More raunchy comedy than romance, this has a whole lot of humor and a light, fun feel. There are pros and cons to that – after reading Little Miss Perfect, the prequel novella, I was really looking forward to the romance between Mallory and Will because that novella features a solid, intimate interaction that hinted at some serious depth to the relationship. That’s not really the case with Fluffy though – Will is absent from almost the entire first half of the book, the author instead choosing to focus on the comedy. And while I loved some of the absolutely hysterical scenes featured at the start of the book (I laughed so much that I had to stop listening to the audiobook at work), I also wanted more Will.
The story follows Mallory, a woman who has found herself jobless and so desperate for money that she replies to a sketchy job posting. As a house stager, Mallory thinks the posting for a “fluffer” refers to fluffing pillows, not… well, you know. The mixup leads to a hysterical turn of events, and Mallory finds herself face to face with her old high school crush… who thinks she’s stooped so low that she’s now doing porn. What follows is a lot of raunchy humor and a connection that forms when Will sees a whole new side of Mallory.
If you’re looking for a laugh and have a dirty sense of humor, there’s a good chance you’ll enjoy this book. The comedy will keep you smiling and the pages turning. However, don’t go into this hoping for a full-fledged romance. That aspect of the book is 3-star at best. Given Will’s absence for much of the book, the pacing is kinda weird – it goes from zero to sixty towards the end. Honestly, if I hadn’t read the prequel, I’m not sure how much I would know about Will, and I still don’t know all that much after reading this. So, yeah, I liked the book and it made me laugh repeatedly, but the romance left something to be desired. I’ll continue reading the series without hesitation, but it wasn’t as strong as I was hoping.
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3szmvAD
Audio Note:
Since the story is told exclusively from Mallory’s perspective, there’s only one narrator but she does a good job distinguishing between characters and it was easy to listen to. I do NOT recommend listening to this at work – that’s where I started listening, but the porn mixup combined with my repeated outbursts of laughter forced me to stop in the middle and resume later.
Audiobook: https://amzn.to/3Ft8MyZ
Blurb:
An all-new STANDALONE from New York Times bestselling author Julia Kent.
It all started with the wrong Help Wanted ad. Of course it did.
I’m a professional fluffer. It’s NOT what you think. I stage homes for a living. Real estate agents love me, and my work stands on its own merits.
Sigh. Get your mind out of the gutter. Go ahead. Laugh. I’ll wait.
See? That’s the problem. My career has used the term “fluffer” for decades. I didn’t even know there was a more… lascivious definition of the term.
Until it was too late.
The ad for a “professional fluffer” on Craigslist seemed like divine intervention. My last unemployment check was in the bank. I was desperate. Rent was due. The ad said cash paid at the end of the day. The perfect job!
Staging homes means showing your best angle. The same principle applies in making a certain kind of movie. Turns out a “fluffer” doesn’t arrange decorative pillows on a couch.
They arrange other soft, round-ish objects.
The job isn’t hard. Er, I mean, it is — it’s about being hard. Or, well… helping other people to be hard.
Oh, man…
And that’s the other problem. A man. No, not one of the stars on the movie set. Will Lotham – my high school crush. The owner of the house where we’re filming. Illegally. In a vacation rental.
By the time the cops show up, what I thought was just a great house staging gig turned into a nightmare involving pictures of me with an undressed star, Will rescuing me from an arrest, and a humiliating lesson in my own naivete.
My job turned out to be so much harder than I expected. But you know what’s easier than I ever imagined?
Having all my dreams come true.
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3szmvAD
Read the prequel, currently free on Amazon:
On the fence about starting this series? Give Little Miss Perfect a try – it’s a great example of what to expect from the rest of the series, and sets up the story for Fluffy (and beyond) perfectly.
Short, light, and so funny, this novella introduces readers to the couple featured in Fluffy. It’s set during their senior year of high school, as the smart girl and the athletic guy run into each other before finals. While they’ve been in each other’s orbits for a long time (and there may be some major crushing going on from one side), they’ve never spent any time together actually breaking past the superficial things everyone sees. One chance encounter causes them to delve a little deeper, and what they see has some serious potential… it’s only too bad they didn’t get to know each other sooner.
This isn’t the full story; you’ll have to read Fluffy to find out how this love story ends, but it’s a great example of Julia Kent’s skill as an author and showcases the humor and nuanced connections you’ll see in future books. I loved getting a feel for who these two are deep down.
Blurb:
Ten years ago, my high school crush found me during senior finals week in the student parking lot with my car decorated with items you find behind a drugstore counter and a “Most Likely to…” banner that would make a pro blush.
And by “pro,” I don’t mean golf.
In under an hour, everything I knew about myself was turned upside down and inside out, just as our high school career was in its final hours.
Then again, he’s the high school quarterback. He’s used to performing when the clock’s running out.
Me? I perform well under pressure, too.
But not when Will Lotham is about to kiss me.
Or is he?
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3ekNjfX
About the Author:
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Julia Kent writes romantic comedy with an edge. Since 2013, she has sold more than 2 million books, with 4 New York Times bestsellers and more than 21 appearances on the USA Today bestseller list. Her books have been translated into French and German, with more titles releasing in the future.
From billionaires to BBWs to new adult rock stars, Julia finds a sensual, goofy joy in every contemporary romance she writes. Unlike Shannon from Shopping for a Billionaire, she did not meet her husband after dropping her phone in a men’s room toilet (and he isn’t a billionaire she met in a romantic comedy).
She lives in New England with her husband and three children where she is the only person in the household with the gene required to change empty toilet paper rolls.
She loves to hear from her readers by email at jkentauthor@gmail.com, on Twitter @jkentauthor, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/jkentauthor and on Instagram @jkentauthor
Visit her at http://jkentauthor.com
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