To director Luc Savage nothing will compromise his new West End production. Even when one of the board members tries to pull rank and cast soap opera star Lily Lamprey as Elizabeth I. After viewing one reel of her Marilyn Monroe-esque acting, he refuses to consider her for the part until his casting director asks him to take another look. When Lily tries out in person he see’s a glimmer of Elizabeth and is intrigued, despite her breathy delivery.
Pretty Face could very easily gone the way of My Fair Lady with Luc trying to re-make Lily into his perfect Elizabeth. He does get her a voice coach and he is reluctantly attracted to the ingenue but thankfully that is where his Henry Higgins likeness stopped. Once Luc decided that he was going to stop fighting his attraction to Lily he went all in, despite what getting involved with her could do to his reputation and career. He, in fact, put love first before what had been the most important things in his life. You’ve got to love that attribute in a man!
Even though Lily had the body and voice of Marilyn Monroe, her personality was anything but Monroe-like. She knew her soap opera background didn’t do her any favors and she worked hard to overcome those expectations. I really enjoyed Lily’s sass and fire and in fact was pleasantly surprised at the depth to her character. I shouldn’t have been though, as Lucy Parker gives her characters great back stories which make them jump off the pages in 3-D and put her readers through a riot of emotions. Pretty Face was no different, I was caught up, hook line and sinker!
I think I wrote on Goodreads that I am now obsessed with Lucy Parker novels. I really am. Her stories could so easily be fluffy romances, but they aren’t! They are well written, her characters are rock solid and the build up in the romance is riveting to read. Her dialog isn’t too shabby either, it’s actually really fun! Growing up in Southern California, I love the London West End playhouse setting and the fact that these are also slow burn romances. The build up from enemies to friends to lovers has you gripping your book until your fingers hurt, the tension only unwinding when the characters deliver their HEA. Yeah, Lucy Parker is a new favorite and I will be recommending this book and series to everyone I know. Consider yourself recommended. 🙂 ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Darcy Barrett has spent her life traveling the world running away from her feelings for her brother’s best friend Tom Valeska. Tom was “adopted” into her family and was attached at the hip to her twin brother Jamie since they were kids. He was the peacemaker between the two very dramatic siblings always saying the perfect thing to bring the tension down and smooth out their foul moods. Now in her mid 20’s Darcy is living in her Grandmother’s home while working as a bartender in a biker bar. One evening she arrives home to find Tom sitting on her doorstep, ready to start construction on the home she and her brother have inherited. He’s newly single and Darcy is determined to make him 99 percent hers.
I really, really wanted to love this book. The Hating Game took me by surprise and delivered a powerfully snarky love story that was incomparable to any other. 99 Percent Mine, following that amazing debut had the burden of living up to that great first novel, and well, it paled in comparison. Don’t get me wrong, it was totally readable, but there was just something missing. Darcy had the snarky attitude, the brash personality, and the emotional neediness of a great heroine, but she never felt three dimensional. She was a black and white sketch that needed color and warmth to flesh her out. Her brother Jamie was the same. What saved this novel from being bad was Tom, yet he had his issues too.
The biggest problem was that I really couldn’t connect with Darcy and found her to be pretty unlikeable. If she is unlikeable, why would I root for she and Tom to get together? She does have a heart problem, and this will sound a little weird, but I liked that. It made her more human, but she fought so hard against appearing weak that she builds a shell that is almost unbreachable.
There were a few plot points that if explained could have rounded out the story and provided depth with back story. For example, there was this scene from when she was eighteen years old and Tom had declared his love for her. She is immature and brushes off his declaration and although she regrets her action she doesn’t try to make amends. She runs to her grandmother for advice and her loving grandmother gives her money and sends her off to travel the world! What was up with that? Darcy does look back on that and wonder why her grandmother did that but the plot point was never resolved. Did grandma know Darcy would eat sweet Tom up and spit him out and was trying to protect him? I really wanted to know! This is just one example and I really think that if some of these questions had been worked through in the book, it would have helped me like Darcy just a little bit more. Why was she she so messed up? I really couldn’t tell you except that she had a heart problem.
Tom was a prime male specimen. That fact was relayed in description after description that in my head I pictured he was a Viking god. Yet, his personality of the peacemaker was kind of an underwhelming trait as was his skills as a head contractor. This guy just kind of fell apart. I liked that he was sweet and sweet on her (but couldn’t really see why he’d pick her!), but other than his height, musculature, and size of his package he was.. and here’s that word again… underwhelming!
