Book Review: THE BEST MAN by Kristan Higgins

Book Review:  The Best Man

Author:  Kristan Higgins

Publisher:  Harlequin

Category:  Adult Contemporary Romance

“Do you have bad dreams? Is that why you bake in the middle of the night?”- Faith

“Yes.”- Levi

“You could wake me up too.  If you’re sleeping over that is.”- Faith

“I don’t have those dreams when I’m with you.”- Levi

Description via Goodreads:

Faith Holland left her hometown after being jilted at the altar. Now a little older and wiser, she's ready to return to the Blue Heron Winery, her family's vineyard, to confront the ghosts of her past, and maybe enjoy a glass of red. After all, there's some great scenery there....

Like Levi Cooper, the local police chief-and best friend of her former fiancé. There's a lot about Levi that Faith never noticed, and it's not just those deep green eyes. The only catch is she's having a hard time forgetting that he helped ruin her wedding all those years ago. If she can find a minute amidst all her family drama to stop and smell the rosÉ, she just might find a reason to stay at Blue Heron, and finish that walk

**********SPOILER ALERT*********SPOILER ALERT ************

Faith Holland is healing far away from home.  Her boyfriend and fiancé of 8 years left her at the altar where he finally fessed up that..... He's gay. Distraught and heartbroken, Faith left for their supposed honeymoon destination, San Francisco, alone, and didn't return until three years later, forced to come home by her siblings because their father is being seduced by a great white shark... by that they mean a cleavage bearing, skintight wearing gold digger.
So off to their vineyard she goes.  And there she bumps into their town police chief, the man who, in her mind, destroyed her happiness.
Levi Cooper was the Best Man at Faith and Jeremy's wedding.  Having known the groom’s secret, he urged Jeremy at the very last minute, to tell Faith the truth.  He had never particularly liked Faith... Attracted to her? Yes.  Lusted after her? Yes. But liked? Not really.  She had always been just a little bit too sweet, too perky, too rich, too perfect... Princess super cute…. yep, just way too much.
Though there is THAT one moment, a secret that they share from when Faith and Jeremy were broken up, one they never told anyone else.
In their tiny town, there was no way they wouldn’t run into each other, no matter their dislike, especially since as Chief of Police, Levi is treated as a member of everyone's family.
Through their constant verbal spars (her sarcasm and his grunts), their chemistry builds and eventually explodes.

Hilarious...absolutely hilarious!
This has got to be the funniest cast of characters I have read in a long time. The only serious ones here are the 2 leads and everyone else is absolutely crazy.... Including the ex-coulda been hubby, Jeremy and Faith's dog, Blue, the leg humper .
Kristan Higgins has always been humorous in her story telling, but this book is extra witty and extra funny, giving (another favorite) Shannon Stacey's The Kowalski family a run for their money.

Here's a some of my favorite lines:

“My late husband was sterile… a groin injury when he was a boy. Tractor backed up, squished him in the soft parts so we never could have kids, though hell, we sure got it on!”- Lorena the gold digging shark

by author Kristan Higgins 

“Can you hook us up with the hottest men here? I like them fifty, fifty five plus.  Don’t mind a little beer belly. Missing limbs okay as long as it was lost heroically.  I don’t want some dumb ass who cut off his own hand chopping wood.”- Colleen, Faith’s best friend

 “Gays make the best dates Helena.  Everyone knows that.”- Jeremy, the ex

“People say to me, John, I don’t know how you do it.  And I tell them just look at my wife.  She’s got the face of a saint! A Saint Bernard that is.”- Mr. Holland, Faith’s grandpa

another book by the author

“Here he is.  Viagra for women.”- Prudence, Faith’s sister

Since Levi's character is stoic and a one word man, there's really not many romantic lines, yet this book is sweet in its simplicity.  I like Faith.  She is sugary sweet with a bite.  I also like that Jeremy still played a huge part in the family and Faith's lovelife after the non-wedding, since He is the best gay man everyone would love to have for a best friend.
There is a bit of a lag in the middle of the book that made me want to speed read but it picks up enough with the many crazy lines that's laugh out loud funny.  The book does not get too dramatic or too sappy but you do feel how and why Levi and Faith fall for each other.  This is a story with much heart.
So if you like books that will make you smile all through out and is laugh out loud funny, pick up The Best Man, and prepare yourself for a fun ride....

