"Beautiful Redemption" by Jamie McGuire

Book Information

"Beautiful Redemption" (Maddox brothers - Thomas)

Written by Jamie McGuire

The Series

"Beautiful Disaster" was the book that started it all for me. All it took was a couple of pages of Travis Maddox, and I found myself absolutely addicted. I couldn't get enough. I still can't.

The Wait...

Since I first was introduced to Thomas, I wondered about him. He was the Maddox boy who intrigued me the most... And I waited for his book for what seemed like forever. And you know what, it was SO worth it.

The Story

This is the story of Liis Lindy, an FBI agent who just moved to San Diego from Chicago. She's just gotten out of a relationship, and has plunged herself headlong into a new one -- with her job.

Special Agent In Charge Thomas Maddox's reputation as a "huge, gigantic, enormous asshole" precedes him. He also happens to be sinfully gorgeous, and unknowingly has a one-night stand with his new transfer on her first night in San Diego.

Liis' first assignment under Maddox (well, technically her second, I guess?) is to pose as his girlfriend at Travis & Abby's renewal of vows. A precursor to what may be the hardest thing Thomas has ever had to do -- recruit his baby brother to the FBI.

On the trip, things heat up, and lines are blurred. We've heard before that when a Maddox boy falls in love, he lives forever... but is that still a good thing if you're not the first woman he fell in love with?

My Thoughts

OH. MY. GOD!!! Is "unputdownable" a word yet? It should be. This book was IMPOSSIBLE to put down.

Thomas piqued my curiosity when I first met him in the Beautiful Disaster series, and now I understand why. And feel completely justified in saying long ago that he was my favorite Maddox boy.  Thomas is smart and responsible and still manages to have that Maddox edge to him. He's essentially perfect. He totally still is my favorite. Totally.

Liis is awesome, too. And major plus points for her being Asian. I love it. My favorite Maddox brother falls in love with a hot Asian chick who is smart, sassy and driven ... aka everything I see myself as being. Including attached to Thomas Maddox... In a perfect world *sigh*

I don't know how else to explain this... Jamie McGuire is an absolute master at making characters absolutely come to life. It's like you're not even reading a book -- you're IN the book with those characters. That's how real they are. That's how amazing Jamie McGuire is. You're invested in them from page one, and when the book ends, you tear up a little bit, because you know you've got to let them go for a while. Until the next book, at least. It's so sad!

I was fascinated by the interplay of the characters in this book. It felt good to be introduced to Thomas' world, on the other side of the country... away from all the familiar faces from past books, you can just lose yourself in San Diego, the way you first did in Beautiful Disaster.

Don't worry, all our old friends make their appearances, too... But I've got to say that I quite enjoyed how this story comes chronologically after the other books, and is almost completely removed from them, setting-wise. I was really able to focus on Thomas and his world, without any distractions from old favorite characters popping in and out of the scene.

I like that Thomas' world and life are so different from his brothers'. I can relate to his move to California and sort of insulating himself from his past life -- I did that when I moved to SoCal for college, too.

I LOVE Liis. Maybe because I feel like I can really relate to her. More than I could to Abby or Camille, that's for sure. And not just because she's Asian, too... Don't give me that. Just the kind of person that she is... Ambitious, driven, focused... Prioritized career over men... Avoids commitment and emotional attachment... Until Thomas comes along, that is.

Overall Rating

TEN GIGANTIC stars! Out of five. YES! 

MUST READ!!! 

I LOVE THOMAS! 

I LOVE LIIS!

I LOVELOVELOVE this book!

"Stealing Marilyn Monroe" by Sophie Warren

Book Information

"Stealing Marilyn Monroe"

Written by Sophie Warren

Note: this ebook was generously provided to me by Alloy Entertainment, via Net Galley, in exchange for an unbiased and honest review.

A Bit of Background

I had planned on reading this before midterms started, but about a quarter of the way through the book, my kindle app decided to malfunction, and re-download the file, and I lost all my progress.

I decided to re-read from the beginning when midterms ended, and I am glad that I did. 

 

The Story

Juliet Chadwick had the perfect life: New York City digs, a great art gallery job, a hot rocker boyfriend, and a long-term career in the family business: art theft. All of a sudden, her dad's creditor's break into her home, and demand that she pay off his debts.

