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Review: Chasing Xander

10/8/2017

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Chasing Xander
by Lexi Lawton

Synopsis

Kylie Quinn is positive nothing could be more embarrassing on her first day of college than having her unmentionables go sprawling across campus. She was wrong. Very wrong. Having a super-sexy co-ed twirl them around his finger like he's privy to all of Victoria's Secrets is so much worse.

Xander Collins has met his match with Kylie—she’s gorgeous, smart, sarcastic as
hell, and doesn’t give a damn that he’s loaded. She’s also a virgin. And he doesn’t do virgins. Been there, done that, and he’s still paying for it. But that doesn’t mean they can’t be friends, despite the fact her flirty moves leave him with balls a shade of blue he never knew existed. 

Kylie is special, and she deserves more than his typical “one and done” routine. But as his life implodes and his not-so-brilliant plan to take things slow blows up in his face, he's at risk of losing everything—including Kylie. Now he must decide if everything he's been fighting so hard for is worth it without her by his side.


Review

**I was provided a ebook copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I always go into these romance stories expecting to be swept away into this great story where I get to witness two people fall in love. This is, after all, why I love the romance genre. 

But sometimes I get beginnings like that of this story. Beginnings that are what we can call, Insta-love. Kylie and Xander meet each other on the first day of college (for Kylie, anyhow), and the attraction is definitely there. Nothing wrong with that, of course. But it doesn't take long (the same day?) for Xander to think that Kylie is "different". I'm not sure how he comes to this conclusion as he knows absolutely nothing about her, except that she tends to be klutzy around him. 

We find out that each have their own problems: Kylie is still dealing with the consequences of moving away from her alcoholic father, and Xander is currently under academic probation, and might be kicked out of his fraternity house if he doesn't improve.

Sadly, that's where my interest in this story ended. The dialogue between the characters falls flat, and I feel none of the attraction or intensity either character is supposedly feeling about the other. I grew quickly tired of all the characters in this story that fell quickly flat in just the first 20% of it. 

If you enjoy New Adult books, this may be one you can enjoy. I, however, did not want to spend any more time on it.  
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Review: The Christmas Cake Cafe

12/6/2016

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The Christmas Cake Cafe
by Sue Watson

Synopsis

Heart-warming and hilarious, a story that will make you laugh, cry and bring a smile to your face.  Get ready for another deliciously amazing Christmas treat from Sue Watson….


As the Prosecco chills and Bing Crosby croons, Jen Barker just knows that her long-term boyfriend is about to propose.  But instead of a diamond ring nestled in her champagne flute, Jen finds cold flat rejection.  Her once perfect life and dreams of a husband and family seem even further from reach. 

A working holiday to the Swiss Alps with her younger sister Jody might not be the Christmas Jen had it mind, but it offers her the chance to recharge her batteries and recover from heartbreak.

When Jen meets handsome ski instructor Jon Zutter her hopes for a happy-ever-after seem within her grasp again. Jon is kind and gorgeous and as they bond over Sachetorte at the picturesque Cake Café, Jen thinks he might just be her perfect man. But a relationship with him comes with a catch – and there are some things even cake can’t fix. 

As the snow falls and Christmas approaches, could this be the place that restores Jen Barker’s faith in love? 


Review

I'm going to be honest with you, dear reader. I'm a bit on the fence about this one. If I had to give it stars - I'd give it 2.5 to 3 stars out of 5. That's not a horrible evaluation - but I can't decide if I liked it enough. I wouldn't re-read it - which is unfortunate for a Christmas read, but I don't regret reading it. There will be some spoilers. 

Jen is on the cusp of her 40th birthday on Christmas (her favorite holiday), and she's expecting her boyfriend of nearly a decade to propose to her. With the champagne going at a nice restaurant, she thinks they're on the right track - only to realize that her boyfriend is breaking up with her. There starts the story - a tale of reflection, learning to let go, and love. Most of all, the acceptance that life is not perfect - and neither are we. This is the message I truly loved about this book. We so often expect life has to be perfect, or nearly so, and when it isn't, we are disappointed and unhappy. 

With a little push from her half-sister, Jody, Jen decides to join her in Switzerland on a working holiday. Together with two of Jody's closest friends, they embark on an adventure of skiing woes, and nights of partying. Jen meets a lovely man named Jon, who seems to be just as interested in her as she is in him. And here's where we encounter my problem with the book.

Jon is a really nice male character - but by the time "things happen", I know far more about Jen than Jon. Which isn't a horrible thing, except I'm supposed accept that these two meet, talk, and fall hopelessly in love. Again - it happens, but all Jen does is talk about herself! Things get a bit better when we do learn more about Jon, and I think his "secret" is dealt with in a very responsible way. But throughout the story, I couldn't shake the feeling that this story went from being a Christmas romance to being...something else. Something I didn't think I was signing on for. I appreciated that Jen was able to work through her demons from her father leaving when she was younger, and from trying to make things fit into a perfect mold instead of just letting things happen. But at about half way through the book, I just wanted to know what happened. I can't say I was enjoying the journey. It was funny in parts, but to describe it as a "funny, feel good Christmas read" is misleading. 

If you like deep reads like this whenever, including Christmas - this is your story. 
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Review: Catch a Mate

7/21/2016

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Catch a Mate

by Gena Showalter

Synopsis


How to catch the love of your life…with his pants down
​

Jillian Greene is always getting caught in the act—it's her job! Working at Catch a Mate, Jillian gets paid by suspicious wives to smile, flirt and prove that no man can be trusted around the opposite sex. But she never gets physical—until a heart-stoppingly gorgeous male walks in….
Marcus Brody has just been hired to test female fidelity. But the last thing Jillian needs is a partner…especially an infuriating, irresistible man who's got her fantasizing about tearing off his clothes!

