Category Archives: Realistic

April 5, 2015 · 9:30 am

Still the One (Animal Magnetism, #6) by Jill Shalvis

Still the One (Animal Magnetism, #6)Still the One by Jill Shalvis

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Title: Still the One
Author: Jill Shalvis
Series: Animal Magnetism, #6
Pages: 320
Publisher: Berkley
Date: April 7, 2015

Summary:

Darcy Stone is game for anything — except sexy Navy veteran and physical therapist A.J. Colten, the guy who’d rejected her when she’d needed him most. Now the shoe is on the other foot and he needs her to play nice and help him secure grants for his patients. Unfortunately, Darcy can’t refuse. She needs the money to fund her passion project: rescuing S&R dogs and placing them with emotionally wounded soldiers.


A.J. admits it — Darcy is irresistible. But he’s already been battle-scarred by a strong-willed, vivacious, adventurous woman like Darcy, and he’s not making the same mistake twice—until he and Darcy are forced to fake a relationship. Growing closer than they’d ever imagined possible, Darcy and AJ have to ask themselves: how much between them is pretend? What’s the real thing? And where does it go from here?

Review:

A great thing about Jill Shalvis’ series is I always feel like I’m with old friends. Characters from earlier books are an integral part of the plot. They’re just not the main characters.

And with that said, we’ve already met Darcy and AJ in previous books. Darcy is the crazy, globetrotting younger sister of Wyatt from Then Came You and AJ is his serious, uptight best friend.

So, of course, they fall in lust . . . I mean love.

After a terrible automobile accident, Darcy’s globetrotting days are over. Without AJ’s expertise as a physical therapist, even her days of walking would have been over.

The only thing stronger than the chemistry between them is how much they annoy each other.

Wyatt, talking to AJ about Darcy:

“She does seem to take some serious delight in screwing with you. What did you do to piss her off?”
“Breathe.”

So, of course, a situation arises where they need each other . . . and where they end up spending time alone in a hotel . . . and . . . you get the picture.

I love a snarky heroine and Darcy certainly fits that description. Unfortunately, her snark is brought on by a childhood of rejection from her parents. If her snark keeps people away, then they can’t reject her, right?

After lots of miscommunication and wrong assumptions (and why can’t couples TALK to each other? Oh yeah, there wouldn’t be a book then.), AJ and Darcy finally get their HEA. Neither one is confident they can make the other happy, but they are both determined to be there and do their best.

This was not my favorite book of the series and I think it was because it was too real. They know things are not perfect just because they have admitted their love for each other. They both know that due to their own personal issues, they will have to work at the relationship.

And that was just a little too real life for me.

Still the One is “still” a great addition to the series. Read the others first. You won’t regret it.

This book was sent to me by NetGalley in return for an honest review.

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March 8, 2015 · 11:26 am

A Midsummer Night’s Romp (Ainslie Brothers, #2) by Katie MacAlister

A Midsummer Night's Romp (Ainslie Brothers, #2)A Midsummer Night’s Romp by Katie MacAlister

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Title: A Midsummer Night’s Romp
Author: Katie MacAlister
Series: Ainslie Brothers, #2
Pages: 352
Publisher: Signet
Date: May 5, 2015

Summary:

Lorina Liddel is terrified of embarrassing herself on national TV as the face of Dig Britain!, a new archeological reality show. Lorina would much rather keep her head down and her hands in the dirt underneath Ainslie Castle, but her on-screen partner is proving to be a major distraction.

Brother to the castle’s current lord, privileged, perfectly sculpted Gunner Ainslie is a sure bet to keep viewers glued to their screens. Lorina intends to keep the ladies’ man focused on the job at hand, but Gunner is confident he’ll soon have the beauty falling into his bed.

When an unexpected find turns the academic dig into an all-out treasure hunt, Lorina and Gunner get swept up in the excitement. But when their steamy tryst is caught on camera, it’ll take more than an award-winning performance to get them out of the hole they’re in…

Review:

MacAlister’s books are always fun to read. The plots are enticing, but it’s really the humor which keeps me coming back. And by humor, I mean laugh out loud, wipe the tears from your eyes, humor.

A Midsummer Night’s Romp is no exception. Sometimes the dialogue was so staged, it was almost too much.

Gunner: “ . . . as a man who values you for more than just your delectable body, and enticing breasts, and truly magnificent ass, I will take it upon myself to provide that distraction so that you might be comfortable, mentally speaking.”