Left with little choice, Juliet embarks on a mission that will capitalize on her talents, the ability to seduce men, and the ability to lift valuable art. She's going to bail her father out by seducing Edward Asher, and stealing Warhol's famous Marilyn Monroe painting from his living room... At least that's the plan: unless he and his kids steal her heart first. 

My Thoughts

This book -- if you can suspend your judgment and believe that one woman could have tricked so many people, and been unrecognizable to them by use of wigs, makeup and clothing choices -- is a really fun read.

The idea behind the storyline is really cute and entertaining... but I'm really not quite sure that the execution works. It just seems so impossible to assume that people could be so ignorant, unobservant and Lord knows what else -- that they wouldn't recognize someone who stole from them.

BUT, that aside, the boom is actually well-written. The characters are adorable and relatable. The storyline is cute, and it's a good, light read.

Juliet is fun, intelligent and interesting. Edward is sexy and intriguing. The real star here, though, are the kids. Particularly Cecilia Asher, who is like a full-grown lady detective, trapped in a teacup human sized body, born a couple of decades too late.

The twists and turns that this story takes are believable, but hard to predict, making for a fun adventure with a cast of characters that you could imagine yourself being friends with. 

Overall Rating

4 stars

Recommended! 

Where to Find This Book

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Stealing-Marilyn-Monroe-Sophie-Warren-ebook/dp/B00JPO3400

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/stealing-marilyn-monroe-sophie-warren/1119237892?ean=2940149258239

Good Reads: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/stealing-marilyn-monroe-sophie-warren/1119237892?ean=2940149258239

Kobo: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/stealing-marilyn-monroe-sophie-warren/1119237892?ean=2940149258239

Midterm Exams

Midterm exams are coming up at school, and I haven't had much time to read or write outside of my exam revision materials... So unless anyone would be interested in a book review of the Rules of Court or Corporation Law... I'll be taking a break until this is all done.

"Owning Violet" by Monica Murphy

Book Information

"Owning Violet" (The Fowler Sisters #1)

Written by Monica Murphy

Note: this ebook was generously provided to me by the Random House Publishing Group - Bantam Dell, via Net Galley, in exchange for an unbiased and honest review.

A Bit of Background

In the interest of honesty, I have to come clean about this right up front.  This review is, admittedly, long overdue (much like the one that I wrote for "The Job").  My request for this novel on NetGalley was approved in November, and I wasn't able to read it because of school work overload at the time.  Over the holiday break, I also wasn't able to read this book, because I had neglected to check whether my whole Kindle library had transferred over to my new  iOS device, or if some books had been left out... this happened to be one of the books that got left out, for some reason.

In any case, last week, I received an email from WordSmith Publicity regarding the availability of the Advance Review Copy of the second book in the Fowler Sisters series, entitled "Stealing Rose".  That's when I suddenly remembered that I had yet to read or review "Owning Violet".  So I checked on my Kindle app, redownloaded the ebook, and started in on it.

The Author

I haven't read any of Monica Murphy's other work.  I had heard about her before, via Barnes & Noble and Amazon recommendations (based on other books that I had purchased, read, or enjoyed), and from other people's commentary about having really liked her books.  That's a big part of why I clicked to request "Owning Violet" to begin with -- I recognized the author's name as one that had been recommended to me time and time again, and I figured... well, why not finally give her a shot?!  I'm glad I did.

The Series

Lily, Violet and Rose are the three grand daughters of Dahlia Fowler, the creator of the very successful Fleur Cosmetics company.  The three sisters are born with silver spoons in their mouths, and raised to place importance on success in business, and with a bond between the three of them that ties them together, no matter how divergent their personalities and choices in life.

Each novel in the series focuses on one of the three sisters, beginning with Violet (the middle sister), in "Owning Violet", then moving to Rose (the youngest), in "Stealing Rose", and forthcoming is the book on Lily.

The Style

The chapters alternate between the perspectives of Violet and Ryder, whose voices are distinctly different, but somehow seem to blend together naturally when they tell this continuing story.  Typically, I'm not a fan of this style -- I'd rather stick to one perspective first, throughout the entire series of events, then come back and read them from another character's point of view (the way that "Beautiful Disaster" and "Walking Disaster" by Jamie McGuire are set up).  Somehow, Monica Murphy manages to make it work seamlessly, and I quite enjoyed reading this book.

