Format: eBook

Bah, Humbug! by Heather Horrocks (Mini Book Review)

Posted December 19, 2012 by Jana in Adult Fiction, Book Review / 1 Comment

Bah, Humbug! by Heather Horrocks
Published by Word Garden Press on September 9, 2011
Genres: Contemporary Romance, Holiday - Christmas, Romance
Pages: 96
Format: eBook
Source: Purchased
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Lexi Anderson is an up-and-coming, Martha Stewart-type TV hostess whose two kids love the Jared Strong adventure novels, which happen to be written by their new neighbor, Kyle Miller. For the first time in his writing career, Kyle has writer’s block--until he sees the snowman on his lawn and realizes it’s the perfect solution to his plot problem. He digs in and discovers two things: one, his villain’s weapon will fit inside a snowman's body, and two, this particular snowman was supposed to be the backdrop for Lexi’s next show. From this improbable beginning comes friendship, but can there be a happy ending for a woman who is afraid to get close again and a man who has shadows from his childhood? Families join together and hearts are healed as this couple goes walking in a winter wonderland.

You know how sometimes you’ll be flipping through the channels for a fun Christmas movie to watch, and all of a sudden you come across a particularly cheesy and sugary romance on Hallmark? That’s how I felt with this book. It was SOO a Hallmark movie. And don’t get me wrong. I love some of those Hallmark Christmas movies! But I’m sure you know exactly what I’m saying when I tell you that this one was just TOO Hallmarky. I supposed with the right overdose of the Christmas spirit pills, one might be able to sink their teeth into this one without getting a cavity. But even the cheeriest of elves, or Mrs. Claus herself, would probably feel the need to brush their teeth big time once they finished this.

Now don’t get me wrong. It’s not a bad book by any means. The story idea was a lot of fun: famous children’s author meets young Martha Stewart, and they help each other recover from their pasts to pave the way for a future together. But the story was so implausible that I could not see past that to anything else. Lexi and Kyle meet for the first time when he destroys her beautiful snowman, in the hopes of finding a twist for his next book. She gets so unbelievably mad at him, you’d think he stole her secret fruitcake recipe and sold it on the Black Market. It’s a snowman. But she flies over the handlebars and refers to him as one of the worst men in the world for ruining her snowman.

This is the biggest case of instalove I’ve ever seen. More than Twilight, even. They go from hating each other’s guts to planning a Christmas party together, which of course makes them fall in love. The two are engaged before they even have their first kiss and before they even exchange “I love you’s”. Ahhhh! It happens in like 4 days! To offset the sugary love, the author threw a very depressing pity party for Kyle and his family, who spend Christmas Eve morning the 22nd anniversary of their mother’s death. It felt a little forced to me, and I got really depressed reading pages and pages of crying. It was just a roller coaster of extreme emotions.

I did enjoy that the story takes place in Salt Lake City. I always have fun reading about places I’ve actually seen, like the mall they mentioned. And I really liked Lexi’s kids, especially her daughter Tricia. But other than that, this book was just too much for me. Martha added too much sugar to this batch of cookies!

Snowed Over by Angie Stanton (Mini Book Review)

Posted December 12, 2012 by Jana in Book Review, New Adult / 5 Comments

Snowed Over by Angie Stanton
Published by Vanguard Management Inc. on October 12, 2012
Genres: Contemporary Romance, Holiday - Christmas, Romance
Pages: 126
Format: eBook
Source: Purchased
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To college student, Katie Brandt, ‘Home for the Holidays’ sounds like hell. When her parents separated, their holiday traditions shattered like a dropped ornament. What could be worse than celebrating Christmas with her suddenly single mom and mom’s new boyfriend?

Alex Walker, an engaged 20-year-old, dreads going home for his own reasons. He has a daunting task ahead of him and wishes he could skip the holidays altogether. So when a friend of a friend needs a ride north, Alex finds that having beautiful Katie seated by his side proves to be just the distraction he needs.

A simple ride home for Christmas turns into a nightmare when light snow rages into a full-scale blizzard. Katie and Alex find themselves stranded, and a vacant cabin becomes a haven from the storm.
Under different circumstances, time alone with Alex would be the ultimate Christmas gift, but Katie knows Alex is engaged and she must hide her growing attraction.

However, Alex harbors a secret that just might change this holiday from the worst Christmas ever, to the best.

