Description:
Suzy Denton seems to have it all together. She loves her job as an event’s planner for Danvers International, and she loves her high school sweetheart and fiance Jeff. Fast forward a month and it’s all gone to hell in a hand-basket. She finds out Jeff’s dentist has been doing more than drilling his teeth, and Danvers is in the process of merging with Mericom creating the largest communications company in the US and also bringing Gray Merimon, the CEO of Mericom into her life.
Gray pursues her from almost their first meeting. Even though he looks like sex on a stick, Suzy is afraid of being hurt again, and she thinks Gray is just another stuffed shirt looking for a relationship. When he calls her bluff, Suzy agrees to one night of sex, hoping that he will be terrible in bed and she can finally get him out of her system.
When circumstances throw them together for more than one night, can Gray convince Suzy that two complete opposites can be a perfect fit?
Not Planning on You is a great addition to the Danver’s series by Sydney Landon. I’ll admit I fell in love with Suzy (our heroine) in the first book in this series, Weekend’s Required. While I’m not the snappy dresser Suzy is, I’m pretty outspoken and I love how she just tells it like it is. What is 
fascinating is how the interest of a man who she thinks she has nothing in common leaves her perplexed. Nothing I like better than when someone with such confidence gets thrown for a loop.
Suzy and Grayson (Gray) meet briefly in book one. The attraction and sparks fly immediately and on the surface these two seem like such a mismatched pair. Over a year Gray and pursued Suzy but she has refused his advances. She challenges him to become her “sex buddy” and is surprised that the “button down stuffed shirt” says yes. However, an accident, a hospital stay, and some rehabilitation time changes things pretty drastically. The very independent Suzy is now dependent on Gray, his brother Nick, and her sister Beth.
What I love about this story is that even though these two characters throw off enough sparks to light up a small town, because of the accident they have to put their sex lives on hold. This really forces them to slow down and learn a lot about each other and in reality; they find they have way more in common than they thought and that they genuinely like each other.
Just when things start to really heat up between the two of them, Gray’s stalking ex-girlfriend makes an announcement that throws everyone for a loop. I’ll admit there were a few times in this story that I was truly worried the happily ever after I was hoping for wasn’t going to happen. Even though the story was about Suzy and Gray, I really enjoyed the interplay between all the other characters in this book. I especially loved Gray’s parents and their words of wisdom. Not Counting on You is not your typical romance. There are a lot of layers and emotion to this short story in addition to a great cast of characters. While Sydney may be a fairly new author, I think you’ll find she has quite a way with words and I hope you’ll enjoy her works as much as I have.
4.5 Stars
8 comments
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Lisa G
July 8, 2012 at 7:12 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Great review. This is a new author for me. I’ll have to get book one. New series, YAY
Lori Meehan
July 8, 2012 at 7:57 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
this sounds like a good story. I’m going to look up the first in the series now. Thanks for the review.
Slick
July 8, 2012 at 10:23 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Lori, the first book is Weekends Required. Here’s the link to the review. I hope you enjoy these as much as I did!
http://www.guiltypleasuresbookreviews.com/2012/07/review-weekends-required-danvers-1-by-sydney-landon.html
Slick
July 8, 2012 at 10:22 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I appreciate you stopping in and commenting. Sydney is a fantastic new author with lots of promise, I love reading and promoting self published authors. Have a fantastic day!
Slick
GP reviewer
Tiana
July 8, 2012 at 4:08 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
A new author to put on my wish list. Thank you.
Timitra
July 8, 2012 at 6:06 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Thanks for the intro to this new to me author Slick!
Susan W.
July 8, 2012 at 8:20 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I haven’t heard of this author. Thanks for the review, Slick! I’ll be checking out book 1.
MaryC
July 8, 2012 at 8:49 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Sounds like a great follow-up to Weekends Required. Thanks for the review!