I mean, really, that’s a bit over the top. This sort of dialogue happens over and over again, but it’s not bad writing. It’s completely intentional.

And then there are lines like these, which make me laugh out loud.

Lorina (who has the really bad habit of blurting out whatever she’s thinking): “I did it again. Or rather, my mouth did. I can’t take it anywhere anymore.”

There’s a villain, or is it two? A hidden treasure and a couple falling in love. A horse crazy teenage girl who has manipulation down to an art . . . and a Roman archaeological dig.
Somehow MacAlister makes it all work.

You really need to read these two books in order. A lot of the background for “Romp” is covered in the first book and I can’t wait for book three. There’s no word yet on a title or who the book will be about, but there are plenty of characters to choose from.

If you are in the mood for something light and entertaining, grab these books. Grab anything by Katie MacAlister. You will not be disappointed.

This book was sent to me by NetGalley in return for an honest review.

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March 8, 2015 · 5:28 am

Waiting on You (Blue Heron, #3) by Kristan Higgins

Waiting On You (Blue Heron #3)Waiting On You by Kristan Higgins

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Does being nobody’s fool mean that you’re nobody’s love?

Colleen O’Rourke is in love with love… just not when it comes to herself. Most nights, she can be found behind the bar at the Manningsport, New York, tavern she owns with her twin brother, doling out romantic advice to the lovelorn, mixing martinis and staying more or less happily single. See, ten years ago, Lucas Campbell, her first love, broke her heart… an experience Colleen doesn’t want to have again, thanks. Since then, she’s been happy with a fling here and there, some elite-level flirting and playing matchmaker to her friends.

But a family emergency has brought Lucas back to town, handsome as ever and still the only man who’s ever been able to crack her defenses. Seems like maybe they’ve got some unfinished business waiting for them—but to find out, Colleen has to let her guard down, or risk losing a second chance with the only man she’s ever loved.

I loved the first two books in the Blue Heron series, but this one was absolutely wonderful. I hated the time the two were apart and the problems that had when they finally met again. However, when you consider how dysfunctional their childhoods had been, it’s amazing they ever worked things out.

This one will hurt your heart, but the ending makes it worthwhile.

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February 16, 2015 · 8:59 pm

The Billionaire and the Virgin (Billionaires & Bridesmaids, #1) by Jessica Clare

The Billionaire and the Virgin (Billionaires and Bridesmaids, #1)The Billionaire and the Virgin by Jessica Clare

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Title: The Billionaire and the Virgin
Author: Jessica Clare
Series: Billionaires & Bridesmaids, #1 (spinoff of Billionaires Boys Club)
Publisher: Intermix
Date: February 17, 2015

This book was supplied to me through NetGalley for an honest review.

Marjorie Ivarsson is the picture of naivete. A hardworking waitress raised by her grandmother, an evening playing bingo is her sort of socialising. But when she’s invited to be a bridesmaid at her friend Bronte’s wedding, she enters a whole new world.

Whisked away to the billionaire groom’s private island, Marjorie is awe-struck by the glitz and glamour. But what dazzles her most is notorious playboy and hot-shot TV producer Robert Cannon.

After Marjorie saves Robert from drowning in the island’s turquoise lagoon, she can’t help but feel drawn to him. But she’s not the only woman intrigued, and with his wild and womanising ways, they couldn’t be more wrong for each other. With the blistering attraction between them becoming hard to ignore, and the idyllic, irresistibly romantic island as their playground – will opposites attract?

Rating: 2 out of 5

I have to say this is the lowest rating I have ever given a book that I actually finished. The writing was not bad and the plot could have been interesting. The main problem was I hated Robert, the main male character. His personality is completely obnoxious. Yes, there are extenuating circumstances. Yes, he tries to become a better person for the woman he falls in love with . . ., but it wasn’t enough to save the book.

Having Marjorie being totally inexperienced and living in a world far from the norm made it even worse. She is more comfortable with the elderly than she is with her own generation. She talks like them, has the same values as they do (which is not necessarily a bad thing) , and, for Pete’s Sake, she plays shuffleboard!

So, of course, she ends up with Robert who makes Hugh Hefner look good.

Most of the time, I purchase the books I have reviewed. Even though I have received free copies, I like to support the authors. That will not be the case with this book. It’s not terrible and I wish I had read the books in the original series (Billionaire Boys Club) before this one. Now my opinion of the series will always be colored by a very unlikeable character.

