Tag: Melissa Blue

Buddy Review: Grumpy Jake by Melissa Blue

Posted January 13, 2020 by Rowena in Reviews | 1 Comment

Buddy Review: Grumpy Jake by Melissa BlueReviewer: Ames and Rowena
Grumpy Jake by Melissa Blue
Publisher: Self-Published
Publication Date: November 8, 2019
Format: eBook
Source: Purchased
Point-of-View: Third
Cliffhanger: View Spoiler »
Content Warning: View Spoiler »
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 104
Add It: Goodreads
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Ripped Bodice | Google Play Books
four-stars

Bailey Thorne doesn't hate Jake the Rake, just despises him. She blames the rumor mill at her school...and, okay, him. His adorable son has only been in preschool, but Jake has already made an impressive dent in dating the unmarried faculty. She's had to hear of his every exploit from the broken hearts he's left behind. She was fine to loathe him from afar, but now his son has entered kindergarten--and she's the teacher. It's going to be a very long school year.

Jake Polaski was more than fine to avoid Ms. Thorne after it became clear she was not amused by his very existence. But then they get stuck in an elevator for an evening. He finds out that underneath that baleful glare she always gives him, lies a warm, funny and sexy as hell woman. He does his best to not be smitten after every exchange afterward. His son needs him rational, steadfast...and love is the most uncertain thing.

It was the elevator's fault. Had it worked like it should, Bailey would have gone on with her life without seeing why so many of her co-workers had fallen for the grumpy single dad. (It's his dry wit, his playful teasing and the drool-worthy cut of his jawline.) And now she's caught in the way he doles out smiles and the dark depths of his secrets. If nothing else, she knows from rumor there's a clock ticking on their affair before it implodes because things always do with Jake the Rake, but she can't seem to walk away first.

Rowena: Amy and I have been buddy reviewing books together for a few years now but we both weren’t reading much in the last few months of 2019 so we took a break but we’re back. Our first buddy review for 2020 will be on Grumpy Jake by Melissa Blue.

Grumpy Jake follows Jake Polasky and Bailey Thorne as they make that journey toward they’re happily ever after, together. Bailey is Jake’s son’s teacher and though they started off on rocky ground, getting stuck on an elevator sparks up a friendship that turns into a lot more than either of them thought.

So, Ames…what did you think?

Ames: I thought this was a cute novella. I like how its called Grumpy Jake but when Bailey noticed the rep Jake had with the teachers she was aloof towards him, so in a way she was almost grumpy too. Even Jake’s son noticed that she didn’t particularly care for Jake. haha For this being a novella, I thought there was a lot packed into the story and it was enjoyable.

What did you think, Ween?

Rowena: I really enjoyed this one. It was a quick romp that I thought was cute. I liked that Bailey was a teacher and we actually got to see her in action. I also liked that though this was a novella, there was still a lot of stuff packed into the story to satisfy the reader. I wasn’t expecting all the steamy love scenes but I wasn’t mad about them either. There wasn’t much that I didn’t enjoy about this one, if anything, I just wanted more because I didn’t want to depart from these characters so soon. I liked Jayden and I liked the relationship that formed between Bailey and Jayden and I loved that regardless of what was going on with her and Jake, that didn’t affect anything between her and Jayden. I just flat out liked this one.

Ames: It’s harder to review a book we enjoy than one we didn’t, don’t you think? Because I agree with everything you said. Seeing Bailey in her role as a teacher and how that impacts developing a relationship with a parent of one of her students was interesting to see. And sets up the conflict nicely. Jayden was super cute and my heart broke for his and Jake’s story. The heat factor was nice too. I wasn’t expecting that so it was a pleasant surprise.

Overall, I don’t have any complaints about Grumpy Jake. I like a grumpy hero because there’s usually a softy hidden underneath that exterior and I like how Bailey called Jake out on his behaviour. They were a good match.

Rowena: You’re right. I just flat out like everything about this book, I just wanted it to be longer. So I gave it a 4.25 out of 5, you?

Ames: I’m giving this one a 4 out of 5. A very strong novella and a great introduction to Blue’s writing.

Final Grade

Ames: 4 out of 5
Rowena: 4.25 out of 5

four-stars

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Sunday Spotlight: Grumpy Jake by Melissa Blue

Posted January 12, 2020 by Holly in Features, Giveaways | 5 Comments

Sunday Spotlight is a feature we began in 2016. This year we’re spotlighting our favorite books, old and new. We’ll be raving about the books we love and being total fangirls. You’ve been warned. 🙂

Grumpy Jake by Melissa Blue came on my radar last month when I saw that gorgeous cover. Then Rowena read it and said she really liked it, so I bumped it up on my list. I can’t wait to read it.

