Archive for Four Stars

Apr

Secrets of a Summer Night by Lisa Kleypas Romance Book Review

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SECRETS OF A SUMMER NIGHT by Lisa Kleypas Romance Book Review
Series: Wallflowers, #1
Publication Date: October 26th 2004 by Avon

Summary:

Four young ladies enter London society with one common goal: they must use their feminine wit and wiles to find a husband. So a daring husband-hunting scheme is born.

Annabelle Peyton, determined to save her family from disaster, decides to use her beauty and wit to tempt a suitable nobleman into making an offer of marriage. But Annabelle’s most intriguing—and persistent—admirer, wealthy, powerful Simon Hunt, has made it clear that while he will introduce her to irresistible pleasure he will not offer marriage. Annabelle is determined to resist his unthinkable proposition…but it is impossible in the face of such skillful seduction.

Her friends, looking to help, conspire to entice a more suitable gentleman to offer for Annabelle, for only then will she be safe from Simon—and her own longings. But on one summer night, Annabelle succumbs to Simon’s passionate embrace and tempting kisses…and she discovers that love is the most dangerous game of all.

Heroine: I like that Annabelle is willing to marry to save her family from ruin. I like that she has her family in mind, but she isn’t desperate enough to be someone’s mistress. I like that she was still able to hold on to whatever dignity she has left even if she doesn’t have much money.

Hero: I like that Simon didn’t come from the nobility class. It was refreshing and different, and I liked how it reflected the changing environment in England due to science and technology. However, one thing that bothered me about his character is the fact that it took him basically the whole book to tell Annabelle what he really wanted was marriage. For someone that’s so set on Annabelle, I don’t know why he didn’t make his intentions clear in the beginning.

Supporting Cast: I really love the Wallflowers and this group of friends – it makes me wonder why I didn’t choose to read this sooner!

Plot: I love the concept of the Wallflowers coming together to find husbands for each other. Furthermore, I really enjoyed that the story doesn’t end at the marriage. We get a glimpse into their married life, which usually doesn’t happen in romance novels. I think it worked for Secrets of a Summer Night, and I never felt once that the resolution was too stretched out.

Romance: I looked forward to a lot of the Simon/Annabelle interactions. I’m already a fan of Lisa Kleypas so I knew that the romance would be up to par. I was not disappointed with Secrets of a Summer Night.

Love Potion Strength:

- Exceeds Expectations

I’m definitely reading the rest of the Wallflowers series as soon as possible.

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Permalink Category Book Review, Four Stars - Author: Lisa Kleypas, Book: Secrets of a Summer Night, Genre: Historical romance, Publisher: Avon, Series: Wallflower | Words 628 words

Apr

The Marriage Trap by Jennifer Probst Romance Book Review

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THE MARRIAGE TRAP by Jennifer Probst Romance Book Review
Series: Marriage to a Billionaire, #2
Publication Date: October 2nd 2012

Summary: WIFE WANTED…

Italian billionaire seeks faux fiancée. Willing to agree to anything in return…

In order for his sister to marry, Italian billionaire Michael Conte has to find himself a bride – and fast! When he learns that photographer Maggie Ryan is going to be in Milan, Michael hatches a plan to introduce her to his family as his “fiancée.” Never mind that Maggie is confident, independent, and a control freak. Never mind that she’s everything he doesn’t want in a wife… and everything he wants in his bed!

Convinced that Michael is in love with her married gal pal, Maggie agrees to keep up the ruse if he’ll keep away from her friend. Besides, she’s not attracted to charming, ridiculously hot billionaires who drive her nuts. Once they’re in Italy, however, everything changes – and the sexual tension between Maggie and Michael goes from simmer to naked nuclear meltdown!

But have they found the perfect arrangement… or are they trapped in a make-believe marriage?

Heroine: Maggie’s character genuinely surprised me. She comes off as a really confident woman, but she’s guarded when it comes to feelings and relationships. I guess I didn’t really believe her that she had reason to be guarded until her character finally reveals the trauma she’s been through in the past.

I thought that Maggie got a little excessive at times when she kept insisting that Michael was in love with her best friend, but I got over it. Minor complaint. If it had only been the only bump in the road that preventing Michael and Maggie from getting together, then we would have had issues. But it wasn’t, so I’ll stop whining about it.

