The Vincent Boys, by Abbi Glines

Being the good girl isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Ashton Gray has grown weary of playing the part to please her parents, and to be worthy of the town’s prince charming, Sawyer Vincent. Maybe That’s why she’s found herself spending time with Sawyer’s cousin, Beau, while he’s away for the summer camping with his family. Beau is nothing like her perfect boyfriend. He’s the sexiest guy she’s ever seen, dangerous in ways she’s only day dreamed about, and the one guy she should stay away from.

Beau never envied Sawyer his loving parents, his big nice home, or his position as quarterback. He loves him like a brother. Which is why he's tried everything in his power to keep his distance from Sawyer’s girlfriend. Even if he has loved her since the age of five, Ashton is Sawyer’s girl, so therefore she’s off limits. But when Sawyer leaves for the summer, Ashton, the one girl Beau would move Heaven and Earth for, decides she wants to get into trouble. Stabbing the one person who’s always accepted him and stood by him in the back, is the cost of finally holding Ashton Gray in his arms. Is she worth losing his cousin over?.... Hell Yeah.

I swear, I can read a thousand and one books on high school loves and I just cannot get enough. It's as though I'm vicariously living through the characters since my high school love life was not so great.. and pretty non-existent, considering I never thought I truly loved anyone until my husband came around after high school. I had a nice amount of boyfriends, but love? Yeah, not so much. So, stories like this make me all warm and fuzzy.

With that said, I think it's kind of obvious that I loved this book. I loved the whole dynamic of the friendships between Ashton, Beau and Sawyer. I enjoyed the whole story of Ashton rekindling her old friendship with Beau. Even if it seemed a little shady to me that she did it behind her boyfriend's back, I understand the motive behind her decision to do so. Ashton was a great female lead, though I feel as if she lost a bit of her steam as the story progressed. She started out as a strong character, but toward the end turned a bit dependent on the boys to fight her battles for her. Normally, I'd really start losing respect for a character once that happened. However, having those chapters in her POV and understanding why she did it because she felt as though she deserved it.. well, I didn't lose all hope in her. Maybe because I know, given her situation and her actions, if I was in her shoes I would feel the exact same way. Is it completely, 100% rational? No, but when you're a teen and in love... everything is rational.

I also enjoyed the chapters from Beau's POV. Without those, I think I might have seen him and his actions as a little more shady than what I did. But once you get to see just how love-struck he has been with Ashton (and still is), then you kind of fall completely and madly in love with him as well. I also enjoyed Sawyer. To be honest, all three main characters were great but definitely had their fair share of faults in how their relationships got trapped in this whirlwind madness. Thankfully, they all owned up to their actions and things seemed to wrap up nicely with them.

The plot of this story is something we have all probably read before a time or two. What makes this one refreshing and stand out uniquely from the others is that we have characters who aren't perfect, but know that they're not perfect. Yes, they may make some mistakes and know they're making them even as they're doing it but they learn and face their consequences head-on. The characters really take precedence in this story, and the HEA that you get is really just the really good icing on an already delicious cake.

Rating: ★★★★★
Source: Purchase

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Title: The Vincent Boys
Author: Abbi Glines
Series: N/A
Publisher: Self-Published
Format: Kindle, 174 pages
Release Date: October 12, 2011

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Good For You, by Tammara Webber

Reid Alexander's life is an open book. His Hollywood celebrity means that everything he does plays out in the public eye. Every relationship, every error in judgment is analyzed by strangers. His latest mistake totaled his car, destroyed a house and landed him in the hospital. Now his PR team is working overtime to salvage his image. One thing is clear—this is one predicament he won’t escape without paying for it.

Dori Cantrell is a genuine humanitarian—the outward opposite of everything Reid is about. When his DUI plea bargain lands him under her community service supervision, she proves unimpressed with his status and indifferent to his proximity, and he soon wants nothing more than to knock her off of her pedestal and prove she's human.

