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Skin in the Game by Jackie Barbosa

March 25, 2014 / Kaetrin

This review was originally posted in June 2013 but I’m re-posting it today to help support Jackie Barbosa. Her 16 year old son died in a car crash last week and, of course, her family is devastated. Author friends of Jackie’s, Beverley Kendall and Courtney Milan,have a campaign going to promote Jackie’s books while she cannot, in an attempt to ease her burdens in some small way. There is also a memorial fund for Julian which will become a scholarship. Please consider buying one of Jackie’s books this week (I’m sure romance readers can fine one they will like, she has written quite a few) and/or donating to the memorial fund. It’s every parent’s nightmare. Nothing will take away Jackie’s pain and loss but our support can help, even if only a little and that makes it worth doing.

Why I read it: I received a review copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

What it’s about: (from Goodreads) Angela Peterson was always the quiet, shy kid growing up in Harper Falls, crushing on the high school quarterback and honing her football strategy skills. Now grown up and coaching the high school team, she’s shocked when that same sexy quarterback returns to Harper Falls asks her back to his hotel room. And then tries to steal her job.

Injured NFL quarterback Cade Reynolds is in Harper Falls to take over as interim head coach, and he never thought the tall, blond bombshell he propositioned would offer up any resistance. Not to a repeat of the amazingly wild night they shared and certainly not to his coaching position.But the Harper Falls High Eagles are Angie’s team, and even the hometown hero won’t take that away from her, no matter how hot he is. As the two engage in a battle of wits and wills, this is one game neither is prepared to lose.

What worked for me (and what didn’t): I liked Angie very much in this book. She is a strong woman in a non tradiational role, kicking ass and taking names. She is the math teacher so popular there’s a line to sign up for Calculus (this is unimaginable to me) and not just because she’s good looking – but because she’s such a good teacher. She’s also the Head Assistant Coach of the high school football team and she designs all the plays for the team. Her vision and imagination when it comes to the team’s playbook is one of the main reasons the team is headed to the championship. She has the respect and affection of the players. She loves her job and wants to keep doing it.

February Round Up

March 3, 2014 / Kaetrin

on Paper/eBook

**NB This review first appeared in the February ARRA newsletter**
The Geek with the Cat Tattoo by Theresa Weir – B+ This delightful novella is the second book in the “Cool Cats” series. There were supposed to be three, but I think the third book has been shelved for now. The first book was Girl With the Cat Tattoo (scroll down the link for my mini review). I liked Geek better but both a fun and quirky stories. Both stories feature a cat’s POV.

In Geek, the cat is Sam. He has been through a number of different owners but has yet to find his “forever owner”. When he meets Emerson Foshay, maker and repairer of musical instruments, he has high hopes. Sam has a secret super-power – he can “mindmess” with people. This is usually only in the form of getting them to empty the cat litter tray or buy him the expensive cat food, but when he sees how tongue-tied Emerson gets around Lola Brown, a regular customer in the shop, he steps in to help. Both Emerson and Lola get a POV but I admit I had a soft spot for Sam here.

With Sam’s help Emerson and Lola begin a relationship and Emerson starts to overcome his shyness. However, it’s not all smooth sailing and when Sam is “found” by his former (evil) owner, Emerson no longer has Sam’s “mindmessing” to help him and things fall apart. Even worse is to come however, when Sam’s former owner (because: reasons) wants Sam destroyed and before too long Emerson and Lola have to put aside their own problems to rescue Sam before it’s too late.

It is a fairly short story but the romance is very satisfying and Sam the cat is just awesome.

BUY IT:
AMAZON

It’s All Geek To Me by JL Merrow – B This is a cute little short – just under 50 pages. JL Merrow is one of the few authors I’m prepared to spend $2.99 on at that word count. I think it takes a particular talent to write an engaging and complete short story and while the subject matter is fairly light, I think she does a good job here.

Jez is a non-geek rugby-loving lab technician who has a bit of a complex about his looks after his ex did a number on him. When his friend Tel is in the hospital having broken both legs in a car vs. bike accident where he came off the definite loser, Jez is tasked with finding a comic book to replace the one damaged in the crash. Upon arrival at the comic store, he becomes deeply smitten by Rhys, the gorgeous guy behind the counter. Jez, desperate to impress Rhys begs “geek lessons” from Tel. It actually plays into his Jez’s lack of confidence and so it made sense and even though it was a bit of deception it was the kind I find fairly easy to forgive.

January Round Up

February 3, 2014 / Kaetrin

on Paper/eBook

**This review first appeared in the January ARRA members newsletter.**

Bonjour Cherie by Robin Thomas – C+ Beth Jenkins is a 21 year old under-achiever still living at home with her parents, working at the local IGA store. She’s smart, but she’s not as smart as her older sister and, knowing she can never win, she gave up competing. She has one burning ambition. To go to France.

She has very little money and no immediate prospects of fulfilling her dream, but still. She’s taking Introduction to French lessons at the local TAFE, run by gorgeous Frenchman Andre LeBlanc. Andre is urbane, pretty to look at and even better, he’s French. Unfortunately, it seems he doesn’t share her attraction. She hasn’t given up – she knows they’ll be just perfect for each other if only he’d notice her.