Hero: I don’t really have much to say about Michael. I mean, he’s also a deeply layered character who tries so hard to be the best he can for his family. Except sometimes he doesn’t realize that his sisters have grown up and he needs to listen to what they want in life. I thought it was great that Maggie was able to make him see what he was doing wrong.

Supporting Cast: If you are a fan of this series, you will definitely love the supporting cast. I think that the connections are a little confusing if you haven’t read the books in a while, and it took me a while to acclimate myself with the characters’ relationships. Family is a big deal in the Marriage to a Billionaire series and I really enjoy it.

Plot: I am a sucker for a good arranged marriage plot. Since I already read the third book before this one, I had a vague idea of how it was going to play out so any suspense was lost on me. Still, I enjoyed how the story played out.

Romance: Probst is always spot on when it comes to building sexual tension and chemistry with the characters. This is no exception.

Love Potion Strength:

- Exceeds Expectations

So I finally am up to date to the Marriage to a Billionaire series and I am sad. I want more yummy contemporary romance. Trust me, I will be reading all of Jennifer Probst’s books.

Guys, I should mention that this book has lots of details on cooking Italian food and good wine. It will make you crave both.

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Permalink Category Book Review, Four Stars - Author: Jennifer Probst, Book: The Marriage Trap, Genre: Contemporary romance, Publisher: Gallery Books, Series: Marriage to a Billionaire | Words 744 words

Apr

Where She Went by Gayle Forman Book Review

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WHERE SHE WENT by Gayle Forman Book Review
Series: If I Stay, #2
Publication Date: November 4th 2010 by Dutton Juvenile
Rating: – Exceeds Expectations |

Book Summary: It’s been three years since the devastating accident . . . three years since Mia walked out of Adam’s life forever.

Now living on opposite coasts, Mia is Juilliard’s rising star and Adam is LA tabloid fodder, thanks to his new rock star status and celebrity girlfriend. When Adam gets stuck in New York by himself, chance brings the couple together again, for one last night. As they explore the city that has become Mia’s home, Adam and Mia revisit the past and open their hearts to the future-and each other.

Told from Adam’s point of view in the spare, lyrical prose that defined If I Stay, Where She Went explores the devastation of grief, the promise of new hope, and the flame of rekindled romance.

Book Review Overview:

It was amazing to read about what Mia and Adam were able to accomplish in the last three years!
Get the tissues ready – this one is a tear-jerker!

So I basically thought it was too good to be true when just about all of my bookish friends told me that WHERE SHE WENT by Gayle Forman is better than the first book, If I Stay. It was impossible, I thought to myself.

Then I was proved that the impossible is possible.

WHERE SHE WENT by Gayle Forman is all kinds of awesome. I read it in two sittings – I only stopped to cook and eat dinner, which was something I almost forgot to do because this book is so hard to put down.

Fast forward three years later after the accident. Adam is a famous rock star, and it’s been three years since he last saw Mia when she left for Julliard in New York. Despite the fame and money and a celebrity girlfriend, Adam still cannot let go of Mia. Their paths collide in New York when Adam stumbles upon her first concert at Carnegie Hall.

First of all, I loved reading about Mia and Adam three years later. Despite the fact that Adam is pretty much miserable and still heart-broken, I was so proud of what Mia and Adam had accomplished in the last three years. I almost wanted to do a happy dance because they were both able to live their dreams.

I really enjoyed the change of perspective in WHERE SHE WENT, which is told entirely from Adam’s perspective. I feel like male protagonists are so rare in young adult – so it was a refreshing change of pace.

WHERE SHE WENT by Gayle Forman also involved tears and sniffles. I cried a few times while reading when all the emotions and feelings just got too overwhelming. My heart went out to Adam and Mia. They’ve gone through so much. A sign of a talented author, for me, is the ability to make me cry through words on a page.

Gayle Forman is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. I’m basically going to get my hands on every book she publishes. I’m a fan. WHERE SHE WENT by Gayle Forman will not disappoint fans of If I Stay.

About the Author

Gayle Forman is an award-winning author and journalist whose articles have appeared in numerous publications, including Seventeen, Cosmopolitan and Elle in the US. She lives in Brooklyn with her family.