Sunday Spotlight: Grumpy Jake by Melissa BlueGrumpy Jake by Melissa Blue
Publisher: Self-Published
Publication Date: November 8, 2019
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 104
Add It: Goodreads
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Ripped Bodice | Google Play Books

Bailey Thorne doesn't hate Jake the Rake, just despises him. She blames the rumor mill at her school...and, okay, him. His adorable son has only been in preschool, but Jake has already made an impressive dent in dating the unmarried faculty. She's had to hear of his every exploit from the broken hearts he's left behind. She was fine to loathe him from afar, but now his son has entered kindergarten--and she's the teacher. It's going to be a very long school year.

Jake Polaski was more than fine to avoid Ms. Thorne after it became clear she was not amused by his very existence. But then they get stuck in an elevator for an evening. He finds out that underneath that baleful glare she always gives him, lies a warm, funny and sexy as hell woman. He does his best to not be smitten after every exchange afterward. His son needs him rational, steadfast...and love is the most uncertain thing.

It was the elevator's fault. Had it worked like it should, Bailey would have gone on with her life without seeing why so many of her co-workers had fallen for the grumpy single dad. (It's his dry wit, his playful teasing and the drool-worthy cut of his jawline.) And now she's caught in the way he doles out smiles and the dark depths of his secrets. If nothing else, she knows from rumor there's a clock ticking on their affair before it implodes because things always do with Jake the Rake, but she can't seem to walk away first.

Excerpt

He tossed the suit jacket on the arm of the couch. She hesitated then walked over to the photo album to pull out the braces picture. He just smirked at her as he settled into the cushions.

When she came back in with two cups, he did indeed have the album open on the table.

“That was the only picture in there where I cringe.”

He sat back. “I noticed. There’s just a void of you and your family until high school.”

“Sophomore year to be exact.” She handed him the cup then put hers on the table to cool off. “By then I grew boobs, got a bit of style and no longer wore braces.” She bit her lip for a moment.

“What is it?”

“I think it’s only fair you show me an embarrassing photo.”

He put his cup down on the table. “For the record, I don’t cringe at any of my old photos.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“I was born handsome.”

She cackled. “Lies.”

He didn’t smile but there was a light in his eyes. “You’ve caught me. I was ugly as shit until fifteen, and then there were some questionable style choices for me.” He scrolled through his phone, stopped to look at her then shook his head. “I can’t believe I’m about to show you this.” He hesitated. “No. I absolutely cannot show you this.”

Red blossomed on his cheeks. Grumpy Jake was blushing. “I have to see this picture now.”

He glanced at his phone then shook his head. She put her hand out. He pulled the phone just out of her reach. “I can’t do it.”

“Okay,” she said, placing her hand in her lap.

Their gazes met, held, then she lunged for the phone. She ended up sprawled across his lap on her stomach as they both laughed. They playfully wrestled for another moment until her hand brushed something hard, something thick. She snatched her hand back and tried to untangle their limbs from his. He wrapped his hand around her waist and pulled her into him until her butt settled on that hard and thick part of him between his legs. The laughter had died away. Bailey brought her gaze up to his. Heat and lust had darkened his blue eyes, seeping into her and leaving every part of her buzzing with—everything.

Jake cupped her cheek. “I want to kiss you, Bailey.”

Giveaway Alert

We’re giving one lucky winner their choice of one of our Sunday Spotlight books. Use the widget below to enter for one of this month’s features.

Sunday Spotlight: January 2020

Are you as excited for this release as we are? Let us know how excited you are and what other books you’re looking forward to this year!

About Melissa Blue

Melissa Blue’s writing career started on a typewriter one month after her son was born. This would have been an idyllic situation for a writer if it had been 1985, not 2004. She penned that first contemporary romance, upgraded to a computer and hasn’t looked back since.

Outside of writing, Blue works as a mail clerk for the federal government has a paralegal certificate (that she has more use for as a dustpan) and is a mother of two rambunctious children. She lives in California where the wine is good and, despite popular belief, is not always sunny.

Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook

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Review: See Megan Run by Melissa Blue.

