Author: Shelley Bradley

Guest Review: Bound and Determined by Shayla Black (writing as Shelley Bradley)

Posted March 25, 2009 by Book Binge Guest Blogger in Reviews | 7 Comments

Guest Review: Bound and Determined by Shayla Black (writing as Shelley Bradley)Reviewer: Tracy
Bound and Determined by Shayla Black, Shelley Bradley
Series: Sexy Capers #1
Publisher: Berkley, Penguin
Publication Date: March 3, 2009
Format: Print ARC
Add It: Goodreads
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Ripped Bodice | Google Play Books
three-half-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

 

Kerry Sullivan is running out of time-and patience. With her brother wrongfully accused of embezzling millions, she can’t face one more humiliating hang-up from the man she’s begging for help. Rafael Dawson may be one of the top electronic security experts in the country — and the only man who can prove her brother’s innocence — but his phone manners are appalling. Damn Yankee. Too bad kidnapping the man isn’t an option. Or is it?

There’s nothing Kerry wouldn’t do for her brother. There are lots of things she longs to do to Rafe Dawson when he’s lying tied-up and naked in her secret hideaway. Rafe is certainly something to look at, but Kerry’s brother’s life is riding on her pulling off the impossible: getting this man who’s always in control to lose it. But when the tables get turned, Kerry finds herself at Rafe’s mercy. And the only way to get her way is to let him have his way — with her…
How far would you go to prove a family member innocent? Kerry Sullivan is willing to resort to kidnapping the man that she just knows can prove that her brother didn’t embezzle any money. She tried to get Rafe Dawson to help her by contacting him over the phone but he just treated her like a crazy woman and refused to talk to her. The question is: even with the kidnapping can she get Rafe to hop on to his computer and dig around for evidence?

Rafe’s not a happy man. He wakes up in a strange house, tied to a bed and naked as a jay bird. When he realizes that the woman that kept harassing him on the phone is his kidnapper he gets even madder. The problem is, he thinks Kerry’s really hot and would like to have his wicked way with her. Rafe turns the table on Kerry as soon as he is able and she ends up agreeing to be his play thing for 48 hours as long as he promises to look into her brothers issues. But Kerry gets more and more attached to Rafe as the days go by and she’s not sure what to do with her emotions since she knows he’ll leave as soon as things with her brother are settled. And dangit, she’s falling in love with him!

I really enjoyed this book. Yes, there was a certain amount of suspension of belief involved with the whole kidnapping and then things getting turned around on Kerry. Would a man who was kidnapped really stick around after he was freed just for sex? Not in my world, but maybe somewhere! lol But despite that issue I thought it was a great story. I liked Kerry’s spirit and her loyalty to her brother. I really liked Rafe even though he was more than confused about what he wanted from his life. I thought his character developed nicely. Then there was the whole whodunit issue – was it the brother, the best friend, the boss or the wife who embezzled the money? I pretty much guessed who the culprit was by the time all was revealed but it did keep me wondering if I was right or not.

If you’re looking for a little mystery and lots of sensual, sexual scenes between the h/h this is a good book for you to read.

Rating: 3.75 out of 5

 

three-half-stars


Tagged: , , , , , , , ,

Review: A Perfect Match by Shelley Bradley

Posted May 22, 2008 by Tracy in Reviews | 3 Comments

Review: A Perfect Match by Shelley BradleyReviewer: Tracy
A Perfect Match by Shelley Bradley
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Publication Date: March 1, 2008
Add It: Goodreads
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Ripped Bodice | Google Play Books
four-half-stars

Compatible? Never. But the numbers don't lie.

Sports reporter Mitch MacKinnon is stuck writing an expos about a local dating service, and no amount of foot-dragging or complaining will get him out of it. When he gets a look at the sexy blonde owner, things start looking up. He'd love the chance to date Juliette Lowell a time or two. But he's here to dish the dirt that'll be his ticket to a big-time newspaper; a relationship is the furthest thing from his mind.

Juliette's got Mitch pegged from the word go-he's an overgrown jock who wouldn't know a true emotion if it was wrapped in pigskin. Delicious dimples and killer brown eyes aside, the man is incredibly infuriating. All she needs is one chance to prove she can find a perfect match for anyone. Even him. Then her "foolproof" database spits out the results. Mitch's perfect match? Juliette. If she's right, Mitch will have to eat his words-and the story that'll take him to the top.

Warning: This title contains hot, sweaty couch dancing; long, slow, hot, wet kisses that last three days, and toe-curling romance.

So I really enjoy books by Shelley Bradley. They have great stories and some of them are pretty damn steamy. So when A Perfect Match came out this past week I bought it immediately. I didn’t get a chance to read it right then since DIK had taken over my life and but frankly, who doesn’t like DIK?

Anyway, A Perfect Match is about a man, Mitch, who works for a newspaper in a relatively small city (which happens to be the city I currently live in)as a sports writer. The “Community Happenings” woman goes out on maternity leave and he is asked to cover for her by doing a story on a local matchmaking business.
Enter Juliette Lowell, owner of A Perfect Match. Mitch is very skeptical about her methods of matchmaking and writes a not so wonderful review of her business. Juliette challenges Mitch to let her set him up with her system and she if she can’t make a believer out of him. He eventually says yes, but only if she enters herself into the system to be set up as well. Juliette’s not so sure how this will go since she has a boyfriend and he’s asked her to marry him. She’s not said yes, but doesn’t really feel right about going out on a date while dating someone else. But her boyfriend is very understanding, says he trusts her, and she should most definitely do it since it will prove the reporter wrong in the end.

When all is said and done and all the matchmaking info is put into the system it turns out that Mitch and Juliette are a 93% match. Although they’ve been very attracted to each other Juliette is NOT overjoyed at the prospect of going out with Mitch. But they do, with each person planning half of the date and end up having a really good time…especially that incredibly steamy kiss at the end of the night. Wow.

Mitch is so wanting more of Juliette, but again, she’s almost engaged so how is that to happen? Juliette’s feeling some strong attraction but unfortunately it’s not toward the man she’s “almost” engaged to. The problem is that Juliette moved a ton of times while growing up with a pretty much never there father so she wants security in her life. Mitch is a fly by the seat of your pants kinda guy and is willing to move wherever, whenever in order to move up in the newspaper business and further his career.

As much as I’d love to go on and tell you the rest of the book I’ll suffice it to say that the way Mitch and Juliette work out their differences and end up coming together is just heart-warming. The romance between the two is wonderful in its simplicity and I loved that about this book. Although its not an easy road for the two of them Ms. Bradley made to story realistic and believable. I thoroughly enjoy reading this and will continue to recommend it.

Rating: B+
four-half-stars


Tagged: , , , , , ,