Tag: Writer Friends

Author Spotlight: The Writers Series by Rachel Gibson.

Posted November 24, 2010 by Rowena in Features, Reviews | 3 Comments

Publisher: Avon, Harper Collins

Rowena’s review of the Writers series by Rachel Gibson.

Sex, Lies and Online Dating.

Hero: Quinn McIntyre
Heroine: Lucy Rothschild

What’s a homicide detective to do when tracking down a female serial killer who targets her victims via online dating sites? In Gibson’s breezy, formulaic new romance set in Boise, Idaho, said detective—handsome Quinn McIntyre—logs online and goes out on numerous first dates until he pinpoints the woman wacko enough to have committed the crimes. So begins the relationship between Quinn and Lucy Rothschild, a well-educated, 30-something professional who fits the killer’s profile. Quinn isn’t the only one with an agenda, however.

Lucy, a mystery writer, is doing research for her next novel, which coincidentally features a female serial killer and Internet dating. Mutual lust impedes both Quinn and Lucy’s plans, and mis-communication and the real serial killer serve as speed bumps on their path to love. While Gibson fast-paced romp is mildly entertaining, her flimsy plot doesn’t hold up to scrutiny, and her protagonists—the capable detective who’s married to his work and the smart female who’s been burned by a parade of Mr. Wrongs—never grow beyond their prescribed roles.

This is the first book in the writers series by Rachel Gibson and it’s a great beginning to a series that shaped up to be a great series. Quinn and Lucy were both interesting characters that kept me invested in their story straight through to the end. In this story, we’ve got the hero and the heroine both doing research and then meeting online, pretending to be someone they’re not. Sparks fly and before you know it, they’re banging each other and the fun is just beginning.

She’s a writer doing some research for her book and he’s a cop trying to nail the bad guy. They meet in an online chat room and are not prepared for what comes next. I love it!

Rachel Gibson does a great job of making you fall in love with her characters. She writes such engaging characters that keep you coming back for more and more. Quinn and Lucy are no different. Their story was cute, fun and enjoyable. This is the book where you meet Lucy’s writer friends and Gibson does a great job of making the reader curious about them so of course, you’re going to want to continue this series.

Grade: 4 out of 5

In in No Mood for Love.

Hero: Sebastian Vaughan
Heroine: Claire Wingate

What is Clare Wingate doing? One minute she’s suffering in a pretty-in-pink gown she’ll never wear again, and the next thing she knows it’s morning . . . and she’s lying next to Sebastian Vaughan, her girlhood crush turned sexy, globe-hopping journalist.

After finding her own fiancé in a compromising position with the washing machine repairman, Clare had the right to go wild. But Clare is in no mood for love—not even for lust—and wants to forget about Sebastian and his six-pack abs ASAP. But he isn’t in the mood to go away, and his kiss is impossible to forget.

Out of all of the books in this series, this book is my favorite. I loved everything about it. The childhood crush storyline is a storyline that I absolutely adore and if it’s written well then I can lose myself into the story each and every time. It’s exactly like that for me with this story every time that I read it.

So Clare catches her fiance’ in a compromising position which makes her get rip roaring drunk and flee for her life and then the next morning she wakes up and sees that she’s in Sebastian Vaughan’s hotel room and Sebastian Vaughan just happens to be her childhood crush. When they’re thrown together after all these years, things heat up and the story totally takes off.

I loved Sebastian. I thought he was the right amount of asshole and thoughtful sweetheart to make my heart go pitter patter. There was something about the way that he simply was that I eat up every time that I read this book and it’s like the more that I read this book, the more that I love Sebastian.

Clare was a great heroine, she was one of those heroines that you want to hang out with and she’s one of those heroines who isn’t perfect and that’s just the way that you like her. You like her despite how unperfect she is.

This book was cute and fun and had the right amount of everything to keep me one happy camper. The romance that blossomed between Sebastian and Clare was fantastic. I loved getting to know the both of them and by the end of the story, I was so damn happy for the both of them that I wanted to do a little happy dance. If you’re in the mood for a light, fluffy and totally enjoyable contemporary romance then you should definitely check this book out.

Grade: 4.75 out of 5

Tangled Up in You.

Hero: Mick Hennessy
Heroine: Maddie Dupree

Maddie is determined to uncover the untold story about the town’s sordid past—her past. As a child, Maddie lost everything, and now she’s back at the scene of the scandal—a local establishment that’s always belonged to the Hennessys—determined to uncover the truth, and nothing is going to stand in her way. Especially not a black-haired, blue-eyed Hennessy.

Everyone in Truly knows that the Hennessy men are irresistible, and the current owner, Mick, is no exception. His late father was a skirt-chasing heartbreaker who ended up causing disaster for two families. So far, Mick’s managed to keep the ladies in line, but when he claps eyes on Maddie, with her luscious curves and tempting lips, he can’t resist getting tangled up with her.