Ok. Christmas. Crazy Blizzard. Sexy boy. Abandoned cabin. Near-death experience. Fireplace. Can this get any better? Guys, if you love Christmas romances you have GOT to get your hands on this. It is darling, and romantic, and sweet, and had me giggling like a school girl. Oh, and it’s totally clean. No steam here, but plenty of tension to go around. I like that better anyway. :)

I’m a sucker for blizzards. I love it when they happen here at my house, and I love it when they happen in books. When the power is out and there’s no place to go and no outside communication, things happen. Katie and Alex were shoved together out of the blue, and had to become great friends really fast when their truck plunged into an icy river and they had to get themselves out and warm before hypothermia set in. I loved their small talk during the drive, I loved the concern they felt for each other as they trekked for miles in the snow, and I loved watching the romance grow as they sat by the fire in an abandoned cabin (that they broke into) eating watery tomato soup and awkwardly sharing a really uncomfortable hide-a-bed. The writing was witty, the characters were relateable, and the story was super Christmassy. Trust me when I tell you that I’d totally give up my traditional Christmas to eat sticky spaghetti by the fire with Alex. He’s a dreamboat. And Katie is just plain and normal enough to give me confidence that I can nab a guy like Alex.

This is a quick Christmas delight that I just know will warm your heart like it did mine. I can see myself reading this little gem over and over again. I’d recommend this to lovers of movies like The Holiday. Parts of this totally reminded me of Cameron Diaz and Jude Law in that movie. It’s just a silly story about two people who had no idea Santa was bringing them each other for Christmas!

The Ex Games by Jennifer Echols (Book Review)

Posted October 29, 2012 by Jana in Book Review, Young Adult Fiction / 8 Comments

The Ex Games by Jennifer Echols
Published by Simon Pulse on September 8, 2009
Genres: Contemporary Romance, Romance
Format: eBook
Source: Purchased
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Brace yourself for the battle of the exes...

Hayden and Nick used to be a hot item, but their brief affair ended with a highly publicized breakup. Now the two are "just friends," excluding the occasional flirtation.

When Hayden wins the girls' division of a local snowboarding competition, Nick is unimpressed, claiming that Hayden wouldn't have a chance against a guy. Hayden calls Nick's bluff and challenges him to a head-to-head boarding contest. Their mutual friends quickly take sides, the girls on Hayden's and the boys on Nick's, making for an all-out battle of the sexes. This friendly competition is bound to get heated—and they might end up igniting some old flames.

In honor of the first snowfall of the season here, I thought it would be fun to read a book with lots of winter and lots of snow. The Ex Games jumped out at me, because I have never read a snowboarding book. It was light-hearted, fluffy, and fun, but left me wishing I had been given more details and character development. As always, my main points are bolded. :)

1. The characters are likeable and sweet in their own ways. They made me giggle a little inside, but that was it. I felt they were all rather one-dimensional and forgettable.

2. There was so much needless drama in this story. I got rather frustrated. Hayden and Nick would have an intimate conversation and a little romance, and then all of a sudden one of them would say something the other one did not like, a major emotional explosion would happen, and someone would storm off and slam doors. They would not talk for a while, and then they would reconcile… have another sweet convo/make-out session, and then get REALLY mad and storm off again. This relationship was majorly bi-polar, and I started to get really annoyed. The only reason they did not get together sooner was because they were being dumb.

3. The romance was all based off of a shamble of a 7th grade relationship. 7th grade? I don’t know, it did not seem realistic to me. So they were… what, 13 when this started? And the love was so strong that they chased each other for 4 years? Sorry, I just don’t buy it. I ended up making up my own ages for them, just because it made more sense that way. Young love is real, and I totally get that. I just wasn’t convinced this time.

4. I felt like I was reading the same thing over and over again. Nick and Hayden were either arguing or making out. All. The. Time. But that was not the only thing that happened over and over again. Someone tripped on the family dog, Doofus, sometimes twice on a page. Lots of time was spent on the slopes trying to talk Hayden into going off the jump. Seriously, how many times must we read about her fear of heights? Lots of time was spent in a cafe talking. I swear, only 3 things happened in this book… just over and over again.

5. While things are very predictable, it was a cute story with all the snow I was hoping for. I loved the setting of the book. It sounded a bit like a resort town just up the mountain from where I live. And I did enjoy the cute, romantic moments when Nick and Hayden weren’t yelling at each other.

Overall, this story won’t have you up at night dreaming over the swoonworthy moments. It was cute and happy, but forgettable. I’d recommend it to people who enjoy light romantic comedies.

