Category: Funny

Review: Screwdrivered

7/2/2016

Screwdrivered
The Cocktail Series Book 3
by Alice Clayton

Synopsis

Readers back for a third round of the bestselling Cocktail series will enjoy a madcap romantic comedy about bodice ripping and chest heaving, fiery passion and love everlasting. Plus a dash of paperwork filing and horseshi—wait, what?

By day, Viv Franklin is a tough-as-nails software engineer who designs programs and loves hospital corners. By night, Vivian’s a secret romance-novel junkie who longs for a knight in shining armor, or a cowboy on a wild stallion, or a strapping firefighter to sweep her off her feet. And she gets to wear the bodice—don’t forget the bodice.

When a phone call brings news that she’s inherited a beautiful old home in Mendocino, California from a long-forgotten aunt, she moves her entire life across the country to embark on what she sees as a great, romance-novel-worthy adventure. But romance novels always have a twist, don’t they?

Review

So, as some of you may have already read - this is the second book I read by Alice Clayton...but it is actually the third book in the series. How does this happen to me? I am such a completist and need to read books in their right order...but oh well, it happened.

Screwdriver started off really slow in my opinion. It took me picking the book up about 4 times to finally really get into it. What got me to keep picking it up (because I have no problem letting go of a book I can't get into) was the fact that Vivian, Viv for short, is a computer/art/romance novel geek. Now, I don't know about you, but that is exactly what I want in a female character. Viv believes her life has become like one of the romance stories she loves to read (hello, meta) when she finds out that her great aunt has left Viv her estate. When she flies out to check out her inheritance, she meets a "hot" cowboy which totally fits into Viv's delusion that she's in her own proper romance story. The cowboy is a jerk though, but Viv can't see that quite yet.

Then she meets Clark, the town's librarian and historian. He's there to tell Viv all the things she can't do to her great aunt's home because it is, in fact, a historical home. Well, Viv isn't the type of girl you tell what to do, know what I'm saying? The librarian though? Yeah, he's pretty cute.

I won't go into much more detail because it is a cute and funny book. It is also infuriating because I really disliked that cowboy. Also, Viv constantly thinks "Aw yeah" A LOT to herself throughout the story. Usually repetitive phrases really bother me in people's writing, but Viv was too cute to dislike really. Just infuriating sometimes. Ha!

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Review: Wallbanger

7/1/2016

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Wallbanger
The Cocktail Series Book 1
by Alice Clayton

Synopsis

Caroline Reynolds has a fantastic new apartment in San Francisco, a Kitchen Aid mixer to die for, and no O (and we’re not talking Oprah here, folks). She has a flourishing design career, an office overlooking the bay, a killer zucchini bread recipe, and no O. She has Clive (the best cat ever), great friends, a great rack, and no O. Adding insult to O-less, she also has an oversexed neighbor with the loudest late-night wallbanging she’s ever heard. Every moan, spank, and—was that a meow?—punctuates the fact that not only is she losing sleep, she still has—yep, you guessed it—no O. Enter Simon Parker. When the wallbanging threatens to literally bounce her out of bed, Caroline, clad in sexual frustration and a pink baby-doll nightie, confronts her heard-but-never-seen neighbor. Their late-night hallway encounter has…well…mixed results. Because with walls this thin, the tension’s gonna be thick. A delicious mix of silly and steamy, this is an irresistible tale of exasperation at first sight.

Review

First of all, let me get this out of the way - the cover. I cringe at most romance covers and this one...is not subtle. lol I bought the actual book from Barnes and Noble and paid for it...I was like "Whatever Mr. Cashier Person...I'm reading my book anyway". Granted, no one really cares about what I'm reading - but these covers make me blush!

Okay, now the story - I loved it! Clayton is so humorous in her writing and I love that in romance novels. I love them like I love my romantic comedies - sweet and funny with a pang of jealousy/hurt. Caroline is such a put-together character and she has everything going for her except that she has been made to believe that it is pointless to get her to orgasm (her last bf sucked...) and her neighbor is this hot guy who has a different girl come over every night. Oh, and she can hear them through the walls. The writing is deliciously funny and I really enjoyed reading about this strong and independent woman and the guy next door. It's a fun read and I look forward to checking out the other books in the series!

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Romance Read Thursday: To Katie With Love

5/12/2016

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To Katie With Love
by Erica Lucke Dean

Synopsis

Banker Katie James has a serious thing for romance novels. She’d almost rather settle for a fictional boyfriend than risk her heart on a flesh-and-blood man. Besides, the only real guy she’s remotely interested in is her rich, unattainable client, the mysterious Cooper Maxwell.

Looking less like the ultra-conservative man she knows and more like a drop-dead sexy character from one of her books, Cooper crashes Katie’s 29th birthday party. But one too many drinks lands Katie in uncharted territory… Cooper’s bedroom!

Drunk on love, Katie dives headfirst into the relationship only to discover that Cooper is keeping secrets… dangerous ones. As if things couldn’t get worse, her meddling mother makes a surprise visit, digging up a whole new set of problems.

Who would have guessed having an assassin for a boyfriend would be the least of her worries?

Review

I was totally surprised by this book. I feel the need to make that the first thing you read because it is so rare in the romance novel business to be surprised. But - I so was! So - spoilers lie ahead - you've been warned.