The Story

Violet Fowler is the middle daughter, the one who has worked hard to earn her position at the family firm, Fleur Cosmetics.  She's the consummate good girl, the responsible one, the daughter who can do no wrong.  She's dating a rising star at the company, Zachary, who her father approves of, and is a good match for her.

At least, that's how it looks on paper.

Zachary is a womanizer, who has cheated repeatedly on Violet, and has used her to fuel his rise within the company.  The night that Violet expects him to propose to her, he informs her that he has gotten a promotion that requires him to move to London for two years, and expects her to be happy for him.  She decides that it's time to move on, and finally breaks things off with him.

As soon as this happens, a new Violet emerges.  The strength and fire that it took for her to brave an attack in her past (and survive it), seems to finally be returning, and it's all thanks to the new man in her life, Ryder McKay.  He's her ex's arch nemesis -- and in many ways, they're very similar: driven to succeed (at all costs), ruthless, and mysterious.  And he wants her.  Badly.

Violet knows that Ryder is bad news, but she's quickly addicted to him, and she doesn't want to give him up.  She has shed the role of dutiful daughter, is breaking all the rules that she set up for herself, and living out loud for once in her life -- and loving it.

She's risking everything that she is on Ryder.  Will he bring her everything she's ever dreamed about and more, or will her entire world come crashing down around her?

 

My Thoughts

WOW!  Again, I'm wondering why in the world it took me this long to start reading this book... to start erading this author!  A few pages into the novel, I was already impressed... and after a few chapters, I waas absolutely hooked.

I found myself sympathyzing with Violet, falling in lust with Ryder, wanting to hit Zachary, absolutely despising Pilar, and all sorts of emotions for all the other characters in between.  It's not often that an erotica novel comes around that affects me this deeply, and pulls me into the characters' world -- but this one did.  And I wanted to be sucked in.

In many ways, Violet brought to mind the rather crass, and very overused phrase "lady in the streets, but a freak in the sheets".  I was impressed that the author was so convincingly able to make me perceive the delineation between Violet's professional demeanor at work, and the all-consuming lust and passion that she felt for Ryder behind closed doors.  It sort of reminded me that people aren't always what they seem on the surface.

I loved the way that Ryder's inner struggle was expressed in this work.  It seemed like he was a bad boy, who discovered that he had a soul, when he assumed for so long that he didn't.  The way he grappled with his conflicting thoughts and emotions seemed so realistic, and not forced, and it made me like his character almost immediately, perhaps more than I was initially supposed to.

Pilar is well-written, and I can imagine her in my mind being an abolutely vapid, spiteful, hateful bitch.  I loved that I hated her, because it signified (to me) that she was an effectively written villainess, and I had to respect her for that, if for nothing else.  Honestly, maybe her character was a little bit flat, in the sense that she seemed almost purely evil, rather than simply being misunderstood... but I enjoyed having someone to hate in this book.

The sex is hot.  REALLY HOT!  But the book stands on its own, even if you take the sexy bits out of it (but let's be honest, why would you go and do that?!) -- it's actually a well-crafted story, with engaging characters, and the hot sex is a great bonus that I appreciated very much.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book.  I had a hard time putting it down in order to study for my classes, like I was supposed to.  In fact, in my breaks from reading for class, I found myself sneaking in chapters of this book... so much for resting my eyes, I suppose.

I think that anyone who likes the work of Christina Lauren (who I absoutely adore), will really enjoy this series, too.  I'm definitely thinking about moving on to Monica Murphy's other work as well, once I'm done reading "Stealing Rose".

Overall Rating

5 big, bright, shiny stars

Very very highly recommended!!!

"Beautiful Oblivion" by Jamie McGuire

Book Information

"Beautiful Oblivion" (Maddox brothers - Trent)

Written by Jamie McGuire

The Series

"Beautiful Disaster" captured my attention, and Travis Maddox captured my heart from the moment I first welcomed them both into my life. Travis was the book boyfriend that no other guy (in real life or otherwise) could measure up to... Until Trenton Maddox came into the picture.

The Story

This book follows Camille "Cami" Camlin's story, roughly through the same timeline as "Beautiful Disaster". She's fiercely independent, as a result of her less than perfect childhood and largely dysfunctional family. She tends bar at the popular Red Door bar near the campus of Eastern State University to make rent and maintain her life away from her parents' home. 