Counting the days until his month of service is over, Dori struggles to ignore his wicked magnetic pull while shocking him with her ability to see past his celebrity and challenging him to see his own wasted potential. But Dori has secrets of her own, safely locked away until one night turns her entire world upside down. Suddenly their only hope for connection and redemption hinges on one choice: whether or not to have faith in each other.

This is the third book in Tammara Webber's Between The Line series. If you follow this blog regularly, then you know that I loved the first book in the series, Between the Lines. Its sequel, Where You Are, absolutely blew me away. Going into this book, I had very high expectations because Tammara had already spoiled me so with the two books before. I was a little nervous... certainly an author couldn't hit three home runs in a row in the same series, could she?

Uh, yeah, she could. And she did!

I'll have to admit, I did want to have a little more nostalgia in this book by including more scenes with Emma and Graham. But alas, their story has been told and, while there is slight mention of them in this book, the universe of this novel centers around Reid and what happens following the explosive ending of Where You Are.

There is not a male lead in Young Adult history that I want to both slap and swoon over simultaneously more than one Reid Alexander. He is, by far, THE quintessential bad boy that all bad boys wish they could be like. And he has everything to support that attitude - the money, the fame, the looks and it all gives him the right to do what he wants whenever he wants. Oh, yes.. how I hate to love Reid so much! This book is definitely Reid's story and we are allowed an even more in-depth look into his mind and his world, giving us much more insight into who he really is than we have ever had before.

I was a bit disappointed to start this book off knowing that the progress Reid made in the books before all but disappeared. But without it, we would never have the opportunity to meet Dori Cantrell - a girl who rivals the likes of Emma in that she is just as strong a character and is much more suited for Reid. How so? Dori is pretty resilient to the charm of Reid Alexander. Even when the sparks begin to fly between the two of them, she still holds her own and never lets him walk all over her. Without that, I don't think that Reid would have been given that opportunity that he needed to become a better Reid. Dori isn't perfect of course - I think she gives too much worry into what people expect and think of her than she needs to. Still, it's a part of who she is and it makes her that much more endearing.

This is probably going to sound like a broken record from the first two reviews, but I cannot say enough good things about this book. It is by far one of my favorite contemporary reads and is part of one of my absolute favorite contemporary series. I don't think that it could get much better than this, but I would love to see Tammara Webber try!

Rating: ★★★★★
Source: Tammara Webber; Author

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Title: Good For You
Author: Tammara Webber
Series: Between The Lines, Book 3
Publisher: N/A
Format: Kindle Edition
Release Date: December 15, 2011

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Where You Are, by Tammara Webber

Where You Are
by Tammara Webber

Publisher: Self-Published
Release Date: October 21, 2011
Series: Between The Lines, Book 2
Genre: YA, Contemporary Romance
Format: Kindle Edition

Graham Douglas doesn’t do romantic relationships, but he was knocked for a loop when he met Emma Pierce on the set of his last film. As they grew closer, he did everything in his power to keep from falling for a girl being pursued by superstar Reid Alexander. Now home in New York, his life is once again under control, until Emma appears and shows him how not over her he is.

Emma Pierce is forsaking an up-and-coming Hollywood career to embark on a life she’s only dreamed of—the life of a regular girl. After spending months burying her feelings for the two night-and-day guys who vied for her heart while filming her last movie, a twist of fate puts her in a coffee shop in the middle of Manhattan with the one she still misses.

Brooke Cameron was a fresh-faced Texas girl when she arrived in LA. Now she’s a beach sitcom star turned conceited heiress on the big screen. Having just survived three months on location with her ex—Hollywood’s reigning golden boy—she’s older and wiser and has set her sights on her close friend Graham. The only thing standing in her way is the girl he can’t forget.

Reid Alexander can sum up his life in one word: boring. Between film projects, there’s little going on outside of interviews, photo shoots, and the premiere of the film he finished last fall. The next-to-last thing he expects is to get a second chance with Emma, the girl who rejected him. The last thing he expects is for his still-bitter-ex to be the one to offer it to him on a platter.

