Beautiful Crazy

A Small Town Single Mom Romance (Blossom Beach, Book 1)

De: A. James

Narrado por: Connor Crais, Samantha Brentmoor

As a single mom with my hands and heart full, finding love is the last thing on my mind.

Then Everett Windward comes along. My new neighbor is charming, handsome, and sexy—and before I know it, I have a new friend…with benefits.

Fun and filthy benefits. There’s just one problem—He’s also my son’s teacher. That alone should have me pumping the brakes… except it doesn’t. I’m drawn to him and to the way he makes me feel. Everett has a filthy side that has reignited something inside of me that I haven’t felt in years.

Something I thought I lost. But there are rules…My son can’t know.

No sleeping over.

And absolutely no feelings involved. But as time goes on, it becomes impossible to ignore the butterflies in my stomach when I catch him looking at me, or when I watch him play ball with my son day after day. Before I know it, he’s so intertwined in our lives, and I can no longer deny the desire to break the very rules that I put into place to begin with. But it’s not just my feelings I have to consider.

I can see how quickly my son is becoming attached to him. See the way he yearns for that father figure in his life. We have experienced enough hurt and loss to last a lifetime. Can I really open up our hearts, knowing the risk I’m taking?

©2024 A. James (P)2024 A. James

irresistible blurb and tropes, surprisingly hot

Story Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (0-5)
Narration: 🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧 (0-5)
Overall: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 (0-5)
Steam: 🔥🔥🔥🔥 (0-5) I bump up for public places/outdoor spaces & 🍑 stuff.

What I’m Starry-Eyed Over:
🤩 This is my first A. James (or Ashley James)—the blurb and tropes just seemed absolutely irresistible to me.
🤩 Single mom, romance author, new neighbors, and child’s elementary teacher.
🤩 I found your next beach read, if you like an actual beach in your beach read like me. Take me to Blossom Beach, South Carolina–small beach town goodness! I love that we get some of the people and places in town throughout the plot.
🤩 Samantha Brentmoor and Connor Crais in duet narration give us such fabulous audiobook entertainment. I’m so smitten with Gemma and Everett’s fun, flirty conversations full of telling secrets and confessing kinks. 🌶️
🤩 The “mama” worked on me so much more than I could have ever imagined. Dirty talking Mr. Windward in Connor Crais’ narration is so blazing hot! 🥵😮‍💨
🤩 This book is so surprisingly steamy (think naughty/forbidden, and I love it) while still being intimate. It’s so fun to watch Gemma & Everett’s friends-with-benefits become so much more. ❤️‍🔥🫠
🤩I love lighthouses and this one in Blossom Beach is now my favorite—hello spicy lighthouse scene!
🤩 If you love care-taking as a subplot, you’ll love this one.

What I’m Wishing/Dizzy About:
💫 I would have loved some porch pleasuring after that first “C’mere.” It would have been so fitting especially after some of their honest and open conversations. I’m greedy, I know.
💫 Is this a series? Who else gets an HEA—Georgia, Grace, Char, maybe Conway?!
💫 I’m usually really hard on a widow type trope, but Gemma is in a really good place with her loss/trauma in this book—it worked so well for me.

Heartfelt, Spicy, & Unforgettable

Book Review: 4.5 Stars

Beautiful Crazy by A. James is a captivating blend of forbidden romance, heartfelt moments, and enough spice to keep the pages flying. Gemma, a single mom and romance author, is fiercely independent and devoted to her son, Sutton. Enter Everett Windward, her charming new neighbor, who also happens to be Sutton's teacher. Cue an adorable meet-cute with immediate chemistry, delicious pining and tension, red hot spice, all kinds of flirting, and a sweet, low angst romance that was truly heartwarming.

Everett is the perfect mix of gentleman and rogue, making him an unforgettable leading man. He’s compassionate, confident, and has a dirty streak that left me in need of a cold shower. His genuine connection with Gemma and Sutton tugged at my heartstrings, especially in those quiet moments where his actions spoke louder than words. A. James masterfully balanced the story's emotional depth with sizzling chemistry, creating a romance that felt both raw and tender.

Gemma has made a life for herself and her son. Gemma’s journey of healing after unbearable loss is inspiring and relatable, making her character arc deeply satisfying. Reading Gemma’s character arc reminded me how much I love a “love after loss” romance.