But Maddie is keeping secrets, not the least of which is her true reason for being in town. And when Mick discovers what‘s really going on, there is going to be a whole lot of trouble in Truly.

This is the third story in the writers series by Rachel Gibson and it’s another winner for me. While there were plenty of times when I was reading this that I thought that Maddie should have just manned up and told Mick who she was, I didn’t let that bother me too much. Yes, Maddie was dumb for not telling Mick the truth about her identity but for me, Mick more than made up for that.

He was so hot damn yummy that I could probably have forgiven the story anything just because he was in it. Rachel Gibson does such a great job of writing these heroes that I feel like such a little whore bag because I want them all.

In this story, Maddie goes back to the small town of Truly to uncover the truth about her past. She’s been gone for several years and she’s gone off to become a successful author and when she gets back to Truly, nobody recognizes her. While she’s there, she runs across Mick Hennessy and because he’s full of all kinds of yumminess she can’t help that her pants keep falling whenever he’s around.

Rachel Gibson makes it very easy to fall into these stories. They’re not perfect but they’re so entertaining that you just zip right through the book and this one’s no different. It’s a great addition to a series that shaped up to be a delightful series and I enjoyed it a great deal.

Grade: 4.5 out of 5

Not Another Bad Date.

Hero: Zach Zimaitis
Heroine: Adele Harris

What does a gal have to do to get a good date in this town?

Adele Harris can’t even begin to answer that question. She’s had so many lousy dates that she’s sure she’s cursed. Why else would every man she goes out with suddenly act like he’s lost his mind—and his manners? Adele thought life couldn’t get any more confusing . . . until she learns the marriage of her seemingly Miss Perfect sister is on the rocks. So she goes back to their hometown to give her a shoulder to cry on, only to run smack into Zach Zemaitis . . . the one who got away.

Texans love God, family, and football, though not always in that order

Zach, a former pro star, knows all about football. As for the other two, well, he’s doing his best. But when Adele comes charging back into his life—still all lush curves and beautiful, big blue eyes—he wonders if his best is good enough. After all, he did her wrong. Can a woman with her track record ever really believe that he’s serious this time . . . or is he destined to be another bad date?

Adele Harris is the last man standing in her circle of friends. All of her writer friends have gone and got themselves snagged and she’s left all alone at the Single’s table. When her sister’s husband leaves her for a woman named Stormy Winters (seriously?), she moves herself and her daughter back to their hometown and Adele follows them there to help her sister get on her feet again.

This is one of those, the one that got away stories and I love those story lines. I can marry those storylines and it doesn’t matter how many times I’ve read the storyline, if it’s done well, I love it each and every time.

When Adele sees Zach Zimaitis again after all these years, she’s kind of blown away. Seeing him brings back a lot of memories and really, she could do without those memories if you ask her but because they keep running into each other around town, it’s hard to not get all lustful, especially since Zach has grown up to be hella fine! Watching Adele struggle through trying to keep her family together and happy made me feel for her. She kept her composure through most of it and I totally admired her dedication to her family.

I loved the interactions between Zach and Adele. I adored the romance that grew between them. That bathroom scene at the high school was steamy and filled with all kinds of goodness. But while I adored Zach and Adele together, this go around with the book, I was bothered with Zach’s infidelity in his first marriage a lot more than I was before. So much so that I harped on it for a while and though I ended up forgiving him, I do remember that it bugged when I was reading.

This book was another good addition to the series and I was content with the way that it ended the series. I thought both the hero and the heroine belonged together and their story was very enjoyable. I definitely recommend it to finish off the series.

Grade: 4.5 out of 5

This is one gem of a series in my opinion. It’s full of fun, laughs and steamy romances. The heroes are hot and the heroines are crazy but still likable. I think fans of the contemporary romance genre would enjoy this series and I recommend the heck out of it!

Overall Grade for entire series: 4.5 out of 5

These books are available from Avon.


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Review: I’m In No Mood for Love by Rachel Gibson.

Posted April 1, 2009 by Rowena in Reviews | 4 Comments

Publisher: Avon, Harper Collins


Hero: Sebastian Vaughan
Heroine: Clare Wingate
Grade: 4.75 out of 5

What is Clare Wingate doing? One minute she’s suffering in a pretty-in-pink gown she’ll never wear again, and the next thing she knows it’s morning . . . and she’s lying next to Sebastian Vaughan, her girlhood crush turned sexy, globe-hopping journalist.

After finding her own fiancé in a compromising position with the washing machine repairman, Clare had the right to go wild. But Clare is in no mood for love—not even for lust—and wants to forget about Sebastian and his six-pack abs ASAP. But he isn’t in the mood to go away, and his kiss is impossible to forget.

