I recieved this through audiobook boom in exchange for a fair review. The reader, B. J. Harrison, was very good!
Mark and Emma. This is my first time rI recieved this through audiobook boom in exchange for a fair review. The reader, B. J. Harrison, was very good!
Mark and Emma. This is my first time reading/listening to this author and it's not a story line I normally like, but I ended up really enjoying this. It's a smooth easy read about a mature couple (He's 48 and she's 38) who find love when they least expected it. She was recently jilted and was hoping to stay at the posh resort originally booked for her honeymoon, but her scuzzy ex had already cancelled the reservation. Instead she finds Mark who had taken the suite to attend his high school reunion. He's overwhelmed by meeting people who remember him as one of a couple. But Julie, his high school love, aka soul mate, died 16 years ago. He has yet to get over it, and has spent the last decade + running from having to deal with his grief. So NOT a story I usually like... So anywhoo, Mark finds Emma weeping and makes her a deal. She can stay in the villa if she pretends to be his fiance so people stop with the pity looks and the women stop hitting on him. I really liked both characters. The author does a nice job leading the characters past his 'Past' and into a future together. I thought it was pretty clever how she wove the story together without too much angst and yet kept my interest. It's a hard sell to keep a characters first love still a deep love, yet not have the new lady seem second best. To be honest, I wasn't totally sold on it. Mostly because his epiphany didn't come til the last 98% and she made most of effort. It's not that he is pushing her away or anything, but he realizes his love for her very slowly. I still like his character and it was pretty romantic. It's pretty PG with some sex scenes that are more emotional than 'hot'. More realistic ; ) I would love to read more by this author and I thought her story worked well on audio. There's a nice little intro by the author about her story being inspired by her own brother falling in love for a second time after his first wife passed away.
Merged review:
I recieved this through audiobook boom in exchange for a fair review. The reader, B. J. Harrison, was very good!
Mark and Emma. This is my first time reading/listening to this author and it's not a story line I normally like, but I ended up really enjoying this. It's a smooth easy read about a mature couple (He's 48 and she's 38) who find love when they least expected it. She was recently jilted and was hoping to stay at the posh resort originally booked for her honeymoon, but her scuzzy ex had already cancelled the reservation. Instead she finds Mark who had taken the suite to attend his high school reunion. He's overwhelmed by meeting people who remember him as one of a couple. But Julie, his high school love, aka soul mate, died 16 years ago. He has yet to get over it, and has spent the last decade + running from having to deal with his grief. So NOT a story I usually like... So anywhoo, Mark finds Emma weeping and makes her a deal. She can stay in the villa if she pretends to be his fiance so people stop with the pity looks and the women stop hitting on him. I really liked both characters. The author does a nice job leading the characters past his 'Past' and into a future together. I thought it was pretty clever how she wove the story together without too much angst and yet kept my interest. It's a hard sell to keep a characters first love still a deep love, yet not have the new lady seem second best. To be honest, I wasn't totally sold on it. Mostly because his epiphany didn't come til the last 98% and she made most of effort. It's not that he is pushing her away or anything, but he realizes his love for her very slowly. I still like his character and it was pretty romantic. It's pretty PG with some sex scenes that are more emotional than 'hot'. More realistic ; ) I would love to read more by this author and I thought her story worked well on audio. There's a nice little intro by the author about her story being inspired by her own brother falling in love for a second time after his first wife passed away....more
. Lois arrives in Portugal to be her cousin Jay's bridesmaid in her wedding to the wealthy aristocrat, Julyan. Only to find herself forced into the job. Lois arrives in Portugal to be her cousin Jay's bridesmaid in her wedding to the wealthy aristocrat, Julyan. Only to find herself forced into the job of telling Julyan that Jay is backing out of the wedding because Julyan is too socially conservative and no fun. Julyan is your stereotypical aristocrat. He doesn't seem to do anything but go out for long lunches with friends. And he's a little clueless... I mean, he had been all set to marry Lois's shallow greedy cousin. Lois is an orphan raised by her aunt with Jay. But generally was left at home to save expense when they went away on holiday. But Lois being a sweetheart, doesn't hold that against them.
Lois decides to stay in Portugal an finish her holiday anyways and circumstances lead to her becoming governess to Julyan's crippled son. Unfortunately the boy just serves as a plot moppet and doesn't add to the story.
Julyan's neighbour Gloria is a widow recently returned to her father's home. She has made it her mission to marry Julyan and keeps trying to manipulate events to keep Julyan apart and make Lois look feckless.
Lois feels Julyan is using her and runs off, but he catches up to her and finally admits his feelings and his jealousy that caused him to act poorly. So it was a charming story that fell somewhat flat from too much OW page time.
