Search Results for: Jennifer's reviews


Review: Attachments by Rainbow Rowell

Posted May 22, 2014 by Rowena in Reviews | 2 Comments

Rowena’s review of Attachments by Rainbow Rowell.

“Hi, I’m the guy who reads your e-mail, and also, I love you . . . “

Beth Fremont and Jennifer Scribner-Snyder know that somebody is monitoring their work e-mail. (Everybody in the newsroom knows. It’s company policy.) But they can’t quite bring themselves to take it seriously. They go on sending each other endless and endlessly hilarious e-mails, discussing every aspect of their personal lives.

Meanwhile, Lincoln O’Neill can’t believe this is his job now- reading other people’s e-mail. When he applied to be “internet security officer,” he pictured himself building firewalls and crushing hackers- not writing up a report every time a sports reporter forwards a dirty joke.

When Lincoln comes across Beth’s and Jennifer’s messages, he knows he should turn them in. But he can’t help being entertained-and captivated-by their stories.

By the time Lincoln realizes he’s falling for Beth, it’s way too late to introduce himself.

What would he say . . .?

Ames recommended this book to me a while ago.  I’m talking, years ago. And I’ve been meaning to read it but never got around to it until now.

Holy goodness this was a cute read.  Lincoln is an average 28 year old male who got his heart broken in college, transferred to another college, graduated, moved home and is pretty content with his life.  He doesn’t mind living with his Mom but the one thing that he’s pretty bummed about is the new job that he has.  He was under the impression that his job as Internet Security Officer was going to be doing more than just reading people’s emails.  While going through the flagged folder in his Websense folder, he comes across two friends/co-workers email thread.

Beth and Jennifer.

Seeing Lincoln make that transformation to the man he was in the end made this such a satisfying read.  In the beginning, Lincoln is a nerd and he’s in a funk.  But over the course of the book, you see him come alive and you see him fumble his way to living a life that was for him and that made him happy.

Now, don’t get me wrong.  There were times when I wanted to smack Lincoln upside his head but for the most part, I thought he was adorable.

I really enjoyed getting to know both Beth and Jennifer through their emails.  The friendship those two shared was pretty great.  Theirs was a strong friendship that was built on respect and care.  I was right there with Lincoln, all up in their emails and rejoicing when they were happy and gutted when they despaired.

Rainbow Rowell does a great job of sucking the reader in to the books that she writes and this book was no exception.  I was wrapped up in Lincoln’s world, rooting him on to that happy ending that he was searching for.  The book is a little long but don’t let that scare you into reading this book.  It’s good, I promise so read it! =)

Grade: 4.75 out of 5

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


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Guest Review: Lovers Unmasked Anthology by Katee Robert, Cari Quinn, Tessa Bailey and Samanthe Beck

Posted March 22, 2014 by Jen in Reviews | 2 Comments

18282728Jennifer’s review of Lovers Unmasked Anthology by Katee Robert, Cari Quinn, Tessa Bailey and Samanthe Beck

Lovers Unmasked is an anthology of four Halloween-themed contemporary romance stories (though I wouldn’t say the holiday plays a really major role in any of them, just sort of background flavor).

Seducing Mr. Right, by Katee Robert
Grayson and Danielle work in the same building and have been meeting for coffee for a while now. They are both planning to attend the company Halloween party, and unbeknownst to each other, they both plan a seduction. The problem is, Danielle really likes Grayson, but she doesn’t “do” relationships. Grayson is certain he wants Danielle for more than just one night, but he’s keeping a huge secret from her that he knows might ruin his chances. The characterization was strong and I felt like I knew these two as well as you can in a short story. The sex scenes were quite sexy indeed–turns out mild-mannered Grayson is very bossy in the bedroom! The problem was that there wasn’t really enough time to get over Grayson’s big secret once it was revealed. I appreciated that while initially furious, Danielle doesn’t act intractable and looks at the situation maturely. I didn’t think Grayson did enough groveling, though, and there just wasn’t enough time to adequately resolve the issue, in my mind. Still, these were two interesting characters and I believed that they’d work it out eventually. Grade: 3.75 out of 5