I'm going to go ahead and say that this review may be a bit spoiler-ish (hopefully not much) for those who have not read Between The Lines. If you haven't read that book, you may want to hold out for this review.. or just go on ahead to Amazon and spend the $2.99 to catch up. It's worth it, believe me.

To be honest, Where You Are completely blew me away. I mean, don't get me wrong, I knew it was going to be good. What I wasn't expecting was how it was so overwhelmingly different from its predecessor, Between The Lines, yet still managed to make me fall in love with it just as much as the other - but for completely different reasons. Usually, when you have a great book that you absolutely fall in love with, its sequel won't quite live up to the high expectations. At least, that's what I've always thought.. until now.

In Where You Are, we're dealing with the same four main characters that we were introduced to in Between The Lines. However, where BTL was more fast-paced when it came to the relationships because it dealt more with the newness of relationships mixed with partying and the world of movie-making, WYA slams on the brakes and takes us to a new place - one where a relationship is blossoming so everything is slowed down for discovery and all of the fun (and some more serious) things that come along with committing to someone. You'd think that after being on such a high from the pace in the first book, the pace of the second would bring you down and possibly bore you. You know what? Maybe it would... with another book and another author. However, Tammara's writing style — adding to the fact that the story is about the two characters that we fell in love with in the first novel along with an unexpected alliance of chaos — makes it so there is never a dull moment.

You really get a great first-hand look at a relationship that is truly starting from the ground up with Emma and Graham, which was given a great foundation of friendship that was built upon in the first book. You witness a lot of the little moments (long-distance Skype dates, small get-aways during promotion for their film School Pride, etc) which might seem boring to some, but seemed absolutely endearing to me because these are all of the real details that entail dating long-distance and learning about someone you care about.

Of course, relationships aren't always perfect and there are sometimes snags that come along — which, in the case of Emma and Graham's story is Reid and Brooke. Once vicious enemies, Brooke and Reid start a shaky alliance with one another to try to get the happy couple to separate, thinking that if they do then Graham would go to Brooke (who has decided that she's in love with him) and this would give Reid another chance with Emma. When I approached this part of the story, I hesitated. I thought for sure that this was going to go horribly awry and I wasn't going to get the happily-ever-after that I wanted so desperately for these two. However, I was hit with a few curve balls that wasn't expected but wasn't NOT welcomed. Given the circumstances and how everything turned out, I was surprised with how the characters dealt with their conflicts. Reid and Brooke both surprised me in both pleasant and not-so-pleasant ways.

I know all of this sounds a little vague but I don't want to completely ruin the story for anyone. Like I said from the beginning, this story is much different from the first book but still just as good. I may actually chance saying that it's better.. even with all of the ups and downs your emotions go through with the characters throughout the story. Everything about this book is fantastic.. then again, I never doubted it because it comes from a fantastic author.

Rating: ★★★★★
Source: Author

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Double Clutch Review

Double Clutch (Brenna Blixen #1)
by Liz Reinhardt
Released September 6, 2011

What happens when you fall for the perfect guy...twice...in one day?

Brenna Blixen spent her freshman year homeschooling in Denmark; now that she's back in the States, she's determined to make her sophomore year unforgettable. And by unforgettable, she imagined awesome classes, fun friendships, and maybe a little romance.

What she got was a whole lot of romance, and all at once.

The same day that dark, brooding Saxon Maclean charmed her with his killer good looks and whip-smart wit, Jake Kelly stole her breath away with his heart-wrenching smile and intelligent, thoughtful focus.

But Saxon is a proud player who makes it clear that he doesn't know why he can't get Brenna off of his mind and out of his system, and Jake's sweet and humble attitude hides a secret past life that might be darker and more complex than Brenna is willing to deal with.

Complicating the matter is the fact that Saxon and Jake were once best friends and are now arch-enemies...and the more Brenna finds out about their connection to each other, the more intrigued and worried she becomes.

Between keeping the peace with her lovingly over-protective parents, designing t-shirts for her high school's rising punk band, keeping up her grades in classes split between academic and technical high school, and running the track like a maniac, Brenna has enough to worry about with out juggling two guys who make her heart thud and drive her crazy all at once.