I read this book for my April’s read for Nath’s Re-Read Challenge and I’m a day late getting this posted, dangit. Oh well, but I read this last week and wanted to sit on this review for a bit because I really, really enjoyed reading this book this time around but I didn’t want to come off as a total fan girl in my review so I waited.

So now I’m back and I’m ready to start reviewing.

I read this book a couple of years ago and it’s been sitting on my Keeper shelf ever since. When I started picking out the books that I wanted to read for Nath’s challenge (which I think absolutely rocks) I came across this book and thought, DEFINITELY THIS ONE and I’m so glad that I decided to pick this book up again because it’s such a good read. It’s very easy to read and easy to lose oneself in.

Sebastian Vaughan is one hunk of a hero. There is just something about him that totally rocks my socks. He oozes sex appeal for me, that smart green eyed devil and I could not get enough of him. He’s such a man’s man and I frickin’ love him. I loved watching him change into the man that he was at the end of the book and I loved the journey he took us on while he took his time falling in love with Clare.

Clare reminds me a lot of myself. She’s a bit of a push over and she tends to look at the brighter sides of things (okay so I’m not always like this but I try to be) and she’s a complete romantic. I enjoyed her character and I jumped for joy when she finally took that stand against falling in love with another man that won’t love her back. It was good to see her stand up for herself and it made me like her even more.

I’m so glad that I picked this book to re-read for this month’s challenge because it reminded me of why I love Rachel Gibson so much and it’s prepped me for her new release, TRUE LOVE AND OTHER DISASTERS. I cannot wait for that book to come out so that I can sink my teeth into it. This book had everything in it, a great storyline, fantastic characters (who wouldn’t love Leo and the rest of the gals?) and a hero that was droolworthy and a heroine who deserved that happy ending. It definitely did not disappoint me and my love of this book stood the test of time because it’s been quite a while since I’ve read this book and I’m glad that I still love it just as much this time around as I did the first time around. It’s still my favorite book in this series.

Soooo good, I definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a great contemporary novel filled with lots of goodness.

Reading Order:

Book Cover Book Cover Book Cover Book Cover

This book is available from Avon. You can buy it here in print, here in e-format or here in Kindle edition.


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Review: Not Another Bad Date by Rachel Gibson

Posted May 27, 2008 by Holly in Reviews | 5 Comments

Review: Not Another Bad Date by Rachel GibsonReviewer: Holly
Not Another Bad Date by Rachel Gibson
Series: Writer Friends #4
Also in this series: Tangled Up in You (Writer Friends #3)
Publisher: Harper Collins
Publication Date: March 17th 2009
Genres: Fiction
Pages: 384
Add It: Goodreads
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Ripped Bodice | Google Play Books
four-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

What does a gal have to do to get a good date in this town?

Adele Harris can't even begin to answer that question. She's had so many lousy dates that she's sure she's cursed. Why else would every man she goes out with suddenly act like he's lost his mind—and his manners? Adele thought life couldn't get any more confusing . . . until she learns the marriage of her seemingly Miss Perfect sister is on the rocks. So she goes back to their hometown to give her a shoulder to cry on, only to run smack into Zach Zemaitis . . . the one who got away.

Texans love God, family, and football, though not always in that order
Zach, a former pro star, knows all about football. As for the other two, well, he's doing his best. But when Adele comes charging back into his life—still all lush curves and beautiful, big blue eyes—he wonders if his best is good enough. After all, he did her wrong. Can a woman with her track record ever really believe that he's serious this time . . . or is he destined to be another bad date?

Not Another Bad Date is the fourth book in Rachel Gibson‘s Writer Friends Series.

Just a warning, there will be spoilers in the review, but I’ve marked them.

I’m sort of on the fence about this book. On the one hand, I really enjoyed it. It was a quick, light, fun read. But on the other hand, I really didn’t care much for the hero. Well, ok, I liked the hero, but I didn’t like his past. I had a really hard time separating who he was then from who he is now, which made his HEA suspect.

Adele is shocked when her sister calls her out of the blue and says her marriage is over and she needs Adele to come back to their hometown with her. Although hesitant, she agrees because her sister never asks her for anything. But shorty after Adele arrives, her sister has complications with her pregnancy and is ordered into the hospital on bed rest for the remainder of her term – four full months. That means Adele’s trip isn’t going to be a quick one, because she needs to take care of her niece. And doesn’t it just figure that her niece’s new best friend is none other than her old college flame’s daughter.

Zach did the right thing back in the day by dumping Adele and marrying his pregnant ex-girlfriend, Devon, Adele’s archenemy. Ten years of bad marriage later, Zach can’t take it any more and serves Devon with divorce papers. But shortly after, she’s killed in a car accident. Three years later, Zach has given up his dream at ESPN so he can be home with his daughter, and is coaching High School football.

