Month: July 2012

Wendy Wax Contest Ends Today!

Posted July 31, 2012 by Holly in Reviews | 1 Comment

Just a quick reminder!!

WIN THE WENDY WAX OCEAN BEACH RETRO BEACH BAG!
DEADLINE IS END OF DAY TODAY–TUESDAY, JULY 31!

Wendy Wax is celebrating the release of her new novel OCEAN BEACH by sharing the fun of summer reading in any weather. Win a retro beach bag, autographed copies of OCEAN BEACH, TEN BEACH ROAD, MAGNOLIA WEDNESDAYS and THE ACCIDENTAL BESTSELLER, plus a flip flop bottle opener.        
                                                                                                                        
Enter the contest at http://www.authorwendywax.com

Please note: This is not a Book Binge sponsored contest.  You must enter at Wendy Wax’s website!

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Guest Review: The Harder They Fall by Trish Jensen

Posted July 31, 2012 by Tracy in Reviews | 2 Comments

Tracy’s Review of The Harder They Fall by Trish Jensen.

Darcy Welham vows to learn the family business from top to bottom and to rid it of interlopers. Her fiery spirit, quick mind and slight klutziness scares off most men–except the one she wants to intimidate! Michael Davidson has no business interfering in her life, her job or her heart. But he will not be turned away.

Darcy’s family has run the Welham restaurant business for years. When her father decides to see she puts a stop to it and decides that she’s going to learn everything about the restaurants from the ground up. She goes incognito into one and becomes a server with only the manager knowing her true identity.

Darcy meets Michael Davidson after she manages to dump a tuna melt into his lap and then accidentally grabs his junk while she’s trying to clean him off. Michael is embarrassed but even still thinks that Darcy is incredibly hot. That doesn’t mean that he’s going to keep her around one the company he works for buys the restaurants. That’s right – he’s the guy that works for the company that plans to buy out the restaurants and he has no doubt that she’ll be the first casualty of the buy out.

When Michael finds out exactly who Darcy is he’s determined to find a way to befriend her – even though they’ve not liked each other at all up to that point. He is actually successful and the two start a relationship. Michael starts having second thoughts about what he wants in life because that he knows that he wants Darcy but how will that be possible when he’s out to take over her family business.

This was a sweet story. I really liked both Michael and Darcy a lot. They each had their bad points but I thought the good out weighed the bad by a mile.

Michael could see under all of Darcy’s klutziness. He saw the grace and poise that she just reeked of and figured out that she was basically getting in her own way. Darcy saw what a kind and loving person that Michael could be and that he wasn’t always a hard ass businessman.

There was a bit of misunderstanding and lack of communication with Darcy and Michael that easily could have been rectified but that part of it was done so well that I just couldn’t help but liking it.

I very much enjoyed Ms. Jensen’s writing and will definitely be reading more of her work in the future.

Rating:3.75 out of 5.

This book is available from Bell Bridge Books. You can buy it here or here in e-format.

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Review: The Short and Fascinating Tale of Angelina Whitcomb by Sabrina Darby

Posted July 31, 2012 by Tracy in Reviews | 4 Comments

Wanted:

A beautiful young woman—preferably one with no connections, who won’t ask too many questions—to spend two weeks in the North of England with an obstinate, aloof, and utterly handsome man.

Must love dogs, fixing up crumbling castles, and gorgeous and complicated war heroes who may or may not be hiding hearts of gold under their gruff exteriors.

Must not, under any circumstances, fall in love . . .

Simpering misses need not apply.

John Martin’s mother takes her cousin’s advice and ends up advertising for someone to come and seduce her facially scarred son who she thinks might not be able to satisfy a woman because of war. Angelina is a former actress and courtesan who had some bad luck in both professions and is looking to A) Get out of London and B) Make some money. She takes the job from John Martin’s mother with the knowledge that once she finishes the job she will leave 100 pounds richer.