There was a lot of tension surround our main characters, but that tension fed each of their jealousies and insecurities instead of amping up towards a big release of that tension. There was one, but it seemed a bit rushed which diminished the importance of their finally getting together. So, Surprise! I was disappointed in this one. It fell into the solid good, but not great category and I really think this author just mailed it in. I really hope she puts more into her next effort. ❤️❤️❤️
Opinions from around the Blogosphere
“Overall, unless 99 Percent Mine goes through some major editing it will be a flop. It lacks spark, characterisation and just overall consistency. This book is not something I would recommend to anyone in the state that I read it and it is disappointing to say that. There are just so many flaws and it is so hard to look past them when it is the entire book.” Ambsreads
“I have to say that while I enjoyed 99 Percent Mine, I was a little bit disappointed. I went in expecting to have found my new favorite book, and that was my fault. I really should know better than to hype up books so much in my mind.” Sara –The Bibliophagist
When Richard Troy’s temper makes him front page news again, his team wants him to fake a romance with one of his leading ladies, golden girl Lainie Graham. Lainie has had her share of bad press after her most recent romance with another actor was played out in the headlines, so agreeing to “play” leading lady to Richard’s growly leading man, umm no way! When his team offers to make a donation to her favorite charity she shrugs off her misgivings and gives in, then is surprised that underneath his surly facade is a not so bad person, and their chemistry catches fire.
Act Like it takes place in London’s West End theater district which is a fun change in scenery for a slow burn romance. There is plenty of great dialog and I really enjoyed Lainie’s sassy personality. She isn’t the pushover either Richard or I were expecting! When he gives her a tough time she gives it right back and he comes to respect that he can’t push her around. As the story progresses their chemistry ignites yet it isn’t just their hormones that get involved. They come to actually like each other and I really started to root for them to get past the pretend relationship and get down to the real thing.
This could easily have played out like a cheesy Hallmark Channel romance movie, and I’m not really sure why it didn’t strike that chord with me. Maybe it was their fun dialog, the villain to root against in Lainie’s previous boyfriend (who is also a star in their play), or Richard’s lone wolf persona. I do really like that Alpha male attitude! This one hit all of my triggers and I just really enjoyed it while I was reading it. It’s a simple as that! So, if you are looking for a fun romance with great characters then I recommend you pick up Act Like It. It’s the first in the series and I bet, like me, you’ll immediately pick up the second! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❣️
Opinions from around the Blogosphere
“As a through and true theatre kid who has always been obsessed with British pop culture, this book may have been written for me. I adored the characters and their gradual, effortlessly written romance. ” Flying with Books
Synopsis: A love story that survives the test of time.
Keith McKallister is the king of the stoners. You know the type. Every school has one – the hot, fun, dopey guy beloved by the student body but despised by, well, just about everyone else. He spends his early mornings in the ocean and his days trying to get to class on time. Life is as easy as it gets until one poor choice too many catches up with him and he’s forced to reevaluate his path.
Samantha Anderson sits in the front row. You know the type. Every school has one – the quiet, faceless, studious girl who fears the taunts of her peers and fades into the background. Life has never been simple for Samantha, and it’s about to get a little more complicated when Keith slides into the seat beside her with a partnership plan designed for his benefit only. But what Keith brings to the table is more than either of them could imagine.
Sometimes the person you least expect to make a difference will change your life forever. Sometimes the person you love the most might be better off without you.
REVIEW:
Rogue Wave tells the story of Keith and Samantha, but in two parts. The first half taking place in High School before Keith’s brother Jake is kidnapped and has a very young adult feel, and the second half of the novel takes place after Jake’s kidnapping and is most definitely a second chance adult romance novel. The combined story takes the reader on such an emotional journey. We’ve read about the kidnapping from Jake’s view point (Cake), but now we see how it affected Keith and how his choices drew him further from happiness.
I don’t recall ever reading a romance that 1) revolved around a main character who was a stoner and 2) where I really liked him. Even though Keith made bad choice after bad choice, he was so dang likable! Typically, I’m not comfortable with stories that revolve around drugs, drug problems, et. al. However, there was just something about Keith that made me want to see his story to its conclusion and root for him. Another surprising element was that even though Sam was the love of his life, she was not written in the role of savior. That made me like this story even more because it made it so real. Just as in real life, for them to finally be happy Keith would have to find his own way out of addiction and do it for himself. The question was, did I want to read that story? Yes, I really did.