Safety is OK. (view spoiler)[he claims he was not attracted to Gloria, but he spends more time with her than he does with Lois. And then there's that scene where he kisses the inside of Gloria's wrist twice and held her hand after. And this was after, what to the reader was an obvious manipulation on Gloria's part to get Lois to date other men! It was like he was rewarding Gloria for her deceitfulness. And like he didn't mind if Lois dated others. I don't think the author intended it, but I felt like Julyan was playing the two women off each other. And that kiss felt like cheating to me. Lois is a 22 yr old virgin who hasn't dated. Julyan is 35. He is widowed but his first marriage wasn't a love match. He claims at the end that part of his problem was that he'd never been in love before and didn't know what to do with his feelings. Maybe so. This would have been perfect if there'd been some comeuppance or at least an acknowledgment from Julyan about Gloria's deceitful manipulations. As it stands, I wouldn't be surprised if he invited her to the wedding so she can spread more passive aggressive poison over Lois' day. (hide spoiler)]...more
**spoiler alert** I really enjoyed this quiet romance between two people who have had their hearts crushed by the selfishly careless actions of the pe**spoiler alert** I really enjoyed this quiet romance between two people who have had their hearts crushed by the selfishly careless actions of the people they loved.
Clare has recently been released from prison and needs a job. Ren's sister helps her get a job as Ren's housekeeper. His 10 year old son, Miles has managed to chase away all the previous housekeepers because he's unhappy. As the reader discovers, it's not unhappy with his dad but his mother and grandfather. Anyways, he's a grumpy preteen and desperately needs a friend. But despite Clare's standoffishness and refusal to react to his shenanigans, it turns out to be her he takes a shine to. Clare is only 26 but life has given her some hard knocks. She's not really innocent of her crimes, but if she'd been completely forthcoming at her trial (and other douche bags had had the honesty to come forward) she would have probably gotten off on probation. But she was in grief (view spoiler)[from the death of her toddler son (hide spoiler)] and felt she needed to suffer. And suffer she did. Now she is thinner and has had her hair cut short. She doesn't feel pretty anymore but of course she is.
Ren doesn't want to hire her at first. He is prejudiced because of her being an ex con. As most people would be. But after a while he realizes he doesn't have a better option. He looks 40ish but they never say how old he is. There's an OW wannabe. She's a nasty condescending b*tch that Ren uses to make Clare jealous. It doesn't really work. Well I mean, she does get jealous but it backfires in that Clare thinks less of Ren for his interest in such a shallow self important tw*t. I loved some of Clare's pointed come backs but was disappointed that she didn't totally let fly because she didn't want to lose her job.
The writing is great and the characters and dialogue were engaging. I really understood the reasons each character had for their actions or lack of action.
The ending was sweet and although I really wanted to see some comeuppance for the OW, it will happen in the future off page when she learns that Fen married Clare. Ha ha. Gosh I would have loved to see that in the book. She was just so sure of her superiority to Clare. She even (view spoiler)[is the one who told Fen about what Clare went to prison for. She investigated on her own and wasted no time letting Fen know. (hide spoiler)] But Fen when he learns what Clare went to prison for, is at first revolted but then he is sure that there is more to the story. So it was nice that he knew she was a decent person before he learned 'the truth'.
Safety is fine (view spoiler)[Clare had a secret relationship with the son of the man who owned the estate where her mother worked, Johnny, when she was 17. Stuff happens, then a few years later Johnny gets involved with drugs and owes money, and Clare for her own reasons (to help her son) gets involved too... and is left holding the bag. That's her only relationship before Fen and she didn't even get a first date, because she was the Johnny's dirty secret. Fen was married to a beautiful but horribly selfish woman. A case of marry in haste and repent at leisure. The ex wife died after stealing custody of their son for a few years and making everyone's life a misery. So Fen is tortured by guilt that he wasn't able to keep custody of his son. And he is shy of loving again. Both Fen and Clare have this in common. And for a nice change, it's Fen that is more honest about his growing feelings.... but only by a wee bit. Hence the OW BS. Fen never even kissed the OW. But the OW, Ros has totally set her cap for Fen and he encourages her by having her over for dinner and lunch over and over. And Clare has to make the lunch and dinner. But there's more nuances to it than that of course. (hide spoiler)]
A short story with 2 endings. Anne and Jeff have been living together for a couple years. He says in his head how much he loves her but his supposed dA short story with 2 endings. Anne and Jeff have been living together for a couple years. He says in his head how much he loves her but his supposed devotion doesn't prevent him from flirting with the OW (new girl at the office) in front of Anne, and all his other coworkers. He then goes on a business trip with his boss and OW. Anne sees the writing on the wall and leaves while he's away. sigh.
I think the author was trying to show how the characters didn't have a good basis for their relationship. He was too selfish and she was too keen to be his everything, but at the expense of her own needs. There's an age gap but it's never said how old he is. She is early 20's.
So Jeff comes home from the trip feeling guilty as hell. Not sure if he was going to confess to Anne if she had still been living there.
I liked Anne's character. She has a sad history in foster homes and has never really lived on her own before. So she blossoms once she's away from Jeff. She starts seeing a new guy Ben who recently broke up with his significant other too. I wouldn't call this story a love triangle though.
