Category: Uncategorized (Page 17 of 18)

Simply Irresistible by Jill Shalvis

October 30, 2010 / Kaetrin

Why I read it: I discovered Jill Shalvis a few years ago and she has become an autobuy for me – especially her full length novels.

What it’s about: Maddie Moore is heading to the small seaside town of Lucky Harbor in Washington State, where she has been left a one third share in a the Lucky Harbor Resort by her recently deceased mother. She has 2 half sisters (all different fathers – her mother was a bit of a free spirit) that she’d like to connect with. She’s lost her job and she’s recently ended a relationship with a scumbag who had control issues and hit her so she’s sworn off men. Arriving in Lucky Harbor, the “resort” is a virtual ruin, there’s no money and the sisters don’t get along all that well. Plus, she nearly runs a very hot biker off the road – so she’s off to a good start. Can she find a home, family and love in Lucky Harbor?

What worked for me: I really liked this book. Maddie was trying hard to regain her confidence and stand her ground and she was very likeable in the process. But what made the book was Jackson Cullen III (Jax) – *le sigh*. He was one amazing hero – gorgeous, sexy and sweet. (In fact, there are at least 3 hot guys in Lucky Harbor – luckily there are 3 sisters so there’s no prizes for guessing what’s going to happen – book 2 in the series comes out in April next year – but don’t worry, there’s not much sequel bait.) Jax and Maddie have instant chemistry but of course, as Maddie has sworn off men, she’s reluctant to start something. Also, she’s busy trying to refinance the resort to fix it up – her sisters want to sell it but she wants to stay and make the resort a success – so she doesn’t know how long she’s going to be around. Plus, Maddie is understandably skittish about a big male getting close to her – Jax picks up on it very quickly and it was very sigh-worthy how protective he felt of her and how he was certain it wasn’t Maddie’s fault (of course) and how he wanted a few minutes alone in an alley with the scumbag ex to teach him a lesson. Jax is very gentle (even though he’s big and muscular) and would never hit a woman. Even when Maddie believes that, it takes a while for her body to stop the conditioned flinch from a sudden movement near her face and I liked that Jax was patient with this. Jax has some secrets too – related to his profession as a lawyer. He left the rat race a few years before the story begins because he didn’t like who he was there and come home to Lucky Harbor to kick back, help in his friend’s bar and do some very fine carpentry work and renovations but he also does occasional legal work for locals who need things. And he’s bound by privilege so there’s things he knows but he’s legally bound not to reveal to Maddie much as he wants to (cue mysterious music). The plot isn’t particularly ground breaking or new but the characters are so darn likeable and I really didn’t mind. The sisters and Jax (especially Jax!) were so well drawn that it was a pleasure to spend time with them.

I liked the humour (which is typical of Ms. Shalvis’ writing style and one of her many attractions for me) –

The sun was so bright it hurt her eyes and head, and also her teeth, which made no sense.

“Hangovers are a bitch” Jax said and dropped his sunglasses onto her nose. [isn’t he sweet??]

I also liked the sexual tension which starts almost immediately and only builds –

Maddie was behind him, working really hard at not looking at his butt.

And failing spectacularly.

So when he unexpectedly twisted around, holding out his hand for the clipboard she was now holding, he caught her staring at him.

“I, um – You have a streak of dirt,” she said.

“A streak of dirt.”

“Yes.” She pointed to his left perfectly muscled butt cheek. “There.”
He was quiet for a single, stunned beat. She couldn’t blame him, given that there were both covered in dirt from the filthy attic. “Thanks,” he finally said. “It’s important to know where the dirt streaks are.”
“It is,” she agreed, nodding like a bobble head. “Probably you should stain-stick it right away. I have some in my purse.”
“Are you offering to rub it on my ass?” She felt the heat flood her face and he grinned. “You’re a paradox, Maddie Moore. I like that about you.”

“Is that because I said nothing was happening between us, and then I…”

“…Wanted to touch my ass”. He finished for her. “You can, by the way. Anytime.”

And really, that right there, is why I liked this book so much.

What didn’t work for me: There wasn’t anything that particularly bothered me about the book. Sure, there wasn’t anything earth-shatteringly new in the plot and the mystery wasn’t much of a mystery (still, I won’t give it away here *grins*) but really, the characters were what made the story work. In a less skilled author’s hands, it would have been meh, but Jill Shalvis writes good character and she’s especially good with the male POV so it worked.

