Day: September 25, 2013

Review: Good for You by Tammara Webber

Posted September 25, 2013 by Rowena in Reviews | 0 Comments

Good for You- Tammara Webber
Rowena’s review of Good for You (Between the Lines #3) by Tammara Webber.

Reid Alexander’s celebrity life is an open book. Every relationship, every error in judgment is analyzed by strangers. His latest mistake totaled his car, destroyed a house and landed him in the hospital. As his PR team works overtime to salvage his image, one thing is clear—this is one predicament he won’t escape without paying for it.

Dori Cantrell is a genuine humanitarian—the outward opposite of everything Reid represents. When his DUI plea bargain lands him under her community service supervision, she proves unimpressed with his status and indifferent to his proximity, and he soon wants nothing more than to knock her off of her pedestal and prove she’s human.

Counting the days until his month of service ends, Dori struggles to ignore Reid’s wicked pull while challenging him to recognize his own wasted potential. But Dori has secrets of her own, safely locked away until one night turns her entire world upside down. Suddenly their only hope for connection and redemption hinges on one choice: whether or not to have faith in each other.

This is book three in the Between the Lines series by Tammara Webber.  This book follows the superstar Reid Alexander as he is finally humbled.  In the first two books, Reid has been a whirlwind of bad decisions and his latest bad decision has landed him in jail with a DUI and is sentenced to do community service for the property damage that he’s done.  On his first day there, he meets the girl that will change his world forever.

Dori Cantrell is the daughter of a pastor and is the complete opposite of Reid’s type.  She doesn’t have time to go out and club it up until the wee hours of the morning.  She’s busy with charity work and her volunteering efforts all over the world.  She’s so busy that she doesn’t have the time or the inclination to babysit the spoiled superstar that is working on the Habitat for Humanity house that they’re working on right now.  Right off the bat, Dori doesn’t like Reid.  She doesn’t like his selfish personality, she doesn’t like his flirty attitude and she doesn’t like…him.  But she will admit that he’s hot.

Reid, on the other hand isn’t a fan of Dori’s either. She’s a self-righteous do-gooder that thinks her shit doesn’t stink.  He’s there to work, not be subjected to her constant dislike for his every breath but even he can’t figure out why he can’t get her out of his mind.

They shouldn’t have suited one another but the longer they work together, the more that they start to…like each other.  Nobody is more surprised them the both of them when they realize the extent of their attraction to each other.  Opposites really do attract.

When I started this book, I was a bit disappointed that Emma and Graham weren’t in it.  In fact, it took me quite a while to get over the fact that Graham and Emma weren’t front and center in this book because I really came to like them in the other books.  I wasn’t ready to say good bye to them and I wasn’t ready to meet new characters.  But when I got over that and gave Dori a chance, she really came alive for me.  I liked her and thought she was pretty perfect for Reid.  I wasn’t sure how I was going to end up liking her because she was one of those do-gooder characters who spent quite a bit of time doing volunteer work.  She was the kind of person that made me feel like a terrible person because I don’t live to serve the community the way that she does.  And she’s a pastor’s kid so I thought she was going to be a prude.  But man, Dori was anything but.  I mean, she was a do-gooder and she did make me feel bad about myself but she was also really fun.

Don’t get me wrong, there were times when I wanted to punch her in the throat because of things she’d say to Reid or things she’d think about Reid but when all was said and done, I really liked her character.  She was a good influence on Reid and she really brought out the good part of Reid that Emma saw.  Seeing Reid come into his own made me all gooey inside.  I really came to adore him and I was glad when he started using his head, instead of making a mess of his life.

This was another great book from Tammara Webber.  I didn’t like it as much as I liked the last book but it was still a solid read.  Reid and Dori’s story was cute, fun and funny.  All the things that I like in a book so I’m not complaining at all.  I’m also pretty stoked to read the next book…it’s going to be interesting to see Brooke’s story….especially since the last time I saw her, I didn’t like her at all.  But if I’ve learned anything, Webber does a great job of redeeming characters that I didn’t care for and I know that she’ll do the same with Brooke’s character.  I definitely recommend this book.

Grade: 4 out of 5

This book is available from Tammara Webber.  You can purchase it here or here in e-format.