When hunky Zach Mills joins the class, sparks fly. He’s flirty and charming but he’s also built like a mechanic and he’s a local so she associates him with a small town life – a life she doesn’t want (even though she’s not actually doing much about it herself).

Zach comes to her rescue in little ways but she continually rebuffs him – he’s not what she wants – she wants Paris and Andre.

The book is very light-hearted and it’s not difficult to see what the barrier to Beth’s romantic dreams is when it comes to Andre and that there’s much more to Zach than first impressions. I couldn’t help feeling that Beth ended up being a little too ‘material girl’ when it came to Zach – he wasn’t acceptable boyfriend material as she assumed him to be – it was only later when, to paraphrase Pride & Prejudice, she saw Pemberley (metaphorically speaking) she realised that maybe she’d made a mistake.

I was pleased that by the end of the story Beth had decided to start living her life and reaching for her dreams rather than waiting for them to come to her and of course, there is a happy ending. There is a very Australian vibe to the novella and it was a fun evening’s read.

BUY IT:
AMAZON KOBO

Coming Soon

December Round Up

January 5, 2014 / Kaetrin

on Paper/eBook

A Small Miracle Happened by Mari Donne – B- This is a short sweet and sometimes sexy novella set mainly over the 8 nights of Hanukkah 2013. Dan is a Jewish man (although he doesn’t keep kosher, it is nevertheless part of his heritage) in a new town over Hanukkah. His neighbour Chris (short for Christian – guess what religion he is?) comes over when a package from Dan’s grandmother containing a menorah and other Hanukkah goodies is delivered to Chris’ place by mistake. They strike up a friendship and more, as they spend the eight nights of Hanukkah together. Chris doesn’t know anything about Judaism really and he is curious and interested in Dan generally so he asks a lot of questions which Dan is only too happy to answer. As a non-Jew I found the information about Hanukkah very interesting but I wondered whether Jewish people would have the same fascination as I did. I did appreciate the safe sex message in the story but unfortunately, sometimes it all felt a little clinical and other times it was rushed. Perhaps that’s more about the short word count though. I did like the story and there were parts of it which were very moving and there was some lovely poetry quoted in the text too.

“‘The kingdom where nobody dies.’ We all need to hide there sometimes, don’t we, even when we know it’s an illusion? Otherwise life is just too hard.”

This line in particular, made me think about why I read romance. (Even though characters do die in romance, for the most part you can at least guarantee the main characters make it).

I could easily have read a longer story with this couple and I loved Dan’s family in particular, who embraced Chris early and brought him to to their loving embrace. It’s a Loose ID title so for the 70 or so pages, the price is a bit steep at $3.99 but I picked it up at the recent ARe sale and got a 50% rebate back which made it more palatable. A satisfying evening’s read, A Small Miracle Happened hit the spot for me.

BUY IT: AMAZON

The Family We’re Born With by Kaje Harper – C+ This is a free Christmas short which appears to be the first in a series. Devin and Jesse have been together for five years and Jesse thought Devin had been accepted by his family. So he is very hurt and angry when his mother asks him not to bring Devin on Christmas Eve because that is when she will meet for the first time, her eldest son, Sam; the child who was adopted out when she was just sixteen. Sam is a former Marine and Jesse’s mother doesn’t want to freak him out with the gay the first time they meet. The story is quite short and it doesn’t just focus on Jesse and Devin – but also on Sam and his runaway brother. I felt it had a bit too much going on to be entirely successful for me but it did succeed in whetting my appetite for more from this world. I like the way that Ms. Harper writes complicated families and hey, it’s free.

DOWNLOAD IT: SMASHWORDS

Australian Women Writers Challenge 2013 Wrap Up & 2014 Challenge

January 4, 2014 / Kaetrin

I signed up for the AWWC 2013 challenge last year – I pledged to read and review at least 10 books by Australian Women Writers. I was pleased that it wasn’t even a particular effort – that is, I found there were books by Australian women writers that I wanted to read and I didn’t have to “force” myself to read something to meet my challenge commitments. Part of the reason I signed up was because I wasn’t sure how many books by Australians I was reading and I was curious to find out if it would be an effort or more of an organic thing. I was prepared for effort, but glad that it was more organic. There are amazing Australian women (romance) writers and I was happy to participate to highlight some of them and also to give a bit of a bump to genre romance within the challenge itself.

A full list of my challenge books and links to the reviews is after the jump.

November Round Up

December 2, 2013 / Kaetrin

on Paper/eBook

**NB This review first appeared in the November ARRA newsletter.**

I Dream of Johnny by Juliet Madison – B- This short story wasn’t what I was expecting. I thought it would be funny and it was but I also thought something different would happen with the Geek God Mandy conjured with her modern magic lamp. To know what actually happens, you’ll have to read the story to find out. The Geek God Jonathan Fortran Schnecklmyer, is every geeky nightmare of bad fashion, bad hair and bad taste one could imagine. But even he has his good points. The story is probably more “chick-lit” than romance, with the focus being more on Mandy’s journey of self-discovery but it has a hopeful romantic ending and it was certainly a bit of fun to while away a half hour.

BUY IT:
AMAZON KOBO