Posted August 19, 2009 by Rowena in Reviews | 4 Comments


Rowena’s review of See Megan Run by Melissa Blue.

Hero: Aiden Blake
Heroine: Megan Hazley
Grade: 4.5 out of 5

A rock and a hard place have nothing on Megan Hazley when she agrees to stay for her mother’s wedding, less than a month away. Nicole, her mother, isn’t Megan’s only obstacle to getting the deed to her deceased father’s home; her ex-boyfriend, Aiden Blake, is the best man. Time hasn’t lessened the spark between them, a spark that should have died the day she hitchhiked out of “Boondock” USA.

Megan must deal with the troubles she left behind 12 years ago and choose between the man she once loved and the life she has built for herself.

Who said going home was easy?

We received this book for review a few months ago and between real life and other obligations, this book kind of fell off my radar but I’m glad that I read this book. This book is about forgiveness and about facing the past. It was a welcome change from what I’ve been reading in the past couple of months and I’d like to personally thank Melissa Blue for thinking of us here at Book Binge.

Megan Hazley left the small town of Riverbed 12 years ago and made something of herself. After her father dies, her mother is getting remarried and she needs to go home and find out why her mother is selling the house that she grew up in. Her father’s house. Nothing about going back is going to be easy for Megan but she loved her father and she loved that house so she’ll go back for them and them alone. Her first meeting with her mother shows that she’s going to deed the house over to Megan if Megan comes back home for a month so that Megan can give Nicole (the mom) another chance.

Megan doesn’t want to go back at all. She doesn’t want to attend Nicole’s wedding and she certainly doesn’t want to face the one person that remained in her heart all these years. Aiden Blake.

Man, Aiden was a hero that I could certainly get behind. He was such a good man and one that loved Megan with all that he was and after all these years was still trying to get over her. He was a man’s man who had feelings and his were still hurt but he wasn’t a baby about them. He knew the score and even though privately he still loved her, I loved that publicly, he wasn’t a whiny baby. I really felt his pain as though it were my own and man, I just really loved him. He was a great hero. He was good and strong and oh so sexy. I want my very own Aiden. My favorite part about Aiden was when he finally realizes the real reason why he left, instead of feeling sorry for what he had lost…he saw everything through Megan’s eyes and he wanted to be there for her. He wanted to make things all better for her and man, who wouldn’t love a man like that? I so fell in love with Aiden’s character and he is totally Hero of the Month material, that’s for sure.

Megan on the other hand, it took some time for Megan to grow on me. Yeah, I guess I understood why she was so pissed off at her Mom and I really couldn’t blame her for being that angry but I wish she would have came back and hashed it out with her Mom long before she finally did. I wish she didn’t let what happened back when she left stay with her but it’s hard to be pissed off about the way she acted throughout this book because as her Mother, Nicole should have done better. As the book wore on, Megan got better and when she finally stepped up to the plate and started letting go of all of the baggage that came with her history in Riverbed, I started softening toward her. Melissa Blue did a great job of making me understand what Megan was going through and why she was going through it. Once things started falling into place where Megan was concerned for me, I understood the way she was and I admired her for the woman that she grew up to be. At the end of this book, I was truly happy for her and was glad to see that she was able to move on from everything. Everything was resolved in a way that left me sighing all over the dang place. What a fun treat this book turned out to be! I was also very glad that Megan had such a great friend in Lynne. Lynne was so good to Megan and she had great advice to give out as well. I want Lynne to be my best friend and walk me through my problems!

The romance between Aiden and Megan was so cute and I ate it all up. I thought it was completely well written and I enjoyed this part of the book immensely. I love the whole childhood sweethearts reunited storyline and Melissa Blue did a tremendous job writing Aiden and Megan’s. It’s funny how my heart did a little blip when Aiden would remember something about him and Megan’s past and try not to let it bother him. When they’re going on their date and Aiden is filling Megan in on the gossip around town from the past 12 years and he adds silently, “You and I were the biggest scandal,” my heart fluttered in my chest and that’s how I know this book really worked for me.

This was one of those books that really got me out of the semi-reading funk that I was slowly slipping into. I thought it was well written. The characters came to life for me and I was totally engaged while reading this book. I’m a fan of Jane and of Shep, I thought they were great characters! I am definitely going to be reading more Melissa Blue in the future. If you like cute contemporary romances that are fun then I definitely think you’d enjoy this one. It was a good treat for the summer!

This book is available from The Wild Rose Press. You can buy it here in e-format.

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