What else: Jax was an excellent hero and this was a really good, funny, sexy, contemporary romance. And possibly my favourite Jill Shalvis so far. I’ll definitely be picking up book 2 but, I’m probably looking forward to Chloe’s book (3) more.

Grade: B+

September Reads

October 11, 2010 / Kaetrin

I’ve been slack and haven’t posted in ages. In my own defence, last week I was sick – but before that, I was just busy. I had fully intended to post a review of Suzanne Brockmann’s Infamous last month as well as my “September Reads” post but I just didn’t get to it. I’m hoping I’ll find some time for it this month because it’s good enough to deserve its own review.

I did have a busy reading and listening month so all is not lost.

On paper/ebook:

Infamous by Suzanne Brockmann – A-. Isn’t the cover pretty? It still catches my eye on the shelf. You gotta love a mysterious sexy cowboy!! I really loved this book. Sure, there were a couple of things that bothered me – I felt the author spent a bit of time on the soap box for gay rights and anti-smoking – not that there’s anything wrong with either of those things – just that it kind of clanged within the book – like a wrong note striking during a piano performance. However, I was able to put that aside, partly because it was mostly toward the beginning of the book and partly because the rest of the book was just that good. I’ve missed Suzanne Brockmann – I always enjoy her writing and her stand alone contemporaries are gold for me. My favourite is still Hearthrob (which I am hoping to revisit on audio in October) but this one is right up there. AJ was lovely. True hero material and I had a soft spot for Jamie too. Not a perfect book but boy howdy – pretty darn good.

His Penniless Beauty by Julia James – C-/DNF (I got 136/142 pages in before I quit). This one just didn’t do it for me. It was just “meh”. I found myself skimming almost from the start and I couldn’t even bring myself to skim to the end. I didn’t care about the characters enough. This one had good reviews from other sites but I just couldn’t get into it. Sorry.

The Purchased Wife by Michelle Reid – DNF. This was a true DNF. It would have been a wallbanger except it was electronic. I picked it up after reading raves about this author’s work on Dear Author – Jane is a big fan. Maybe I picked the wrong book to start (I have 2 others on my reader which I haven’t been brave enough to read so far) but this “alpha hero” took a wrong turn RIGHT AT THE START OF THE BOOK into asshatville and I couldn’t see him redeeming himself. Apparently there is world class grovel at the end of the book but I didn’t want to read it. The heroine is in hospital after a car accident and our hero comes in and leans over her and threatens her (“I’ll hurt you”) with physical violence if she doesn’t do (something which I now can’t recall and don’t care enough to look up quite frankly). That was the last of a number of straws and I shut it down. Not sexy or heroic. Just yuk. Not my kind of hero. Others have disagreed though, so YMMV.
Chasing Smoke by KA Mitchell – B+. Having had a couple of disappointing HP experiences, I decided to try a new-to-me title from a trusted m/m author, KA Mitchell. As usual she didn’t disappoint.

Regularly Scheduled Life by KA Mitchell – A. I love an angsty read and this m/m romance had it in spades. It was also one where with start off with a well established couple which was a nice change. One of the guys is injured in a school shooting and it is the story of what happens to their relationship in the aftermath. I really cared about Sean and Kyle and I’m happy to see that there is a book (Not Knowing Jack) featuring Tony and Jack (friends of Sean and Kyle) coming out in December so I can catch up with the boys again soon. Highly recommended.
Kindred in Death and Fantasy in Death by JD Robb – both B+. I really like the in Death series. I know some people complain that some books are too procedural and not enough with the romance and others have been concerned with actions Eve has taken in previous books which they think were not in character from a moral perspective. Me? I just like them. I haven’t had nearly enough of Eve and Roarke yet. While I like the books better which have more of their relationship, both of these books sucked me in easily enough. There is something special this author does to make me care about the characters who are horribly murdered at the beginning – in only a few pages, I’ve connected enough that I’m really invested in the outcome.

