Book Review: SNOWBOUND WITH THE CEO by Shannon Stacey

Book: Snowbound with the CEO

Author: Shannon Stacey

Publisher: Carina Press

Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance

Synopsis Via Goodreads:

Adrian Blackstone built a million-dollar business with hard work and determination—and by remaining professional at all times. Denying his longtime attraction to his beautiful executive assistant hasn't been easy but it's necessary. She's indispensable, and he can't stand the thought of losing her if things didn't work out.

For more than a year, Rachel Carter has been quietly dreaming of all the ways she'll never seduce her sexy, buttoned-up boss. She's worked too hard to get where she is to cross that line, no matter how badly she'd like to act on her fantasies. But then a wicked snowstorm leaves them stranded in a romantic winter wonderland…

What begins as a single kiss and a few bad Santa jokes turns into a weekend full of breathless passion and hopes for something more. But with Monday comes a return to their complicated reality—and Adrian must prove that promises made are promises kept, especially at Christmastime

MY SUMMARY:

Rachel has been fighting her attraction to her big boss Adrian for months.  Being an absolute professional does not allow her to show any sign of weakness towards him.  Until a planned business meeting goes awry and leave them both stranded in Boston.

With nothing else to do, Adrian goes to the hotel bar considering having a one night stand.  Then he sees Rachel and forgets anyone else.  He has been trying to ignore his growing need for her, afraid to lose the one perfect assistant he has ever had.  But enough is enough. They both finally give in.

But does months of attraction and a weekend full of sex possibly end in true and lasting love? 

MY REVIEW:

Easy to read, easy to move on from.

Reading Snowbound with the CEO felt from the very beginning, like a temporary stress reliever for the holidays.  Yes it is thematic, Christmas to be specific.  Everything that happened to the two protagonists fall within the season, meaning the two, Adrian and Rachel, fall madly and deeply in love within a few days. Granted they have been attracted to each other for many months and have known each other as boss and an executive secretary for the same length of time, still falling IN LOVE should be more substantial, not just a sexual pull that wouldn't go away.

I have been a Shannon Stacey reader for quite awhile as evidenced by my glowing reviews of her Kowalski series, but I would have to Pass on this one.

I have no connection to either characters and since the story centered on them being snowbound, obviously there are no other characters worth mentioning.

If you want to read a Stacey authored book, I suggest you go with the fun Kowalskis and skip this one.  

Book Review: TIL DEATH by Kate Evangelista

Book:  Til Death

Author:  Kate Evangelista

Publisher:  Entangled Teen

Genre:  Young Adult Paranormal Romance

Synopsis via  Goodreads:

Sixteen-year old Selena Fallon is a dreamer. Not a day-dreamer, but an I-see-the-future kind of dreamer. Normally this is not a problem as she has gotten pretty good at keeping her weird card hidden from everyone in her small town. Except from her best friend Kyle and her grandparents, of course. But when Selena dreams of her own rather bloody death, things get a little too freaky even for her.

Enter Dillan Sloan. Selena has seen the new guy in a different dream, and he is even more droolworthy in person. Beyond the piercing blue eyes and tousled dark hair, there is something else that draws her to him. Something…electric. Unfortunately, Dillan makes it more than clear that he does not feel the same. They just met, so why would he act like he hates her?

When Dillan and Selena are forced together one weekend to work on a school project, Selena prepares to be ignored as usual. But when she stumbles across a few undead in the backyard, Dillan comes to her rescue and reveals a whole lot more. Not only is he part of a society that hunts otherworldly creatures…she is too. And she is being targeted by a force bigger and darker than anything she ever imagined. Despite her death dream, Selena is not going to give up easy, especially when she discovers that Dillan might not actually hate her after all

My Summary:

Seeing yourself die is never a good thing, even if it’s just in dreams.  Unfortunately for Selena, her dreams always came true eventually, so it’s just a matter of time before she bit the dust.  Enter Dillan Sloan.  The anti social gorgeous boy who seems to be interested, yet not quite, in her; whose very touch literally electrifies her being.

Surrounded by her two best friends Kyle and Penny, Selena navigates high school and her ex boyfriend quite well.  Then she and Dillan get thrown together for an overnighter at Kyle’s where she is attacked by puppets (dead people under a Maestro’s control).  Dillan rescues Selena and afterwards finally shows how he really feels.

But Dillan is complicated.  He is part of the Illumenari, an elite group whose sole purpose is to protect humans from supernaturals.  He then finds out that Selena is actually from an old Illumenari family as well, though they chose to raise her as an ordinary girl with no training whatsoever and is now brimming with untapped power.  All he knows for sure is that she is now the target of the evil Maestro, and he needs to protect her at all cost.

My Review:

Creative.  That’s how I can best describe (proudly) Pinay author Kate Evangelista.  I have never before put the words maestro, undead, manticore, seer in one sentence but here it is.  They are all in this mystical world Kate created.

photo lifted from the Author's site

Til Death is a Young Adult novel, so sweet nothings, high school angst and dramas are expected.  But beyond that there is that all important relationship with family.  Selena has a close relationship with her grandparents as they’ve raised her since her parents died and I like how they try to protect her, though obviously with her growing power, something will ultimately give…and it does. 

Dillan is difficult to peg.  I don’t know if I like him or not.  He is good in all the ways that matter, but I like Kyle more.  There is more mystery and intrigue with him.  Half the time I don’t know if he’s genuinely concerned about Selena or just pretending to be her best friend.  But they do go a long way back so I’m giving him the benefit of doubt.  Though if he decides to play with the bad guys in the next book I wouldn’t be too surprised.  Penny is the quintessential strong, brave and chatty best friend one can never do without.  She is a good equalizer for the triumvirate.

All things considered, this is a book worth picking up.  If you like paranormal romance that’s sweet with a big bad BITE, read Til Death. 

Watch out for Kate Evangelista’s book launch on March 15, 2014, 4pm at the National Book Store Glorietta 1 branch.

Other books by Kate are:  Taste, Savor, Reaping Me Softly, Unreap My Heart and Romancing The Bookworm.

You may visit the author’s site at http://www.kateevangelista.com/