The Carny by Brooke Moss (Book Review)

Posted October 17, 2012 by Jana in Adult Fiction, Book Review / 3 Comments

The Carny by Brooke Moss
Published by Inkspell Publishing on July 7, 2012
Genres: Contemporary Romance, Romance
Pages: 416
Format: eBook
Source: Publisher (Mail)
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At a town fair on the coast of Oregon, handsome Native American carny, Vincent Youngblood, bestows an unforgettable kiss on shy, awkward teenager, Charlotte Davenport. Then disappears without another word, leaving her baffled and enamored. Ten years later, Charlotte is still living in the small fishing town of Astoria, while being trained to--reluctantly--take over for her philandering hotelier father when he retires. After all, who else will do it? Her two perfect sisters are busy being married to their flawless husbands and having cookie cutter children, while Charlotte remains single, childless, and every bit as mousy as she was a decade ago. As Charlotte struggles to climb out from underneath her judgmental parents thumb, the carnival rolls back into town, and Charlotte finds herself face to face with Vin again. He's back to run his father's carnival, walking away from a promising career in medicine he started in Chicago. Will her biased and judgmental family accept her relationship with a man who is not only a Native American, but works as a carny for a living? And what unsavory secrets bind the well-educated and seemingly superlative Vin to that ramshackle carnival? After all, you can t judge a carny by its cover.

I was quite excited for this book, because I love the idea of this serendipitous moment where two people magically collide and form a connection that spans 10 years! I remember when I was younger, there was this TV show called Providence. One of the small story lines that spanned a few episodes was when Joanie went to a masquerade ball, and was randomly kissed by a masked man in a Zorro costume, before he disappeared. It was so exciting and romantic, especially once these two found each other again. That’s what I pictured with this story. As always, my main points are bolded. :)

1. The romance factor is there, even though it was quite cheesy and predictable at times. We’ve got this sexy, swoon worthy Native American named Vin who is a complete dreamboat. He’s been thinking about Charlotte off and on since that kiss, and their reunion is pretty sweet and made me melt. Plus, the things he said to her were just precious. I’m a huge fan of Vin, and to be honest, he’s way too good for Charlotte. This brings me to my next point.

2. I can’t stand Charlotte. She has such low self esteem, that Vin has to continually reassure her that she’s pretty. She actually apologizes to him for not being pretty enough. My. Gosh. Plus, she jumps to conclusions. If she can be mad at Vin, she will be without even giving him the chance to explain! She’s hopelessly in love with this guy, but goes on pouting sprees as often as she can–ignoring him for days while she mopes. Seriously. Can anyone be good enough for her? And THEN she flips and runs into his arms sobbing. She was weak, and he was blinded by love. Seriously, Vin. Come find me.

3. I’m not a huge fan of the supporting characters either. I liked the people we briefly met at the carnival, the part of Vin’s family we met, and I liked Charlotte’s friend. But I could not stand Charlotte’s racist, annoying family. They were so horrible, that I had a hard time believing they were real. I would have enjoyed reading about Vin’s family so much more.

4. I enjoyed the small details: the carnival, the small cottage with the greenhouses, the lighthouse, the quaint town, the crisp air. I would love to visit this place. It was described wonderfully.

5. The writing was pretty awful. I’m not even sure this book was edited. Sundays does not equal Sunday’s. If you’re enjoying Sunday’s weather, you use it this way. If you’re excited about all the upcoming Sundays, there is no apostrophe. You’re adorable. That’s a good use of you’re. You’re dress is adorable is not a good use of you’re. It’s lovely outside. Yes. This is good. My cat wiggled it’s nose? No. There were more typos and broken grammar laws than I could keep track of. It really detracted from the story.

6. The deeper issues gave the book substance, and I liked that. Charlotte’s horrendous family forced her to defend herself. Vin’s unreliable family forced him to make tough decisions. They both had sad pasts, which made them real.

7. The ending was too much. You can only have so many “happily ever after” elements before it’s just too much. Every single happy thing that could happen to these two did. I mean, I was happy for them and all, but now that all is said and done I keep thinking that the bow this story was tied up in is just too pretty, especially after all the opposition they were facing throughout the entire story.

8. Regardless of my little gripes about the book, I did enjoy the story. I will always pull for a couple like this one. The more opposition they face, the more I want them to end up together. I seriously loved Vin, and I loved some of the romantic scenes these two shared. I had a hard time putting it down.

Overall, I appreciated the story and the attack on racism, because it’s still a modern problem. I loved Vin so much, and would love to read more of his back story. We briefly hear about is past, and I’d love a prequel that shows us Vin’s life before Charlotte. A strong editor could have done wonders for this book, and I’m sad that didn’t happen. I’d recommend this to people who enjoy happy romantic contemporaries with real issues, a loveable hero, and quaint coastal towns.