She has to make a choice, but how is she supposed to do that when giving her heart to one of them might mean breaking the other's?

When people ask me why I review self-published works as well as works published by major houses instead of just reviewing for major houses only, I want to point them in the direction of fabulous books like this one. If I just reviewed for publishers only, then I would miss out on some really incredible stories.

Double Clutch is not a book that is driven only by its plot. As a matter of fact, the plot takes the backseat to character development. Sometimes in stories, this is a downgrade because the story tends to drag and there always seems to be too much brooding and melodrama. Thankfully, this is not the case AT ALL with this book. The funny thing is that Brenna starts out as a strong character to begin with - she's pretty confident and sure of herself with a nice dose of independence. However, we get much more from her as we proceed through the novel. She grows significantly, maturing and adapting to everything that comes along with being a teen, as well as having a boyfriend and feelings for a guy that seems to be a little more than just a friend.

Normally, this is where I post my doubts about how a love triangle could possibly be good for a story.. but I just can't do that with Double Clutch. This is one of those instances where there are two guys that are attracted to Brenna that are both flawed but inevitably both nice guys who show their adoration in different ways. Relating to the main character and trying to figure out which guy is best for her really keeps you turning the pages in this because it isn't a typical cookie cutter love triangle. This is one of those rare instances where there's no clear "better" choice for Brenna and that really turns the intrigue up. Jake and Saxon are both great guys in their own ways with their own sets of pros and cons. Add to that a history and story between THEM as well (not romantically), and your head is spinning from all of the revelations and swoon-worthy moments between the three of them.

As far as romances go, I give this book an A+ and then some. I would have loved to see a little more to the plot - maybe a little more conflict. Like I said though, the story keeps you so hooked with everything going on with the main characters, there's no way I could give this anything less than 5 stars. I thoroughly enjoyed Double Clutch and cannot wait to read more in its sequel, Junk Miles.

(Note: Older YA)

Rating: ★★★★★
Source: Purchase

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Along for the Ride Review

Along For The Ride
Sarah Dessen

Publisher: Viking Juvenile
Release Date: June 11, 2009
Genre: YA, Contemporary Romance
Pages: Kindle Edition
Source: Purchase
Rating: 5/5 (Avg 4/5)

It’s been so long since Auden slept at night. Ever since her parents’ divorce—or since the fighting started. Now she has the chance to spend a carefree summer with her dad and his new family in the charming beach town where they live.

A job in a clothes boutique introduces Auden to the world of girls: their talk, their friendship, their crushes. She missed out on all that, too busy being the perfect daughter to her demanding mother. Then she meets Eli, an intriguing loner and a fellow insomniac who becomes her guide to the nocturnal world of the town. Together they embark on parallel quests: for Auden, to experience the carefree teenage life she’s been denied; for Eli, to come to terms with the guilt he feels for the death of a friend.

In her signature pitch-perfect style, Sarah Dessen explores the hearts of two lonely people learning to connect.

I have to admit that I am a sucker when it comes to romance. But sometimes the story is so cliché and predictable, I have to put it down. I've done this for a lot of books. Oddly enough, I've never given Sarah Dessen a chance - which is peculiar because she's an NC author, and I do try my best to support my state's authors. So I decided to give her a try... and I am so glad that I did. Everything about this story screams 'Missy's Perfect Romance Book' and let me tell you why.

Auden is a completely relatable protagonist with a particular trait that I can relate to very well - insomnia. I had a huge problem with it when I was in school and there were many nights when I went to the local Waffle House just to get out and do something, in hopes that I would tire myself out. Of course the insomnia is just a small little spot in what makes Auden a great character. She's smart, self-sufficient and doesn't go all ga-ga for just any boy. I'll admit, I was a little worried when the first guy came into the story because I did NOT want the story to be one of those good-girl-reforms-bad-boy type stories that I could really go without right now. Eli was a great male lead and I love the fact that he stayed so mysterious for so long. There were a lot of characters in this book, but I felt as though each one served their own purpose very well.

