Tag: Silhouette Special Edition

Publisher Spotlight Review: Pride and Pregnancy by Karen Templeton

Posted May 11, 2010 by Holly in Reviews | 1 Comment

Holly‘s review of Pride and Pregnancy (Babies Inc, Book 4) by Karen Templeton



You can take the girl out of the trailer park…

Which Karleen Almquist had surely tried to do. But the thrice-married—and thrice-divorced!—personal shopper had sworn off men, and their inherent complications…aka babies. Until the most gorgeous widower moved in next door—complete with the two most adorable little boys she’d ever seen.

True, Troy Lindquist had been alone a long time, but the ice cream mogul was looking for a real relationship, and his next-door neighbor was clearly not his type. Still, that didn’t stop him from turning to her one night—which resulted in Karleen being pregnant with Troy’s child.

First came the baby carriage. Then came love. And then…marriage?

Karen Templeton has become a favorite go-to author for strong, emotionally compelling contemporary romances. I recently picked up a handful of some of her older SSE’s and this is the first one I grabbed out of the stack.

I enjoyed the unconventional heroine. The first thing the hero thinks when he meets her is “bimbo”. Karleen’s a bleach blonde who loves shiny objects, has fake nails and fake boobs. She’s also fiercely independent, caring and almost brutally honest. She’s attracted to her new next-door-neighbor Troy right off the bat, but after 3 failed marriages she knows better than anyone that attraction fades. Troy’s expression when he meets her says it all – he might think she’s good to look at, but he doesn’t think she’s good to stick with.

Troy’s been raising his twin sons alone for four years, their mother having died shortly after childbirth. He’s responsible, grounded and thinking it might be time to start looking for a wife. He wants someone quiet and uncomplicated, someone he can build a life with. Someone the exact opposite of his drop-dead gorgeous neighbor.

Sometimes first impressions are wrong, however. It isn’t long before Troy realizes there’s more to Karleen than meets the eye. And after spending one incredible night together (or day, as the case may be), that turns out to be a good thing. Because Karleen is pregnant.

Now the two of them have to work together to do what’s best for their baby. At first Troy wants to marry Karleen simply because she’s pregnant with his child. But the more time he spends with her the less it has to do with the baby and the more it has to do with Karleen herself. If only he could convince her…

While I enjoyed many aspects of this, I’m afraid I didn’t feel the emotional connection to the characters I’ve come to expect from Templeton. Karleen and Troy were both well drawn characters, and I loved Troy’s boys and Karleen’s best friend Joanna. But I didn’t feel like I was emotionally invested in their story. Yes, I was entertained. But it was missing the strong pull I generally feel when reading Templeton.

3.75 out of 5

 The series:

Marriage, Interrupted: 0 (Special Edition)Baby Steps (Silhouette Special Edition)The Prodigal Valentine (Silhouette Special Edition)Pride And Pregnancy (Silhouette Special Edition)Baby Steps (Silhouette Special Edition)

This book is available from Silhouette Special Edition. You can buy it here or here in e-format.


Tagged: , , , , , , ,

Review: In Love with Her Boss by Christie Ridgway

Posted March 19, 2010 by Holly in Reviews | 1 Comment


Holly’s review of In Love with Her Boss (Montana Mavericks) by Christie Ridgway

Lori Hanson had come to Whitehorn to start over-not to fall head over heels in love with her boss! For she knew better than to risk her heart-her life-on another man. Besides, Josh Anderson was too attractive, too nice and…too dangerous. Nice because he cared about her. Dangerous because he made her want to care about him.

Josh’s alluring receptionist had secrets and fears she couldn’t let go of, and all Josh wanted was to hold her in his arms and make everything better. Okay, so that wasn’t all he wanted. Lori’s presence made it all but impossible to work–except to count the ways to capture her heart!

I’m slowly working my way through Ridgway’s backlist. This is one of the books I got from Abooktrader.com.

This was a sweet story. Ridgway is a master at writing the perfect balance between light and dark. Her books are always interspersed with sweet, light love stories and gritty, darker emotional issues. This book is no exception.

Lori has moved to Montana to escape her past and start fresh. She was in an abusive marriage and wants to get away from the town where her ex lives. Before her mother died, she told Lori about Whitehorn – where she grew up – and Lori thinks she might be able to put some roots down there. She gets a job with a temp agency and her first assignment is taking over for the receptionist at Anderson Construction while she goes on maternity leave.

Josh is surprised when he meets his new receptionist. She gorgeous and immediately starts getting under his skin. Only she keeps sending out mixed signals and he isn’t sure if she’s really attracted to him or not. When he realizes she’s been abused and is scared of him, he goes out of his way to make her feel comfortable. And to earn her trust.

I really liked Josh’s character. He was a very strong man, sweet and caring. The way he treated Lori, both before and after he learned about her past, really touched me. He was a little on the shy side and had a kind of aw-shucks attitude that really worked. He was just what Lori needed.

I enjoyed Lori’s character, too, though more in the beginning than toward the end. I understood the reasons she pushed Josh away in the end, but I still became frustrated by it. I was also frustrated by her actions at the end. I can’t put my finger on what exactly bothered me, but I think it might be the inconsistencies of her actions vs thoughts. She kept saying she had to leave so she could protect Josh, yet she’d think she had to leave because she refused to be taken care of or rely on someone else. She realized her mistakes, so I was able to forgive her, but it was touch and go for a chapter or so there.