Review

I'm torn, dear reader. I really am. So far, I've truly enjoyed Showalter's books, and even though I did like some parts of this book...it kind of annoyed me. 

Let me explain. Oh, and spoilers!

Jillian is a jaded woman who works for a Catch the Cheater-type business in which she plays the "bait" and semi-persuades the man to show that he will cheat. Marcus is the new guy that turns out to be the new owner who introduces the male "bait". The two seemingly hate each other at first, and then realize they are actually more alike than they are different. Both have been hurt, and both have trust issues. Refreshingly, it is Marcus who gets over those issues first 

Now - here are my gripes. I thought this would be funny. And, yes, parts were funny, but I could only laugh for so long. I mean, we're talking about infidelity here, and I found it really hard to push through the fact that these people made a business from being the "others." Even though I knew it was fiction, it still hampered my fun. 

Also, Marcus and Jillian in the beginning annoyed me to no end. It took the last third of the book for me to actually like them as characters. Here's my reasoning: from the moment Jillian and Marcus meet each other - all I read was how much they wanted to tear each other's clothes off. All this even when they were being horrible to each other! I really love when the two leading characters hate each other and then fall for each other - but that usually involves witty banter that can turn somewhat mean, and then the person regrets it. This was like, I hate you so much, but I still want to **** you. I just found it a little crude, and it made me dislike them very much before I actually got to know them. In hindsight, this might be the point - but I still didn't like that in the beginning. 

If you're a fan of Showalter's, I suggest you read the book and then tell me what you get from it. If you're looking for a romantic comedy-type of read, may I suggest Showalter's The Stone Prince? I felt that one read more like a funny movie than this one. This one made me kinda sad. 
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Romance Read: The Wager

7/7/2016

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The Wager 
The Bet #2
by Rachel Van Dyken

Synopsis

Lose a bet, lose your heart...

What is it about a junior-high crush that can send an otherwise intelligent woman into a tailspin? TV reporter Char Lynn wishes she knew. Jake Titus is too rich, too handsome, too arrogant: a trifecta that once lured Char into the best night-and worst morning-after-of her life. Now they've been thrown together in a wedding party. It's awkward, but survivable . . . until Jake stops acting like a jerk, and starts acting like the man she'd always hoped he could be.

If watching your brother marry your best friend is weird, being attracted to your best friend's otherbest friend is downright bizarre. Unfortunately for Jake, Char hasn't forgotten how he once tossed her aside. Worse still, Jake's already-nutty grandma is even crazier about Char. Cue meet-cute shenanigans and all manner of meddling, and somehow, Jake's falling. For Char. Now all he has to do is make her believe it . . .

Review

This book made me so upset. Just so you know, this may be riddled with spoilers because I'm too disappointed and I can't hold it back. 

​I loved this book. I really seriously did. I thought it was hilarious and sweet. It had everything I like: resembled a romantic comedy movie, friends turned enemies turned lovers, a crazy grandma, etc. I thought Char was just the right amount of irresponsible and Jake the right amount of douche. They were funny together and Grandma Nadine was just hilarious. I was in love, ready to let this book claim a permanent place on my book shelf....

And then I got to the last third of the book and it all went to hell. 

I just couldn't rationalize it anymore. Char lost her job, okay - I get it. But then we hear nothing about her freaking out about it or looking for another job or whatever. She's irresponsible, but not THAT irresponsible. 

Then we're just supposed to accept that Jake and Char are OKAY with Grandma Nadine secretly marrying them? They weren't even talking a week or two before these encounters and they're supposed to be okay with just being married? And apparently staying married???

And you're going to tell me that their mutual friend, who is important to the story, but not important to me right now, is just OKAY with Char wearing WHITE to her (the friend's) wedding? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!

And they're getting started on having kids already? (Char and Jake that is) Really? REALLY? That's it, I'm done. 

If you like shenanigans that don't need an explanation and marriage proposals, this one is for you. It is definitely not for me. It's already been posted on PaperBack Swap.
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Review: The Plus One Agreement

7/5/2016

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The Plus One Agreement
by Charlotte Phillips

Synopsis
Successful job? Check. Swish wardrobe? Check.
Mr. Right? Not so much…
Emma Burney might not have a man, but she has a very practical solution for that: the plus-one agreement. A guaranteed date for any occasion. The problem? Her date is the gorgeous Dan Morgan, the man she lusted after for years.
Dan is all about keeping it casual, so when Emma decides to call it quits on their arrangement, he isn't bothered. Well, maybe there's just a little bit of dented ego. After all, he's always prided himself on his plus-one prowess. So when Emma begs just one last date…suddenly he's got something to prove!

Review

The Plus One Agreement started off super slow and it took me awhile to care about either of the characters. It kept me just interested enough to keep going so I did eventually get a bit more into it and I did kinda start caring for them. Also, I really enjoy reading about fake relationships where the couple eventually falls in love (I don't know what that says about me...), so that motivated me to keep going. 

Ah, but dear reader - when will I learn my lesson? If I have to keep going and don't eventually feel that pull from the characters, do I really want to keep going? 

It ended up being an okay book. I could have skipped it and been just fine. What I especially didn't like was that the heroine kept thinking she'd changed the hero (I did not even bother to look at their names...even though the synopsis is right above this review. Let that be the cherry on the sundae that is my review.). She kept almost applauding herself for how she changed him in such a "positive way." I'm sorry - but why would that make her happy? He should be given the choice and then the appreciation of coming more into his own. She took that from him a bit, I think. 

It's a semi-quick read...but skip this one unless you're super curious and into it. 

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