I just didn't feel the love on either Jeff's part or Anne's. I thought it was a good start that he goes to such great lengths to find her and grovel. But after he realizes how little he knows about her, it seemed a bit odd that he supposedly had such deep feelings for her.
I think I would have liked a glimpse at their lives down the road a ways. I wasn't convinced that he wouldn't cheat again since there was no real motivation to cheat the first time. The OW was hitting on him and his boss was egging him on. So will he cheat the next time someone hits on him? Is he that weak willed?
########################### Now for the second story. It's almost the same as the first but with some chapters removed and a very macabre ending. SO if you don't like horror stories, just skip it. But I gotta say, it was a somewhat more believable ending than the first story. ###########################
Safety isn't good of course; (view spoiler)[Jeff gets drunk and has sex with OW all night. Wakes at 5am feeling awful about it. Never talks to OW again. But she manages to make him a pariah at the company by telling everyone else. Everyone else is like, 'where's Anne?'. Ann does sleep with the OM but only after it had been a couple months. It doesn't last with OM though once Jeff comes back. No big fireworks or anything. (hide spoiler)]...more
**spoiler alert** . I'm going to make this brief because I did skim a fair bit. I guess my problem with it was that when all was said and done, I didn't**spoiler alert** . I'm going to make this brief because I did skim a fair bit. I guess my problem with it was that when all was said and done, I didn't feel the romance much. I also didn't know, going into this, that the story was as much about the past as it was about the present. There's a dark mystery that isn't really addressed til the second half and unfurls as the author chooses to reveal info to the reader.
There was so much to like about this one, so why didn't I like it??? This was NOT the sweet beach-side romance I was expecting. Don't read if you don't want spoilers...
Terri lives at and helps run a summer vacation spot with her dad, but in her own cabin. She's 26 and Nate is 34. Her father and his best friend conspire to put Nate in the same cabin as her for 3 weeks in the hopes that they would fall in love. Of course they do, and quite easily and this was the most romantic part of the book. Except that he doesn't realize it, and she does.
His fiancee, Stacy, the mayor's daughter, returns from Italy about 2/3 in and realizes before Nate does, that his affections have changed. But really, I doubt he ever felt that deeply for Stacy. It was more like he believed he should feel for Stacy... her being perfect and all. *sigh* In the mean time, there are glimmers of a mystery... why does the town think so poorly of Terri? And really, the prejudices are deeper than just Terri being viewed as a diabolical slut. But the mystery will get even darker in a kind of surprise twist at the end.
Nate is awesome, except he is engaged to another woman. A woman who is perfect in every way. And he is in love with her?? Terri is awesome, except that the whole town thinks she's a user of men. The mean town gossip never gets her comeuppance. The reasons for her evil bitchiness aren't revealed til the end. And I found it kind of hard to believe that one person could create such a cloud of hate from the whole frick'n town.
When Terri is finally vindicated at the end, there's no time for the reader to actually see people's reactions (except Stacy, the perfect OW's). There's no epilogue to see her enjoying life without a cloud of stigma tarnishing it. Even her love for Nate is pushed aside til the very end because of how the town would view them getting together so soon after his dumping of miss perfect, the town's sweetheart. Nate doesn't break up with the town sweetheart til 3/4 in and I'm not sure who dumped who... Some of the angst of Nate having an OW is mitigated by the return of the OM (Terri's old beau), whom the town vilifies her for dumping... *sigh* This chick just never gets a break! So now there's an OW and an OM.
BUT I was convinced of the love between Nate and Terri. They are a fantastic couple who truly suit each other. I just wish Nate had pulled his head out of his ass before Stacy returned. He not only hurts Terri by being so blind, but he hurts Stacy too.
But Nate redeems himself by solving the mystery. But I still needed an epilogue dammit!
I just felt like through the whole book, Terri's hands were tied. Tied by his having a fiancee and tied by the lies perpetuated by others against her. It left me with a bad taste in my mouth by the end.
Safety (view spoiler)[Billy (Terri's ex) and Terri are only friends now. Nate doesn't have sex with Stacy after he meets Terri. He does kiss her. Both MCs had healthy sex lives and relationships before they meet. You do get to read about Nate talking to Stacy on the phone and there are hints for Stacy that Nate is developing an interest in Terri. There is no kissing or anything between Terri and Nate until (shortly) after he breaks up with Stacy (which is done off stage except for Nate remembering it for the reader a bit) (hide spoiler)]...more
. I'm surprised how much I enjoyed this angst fest! As usual with second chance romances, it's hard to condone or forgive the original offense. But there. I'm surprised how much I enjoyed this angst fest! As usual with second chance romances, it's hard to condone or forgive the original offense. But there's enough in here to chew on to make it plausible and it isn't treated lightly like one 'i'm sorry' and a kiss and it's all better... Nope, there's a lot of back and forth on their healing process.