When I first started reading the book, I was really confused, but I just went with the flow. It was funny and the protagonist, Katie, is a romance novel lover. When she becomes involved with Cooper, it totally seems like it's too good to be true. Honestly, I was really starting to believe that he was an assassin. He was super mysterious and...well, secretive. But what he ended up being was so much more interesting! I said this review was fun of spoilers, but I can't let this one go - it's too unique. So, just take my word for it. The novel had a great balance of romance, mystery, and intrigue. I mean, I thought he was an assassin!

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Review: Sex Hell: A love Story

4/6/2016

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Sex Hell
by Joe Canzano

Synopsis

When Debbie de La Fontaine tries to spice up her love life by supernaturally tampering with her sex life, she is cursed to spend every future encounter in a magical place called “Sex Hell,” where the sex is ludicrous and amazing but the romance is scarce.

Her only chance for escape is through the stingy clues supplied by an obnoxious demon, and the only way to obtain the clues is by returning to Sex Hell again and again to have outrageous sexcapades with the man she most wants to avoid—or does she?

Sex Hell is an absurd comic fantasy about the confusion of relationships. How is love related to sex, and how is sex related to love—and do love and sex need to be related at all?

*This book contains profanity and adult situations*

Review

I think it's easy to say that I have not read anything like this book - and that is definitely a good thing. This book reads like a classic comedy from the 1980s (again, a very good thing). The book is about Debbie, a waitress who finds herself more in love with the thought of popcorn and a movie than having sex with her hunky boyfriend. Then, at the restaurant where she works, she comes across a witch who promises her great sex in exchange for...well, I'll let you read what. On the other side of the spectrum, Juan is a seemingly sleazy guitarist who meets the same witch and makes the same deal. They're placed in Sex Hell where they are only to have sex with each other.

The book was over the top, but that's what made it so funny! I'm talking laugh-out-loud funny! It's absurd and hilarious and involves silly sex scenes - a great read for those looking to read something off the not-so-serious side of relationships and sex.

About the Author

Joe Canzano is a writer and musician who lives in New Jersey, U.S.A. He likes loud guitars and food that screams. His wacky debut novel, “Magno Girl,” received a fair amount of love and hate—because that’s the kind of reaction his writing gets. For more information about Joe, please visit www.happyjoe.net.

Links
Website: http://www.happyjoe.net
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/happyjoecanzano/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/happyjoecanzano
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/12965170.Joe_Canzano
Amazon Author Page: http://amazon.com/author/joecanzano

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Review: Best Friends with Benefits

3/18/2016

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Best Friends with Benefits
a Most Likely To novel
by Candy Sloane

Synopsis
Seven minutes in heaven never felt so good…

Valerie Barkin and Alec Rogers survived bullies, awful parents, and seriously shitty social standing the only way best friends can—together. But with the unexpected sexual tension suddenly flaring between them, surviving their ten-year high school reunion might be a different story…

Val hasn’t changed. She still feels like the stringy-haired band geek the popular kids teased, but Alec has definitely changed. He’s now the front man for the Grammy-winning rock band Chronic Disharmony, with the sexual reputation to match. And he’s more than willing to help Val rock the reunion.

And then it happens—a drunken game of Seven Minutes in Heaven—and their fourteen-years-long foreplay comes crashing to the forefront…changing everything.

Seven minutes turns into a weekend of mind-blowing, no-strings-attached sex. But these best friends won't be able to leave their hearts out of it forever, not when the most meaningful benefit could change their relationship for good.

Review

My heart is a flutter with this story because it is basically every non-requited crush dream come to life. *dreamy sigh* But I digress - beware of spoilers!

I am usually not a fan of the best friends turned lovers story - I don't know why exactly. This story, however, was different in that the best friends have been apart for many years and when they first see each other - they don't expect the attraction to be as present. Val is coming off of a break up from a guy who didn't ever want to marry her and Alec is the quintessential bad boy rocker. There is definitely a sweetness when they are together and that tender side eventually gives in to their growing attraction as they attend their high school reunion.

I definitely liked how our two protagonists were once geeks and are now pretty cool, each in their own right. I also appreciated how being back in their hometown brought back insecurities - you never can escape everything about high school, right? With each other's support, however, they're able to move past the bullies and annoyances of their youth. I enjoyed how even though Alec is a big time star, he still has affection for his best friend and is not a cocky jerk. He's pretty goofy and funny - with a twist of sexiness.

There were a few things I didn't enjoy, but I was able to ignore in order to enjoy the story. One was Val's fixation on getting married. I can take it that rejection is horrible - and the concept of rejection is a big part of the story - but I didn't like that not being proposed to equaled "there's something wrong with me". I wish Val could have shown how much she's grown as a person from the get-go instead of when Alec enters the picture. The other thing I didn't like was how Val's encounter with one of her bullies, the school's "mean girl", happened. Alec stands up for Val and Val gets back at her bully - but in a "under the radar way." I would have loved seeing Val square off with her bully, face to face, and finally standing up for herself.

The end was pretty good and it does end in a proposal - but not in the usual way! I really was grateful for that because it did not hinder my liking the story. Since the story is told from a dual perspective, we know that Alec is going to propose, he's got the ring in his pocket and everything. What's different is that we don't read about him actually doing it or read about Val saying yes - the reader knows she's going to say "yes." That, worked out perfect for me. See? I'm not totally against proposals at the end of books!

Overall, I enjoyed this book so much I read it in a day :) I recommend it to my romance lovers out there!

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