Angelina approaches the ruined castle that John supposedly lives in with a bit of caution and with the story that she is in the countryside to draw the beautiful scenery. She meets John that first day but he is none to happy at having visitors and quickly gets her off the property. The next day she shows up again and then again. Eventually the pair are sharing lunches and conversation together and slowly getting to know each other. Angelina’s a bit confused as to why he’s not taking her up on her not-so-subtle advances and wonders if she’s lost her touch.

After hearing Angelina’s story John knows that she is emotionally hurt more than she lets on. He realizes that a friend is exactly what she needs – not someone who will take advantage of her sexually from the get go. Angelina however, is feeling guilty for the part she’s playing in John’s mother’s scheme and doesn’t know if she can keep up the ruse.

This was a surprising book for me. While I wasn’t too sure about Angelina’s part in the whole scheme the way that Darby wrote it worked for me incredibly well.

John had Angelina pegged when it came to her emotional needs. He saw below the surface to the distress she was truly feeling and didn’t push her. Though Angelina thought that she was, at first, doing this great service for John she quickly realized that they were healing each other.

The fact that the pair started off as friends really worked for me. The quiet meals they shared together and the work they did on the castle together brought a different aspect to the romance that I very much liked. When they did eventually have sex it was sweet and slow and showed the way they felt without words.

The whole story was wonderful and I definitely recommend this short, sweet novella.

4.5 out of 5

Sabrina Darby

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Review: Forever and a Day by Jill Shalvis.

Posted July 31, 2012 by Rowena in Reviews | 3 Comments


Rowena’s review of Forever and a Day (Lucky Harbor #6) by Jill Shalvis.

Hero: Dr. Josh Scott
Heroine: Grace Brooks

LOVE CAN HAPPEN IN A HEARTBEAT Grace never thought she’d be starting her life over from scratch. Losing everything has landed her in Lucky Harbor, working as a dog walker for overwhelmed ER doctor Josh Scott. But the day his nanny fails to show up, Grace goes from caring for Josh’s lovable mutt to caring for his rambunctious son. Soon Grace is playing house with the sexy single dad . . .

With so many people depending on him, Josh has no time for anything outside of his clinic and family-until Grace arrives in town. Now this brainy blonde is turning his life inside out and giving a whole new meaning to the phrase “good bedside manner.” Josh and Grace don’t know if what they have can last. But in a town like Lucky Harbor, a lifetime of love starts with just one day . . .

This story is the sixth book in the Lucky Harbor series and I do believe it’s my favorite. This book follows the last of the Chocoholics, Grace Brooks to her happy ending. When we first meet Grace, she’s stopped in Lucky Harbor temporarily to get back on her feet. She’s looking for a job, something more permanent so that she can be at peace and make her parents proud of her. Making her parents proud is something that she strives for everyday, even when what they want for her is not what she wants for herself.

Dr. Josh Scott has too much on his plate. He’s got full custody of his six year old son Toby who barks like a dog instead of talk like a boy, his paraplegic younger sister is living with him and loves to give him hell at every turn. She’s pissed off, she misses their parents and hates the world now that she’s paralyzed. He’s also an in demand doctor at the hospital and spends a great deal of time at work. He needs help and isn’t above paying the money to get that help. He needs someone to walk his son’s dog since he’s never home to do it himself so he hires Grace Brooks to do it and she’s a terrible dog walker. He knows that she’s struggling to make ends meet so he hires to help her out and when she comes storming into his life, she changes everything and he becomes the one that needs her far more than she’d ever need him.

Watching Josh and Grace get closer and closer together was just too cute for words. I adored that every time they shared page time, they made the most of their interactions. I loved that Grace came into Josh’s life and flipped it upside down. I loved watching Josh fall deeper and deeper in love with Grace. He came to love her just as much as he needed her. He came to rely on her to help keep his home in order. He trusted her with his family, with his secrets and with his heart. I loved the way that Josh loved Grace and moreover, I loved the way that Grace loved Josh. She loved him so thoroughly and not just him, she loved Toby and Anna as well.