Sam also had a lot of growing up to do. Not quite in the same way as Keith, as she wasn’t fighting an addiction to drugs, but she was fighting insecurity, problems at home, and the sudden suicide of her older brother. Also serious subjects! The fact that they found each other and could see through their outer shells to the good people within was pretty amazing. Sam had a very strong moral compass despite her difficult upbringing and that was a strength Keith needed in his life. Did he always choose to follow the right path? Well, you need to read the book.
There are some really great characters in the Cake series. Obviously Jake and Casey are fan favorites but Keith and Sam have found a special place in my heart. If you haven’t read the previous novels don’t read Rogue Wave until you’ve at least read the first novel, Cake. You need the background story of Jake’s kidnapping even though you get Keith’s side of it in Rogue Wave. I just think the emotional impact is stronger if you’ve read at least that first novel. BUT, if you choose not to pick up Cake I think you’ll enjoy reading about Keith and Sam. If you have triggers for drugs, suicide, mental illness, or kidnappings of small children, avoid this one. It’s a pretty emotional journey, but a very good one. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
A professional stay-at-home-mom for twenty-one years, Jill started her writing career in 2016 after reading a really bad rockstar romance. Although she had no previous writing experience and no desire to become an author, Jill was convinced she could write a better story.
And so began Cake: A Love Story. She wrote the novel for fun and added every single thing she’d ever wanted to read in a romance. Embarrassed by her newfound hobby, Jill kept her writing a secret from her family.
When the story was complete, she turned to Amazon to get the feedback she desired. Not thinking the book would ever sell, Jill planned to pull Cake off Amazon once it got a review or two but that never happened because, within a week of its release, Cake began to soar up the bestseller charts. Not only was Jill shocked by Cake’s success but now she had a whole new burgeoning career on her hands…and some explaining to do. Needless to say, the news of Jill’s secret book bay came as a complete shock to her husband and three children.
Recently widowed Lucy Brewer moves back to her hometown of Lake Sackett, Georgia to raise her son Sam. Re-connecting with friends and dealing with her husband’s irritating family makes her decision to open a bakery a need rather than a want. Who wouldn’t want a Death by Chocolate cupcake after an altercation with her in laws? When her childhood best friend Duffy McCready offers to make her some shelves for her store she finds out that he’d always been in love with her and her childhood crush develops into a sweetheart of a romance.
Molly Harper really knows how to write great characters. Lucy doesn’t let her unhappy marriage turn her into a doormat. When her irritating in laws step over the line, she gives as good as she gets, but Lucy isn’t all sass. She’s also a loving mother, smart business owner, and soon to be loving girlfriend. I liked all sides of Lucy, her interactions with her son Sam, and with her suitor Duffy.
Duffy is a character that is familiar to readers of this series. He’s Marianne’s brother, and Frankie’s cousin. Down to earth, laid back, and stress free. He also has an ex wife who he lets into his home a little too often. However, once Lucy hits town he knows what he wants and he fights for her. That laid back attitude actually works for him in winning Lucy’s heart.
Lake Sackett and it’s inhabitants reminds me a little bit of Jill Shalvis’ Lucky Harbor series. The charming “older” crowd add a little seasoning and humor to these stories. I like multi generational tales, even though the romance is between a younger couple. Molly Harper does a great job of making you care for all of the inhabitants of that town and not just the couple in the main storyline. I want to read the next novel to see how Tootie and Bob’s cruise went just as much as I want to read the main story arc. These are stand alone novels, but I think you’d get more out of it if you had read the previous novels in the series and grew invested in all of the Southern Eclectic characters! ❤️❤️❤️❤️
I received a free copy of this ARC through NetGalley for my honest review and it was honest!
Opinions from around the Blogosphere
“I honestly love this family, and really enjoy when each of their very unique personalities pop into the story and kind of take over. I recommend binging this whole series!” I Read Ergo Sum
“I adore Lucy, her fire, her strength, her mouth, and pure determination. While I have liked all the couples in the series, I have to say, Lucy and Duffy are far and away my favorites!! I feel like there could be one more book in the series (Duffy’s momma!) but if there isn’t, Gimme Some Sugar is a great way to end this quirky, fun, HEA filled series.” Rolopolo Book Blog
Happy Monday everyone! I ran across this post on Book Date and liked the idea of sharing what I’m currently reading, so here goes!
JUST FINISHED
Gimme Some Sugar (Southern Eclectic #6) by Molly Harper
Last Sentence Read: “Lucy sat back on the seat, watching her son laugh into the wind, and knew that no matter what the future brought, they were going to be just fine.”