The Darkest Hour by Maya Banks – C+. I was a bit disappointed in this one. I agree with the AAR reviewer – I think it tried to be too much for too many. I had such high hopes too. Okay, but not great. I did have some time for the cover though! 🙂 I do generally like this author though, so I will pick up the next one in the series for sure.
Smooth Talking Stranger by Lisa Kleypas – A. I really liked it. I read Blue Eyed Devil first (won it from the Book Binge – thx ladies!) and then wanted more so I read Sugar Daddy (not as much of a success for me – too light on the romance too much on the women’s fiction for my tastes) but I was back to a winner with Jack’s story. Does anyone know if Ms. Kleypas will write one for Joe? I want.
Take No Prisoners and Whisper No Lies by Cindy Gerard – both C+. Both are Black Ops Inc stories. A bit better than okay, but just a bit… thin, I think. Not enough character, not enough romance – RS-Lite. I enjoyed the EDEN books better. Still I have the next one on my TBR so I will read it (one of these days).
Naughty Neighbours by Cara North – C+. Very short (44 pages) novella which had an interesting premise but took a turn to WTF-town towards the end that had my scratching my head.
Willing Victim by Cara McKenna – B-. I liked this one – I picked it up after Jane from DA recommended it – for my romance soul I would have liked a little more as it ended a bit abruptly. Somewhat surprisingly, I quite liked Flynn.

Friday Night Bites by Chloe Neill – B-. Not quite as engaging as I found book 1 of the series, but still good.
But, Twice Bitten – B+ – sigh! Ethan and Merit! Yes! I am soooo looking forward to the next installment and have pre-ordered it from The Book Depository. Sadly I still have to wait until like NEXT MAY!!

Moon Called by Patricia Briggs – A. I’m an official Mercy Thompson convert. I think it was the Ethan and Merit that had me picking up this one off my TBR pile. I had been a bit nervous about it – was it going to be enough in the romance department for me? I’m so glad I did though. I loved it! I immediately went and ordered the other books in the series (which have STILL not arrived after 2 WHOLE WEEKS!!! grr) and then went back and re-read Alpha and Omega and Cry Wolf (both A) because I just couldn’t bear to leave Mercy’s world. Then, I read Hunting Ground – another A – which I had had for some time too. After that, I was forced to go to the library and borrow the next few Mercy books – but more about that next month – Hunting Ground brings me to the end of reading in September.

So, that’s like 19 books – while some of them were novellas, that’s a pretty good effort for the month I think. Plus:

On audio:

I continued my JD Robb glom with Rapture in Death, Holiday in Death, Vengeance in Death and Midnight in Death – all B+ Susan Eriksen is a great narrator and even though she’s a girl and I’m not into girls, there’s something about they way she does Roarke’s voice that gives me the shivers…. is that weird? 🙂 I have all of the in Death books on audio now so I’ll make my way through them as takes my fancy. Lucky me.
Wicked Intentions by Elizabeth Hoyt – DNF. I think this was me though. I think I wasn’t in the mood for a historical listen so I put it aside and moved on. I do intend to get back to it at some stage when I’m feeling the regency vibe – I think I’m likely to enjoy it then. So, not really a true DNF. More like a TTFN.

Blue Eyed Devil by Lisa Kleypas narrated by Renee Raudman – A. I loved it when I read it and I loved it when I listened. I do like when Hardy rumbled that there’s not gonna be enough left of scumbag Nick to fill a matchbox. Excellent narration. Excellent story.
The Unsung Hero by Suzanne Brockman narrated by William Dufries (I may have spelled his name incorrectly). I’ve recently been gifted with loads of audiobooks I hadn’t been able to get my hands on before, including most of the Troubleshooters series. I enjoyed the book but I have to say it was even better on audio. A real winner – A.

August Reads

September 4, 2010 / Kaetrin

I thought I’d try something new and post my reads for the month. Let’s see how long it lasts!!

On paper/ebook

Some Girls Bite by Chloe Neill – B

It felt like part one of a story rather than a whole book but I did like the story and the style and I want to know more about Merit and Ethan so books 2 and 3 are on their way to me.

Aint Too Proud to Beg by Susan Donovan – C

I’ve had this one on my TBR for a while. It was a bit disappointing overall. Okay but not great. Knock Me Off My Feet was great, so was Public Displays of Affection, but this one? Not so much for me.