Trenton Maddox used to be the king of Eastern State until an accident a year and a half ago changed his life and his mindset. 

One fateful night, Trent catches Cami alone at a table at the Red. His famous panty-melting charm is turned on full-force, but Cami is confident that she can resist Trent. After all, she is in a long-distance relationship with her mysterious boyfriend, who we only know as T.J., and so they can truly only be friends.

The only problem is that when a Maddox boy falls in love, he loves forever. Trenton Maddox isn't giving Cami up without a fight.

My Thoughts

OH MY GODDDD!!! WHY did I wait so long to read this book?!?

If you've read "Beautiful Disaster", and fell in love with Travis (because who didn't fall in love with him?!), and you haven't read this book... You're seriously missing out.

We were introduced to the characters of Trent and Cami in the previous books, and I've always been curious about their relationship, so when it was announced that the Maddox Brothers series was in process and would be released, I was elated. Let me just say that Jamie Maguire did NOT disappoint.

"Beautiful Oblivion" is, appropriately, beautifully written. The characters come alive, and you find yourself empathizing with their emotions and personally invested in the situations that they find themselves in. 

I loved finding out more about Cami, and how she came to be the tatted up bartender at the Red Door, and Trent's girl, who we met in the previous novels. I think I just might like her more than Abby, actually... I respect her no-nonsense attitude, and the fact that she's a little older means that there's less of the juvenile, childlike quality that seems to endear Abby to Travis, and a tougher, more mature woman who seems to be a good match for Trent.

As for Trent, well... when I proclaimed previously that no book boyfriend would ever measure up to Travis, I was wrong. I did not expect to fall in love with Trent as much as I did, nor did I expect it to happen quite so quickly. He's got the same Maddox charm, and good looks, but a tougher, more worldly perspective on life. Maturity is a very becoming quality in a Maddox boy, apparently.

Which brings me back to my initial assessment... I was most excited to meet Thomas, of all the Maddox brothers. I still am. I can't wait til "Beautiful Redemption" is released so I can dive into his mind and life next. But, I digress...

As for the other characters, almost the whole cast makes return appearances in this novel, including old favorites, Travis and Abby, and even their supporting cast, America and Shepley, albeit less prominent and far less irritating this time around.

Of the new characters that are introduced in this novel, Hazel is my favorite. It's not JUST because she's Filipina, but also because she's a freaking badass. Seriously. She's awesome. Really awesome. I love her.

Overall Rating

EIGHT big, bright, shiny stars! Out of five. Yes! 

MUST READ!!!

The "Speak Easy" boxed set by Melanie Harlow

Books Included

"Speak Easy" and "Speak Low"

Written by Melanie Harlow

Note: I purchased this ebook box set on Amazon. What follows is my unbiased and honest review.

Series Information

"Speak Easy" and "Speak Low" are the two parts of Melanie Harlow's 1920's historical romance series.  The series only has two parts, both of which are contained in this box set.

This series is peripherally related to "Forked" in the "Frenched" series, which also makes specific reference to Tiny O'Mara and Joey Lupo.  It is not necessary to read the "Speak Easy" series and the "Frenched" series together.  They do not share a storyline, but "Forked" has a link to the "Speak Easy" characters.

Just A Note...

I read this set straight through from beginning to end, so I'm not quite sure at which point in the storyline "Speak Easy" ends and "Speak Low" begins.  It is for that reason that I am reviewing this in its totality as a set, rather than doing two separate reviews.  Honestly, you really sort of need to read these books together, anyway... and they're good enough and quick enough that you can read straight through without stopping.  Plus, it's cheaper to get the set than to buy them separately.  

The Story

This story takes place during the time of prohibition, and Tiny O'Mara works for her father's small bootlegging operation, smuggling liquor from Canada into Detroit.  Things are all coming up roses, until Tiny's father is kidnapped, and held for ransom by a local mob boss.  Tiny has only a week to come up with the $10,000 ransom, and she has no idea how to do it.

Enzo DiFiore is the son of the mob boss holding her father hostage, but Tiny can't seem to keep her mind or her hands off him.

Joey Lupo is Tiny's childhood friend, who has the connections and willingness to help her come up with the cash.  He's got his own thoughts on the mob faction rivalry, and the future of his relationship with Tiny.

