Just This Once: A King Family Special Edition

— 4.5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 “You have to let someone in if you want them to know the real you. To love the woman you try to hide.” 📖 𝐩𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 329 pages 👤 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: Lena Hendrix 🏢 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫: published independently 📅 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞: 15 April 2024 What you can expect: — Adult Cotemporary Small Town Romance — First Person POV — Dual POV — Firefighter X Middle School Teacher — One Night Stand — She's His Boss's Daughter — Opposites Attract — Strangers-To-Lovers — Small Town Rivalry — Secret Relationship — He's *ahem* Pierced 𝐓𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: death of a parent (referenced, off-page), child abandonment, child neglect/abuse (suspected), and sexually explicit content. Just This Once is the first instalment in the King Family series by author Lena Hendrix. Emily is in need of a fresh start. When a part-time teaching position opens up in the small town of Outtatowner where her parents call home, it seemed like the perfect place to start over. When a Valentine's Day date ends in disaster and ends with an unexpected counter with a sexy stranger, Emily is feeling good and never expects to see Whip King again. She has only one rule when it comes to men. No firefighters. Especially not firefights that work for her father. When Emily discovers that Whip does exactly that... she hightails it out of there and never looks back. Months later when a medical emergency occurs in her classroom, the last person Emily expects to walk through the door acting hero is none other than Whip himself. Why are the hot-as-hell men always the ones that are forbidden? Emily can't go there again, and yet who could deny themselves the temptation and forbidden touches? Will Whip and Emily succumb to their undeniable chemistry and realise that 'just this once' will never be enough, or will their relationship burn to flames before they ever begin? I'm coming to very quickly realise that every single thing that author Lena Hendrix writes... I will not only read and love. I absolutely adored the Sullivan Family series and very quickly found myself hoping for a spin-off series featuring the Kings, and my god has my wish came through. Just This Once was an effortless read filled with a strong cast of characters and engaging interactions that made me unable to put the book down. I was well and truly a Sullivan girly until Whip King came into my life... and now I'm questioning my allegiance. I had an absolute blast seeing a snippet of the King/Sullivan feud from the other side of the dynamic, and I cannot wait to learn from in future instalments of the series. If Whip King is a walking red flag then red is suddenly my favourite colour. THIS MAN. Swoon. Whip's arrogant swagger and sinful smile had me swooning from beginning to end. This man knows how to seduce and I loved every single second of it. Most importantly, I loved to see the softer and more emotionally vulnerable side to his character that we hadn't otherwise been introduced to. This intimate insight enabled me as a reader to better connect with Whip emotionally outsight of the superficial characteristics, and I loved being able to watch him grow and learn as we further divulge into the plot. Whip is the entire package with the... piercing to match. My Google search results looked dodgy-as whilst I was trying to figure out what, exactly, his piercing was. I consider myself educated and my eyes have well and truly been opened. The development between Whip and Emily was so sweet and I love how Whip became the champion for their relationship whilst Emily addressed her own fears and insecurities. I appreciated the efforts put into his grovelling near the end of the story, and honestly I don't think there's a single fault that I can find in that man. Whip and Emily are utterly perfect for one another and getting to follow their journey was a true joy, and I cannot wait to see what these two get up to with their cameos in future books. Emily has carried her reputation as a "good girl" very close to her chest until she finally let go and allowed herself herself one forbidden night with a stranger. Too bad she quickly discovered the hot and mysterious stranger was a firefighter who worked for her father and should have been entirely off limits. Honestly, I can understand Emily's hesitation and split-decision panic. After a disastrous end to her previous relationship left her feeling raw and emotionally vulnerable, I can understand her reluctance in letting somebody new in. I loved Whip's overall tenderness and care towards Emily which helped soften her tough exterior and allow the 'true' Emily to shine through. Their chemistry was magnetizing and alluring, and I was constantly left in stitches as a result of their banter-filled interactions. Emily and Whip have to be two of the most bull-headed and stubborn characters that I've ever read... and yet it worked. Their communications skills were slippery at some moments and I at times found myself wishing that I had the ability to reach into the page and shake some sense into them. Thankfully Emily and Whip ultimately realised what really mattered was being together and put in the work to improve their communication skills. Emily's flaws and complexities as a character only made me adore her more. Her need to emotionally protect herself is innately human and cannot be faulted, and I was really proud of the work she put into her own development. I'm sorry Team Sullivan... it looks like I'm jumping ship to Team King. Just This Once is easily my favourite Lena Hendrix book yet, and I'm beyond excited for the future of this series!

