Goddess Fish Book Tours Book Review: What She Wants

Let's welcome Sheila Roberts to the blog today! 

SMALL TOWN, BIG FUN

            Ah, the bright lights of the big city, the excitement, the energy! The shopping. Cool as big cities are, I’m afraid they’re not for me. Even though I grew up in the city, I’m a small town girl at heart. We lived in a small town when our children were growing up and I loved running into people I knew in the grocery store. (And, inevitably, when I looked my worst that was when I ran into the most people I knew!) I loved the sense of community. And the lack of traffic.

            Maybe that’s why my new series, Life in Icicle Falls, is set in a small town. Everyone knows everyone and familiar faces keep popping up for guest appearances. Of course, I know that in small towns everyone knowing everyone can have its downsides. There are no secrets in a small town! But there are also lifetime friendships, fun and laughter. At least there are in Icicle Falls.

            So it’s no secret that my latest hero Jonathan Templar needs some help in the love department. Jonathan is shy and geeky and he’s been in love with Lissa Castle since they were kids. Sadly, Lissa’s never seen him as anything but a friend. (Ever been in that situation yourself? I have! It’s sooo frustrating.) But Jonathan is about to find the help he needs when he discovers romance novels. Ah, now there’s a place where a guy can get some inspiration. And maybe, if he works hard enough at it, he can even transform himself into the kind of man a woman will want!

            Not an easy project when the whole town is watching. But in Icicle Falls you can be sure you’ll get plenty of support to help you make your dreams come true. Because that’s what this town is all about.

            And my imaginary town is actually based on a real town: Leavenworth, WA. I love Leavenworth. Nestled in the Cascades, this charming town is a popular destination spot. It’s got wonderful shops, gorgeous scenery and friendly people. And a real spirit of determination.

            Back in the fifties, Leavenworth was almost a ghost town. The railroad had moved, the lumber industry had dried up and they were in trouble. But they didn’t give up, pack up, and leave. Instead, the town leaders got together and decided it was time for the town to reinvent itself. And so they did! With its beautiful mountain setting, they figured Leavenworth was as lovely as any Bavarian village. And that’s what they turned it into. Today, Leavenworth’s economy is healthy and property values have held. It offers any number of festivals throughout the year, the most popular being their Christmas tree-lighting celebrations that run all through December. It’s one of my favorite places to visit and proof that small towns and big ideas pair well.

            If you ever get a chance to visit Leavenworth I hope you’ll take it. Meanwhile, I hope you’ll visit my fictional town of Icicle Falls.

            

What She Wants

by Sheila Roberts

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BLURB:

What do women want?

Jonathan Templar and his poker buddies can't figure it out. Take Jonathan, for instance. He's been in love with Lissa Castle since they were kids but, geek that he is, she's never seen him as her Mr. Perfect. He has one last shot—their high school reunion. Kyle Long is equally discouraged. The pretty receptionist at his office keeps passing him over for other guys who may be taller but are definitely not superior. And Adam Edwards might be the most successful of Jonathan's friends, but he isn't having any success on the home front. His wife's kicked him out.

When Jonathan stumbles on a romance novel at the Icicle Falls library sale, he knows he's found the love expert he's been seeking—Vanessa Valentine, top-selling romance author. At first his buddies laugh at him for reading romance novels, but soon they, too, realize that these stories are the world's best textbooks on love. Poker night becomes book club night…and when all is read and done, they're going to be the kind of men women want!

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EXCERPT: http://www.sheilasplace.com/what-she-wants.html

Review: What She Wants is a divinely different book about guys reading romances to get the women that they want.

It isn't a romance and its not quite what you'd call chick lit, but it is pure fun. 

The guys of Icicle Falls are nice normal guys. Not hunks, just your average boy next door types, or geek next door, in the case of Jonathan and Kyle.

Kyle and Jonathan could be less nerdy cast members of Big Bang Theory. They are a bit too normal and tech savvy to really get the gorgeous women they want, in Jonathan's case it is Lissa and for Kyle it is receptionist Jillian.

You also get to see their poker buddy Adam try to win back his wife Chelsea, who tossed him on his butt when he forgot the ever important anniversary.

There's a lot of hilarity along the way with each guy, especially when Vanessa Valentine, romance author, enters the picture.

What made this book so fun was that you watched each guy grow as he worked to get or fix his relationship and some didn't turn out quite the way you expected things to.

I almost wish things were different with Jonathan, because unlike his buddy Kyle and even to a lesser extent, his friend Adam, he really tried to change who he was to impress the girl, rather than just being himself.

There's nothing wrong with being a geek. Just an FYI, this girl thinks geeks are sexy, but I was glad that things worked out for him in the end...much like Big Bang Theory.

Though the primary story revolved around Jonathan, you did get equal parts Adam and  Kyle and it kept the story interesting, since this is a super clean story, but even without a lot of hot steamy sex, the guys make the story fun, especially with many romance novel incidents...like a book falling in the toilet, and Jonathan not being able to flip his dance partner Daphne on his first solo outing at a club.

There's really a lot of laughs here and a lot of warm fuzzy feelings as things start going right for the guys. (It takes longer for some of them)

I admit I do have one small gripe with this story and it is part of the Jonathan/Lissa storyline. I wanted to know more of why she was "The One." But then again, she wasn't really part of the story until the end, but other than her being the girl next door and his high school BFF, the reason for him carrying the torch for her for 15 years is a bit much, I wanted him to find someone else that would love him for his sweet geeky self, and Jonathan was such a sweetie pie, he should have had to "bulk up" or change himself in any way for a woman.

Still, this was a super fun story, one that definitely will appeal to fans of Debbie Macomber and Robyn Carr.

Rating: 5 flowers

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Sheila Roberts lives on a lake in the Pacific Northwest. She’s happily married and has three children. She’s been writing since 1989, but she did lots of things before settling in to her writing career, including owning a singing telegram company and playing in a band. Her band days are over, but she still enjoys writing songs. When she’s not speaking to women’s groups or at conferences or hanging out with her girlfriends she can be found writing about those things near and dear to women’s hearts: family, friends, and chocolate.

http://www.sheilasplace.com/index.html

http://www.sheilasplace.com/blog.html

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sheila-Roberts/76502579853

https://twitter.com/_Sheila_Roberts

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0778314324/ref=cm_sw_su_dp

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/what-she-wants-sheila-roberts/1112815374?ean=9780778314325

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