Tempted by His Best Friend, by Cari Quinn
Steff, Lan, and Craig have been best friends since college, but in the last year Lan has pulled away. This has hit Steff particularly hard because she’s been in love with Lan for years. In desperation, she concocts a plan to prove to Lan that she’s not the same old Steff. Things get a bit out of hand at the Halloween party though, and Steff freaks out and never reveals her identity to Lan. The problem is, Lan already has feelings for Steff but has been trying to distance himself in an effort to preserve their friendship. I really liked Steff as a character. I could feel her frustration at not being able to shift Lan’s old image of her as “just one of the guys.” Lan seemed so shocked that the girl he always hung out with was actually a sexy, fun, intelligent woman, and I liked seeing his view of her evolve as Steff puts more of herself out there. As with the last story, though, I felt like the big secret that comes out near the end wasn’t given enough time to resolve. I would have liked a bit more talking about why BOTH of them behaved the way they did. Plus, I was pretty bothered by Lan’s obsession with the girl he met at the Halloween party. Yes, by the end he does say he put her out of his mind, but even after he and Steff start testing out a sexual relationship, he was still thinking about the Halloween encounter. Coupled with his fairly callous treatment of Steff for most of the book, it just didn’t quite sit right with me. Grade: 3.5 out of 5

Wicked Games, by Samanthe Beck
This is a romantic suspense novella, which is really hard to get right! I think Samanthe Beck does get it right, though. The story focuses on some secondary characters from one of Beck’s previous books (which I haven’t read). Stacy is a stripper-turned-actress, and Ian is her homicide detective ex-boyfriend. Stacy dumped Ian because she didn’t think she was good enough for him given her shady past. She sees Ian’s lack of protest about their break up as evidence that he didn’t want her, while he thinks the break up is just one of Stacy’s tantrums and if he waits it out, she’ll come back to him. Stacy starts getting threatening letters, and while she brushes them off, her sister Kylie brings them to the attention of her homicide detective fiance and his partner, Ian. Stacy is scheduled to attend a Halloween party at a strip club, so Ian comes to help keep her safe. The two have a very, very steamy encounter that actually takes up a good chunk of the book, and the sex scene really helps you understand the two better as people. You can see Stacy’s vulnerability and some of Ian’s obtuseness (as well as love) when it comes to Stacy. While a touch dramatic, I didn’t think Stacy’s reasons for ending things with Ian were completely preposterous, and while she shares the blame, Ian certainly had some ground to make up to get Stacy back. There was some suspense, though it was very, very compressed into mostly the last handful of chapters as Stacy’s mysterious letter writer finds her. No subtle build-up of tension here–just one intense encounter. As in many romantic suspense stories, it’s the danger that finally makes the hero and heroine realize how they feel about each other, and it’s what pushes them past their previous superficial obstacles. Throughout the story, you can see each character’s progression and how they’ve ended up in a different place than where they started. Grade: 4 out of 5

Protecting What’s Theirs, by Tessa Bailey
This story follows a couple from one of Bailey’s previous books (Protecting What’s His, which I have not read). Ginger has a boutique furniture shop where she sells her hand-decorated creations, and Derek is her cop boyfriend. Ginger and Derek both have major news to share with the other, but they each make a different decision about what to do with that news. Ginger plans to tell Derek her information, but Derek makes the decision to keep his news a secret from Ginger to spare her feelings. Derek’s secret forms a wedge that starts slowly driving the two apart. Even though I didn’t read Ginger and Derek’s original story, I could sense that Ginger has some deep-seated issues with trust and intimacy, and Derek’s secret rips opens all those old scars. I did have a little trouble understanding why he would do such a thing, knowing how hard it has been for Ginger to build up trust in the relationship. I thought Ginger was an awesome character–she’s smart, strong, and mature. Even when she thinks her relationship might be over, she is in pain but knows she can survive, and I loved that about her. Derek is not normally the kind of hero I like. He’s extremely alpha, overprotective, and jealous. He’s domineering in the bedroom, which I don’t mind, and out of it, which I sometimes do mind. I didn’t think he did enough groveling at the end. Oh, he does grovel, but given the hell he put Ginger through I didn’t think it was quite enough. Still, he has this intense tenderness and devotion for Ginger that shines in the spaces between his asshole moments. The scene where he finally discovers the news Ginger has been trying to tell him actually had me tearing up a little. I guess I had a bit of a love-hate relationship with Derek! This was my favorite novella in the collection, and I already find myself itching to reread it. Grade: 4.25 out of 5

Overall, I thought this was a fairly well done anthology. While I liked some of the stories better than others, I enjoyed reading all of them, which I find is rare in anthologies like this. While the Halloween theme wasn’t particularly strong in any of these stories, they would be a fun way to get in the mood (pun intended!) for the holiday.

Overall grade: 4 out of 5

This book is available from Entangled Publishing.  You can buy it here or here in e-format. This book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.