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January 25, 2015 · 10:29 am

Ace’s Wild (Hell’s Eight, #7) by Sarah McCarty

Ace's Wild (Hell's Eight, #7)Ace’s Wild by Sarah McCarty

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Title: Ace’s Wild
Author: Sarah McCarty
Series: Hell’s Eight, #7
Pages: 416
Publisher: HQN Books
Date: January 27, 2015

Summary:

When you gamble with desire, be prepared to risk everything……

Unlike the rest of the Hell’s Eight brotherhood, Ace Parker’s home isn’t on the range. This restless cowboy craves the hustle of Simple, Texas, a lawless town where he can sate his darker appetites without guilt. At least he did, until Petunia Wayfield arrived. The prickly new teacher is insisting that Ace help her rid the town of drunkenness and card playing. For that kind of miracle, Ace demands a reward the spinster schoolmarm will surely never give.

But Petunia isn’t backing down. Not when the intense passion Ace offers shatters her to the core. As soon as she can afford a ticket home back east, she’ll leave Simple behind for good. Until then, she’ll match his sensual challenge with her own, daring him to give up his fiercely guarded self-control. And then real danger claims Petunia, forcing Ace to reveal the man he really is—even if it drives her away forever….

Review:

This book was sent to me by NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Sarah McCarty has done it again. Ace’s Wild, the seventh book in the Hell’s Eight series, is totally satisfying. As in the previous books, there is a strong alpha male and a woman in need of help. This sounds sexist, but the women are strong in their own right. They need help due to circumstances outside of their control.

Which brings me to a focus of Ace’s Wild that I don’t remember from the previous books – social justice – in particular, the lack of support available to women and children who find themselves in a dangerous situation.

Petunia hopes to open a boarding school for children to give them a safe place to live. She is only temporarily in Simple, Texas until she can earn enough money to move to California where she plans to a open a more prestigious school that will serve more children.

Ace does not think he is good enough for “Pet,” but he protects her anyway. He wants her and she wants him, but they are both too stubborn to admit it.
So we have two hardheaded people who both think they know what they want. Add in a kidnapping (a staple in this series), some mild bondage, and interference by good friends and we finally get to a Happily Ever After.

I loved this book and I hate that the series is almost over. I have read Sarah McCarty’s other books – yes, all of them – and they are really good. However, I just have a special place in my heart for the Hell’s Eight. The men are just as damaged by circumstances as the women, but they are good men anyway. You just have to love an alpha male . . . at least the fictional ones.

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January 18, 2015 · 4:31 pm

Adam (Riding Hard, #1) by Jennifer Ashley

Adam (Riding Hard #1)Adam by Jennifer Ashley

Adam Campbell returns to his ranch in Riverbend, Texas, after a movie stunt goes wrong, seriously injuring him. He settles in to heal at his family’s ranch, where his four brothers train stunt horses and do stunt riding for movies, as Adam had before he’d moved to Hollywood.

He’s stunned to find Bailey Farrell working there–Bailey was the shy girl who’d helped Adam graduate from high school so he could run off to be in movies. Except the budding Bailey, with whom Adam had a brief but intense affair, has blossomed into a beautiful woman.

Now Adam is beaten-up, broken-down, and has lost his nerve, since the stunt that injured him killed his best friend. When he’s challenged by his rival to a contest of riding feats, the only person he can turn to is Bailey, who helped him once before.

Will Bailey, who has also come to Riverbend to lick her wounds after a life as a software tech in Austin and a painful divorce, be willing to help him again?
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I loved this book. Adam is Jennifer Ashley’s first contemporary romance and it is as wonderful as her other books. Even though Adam is not an alpha shifter or and alpha laird, he is very much an alpha male. He is, however, damaged if not broken. It is up to his first love, Bailey, to prove he is still as strong as he ever was.

As with all her books, the couples are both strong characters. They both have something the other needs and manage to work out their differences.

I am pleased that the next book is about Grant. I really want to hear his and Christina’s story.

I am very, very pleased that there is not a long wait between books. According to the author’s website, all of the books will be published this year . . . and I will be preordering them as soon as they become available.

