Nothing Stays In Vegas [Kindle Edition]

Elena Aitken (Author)

Book Description

What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas...except when it doesn't.

Lexi Titan has mastered the art of pretending everything’s fine. After all, how else could she ignore the fact that her husband is never home, her son barely knows him and the last time she had sex, well, who can remember?
With her life crumbling, the last thing she wants to do is go on a trip, especially back to Vegas; a city full of glitz, excess, and Leo, the man she’s spent the last six years trying to forget. But when her best friend announces she’s getting married, Lexi doesn’t have a choice. Besides, it’s ridiculous to avoid an entire city because of one guy. Even if he is the father of your child.

Face to face with memories of the past and the gorgeous man who started it all, Lexi can no longer deny the truth to anyone, especially Leo. But honesty will come at a price, and Lexi must decide if she’s wiling to take that risk. And what exactly will she tell her husband?
Because as she now knows, NOTHING STAYS IN VEGAS.

***
"Turn off that phone, Find that comfy spot, a big cuppa and a place in the sun for this wonderfully refreshing novel. A story of love, chemistry, destiny and the unexpected stories these elements can bring into our lives. The characters were very relatable. Such a refreshing angle for the story to be explored via the two main characters. A romantic novel that didn't make me squirm, just eager to find out what was going to happen next! Is it a happy ever after? You'll have to read to find out. I can say you won't be disappointed."
~Julie-Anne Adams

***

"Elena Aitken has brought us such an incredibly sweet story of love almost lost. She breathes such freshness into the story, creating characters I could easily relate to. The story flowed so easily, I lost myself in the events as they unfolded. This had me looking for flights into Vegas! I highly recommend this if you are looking for a light, fun summer read (or any season for that matter!)"
~Diana Murdock

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This is the book that has me still thinking about it the morning after. There were so many emotions and dramas in this full length novel. I look forward to reading more from this author. I highly recommend this book."

"What an awesome read! I laughed, cried, hurt and fell in love with this one."

From the Author

Dear Reader,

Las Vegas has a reputation for being a city of sin and excess. A place where misbehavior is not only permitted, but often encouraged. Because after all, What happens in Vegas...Stays in Vegas. Right?

After a recent trip to Sin City of my own, I started thinking about what would happen if a 'good girl' let loose a little and let down her guard. What if by allowing herself to take a chance, she met someone who changed her life? And what if... Nothing Stays in Vegas after all?

I hope you enjoy Lexi's story of love and discovery in this story that begins in the most unexpected place and ends in the beautiful Rocky Mountains of Canada.
~Elena

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• File Size: 623 KB
• Print Length: 348 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0987745735
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
• Publisher: Ink Blot Communications (July 12, 2011)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B005CIRR8S
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #37,501 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 40 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Captivating Summer Read! August 5, 2011

By Cori

Format:Kindle Edition

Nothing Stays in Vegas is a wonderful love story and shows how a single night can change your life forever. Five years ago, Lexi spent a weekend in Vegas to celebrate her best friend's birthday. She had been separated from her husband for a few months, but really had no intention of finding a little action of her own. Until she met Leo.

Leo was the handsome guy on the hotel staff who was instantly drawn to her. With little more than an introduction, he made sure that Lexi and her friend had a memorable birthday celebration. Part way through the night, he popped by to see how everything was going and the sparks began to fly. It was love at first sight, though both denied it to themselves at the time. The night passed and an unexpected and important career development prevented Leo from meeting up with Lexi the next day. She returned to Canada feeling rejected and used and, when her estranged husband met her at the airport and professed his love and his sudden willingness to have children with her (the main reason for the downfall of their marriage in the first place), Lexi welcomed him back into her life and they went on to quickly become pregnant.

But when the baby was born - he didn't look like Andrew...bet you can guess who he DID look like, though.

Fast forward 5 years and Lexi's best friend is now getting married and has decided that she wants to do it quickly and...in Vegas! Lexi is nervous about returning. What if she sees Leo? She's never quite forgotten him, after all. How could she?

Even though they were staying in a different hotel than last time, who turns out to be put in charge of the wedding preparations but Leo, himself. And he hasn't forgotten Lexi at all.

The sparks are still there and Lexi's husband isn't blind. I don't want to go too in-depth as to what happens next, you should really just buy the book and find out. It's amazing!

This book kept me captivated for several evenings of reading. Aitken has created agonizingly real characters who you can't help cheering for. I was pleasantly surprised when the narrative first switched to Leo's point of view. It was nice to see both sides of the story play out and gave it much more depth than it might have otherwise had (kind of like how Midnight Sun gave incredible depth to Twilight by giving Edward's point of view).

The book is a fairly quick read and will make you smile as the pieces start to come together - though you always feel the cost each decision has on the characters. I really liked it and I do recommend it. For just a few bucks, you really can't go wrong.

53 of 65 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Too many problems that I couldn't overlook September 18, 2011

By J. P. VINE™ VOICE

Format:Kindle Edition

Although this book read more like a chick-lit, it uses a lot of ploys that I strongly dislike in romances: Big Misunderstandings, Things Left Unsaid, unsubstantiated profound love, plot-necessary unprotected sex, and a vying love interest. The misunderstandings were huge and lead two people whose one night fling felt like a meeting of soul mates to nonetheless part ways for the foreseeable future. And I don't mean to sound like a cynic­'I am a romance book addict, I swear'but the entire premise of their deep and endless love was a little hard for me to believe, since they spend less than 24 hours together and then don't see one another for six years. The unprotected sex was extremely annoying because Lexi and Leo have just met, they're in Vegas, it's 2004'how does a conversation about condoms not take place, or a morning-after realization not even occur?! And the vying love interest is Lexi's husband Andrew, so color me bothered.