When Diana was 17 and Michael was 25 they fell in love on a ballroom dance floor. But Michael had a wicked aunt (twins to his mother) and a scum sucking bottom feeding cousin who were envious and possibly psychopathic. The cousin, Leo, manages to stage a scene with a drugged Diana (with his mother's help) that convinces not only Michael, but also Diana's parents that she was carrying on an affair with Leo. Everybody drops Diana and she ends up in an abusive marriage to Leo where he tortures her and starves her and keeps her prisoner.
When Leo realizes that he is dying, he writes a letter to Michael gloating about how he tricked him, for him to receive on year after Leo's death. Now we are at the beginning of the book, and Michael leaves almost immediately but not before he pays a visit to his mistress, Serena, a widow he intends to marry.
Diana has been beaten down and treated cruelly for 11 years but her first emotion on seeing Michael again is still... RAGE. Her son, Jamie (who is of course Michael's) also feels rage on his mother's behalf.
I confess i did not like Michael at first. I wanted him to long to see her again and I think on some level he does, but too much time has passed. And of course this is a very ANGSTY read!
I liked the MCs. Michael is a handsome manly man who also has a whimsical sense of humour. Something he has lost in the last decade but as Diana and he recover their love for each other, it comes out more and more and was sweet. Diana struggles with who she is, who she was, and who she wants to be. By the end she is a 'Warrior Queen' and they have a code word for when Michael ever tries to stomp on her independence again.
There is a bitter sweet feeling to the book because both Leo and his hateful mother are dead and there can be no justice. Jamie can never claim his rightful place as Michael's son and heir to the earldom. But they are happy and have friends and family again. If anything I don't forgive her father. I mean if your parents can't forgive you or trust you, who can???
As for Serena, she was pretty manipulative and shows up several times trying to cause trouble, but even her character isn't totally evil so I couldn't entirely hate her. But I don't really want to read a book about her either ; )
So several things sell the redemption for me. Michael feels remorse that he had been with other women in the separation. He feels truly awful that he failed Diana and I don't think he will ever completely forgive himself. Diana doesn't forgive him til about a 3rd the way in and even then, she is resistant to opening up to him til almost the end of the book. I also appreciate that the flashbacks were brief and treated as memories that fit into the storyline without confusing the reader or ruining the flow of the book.
Anyways, I know this is a story that I will revisit, and I look forward to reading more of this author... maybe not the modern suspense stuff she writes though ; )
Safety is OK (view spoiler)[Michael had lovers but they were all meaningless and Serena was chosen as a possible bride because he knew he would never love her. He realizes he can't marry her when he is falling in love with Diana again, about 40% in. Diana was never raped by Leo. He tried but couldn't keep it up. He did cut her and burn her body to punish her when he felt like it. (hide spoiler)]...more
Khalia grew up an orphan on her own. She has always been on her own and nobody has ever loved her. But she is strong and can take care of herself... uKhalia grew up an orphan on her own. She has always been on her own and nobody has ever loved her. But she is strong and can take care of herself... until a strange circumstance throws her into another world. On Earth she hid her ability to shift into a huge woman, but in this world, she is a Queen. A Queen of dragon shifters.
Damien is the nearest soldier to come to her aid when she arrives in his world. He knows instantly that this is the long lost Queen and must be protected until she can ascend the throne. He tries to keep his emotional distance but she is entirely too tempting.
The story has a similar feel to an Edgar Rice Burroughs story, but with more sex.
I think I would have liked it a lot better if I didn't feel like Damien only felt sexually drawn to her. ...until the very last page when he spouts ILYs. Khalia was trapped in the palace and unsure of who to trust, including Damien, until near the end. I was unsure of his heart. I think he was devoted, but it seemed more like it was his duty. One of those books where everything comes together a the very end and there's no time to savour the love. My heart broke for her because she really deserved to be loved by someone....more
I ate this up with a spoon on one lazy holiday Monday.
At the story's start, Grace had left Mitchell a year ago, after he has a raging hissy fit over aI ate this up with a spoon on one lazy holiday Monday.
At the story's start, Grace had left Mitchell a year ago, after he has a raging hissy fit over a misunderstanding. It was easy for him to have a misunderstanding because Grace has been keeping some very important stuff from him. Namely; her disgusting parents. Mind you, she didn't know about who her father was until after Mitchell gets in a lather and she walks out. Why does the argument start? (view spoiler)[He finds a pregnancy test and thinks she is trying to trap him, not letting her explain that it is her sister's. (hide spoiler)]He really did turn into the anti-Christ in his rage though so I can understand her reluctance to go back to him. Wondering if he harbors split personalities or something?
Mitchell I suspect, had fallen for her at first sight. He had a reputation of a ladies man but there's no OWs in the story, thank goodness. No idea how old he is. His parents died when he was barely grown and his godfather, Ray, is a turd to Grace. He has been trying to talk to her for the last year since the argument, but she blocks him at every turn. I got kinda tired of it, to be honest, as she is like this to the very last page.