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Guest Review: Lady in Red by Maire Claremont

Posted January 7, 2014 by Jen in Reviews | 0 Comments

Lady in Red
Jennifer’s review of for Lady in Red (Mad Passions #2) by Maire Claremont

The Victorian era was full of majestic beauty and scandalous secrets—a time when corsets were the least of a woman’s restrictions, and men could kill or be killed in the name of honor…

Lady Mary Darrel should be the envy of London. Instead, all society believes her dead. For Mary holds a secret so dangerous, her father chose to keep her locked away…and have a grave made for her near her mother’s. Driven to the edge of desperation, Mary manages to escape the asylum, only to find that her fate yet again rests in the hands of a man…

Edward Barrons, Duke of Fairleigh, longs for some way to escape the torment of his father’s crimes. In Mary’s warrior spirit and haunted gaze—which so mirrors his own—he finally sees his path to redemption. He will stop at nothing to keep her safe, even as she seeks revenge. But will the passion they discover in each other be enough to save them from their demons?

In theory, this is not a book I should like. The heroine is (at the start) a drug addicted mess of an abused woman. The hero is supposedly a proud, depraved man yet all his actions are absurdly humble and good. The prose is at times melodramatic, and the story is full of abuse and exploitation of women. There’s even a bit of a love triangle. All of these are things I normally hate in books…and yet I could not put this book down! It is bordering on batshit crazy, but by the end I was enthralled.

The book is the second in a series, though truthfully I didn’t even realize that until after I read it–the story stands alone just fine. Mary Darrel is the daughter of a duke, but her father imprisoned her in an asylum and left her to die. She has spent the last several years being abused, but she finally escapes and turns to Yvonne, a madam who was friends with her dead mother. Though Mary refuses to divulge the entire story, Yvonne understands enough to know she can’t protect Mary from her powerful father, so she proposes that Mary agree to be the mistress of Edward Barrons, the Duke of Fairleigh. The two had met very briefly when Mary first arrives at Yvonne’s, and apparently Yvonne was confident enough in Edward’s interest to be certain he would want to help protect her. (Keep in mind Mary clearly tells Yvonne she doesn’t know if she can sleep with a man, which would seem to sort of negate the whole “mistress” part of the arrangement, no?) The weak explanation given is that Edward is trying to atone for his past sins and thinks Mary is his path to salvation based on the “look” in her eyes…or something. Just ignore the set up and give yourself in to the crazy! The rest of the book follows Mary’s journey back to herself (via plotting revenge against her father) and Edward’s struggle to put the past behind him.

When I was trying to come up with words to describe this book, “gritty” kept coming to mind. At first, it was kind of off putting, so much that I was tempted to completely stop reading at one point. After their very brief first encounter at Yvonne’s, the next time Mary and Edward meet is when Mary overdoses on a cocktail of laudanum, opium, and wine after just arriving in Edward’s house. Edward and his servant (who most certainly is not being paid enough to catch the vomit of his master’s new junkie mistress) have to tear her back from the brink of death. What a meet-cute! Mary is addicted to laudanum after being force-fed it for years in the asylum, and while the book doesn’t use her addiction a central theme, it does come up a few other times in the story. Mary has obvious PTSD from her trauma, and Edward’s touch sometimes induces VERY dramatic flashbacks. And Mary’s not the only abused woman in this book. In fact, women’s lack of power, and how they might regain some, are explicit themes of the book. Women are raped (not on screen), mentally and physically abused (some on screen, some off), treated like objects, etc. The three main women in the book, Mary, Yvonne, and Mary’s 17-year-old “stepmom,” all are misused by the men in their lives but exact revenge in the end, in brutal fashion.

But the book isn’t all darkness either. First, there is lots of witty banter to lighten the mood. Mary and Edward have some lovely light moments, such as when she is trying to undress him so she can explore a man’s body for the first time without fear. She manages to get his pants down but now has to have him sit so she can take off his boots.

“And he began to waddle. It was the only word for his ridiculous movement. Edward Barrons, Duke of Fairleigh, waddled, half naked, to his bed. Only someone of his nature could have still appeared dignified while his bound boots shuffled across the burgundy rug.

Mary clapped a hand over her mouth, suppressing a giggle.”

