Pump Up Your Book Book Review: Wooing The Wedding Planner

Title:

WOOING THE WEDDING PLANNER

Author: Amber Leigh Williams

Publisher: Harlequin (Superromance)

Pages: 380

Genre: Series Romance/Contemporary

Romance/Superromance

No more

wedding marches for her! 

Wedding

planner Roxie Honeycutt can make happy-ever-after come true for anyone except

herself. Freshly divorced and done with love, she's okay with watching clients

walk down the aisle. What's not okay? Sharing a charming Victorian house with

accountant Byron Strong. He's frustratingly sexy and determined to keep her

confused. 

Roxie thought Byron's expertise was

numbers, yet somehow he sees her for who she really is. Somehow he understands

the hurt she hides behind a trademark smile. Suddenly romance is tempting

again, even if it means risking another heartbreak.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Amazon

Book Excerpt:

“What was wrong with the old Roxie?”

His words stuck with her. And his kiss.

It was difficult to forget a kiss like that, especially

coming from someone…well, someone like Byron. Roxie had spent more time than

she’d like to admit trying not to think about the kiss – about how sweet it

was. She’d forgotten kisses could be so sweet. She’d tried extra hard to forget

how his lips had lingered. And how in lingering he’d awakened starbursts inside

her. Starbursts of eternity.

She frowned deeply. Being touched…it had been so long

since she had

really been touched. The hollowness in her had turned into a resounding

ache, and for a few moments she’d thought about bringing Byron’s mouth back

down to hers. For a few moments, she’d craved more than his companionship.

She’d craved the contact. The promise of heat that came with it.

But had she wanted it – had she wanted him – for the single reason

that heat could erode loneliness? There was trust there. There was affection.

For those small starbursts of eternity, there had been longing and the promise

of flame. It had been too long since she’d felt the sheer, electrical pulse of

new chemistry.

Why had Byron’s kiss made it seem like so long since

she’d felt the flame? The passion?

Book Review: Always a wedding planner, never a bride. I love wedding planner romances. But this wasn't really one of those. This wedding planner has fallen for a house, but when she tours the house they find a man shaving. 

Roxie is the wedding planner who had a bad divorce and now doesn't think happily ever after is for her and Byron, the shaving guy, is a widower, who doesn't want to do marriage again, cos well death parted him from his wife.

Of course they start to fall in love.

What sets this story apart from other romances is that Byron and Roxie have a history, but their past is keeping them from finding happiness with each other. Its easy to see early on that they really have feelings for each other, but Roxie can't seem to get over Richard, who had an affair with her sister. I wanted to shake her because if any man slept with my sister I would be rid of him, and her.

Byron believes something his father told him about Strongs having a one true love, yet these two click and they always manage to screw things up. The screw things up a lot. I couldn't quite understand why she wanted to see if things could have been patched up with Richard.

I loved watching the relationship between these two grow. They had great banter and I love stories with Greek families. I always have and Byron's family is just perfect. I loved every one of them.

Roxie's family, however was awful. I felt sorry for her, having the mother and sisters that she did. I would have run away from home if I were her.

A great easy read for a quiet weekend


Rating: 5 flowers

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About the Author

Amber Leigh Williams is a Harlequin romance writer who

lives on the US Gulf Coast. She lives for beach days, the smell of real

books, and spending time with her husband and their two

young children. When she’s not keeping up with

rambunctious little ones (and two large dogs), she can usually be

found reading a good book or indulging her inner foodie. Amber is

represented by the D4EO Literary Agency.

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Book Review: Christmas At The Cove

Author: Rachel Brimble

Title: Christmas At The Cove

Publisher: Harlequin Superromance

Publish Date: Nov 4, 2015

Buy:Amazon

Book Blurb: 

More family for Christmas?

Scott Walker doesn't have time for a relationship. The sexy mechanic has career ambitions, not to mention a mother and three sisters to take care of. The last thing he needs is Carrie Jameson, the beauty he never forgot, arriving in Templeton Cove over the holidays with some unexpected news.