Motivated by getting her father back, and starting her own life outside of his shadow, Tiny makes some unlikely alliances, and gets caught up in the heady world of booze, boys, and bad decisions.  Pretty soon, she's struggling to figure out what the right move is, and who the right guy for her is.  Tiny has to survive this whole ordeal, with her body, mind and heart intact... but with all the men in her life, and the added complications of their differing motivations, it's going to be hard for her to do just that.

My Thoughts

I'm usually not into historical romances... but I so enjoyed Melanie Harlow's "Frenched" series that I decided to give this set a try as well, and I am certainly glad that I did. Clearly, I'm a fan of how how Melanie Harlow writes.  I am very much looking forward to the next installment of the "Frenched" series. If you liked "Frenched", then you'll like "Speak Easy" and "Speak Low".  

The storyline is not just fast-paced and action-packed, it's also highly charged with emotion.  It's easy to get engrossed in what's going on, and be so caught up in the plot and description that you forget you're in the present time, and feel like a spectator in the 1920s mob scene.  In fact, if you're anything like me, you might find yourself wishing that you were in that era instead of this one.

The love story plays a fairly prominent role in the storyline of these novels, but it's one that is compelling and not forced.  It is artfully woven into the story, such that it's an inextricable part of the plot, but is unobtrusive, and not annoyingly pushed on you at all.

It's easy to see why Tiny is conflicted in her choice between Enzo and Joey.  Based on the way that they are described, I would probably have the same sort of struggle with the choice.  The only issue that I have with this is that having read "Forked" of the "Frenched" series, you already know who she ends up with, and you're just reading to find out how that happens.

I found these books really enjoyable, and found that I didn't notice how much time had passed since I started reading when I finally finished both books.  They're that interesting, and they're really that good.

Part of me wishes that there would be a spinoff series for what happens to some of the other characters in this story.  I'd like to know what happens to the man who doesn't end up winning Tiny's heart.  I'd like to know who Rosie ends up with, if anyone.  I'd like to know if Evelyn ends up with Ted, and how their life goes after this book ends.  I'd like to know what happens to Tiny's sisters and how their lives turn out after this.  These are all minor characters, but they're written in such a compelling manner that I still wonder about what happened to them.

Overall Rating

4.5 stars!

Very enthusiastically, highly recommended!

Read this NOW!

"Beautiful Surrender" by Priscilla West

Book Information

"Beautiful Surrender" (Surrender series #3)

Written by Priscilla West

Note: the advance review copy of this ebook was generously provided to me by Blackbird Publishing, via Net Galley, in exchange for an unbiased and honest review.

The Story

This is the final installment of the Surrender serial by Priscilla West.

The book opens with a backgrounder on Kristen's past relationship with Marty, before flashing forward to the present where he has shown up at her door.

With the help of her burly neighbors, Marty is subdued as he attempts to apologize to Kristen, and Vincent shows up to beat Marty to a bloody pulp, thus terrifying Kristen and causing her to distrust him even more.

He spends the rest of the first half of the book trying to make it up to her, and getting her to trust him again, and getting back into her pants. This includes taking her to meet his sister and her family on the occasion of his nephew's birthday.

Kristen winds up pregnant from their earlier encounter on his private island, and struggles to find the right words and the right time to tell Vincent about it.

Marty's re-appearance throws a wrench into things once more, and Vincent and Kristen find themselves fighting for their love, their lives and each other. 

My Thoughts

I fully expected this book to pick up right where the last one left off, but instead found myself a little bit confused when I first picked it up, because I wasn't quite sure what was going on.  It took me a couple of pages to understand that we were starting off with flashbacks of Kristen and Marty's past together. It would have been nice to get a little introduction or sign of a segue, but there was none to be found here.

The reappearance of Marty (and to an extent, even Ariel Diamond's character's appearance at all) serves to add a bunch of unnecessary drama to the lives of the happy couple. I almost feel like these two were just thrown in there to give the serial a reason to go on, when it would have been perfectly acceptable to wrap things up all in the first novel.

Honestly, I felt like this serial had so much promise when it started, but it got increasingly unrealistic and messy as the plot line moved forward, then seemed haphazardly thrown back together at the end to make the reader feel like this was worth his/her time and money.