The Shy Bride by Lucy Monroe – B-/C+

I like the way Ms. Monroe writes her categories. This one could have benefited from a little more exposition I thought.

Midnight Angel by Lisa Marie Rice – B-

Probably the best of the Midnight trilogy, for my money.

Take Your Pick by Jasmine Haynes – B-

Saucy, sexy novella but it lacked something in the character development area.

Shades of Gray by Brooke McKinley – A
My pick for the month. A great book. Highly recommended.

Love Bites by Lynsey Sands – C+

I was expecting funnier I guess but an okay read overall. I might pick up others in the series and give them a go.

Masked by Moonlight by Nancy Gideon – C+

I found this one very hard to grade. I liked Max but his character was a bit schizophrenic in that he was either this suave “Roarke” type character or a frightened boy and I didn’t quite get how they fit together. CeeCee was annoying and the plot had holes so I’m still uncertain about picking up the next 2 in the series. Having said that, it was strangely compelling and I didn’t have any trouble finishing it. Hmm.

Ex Appeal by Cari Quinn – C-

Okay short, but really? Meh.

More by Sloan Parker – B

I enjoyed the relationship between the 3 men but thought the suspense plot (while necessary to the story, over the top and the villian too one-dimensional.

And Call Me In The Morning by Willa Okati – B+

A really good m/m romance – heavy on the romance and characters while not lacking in, ahem, other departments (*wink wink*). Thanks for the rec Kris!

Beyond the Night by Joss Ware – B

Interesting premise and marked my reading return to paranormals from a lengthy hiatus.

Embrace the Night Eternal by Joss Ware – B

I liked Simon and the Falling Creek community certainly got me thinking. I’m not sure I buy the Atlantis thing though… I have book 3 and plan to read it one of these days.

Gay Best Friend by Kim Dare – C+

Okay short. I didn’t really get the D/s though – I thought it would have been a better story (for its length) without it. Otherwise, it needed a longer format, IMO.

Priority One by Stephani Hecht – B-

Good short but it felt like the middle was missing. We jumped from first meeting to HEA – I know there was a middle but it wasn’t in the book, sadly. I would have liked to read more about this couple – another chapter or two would have made a big difference here.

On Audio

Manhunting by Jenny Crusie and narrated by Renee Raudman – B+/A-

Highly recommended

Anyone but You by Jenny Crusie and narrated by Susan Ericksen – B

Great book but I kept hearing Eve Dallas (Susan narrates all the in death books) and that threw me a little out of the story from time to time.

Breathing Room by Susan Elizabeth Phillips and narrated by Kate Fleming (aka Anna Fields). – A

An excellent book, excellently presented. This was my first SEP read and it holds a soft spot for me. I love Ren Gage!! Plus the banter between Isabel and Ren was made even better by this great narrator.

Fast Women by Jenny Crusie narrated by Sandra Burr – B+

Great story – that scene where Nell realises she’s slept with everyone at the table except for Tim’s new wife is still hilarious. Plus there’s, “brace yourself Bridget”. Cracks me up.

The Search by Nora Roberts narrated by Tanya Eby – B+/A-

New to me narrator – she’s really good. I’ve read the story too and not all that long ago – a great book, narrated really well to add more to the story. I do like Simon!

Sony Readers move Down Under. Colour me happy!!

September 2, 2010 / Kaetrin

I interrupt normal transmission to spread the love that Sony has finally (finally!) decided to sell and support their Readers in Australia. Apparently, they will be for sale from around $229AUD for the Pocket and $299AUD for the Touch from Borders, Myer and other retailers. Oh joy!! Just look at that pretty pink one! *sigh* I already have a Sony PRS-700 and while I’m happy with it, the screen clarity can leave a bit to be desired. The Pearl eInk screens on the newer models are, I’m told, much better. I can’t wait to test drive one in a shop and if they are as good as I hear, I’ll be picking up a new baby and keeping the old one around as a spare.

It appears it’s true, good things DO come to those who wait.

Thanks to Book Bee and Book Thingo for the heads up.

Ahh. Today’s a good day.

Shades of Gray by Brooke McKinley

August 22, 2010 / Kaetrin

Why I read it: I’ve had this one in my TBR for quite a while now, having picked it up as soon as the review by Sarah Franz went up at DA – her recommendations are (mostly) gold for me. It came fast on the heels of Zero at the Bone which I read first. The storylines sounded similar and I didn’t want the two books to “bleed” into each other – so I waited a while. And then I forgot.