JUST STARTED
Rogue Wave (Cake series #5) by J. Bengtsson
First Sentence: My hands jammed safely in my pockets, I kept my head down as I made my way across the quad on legs as spindly as sticks.
Have you read either of these books? What did you think?
If not, what are you reading today? It’s Monday! Give me a shout!
Rosie’s worked hard to become a Michelin starred sous chef and thought she and her also chef husband were happy in their marriage when she comes home to find him moving out and asking for a divorce. It seems he’s found someone else, someone less rigid and more carefree. Heart broken, Rosie gives it all up to travel the festival circuit in her fuchsia pink travelling teashop named Poppy. She learns to live in the moment, build friendships, and yes, finds love again.
I thought Rosie’s Travelling Teashop was sweet, romantic and surprisingly thought provoking. What would it be like to give up a successful career and start all over on a new venture? Rosie had to let go of over planning every stage of her life and when she did that she found a peace that had been missing. I found it really easy to identify with Rosie and I’d imagine a lot of other readers who feel they are plodding away in a job where they are no longer happy will too. I found this escape from my own life through Rosie’s adventures a fun way to spend the afternoon.
Max, Rosie’s love interest was just delicious! If there was a Max at the end of a life change I think there would be a lot more women willing to make this kind of move! LOL. It was fun to read he and Rosie’s verbal sparring and also see how he opened Rosie’s life to a world outside of the one she was used to living in. There was only one minor flaw in this novel regarding a sub plot with another male character. I thought it wasn’t needed and was frustrated with how that plot was resolved. I just wanted to scratch it from the story entirely, but overlooking that one minor thing, I really did enjoy this book. ❤️❤️❤️❤️
I received a free ARC of this book for my honest review and it was honest.
In the city of Juniper Falls hockey reigns supreme. When Brooke Parker’s father goes to jail, she and her mother return to her mom’s home town to live with her grandmother. With her mother’s downward spiral into depression Brooke turns to hockey to take her mind of her troubles and joins the brand new girls hockey team. Jake Hammond, captain of the Varsity boys hockey team, finds himself on the wrong side of the law when a 100 year old hockey tradition goes wrong. As punishment he has to be the assistant coach to the girls hockey team and finds himself drawn to Brooke, a girl who has obviously never played hockey but has some serious talent.
On Thin Ice explores a lot of tough subjects; bullying, depression, and suicide but the novel does a great job of putting a spotlight on these problems and allowing it’s characters to work their way to a solution in a very real, unforced way. Brooke’s family has gone through some really tough times and her life has been turned upside down, including moving to a small town. When she meets Jake after witnessing his teams traditional pre-season hazing she fights an attraction to him and who wouldn’t? Jake is also immediately curious about the “new” girl and when he finds himself her coach they take the time to explore a new friendship but also to help each other work their way through a land mine of adult responsibilities and feelings. Julie Cross did a great job of portraying these scenarios and as an adult myself I forgot I was reading a teen romance. The emotional impact was that good.
If you like sports novels/romances, this is a great one! There’s a good bit of hockey being played and those sports scenes were very well written. I could picture the action and feel the tension in those on the ice moments. Sports action scenes are not easy to portray and it really felt like Julie Cross had either played the game or was a huge fan. It was that good!
I highly recommend this novel if you are looking for a YA contemporary romance. It has some serious subject matter but an uplifting ending. Even though this is the third book in the series, you don’t need to read the first two. I didn’t, but I’m definitely going back to read them now. I’ve found a new author to love, yeah! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
I received a free copy of this ARC for my honest review and it was honest
Opinions from around the Blogosphere
“Cross ties all the pieces (the romance, the hazing, parent issues) together to make a story that was both sizzly and heartfelt and left me hoping that this is not the last time that we get to visit Juniper Falls.” Bickering Book Reviews
“Overall, I just really loved On Thin Ice. I enjoyed the characters, the friendships, the romance, and the addictive writing. I really never wanted to put this one down. I recommend this one to fans of YA Contemporaries.” Stephanie’s Book Reviews
Catherine lives in the small town of Balsam, Pennsylvania working as a waitress in a truck stop while trying to quietly raise her five year old daughter. At twenty-four she has already seen her fair share of press due to her involvement with the son of a prominent Balsam family and she wants to steer clear of anything high profile and just quietly live her life. One night while traveling home from a bad blind date she comes upon a sports car that has crashed against a tree and even though there’s danger from the car catching on fire she saves the life of the passenger of the vehicle. Little does she know that by that one event her life will be put back in the spotlight. She has just saved the life of NHL star Brett Madden.