When Grace's sister Casey dies unexpectedly, she is left with Evie, the baby Casey had after the argument who is already about 9 months old even though Casey had only just found out she was pregnant a year ago. Hmmmm... I guess she could have been in denial til the 6th month?
Anyhow, plot holes aside, this was a harlequin angst fest without the OWs and only very mild on the OM. It is this crisis of Casey's death, that brings Mitchell to Grace's rescue in her time of need. Forcing them to reconnect.
But I have to say the ending was more HFN than HEA. I kinda agreed with Grace that they were in for a turbulent marriage. It made me wonder about the 2 years they were together... Were they just faking it those 2 years? I find it hard to believe that Grace loves him at this point. She's just such a hardass about frickn' EVERYTHING. I really didn't have enough info on Mitchell to decide why he acted the way he did. His actions were contradictory towards the end but I guess anyone would be driven insane by Grace's stubborness. On the plus side, though there are flashbacks, they are few and not distracting. They are also italicized so it isn't confusing at all.
So I guess I prefer the author's paranormal stuff...
safety is good I think? (view spoiler)[It's never said actually whether there are any OWs during the separation. His godfather alludes that there were, but that's all the info that is given for either of them. Nothing is said about Grace's history. There are constant allusions to Mitchell's history of no relationships, but nothing in your face. (hide spoiler)]...more
**spoiler alert** . Well I have a hard time deciding how I feel about this one. 3 stars because I found it hard to put down. There was a lot to like. Th**spoiler alert** . Well I have a hard time deciding how I feel about this one. 3 stars because I found it hard to put down. There was a lot to like. The author had some nice insights into how the characters would feel in reaction to different scenarios, but yet she couldn't seem to deliver a satisfying redemption. Part of this is because there is no epilogue, so the story ends shortly after his grovel. There's no comeuppance for the evil OW, and dammit, it is so richly deserved! I feel vaguely skeevy about Penny living in that house with a man who has been so morally bankrupt in the recent past. Not that I dislike Adam... I just can't wrap my head around his past behavior. But in other ways the story was wonderful. *shrug*
Penny has a tyrant for a brother who puts her down constantly. To escape his rule and keep her money, she needs to marry fast. So she takes off in her carriage and marries the man who literally falls in her path. (view spoiler)[he was trying to commit suicide because he lost a lot of money when an uninsured ship of his cargo sank (hide spoiler)] After a strangely lacking wedding ceremony in Scotland, she finds out he is actually a duke and not a drunken fool... (or perhaps both after all). When Adam wakes sober, their new life together tumbles about as they both find their footing together. Penny isn't smitten with him at first. It takes time for he to see him in a romantic light. She's pretty honest with her own feelings and practical about their relationship. She for the most part, can hold her own against the OW, if Clarissa wasn't quite such a vile scumsucker.
The first 3rd of the book was great! The setup was perfect and the characters are interesting and lead the reader into caring for them both and wanting them to find love... But then big spoilers follow:
we meet Adam's assholes 'friends'... and then we meet his best friend's nasty wife, Clarissa that he fucked had a month long affair with 6 months ago. Clarissa didn't want the affair to end.
She shows up regularly like dog crap for the rest of the book. She is beyond awful with no redeeming characteristics at all. Her husband Tim is a nice guy, in fact he is the only nice person in Adam's group of friends.
I had hoped that the author would downplay the affair and belittle it. But she chooses to just make Clarissa more despicable. Adam has boinked her everywhere it would seem. So his house in the country isn't safe from the OW. In fact she caused a fire that trashed a good part of it. Adam loves his family estate, but also feels lots of guilt when he is there because he is reminded of his sordid behavior with his best friend's wife... and Penny has no trouble deducing this. So she is constantly reminded as well.
But they finally get intimate and things start to look hopeful, BUT here comes Clarissa again, like an OW from an old school harlequin. Now we find out that Adam also wrote XXX love letters to her during their affair that Clarrisa has kept. At the end, these letters are still out there and Adam believes Clarissa will circulate them when they return to London.
...So even though he has told Clarissa where to stick it, and has lost his best friend, the shit storm will continue long after the book ends.
NOT WHAT I CONSIDER A ROMANTIC ENDING!
Adam's character was kinda confusing. He's supposed to be a fantastic politician and Penny has been reading his work in the newspaper for years, but as a person he comes across as feckless and easily corrupted. He does stand up for Penny throughout the story and I did like him. If only the author hadn't made his affair so very awful. If there hadn't been love letters, or if it hadn't lasted so long, or if he hadn't boinked C in music room for the whole mansion to hear...
Anyways, it felt like it ended before the story should have ended. There was no closure. Clarissa looms large in their future and they and the reader feel helpless to do anything about it.