I was also disappointed that it ended as it did, without finding out what became of the villain – though there are other books in the series so we may find out later.

Overall I really enjoyed the story. It had some flaws but the character are very well suited and Josh really stole my heart.

3.75 out of 5

This book is OOP from Silhouette Special Edition. You can buy it here or here.


Tagged: , , , , , , , ,

Guest Review: The Doctor’s Surprise Family by Mary J. Forbes

Posted August 27, 2009 by Holly in Reviews | 0 Comments

Guest Review: The Doctor’s Surprise Family by Mary J. ForbesReviewer: Holly
The Doctor's Surprise Family by Mary J. Forbes
Publisher: Silhouette
Publication Date: May 1st 2009
Genres: Fiction
Pages: 224
Add It: Goodreads
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Ripped Bodice | Google Play Books
two-stars

When Kat O'Brien saw the rain-soaked stranger pull up on his motorcycle, her instincts went on red-alert. Except he was no stranger. He was Dane Rainhart, hometown war hero…and Kat's girlhood crush. Now the single mother was more intrigued than ever by this sexy, powerful man who was already bonding with her son.
After being wounded in the line of duty, Dane needed a place to mend—and hide away from the world. Instead, the haunted military doctor was falling for the much-too-attractive widow and her boy. Perhaps it was time they both faced the past and took a second chance at happiness—together!

I generally like the ‘reunited lovers’ plot line. Especially if the lovers in question were high school sweethearts. This is the third book in Forbes’ Home to Firewood Island series. I read the first two books and enjoyed them, so I figured I’d like this one as well. Sadly it didn’t work very well for me.

I expected to like Kat based on her character in the previous books. Unfortunately she didn’t live up to my expectations. She started out strong – though wounded by the loss of her husband – and seemed to just kind of fade out the more attached she became to Dane. I was surprised at her lack of backbone when it came to standing up to Dane. There were several times where I thought he needed to be taken down a peg in regards to her son, or where she needed to push him on the issue of his past and/or their relationship, and she failed. Instead of coming across as strong, it was more like she needed a man to make her complete.

…read the rest here.

This book is available from Silhouette Special Edition. You can buy it here or here in e-format.

two-stars


Tagged: , , , , , , ,

Guest Review: The Bravo Bachelor by Christine Rimmer

Posted July 6, 2009 by Holly in Reviews | 1 Comment

Guest Review: The Bravo Bachelor by Christine RimmerReviewer: Holly
The Bravo Bachelor by Christine Rimmer
Series: Bravo Family Ties
Publisher: Silhouette
Publication Date: April 1st 2009
Genres: Fiction
Pages: 224
Add It: Goodreads
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Ripped Bodice | Google Play Books
four-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

All Gabe Bravo wanted was to convince Mary Hofstetter to sell him her land. But the young widow had barely told him to hightail it off her property before going into labor. Being an honorable Bravo bachelor, he stayed by her side, even after her little bundle of joy appeared.
There was no denying Gabe had declared himself permanently single—and proud of it. But with his feelings for Mary growing deeper, he was suddenly torn: walk away from mother and child, or do what he'd sworn he'd never do—get hitched!

I have a review of The Bravo Bachelor by Christine Rimmer up at The Good, The Bad and The Unread.

All Gabe Bravo wanted was to convince Mary Hofstetter to sell him her land. But the young widow had barely told him to hightail it off her property before going into labor. Being an honorable Bravo bachelor, he stayed by her side, even after her little bundle of joy appeared.

There was no denying Gabe had declared himself permanently single—and proud of it. But with his feelings for Mary growing deeper, he was suddenly torn: walk away from mother and child, or do what he’d sworn he’d never do—get hitched!

 

This book is available from Silhouette Special Edition. You can buy it here or here in e-format.

four-stars


Tagged: , , , , , ,

Guest Review: Runaway Bride Returns by Christie Ridgway

Posted May 2, 2009 by Holly in Reviews | 2 Comments


I have a review of Runaway Bride Returns by Christie Ridgway up at The Good, The Bad and The Unread

Owen Marston could never forget the passionate Vegas weekend that ended at the altar with Isabella Cavaletti. Or the way his new bride walked out on him the morning after. The footloose librarian obviously wasn’t cut out for married life. So what was she doing at the injured firefighter’s bedside?
Marrying a man she’d known for only three days in the Elvis Luvs U Wedding Chapel definitely rated up there with one of Izzy’s wilder and crazier moments. But now her “impulse” groom needed her back at his side. Except the longer she stayed with her too-arousing temporary husband, the more permanent she wanted the arrangement to be…

Check it out…

I’ve read several of Christie Ridgway’s full length novels and was curious about her categories as well. Although I was bothered by a few things, overall I enjoyed this just as much as the other novels I’ve read by her.

One of the best and worst things about this book is the emotional issues Owen has to deal with after one of his friends is killed during a house fire. He loses all confidence in himself as a firefighter and really has a hard time with survivors guilt. When Ridgway focused on his emotional scarring it was very compelling. Unfortunately that aspect was glossed over quite a bit. While it was mentioned internally, it wasn’t really dealt with externally. The final resolution ended up being kind of glossed over, I think.

…read the rest here.

This book is available from Silhouette Special Edition. You can buy it here or here in e-format.


Tagged: , , , , , ,