I also liked the romance and relationships formed in this novel. The insta-love and insta-lust was pretty non-existent, which made the story that much better because it built up to romance besides just falling into romance from the very beginning. I liked that Auden's stepmother wasn't the run of the mill evil stepmother trying to push her way into every aspect of Auden's life. Auden's parents didn't really touch me from the beginning, but they grew on me as they each grew themselves throughout the book. I also really liked how Auden's friendships with some of the teens in the town seemed to grow organically - it wasn't something that just happened overnight, but rather with a lot of time and effort on both party's sides.

Going with all of this, Auden grew dramatically throughout this novel which is so refreshing. Normally, you have a main character that's pretty set in their ways and may change their mind on one or two things, but Auden really opened up to change - though she never really lost who she was through the novel either. It was a great balance and worked well for the story.

Overall, this novel is fabulous. The pacing is great and easy to fall into. The characters were wonderfully developed and the plot made for a great story. Sarah Dessen's writing is amazing and I will definitely be reading more from her very soon.

Only Mine, by Susan Mallery

Only Mine (Fool's Gold #4)
Susan Mallery

Publisher: HQN
Release Date: July 26, 2011
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Pages: Mass Market Paperback, 384 pages
Source: Netgalley
Rating: 5/5 (Avg 4/5)

You can’t win if you don’t play…

Her town’s lack of men may make headlines, but it isn’t news to Dakota Hendrix. The beautiful blonde has bigger problems to deal with, such as overseeing the romance reality competition filming in Fool’s Gold. Screening eligible bachelors is a difficult enough task, but Dakota hits an unexpected snag when a sexy stranger comes to town.

Finn Anderssen will do anything to keep his twin brothers—the perfect contestants—off the show. Despite Dakota’s better judgment, she finds herself drawn to the mysterious outsider. Like her, Finn knows about heartbreak and how a family can fall apart, so she doesn’t dare to hope for anything more than a fling. After all, even in the Land of Happy Endings, finding true love is never as easy as it looks on TV.

FYI for anyone that reads my blog, this is most definitely not a YA read. Every once in a while, I step away from YA to read some quality fiction reads, and this is one of those times.

I haven't read any of the books in the Fool's Gold series before this one, but I can definitely say that I will be sure to remedy that soon. On the same note, even though I've never read any of the books before, this book was easy to read as a stand-alone and I was never once confused for reading the books out of turn.

If there ever was such a place as Fool's Gold, I would most definitely want to visit there.. if not move there. Even though the main part of this story was about one specific girl, there was this overwhelming sense of community with all of the characters from this town - everyone knows each other and, in seeing so, it makes you feel as though you know them too. Plus, all of the characters, no matter how minor, really sprung to life off of the pages of this book. There were all unique with their own voice and personality. I loved it.

Dakota is a female lead that you won't soon forget. She's smart, funny and very charming... yet she has a vulnerable side, too. She's a real go-getter and her sense of independence is absolutely mind-boggling. I love how her attitude is really, "I would like to have a husband, but I don't need a husband to be able to have a great life," unlike most characters that either don't need a man at all or are completely dependent on a man. She's the perfect role model for a strong woman in control of her life. And I did fall in love with Finn right along with Dakota. He was pretty great. Independent himself, though he had a few selfish streaks that I could have done without. In the end, he made things right, so I won't be too upset with him.

There was definitely a bit of the reality show storyline thrown in but I really liked how the book concentrated on Dakota more than anything. Plus, we also get some perspective and growth on some of the other characters as well, which really add another layer to the story that made it that much more enjoyable. This is definitely a great read for all of the romance lovers out there. I will definitely be picking up more from Susan Mallery, especially the other books in her Fool's Gold series.

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Also, be sure to enter Susan's Only Mine... All Mine contest for an exclusive first look at the Fool's Gold Christmas ebook and a Man Shortage shirt! Click the banner below and be sure to sign up for Susan's newsletter to become a member. All it takes is an e-mail address and a zip code! Offer ends September 1, 2011!

