love to see in future books. I really hope to see more by Taryn Plendl in the near future!

I gave this book a rating of 5***** Stars!

"So Much More (Chrome Series #1)" by Taryn Plendl
5 out of 5 stars (and then some)

Picture this...it's late and the husband is asleep. I can't sleep and I decide to start a new book. I'm trying to hold my Nook in such a way that the light doesn't wake him up (because I know he'll fuss that I'm reading instead of sleeping). I start the book and immediately have to put a hand over my mouth because it is ridiculously funny. Now I'm hooked into a book that I'm desperately trying not to laugh with (or else I'll wake the hubs), hold my Nook with one hand (since the other is over my mouth), and quaking in delight so much that I almost fell out of the bed (on more than one occasion)! That was my experience with "So Much More" by Taryn Plendl!

Avery is maybe one of the funniest female leads I've read in a long time. She's smart and possesses a razor sharp wit that knows no bounds. She never takes herself too seriously and has no problems aiming her humor at herself. I loved how willing she was to try new things even when she knew she was probably going to hate the experience. Avery is someone I could easily see myself hanging out with and having an insanely good time. She is a welcome breath of fresh air in a world over-saturated with damsels in distress.

Blake is a guy worth investing in. He loves Avery's humor and appreciates her in a way that has you falling head over heals for him. He's good looking but isn't in your face about it and never arrogant. He's playful and protective and values the friendship he has with Avery above all else. Blake is the perfect match for Avery in the wit department and their banter is light and infectious.

I LOVED the slow build in their relationship that Plendl uses. While they definitely have chemistry from the start it was really cool seeing the friendship develop first. It creates a solid foundation for them and allows the flames of attraction to be stoked into a raging inferno. This is a couple worth your time and investment.

Plendl's style is so easy to read. I flew through the book in one setting (shh, don't tell my husband) and I can't wait to get my hands on the next book! While I love a good drama, what Plendl has done is create a story oozing with humor and wry wit that keeps you on your toes and clenching your stomach with laughter. If I could give her more stars I wouldn't hesitate! This one is a must buy!!

*I was given a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*

Shannon, My Secret Book Spot

Loved Blake and Avery! From the beginning Avery had me laughing out loud. The gym scene was hysterical. Blake is just a good guy that any would want as their best friend.
You can feel their friendship grow into love.
Cant wait for Madison, Sean, and Tony's books.