What its about: Miller Sutton is an FBI agent on the edge of burnout who wants to nail a drug lord by the name of Hinestroza. He’s been watching Danny Butler, a cog in Hinestroza’s wheel for 9 months and when the book begins, Danny has just been arrested – after a routine traffic stop, a gun was found in the glove box of his car, breaching his parole and Miller is leaning on him to roll over on Hinestroza. Danny reluctantly agrees and it is Miller’s task to debrief Danny and prepare him for giving evidence, protect him so he stays alive until the trial and then pass him onto the hands of the US Marshalls for the Witness Protection Programme. While spending so much time with Danny, Miller discovers that Danny’s much more than just a criminal. But it’s not as easy as falling in love – there’s a psycho assassin (Madrigal) after him on Hinestroza’s orders and, if he lives that long, once Danny goes into WitSec he’ll never see Miller again.

What worked for me:I really enjoyed this book. It was gritty and realistic (for the most part); it was a full length novel which meant I got a fully fleshed out story; the prose was lyrical in places and I bought into the emotion of the tale which (because this is a romance, after all) finished with a satisfying and believable HEA.

Speaking of lyrical, here’s an example of what I mean:

He understood the impact of his question, his words falling like stones into a shadowy lake – on the surface things return to normal but in the deep the landscape is forever altered.

I liked watching Miller develop and change throughout the course of the book while staying true to his basic character. He started the book heading toward burnout in his job, deep in the closet and trying to make himself conform to his idea of who he thought he should be. I liked the irony that his job, which included interrogating suspects to get to the truth of matters meant that he was becoming increasingly unable to hide from himself. I liked watching him begin to come to grips with being gay and sharing his emotions with Danny and those around him.

Miller’s voice broke and he lowered his head, pressing his thumbs into his closed eyelids, exhausted by the effort of giving voice to what was private within him.

I liked Danny too. I wondered how I would, but I did. Ms. McKinley took me on a journey where I saw how Danny had fallen into something he couldn’t get out of. I liked how she explained the ambiguous nature of his relationship with Hinestroza – the loyalty to him because Hinestroza “cared” for him in a way he hadn’t experienced before – things like making sure he was fed and clothed (it was a kind of messed up father/son thing I think) and the fear because Hinestroza was a very very bad man who didn’t blink an eye when he ordered someone tortured and murdered to make a point – and Danny always knew that whatever “care” Hinestroza showed him, Hinestroza wouldn’t hesitate to have him killed if he thought he had a reason.
And, I liked this:

“It’s like this old patchwork quilt my momma used to have. It came from her grandma or maybe her great-grandma. I can’t remember, anyway, it was sort of a family scrapbook, I guess. Each piece on that quilt meant something. And some of those pieces were the damn ugliest things you’ve ever seen – old brown corduory worn to the nub or stained pieces of cotton you woudn’t want to use as a rag to clean your bathroom floor. But some of the pieces were so beautiful they almost hurt my eyes to look at when I was a kid. White silk from a wedding dress or the red velvet from a bady’s first Christmas coat.” Ellis paused, perching his glasses back on his nose. “That’s the best you can hope for, Danny. That your life turns out like that patchwork quilt. That you can add some bright, sparkling pieces to the dirty, stained ones you ‘ve got so far. That in the end, the bright patches might take up more space on your quilt than the dark ones.” Ellis stared at Danny, making sure he was listening. “That’s the point.”

A word about the sex. The book has sex scenes – I’d rate them along the same lines as Eve/Roarke in the In Death books or many of the other M/F books around – it’s just that the scenes were between two men.

And finally, (and for those that know me, this next statement will come as a surprise) – I also liked that the book didn’t end with absolutely everything tied with a red ribbon. Usually, I’m not like that. But this was a different kind of book – it was about things NOT being perfect and therefore, the ending fit. Don’t get me wrong – we DO get a HEA but it’s clear that both men are still “works in progress” – I did believe that they would make it for the long haul and I was very glad of it.