Scott still finds Carrie irresistible, and he's not one to shirk responsibility. Scott's issues with his own dad make the prospect of parenthood a minefield. But if he and Carrie can overcome their fears, this Christmas could bring them the best gift of all.

Review: I have been a fan of Rachel Brimble for ages now. When you read one of her books, you feel like you are reading about people that you could know and that is something that I always enjoy in a book, especially in romance where things often go the route of he unrealistic.

I liked the plot of the two lovers who had a one night stand that resulted in a child and the complications that arise when Carrie seeks out her daughters biological father. There's a lot of tension between her and Scott and a lot of chemistry as well.

Both characters end up being just what the other needs and they are characters that you will absolutely love. I also love returning to Templeton Cove. I really love having a cozy small town that isn't somewhere in the US. I've read all but one of the Templeton Cove books and I've enjoyed every one.

Scott has is a good time guy. His relationships with women are short and sweet. Some may call him a womanizer, while others would say he is a commitment-phobe.  A combination of two is kind of right. He also is dealing with being the man of the house because his dad left his family years prior.

Carrie, married a friend whom she loved, but not with any great intensity.

I had some issues with Carrie, because she seemed to think that she could keep Belle from Scott.  I'm pretty sure that if laws are similar in the UK to US law, Scott would just have to go to court to get visitation rights. However that is the one thing Carrie uses to make herself feel secure.

When everyone's family issues come to a head, it really makes things interesting.

This is another winner for Rachel.

Rating: 5 flowers

Fiction Addiction Book Tour Book Review: What Belongs To Her

Publisher Harlequin

1^st March 2013

She's ready to take back what's hers.

Since the moment a local crime boss claimed ownership of her family's fairground, Sasha Todd has dreamed of righting the wrong. Now it's time to act, and backing down from the man's estranged son is definitely not an option. After all, giving up her legacy to hot-blooded John Jordon means losing the chance to finally heal the wounds in her past.

Stopping John in his tracks—and resisting the sizzle between them—is Sasha's best defense. But there's more to him than she thought, which changes everything. With what matters most at stake, she'll have to risk a brand-new future with John, or walk away from the man whose heart belongs to her.

Excerpt

The machine rumbled to life and John froze.

What the hell??

Gripping the lap bar, he hauled it up and stood. Sasha Todd gracefully skipped up onto the steel platform beneath the carriages. She was dressed in white shorts that revealed her long slender legs and a simple red T-shirt. His breath caught. Did she have any idea how stunning she was?

She smiled, mischief glinting in her black eyes. “Sit down, John. Let’s take a ride.”

He blinked. “Are you crazy?”

“What’s the matter? Don’t you like rides?”

He tried and failed to muster some semblance of authority as the machine started to move. “No. Turn this thing off.”

She quirked an eyebrow and curved her fingers over the back of the carriage. “Yet you want to run this place? You can’t do that without knowing the fairground inside out. That includes the rides. Move over, I’m jumping onboard.”

Their eyes locked and once again, his tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth. Why the hell did the woman managing the fairground have to be so physically arresting? God, he wanted to write about her. Describe her in words in a vain attempt to let the damn world know how unnervingly beautiful she was.

He lowered into the seat, steadfastly avoiding her gaze. He concentrated on keeping his pride in place and not giving in to the temptation to grip the bar again. The ride picked up speed and the carriage shifted as she hauled herself up and sat down next to him, pulling the lap bar down with her.

The distinct smell of something musky and sexy drifted as she tossed her long hair over her shoulders. The tendrils whispered across his cheek and John closed his mouth, trapping the inconceivable urge to groan.

She wriggled her behind deeper into the seat and settled back with a sigh. “So…what’s the plan today? Enjoy the fair? Cook the books? Fire me?”

Attraction gave way to irritation, fueled by the nonchalance in her voice. “You do realize this thing is moving, right?”

She shrugged and glanced around before focusing entirely on him. “Sure. Now is as good a time as any to get acquainted, don’t you think?”