P.S. if you're a Justin Timberlake fan you are going to LOVE his part in the story.  Let's just say he is such an "inspiration"to..... (**smirk**snort**)

Here are my reviews on other Kristan Higgins' books:

http://readingtsinoy.blogspot.com/2012/03/book-review-somebody-to-love-by-kristan.html

http://readingtsinoy.blogspot.com/2011/08/book-review-until-there-was-you-by.html

Book Review: THE DOWNFALL OF A GOOD GIRL by Kimberly Lang

Book Review:  The Downfall of A Good Girl

Author:  Kimberly Lang

Publisher:  Harlequin KISS

Category:  Adult Romance

“… You’re charming because it gets you what you want from people, and you’re glib because you don’t really care all that much.  You’re crazy talented- I won’t deny that.  And I know you’ve worked hard, so I give you proper credit there too.  I also know you can be very petty, extremely superficial and completely self-centered.  Oh and your ego is suffocatingly immense.”- Vivi

“While you, Miss Vivi, are sanctimonious and supercilious.  You are dismissive to anyone or anything that doesn’t meet your standards.  And I don’t know what’s more insufferable- your pride or your superiority complex.”- Connor

Description via Goodreads:

Carpe Diem. Be Bad.

Southern debutante Vivienne LaBlanc can't believe bad-boy rock star Connor Mansfield is back in town for the New Orleans annual Saints and Sinners pageant. He has a reputation as wicked as his devilish smile, and Vivi has no intention of becoming one of his latest groupies!

He once crushed her high school heart, so playing the saint to Connor's sinner should be easy. But how can Vivi get those less than angelic thoughts out of her head—especially when Connor's so good at tempting her to be bad?

Vivi LaBlanc can hold a grudge, especially when it comes to sexy Connor  Mansfield.  
They grew up together what with their families being close friends and neighbors.  But for some reason, she has never warmed up to him, except for that one VERY short time in high school.....but then she found out he was just using her to get to her girl friend.  So she did what any furious, hurt, scorned woman in her place would do.... slap Connor's pretty face on stage at the prom.

Years later, people still haven't forgotten that incident, or the fact that Vivi and Connor still hate each other's guts.
Then came the annual Sinners and Saints Ball where a committee secretly chooses a person to represent either the sinner or the saint (ergo the name).  The main point of this is a competition to raise the most money for charity.

Socialite Vivi is chosen to be the year's saint as she is the most qualified, known as an upstanding citizen who belongs to an influential family in New Orleans, she is also heavily involved in many fundraising committees pro bono..  

To Vivi's horror, Connor is the chosen Sinner!
Which is perfect.  Free publicity is most assured as not only is Connor a famous musician, he is also controversial, very recently emerging from a scandal involving an easy woman and an unwanted pregnancy.  Connor is just happy to be back in New Orleans.  Apart from it being his childhood home, he seriously needs to get away from Hollywood.  So being asked to play the Sinner is perfect timing.  Never mind that he has to work with his nemesis Vivi on an almost daily basis.  He sincerely wants to help raise money and get his bearings back.

So forced to work together they are.  That there would be animosity is expected, but sexual chemistry? Not in their wildest imagination.  But here they are trying NOT to tear each other's clothes off..... Vivi is aghast at what she feels, but then again her sister put things in a different perspective with.....

“You don’t have to be a real saint.  There’s no Miss Perfect title to be won.  You don’t have to go full-out Sinner either, but consider being just a little bit bad.  It won’t kill you.  You might even enjoy it.”-Lorelei

Lorelei's story coming in march 2013

So she dives in headfirst with Connor, thinking in temporary but very fun terms.  Both expecting, and enjoying, nothing but games that adults play.  But that's the thing when playing with fire.... one will eventually  get burned......