I really enjoyed this book. Really well written. Likeable characters. An easy read to read quickly.

This was good, but I’m ever so slightly underwhelmed. I felt like there were a few plot holes and things that seemed like they could’ve been a big part of the story line and could’ve been told to the reader as they happened rather than finding out towards the end very suddenly and then it just being brushed under the rug. However I did enjoy the main point of contention being Whips dad and I enjoyed how they’ve set that up to be an ongoing plot point throughout the rest of the series maybe? Overall I enjoyed these two’s relationship. I think Emily and Whip were honestly pretty cute together I loved their meet cute and how they ended up together. Also the grovelling at the end from Whips part had me giddy it was so freaking’ cute! I also really enjoyed the small town setting and the side characters. I’m looking forward to reading the next books!

Welcome to Ottatowner! Where you have to decide if you’re Team Sullivan or Team King? 𝙽𝚘 𝚖𝚊𝚗 𝚜𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚊𝚗 𝚊𝚜𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚏𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚊𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚌 If you were to ask me when I first encountered Outtatowner, I would say I was firmly Team Sullivan, however I won’t lie and say that the Kings intrigued me. But now its safe to say I am now taking a leaf out of Sylvie and Duke’s book at 𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘮𝘭𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘥𝘥𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘎𝘳𝘶𝘥𝘨𝘦 [please don’t make me choose!!] 𝙸’𝚍 𝚋𝚞𝚛𝚗 𝚍𝚘𝚠𝚗 𝚖𝚢 𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚛𝚎 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚕𝚍 𝚓𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞 Whip and Emily are a love story for the modern world. A one night stand and a moment of freedom was never meant to turn into HEA. These two had instant connection and seeing them try and fight it was frustrating to witness but also equally delicious and when they gave into temptation 🥵🥵🥵 Emily sounds like my kinda teacher and her love for her students is just a joy! It was great to see her come out of her organised shell. But can we take a moment and talk about 𝗪𝗛𝗜𝗣 𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚 and his 𝑔𝓁𝒾𝓉𝓉𝑒𝓇 𝒹!𝒸𝓀 This man I swear. He had me 𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 and 𝘴𝘸𝘰𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 but had my heart breaking at the same time. HIs love a support of Emily was 𝙩𝙤𝙥 𝙩𝙞𝙚𝙧 but I am so glad that we got to see more to him that just his firefighting ways. This man can plan a big gesture and I was 𝓱𝓮𝓻𝓮 𝓯𝓸𝓻 𝓲𝓽! I cannot wait to see the rest of the King siblings and their stories unfold. I think they all deserve a HEA - even JP if he can be saved but his redemption ARC will need to be one for the ages. Let’s be honest, I think we can all agree Russel King should 𝙢𝙚𝙚𝙩 𝙖𝙣 𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙡𝙮 𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙨 𝙨𝙤𝙤𝙣 𝙖𝙨 𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙗𝙡𝙚! 𝙼𝚢 𝚜𝚘𝚞𝚕 𝚌𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚎𝚍 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚑𝚎𝚛, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙸 𝚠𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚊𝚕𝚠𝚊𝚢𝚜 𝚌𝚑𝚘𝚘𝚜𝚎 𝚑𝚎𝚛 Honourable mentions 🤍Prank wars 🤍The Bluebirds 🤍Valentines Day candy 🤍Royal & Able being the best kind of Big Bros 🤍The Sullivan girlies welcoming Emily into the fold If you love the below, you’ll love this book 🌼One night stand 🌼Small town 🌼Boss' daughter 🌼Forbidden romance 🌼Firefighter x middle school teacher 🌼Opposites attract

My review ⭐⭐⭐⭐ spice 🌶️🌶️🌶️ After reading the Sullivan books I couldn't wait to start the King's books. I absolutely loved this book. It's such an easy read. I laughed a few times and the spice in the book was on point! I only wished there were more scenes with Sylvie and MJ and the brothers. I'm really looking forward to the next book.