The Reluctant Bachelorette by Rachael Anderson (Mini Book Review, Guest Post, and Giveaway)

Posted October 8, 2012 by Jana in Adult Fiction, Blog Tour, Book Review, Giveaway, Guest Post / 2 Comments

The Reluctant Bachelorette by Rachael Renee Anderson
Published by HEA Publishing on September 8, 2012
Genres: Contemporary Romance, Romance
Pages: 300
Format: eBook
Source: Author
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Luke Carney has no idea what possessed him to move back to Shelter Springs, Colorado, to set up his veterinarian practice. His parents have long since left, the small farming community is on the brink of extinction, and only one close friend from his childhood remains--Taycee Emerson, his best friend’s little sister, who isn’t so little anymore.

Then there’s the matter of Shelter’s Bachelorette, an online reality dating show created to raise some much needed funds for the town.

Unwittingly cast as the bachelorette, Taycee wants out, especially when she discovers that Luke, her childhood crush, is back in town and will be one of the bachelors. To make matters worse, it's up to the viewers--not her--to decide which bachelors stay or go. And they all seem to like Luke.

Unwilling to let him break her heart again, Taycee launches a subtle attack on Luke’s good name with the hope of getting him voted off the show. But she’d forgotten that Luke's an eye-for-an-eye kind of guy, and when he discovers what she's up to, it means revenge.

I’m ready and willing to admit that I love The Bachelor and the Bachelorette. These shows make Mondays worth having. I know they are totally silly and the couples pretty much never stay together, but I don’t care! I even watch the show if I really REALLY dislike the people. It’s pure entertainment, and I love the drama. So, of course I was excited to read The Reluctant Bachelorette! It was a cute, cheesy read. Sometimes cheese is what you need. :)

Taycee was a likeable lead, and I really liked Luke. They are an adorable couple, and I enjoyed reading about the development of their relationship. I liked the idea behind the show: raising money for charity. I thought it was a fun way to raise money, and I would love to be in Taycee’s shoes! Give me 20 guys to date, and I’m all for it. The only thing that bothered me about this particular group of guys is that most of them were even likeable. I really felt for Taycee and laughed to myself as she went on some pretty bad dates, just because I’ve totally been there! There were a few I liked, though, and I had fun reading about those dates. There was also quite a bit of secrecy and drama, which I ate up.

Luke is my dream guy. I’d love to date him, and I loved reading about his and Taycee’s romance. One of my favorite scenes was when they went star gazing. I did that with a guy one time. He gave me his jacket, and we drove up into the mountains and the sky was on fire. He put his arms around me and rested his chin on my head as we watched the stars and whispered about random stuff. The scene in this book brought me back to that moment, and I totally remember feeling twitterpated and giddy like they did. It was a sweet moment. :) I also love when they spent the day at the swimming hole. So romantic!

This book is so happy and sweet! It’s one of those simple romantic contemporaries where everything makes you smile. Oh, and the ending… I got teary-eyed! This book had a downright amazing ending. We all need books like this. There was a lot of fluff, mixed in with some more serious issues that kept the story grounded. I liked the main characters, and even a few of the supporting ones.

Last of all, I really appreciate the clean content of this book. There was no steam, smut, or bad language, yet it was still sweet and romantic. Romance is possible without a bed in play, and Rachael did a great job proving that. Read on for her guest post on this exact topic of discussion.

The Author: Rachael Anderson
(Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Blog)

“I love to read, write, and do most anything outdoors, with the exception of rock climbing and sky diving. (I have serious height phobias.) If there’s something I can do within five feet of solid ground, count me in!”

Keeping it Clean for a Reason

I write unapologetic clean romance, and I always will. My favorite part of any love story is the falling in love part–all of the stuff that happens before sex. There’s something magical and special about that time, and for me, it’s the most romantic part. Take Pride and Prejudice, for example–the most beloved of all love stories. Jane Austin took two strangers, gave them a reason to think less of the other from the get-go, and then let the respect, friendship, attraction, and love grow from there. By the end of the book, there was no doubt in anyone’s mind that Mr. Darcy and Lizzy had so much more than chemistry. They had something real and lasting and sigh-worthy. And Jane Austin did it all without sex. They didn’t even kiss until the end of the book.

Yes, I realize the contemporary world we live in is a different place. In the movies and so many books these days, people meet, kiss, and fall into bed together in the blink of an eye. It makes me sad, because not only do I NOT want to read (or let my children read) about two characters having sex, but I feel like those writers clicked fast-forward on the most beautiful moments in any love story. I come away feeling shorted.

For me, true romance is in the initial connection, friendship, giddiness, excitement, noticing, frustration, fear, and insecurity. It’s in the first look, first touch, first kiss. It’s in the development of something real, something deep, and something lasting. By the end of any book I write, I want my readers to know, without a doubt, that those two characters are a perfect fit, in more ways than just chemistry. That regardless of what comes their way, they will stay together for always. That’s the best kind of happily ever after there is.

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