When Lexi first goes to Vegas, she and Andrew have been separated for six months and are headed towards divorce. She wants children, but he doesn't, so after much back-and-forth they decided to call it quits. In my mind, it therefore wasn't a problem that she sleeps with Leo'as all "Friends" fans will recognize: They were on a break! Lexi and her husband end up back together after various ill turns of fate throw a wrench in Lexi and Leo's HEA. Andrew says he wants her back and that he's willing to try for kids. She knows when Ben is born that he's Leo's son and the fact that she never says anything rubbed me the wrong way. Both Andrew and Leo deserved better than that, even had Leo been the jerk she thought him.

When Lexi and Leo see one another again in 2010, she's still married to Andrew. As much as I cannot stomach reading anything where a character we're supposed to like cheats on their partner, I was surprised by how involved I got in their romance and wanting to see how it all played out. It was clear that although Leo was willing to play the role of home wrecker if necessary, he wanted Lexi to cleanly and openly leave Andrew. Neither of them was happy in their marriage and Leo had no interest in pussy-footing around, which I could give him props for. He was quite a sweetheart and sometimes a little too perfect, though it was a nice change to have a hero who was willing to wear his heart on his sleeve.

I was even ready to praise the book for trying to tackle such a morally difficult issue ... but then the author took the easy way out by portraying Andrew in a less than positive light when it became convenient. Lexi fell in love with Andrew, married him, still loved him during that first trip to Vegas, got back together with him, and stayed married for six more years even though her son wasn't his and he's never been close to Ben. None of that makes sense if Andrew is such an a-hole. Aitken doesn't even stop there, because not only do we get to bask in Andrew's less than stellar behavior in Vegas, but we then discover an inexcusable thing he did that makes him worse than Lexi and Leo. In my opinion, it was such a copout, a blatant way to try and make us let Lexi off the hook.

Aside from plot and character issues, the writing and construction left something to be desired. There were several typos, grammar and punctuation errors, and places where the verb tenses made time transitions confusing. The most annoying thing, however, was the book's voice. I'm not a big fan of first-person romances, and NOTHING STAYS IN VEGAS is not only in first-person, but switches between the hero and heroine's first-person POVs. It was jarring and wasn't consistently or smoothly done. For example, the first two chapters are Lexi, when all of a sudden it switches in chapter three to Leo (took me a couple paragraphs to realize), before then switching back to Lexi in that same chapter. I do prefer getting both the hero and heroine's POV, but only when it's done in third person.

BOTTOM LINE:
When I finished the story, I was torn regarding how to grade it. I (obviously) had several problems with the book and after about a third of the way in I had been tempted to put it down and find something else to read. As I continued though, I did get pulled into the story and wanted to see how Aitken would settle everything. How would she finally bring Leo and Lexi together? What would happen with Andrew? What about Ben? In the end, while the potential was there for this to be a great story, I had several issues with it and they piled up on top of one another.

FAVORITE QUOTE:
"Was it possible to still have feelings for someone after six years? I needed to get a hold of myself. But it was possible. I didn't need someone to tell me, I could see it. It was in the way he held my gaze and wouldn't let me look away. In the way he touched me, and stroked my skin with his thumb without even realizing it. It was in the sound of his voice, the way he said my name. But most frightening, it was in the way I felt when I looked at him."

* Originally reviewed for the Fiction Vixen website. This review is of a copy provided by the author to Fiction Vixen Book Reviews.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A thoroughly enjoyable "fluffy" read March 30, 2012

By Starr

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Can't give it 5 stars because there was a bit of "dragginess" in some parts, some parts which were quite unbelieveable to me (as a mother and wife. especially) and a good few formatting errors which drove me a bit batty. The story itself was loveable, kept you intrigued, and I finished the book in two days. Would have been one but I HAD to go to sleep around 2am the first night so I could wake up for work the next morning, lol. I'm not usually into "chick-lit" or romance style novels but this was a fun, fluffy read. A lot different than my usual dystopian, horror, drama, etc. books. I really enjoyed it none the less and would suggest it to friends or family looking for an easy, fun, heart-warming read. It also has a few really good steamy-type scenes if that sort of thing is something you like.

More About the Author

In no particular order, I am: a writer, a mother of twins, a swimmer, a wife, a volunteer, a runner, a friend, a triathlete, a daughter, a sister, a Brownie leader (recently retired), an auntie, a cyclist, employee and...

I'm trying to do it all and have it all because nobody said I couldn't. And even if they did, I probably wouldn't listen because I'm too busy.

I've been writing in one form or another since elementary school but although I always knew I wanted to be a writer when I grew up, instead I earned university degrees in Marketing and Psychology and writing got put on the back burner. After my twins were born I was buried in diaper changes, middle of the night feedings and mountains of laundry, so obviously it seemed like a logical time to start writing again. I guess it took me while to grow up.

I turned to non-fiction and became a regular contributor to local parenting magazines, published in four Chicken Soup for the Soul anthologies, and a compilation by Seal Press. It wasn't until 2005 that I tried my hand at writing fiction and wrote my first novel (at least since I was a kid). It's buried on my hard drive where it should be! And I just keep writing them. Nothing Stays In Vegas was the first novel that I've made available.

Besides my novels, you can read my work in:
Chicken Soup for the Brother and Sisters' Soul
Chicken Soup for the Runner's Soul
Chicken Soup for the Beach Lover's Soul
Chicken Soup: Christmas Magic
Chicken Soup: Hooked on Hockey
How to Put a Car Seat on a Camel