John swallowed. Jesus, her eyes are ebony black, like two huge pieces of jet. He snapped his face forward. “Do you know something?” He slid his arm across the back of the carriage above her shoulders. “If you want to play some stupid game in a bid to annoy me, that’s fine. I’m the one in control here, whether you like it or not.”

Review:  Once again, Rachel Brimble shows us that there's more to romantic suspense, than a tough guy protecting the heroine.  In What Belongs To Her, Rachel takes us back to Templeton Cove with Sasha and John.  (If you've read Finding Justice, you'll remember the setting and some of the characters as well)

What really makes Ms. Brimble's novels different from most Super Romance authors are her characters. They are all a bit damaged. There's something in their past that makes them weary of relationships and the opposite sex.  That's definitely the case here and there are secrets surrounding the fair that once belonged to Sasha's family.

Something about this novel reminded me of Blackpool. Maybe it was the fair and the corruption that surrounded the man who bought it from her grandfather. Whatever, I expected to see David Tennant show up (well at least in my mind) to help get things cleaned up.

But back to the characters, Sasha is not the typical Harlequin Heroine. She's gritty and tough as nails and prepared to fight for what she wants. I think that's what I loved the most about her. She doesn't want to like John, but you know that the two have chemistry. 

If you like romantic suspense, you can't go wrong with Rachel Brimble. She's on my auto-buy pile!

About the Author

Rachel lives with her husband and two young daughters in a small town near Bath in the UK.  After having several novels published by small US presses, she secured agent representation in 2011. In 2012, she sold two books to Harlequin Superromance and a further three in 2013. She also writes Victorian romance for Kensington--her debut was released in April 2013 and she has since signed for three more.

Rachel is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association and Romance Writers of America. When she isn’t writing, you’ll find Rachel with her head in a book or walking the beautiful English countryside with her family and beloved black Lab, Max. Her dream place to live is Bourton-on-the-Water in South West England.

She likes nothing more than connecting and chatting with her readers and fellow romance writers. Rachel would love to hear from you!

Links:

Website

Blog

Twitter

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Book Review: Not Another Wedding

Author: Jennifer McKenzie
Title: Not Another Wedding
Publisher: Harlequin Superromance
Publish Date: Oct 1, 2013
Buy: Amazon
Review Copy Provided By: Net Galley
Book Blurb: 
Yeah, yeah…happily ever after. Whatever.

Sure, Poppy Sullivan believes in love…but love at first sight? Not likely. That's why she's determined to stop her good friend from marrying the wrong woman. So she sets to work immediately and walks right into the very impressive chest of Beck Lefebvre. Not a good omen, considering how things ended up the last time he was in town.

She isn't surprised to see Beck at his cousin's wedding, but she's appalled at his assumption that he deserves a second chance. She's equally appalled at her inclination to give it to him. No way is she falling for his charm again! Although her vow to resist him may be too late…

Review:  I had a love/hate relationship with this story. It took me much longer to read than most Superromances. I think it was because of the nature of Beck and Poppy's relationship.

I don't think I've ever read a romance where the characters took so long to get it together.

Poppy is home for her bff's wedding, but she's not sure he should be marrying Emmy. Things seemed to be happening too quickly, and while trying to find out if Jamie and Emmy really are in love she encounters the guy that broke her heart the last time they were together.

I usually like romances with second chances, but high school ones usually put me off. Beck put me off even more because he had so many issues with relationships because of his parents marrying and divorcing and marrying and divorcing.

Of course, I could feel for him there. You'd have to be mixed up if your parents were working on their 3rd marriage to each other. But oh, he kept screwing up. I wanted to shake him, and at the same time, I was coming to really like him.

Actually, as the book progressed, it was fun to see how clueless he was. I mean they get together and everyone thinks they are a couple and then Jamie and Emmy's wedding is over and he doesn't call her?

Oye!

Again, wanted to choke him.

It made sense that Poppy didn't want to give him another chance when he came back around.