Being the single parent of a teenager isn’t really conducive to having a sex life, so when Adele suddenly shows up back in town, he’s surprised and pleased, thinking she’s the answer to every need he has. Adele’s guarding her heart, because she’s suffered through three years of bad dates and because Zach broke it once already.

Here’s what I liked: Adele. She was a great character. Kind of fun and typical Rachel Gibson. Even though she suffered through three years of bad dates, she still has a good sense of humor and wasn’t too cynical. Her relationship with her niece was cute, and I like how she tried hard to be the “cool” Aunt, but still tried to be an adult about it.

I really liked the romance between Adele and Zach. The sexual tension between them was very well done. I loved their bantering back and forth and the way Adele fought her attraction to Zach, but then gave in and just went with it.

SPOILER ALERT There will be spoilers from this point on.

View Spoiler »

I just don’t know how to explain my feelings on this aspect of the book. I guess I’ll just say I should have hated Zach but couldn’t, but it will detract from my overall grade.

I did like how he was with his daughter, though. When Devon died he came home and changed everything about his life for her. I really think he was a good father and it was nice to see him in that role.

Like with all Gibson’s novels, it ended rather abruptly, but I was prepared for that and it didn’t bother me.

Overall it was well written, light and fun, but I had some issues with it. I’d recommend reading it, partly because it rounds out the series, and partly because I think it’s one of those books you need to form your own opinion of. I’m conflicted, but for now I’m going to give it a:

4.0 out of 5

That might change once I re-read it.

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

four-stars


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Review: Tangled Up In You by Rachel Gibson

Posted November 14, 2007 by Rowena in Reviews | 6 Comments

Review: Tangled Up In You by Rachel GibsonReviewer: Rowena
Tangled Up in You (Writer Friends #3) by Rachel Gibson
Series: Writer Friends #3
Also in this series: Not Another Bad Date
Publisher: Harper Collins, Avon
Publication Date: July 31st 2007
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 364
Add It: Goodreads
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Ripped Bodice | Google Play Books
four-half-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

Maddie Dupree isn't in Truly, Idaho, looking for a husband, a boyfriend, or anything in between.

Maddie is determined to uncover the untold story about the town's sordid past--her past. As a child, Maddie lost everything, and now she's back at the scene of the scandal--a local establishment that's always belonged to the Hennessys--determined to uncover the truth, and nothing is going to stand in her way. Especially not a black-haired, blue-eyed Hennessy.

Everyone in Truly knows that the Hennessy men are irresistible, and the current owner, Mick, is no exception. His late father was a skirt-chasing heartbreaker who ended up causing disaster for two families. So far, Mick's managed to keep the ladies in line, but when he claps eyes on Maddie, with her luscious curves and tempting lips, he can't resist getting tangled up with her.

But Maddie is keeping secrets, not the least of which is her true reason for being in town. And when Mick discovers what`s really going on, there is going to be a whole lot of trouble in Truly.

It’s funny how I’ll be reading a book and there is that one thing that just annoys the snot out of me about the book, mostly about the heroine…and then at the end of the book, all within a sentence, like a snap of a finger, all is well with me and I don’t care about whatever it was that bothered me throughout the book.

In this book, it was Maddie not telling Mick sooner who she really was. She kept letting him go without knowing just who he was really sleeping with. I mean, I thought Mick’s reaction was kind of retarded but hey, whatever…I don’t know how I’d react so I can’t judge him too harshly but seriously, I don’t understand why it took Maddie so long to tell Mick. She could have told him right from the beginning and saved herself the trouble of loving and losing Mick.

But then I guess there wouldn’t have been much of a story, huh? Well…whatev. It was still a cute story, I enjoyed getting to know Mick and I enjoyed seeing him fall for Maddie even though I thought I’d make an even better heroine for him, haha, just kidding. Maddie was a ball buster and I enjoyed getting to know her, she was a strong woman who wrote a story that was close to her heart and she was fair in the book and RG made me want to read the finished story that Maddie wrote, I wanted in on the goods right alongside Mick.

I enjoyed seeing the writers circle of friends, it was good to see what was going on with Claire and Sebastian without them overtaking the story. I’m looking forward to getting to know Adelle more in the next story and I liked seeing Lucy again. These four together are too cute and I can’t wait for more from these guys.

Meg was a little looney for my tastes but I’m glad she found a man to make her mind her dang business and oh yeah it was good to see the Allegrezza’s again…wow to see Delaney all fat and crap, whoa…NICK, love NICK!

But I’ve got to say that my favorite hero of this series is Mick…YUMMY!

In No Mood for Love is still my favorite but I still enjoyed this book. Good job, RG!

Grade: 4.5 out of 5

four-half-stars


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