Musings on Romance
I’m over at AudioGals with a review of An Accidental Goddess by Linnea Sinclair, narrated by Amy Landon. Really good sci-fi romance which holds up very well considering the paperback was first published in 2005. I’ll definitely be hitting this author’s substantial backlist.
Why I read it: I received a review copy from Audible Studios.
What it’s about: (from Goodreads) Zoe is used to taking care of herself and has long ago accepted that if anything bad was going to happen, it was going to happen to her. So when she loses her job over something most bosses would probably be happy with and her life starts going downhill from there, she doesn’t expect it to get any better.
She certainly didn’t expect any help from the loud jerk next door, but then again she has nothing to lose so puts her trust in him and hopes for the best. What she didn’t expect was the once in a lifetime opportunity that he offers her through an arrangement where they both benefit and no one is supposed to get hurt – but she should have known better because her luck has never been that good.
Like most Bradfords, Trevor has a soft spot for food, but that’s about all. He leads a pretty straightforward life and likes to keep things simple and that includes his relationships. He wants the perfect woman and knows exactly what she’ll be like. So when he discovers much to his horror that he’s thinking about his frumpy little neighbor he decides the best way to get his head straight is by working her out of his system. He’ll keep her around, but only until he finds perfection.
What worked for me (and what didn’t): I admit I DNF’d the first book in this series. I downloaded the ebook but I just couldn’t get behind the superior asshat quotient of the hero. I suspect it may have been the same for me here had not picked the audio format. Trevor is a complete dick. He’s good looking, muscular, relatively wealthy (he owns a number of houses which he rents out) and women fawn all over him wherever he goes. He thinks he treats women with respect, but really, he doesn’t. They’re temporary playthings until Ms. Right comes along. Because of childhood insecurities, he’s convinced himself his perfect wife is comprised of a list of very set criteria and he’s decided he won’t settle for less.
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I’m over at AudioGals with a review of Cold-Hearted Rake by Lisa Kleypas, narrated by Mary Jane Wells. Excellent narration made this one a really entertaining listen.
I’m over at Dear Author with a review of Shadow’s End by Thea Harrison. It’s Graydon’s book!!
Don’t Stop Believing by Gwen Hayes – B- This is a sweet and (a little bit but in a non-erotic way) sexy short about a grumpy recluse and the librarian he has been crushing on. When Adam’s car goes off the road in a snowstorm, Simon brings him home to his cabin to look after him and they finally have some conversation. The time frame is short and the grand gesture at the end a little treacly but I enjoyed the cast and the writing style. There was a bit of POV whiplash, for instance:
Simon groaned and took Adams lips. Sampling lightly, tasting, teasing. The kisses kept him off balance in the masculine cage Simon had made of his body. Was Simon holding back or was he just trying to drive Adam crazy? As the kisses veered away from Adam’s mouth to his cheek, his chin, Adam clenched. He wanted more. Needed more.
but I was able to follow the story and enjoy it anyway. Simon and Adam were pretty well drawn considering the short word count and I liked my 99c visit to the small Washington town of Silver Pines.
Plus, you gotta love a librarian book amirite?
Why I read it: I heard about this book on a DBSA Podcast. It sounded good so I bought it.
What it’s about: (from Goodreads) For years, Alyssa has been going to bed with a memory. Is she ready to wake up with a fantasy?
Some people wait their whole lives to find their soul mate, but not Alyssa Barrow. She met Rob at nineteen, and they were set to live happily ever after—until he became ill. In his final days, Rob urged his beautiful, young wife not to abandon happiness—or pleasure. He even left her a special gift, a sexy game plan to help her move on: Thirty cards with instructions for thirty days of passion. You’ll know when the time is right, he’d said. Now it’s two years later, and when Alyssa meets her hot new neighbor, Harrison Kemp, she begins to think the right time is right now…
From his sculpted thighs to his devilish grin, Harrison is the kind of man women want. Before she can lose her nerve, Alyssa tells Harrison about her long-ignored cards…and asks him to help her fulfill them. It’s a favor he’s more than happy to, um, perform. With his skillful touch, and the hot press of his lips against her skin, Alyssa finds herself re-awakening to life—and a host of other sensations. But what began as not-so-innocent fun soon grows into true intimacy, and Alyssa realizes she’s opening herself up not just to sex…but to love. When it comes to a future with Harrison, what’s really in the cards?
Saucy, heartwarming, and insightful, 30 Days explores the agony—and the ecstasy—of starting over, and how a little encouragement, and a little courage, can go a long way…
What worked for me (and what didn’t): I don’t think I’ve read anything by this author before. On the podcast, the story was billed as PS I Love You with sex cards and, even though it basically breaks my HEA rules, PS I Love You was a movie which I saw multiple times and made me sob buckets. Also: Gerard Butler and Jeffrey Dean Morgan. Enough said amirite? 30 Days has a HEA – be in no doubt. Whereas the actual PS I Love You (the movie – which I liked better than the book) starts very shortly after the death of the main character’s husband, 30 Days starts two years after. So Alyssa has had time to grieve. She still misses Rob (her deceased husband) but she’s out from under the worst of the crushing grief and feels it’s time to start living again.
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