DNF Review: Brown-Eyed Girl by Lisa Kleypas

I really liked all three Travis books, but I was never invested in a potential Joe story, because I always got the impression that Ms. Kleypas had no interest in writing it. That didn’t stop me from being really excited when the new book was announced, however. In fact, I was so excited that I was honestly taken by surprise by how half-assed and under-baked this book felt and by how poorly it fits a series that was filled with larger-than-life characters and delicious angst.

Avery, our heroine, is very good at her job as a wedding planner, but emotionally scarred by an irresponsible, philandering father and a failed relationship with her ex. At a wedding where she’s busy doing her job, she meets hunky, yet tender Joe Travis. He pesters her throughout until they have what she believes (and wishes) to be a one-night stand. But Joe, whose main character trait is knowing best, decides that he wants her and proceeds to spend half the book relentlessly and inexplicably pursuing her. She gives in, he introduces her to his family, she’s super insecure so there are a lot of mixed signals indecision on her part, and… I didn’t read the last 15% of the book, but I bet something external happens to make her realize that what she really wants and needs is Joe. I know this because the previous book had a romantic conflict that resolved itself by a shoehorned external circumstance instead of actual communication, so why expect something different here? Also, the event that forces Avery’s hand is set up early on in the book.

Giveaway: Crystal Cove by Lisa Kleypas (and Something More)

Hello, everyone!

The people over at St. Martin’s Press have kindly offered us a copy of Lisa Kleypas’ upcoming Friday Harbor book, Crystal Cove, to give away among our readers. And to sweeten up the deal even more, the giveaway also includes an aphrodisiac essential oil (in case you want to get a massage while reading the book). 

For a chance to win, leave a comment telling me you’re in. If you don’t feel comfortable including your email on the comment, please come back on Friday to check if you won, because I won’t have a way to contact you. 

This giveaway is open to US and Canada residents only and it ends on Friday, February 1st. For more details check our Giveaway Policy.

Review: Dream Lake by Lisa Kleypas

I love Lisa Kleypas’ contemporaries. The Friday Harbor series isn’t her best, but the books are charming and sweet. I was a bit weary of this book because there was a ghost in it, but the hero was intriguing so I was ready to like it. Unfortunately, the story didn’t work for me at all. 

The series follow three brothers that come together to raise their orphaned niece. Actually, that’s not accurate – one brother raises her, the other helps and the third one, Alex, is a mess that drinks and wants nothing to do with his brothers or the kid. Alex also happens to be our hero. You don’t have to be familiar with the previous books to read this one, although the extra background helps a bit even if only to make you emotionally invested in him.

Oldie but Goodie Guest Review: Prince of Dreams by Lisa Kleypas

Credit: Zawezome

It's been a while since we posted an Oldie but Goodie review, so today I'm happy because Sarah is back and with her comes a blast from the not-so-distant past!

About Sarah: Who am I? I'm a part-time library science student, part-time librarian, and full-time mom. When I'm not wrangling my little girl or my husband, I'm reading all sorts of books to be able to recommend that "next" book for shy readers or those new to the romance genre. I can be found on Goodreads or on my blog at sarahsbookshelf.com.

Tell me if this sounds familiar to you. You have a huge TBR pile, but there are a few books in that pile that you don't want to read because you know you are going to read them way too fast. You know that you are going to love them and you know that you are going to be sad when you have to move onto something else when you are finished. So you procrastinate and procrastinate reading the book, simply because you don't want it to end. Lisa Kleypas is the author that writes books that fall into this category for me. I cannot help myself when I pick up one of her books. It's like a buffet on a cruise ship: you know you can eat as much as you want, and it's so yummy, but you also know that your time is finite. So the question becomes do you want to savor it? Or do you want to stuff your face as fast as you can, while you can, and suffer the heartburn? For me, it's the face-stuffing/heartburn, because I just can't help how quickly I read when I really like a book. If it's a book I own, I'll probably give it another read in the future when I have more willpower to pace myself.

Second Time isn’t Always a Charm: Re-Reading Expectations

Sorry creepy dude, that second date will be a total fail.
(Source)

I’m not a fan of re-reading books. There are a few that I often revisit, but mostly because I like a character in particular and I skip to his/her parts. But I almost never pick a book for the second time and read it all the way through the end. However, lately I’ve been re-reading more and more books that I love and always recommend. The results have been mixed. 

Weeks ago I decided to re-read two of my all-time favorite books:  Blue-Eyed Devil  and  Smooth Talking Stranger, both by Lisa Kleypas. I love these books so much I recommend them to everyone, even if they don’t like romance. And if I had a Romance Conversion Kit (something I don’t need it because all my friends go to sleep just by hearing the word “book”) they would be in it. But when I read them for the second time I realized that although they remain good, the original awesomeness wasn’t there. So I started thinking about reading, and how time, reviews and re-readings can change that experience and make you see flaws in something you originally thought to be near perfect.

Review: Rainshadow Road by Lisa Kleypas

Confession time! I do not like Ms. Kleypas’ historicals. I don’t know why, but they just don’t work for me. However, her contemporary romances are some of my favorite books in the world, so I couldn't be happier right now because we’re getting not one, but two new contemporary novels this year.

Rainshadow Road is the newest book in her Friday Harbor series about three brothers trying to raise their orphaned niece (more like one brother raises her, one helps and the other drinks). The heroine’s name is Lucy Marinn. When she was little, her baby sister, Alice, got meningitis and ever since then their parents became very permissive with her. While Lucy was asked to behave and reprimanded when necessary, Alice could do no wrong, she was never grounded and always got what she wanted. Flash forward to the present and what Alice wants is Lucy’s fiancé, Kevin. So when Kevin ends their engagement and asks Lucy to move out of their home so that Alice can move in, Lucy is devastated but not surprised.