The cozy charm of Blossom Beach—with its tight-knit community, relatable characters, and gorgeous coastal imagery—added another layer of magic to the story. Those same elements stood out as I listened to the audiobook. And I loved that I could seamlessly move back and forth between the book and the audiobook. While the plot leaned on some familiar romance tropes, the execution was fresh, and the pacing kept me hooked.

Audiobook Review: 5 Stars

Connor Crais and Samantha Brentmoor delivered an absolute masterpiece in the audiobook narration. Their duet performance brought Gemma and Everett to life in a way that made every scene even more immersive. Connor’s portrayal of Everett is nothing short of incendiary—if you’ve never felt your pulse quicken at an MMC calling the FMC 'Mama,' brace yourself for a life-altering experience—it was magnetic, capturing his mix of vulnerability and confidence. Samantha nailed Gemma’s strength and warmth with a southern twang that felt spot-on.

The seamless transitions and emotionally charged delivery elevated an already great story to a whole new level. If you're an audiobook fan, this one is a must-listen. If you’re looking for your next great listen, this duet performance should be at the top of your list.

Verdict: Whether you pick up the eBook or dive into the audio, Beautiful Crazy will capture your heart with its swoon-worthy romance, heartfelt moments, and unforgettable characters. Highly recommended!

Overall Rating: 4.75 ⭐
Performance: 5 ⭐
Story: 4.5 ⭐
Spice: 3🌶️

A MUST LISTEN

Beautiful Crazy by A. James swept me off my feet in the best way possible! This book is everything I love—spicy, emotional, and packed with all the feels.

Everett Windward? HELLO, dream man! He’s the perfect mix of swoon-worthy charm and a bit of a dirty side that had me turning pages at lightning speed. Not to mention the narration by Conner Crais was absolute perfection. 😮‍💨 The chemistry between him and the heroine was off-the-charts electric, but what really melted my heart was how he connected with her son. My mom heart was sobbing, y’all. 😭💕

For Gemma, a single mom, the stakes were high, and you could feel the weight of her worries—especially when her rules started crumbling one by one. (Seriously, I dare you not to swoon when Everett’s playing ball with her son!) This story had the perfect balance of heat, humor, and heart, making me root for this little family every step of the way.

If you love forbidden romance, teacher tropes, or characters who feel achingly real, you need this book in your life. A. James, you’ve got a new fan for life!

Brentmoor & Crais were incredible heartfelt story

Samantha Brentmoor & Connor Crais narrated Gemma & Everett in A. James new small town series. The audiobook is done in duet. Samantha & Connor were incredible as usual. I absolutely loved this pairing. Samantha captured Gemma's bubbly personality, humor, & the love Gemma has for her son & family. Connor captured Everett's charisma and soft side but behind close doors he brought the growly dominated side of Everett. The chemistry between the two were off the charts. Also their kids voices were perfect.
A. James wrote a sweet, fun, heartfelt & spicy small town romance. The connection between Gemma & Everett was authentic and I enjoyed watching their relationship grow.
The story flowed well and adding Gemma's sisters & best friend in the mix was relatable & fun. This is a great first book to a new series and excited to read the second book.

4.5 stars

This was such a cute, fun and spicy romance between two neighbors. Gemma is a single mother that wasn't looking for love just yet. Enter Everett, who moves to Blossom Beach after inheriting his grandmother's house. He's Gemma's new neighbor, her son's new teacher and eventually becomes her new friend with benefits.

This was my first book by this author and I really enjoyed her writing style. The pacing of the story was good. The story jumps right into the main plot. There was never a dull moment and the story didn't drag. When Everett and Gemma meet for the first time there is an instant attraction. I felt their undeniable chemistry. I loved Everett. He was a straight laced guy and took a leap of faith in this new chapter in his life. I loved Gemma. She had a great relationship with her son. After all the hurt and loss Gemma and her son endured, Gemma was resilient, stronger and brave. I also loved Everett's relationship with Sutton.

Most recently I listened to the audiobook and it's amazing! Performed in duet by Connor Crais and Samantha Brentmoor. You seriously can't go wrong with this pairing. Connor and Samantha embodied Everett and Gemma. Connor conveyed Everett with a hopeful tone. Connor captured Everett's pining for Gemma. I loved Samantha's Southern accent! It was exactly how I imagined Gemma to sound like. As their relationship started to grow and they started to act on their romantic feelings. I loved the effort they made to get to know eachother. I felt even more connected to them because of Connor and Samantha's narration. Their expressive tones elevated the story for me. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series!