What didn’t (work for me):It’s not so much that it didn’t work but that I questioned whether it would happen – would Miller really be allowed to stay on the investigation when he was clearly getting into a personal relationship with an informant? Would he really be basically left alone with Danny for so long? Wouldn’t there be a team of people? Similarly, the stuff with Madrigal at the end was a little unbelievable – but, I was willing to go with all of it for the sake of the story. I guess because I found the rest of the story to be so realistic, those things stood out to me. But, most stories have something “unreal” in them and these things weren’t that big a deal and they didn’t affect my enjoyment of the book.

What else? I’m glad I waited to read this one. I enjoyed Zero at the Bone but, by the end, I was having trouble suspending my disbelief and the book’s ending was like a Status Quo song – it kept going too long. The plot of the two books were similar – in ZatB, it was a hit man whose job was to kill a witness and ended up protecting him instead and they fell in love and had to work out a way to be together (alive) by the end of the book to get their HEA. This one, is the FBI agent and the witness/informant but both have one character who’s a “good guy” and the other is morally – ambiguous? corrupt? – something anyway. In both books the author’s have the challenge of making the “bad” half of the couple sympathetic so that the reader roots for the HEA. And in both, the characters need to get out of a seemingly impossible situation to both stay alive at the end AND be together. Having read both books, I’m glad I read ZatB first – because SoG was much better IMO. It would have been a big let down to read ZatB second because those challenges, I thought, were met much more convincingly in SoG – it made sense that an FBI agent would try to turn a member of a drug lord’s organisation to get a conviction against the kingpin. D, in ZatB was a hitman “with a heart” – there’s just a necessary suspension of disbelief you have to buy into to go with the story. Some of it was trite and cliched and it was too much for my WTF radar. That’s not to say that I didn’t like it – I did (especially Jack’s sense of humour), but SoG was better. Much. Also, Danny, while having been a criminal since getting sucked into Hinestroza’s vortex at age 18 was more sympathetic to me. He wasn’t a murderer and he (somewhat surprisingly) didn’t do drugs – he was a courier. Yes, he was a bad man – he’d been to jail 3 times, he contributed to the addiction of many and no doubt to some/many(?) deaths due to his part in the chain of distribution. There’s no backing away from that in the book – it never tries to paint him as anything other than what he is. But what we do get is the extra. We get the backstory and the explanation (but not an excuse). We find out other things which paint a rounder picture. To use the book’s own words, we get to see his “quilt” and it’s not all black and evil and skanky. I wanted him to be a better man and by the end of the book, he not only wanted that too, he’d found a path to it. He was still struggling and would always be a convicted felon who’d worked for a drug lord. He’d always have the scars on his body and his conscience but he found a way to be more than that too – what had stopped him in the past was the belief that he never could be anything better and Miller gave to him the ability to see that he could.

So, while I’d recommend both books, if someone were only able to choose one, I’d say get Shades of Gray.

Grade: A

All I Ever Wanted by Kristan Higgins

August 12, 2010 / Kaetrin

I’ve been a bit distracted by Christian and Olli *swoon* from Verbotene Liebe lately (thanks Kris *shakes fist*) and much of my internet time has been taken up in ~~drooling~~ watching them on YouTube. However, I have decided enough is enough and I should post something. I remembered that I’ve been meaning to review this wonderful book – so, my apologies for being a slacker and here it is.

Why I read it: I picked it up at NetGalley and I’ve enjoyed all but the last one of Kristan Higgins’ books (the previous release – the Next Best Thing- I didn’t read – it sounded too similar to some of her previous books and the relationship was between the heroine and her dead husband’s brother which squicked me out a little so I gave it a pass). However, this relationship is between two people who have not previously related to one another and I do so enjoy Ms. Higgins’ sense of humour so I was happy to read it. I’m glad I did. It rocked.