Kristen's character started out strong and interesting, then was reduced to a needy, whiny baby at the end. Vincent's character, too, started out as thrill seeking, tantalizing and sexy, and quickly turned domesticated and a willing nanny for his childish girlfriend. It was a disappointment for me. A really big disappointment, actually... As a skydiver myself, I know that I would not be able to give up my adrenaline rush for someone, no matter how much I loved them. In fact, I don't think I could be with someone for an extended period of time if they did not share at least a curiosity or willingness to try to live life on the edge... I think it's unrealistic that Vincent made that much of a 180 in that short a span of time. 

Overall Rating

2 stars

Only recommended if you've already read the first two, and really want to know how it ends. 

"Secret Surrender" by Priscilla West

Book Information

"Secret Surrender" (Surrender series #2)

Written by Priscilla West

Note: the advance review copy of this ebook was generously provided to me by Blackbird Publishing, via Net Galley, in exchange for an unbiased and honest review.

The Story

This book picks up right where "Forbidden Surrender" left off.

The adventures of Vincent and Kristen continue, and this time, the theme of the book is safety. After the threat that is Marty is revealed in the last book, Vincent takes an active interest in keeping Kristen safe. They take a trip to the military surplus store, where after trying a few things on for size, she picks up two personal safety items.

Vincent immediately leaves to go on a business trip to Brazil, and he arranges to have a Skype session with Kristen while he is there. They engage in some pretty amazing video call sex while he's away, which leaves Kristen very hot and bothered -- about why he doesn't call her again for most of the rest of the trip.

Vincent redeems himself by telling her he'll take her someplace special when he returns, and she is immediately mollified.

Someplace "special" turns out to be (surprise!) Vincent's private island, where they have amazing sex in a tent on the beach, by a bonfire under the starry night sky, in his villa, and behind a secret waterfall.

When they hop over to a larger island for food and supplies, they run into Ariel Diamond, one of Vincent's ex girlfriends, for whom he got his diamond tattoo. Kristen proceeds to get extremely jealous, and she and Vincent have their first fight -- which is short lived, since he knows just what to say to make any woman forgive him.

This installment concludes with Vincent jetting off to another business trip, wherein he is too busy to call Kristen. She takes this as a sign of disinterest, and pines away for her unrequited feelings.

As soon as he returns, she plans to take him out to dinner at a fancy steak restaurant. Everything goes according to plan until she sees a text message pop up on his phone from Ariel, and completely loses it. She leaves the restaurant in a huff, and heads back home to sulk, totally ignoring his calls and messages, until she hears banging on her door.

She opens the door, thinking it is Vincent, coming to apologize, but it turns out to be Marty instead...

My Thoughts

The way this serial is going, it sort of feels like something on social media where the author hit the word limit on a first post, and just had to continue what she was saying in a second one... Which is sort of the same thing that happens at the end of this book, as well. Not so much a cliffhanger, as just running out of space.

At the military surplus store (in the middle of nowhere?), Kristen picks up a mace necklace, and a taser, also known as the girliest items that the store had to offer. Kristen starts to get on my nerves at this point, because she's so adamant about NOT needing protection, when CLEARLY, she has no idea how to defend herself. It's a little pathetic.

Kristen has decidedly taken a turn for the needy by this point, and it is almost ridiculous how she acts so childlike and he still stays with her, given his many other options.

On the private island, everything seems to be back to normal, with hot sex and the return of the sane Kristen -- until Ariel shows up and makes her completely insane with jealousy. If I wasn't already so convinced of Kristen's neediness, I might feel sorry for her, but at this point I'm sort of rooting for Ariel, even though it's clear that the author doesn't want to go in that direction.

When Vincent returns from yet another business trip, Kristen is predictably thrilled by his presence, then freaks it at the first given opportunity. She has become decidedly irritating, and not at all the girl that Vincent fell for in book 1, who was willing to take the risk of holding a poisonous spider, and go surfing for the first time.

The highlight of the book for me is the sex. The scenes are steamy and well written, and they make you want to phone a friend via your Skype app and reenact the video call experience for yourself.

Other than that, the storyline has taken a turn for the predictable, and the main female character seems to be spending her time turning into a needy, childish brat who no hot billionaire in his right mind would put up with -- especially not a former playboy with many other options.

Overall Rating

3.5 stars. This would be 2.5 stars if it weren't for the really really really hot sex scenes. They're that good.

Only recommended if you've read the first one, and want to see what happens next. 