I loved Connor.  He was straightforward and honest about his intentions from the very beginning.  He never tried to trick Vivi nor sweet talk her into doing anything.  He’s also appreciative of his roots, his home and his fans which quite frankly, you don’t see much from supposed superstars like him.

On the other hand Vivi is too competitive, envious and insecure.  She is threatened by Connor’s fundraising capabilities (well…duh!), insecure about feeling like a has-been beauty queen who has peaked before 30 and is constantly battling with Connor about the smallest things.

Now obviously I am no Vivi fan.  She just rubs me the wrong way especially compared to Connor who seems to just do everything right. but beyond that they do have something right:  they don’t sugarcoat anything they say to each other because their relationship started from dislike. That honesty, sometimes brutally so, I appreciate.

The romance between them is nice… not fiery nor intense….just sweet and smooth.  I also like the supporting character Lorelei, Vivi’s sister.  She is funny and cool, the kind of sister you’d like by your side. (Lorelei will have her own story in the follow up book The Taming of A Wild Child).

This book is no roller coaster ride of emotions.  Just a straight read through that though I liked, would probably not pick up again. An enjoyable one time read.

You may reach the Author at:

http://www.booksbykimberly.com/

Book Review: ALL HE EVER DREAMED by Shannon Stacey

Book Review:  All He Ever Dreamed

Author:  Shannon Stacey

Publisher:  Carina Press

Category:   Adult Romance

“I’ve loved you for as long as I can remember Josh.  But I don’t want to spend the rest of my life watching you turn bitter and hateful because you never got out of Whitford, so I’m taking away the choice and saying goodbye.”- Katie

“Katie, please.  I need you.”- Josh

“You and I will always be friends…but you need to go find the thing that’s going to make you happy.  I’m just sorry it wasn’t me.”- Katie

Description via Goodreads:

Josh Kowalski is tired of holding down the fort—better known as the Northern Star Lodge—while his siblings are off living their dreams. Now that his oldest brother has returned to Whitford, Maine for good, Josh is free to chase some dreams of his own.

Josh Kowalski's story

As the daughter of the lodge's longtime housekeeper, Katie Davis grew up alongside the Kowalski kids. Though she's always been "one of the guys", her feelings for Josh are anything but sisterly. And after a hot late-night encounter in the kitchen, it's clear Josh finally sees her as the woman she is.


Katie's been waiting years for Josh to notice her, but now that he has, she's afraid it's too late. Giving her heart to a man who can't wait to leave town is one sure way to have it broken. But Josh keeps coming up with excuses not to leave—could it be that everything he's ever wanted is closer than he could have imagined?

Katie has always loved Josh but he only looks at her as just another guy, his best friend forever.  It doesn’t help that they grew up together since Katie’s mom Rosie has worked for decades at the Northern Star lodge, Josh’s family’s business. 

Sean Kowalski's story

Josh is restless.  He’s the only one among his siblings stuck taking care of the lodge.  Everyone else has had the chance to get out of town and build their careers…but not him.  So he wants to sell the lodge and get the hell out.

Slowly they are rebuilding the lodge for an eventual sale.  What they never expected is for their beloved Rosie to get sick.  So Katie decides to stay over at the lodge to take care of her mother and help Josh with it. 

An accidental run in finally makes Josh see Katie as the beautiful woman he has always ignored.  The attraction between them sizzles.  And though Josh tries to ignore and fight his feelings, he eventually succumbs.  At last Katie has her man.  But is what they have enough to stop Josh from leaving and doing what he has always dreamed?