Edward’s friend Powers also plays a major role in helping Mary learn her own strength, and he and Mary have a love-hate relationship that leads to lots of great dialogue. Second, Mary’s strength and Edward’s gentleness make this a genuine romance instead of just a dark story. Edward is patient and kind, almost to the point of unbelievability, but it is his admiration for Mary that finally gives her the strength to look at herself in a new way. Finally, the plot is at times so crazy that it lightens the tone! Some things are so melodramatic (think soap opera), like Mary’s over-the-top evil father, that it’s easier to swallow the darkness because it’s also just a little ridiculous. Not so crazy it’s rubbish–just enough crazy to make it fun.

This book is not perfect, certainly. There is a little less normal conversation than I would have liked between the hero and heroine, and I wasn’t fully convinced that the sort of power Mary thought she reclaimed was genuine. Also, the timeline of the story seemed too short for either party to really overcome the horrors of the past. I’m very glad I agreed to review this book, though, or I would have stopped reading and never gotten to enjoy such a unique story.

Grade: 4.25 out of 5

The Series:
Book Cover Book Cover

This book is available from Signet. You can purchase it here or here in e-format. This book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.


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Guest Review: Take Over at Midnight by M.L. Buchanan

Posted December 17, 2013 by Jen in Reviews | 0 Comments

Genres: Romantic Suspense

Take over at Midnight
Jennifer’s review of Take Over at Midnight by M.L. Buchanan.

They never thought their toughest mission would be falling in love…

Lola LaRue, chief warrant officer of the U.S. Army’s secret helicopter regiment, is a natural at everything except relationships. She’s a professional in the air, but she screws up every time she touches the ground. Sergeant “Crazy” Tim Maloney is a goner the moment he first sees LaRue on a mission to deliver a Delta Force team into the Iranian desert. He’s always been a love ’em and leave ’em kind of guy, but all that changes when Lola’s in danger. Now with the stakes higher than ever, they must find a way to eliminate a threat that could destroy more than just their future.

Take Over at Midnight is the story of Chief Warrant Officer Lola LaRue and Sergeant Tim Maloney. At the start of the book, Lola arrives in Afghanistan to join the Army’s secret helicopter unit (of which Tim is also a member), flying special covert missions around the world. The unit soon gets pulled into a mysterious mission to transport a group of Delta force soldiers (the most elite force) into and out of Iran, and while they aren’t given much information they all know that covert operations in Iran means something big is going down. The operation ends up uncovering a major threat to US security, and the team must work together to save the day. In the midst of all this, Lola and Tim are getting to know each other and trying to overcome their internal and external obstacles to be together. Toss in the rest of the team members and their conflicts, and the book covers a lot of ground! The book is the most recent in the Night Stalkers series, but I haven’t read the other books and didn’t think they were necessary to understanding the story, though you do see all the previous couples in this one.

This was a bit of a strange book for me. It’s really a mash up of a romance and a military adventure. The military chunks of the book reminded me of typical books in the action/adventure genre–lots of technical descriptions of weapons and tactics, intense action scenes, glimpses into military culture, etc. I like details in my stories when they add to the realism and ambiance, but I found myself getting bored with page after page of descriptions of how helicopters work or what kinds of guns they were using. I started skimming because after a certain point the descriptions just got tedious and superfluous for me. It wasn’t really objectionable, but for me it was too much.

It would have been easy for the author to give the romance short shrift in the midst of all the military details, but thankfully that didn’t happen. Because one hallmark of military operations tends to be lots of waiting around, Lola and Tim have time to get to know each other. They spend time talking and playing games at the base in Afghanistan and even during the mission while they’re waiting for the Delta force to return. Then, there is an interlude in the middle where they return to the US for a while, and it’s then that the romance really takes center stage. They have time to learn more about each other and grow as people and as a couple, and their HEA felt satisfying.

I did have a few issues with gender in this book. On the one hand, this unit is full of extraordinarily competent women, more than I presume you would find in any real military unit. The women are equal players in the action, and in fact many of them are actually better than the men at their jobs, which was enjoyable. But on the other hand, there were things that irked me. Probably my biggest disappointment was a character named Kee, another member of the helicopter unit. She is immediately and without justification awful to Lola. It felt childish and out of character, and it annoyed me to see this “mean girl” trope in a book full of smart, skilled women. (The men in this unit never act petty and snotty–they are all professionals!) Another thing I didn’t like was later in the book. It’s hard to discuss without a spoiler, but there is one woman character, literally described as the best in the entire Army at her job, who faces a personal situation that suddenly causes her to be unable to perform her duties. Not physically unable, but suddenly too emotional and overcome with other things. She is ELITE, the best of the best, and it was offensive to me that “lady issues” would suddenly make her so incompetent she literally puts her crew’s lives in danger. Ugh. And then there are a few comments that had me frowning. For instance, Lola gets invited to an important meeting with the US President and other major officials, and at one point she offers a helpful suggestion. The President says:

“You tell Mr. Maloney to keep you close, Chief Warrant LaRue. If he doesn’t, I might be trying to steal you away.”