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January 4, 2015 · 12:22 pm

The Importance of Being Alice (Ainslie Brothers, #1) by Katie MacAlister

The Importance of Being Alice (Ainslie Brothers, #1)The Importance of Being Alice by Katie MacAlister

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Title: The Importance of Being Alice
Author: Katie MacAlister
Series: Ainslie Brothers, #1 (aka A Matchmaker in Wonderland)
Publisher: Signet
Pages: 352
Date: January 6, 2015

Summary:

Nothing about Alice Wood’s life is normal right now. Her fiancé, Patrick, called off their wedding and relationship only days before their nonrefundable wedding trip. And though a luxurious European river cruise for one is just what she needs, it’s not what she gets…

Due to a horrible misunderstanding, Alice is now cramped in her “romantic” suite with one of Patrick’s friends. Instead of cruising along the Rhine, Main, and Danube rivers sipping champagne with the love of her life, she’s navigating the waters with a strange—yet mysteriously handsome—British aristocrat.

An author, Elliot is just looking for some alone time to write. But his stodgy, serious self is about to be sidetracked by a woman who seems to have jumped out of the pages of a fairy tale, one who is determined to shake up his life…and include him in her own happily ever after.

Review:

This book was received from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

The last thing Alice needs is an uptight English Lord camped out in her cabin. This was supposed to be a romantic river cruise with her soon-to-be husband. When said fiance dumps her for another woman (the Lord’s sister, no less), Alice decides to enjoy the cruise anyway. Or at least, not lose her deposit. She might as well get something out of her money, if only a place to cry alone.

Noooo! Her ex-fiance gives a friend his ticket and never says a word to Alice and she is stuck with a stranger for a cabin mate.

Poor Elliot. All he wants is somewhere quiet to finish writing his book. He’s behind schedule and needs the money to support the ancestral manor and all his many siblings. He needs not to be disturbed.

And Alice is very disturbing.

Katie MacAlister is a great author. Her books are fun and that is the highest compliment I know. If I want a book that I am sure to enjoy, I know I can always turn to her.

The Importance of Being Alice is no exception. It’s the first book in a new series and jumps from one madcap escapade to another. It has two people with two totally different outlooks on life stuck together in a close environment. Alice is a flighty American and Elliott is an uptight English Lord.

So, of course they fall in love. This is a romance after all.

The problems don’t end there though.

There are falling towers. Near fatal accidents. Unknown fiances (oh right, that’s Alice).

Is it a surprise that Alice down the rabbit hole comes to mind?

The second book, A Midsummer Night’s Romp, comes out May 5, 2015 and I have already ordered my copy. I cannot wait.

There is a discrepancy between the name of the series, so you will need to watch out. In some places it is called The Ainslie Brothers and others list it as A Matchmaker in Wonderland. Whatever it is called, you will want to read these books.

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January 4, 2015 · 11:35 am

The Rosie Effect (Don Tillman, #2) by Graeme Simsion

The Rosie EffectThe Rosie Effect by Graeme Simsion

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Title: The Rosie Effect
Author: Graeme Simsion
Series: Don Tillman, #2
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Publisher: Text Publishing Company
Pages: 415

Summary:

‘We’ve got something to celebrate,’ Rosie said.
I am not fond of surprises, especially if they disrupt plans already in place. I assumed that she had achieved some important milestone with her thesis. Or perhaps she had been offered a place in the psychiatry-training programme. This would be extremely good news, and I estimated the probability of sex at greater than 80%.
‘We’re pregnant,’ she said.
The Rosie Project was an international publishing phenomenon, with more than a million copies sold in over forty countries around the world. Now Graeme Simsion returns with the highly anticipated sequel, The Rosie Effect.
Don Tillman and Rosie Jarman are now married and living in New York. Don has been teaching at Columbia while Rosie completes her first year of a psychology degree. Just as Don is about to announce that Gene, his philandering best friend from Australia, is coming to stay, Rosie drops a bombshell: she’s pregnant.
In true Tillman style, Don instantly becomes an expert on all things obstetric. But in between immersing himself in a new research study on parenting and implementing the Standardised Meal System (pregnancy version), Don’s old weaknesses resurface. And while he strives to get the technicalities right, he gets the emotions all wrong, and risks losing Rosie when she needs him most.
Review:

I received this book from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I loved The Rosie Project and recommended it to several people. Those who read it also loved it. I was thrilled to find out there was a sequel, although I didn’t think one was necessary. It was a great stand alone book.

Having said that, I am so glad I got to read The Rosie Effect. It is another great book and I enjoyed seeing Don and Rose as their relationship progressed. However, it is not as light a book as the first. Rose has gotten pregnant on purpose without discussing it with Don. She is dealing with her own emotional problems which are exacerbated by pregnancy hormones. Mostly, she is terrified that Don won’t be able to emotionally connect with the baby.

