Lightning Reviews: Sexiest Man Alive, Feels Like Home, Sea Swept

Reviewer: Holly
Sexiest Man Alive by Diana Holquist
Series: Make Me a Match #2
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Publication Date: October 1st 2007
Genres: Fiction
Pages: 300
Add It: Goodreads
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Series Rating:

Shy No More Worksheet

Name: Jasmine Burns

Imagine the person who intimidates you. Naked. I'm intimidated by Josh Toby, the world's biggest movie star. Who has to imagine him naked? I've seen it on a forty-foot screen.

Breathe deep. Did I mention he's Josh Toby? As his costume designer, I'm supposed to dress him. And undress him. Oh, and my psychic sister Amy, who has never been wrong, named him my One True Love. Breathing is completely out of the question.

Ask for what you want. What I want is for him to stop being so...irresistible! I want not to fall in love with a man who's stalked by the paparazzi, whose washboard abs could cut glass, and whose movie star girlfriend is the most stunning creature ever.

Believe you can do what needs to be done. Then do it. So, all I have to do is believe I can resist Josh Toby. Resist those deep violet eyes, those strong, muscular arms, and the way he makes me feel like the only woman on earth. Couldn't be easier. Yeah right...

Sexiest Man Alive by Diana Holquist

I think the concept behind this book was a good one. She’s shy, has a phobia about hot men and he’s the sexiest man alive. But honestly? It didn’t work for me. The timing felt off, so things that should have been funny fell flat instead. And her sister, Amy? Hell no. The bitch needed to be drop kicked a time or five. I remember reading a review elsewhere (maybe it was Jane’s at Dear Author) who said she felt Amy almost redeemed herself in the end. For me? Not so much.

The romance was pretty good and worked well for me, and there were some humorous moments, such as when she tracks down the librarian and tries to explain he’s her One and Only, but overall I thought it lacked…something.

3.0 out of 5

Reviewer: Holly
Sea Swept by Nora Roberts
Series: Chesapeake Bay #1
Also in this series: Sea Swept (Chesapeake Bay #1), Rising Tides, Inner Harbor, Chesapeake Blue
Publisher: Penguin
Publication Date: January 1st 1998
Genres: Fiction
Pages: 342
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Series Rating:

New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts presents the first novel in a stunning new trilogy of three men bound by the love of the extraordinary couple who took them in and raised them as brothers. Now grown and living on their own, the Quinn brothers must return to the family home on the Maryland shore, to honor their father's last request.

A champion boat racer, Cameron Quinn traveled the world spending his winnings on champagne and women. But when his dying father called him home to care for Seth, a troubled young boy not unlike Cameron once was, his life changed overnight...

After years of independence, Cameron had to learn to live with his brothers again, while he struggled with cooking, cleaning, and caring for a difficult boy. Old rivalries and new resentments flared between Cameron and his brothers, but they tried to put aside their differences for Seth's sake. In the end, a social worker would decide Seth's fate, and as tough as she was beautiful, she had the power to bring the Quinns together—or tear them apart...

Sea Swept by Nora Roberts

Nora Roberts is really hit or miss for me. Some novels I love, some I think are ok and some are just plain blah. This fell into the “love” category. I decided to read this after Ween’s hero of the month post and I don’t regret it at all.

I think NR really excels are writing relationships. Whether it be between women, men, siblings, friends, etc, she does it better than any other writer I know. She didn’t disappoint in this novel, either. Although I enjoyed the relationship between Cam and Anna (his heroine), it was the relationship between the brothers and Seth (their newest adopted brother) that really grabbed me. Occasionally I found myself skimming through the parts with Anna and Cam just so I could get to the parts with Seth and Cam or Cam, Ethan and Phillip. Fab read, I highly recommend it.

4.5 out of 5

Reviewer: Holly
Feels Like Home by Maggie Shayne
Series: The Oklahoma Brands #4
Publisher: Silhouette
Publication Date: December 1st 2005
Genres: Fiction
Pages: 256
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Series Rating:

When Chicago cop Jimmy Corona returns to his Oklahoma hometown, he discovers that the once-shy Kara Brand has blossomed into a beautiful woman with heart and courage -- a combination that makes her a perfect match for him and his young son.

Feels Like Home by Maggie Shayne

I picked this one up from Books on Board the other day because I was in the mood for something short and sweet. That’s exactly what this was.

I really enjoyed the overall story, but I kind of felt like this one went in too many different directions. Jimmy, Kara and Tyler should have been the focus, but instead MS spent a lot of time focusing on Kara’s sisters and mother, Jimmy’s ex-wife and the convict she hooked up with and not enough time on Jimmy’s partner, who’s injured early in the book, or on Jimmy and Kara. Their relationship kind of takes a backseat to the action and secondary characters. Sometimes I’m ok with that, but as this is a short(er) story, it didn’t really work for me.

I think this one could have been put together better, but was still good for what it was: A light, fluffy, quick read.

3.5 out of 5

There you go, my first attempt at lightning reviews. What do you think? Need more? Less? Have questions? Let me know…

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