Safety is alright I guess (view spoiler)[She is a virgin. He never breaks his vows. He had a mistress for 2 years (so at the same time as Clarissa as well) but he lets her go shortly after returning to London with Penny. Clarissa makes a few plays for Adam. The last time that ruined his friendship for good was Clarissa blackmailing him to come to her, with the threat of sending one of his letters to Penny. She greets him naked and that's how Tim sees them. Adam isn't even tempted but the damage is done. And I imagine it is a relief to Adam as well as he feels guilt any time he sees Tim. So probably best they don't hang out anymore. (hide spoiler)] Will he stay true to Penny? Yes, I think he will. I was convinced of his love for her and hers for him....more
Delaney the widowed maid and Cash the guy who 'fires' her on the day of Christmas Eve...? Really? Who does that? But maybe it wasn't that cut and driedDelaney the widowed maid and Cash the guy who 'fires' her on the day of Christmas Eve...? Really? Who does that? But maybe it wasn't that cut and dried...
Cash is having a bad day and Delaney is feeling rushed to get away to prepare the house for Christmas for her and her son. But after Cash gets mad at her for an accident, she finds she has lost her wedding ring somewhere in the house. So she dresses up and crashes their family Christmas Eve party to try and find it. Not only does Cash not recognize her but he is totally attracted to her, his mystery lady.
I wanted to like this quick little Christmas romance, and Cash does totally redeem himself... But what started out great became very rushed til a decidedly HFN ending. Then there is a promised epilogue given separately, but only if you join the author's email list.
Really??? I am getting pretty sick and tired of these shenanigans from authors/publishers whoever.
I wanted to like this as much as 'The Millionaire's Marriage', but the characters didn't have the same depth. Still, it was an entertaining low angst I wanted to like this as much as 'The Millionaire's Marriage', but the characters didn't have the same depth. Still, it was an entertaining low angst read.
Laura needs a long holiday from her work as part owner of an up an coming art gallery in Vancouver, BC. Her favourite place to unwind is at her grandmother's house by the beach. But her peace is broken by a grumpy, scruffy mysterious man living in a shack next door. He rebuffs all attempts at civility. Still, they gradually get to know each other and there is definite chemistry. Like the other book I read by CS, it doesn't progress along a predictable formula. There's a lot of push and pull by the stranger, whose name she doesn't even learn til almost 50% in. Laura, instead of running away as she would with most truculent people, finds herself standing her ground and sniping back. I have to say though that it was annoying how he would find her comebacks humorous. Like she's a little girl or something. But she kinda is... (view spoiler)[she's a 28 yr old virgin who has mommy issues and rebels by making herself as self-sufficient as possible (hide spoiler)] So even though her character recognizes the asshat way he talks to her and takes her for granted, I never felt they were on even ground till the very end. At 70% she learns the 'truth' (note the quotations) because he tells her in an effort to push her away... yet again. She runs off back to the city but when she returns to find him, he is gone. (view spoiler)[she thought she was pregnant but it was a false alarm... why didn't she see the doctor first??? (hide spoiler)] Two months later we get the big finale and the 'real' truth and an apology for underestimating her. I did think he redeemed himself in the end but I still didn't like the imbalance of power through most of the story. I don't think she was a doormat, but somehow she always came off the loser in their verbal sparring. Although he does feel compelled to apologize more than once (and especially at the end). They spend most of the book arguing like children...
safety is good (view spoiler)[he's a recently released convict who hasn't had sex since he was incarcerated. I don't get the feeling he was a manho then either though. she is a virgin. They only have sex once and he was pissed afterwards because she was a virgin. Not that she doesn't give him a piece of her mind about that. (hide spoiler)] ...more
Briel the human and Tyce the Skinwalker and leader of the Apex compound. He starts off as an irreverent, arrogant man who thinks women are easily manipBriel the human and Tyce the Skinwalker and leader of the Apex compound. He starts off as an irreverent, arrogant man who thinks women are easily manipulated and mating is for fools such as Monroe. But Monroe sets him up for his comeuppance; Briel. The Affliction strikes hard and immediate, but of course it takes most of the book for them to come together. She is being chased by evil government types and Tyce must keep her and her little sister safe. Safe from the men chasing her and safe from Monroe's manipulations. I liked that Briel doesn't think much of Monroe's tactics either. The forgotten daughter of a general who spent his time helping skinwalkers instead of being there for his wife and daughters, she starts the story off resenting all skinwalkers. Then Tyce kidnaps her and her sister and well... talk about starting off on the wrong foot! It's an uphill battle from there for him to gain her trust. I would have given the story 4 stars but the ending was so peremptory that I felt a bit let down. That and the way Tyce's character became a little diluted towards the end. Next thing you know they'll all join hands and sing kumbaya in the dining hall. (eye roll) But overall I enjoyed it.
Every book the schtick is that the mating never goes smoothly. It's like Conn says in this book..."one day, one of us is actually gonna do this thing right"
Oh my gosh, what an angst fest!! But wait... misleading blurb alert! Tom isn't really forced to choose 'what matters most'. His realization comes to hiOh my gosh, what an angst fest!! But wait... misleading blurb alert! Tom isn't really forced to choose 'what matters most'. His realization comes to him more as a belated result of his poor choices. To little to late??
