January 15th, 2010 — 5 Stars, A-C, ARC, Cowboy, Firefighter, Friends, Guest Reviews, Kidnapping, Older Woman/Younger Man, Ranching, Soldier, Teacher, United States of America, Western
By Susan S., Guest Reviewer
Brown’s novel will warm your heart, and bring you characters so real, you’ll swear they’re flesh and bone. Getting Lucky will move to the top of everyone’s list of new comfort reads.
Getting Lucky is book three from Brown’s Lucky Trilogy. It stands alone, here’s why: In this novel the hero (Griffin Luckadeau) tells the heroine (Julie Donavan) fate stories. These stories will retell Milli and Beau’s fate in Lucky in Love. Griffin also goes on to retell Jane and Slade’s fate in One Lucky Cowboy.
Do we have “small” cameo appearances in Getting Lucky? Not just no, hell no! We got the whole family together!
In book three, which tells the story of another hunky Luckadeau cowboy named Griffin, we’ll stumble upon a chockfull of clichés, idioms, silly sayings, and similes. Here’s a glimpse:
Cliché: Don’t get your panties in a wad.
Idiom: The pot calling the kettle black.
Silly saying: One legged chicken at a coyote convention.
Simile: Her heart thumped in her chest like a bass drum.
This book reminded me of my first romances, First Love from Silhouette. I’m recommending this novel to anyone who enjoys romances, HEA’s, and heart-warming stories which leave you smiling.
Julie moves from Jefferson, Texas to St. Jo. As a single mom raising a daughter named Annie, she hopes to leave the gossip-mongers behind. She’ll soon realize she’s jumped out of the frying pan, and straight into the fire. Julie’s first day as a kindergarten school teacher has left her stupefied. Her new student Lizzy, is the exact double of her daughter Annie.
Lizzy’s single father Griffin feels perplexed over the girls' similarities. While the story unravels, the reasons for these similarities will begin to surface.
Getting Lucky gives us plenty of new characters to fall in love with. My favorite of these? Alvie, the love-stuttering rancher.
What will you love? References to Wild Sex Anonymous, bumping headboards, bull riding, women making bets, and the six sheets to the wind stories.
What did I love? In the barn, Julie’s heel gets caught on a loose board. She trips, Griffin grabs her, but ultimately they both fall to the floor. Is there more to this? Maybe.
Fundamental themes: Friendships are to be cherished, and fate will not be ignored.
Julie thinks Griffin’s egotistical, domineering, and too young for her (she’s six years older.)
He thinks all women are shrewd, conniving, with ulterior motives.
They certainly feel the attraction, but will they overcome prejudices, and stop letting their past cloud their judgments? Maybe.
This is a 5 Star Comfort Read!
Buy: Getting Lucky
Contemporary Romance, ARC, Trilogy, Sourcebooks, Inc., Casablanca, January 2010, Mass Market Paperback, Print Pages 393. ISBN# 978-1-4022-2436-2.
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November 19th, 2009 — 4.5 Stars, Book Review, Children, Gambling, Handicap, Historic America, Historical Romance, S-U, Spinster, United States of America, Virgin Heroine
One of the first romance novels that I ever read was the Gamble by LaVyrle Spencer. I snuck it out of my mother’s collection because I was curious about all the fuss. I am glad I did, because it rates as one of my dearest favorites, set during the Temperance movement.
Scott Gandy dresses smartly, behaves politely, and smiles cheekily at Miss Agatha Downing. She can’t stand him! Scotty Gandy owns a saloon, sells alcohol, promotes gambling, and why he even hangs nude portraits over his bar! Ever proper, Agatha is a touching heroine because she is handicapped.
Made lame by an abusive alcoholic father, Agatha has come to terms with the sorry little life she leads; dinner every night at Perry’s down the street, a slowly dying millinery shop, and Miss Violet Parsons as her only friend. She isn’t expecting a man or any children in her future, but that doesn’t keep her from dreaming.
