Hey guys! Today on the blog I have a review and fun Q&A for you with author Erin Lyon! I read the first book in her Contract Killers duology last year and really liked it so I couldn't be more excited to get my hands on the sequel Unconditionally! Enter the giveaway at the end for your chance to win copies of this fun duology ;)
(Contract Killers #2)
by Erin Lyon
January 9, 2018
336 pages
Goodreads Summary:
In a world where marriage doesn’t exist—only seven-year contracts—you don’t marry, you sign. You don’t divorce, you breach. And sometimes, you just expire.
In this hilarious conclusion to Erin Lyon's I Love You Subject to the Following Terms and Conditions, Kate has accepted a job practicing signing law, the one type of law she swore she'd never do - especially since what she thought was her very own happily ever after turned into just another expired contract. But between Kate's embarrassing penchant for running into exes in court, clients determined to use her as their very own therapist, and a couple having a knock-down, drag-out over the custody of the family guinea pig, at least the job's never boring.
But while Kate finally has a handle on her career, her love life is still, well, complicated. The former love of her life, Jonathan, wants her back. Her current main squeeze, Dave, wants to take things to the next level, but she still can't shake her wolf-in-sheep's-clothing vibe about him. And then there's Adam, her mad crush who really wants to be her friend. So, to sum up, one questionable ex, one player with a capital "P," and one guy who's kind of stolen her heart even though she's in the friend zone. This should be a piece of cake.
Unconditionally is both a sweet and sexy romantic comedy and a hilariously relatable look at finding happiness where you least expect it.
Interview
1. How did you come up with your book titles? Were the lengths (one long, one short) intentional?
Ah, titles. I Love You Subject to the Following Terms and Conditions was originally titled The Contract Killers. Since my publisher is full of smart people, they said ‘Nope – sounds too thriller-y’ (okay – they didn’t say ‘thriller-y…I’m paraphrasing). They turned out to be 100% correct since – depending on which site you are looking at – some will still describe the book as ‘murder for hire’ and that’s just with the “A Contract Killers Novel” part. So, I said “well, the basic idea is “I love you…subject to the following terms and conditions” and it stuck. When it came to book two, other ideas were thrown around, but I kept coming back to Unconditionally (because I’m a romantic at heart despite the whole 7-year contract thing). The long title / short title thing was a happy accident that I rather like.
2. What made you want to write about contracts and marriages?
It actually started with the idea of short-term marriages given the divorce rate in this country. I told a co-worker “Maybe humans weren’t meant to mate for life” (I know – so profound). Then I went to law school and learned all about contract law and the two ideas merged. Voila. Seven-year contracts.
3. Do you have a favourite guy out of the three? If not, then who did you enjoy writing the most?
Um, Adam. Is there really any question? I do love Jonathan, too though (just like Kate – hence the conundrum). Ironically, Dave was more a portrayal of the very real, somewhat douchy guys I’ve met and I was a little surprised that some women actually liked him best.
4. Who was the hardest character to write? Why?
I guess Dave was the hardest to write, I think because there is a little of me in all of the other characters. I could relate to them – feel what they feel. I’ve known Daves, even felt like I understood what made them tick, but I can’t really put myself in their shoes, if that makes sense.
5. What are some advices you'd give to Kate to help sort out her relationship troubles?
I did give Kate brilliant advice on her relationship troubles! I was able to do that as Logek ;)
Thank you so much for answering my questions Erin! I love how you came up with the idea for the books. And ADAM. There's definitely no questions about it. Ever.
About the Author
Erin Lyon graduated with a bachelor's degree in English and then worked in broadcast television at the Sacramento ABC affiliate for 10 years before going to law school. She is now a practicing civil attorney and blames all of the people in her life for not trying to talk her out of the whole “becoming a lawyer” thing. After finishing law school, she completed her first novel and began working on the sequels. Erin lives in Northern California with her husband of nearly 20 years (the Saint), her two daughters (the Girls), her three rescue dogs (the Boys), and three cats, who, let’s be real, belong only to themselves. The Contract Killers is her debut novel.