What it’s about: (Here’s the blurb from the author’s website) “One happily-ever-after rocking chair…
And no sign of any forthcoming babies to rock in ol’ Georgebury, Vermont. For Callie Grey, turning thirty means coming to grips with the fact that her boss (and five-week fling) is way overdue in his marriage proposal. And way off track, because Mark has suddenly announced his engagement to the company’s new Miss Perfect. If that isn’t bad enough, her mom decides to throw her a 3-0 birthday bash in the family funeral home.
Bad goes to worse when she stirs up a relationship with the town’s most eligible — yet not so warm and fuzzy — veterinarian, Ian McFarland, in order to flag Mark’s attention. So Ian’s more comfortable with animals… So he’s formal, orderly and just a bit tense. The ever-friendly, fun-loving and spontaneous Callie decides it’s time for Ian to get a personality makeover. But, dang — if he doesn’t shock the heck out of her, she might actually fall for Vermont’s unlikeliest eligible bachelor…“

What worked for me: Quite a bit actually. This book was funny and smart and had quite a few laugh out loud moments. There was even a part where I cried ( – but I’m not saying anything more about it – no spoilers here!)

I laughed at the description of Fleur who “due to three weeks spent in England during college” spoke with a varying British accent. I like the way that Ms. Higgins can draw a sharp picture of a secondary character with such quirks. I enjoyed the Vermont setting and other secondary characters too, especially Noah, Callie’s grandfather. Plus, there’s a dog, Bowie. (And, Bowie’s still with us at the end of the book – in fact, it looks like he got a little ‘romance’ himself with the vet’s sexy bitch – and by bitch I am of course referring to a female dog).

I liked Callie quite a bit. She’s the sort of lady I’d like to know. Funny, kind and enthusiastic. I was amused by Callie’s inner voices – instead of an angel and a demon on her shoulder she had a vapid Betty Boop and her inner Michelle Obama who gave her good advice and told her to kick Mark to the kerb.

Mark was a piece of work – a real user – but Callie knew it most of the time and worked hard on getting over him. I was a bit worried near the end that she would cave and I don’t think I would have let him get as close as she did (I disapproved a tad) but she saw through him (lucky for her – grrr).

Ian however, was lovely. While I would have liked more of him (see below) he was a perfect foil for Callie who had to be in everyone’s business and try and fix everyone’s problems – he “saw” her and understood her quite quickly even though he was very different to her. He’s much more reserved and shy/quiet. He doesn’t want her to fix everything in his life and it was interesting to watch Callie struggle with that. She did bring him out of his shell a little but he was always himself. The character growth is really all Callie’s.

It’s been a little while since I read the book, but I think the blurb is wrong. Callie didn’t go out with Ian to get Mark’s attention or make Mark jealous. She did start off with the idea of going out with Ian to help her get over Mark (but that’s not using) and after a while, she realised that she wanted to be with Ian and bugger Mark (yay!).

What didn’t work for me: My “beef” with Ms. Higgins’ books probably stems from the fact that they are all written in first person POV and the typical Higgins’ hero is the “strong silent type”. Ian was more communicative than previous heroes but I would still have liked more of him. There are other first person books I’ve read where I’ve felt I knew the hero well enough and this has usually been done in dialogue where the hero speaks for himself. (eg, Outlander – I felt like I knew Jamie Fraser pretty well by the end of the book, notwithstanding that the story was told (in bk1 at least) wholly in the Claire’s POV. Not that I had enough of him mind – is that even possible? – but just that I felt I had a handle on what makes him tick.) I kind of had to fill in the blanks myself with Ian – I had to imagine some of his motivations and thoughts because I just didn’t get enough of him. (Having said that, the hero in Catch of the Day (Malone) was almost completely a cipher so Ian was a vast improvement.) I do love Ms. Higgins’ writing style and her humour and she always sucks me in to the emotion of the story but I want more of the hero!! This was better but still not quite enough. I’m greedy I guess!

I’m not sure the “happily-ever-after chair” added much to the story, for my money. It was kind of important at the beginning but that part of the story fizzled a bit at the end IMO.

Also, I could easily have taken a bit more of Alejandro (Ian’s brother – oh my! *fans self*).

What else? Another plus with this book is that the love scenes didn’t entirely stop at the bedroom door this time – it was by no means explicit but I did enjoy the extra. I’d felt it was lacking in earlier books. Kind of like icing, you know?

Also (and totally unrelated to the above) the turkey scene was hilarious. I can totally see this book working as rom/com movie.

Grade: B+ A really fun contemporary romance.

*you might have noticed that there’s a lack of quotes from the book in the review – that’s because something squirly happened and all my notes disappeared from my Reader. I had, like 2 pages to choose from but … gone. Frankly, I didn’t have time to re-read the book to get quotes for the review. Sorry.