But I think for all the frustrations, how they finally did come together was "real."

It was a little slow going but I did enjoy this one.

Rating: 4 flowers

Book Review: An Act Of Persuasion

Author: Stephanie Doyle
Title: An Act Of Persausion
Publisher: Harlequin Superromance
Publish Date: March 1, 2013
Buy: 
Review Copy Provided By: Net Galley
Book Blurb: For all the wrong reasons.

Anna Summers has always been more than Ben Tyler’s assistant. She’s even been more than his best friend. Too bad Ben didn’t realize it until after she quit. Now that he’s more like his old self after facing off against a life-threatening illness, he’s ready to win Anna back.

Of course, it’s not simple. One night Ben broke his own rule about getting involved with an employee. And now Anna is pregnant. She refuses to let him use the baby as a reason for them to reconcile. It will take an act of persuasion to convince her they belong together…and not only because of the baby.

Review: This is a rather odd scenario for a romance novel. Anna is in love with her boss, who has cancer. The first round of chemo hasn't worked and he's at a crossroads in his treatment. For some reason, the site of his assistant/caregiver in yoga pants turns him on and boom! Hot and heavy sex.

Flash forward a day or two and things fall apart for them.

Flash forward again and Anna tells him she's pregnant.

Oye.

I'm not usually a fan of romance novels where the heroine is pregnant, and this one reaffirmed that for me, though it wasn't the pregnancy that turned me off of this one, it was Anna.

I loved Ben Tyler. I loved that he cared about her and the baby. I even liked his former comrade, Mark, but Anna had way too many issues with trust and relationships.

I get that she was part of the foster system, but her experiences weren't that bad. She just made them that way. She had the problems. I found myself screaming at her to get therapy, because she needed it, because as the story played out, she had two good sets of foster parents. She shouldn't be that screwed up.

I don't understand how she could love Ben and keep him at a distance so much, when it really became apparent he cared for her. This guy was bending over backward for her and she was giving him a tough time at every turn.

I loved the side story between Mark and Ben, though I wish they would have resolved the reason he was so competitive with him.

Not a bad romance, but too much conflict and not enough spice in this story for me.

Rating: 3 flowers

Book Review: Back To The Good Fortune Diner

Author: Vicki Essex
Title: Back To The Good Fortune Diner
Publisher: Harlequin Superromance
Publish Date: Jan 2, 2013
Buy: Amazon

Review Copy Provided By: Net Galley

Book Blurb: Everville, New York — it's the town where Tiffany Cheung grew up, and the last place she wants to be. But after losing her job in Manhattan, that's exactly where she finds herself. Worse, she's working at her family's Chinese diner and feeling like the outsider she once was. The only bright side is that Chris Jamieson, the boy she used to tutor, is still around. Her high school crush is hotter than ever, and he needs her help… again. Tutoring Chris's son is the perfect temporary job. Except, Chris finally seems interested in her — and is hinting about a less temporary arrangement. Talk about bad timing! Because Tiffany's not staying and nothing will stop her from getting back to her real life. But maybe what's real is about to change….

Review: I love when Harlequin's change it up. I was instantly drawn to this book with the non-Caucasian heroine. It was something different from the usual fare.

I wish I could say that Tiffany was a fantastic heroine, because she wasn't. What she was, was a character with a lot of growing up to do. That's why I found I couldn't just love Tiffany. She had that 20 something's view of the world. I must follow a career path, I must get out of my home town, I must live in a big city etc.

I think most small town girls at one time want what Tiffany wanted. Most of us don't get it, and well..Tiff didn't really have it either. So she's back home to her dysfunctional family.

I think it was the craziness of her family that brought the story to life. Her crazy family reminded me a bit of Sofie Metropolis' family. (Anyone read those fantastic books? You should) I liked getting the feeling of being part of the restaurant's day to day operations, however mundane. Vicki painted a great picture of a close knit family run restaurant. (Oh and I got really hungry for chicken balls, which after much searching turns out to be the chicken in sweet and sour chicken)

Then there's our hero, Chris. First off, can I say the guy on the cover is gorgeous and definitely a perfect Chris. He was a great dad, trying hard to raise a son on his own. His own father is quite a piece of work. Mr. Jamieson could best be described as a good hearted racist, if such a think could exist.