There were moments in this novel that I really enjoyed. I liked Catherine’s fight against adversity. She had gotten involved with a teacher while in high school and because he was from a prominent family she was black balled and treated horribly as the temptress while the teacher who was thirteen years older got off without a slap of the hand. Reading about that subject from Catherine’s perspective was tough. You feel so bad for her and want her life to be better than it is. You also totally get why she doesn’t want anything to do with Brett and the publicity machine that follows him. Of course, it’s a love story and you know Brett’s going to help her overcome that stigma, but that didn’t make it any easier to read although that contrast did make their love story shine brighter.
Brett was a pretty normal guy for being a pro NHL player and son of a super famous movie star and he was written as the white knight in a way. However, the bulk of the conflict centered around Catherine, her daughter, and the town of Balsam. She had some great friends who added character and humor to the novel and I enjoyed how her true spirit was portrayed and how she finally got the respect she deserved. I found it kind of strange that the romance felt underplayed, but Catherine did have a lot of inner turmoil to work through.
If you like romances where your heroine overcomes adversity, Until it Fades is the novel for you! I enjoyed the outcome because of what Catherine went through in her past and found she and Brett easy to root for. It did take me a little bit to overcome my uneasiness of her childhood romance with her teacher, I’ll admit, so because of that it gets a three and a half rating. ❤️❤️❤️❣️
Opinions from around the Blogosphere
” Unfortunately I didn’t love it – it was enjoyable but nothing in the story stood out making it an average read. ” Faith Books and Pixie Dust
Fall is the third novel in VIP, a rock star romance series by Kristen Callihan. Having had the story of two previous members in this band (well, #2 was about their Manager but..) we already know Jax Blackwood’s history. He was the catalyst to Killian’s escape from reality in VIP. Jax is the best friend who tried to kill himself and sent the band whirling into despair and confusion. Knowing this, I wondered how Ms. Callihan was going to inject a lightness into this troubled man’s story. That injection came in the form of Stella, a funny “free spirit” who dares to knock down Jax’s mental blockade and make him feel again. She does this through humor, but also provides Jax with someone who needs him emotionally. That is a truly scary thing for a mentally depressed individual, but he is willing to take that chance and be that person for Stella.
We knew all about Jax (or thought we did), but we, the reader, knew nothing about Stella until she meets him over Mint Chip ice cream at the grocery store. A scene that sets the stage for some pretty funny shanigans between these two characters. Stella doesn’t have a clue who Jax is, and Jax loves the independence of being himself instead of being the rock star. When they meet again, she is living next door to him in Killian and Liberty’s apartment, pet sitting for them while they are on vacation overseas. This closeness provides many opportunities for Jax and Stella to interact and get to know each other. Both of them are truly surprised by what they find out.
I loved that Kristen Callihan took on mental illness in this novel. It would be so easy to make Jax the tortured misunderstood hero and Stella be the light that brings him back from the dark. They both are those things, but they are also so much more. After having viewed the effects of Jax’s attempted suicide on his band members, it was really eye opening to hear his viewpoint on what is and was going on in his head. The way this is portrayed is very true to life and only the romance in this novel is lighthearted. The characters have depth that scratches despair, and only by being together, loving each other do they have the strength to face the future. Stella needs this love just as much as Jax, maybe even more.
This was not a lighthearted novel. Yes, I did laugh, but I also cried a bit and stopped to think about how this portrayal could parallel a lot of people’s lives that read it. Not that we’re all rock stars, well at least outside my own head, but the fact that we all have moments of darkness and that dream that being needed and loved can help us overcome despair.
Am I reading too much into this novel? I mean it is a rock star romance and is meant to be fun. I know other people haven’t loved this novel as much as the other two in the series, but I’m going to say this is my favorite so far. Fall had a perfect balance of light and dark, love and hate, despair and hope. To me, that balance made it pretty much perfect. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❣️
Opinions from around the Blogosphere
“I’d say Fall was a great romance that also managed to handle the important topic of mental health and depression with such realism and grace. I would highly recommend this book and I can’t wait to read the other books of the VIP series.” A Lovely Book Affair
“Fall is an intense, emotional, funny, and sexy slow burn. Kristen Callihan created and developed flawed but endearing characters in John and Stella who will keep you engaged throughout their rollercoaster of a relationship.” Harlequin Junkie
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