Declaring Spinsterhood Review

Declaring Spinsterhood
Jamie Lynn Braziel

Publisher: AmazonEncore
Release Date: May 3, 2011
Series: N/A
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Pages: Paperback, 284 pages
Source: Publicist
Rating: 4/5 (Avg 3/5)

Emma Bailey is thirty years old and single. No problem for her, but a point of round-the-clock contention for her mother, her family, and too many of her friends. In Jamie Lynn Braziel's Declaring Spinsterhood, the terminal illness known as "old maid" is explored from every angle, and the result is a compassionate, compelling, and wickedly funny novel. Emma may stand up before all and declare her intention to never marry, but what about that little place in her heart reserved for Brian Davis? Sure, Brian's seeing someone, and Emma is not a vixen who breaks up relationships, but would it be so terrible if Brian returned the interest? Rather than bide her time, Emma dates…and dates. Some of the men are charming, others less so. With her vow of spinsterhood more a noose than a friend, Emma musters her courage and moves on. That is, until the unforeseen throws up the biggest obstacle of her life: love.

I want to call this book what I would consider to be one of my perfect beach reads without that sounding completely insulting. Some people see "beach reads" as one of those smutty romance novels that you take to the beach in paperbook format to read without guilt - and if you get some sand in the pages, then no problem. However, my definition is a little different. I love the beach and consider the beach to be a very romantic place. With that mindset, what I consider a good beach read is a great romance that can be read with an equally great back-drop -- like the beach. The beach just gives it that extra something that makes it that much better for me. So, that's what Declaring Spinsterhood is for me - a great romance book that I want to read with the ocean roaring at my ears, the sun warming my skin with the sand squishing between my toes. Absolute perfection, really.

The narration of this book makes it easy to read and very easy to follow. Emma is a great character to read about, full of life and spunk. She served the book well with her sparkling personality and intense free spirit. I love her drive and determination, especially how she keeps on keeping on when things seem to not go a certain way. Brian is an amazing friend and so much more. Emma's mom is... well, not exactly the greatest person in the world, but she serves her purpose in the book. As a matter of fact, all of the characters shine in this book serve as small pieces to the puzzle that is this book, clicking together perfectly.

The romance is kind of sudden, yet not really surprising at all. It really heats up the pages afterward, but the love scenes stay very G-rated - so, it's not one of those smutty books you have to hide from the world. Actually, it's quite the opposite... you'll want to share this with most of the world once you're done.

I think the only thing I can say is that the dialogue gets a little lengthy at parts, but besides that.. it's brilliant. It's a great read for all of my Contemporary Romance readers out there. You won't be disappointed. ;)

My One And Only, by Kristan Higgins

My One and Only
Kristan Higgins

Publisher: HQN Books
Release Date: March 29, 2011
Series: N/A
Genre: Young Adult
Pages: Mass Market Paperback, 384
Source: Publisher
Rating: 5/5 (Avg 4/5)

Divorce attorney Harper James can't catch a break. Bad enough that she runs into her ex-hubby, Nick, at her sister's destination wedding, but now, by a cruel twist of fate, she's being forced to make a cross-country road trip with him. And her almost-fiancé back at home is not likely to be sympathetic. Harper can't help that Nick has come blazing back into her life in all of his frustratingly appealing, gorgeous architect glory. But in Nick's eyes, Harper's always been the one. If they can only get it right this time, forever might be waiting -- just around the bend.

I think it's starting to become clear that I have a soft spot for Contemporary Romance novels. Though the reviews for such books on here are usually Young Adult, I absolutely had to take the plunge to read this and review it. Kristan Higgins is an incredible writer and I have been a fan of her writing for a little while now. The way she writes makes it entirely too easy to get lost in her stories, making you not want to come out of the story world until you're completely done with the book.

The first thing that pops out about this book is the fact that it's about second chances. We're dealing with an ex-wife and an ex-husband who, after marrying very early, separate and then find themselves in a situation where they not only have to deal with each other - but also their feelings for one another. I absolutely loved it. It's not often we read happily-ever-afters about those that didn't quite get it right the first time around.