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Review: One Lucky Vampire by Lynsay Sands

Posted September 25, 2013 by Tracy in Reviews | 0 Comments

Publisher: Avon, Harper Collins

Luck be a vampire tonight . . .

When Nicole Phillips agreed to hire a housekeeper, she pictured someone a little frumpy and almost certainly female. Instead, she gets gorgeous, unmistakably male Jake Colson. The man is proving indispensable in the kitchen—and everywhere else. Except Jake might not be a mortal man at all.

. . . and every night

Who wouldn’t want to be a tall, dark, powerful vampire? Jake, for one. He’s barely had time to adjust to his new state before he’s roped into a family favor. Still, secretly playing bodyguard to sweet, sexy Nicole is turning out to be the wildest ride of his life. First he’ll put a stop to whoever’s targeting her. Then he’ll prove that this kind of love, and luck, happens only once in an eternity. 

Jake Colson was turned into an immortal without his consent three years ago. He was raised by Immortals – though he didn’t know it until he was 18 years old – and had been resentful and distrusting of them for years after he found out. When he was 51 he was attacked and almost died. His boss Vincent, also an immortal, turned him in order to save his life but he was bitter and considered himself a monster. He left everything he knew and everyone he loved behind in California to take a job in Ottowa, Canada. Working as a bodyguard he’s not thrilled with his work but when Marguerite Argeneau comes to him and asks him for help he agrees. He will be a bodyguard to Nicole but act as her cook/housekeeper. Marguerite believes that her soon to be ex-husband is trying to kill her and Jake will be there to thwart any more attempts.

Nicole is ready to be a free woman. She finally left her husband and after receiving therapy realizes that she never really loved the man in the first place. She told herself that she would start dating after a year but when that time came she realized that she wasn’t ready and told herself to take another 6 months. That’s until Jake comes to be her employee. She finds him attractive if not a little annoying as he won’t seem to let her do anything on her own. When several more “accidents” happen she finally realizes that her life is in danger.

Jake is shocked when he finds he can’t “read” Nicole as this is a sign of her being his life mate. The problem is that after he was turned he closed his ears to anything having to do with being an immortal except how to eat and survive. He has no idea what being a life mate to Nicole will encompass, but the sex seems great so how can it be wrong. Jake just needs to save Nicole and then he can think about being with her forever.

This was a pleasant read. In the story we got to see plenty of Argeneau and Notte characters from previous books, we got to see life mates meet up and have their shared pleasure during sex and black out, we got a bit of humor, but really nothing like I’ve come to expect in Sands’ books, but the story was just ok. 

Nicole seemed like a nice girl and Jake was a nice guy. He was a bit delusional about what becoming an immortal was all about but when he was telling Nicole about it he realized that he wasn’t any different than he was before. The veil was raised from his eyes and that was nice but not too earth shattering. 

I wish I could say something more exciting about it than that but that about covers it. I really like the Argeneau series and hope that future books have more to recommend them.


Rating: 3 out of 5

Lynsay Sands


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Guest Review: Unexpected by Maisey Yates

Posted September 25, 2013 by Tracy in Reviews | 1 Comment

Guest Review: Unexpected by Maisey YatesReviewer: Tracy
Unexpected by Maisey Yates
Series: Silver Creek series #1
Publisher: Berkley, Penguin
Publication Date: August 13, 2013
Format: eARC
Add It: Goodreads
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three-stars
Series Rating: three-stars

 

After spending another family wedding fielding questions about her non-existent love life, Kelsey Noble decides she’s tired of waiting around for things she could go out and get herself. What Kelsey wants is a baby, and she doesn’t see any point waiting for a husband she’s not even sure she wants. But a mix-up at the fertility clinic lands her with a hassle she didn’t count on. A big, muscular hassle in a Stetson and cowboy boots.

Cole Mitchell is shocked to discover that a grand gesture from years past has come back to haunt him. Now, thanks to a clerical error, a woman he’s never met is having his baby—and there’s no way he’s going to walk away and forget he has a child.

Trying to make nice with the unexpected father of her baby lands Kelsey in Silver Creek, Oregon, dealing with the kind of small town life she left behind years ago. Even worse is dealing with the burning attraction she feels for Cole. She knows adding sex to the mix is a very bad idea, but she’s not sure how long she can resist falling for the last man she ever expected…

Kelsey is in her 30’s and wants a baby. She was engaged at one time but after finding her fiancé in their bed with another woman that ended quickly. She decides to have in vitro fertilization and she’s excited about the prospect of being a mother. It scares her thinking about what her mother will say when she finds out but she’s determined to do it on her own. That’s until Cole Mitchell shows up on her doorstep.