Simon was a great teenager, full of moodiness and angst. His character really pulls everyone together. Tiff is tutoring him so he could get his grades up for college. He proves to be quite a challenge!

There's also a subplot with Tiff's brother Daniel and his girlfriend Selena. I would have liked to see more go on with that couple, but I was pleased with how everything worked out in the end for both siblings and their significant others.

There was a lot more to this story than romance but it was a great read for a quiet afternoon.

Rating: 4 flowers

ARC Book Review: Talk Of The Town

Author: Beth Andrews
Title: Talk Of The Town
Publisher: Harlequin Superromance
Publish Date: April 2, 2013
Preorder: Amazon

Review Copy Provided By: Net Galley 

Book Blurb: 

Shady Grove—where everyone knows your secrets Once, Neil Pettit was the only thing Maddie Montesano wanted. She tried every trick in the book to keep him, but no luck. It took some time—and a lot of holding her head up while the town gossiped—but she's made a good life for herself and her daughter.

Now, Neil's back and is trying to be the father he never was. Maddie so doesn't need this kind of disruption. Not when the crazy attraction she's spent years ignoring still sizzles between them. The temptation to give in and have Neil again is strong. And when he offers that dream of forever she'd abandoned, well, she might give this town something new to talk about….

Review: The superromance line is getting a bit edgier with their stories these days. There are a lot of topics I'd never expect to see in a Harlequin in some of the stories in this imprint and Talk Of The Town as a few.

First let me say, that while I enjoyed this story, it didn't wow me or give me any warm fuzzy feelings that I usually get when I read a Harlequin novel.

Allow me to explain.

What I liked about this book:

The characters, especially Maddie and Bree were very real. They did things that regular people do. Bree is 11 and overweight and Bree likes to be in control. Actually of all the characters in this book, Bree is the character you really come to love the most.

The romance really took a backseat here. I know its odd that I like that about this romance novel, but there were so many situations going on that too much of a lovefest would have ruined the story.

Can I get a Yay! for another book set in Pennsylvania in the area between Erie and Pittsburgh? Woo hoo!

I loved the family elements in this book but I think more time was needed for Neil and Maddie to get back together in a way that didn't feel rushed.

What I didn't like about this book:

Neil and Maddie's relationship just didn't work for me. I saw no reason for them to get together, when they were so far apart to start with and when they finally get together for sex, well..it didn't work for me.

I love hockey but I'd love a hero to not be super rich etc. Somehow Neil's being a Stanley Cup winning player took away from the down home feel of the book.

Oh and Neil didn't have a clue, he was such an idiot. I had a hard time liking him. Actually Maddie was hard headed too, and when you learn a little secret she was keeping, she's even harder to like.

Rating: 3 flowers

Book Review @ Wenches: Finding Justice

Author: Rachel Brimble
Title: Finding Justice
Publisher: Harlequin Superromance
Publish Date: Feb 5, 2013
Buy: Amazon

Review Copy Provided By: CBLS Promotions & the author

Book Blurb:  Old friends, new secrets Sergeant Cat Forrester lives by her own set of rules. When her childhood friend is murdered, Cat's world is thrown into chaos. Especially because Jay Garrett—a man from her past—is a suspect, and he needs her help to prove he's innocent. After all they once shared, how can she say no?

The attraction flares between them, and getting involved with a suspect is a huge risk. But the more time Cat spends with Jay, the stronger the tug on her heart. He is the same caring, irresistible man she remembers. Yet she can't let her emotions interfere with the case—solving it is top priority. And as she digs deeper, she discovers Jay has secrets that may jeopardize any possible future together.

Review: @ Wenches

Rating: 5 flowers