It isn't really 4 stars for me but I really did enjoy most of it even if it ended on a bit of a fizzle. And Beth... Gah! Where to start with that sanctimonious know-it-all liar. Sheesh! But I digress.
Tom and Lanie are two police officers who have been together for the better part of the year and now live together. She is 8 months pregnant with his child. (an oops with a condom). Does he care? Not really. He misses all the doctor appointments and hasn't even considered baby names yet or helped with decorating the baby room. Why is this? Well, Tom and his partner Beth harbour secrets... potentially love killing secrets if not outright killing secrets. (view spoiler)[He's too hung up on his partner Beth, who he was briefly lovers with. But Beth realized that what they had wasn't real so she dumped him and he said he was OK with that... BUT, he wasn't. It gets worse! Beth and he had gotten involved as a rebound after he helped her leave her psychotic ex husband. A psycho who is still out there and fomenting revenge! But Beth decides it is easier to just pretend he is dead so the only two aware of this threat are Beth and Tom. And only they know about their love affair. (hide spoiler)] All the set up for the angst happens in the first third or so. And it is pretty damning for Tom. But Lanie is NOT a doormat! Grievously injured, Lanie must recover in a world where everything is taken from her and she cannot rely on her so-called-love; Tom. Tom, of course, realizes too late that he loved Lanie (she is 'what matters most'), and now how will she ever believe him? It's a long haul for Tom and to be fair, they both have baggage from their childhoods that makes trust difficult. Stories they have yet to share with each other. Over two months Lanie slowly heals. Their baby is the glue that holds them together for much of that.
I really felt Tom's change from the unfeeling lover to the devoted father and forlorn ex-lover. Lanie was magnificent in her righteous anger!
There is a big turning point around 80% where the author loses me for a while (view spoiler)[ The author uses BETH as the catalyst for the reunion between Tom and Lanie. I suppose she thought it was fitting, seeing as Beth was what tore them apart essentially. But it REALLY rubbed me the wrong way because she was such an unfeeling b*tch about it. It had only been two months since Lanie and her baby almost died because of Beth's negligence... And then she never shows up in the story again. I wanted Lanie to tell Beth where to stick her sanctimonious advice. But sadly there was never any satisfaction on that count. At least she moved to another city. : ( (hide spoiler)] The wrap up was a little too quick after all the long slog through the aftermath, but Tom really does manage to dig himself out of his hole.
Will probably go back and revisit this in future ; )...more
Like a lot of these earlier regencies, the ending is too quick but I still loved it. He was pretty romantic at the end even if she doesn't make him grLike a lot of these earlier regencies, the ending is too quick but I still loved it. He was pretty romantic at the end even if she doesn't make him grovel.
So that and there being a wee bit to much repetition of his 'Tawny hair and golden eyes' made it only 4 stars for me. We get glimpses into his thoughts from time to time and that helped the story from being too one sided.
Justin (Roxham) is pretty much the perfect Earl. Handsome, congenial and a generally nice guy... unless you get on his bad side... Jessica is pretty much the perfect miss. Beautiful (perhaps too much so?), sweet-natured and intelligent. Her life would be perfect if it weren't for Lord Roxham!
Actually that isn't precisely true because it was his younger brother that caused her ruin with his actions and lies. Of course Roxham believes his brother's version of events.
I liked this author's style. There are bad guys but they aren't twirling their mustaches and some of them are redeemable. Now ruined, Jessica has been forced to make a living as a companion to older women. It is hard to find positions because of her beauty, but she can't go home because of her evil step father. You very much get an idea of how little power women had in this time and how easy it was to be forced into a position were your choices are the lesser of two or more evils. Justin doesn't show up til about 25% into the story.
Jessica finds herself now the companion to Roxham's aunt, and of course he comes home and stays home to 'keep and eye on her'. But EVERYONE else likes her and he finds himself starting to like her too. There's a bit of a roller coaster with his admiration growing and then he would remind himself of what his brother said. An old fling of his shows up in the last quarter and makes trouble. But Roxham may be prejudiced against Jessica, but he's no dummy to be easily manipulated by a grasping widow. He does give one last gasp of deplorable behavior towards the end ((view spoiler)[kicking her out on her ear! (hide spoiler)])... but it only added to the romantic ending.
If only there was an epilogue, but I was glad that Roxham came to his senses (view spoiler)[before his brother's return. You don't get to see that conversation unfortunately. (hide spoiler)]. Two things that kept me invested; The characters were interesting and Jessica is no push over.
Safety is good (view spoiler)[ he isn't a manho, but he has gotten steady action over the years. I wish he hadn't had a fling with the widow but he did and it ended before he returned to the country. Jessica is of course a virgin. There's no sexy times though or even fade to black. Just some heavy petting towards the end and a promising amount of lust. (hide spoiler)]...more
Can't resist reading a book that takes place in the city where I currently live ; )
wow, I was so slow to get into this one because it starts out prettCan't resist reading a book that takes place in the city where I currently live ; )
wow, I was so slow to get into this one because it starts out pretty angsty, but I ended up loving it!