"Forbidden Surrender" by Priscilla West

Book Information

"Forbidden Surrender" (The Surrender series #1)

Written by Priscilla West

Note: the advance review copy of this ebook was generously provided to me by Blackbird Publishing, via Net Galley, in exchange for an unbiased and honest review.

The Story

Kristen Daley is a Harvard graduate, with a degree in economics, working for a large wealth management firm in Manhattan. She is straight laced, follows the rules, and is an all around good girl.

Vincent Sorensen is a thrill-seeking rebel CEO of a South Africa based sport camera company, and potential client.

Kristen and Vincent's worlds collide when by a stroke of good luck, she is sent as part of the team to convince him to invest with their company. From the first time they lay eyes on each other, the tension between them is palpable. In their successive meetings, the tension builds even more, until they're suddenly seeing fireworks, and each other naked.

My thoughts

This was a good quick read. Like, really quick -- I finished the entire book in less than an hour.

Kristen seems like a more repressed version of myself. I think she fights the feelings that she has for Vincent because of the effects it might have on her career, but ultimately gives in to what she really wants. I guess the internal struggle isn't quite as developed as I would like it to be, but I can't really blame Kristen, since Vincent sounds delicious.

Vincent is the serious, brooding type, and happens to have chiseled abs, tatts and nipple rings. He's not the typical CEO, but that only makes him more interesting and irresistible. Being a skydiver myself, I think I am drawn to the fact that he is a thrill-seeker. I would have liked to see this angle played up more than just the surfing bit, and look forward to seeing more of it brought to light in succeeding books in the series. 

The basic plot line honestly seems a bit played out... Good girl falls in love with wealthy bad boy, in forbidden romance. But the writing is solid, and something about the way the characters are portrayed still made me want to read til the end of the book (and I did just that).

There are several loose ends that still need to be tied up in the next installment, and because I'm a curious kind of person, I'll be reading those books next.

Overall Rating

3.5 stars

Recommended for a quick, fun read.

"Frenched" by Melanie Harlow

Book Information

"Frenched" (Frenched series: book 1)

Written by: Melanie Harlow

Note: this ebook was free on Amazon when I one-clicked it. What follows is my unbiased and honest review.

Why I Clicked

I was looking for something fun to read over the short holiday break, and this book was likened to Alice Clayton's "Rusty Nailed", which I thoroughly enjoyed. Plus, it was free, so I figured I didn't have anything to lose... Suffice it to say, I am rally glad I clicked through, and ended up devouring the entire series (and the spinoff series) in a matter of days. 

The Story

Mia Devine has been left at the altar by her fiancé, infamous playboy, Tucker Branch, who called off the wedding via text message from Las Vegas.

Mia wants nothing more than to hide out for the rest of her life, but her friends have other plans for her... They convince her to pack her bag, and push through with her honeymoon trip to Paris -- solo.

She attempts to enjoy herself in the city of love, but sees happy couples everywhere, remindeing her of her own ill-fated relationship. That's when she storms into a little bar, and meets Lucas Fournier, a French-American bartender with a smart mouth.

Lucas isn't Mia's type, nor has he endeared himself to her on their first encounter, but she accepts his offer to show her around Paris.

With each passing day, Mia heals a little more, and Lucas finds his way under her skin, into her mind and between her legs... and maybe, just maybe also into her heart.

My Thoughts

Like I said before, I am so glad that I one-clicked this book! I think that the comparison to "Rusty Nailed" is a bit unfair, since they're such different stories, but maybe in a sense, they're similar because of the fun, flirty humor, and seriously sexy sex scenes. In fact, I think this is more aptly likened to Christina Lauren's "Beautiful Bastard" or "Sweet Filthy Boy". In any case, all are great books, but in their own way.

Mia is cute and funny and realistically written. Lucas isn't over the top sexy, but really does have this certain appeal. You can see why the characters may not make sense together at first, and you can also see why they end up being so good together as the story develops.

What I liked most about this book was that it is a quick and light read. The story doesn't take itself too seriously, and the sex scenes (although steamy and well written) aren't the main focus of the book. They serve to supplement the already great chemistry between two well written main characters. Actually, even the supporting characters are well written, and while reading, you wonder what goes on in their lives as well (and you find out more about that in the later books).