So the way to complement a smart professional for her help during an international crisis is to say she’d be good dating material? Double ugh. It’s not that I think any of this couldn’t be true-to-life, but why set up a book with really, really skilled women and then have them sometimes act like girls from a teen drama? There were just enough of these instances to stick in my mind and make the book a little less enjoyable for me, though they didn’t totally yank me out of the story.

If you are an action/adventure AND a romance fan, this book will probably work for you. If you are just in it for the romance, be prepared to skim a lot, or find another book that’s lighter on the military procedures.

Grade: 3.5 out of 5

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


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Review: Temptation Bay by Anna Sullivan

Posted October 24, 2013 by Jen in Reviews | 1 Comment

Temptation BayJennifer’s review of Temptation Bay (Windfall Island #1) by Anna Sullivan.

TEMPTATION NEVER TASTED SO SWEET . . .

Maggie Solomon has always been one of Windfall Island’s favorite daughters. A beautiful, passionate charter pilot who loves this remote Maine island, Maggie has never cared much for outsiders-until her latest passenger arouses the curiosity of the town . . . and something hot and irresistible in Maggie. With his long, lean looks and razor-sharp wit, the man is temptation itself.

Cop-turned-PI Dexter Keegan is on a covert mission to solve the case that will make his career: uncovering the identity of the Stanhope heir, kidnapped nearly a century ago. No one on this fiercely protective island can know what he’s doing, not even the spirited, blue-eyed beauty who infuriates-and excites-Dex. As the desire between them ignites, Maggie becomes the key to the case . . . and the target of an unknown enemy. Now Dex will do anything to protect the woman he’s come to love-even risk his own life.

Temptation Bay is the first book in a series set on Windfall Island, a small island off New England’s Atlantic coast. Maggie Soloman is a pilot, mechanic, and owner of the island’s tiny airport. She’s lived on the island since she was a teen, and she fiercely loves it and its residents. Dexter Keegan is a PI pretending to be a lawyer who comes to the island investigating a very cold case (from Prohibition times) involving the kidnapping of a child of a wealthy family. From the moment Maggie flies him to the island, he is immediately intrigued and attracted to her. The island’s residents are tough and secretive, Maggie especially, but she and Dex gradually develop a tentative trust, enough that Dex eventually tells Maggie about his case and solicits her help. The two then set about trying to trace the history and glean what they can from old records and island residents.

Maggie is an independent, smart, and prickly heroine. Her dad is high ranking military official, and he has spent her life either running her down or exploiting her to further his career. The residents of Windfall acted like the first real family she ever had, which is part of why she is so intensely loyal to them. I always enjoy a heroine who is clever and can fight for herself, and Maggie has definitely had to do a lot of fighting in her life to get by. She’s blunt and defensive, but she’s also honest and giving once someone earns her trust. I also love seeing genuine female friendships in books, and Maggie has that in Jessi, her best friend and business partner. (And the sparks for Jessi’s own romance start in this book. She’s a great character so I can’t wait to read her story!)

Dex is pretty arrogant, but he is still a sensitive and caring guy underneath. In contrast to Maggie, he comes from a very loving family, but he’s at a bit of a crossroads in life. He needs to solve this kidnapping case to make a name for himself in the private investigation world. I thought he was a good foil for Maggie–more open and easy going, but not a pushover. He and Maggie have awesome banter that lets you learn more about them as people and also adds some nice levity to the story.

I enjoyed the mystery plot, too. The island is clearly hiding secrets, though from this book you can’t fully tell what those secrets are and who’s involved. Maggie and Dex’s storyline does wrap up satisfactorily, but the larger kidnapping plot is not resolved. I hate cliffhangers but I didn’t mind this ending at all since Maggie and Dex’s story felt complete. I do wonder how much longer it can be dragged on, though. This kidnapping case is really old and I had a little trouble believing so many people would still be this emotionally invested in the event, enough to do things like try to hurt the investigators (as they did to Maggie and Dex).

I thought this was a strong start from a new author, and I’ll certainly be checking out book #2.

Grade: 4 out of 5

This book is available from Forever. You can purchase it here or here. This book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.


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