Grace was exactly what Josh, Toby and Anna needed. She cared about them, she loved them and she brought them all together and I loved reading about it all coming together. Jill Shalvis always write fabulous stories and I am always anxious for more. I haven’t heard any news about Shalvis continuing this series but I’ve got my fingers crossed. I want more from the small town of Lucky Harbor as its the only small town series that I’m still reading and enjoying. I hope she’ll continue to write more LH books until the end of my days, I love this series that much.

This was another lovely addition to the Lucky Harbor books and I’m anxious for more. I adored Josh and his family. I enjoyed seeing Grace make a place for herself in the Scott family and even more thrilled to see her making a place for herself in Lucky Harbor. She was a strong heroine with a big heart and I adored her. Josh was lucky to have her but Grace was lucky to have Josh. It was just the best kind of romance. Absolutely loved it!

Grade: 5 out of 5

This book is available from Grand Central Publishing. You can buy it here or here in e-format.

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Guest Review: Easy by Tammara Webber

Posted July 31, 2012 by Ames in Reviews | 9 Comments

Ames’ review of Easy by Tammara Webber.

Main Character: Jacqueline
Love Interest: Lucas or Landon?
Series: n/a
Author: Website|Facebook|Twitter

A girl who believes trust can be misplaced, promises are made to be broken, and loyalty is an illusion. A boy who believes truth is relative, lies can mask unbearable pain, and guilt is eternal. Will what they find in each other validate their conclusions, or disprove them all?

When Jacqueline follows her longtime boyfriend to the college of his choice, the last thing she expects is a breakup two months into sophomore year. After two weeks in shock, she wakes up to her new reality: she’s single, attending a state university instead of a music conservatory, ignored by her former circle of friends, and failing a class for the first time in her life.

Leaving a party alone, Jacqueline is assaulted by her ex’s frat brother. Rescued by a stranger who seems to be in the right place at the right time, she wants nothing more than to forget the attack and that night–but her savior, Lucas, sits on the back row of her econ class, sketching in a notebook and staring at her. Her friends nominate him to be the perfect rebound.

When her attacker turns stalker, Jacqueline has a choice: crumple in defeat or learn to fight back. Lucas remains protective, but he’s hiding secrets of his own. Suddenly appearances are everything, and knowing who to trust is anything but easy.

I’ve been seeing positive reviews for this book all over and decided to check it out myself. I have to agree with everyone, this is one good read!

Jacqueline’s college roommate dragged her out to a Halloween party and Jacqueline decides to leave early. At her truck, she’s attacked and almost raped by her ex-boyfriend’s frat brother. She’s saved by a fellow student, named Lucas. After that moment, she starts to Lucas around campus more and more, and they even have a class together! Her friends deem him the perfect rebound guy – she is only 2 weeks out of a long term relationship (since high school).

At the same time, since Jacqueline missed 2 weeks of economics class (she shares that class with her ex), her professor tells her to do some extra work to catch up and gives her the TAs email address. Thus begins a slightly flirtatious email relationship with the econ class TA, a guy named Landon.

Like I said before, I really enjoyed Easy. I liked Jacqueline’s emails with Landon and I liked all her interactions and texts with Lucas. Lucas is truly yummy and he’s pretty much perfect. Yeah he has a horrible secret from his past, but that only gives him a vulnerability that offsets his perfection. Or adds to it. He’s the artistic, broody guy that drives a motorcycle.

And Jacqueline – she was all caught up in her boyfriend’s life but she slowly emerges from his shadow in the midst of their break-up. She was a musician and I liked that about her. She’s not kick-ass but she’s not a spineless nobody like some other female characters I’ve read lately.

The villain of the story, the fellow student who tried to rape her, is truly despicable. That dude really gave me the creeps. At first Jacqueline doesn’t do anything about the attempt, but her roommate and Lucas back her up and empower her when more stuff happens with him. Also, and this is spoilery but I feel it needs to be said, another student is raped, but that happens off the page.

I liked the characters and I liked the writing. I recommend Easy and am giving it a B+.

..and that’s your scoop!

Buy the book: B&N|Amazon|Books on Board|Kobo
Book cover and blurb credit: http://www.goodreads.com

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