Holy smokes. This was just a total delight to read. I loved every second. Fantastic work on making us love the Kings. Whip & Emily were absolutely amazing. She’s smart and sassy. He’s quick witted and just a freaking marshmallow. It was just a joyful book of small town goodness. Loved it! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 🌶️🌶️🌶️.5

A one night stand in the small town that your parents live in and your dad turns out to be his boss…awkwardddd 🤭 Whip and Emily have the ULTIMATE meet-cute that had me giggling 😍 Both these characters had their flaws, but I loved that Whip knew how to grovel and Emily didn’t take his cr@p and their banter was pure gold! I also loved that while this series interconnects with the Sullivan’s stories, as someone who hadn’t read any of them, I had no problems or gaps in information! I also love the little mystery that is thrown in with this series 👀 I can’t wait to continue on with the Kings!

Loved diving back into Outatowner, this time from the King’s side of the line. Whip is a big softie at heart who just wants someone to choose him and to stay. Emily is searching for someone to love her as she is and support her. These 2 are a beautiful couple together. Can’t wait to see the rest of the King story unfold and for them to get long overdue answers to their mother’s disappearance.

I’m definitely in my small town era and I’ve been dying to read Lena for some time. This story had everything I love about small town romances and more – fun and quirky local businesses, a prank war between rival families, a women’s collective that really runs the town behind the scenes, and a villain we all get to despise. Both Whip and Emily were interesting characters who were easy to like right from the start, with depths that slowly revealed themselves. Their story starts out with a teasing of a one night stand (we all saw what you did there Lena) and turns into a sweet and steamy, opposites attract, boss’s daughter love story. I loved the tension between Whip and Emily that dominated the start of the story that turned into a really delightfully steamy scene later on. Then their story was so very sweet as they started dating. The dialogue in this story was great and the sibling group chat was everything I adore about those things. This story made me giggle, swoon, and even hit my feels just a little bit; especially when Whip talked about his mother. I was not expecting a series arc and am thrilled to uncover the family secrets hidden in the past. Well played Lena, I’m already dying to jump into the rest of the series.

Whip King, I mean let me introduce myself I'm Emily Ward. The end!! Yes that's me claiming a King but sshh don't tell the Sullivan family, I love them too. But I did not expect Whip to be so much more and amazing. Talk about golden retriever and cinnamon roll vibes , you get Whip King. A ONS with Emily has Whip questioning what he wants in life and as fate has it, everything clicks in place. Emily I just adore her, the fierceness she has over her middle school students is so wonderful. This story give us so much insight that has been nigging for me since the previous series and boy am glad for this series. The kooky town I just love. And so good to see those familiar faces. Kings are so much more than inane pranks. And my heart bleeds for them. Perfect small town romance for me. Can't wait for the rest of the series.

I literally just put this book down after reading it in one day. I wasn't quite sure what to expect with Whip at all especially with the reference to his 'Jacobs Ladder' piercings. Dear God what the hell is that. I absolutely didn't know what to expect with that!!! Yes I will admit to being naive, but I did not have a fuzzy clue what that was. It's extremely important for me to vet any book I buy or borrow from the library prior to reading it. If I panic I stop reading it. Period! I can have a severe panic attack from just reading material that is too triggering for me. I stopped reading for over a decade and I'm careful now because I have to be. I love the book, because I adore Whip. He's solid, he's playful and sexy but he's very sweet and honest. There's a vulnerability in him that's so appealing and endearing and he's respectful. He's very present - (the way Lena wrote him of course) - and by the end of the book I was literally feeling the sadness lift out of him, of course because of the love and tenderness of Emily. I really loved the story of these two together, the nervousness and feelings of uncertainty in new relationship, starting in lust and need and growing into something much deeper by learning about each other. Emily is lovely, she is really well written by Lena. She tries hard to do the right thing and she has been so hurt in the past she wants this town and this man to work out for her. It's steamy and sexy in all the right places. And the whole Jacobs ladder thing didn't freak me out or scare me, it sort of fell into place. Don't know how that happened. It doesn't make any sense to me, but not everything has to does it. I guess my referencing that is a spoiler alert, Sorry! No hesitation giving this 5 stars. Thank you Lena Hendrix, another one hit out of the ballpark. Keep them coming. Good Job Girl. I love this King series. -Maureen Kennedy Butler