Don tries to manage as he has always done . . . by learning as much about pregnancy and small children as he can. This leads to numerous problems involving giving nutritional advice to Rose (not well received), encounters with the law, and court ordered therapy. Since Don knows from his research that Rose should not be stressed, he hides the last two from her.

Actually, I think he would have been safer to have withheld the nutritional advice and told her about his run in with the law.

In a way, this book was heartbreaking. Don tries so hard. He loves Rose and does everything he is capable of doing to keep her happy. It just doesn’t work.

This statement from Don which comes near the end of the book explains so much about his difficulties dealing with others.

“I was suddenly angry. I wanted to shake not just Lydia but the whole world of people who do not understand the difference between control of emotion and lack of it, and who make a totally illogical connection between inability to read others’ emotions and inability to experience their own.”

Make no mistake. The Rosie Effect is a great book. It’s just not as lighthearted as The Rosie Project. Read it. You won’t regret it.

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December 5, 2014 · 4:29 am

Schooled (Mastered, #2.5) by Lorelei James

SchooledSchooled by Lorelei James
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

First off, this is not a stand alone novella. At 113 pages, it is the icing on the cake of the first two books: Bound and Unwound. Schooled picks up after Unwound and give us a glimpse of Ronin’s life in Japan and the extreme training involved in his martial arts work. The problem is the amount of time and dedication necessary to excel takes Ronin away from Amery. She is left alone in a strange country with nothing to occupy her. Obviously, that is a recipe for trouble.

Since I had a first off, I must have a second point and it is an important one. READ this series! Bound introduced me to an entirely different aspect of BDSM literature. The description of shibari rope bondage is fascinating and the developing relationship between Ronin and Amery is engrossing. It does end on a cliff hanger which just means new readers are lucky enough to not have to wait for book two – Unwound.

I highly recommend all three books to readers who have an interest in descriptions of alternative lifestyles. Prior to this series, I had only read the author’s contemporary westerns which are excellent. This change of direction did not disappoint me.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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October 4, 2014 · 6:48 pm

Rules for a Proper Governess (Mackenzies & McBrides, #7) by Jennifer Ashley

Rules For A Proper Governess (MacKenzies & McBrides, #7)

Rules For A Proper Governess by Jennifer Ashley

To Kiss A Thief…

Scottish barrister Sinclair McBride can face the most sinister criminals in London – but the widower’s two unruly children are a different matter.Little Caitlin and Andrew go through a governess a week, sending the ladies fleeing in tears.

Roberta “Bertie” Frasier enters Sinclair’s life by stealing his watch – and then stealing a kiss. Intrigued by the handsome highlander, Bertie winds up saving his children from a dangerous situation and returns them to their father. Impressed with how they listen to her, Sinclair asks the lively beauty to be their governess, never guessing that the unconventional lady will teach him a lesson or two in love.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The first thing I have to get out of the way is the discrepancy in the timeline. Daniel Mackenzie (Book 6) is only nineteen in this book and still living at home. So, obviously, Rules for a Proper Governess should fall somewhere before Daniel’s book. Did it make a difference in my enjoyment of the story? Not at all, but I am compulsive about reading a series in order and Daniel threw me.

Sinclair McBride is still grieving for his bride even though she died many years earlier.  He buries himself in his work and spends little time at home.  His two children, Caitlin and Andrew, are hell raisers and completely out of control.  Sinclair is unable to keep a governess for them and his household staff have given up trying to control them.

Enter Bertie Frasier . . . Bertie comes from the lower class . . . the way lower class.  Her father is a career criminal and Bertie works for him.  So, of course, she ends up with Sinclair who spends his days prosecuting criminals.

Sinclair coerces Bertie into becoming the governess for his children.  She knows nothing about being a governess, but since she has some control over them, she does a better job than any of her predecessors.

And Bertie and Sinclair fall in lust.

To add spice to the plot, there are two different villains after Bertie and Sinclair.  We know who they are.  They know who they are.  The problem is how to stop them.

Of course, all comes out right in the end.  Even though Bertie and Sinclair are from two totally different worlds, they find each other and fall in love.  This is a romance after all.

Most of the Mackenzies make an appearance and Lord Ian (my absolute favorite of all the Mackenzies) has a fairly large role in this book.  It was wonderful to see how his and Beth’s relationship has progressed.

I have loved all of the books in this series, but I have to say Bertie is my favorite heroine.  She is smart and not at all shy about saying what she thinks is right.  She doesn’t fit the normal mold for the family, but she still fits right in.

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