Cole had been married at one time and it was not a happy marriage. He tried to placate his wife on many fronts and freezing his sperm so they’ll optimum results (he wasn’t ready to have children then – probably because it was with her) was one of the concessions he made. Now that he’s no longer married he heads to the sperm bank to have his sample disposed of but is told that there was a mix up and his sperm was used. He manages to get the info on the woman who used them and heads to her house. He knocks on the door and there’s Kelsey. Cole’s not sure how he feels about being a father when it wasn’t planned and it wasn’t with someone he loved but he wants to take care of Kelsey as she’s horribly sick. He takes her to his ranch so that they can get to know each other.

Kelsey and Cole aren’t quite sure what to do with one another. Kelsey is kind of pissed that this man has intruded on her life but the more he’s around she realizes that she’s glad. Both Kelsey and Cole start having stronger feelings for each other than planned but when Cole asks Kelsey to marry him – strictly for convenience sake, she turns him down flat. He’s determined to get her to marry him and she’s determined to not do something foolish – like marry a man she’s in love with but who doesn’t love her in return.

I was excited when I received this book for review as it sounded pretty darned good. I was surprised at how the author set up the story. The fact that the fertility clinic got things mixed up wasn’t too much of a surprise although I’m sure this happens rarely. The part that surprised me was that the hero found out the info by just pushing the receptionist out of the way, looking at the computer and printing out the info. I know this is fiction but I like at least a modicum of believability in my contemporary romances. If this was a paranonormal romance I probably wouldn’t have blinked an eye.

Anyway, despite how Kelsey and Cole came to know each other I liked them together. Kelsey had her own snarky sense of humor and Cole meshed with that well even though he was a more uptight person in general. Their banter was amusing and kept me smiling throughout the book. Their romance was sweet but I thought that Kelsey’s “I love you” came kind of out of the blue. She was determined to keep Cole at arms length but then slept with him. We had been privy to her inner thoughts so I felt the author should have given us at least some clue that she was feeling more than lust, horniness and some affection. With Cole he had been hurt so much by people – his ex-wife and his father that he was scared to love again – I certainly didn’t blame him. The fact that he overcame his hesitance so quickly was both good and bad. I guess I’m always surprised when someone says that something like “I’ve loved you for a long time now” when even that person wasn’t aware of it. IDK, it just didn’t sit square with me.

Despite the niggles that I had with the book I liked it. The humor and the secondary characters, along with the romance, helped to make this an entertaining read.

Rating: 3 out of 5

three-stars


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Audio Clip: The Rock’nR’oll Diaries by Jamie Scallion

Posted September 25, 2013 by Holly in Promotions | 0 Comments

Today we have an audio clip of The Rock’n’Roll Diaries written and narrated by Jamie Scallion to share with you. I like audiobooks for those times I’m not able to read (mostly while driving in the car since I get carsick) and this one is a lot of fun.

TRnRDA winner, a loser, a leader, a loner. The Rock ‘n’ Roll Diaries. One Mission: To be the biggest band on the planet. When Burt decides he must start a rock band to win the love of Bex, he is forced to assemble a quartet of teenage opposites. The RockAteers are born. It must work, and not just for Burt’s sake. Egg has spent his life on the outside looking in, Tea needs to evade a tough future, and Clipper wants more than a fast track to football academy.

When Egg reveals his song-writing genius, the only way is up…. But can they function as a band? Who will win the race to sign them? And who will win the girl? Embodying the reality of This is England and the fun of The Inbetweeners, follow our band on a rollercoaster ride of chaotic gigs, hissy fits, and dirty tricks. The listener can truly live and breathe their experience as the chapters come with an accompanying music track for an entirely new, multilayered experience.
Told from the perspective of the four band members, we discover what it’s really like being in a band, and through their candid diary entries, their emails and lively narrative scenes, we find out what the characters think of one another as they embark on a journey that will change their lives forever.

©2013 Jamie Scallion (P)2013 Mad Notes Media


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