Then one day that infuriating Scott Gandy brings three saloon singers into town and nothing is dull again. Agatha is given a job that just might save her business. She is to make each of them a can-can dress. What follows is a colorful tale about friendship, love, and one woman’s fight against alcohol. Agatha is determined to see Kansas dry, save the little boy Willy Collinson from his abusive father, and to not fall in love with Scott Gandy. She will succeed at all but one of this goals.
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Buy: The Gamble
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Happy Readings!
Originally posted 2008-11-20 04:38:34. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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May 14th, 2009 — 4 Stars, Book Review, Comedy of Manners, Dukes and Earls, Gambling, Georgette Heyer, Great Britain, Marriage of Convenience, Politician, Regency, Virgin Heroine
This novel is definitely one of my overall favorites of Heyer’s so far. It’s easy to read and follow despite the language and research. I loved all the side characters and Rule most of all. The leads were very well matched for each other.
Lizzie Winwood, the Beauty, is engaged to the Earl of Rule, an older man whom she does not love. Edward Heron holds her heart, but Lizzie is too well bred to ignore the duty she owes her family to accept this great match. Her youngest sister, Horatia—Horry—Winwood, decides this situation will just not do. In a scandalously forward manner Horry approaches Rule and offers herself up in trade to her sister despite her disadvantages in looks and speech. She knows she’s not his first choice, but as Marcus obviously does not know Lizzie well enough to love her, he must agree any Winwood would do. Amused by the young girl, (he’s twice her age), Rule accepts her proposal and marries her right away.
Horry experiences wealth and freedom for the first time and goes a little wild. She learns to gamble, though she does fairly poorly, purchases things without any real thought to cost, and makes friends with unacceptable members of society. Horry comes off immature for the first half of the book because she is, but Rule keeps an eye on her in his usual casual and easy going manner and does not involve himself overmuch. He came to the marriage thinking he was in love with a widow. He did not marry the widow because he knew she could not, or perhaps, would not be faithful in the years to come and has determined Horry is and will be even if she is young and prone to fancy.
Rule’s amusement and fondness easily translate themselves to the reader. From his actions you can tell he’s falling for his young new wife. It’s harder to tell with Horry, as she spends a good portion of the book running around after Lord Lethbridge in pursuit of his friendship and the chance to pit her card skills against his. Lord Lethbridge is after revenge against Rule and uses Horry in an attempt to instigate it. Other characters seek to help him or eagerly wait in the wings watching for a chance to run to Rule with news of her scandalous ways. Luckily Rule, her brother and his friends come time and again to Horry’s rescue. A Convenient Marriage is an amusing romp through Regency England and sure to win your heart.
Rating: 4 Stars
Buy: The Convenient Marriage
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April 5th, 2009 — 2.5 Stars, A-C, Children, Contemporary, Guest Reviews, Paranormal, United States of America
By: Cara Lynn, guest reviewer
Have you ever wanted to switch bodies or lives with someone else? Even if it was only for a day? How about a month? Could you survive a month as another person? Switchcraft is just such a tale. Switchcraft is a fun book, sort of like the movie Freaky Friday. But it does make you think.
Aggie and Nely have been good friends for a lot of years, but they have drifted apart because Nely is married with a baby, and Aggie is living the high life, sort of. Each wishes what the other has. But both are withholding secrets. Aggie's business is about to fall into the ground, not to mention a crazy stalker, and Aggie's life is more complicated than it looks.
You guessed the rest! They take off for a weekend alone to visit a spa where the guru somehow manages to switch their identities. He is only able to switch back on a full moon.
Throw in two men who are over their heads. Kevin would love to be Aggie's significant other, but they are best friends. Nely's husband is afraid she is drifting away from him (which, as Aggie, she definitely is.)
Both Aggie and Nely learn how valuable friendship is. Each is able to help the other's life out -- which they could have done in RL if they had only known.
Definitely light fair for summer, but I enjoyed it. I give it a 2.5
Buy: Switchcraft
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Originally posted 2008-12-06 18:23:25. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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