For me, this was most definitely a character-driven story. The characters kept me reading, anxiously wanting to know more and more. Although it seems that Harper is a bit... abrasive at the beginning, once you learn her story then she seems justified and completely in character. Nick isn't some knight in shining armor. He comes with his own issues. Yet, he admits right up that Harper was The One for him. He was never impatient with Harper, he's always there for her and it gave me a tooth ache just seeing how utterly sweet he was. Like all good characters, these two (and the others) don't go without their flaws... but it works for them and makes them each unique with their own voices, never once deviating from themselves.

I can't say anything bad about this book. It has everything that you want in contemporary/chick lit novels without the headaches of bad characters or plots that go nowhere. The story is as equally amazing as the characters themselves and, after finishing, I couldn't help but to want to read more about all of these fascinating characters. This is one of my highly recommended contemp reads of 2011 so far.

Find Kristan Higgins Online
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Purchase MY ONE AND ONLY
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | IndieBound

Review: Catch A Mate, by Gena Showalter

*Disclaimer: This book contains graphic sexual situations and, therefore, will be rated as such. Any time you see the pretty pink "M" sign up there, then you'll know I'm not exactly reviewing a YA read.*

Title: Catch A Mate
Author: Gena Showalter
Pages: 378
Publisher: HQN Books
Release Date: June 1, 2007; Reprinted May 1, 2010

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Keywords/Themes: Girl v. Guy, Dating, Romance, Chick Lit.

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!

Can a savvy modern woman find happiness with the most tempting man she's ever known? Is there such a thing as a totally monogamous male?

My Review: I'll start by saying that, besides her paranormal Lords of the Underworld series, I've never read any of her other works. If you've read any posts on my blog the past few weeks, you'll know I've mentioned LotU a few times - even in comments on other blogs. Why? I abso-freaking-lutely love the Lords series! I picked up the first one on a whim and haven't looked back since.

But I was always hesitant to read any other type of romance books other than paranormal. I don't really have a problem with other people reading them, I just always associated them with middle-aged housewives who read while tanning and drinking mixed cocktails. Nothing wrong with that - my mom and aunt fit under that category - I just didn't think it was for me. I was wrong!

Like the Lords, I picked this one up on a whim. The cover got my attention, along with seeing that it was written by Gena Showalter. I loved her writing style in LotU, so I assumed her writing would be similar with her other books. A few hours later, I started reading and didn't stop until I was done. I was absolutely hooked!

The premise of the book from the blurb was promising enough. A girl, Jillian, who was paid to go flirt with men and catch them trying to cheat on their wives. She's good at her job and, given her history, it's a nice perk to catch them in the act so she can tell their wives what kind of men they really are. Enter Marcus, Jillian's male counterpart. From the very beginning, it's bad blood between them - spoiler ahead! - and even worse when Jillian finds out Marcus is her new boss. Throughout most of the book, their relationship can best be described as love/hate, kiss me/I want to kill you - type relationship. But, then again, I think that's what makes a great story.

As mentioned earlier, I love Showalter's writing style. It's nice and smooth, just the way I like it. The characters have their own unique voice and personality, which is a big plus for books. I also loved the character interactions, mainly Jillian and Marcus - the witty dialogue made me laugh out loud many times ... much to my husband's dismay, who was playing video games at the time. The ending sealed up the package nicely.

Rating: ½ - I'm a little hesitant at giving it a perfect score as I am pretty new to this contemporary romance thing, but it IS one of the best books in its genre that I've read ... and, since this book, I've definitely read more! That's right, thanks to Gena, I've gone over to the dark side.

More Books By Author: Gena Showalter has many books out in both contemporary romance and paranormal romance. Lords of the Underworld, Tales of an Extraordinary Girl, and the Atlantis series being three of my favorites. She also has a few YA novels out as well, which I will be reviewing on this site very soon! For a complete list of her books, please visit her website!


Sidenote: I did give a small spoiler about the book, so I tried to censor it for you guys that didn't want to read it. If you do want to know what I said, just highlight over the white area after the spoiler warning.