I couldn't put this down. I was sad when it ended... Until I figured out that there were more books that followed. I promptly one-clicked all of those, too... Reviews for the rest of the series are forthcoming.

Overall Rating

5 stars

Very highly recommended

One-click now while this is still free!

"The Job" by Janet Evanovich

Book Information

"The Job"  (Fox and O'Hare #3)

Written by: Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg

Note: this ebook was generously provided to me by the Random House Publishing Group - Bantam Dell, via Net Galley, in exchange for an unbiased and honest review.

Why this Review Took so Long

First, I have to come clean about something in regard to this book... This was the first book that I requested via NetGalley, because I am a huge Janet Evanovich fan (because of the Plum series). I received my copy of this ebook on 1 November, and was unable to get around to reading it immediately, because of my obligations with school. It was only this past week that I finally was able to finish reading "The Job", since I decided to read the other novels and novellas in the series first. So, yes, the review is over a month late, and for that I apologize.

Series Background

There are two novels ("The Heist" and "The Chase") and two novellas ("Pros & Cons" and "The Shell Game") that precede "The Job" in the Fox and O'Hare series. All of them center around the same characters (Kate O'Hare and Nicolas Fox) with a different "con" as the focus of each book.

The Story

FBI Special Agent Kate O'Hare secretly teams up (again) with charming con artist Nicolas Fox to bring another villain to justice - this time, their mark is the leader of a worldwide drug empire, whose new identity and appearance are unknown. 
Kate is hauled out of her peaceful Los Angeles office to investigate a Fox-like crime, which Nick swears he didn't commit. The trail leads her to Nashville, Istanbul, Cologne, then to Orleans, chasing her Fox-a-like criminal, who turns out to be Nick's former associate, Serena.

When Kate takes Serena down, with Nick's help, the duo learn of a bigger plot which they definitely need to work together in order to resolve.
In Lisbon, Kate and Nick reassemble their band of merry misfits (from the previous books, including old favorites Willie and Boyd, and of course, Kate's fearless father, and new additions, like an award winning special effects designer and a Somali pirate) to bring the international drug lord formerly known as Menendez behind bars.

On this adventure, the crew encounters a Fado playing Portugese enforcer, who takes advice from a head preserved in formaldehyde, and a psychotic female body guard, intent on harming Kate.
This con is the most elaborate one they've pulled so far, but if anyone can get the job done, it's Kate O'Hare and Nick Fox, assisted by their motley crew of friends.

My Thoughts

As I mentioned before, I am a huge Janet Evanovich fan. I have read all the Stephanie Plum novels to date, and had to catch up on the Fox & O'Hare series when I got approved to read "The Job" on NetGalley. Each book in the series is essentially a standalone, and there's no annoying cliffhanger at the end. This series, and particularly this book, do not disappoint.

The chemistry between Kate and Nick is fun and exciting, without getting in the way of the development of the storyline. The banter between these two is witty and light, and fun to imagine. The love angle is significantly less pronounced than the Morelli-Ranger-Plum love triangle, for sure, and sort of seems like a bonus point of interest, rather than the central focus of the story.

The plot development is quick, and keeps those pages turning at a constant rate, in an effort to find out what crazy thing happens next. There are no slow, dragging bits. The pace is fast throughout, but doesn't compromise any of the important details. 

There is a distinctly Evanovich mix of suspense, mystery, action, romance, comedy and high-octane fun in this book that makes it such an enjoyable read, and leaves you waiting impatiently for another installment in the series.

This book's villain, Menendez, is well-crafted and interesting his background makes him seem worthy of a Fox and O'Hare takedown. Nick's ploy to smoke him out, and how it works is so simple and crazy that you think there isn't any way it will work, but it does... Although the detail and planning here is sorely lacking and feels rushed (not like Nick Fox at all).

Menendez's character is perhaps only slightly outdone by his psycho bodyguard, Reyna, who is both intense and insane... and intensely insane, too.

The takedown is, as always, explosive and entertaining, but sadly doesn't involve Kate's dad, or the merry misfits, who depart immediately following the con, which leads to the takedown, but isn't actually part of it.

The wrap up of the Serena issue at the end of the book feels like it's just tacked on there, and may have been better left out.

Taken together, the positives of the book far outweigh the negatives, and I am waiting with bated breath for the next installment in the series. As always, Evanovich knocks it out of the park!

Overall Rating

4.5 stars

Highly recommended