REVIEW: The Do It List by Jillian Stone

In The Do It List by Jillian Stone, If life has taught Gracie Taylor-Scott one thing, it is to protect your heart and be careful who you trust. Especially men. Not that she has much time these days to have a life outside of work. As the new head copywriter in a hotshot ad agency, Gracie gets ready to work on one of the biggest campaigns of her career so far. However, she wasn’t expecting to be teamed up with a half-British, half-American hunk from London who is hotter than any guy she’s ever met.

A shrug lifted his shoulders. “I suppose I’d like to check a few things off the to do it list with you.”
At the end of a long cold stare, I blinked. “The to do it list?”
“It’s like a bucket list for sex.”

From Gracie’s first sexy encounter with Bradley Craig, stuck in an elevator during a power outage, she knows she could fall for him easily. They both have control issues and enjoy very sensual, physical encounters. So when Bradley entices Gracie to help add to his To Do It list and possibly check off some existing fantasies, how can she say no? But their insta-lust soon becomes something stronger. Something that could break her heart and tear her apart emotionally. Is it really so smart after all to give in to the temptation otherwise known as Bradley Craig?

“I’m going to become addicted to you,” I huffed, in a slightly testy voice. “I’ll be demanding Bradley orgasms day and night.”
He snorted a soft laugh against my shoulder. “I look forward to servicing you.” He kissed my neck. “My beauty, mine.”

The Do It List was extremely hot stuff. With elements of erotica, suspense, and straight up contemporary romance, Gracie and Bradley’s whirlwind story was anything but boring.

I should start off saying that this is a happily-for-now story, not a happily-ever-after. There will be a sequel, as per author Jillian Stone. And this was not a cliffhanger, per se , for those of you who avoid them. This left off in a good place (hence the HFN) but there were still some lingering issues to deal with later on. I liked the trendy, modern vibe where this was set in NYC and was about very creative, out-of-the-box-type people. Gracie and Bradley’s job and coworkers were a huge part of the plot. There were times when the details of the ad campaign took over the story a bit, but we did return to the romance fairly quickly.

Okay. So I eluded to how hot this book was. I’m not kidding when I say that the chemistry between Gracie and Bradley was absolutely electric from the very first moment they met. Beginning with their first interaction on the elevator (yowza!) to every steamy scene that followed–and there were a LOT–it was easy to catch that thrill of attraction. Now for some readers, it might be too much or too intense/graphic, given that there is also the erotic theme that dabbles in BDSM as well. I liked the myriad of emotions Bradley and Gracie experienced. They alternately went from sensuous to playful, and down-n-dirty to awed.

Bradley was an alpha male, all the way. But in the best way possible, if that makes sense. He was possessive, but protective. Controlling, but pampered Gracie. And he had a deliciously dirty mouth along with the dialect of a posh Brit. It definitely brought to mind James Bond, which was a recurring joke between them. Gracie was a dynamo. Wickedly smart, independent, athletic and sexy, she knew who she was and thought she knew what she wanted. I kinda loved that Gracie was as thrown by her instant attraction to Bradley as much as he was about her. It seemed very realistic and made me connect easily with them.

With a cool premise, a solid and complex plot, plus lots of raw and powerful emotions, The To Do It List was a tumultuous story that kept my interest the entire way through.

Book Info:

 June 19th 2015 | by Jillian Stone |

Hotshot copywriter Gracie Taylor-Scott has a reputation—for her artfully edgy ads. A rising star at Darcy Wexler Dean, New York, the long hours are perfect cover for Gracie’s fear of intimacy issues.
Great job. Great pay. No life—including her on again off again sex life. Then one night she is plunged into darkness with a handsome stranger.
Bradley Craig is the new head of DWD’s research division and this ad man has secrets of his own. Much lauded in his field of consumer behavior, there’s a darker side to the handsome, enigmatic ad man—his erotic list-maker side.
Gracie and Bradley are assigned to work on the biggest new business pitch Darcy Wexler Dean will be in all year and the two tangle immediately, battling copy concepts and focus group findings along with their explosive attraction to each other.
Bradley has a proposition––they make a list. Ten sexual encounters. No strings attached. What’s at stake? Two Super Bowl spots and two fragile hearts.