Gabriella the passionate girl who accidentally traps Max the stubborn asshat into marriage. That was 2 years ago. Gabriella left 6 months into the marriage. In his mind, everything is her fault and their marriage will never be real until he admits that he was the one who drove her away. Gabriella herself has grown up quite a bit from the 20 year old woman he brought back to Vancouver, Canada from Hungary. They are reunited for her parents visit, because she worries that news of their ruined marriage wouldn't be safe for her father in his questionable health. There are some flashbacks but they are brief and don't take over the story. The characters (especially Gabriella's) are nicely drawn. There is an OW wannabe who shows up about halfway. But she wasn't the usual predictable catty b*tch ... although she is a catty b*tch, lol. In the last 20%, the h gives him one of the best 'you dumbass' speeches ever. Things happen that make the H realize he was a fool, but by then the h isn't ready to forgive and forget. We get yet another delicious heads-up-confession from the h. In the end, I truly felt he was worthy of her.
Gosh I really wish there had been an epilogue, but it was still a wonderful read.
safety (view spoiler)[the OW is his assistant no less. he kissed her a couple times 8 months ago. But it was all initiated by Willow, who has been patiently and rather deviously hoping he'd notice her. He pushed her away and thought she had agreed with him that it had been a mistake. He wasn't as much of a rube about the OW as most H's are. (hide spoiler)]...more
Gauge the skinwalker and Ella the woman on the run. I remember Guage being a bit of a player in previous stories, but apparently that's a thing of theGauge the skinwalker and Ella the woman on the run. I remember Guage being a bit of a player in previous stories, but apparently that's a thing of the past. But he is drawn to Ella from the get go, and not in a good way. It seems more like he's irritated with her. He was like a cat on a hot tin roof, jumping from being considerate and almost tender to annoyed and almost mean. I figure this is because she is his angle and he doesn't know it because.... yep, Jenny strikes again. The author never really explains why Jenny injects this crap into everyone and gets away with it. I know that it provides more interest to the story than an insta love/mating would. But anyways, Ella has been on the run with her daughter for 5 years from her daughter's father. Her friend from college works at the skinwalker estate and offers her a job just when she needs it most. The author cannot write a believable child to save her life. So basically the child is a plot device. There's a push and pull between Ella and Gauge. She refuses to give up her secrets and trust, and Gauge has little patience. Monroe does his usual manipulations. So I enjoyed it. It's short and comfortably predicable. The characters are kinda shallow but fit well into the predictable plot. The ending was kinda rushed (view spoiler)[ but he does finally apologize for being an ass. Justice is served and Gauge commits to her before he gets his affliction. OW free as usual with this author. I think that's part of the reason I like her stuff. (hide spoiler)] I would have given it another star, but the story flow felt kinda choppy with questionable gaps in time... and the little girl was obtuse. More like a 3 year old than a 5 year old. ...more
I was gifted this in Audio format from the author through Audiobook Boom. The reader, Beth Stewart, was pretty good. There are POVs from both MCs and I was gifted this in Audio format from the author through Audiobook Boom. The reader, Beth Stewart, was pretty good. There are POVs from both MCs and she does a nice job with both voices.
Cal and Shelly have been in love since they first met at 16. Married for 6 years they are now both mid 20's and still deeply devoted to each other. The story starts with the catalyst that begins the unraveling of their marriage. Cal on a trip to Vegas with his two BFFs gets black out drunk and wakes hungover and naked with a nameless blond. (view spoiler)[ Did he or didn't he? He can't remember but he's pretty sure. The only thing that really bugged me about the story was that there's no mention of Cal getting tested for STDs and he never searched the room to see if he used a condom. (hide spoiler)] So I'm not a fan of cheaters, but I like the idea of redemption and that's what this story is about. Shelly is of course devastated. She wants a divorce and to sell the house, pronto. Cal is a sweetheart and can't abide the thought of his life without Shelly by his side. He talks her into 8 Saturday dates over 8 weeks to prove their marriage shouldn't be tossed aside. Eight weeks will hopefully lead to cooler heads. We see both characters getting outside POVs of their own marriage and learning from it. The dates are sweet and honestly, Cal is a great husband. It's the little things that make a marriage work. Well that and not taking the other for granted. I have to say I didn't like Shelly as much as Cal, but I was totally rooting for them to get back together. Shelly grows more over the 8 weeks than Cal and not to be too cliche, but their marriage seemed stronger after all was said and done. The angst is surprisingly low considering the entire story revolves around betrayal. The ending felt a bit simplified. Maybe an epilogue would have helped. There are subsequent books of their other BFFs that probably will provide more closure. I would def read this author again....more
Cheesecake
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