Tag: contemporary (Page 117 of 122)

Snowbound with the CEO by Shannon Stacey

November 4, 2013 / Kaetrin

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

What it’s about: (from Goodreads) Adrian Blackstone built a million-dollar business with hard work and determination—and by remaining professional at all times. Denying his longtime attraction to his beautiful executive assistant hasn’t been easy but it’s necessary. She’s indispensable, and he can’t stand the thought of losing her if things didn’t work out.

For more than a year, Rachel Carter has been quietly dreaming of all the ways she’ll never seduce her sexy, buttoned-up boss. She’s worked too hard to get where she is to cross that line, no matter how badly she’d like to act on her fantasies. But then a wicked snowstorm leaves them stranded in a romantic winter wonderland…

What begins as a single kiss and a few bad Santa jokes turns into a weekend full of breathless passion and hopes for something more. But with Monday comes a return to their complicated reality—and Adrian must prove that promises made are promises kept, especially at Christmastime.

What worked for me (and what didn’t): This fairly short novella starts with the trademark easy style I’ve come to expect from Shannon Stacey’s contemporaries. The set up of a CEO and his executive assistant each having the hots for one another but afraid to do anything about because of the potential damage to their professional relationship (which each values very highly) was believable and I could see how eventually the sexual tension was going to have to be resolved somehow. Snowed in in a romantic resort seemed the perfect place. There was certainly a lot of chemistry as the steamy scenes demonstrated. But they also liked each other, and that was clear too.

Running Back by Allison Parr

October 28, 2013 / Kaetrin

Why I read it: I received a review copy from the publisher via NetGalley. I enjoyed the first book in the series, Rush Me, so I was looking forward to what’s next.

What it’s about: (from Goodreads) Natalie Sullivan is on the verge of a breakthrough most archaeology grad students only dream of: discovering a lost city. Her research points to a farm in Ireland, but to excavate she needs permission from the new owner: the Michael O’Connor, popular NFL running back.

On TV Mike seems so charming and good-natured that Natalie figures getting his cooperation will be a breeze. So she’s not prepared to deal with the arrogant—and adamantly opposed—man she meets in person. Or the way one look from him sends shivers down her spine…

Determined to kick-start her career, Natalie travels across the Atlantic and finds herself sharing an inn with Mike, who has come to Ireland in search of his roots. She tells herself her interest is strictly professional, but the more she gets to know him, the harder it is to deny her personal attraction to the sexy sports star. And when Mike confides why he refuses to allow the dig, Natalie must decide if she can follow her heart without losing sight of her dreams.

What worked for me (and what didn’t): I enjoy this author’s voice. I like her wry humor and the easy style of the prose. I find it engaging and easy to read, even when sometimes aspects of the plot work less well for me. Here, I particularly enjoyed the romance between Natalie and Mike, as well as the descriptions of New York, Ireland and Paris. The setting, most particularly, Ireland, was so well drawn. Whereas some stories can really be set anywhere, here the sense of place was very strong. And different enough to provide a nice change to the usual US setting. Although it is a book about a running back for the fictional New York Leopards NFL team, there is almost no football in it (which wasn’t particularly a problem, but if you’re expecting a sports-themed book, you won’t get it here). Rather, it has an archeology theme – digging up the past in not only the physical but also the metaphysical sense.

I’m Over at AudioGals…

October 26, 2013 / Kaetrin

with three (count, them THREE!) audiobook reviews today.

Skin Deep by Pamela Clare, narrated by Kaleo Griffith, Against the Wall by Rebecca Zanetti, narrated by Heather Smith/Ann Marie Lee and Spider’s Bite by Jennifer Estep, narrated by Lauren Fortgang. Click the titles to see what I thought.

Here Without You by Tammara Webber

October 24, 2013 / Kaetrin

Why I read it: I bought this one on release day – I even broke my rules about not spending over $8 for an ebook for this one. And then I was kind of scared to read it – even though I’d been told it was great and has a HEA, I still put off reading it. But then when I was looking for a book to read this week, this one called to me.

What it’s about: (from Goodreads) Reid Alexander, Hollywood’s hottest young actor, is completely distracted. And this time it isn’t his latest co-star or a major new film role that’s demanding his attention but something far more life-changing…

The hotly anticipated fourth book in the irresistible Between the Lines series.

What worked for me (and what didn’t): I feel a little conflicted about this book. I lapped it up and slurped it down very quickly. I enjoyed the writing and I loved the characters. I cried and laughed and was moved in various ways by Brooke, Reid, River and Dori. But. But I wish it had been longer. I wish there had been more of all of it.

I’m Over at Dear Author…

October 18, 2013 / Kaetrin

with a review of Dirty Trick by Christine Bell. There was a truly laugh out loud moment for me – see what it was here.

Holding Out For A Hero by Amy Andrews

October 14, 2013 / Kaetrin

Why I read it: I received a review copy from the publisher. Holding Out for A Hero releases on October 15.

What it’s about: (from Goodreads) When sensible schoolteacher Ella Lucas rides into her home town on a Harley and seduces the resident football hero, Jake Prince, she figures she can be forgiven and move on. After all, she’s just buried her mother. Two years later, back in the city, their paths cross again but this time Jake is in the process of destroying her favourite dive bar.

With her home facing a wrecker’s ball, her school being closed down and her 15-year-old brother hell bent on self-destruction, it’s the last straw. Throw in a dominatrix best friend who is dating a blue ribbon guy so straight he still lives at home with his mother, it’s no wonder the sanest person in Ella’s life is a dog.

With all this to contend with, the last thing Ella needs is Jake back in her life. But, as fate would have it, Jake is the only chance she has to save her school.

As the school football season heats up, old secrets threaten to surface and Ella takes on greedy developers, school boards and national tabloids. But can she save not just her home, her school and her brother, but also the reputation of the man she’s never been able to forget? And, more importantly, does she want to?

What worked for me (and what didn’t): This book is set in Queensland, so it probably shouldn’t have taken me as long as it did to realise that “football” in this story means “rugby league” and not Aussie Rules (which everyone knows is the only true football :P). It is a sport book but actual game play doesn’t feature strongly in the story. That is, I don’t think one needs to understand the game to enjoy Holding Out For A Hero. Similarly, I don’t think one will understand the game all that much better by reading it. It does make an interesting backdrop and bookend to a tale about identity, forgiveness, and fighting the good fight as the underdog.