Ryan Kowalski's story

I’ve said it before I will say it again.  I am a sucker for happy endings. And I know that anything by Shannon Stacey, particularly anything Kowalski, is sure to have a happy ending, so it was a no brainer for me to read this book.  An extra plus is the plot. I have always found stories of friendships that turn into love extra romantic and thrilling, and No, I never tire of reading these, so after getting the ARC copy I dove right into the first page and read straight through the night.  Another un-put downable book by Stacey, All She Ever Dreamed may be my favorite Kowalski story yet.

The Kowalski family has the best one liners:

Mitch Kowalski's story

Funny:
you finally realized your trusty sidekick is actually a woman

Hot:
I wanted to see how many licks it takes to get to the center of your tootsie pop

Romantic:
You’re the fantasy Katie.  The rest is just the setting

Also they are the best characters.  It is pretty hard to choose which Kowalski is my favorite but I would say that Josh is pretty much it right now. I wouldn’t hold my breath though because based on the side stories within this one, another Kowalski book will be on the way soon I’m sure, that of Josh’s sister Liz and Mitch Kowalski’s best friend Drew. 

If you like your imagination tickled, with lots of thrilling and romantic moments in between, read anything Kowalski.  Or better yet, read all of them!

Check out the author’s website for a list of these books:
http://shannonstacey.com/

For my reviews on the Kowalski books, click:
http://readingtsinoy.blogspot.com/2013/01/book-review-all-he-ever-desired-by.html
http://readingtsinoy.blogspot.com/2012/01/book-review-undeniably-yours-by-shannon.html
http://readingtsinoy.blogspot.com/2011/12/book-review-exclusively-yours-by.html

Book Review: FALLING FOR HER FIANCE by Cindi Madsen

Book Review: Falling For her Fiancé
Author:  Cindi Madsen

Publisher:    Entangled Publishing

Category:  Adult Romance

“…I think it’s best we don’t put pressure on ourselves either way.  If it’s meant to be it will work out.  If not…you’ll always be my best friend and I need you as that…”- Dani

“you took a chance on moving out here with Steve.  Why him and not me?”- Wes

“that was a mistake obviously.”- Dani

“but you were willing to risk it.”- Wes

Description via Goodreads:

Danielle and Wes have been best friends since college, so when Wes needs a date for his sister’s wedding and Dani needs a partner for her company’s retreat, they devise the perfect plan: a fake engagement to get through both events unscathed. Adrenaline-junkie Wes can prove to both his ex and his family that he’s well and truly moved on, and serious-minded Dani can prove to her boss that she’s worthy of the promotion he seems to only want to give to a family-oriented employee.

But amid the fake swoons, fake kisses, and forced proximity, neither expects the very real feelings that develop. There’s nothing more dangerous than falling for your best friend…but what if the landing is worth the fall?

Though living in different states, distance has never been a factor in Dani and Wes’ friendship.  Through failed relationships, family dramas and love, they have been supportive of each other.  Wes knew that his ex fiancé Sophie is part of his sister’s wedding entourage, and since he can no longer stand the pitying looks from his family because of the broken engagement, he asks Dani to stand as his fake fiancé.  On the other hand Dani needs badly to get promoted for financial reasons.  And since her family oriented company has an upcoming retreat, she decides to bring Wes to pose as her fiancé as well.

Convincing Wes’ family of their engagement was never the problem because for them, a romantic relationship between the two was inevitable.  In fact, even when the two were in different relationships, their solid friendship was always a cause of jealousy and breakups.  Such was the case with Sophie. 

There was always an attraction between Dani and Wes that they didn’t touch, afraid that a fling would just ruin their friendship.  But things are different now.  Both start to fall for the other but stubbornly refuse to acknowledge their chemistry.  Wes, who was always the braver of the two, eventually tries to act on his feelings but is rebuffed by Dani.  She IS in love with her best friend but honestly believes that Wes still loves Sophie and even encourages him to go back to her.  she finally realizes the truth…but has she lost Wes forever?

Funny, Tension filled, Sexy, Sweet…. This book has all the aspects I look for in a romance.  I could not put the book down, so much so that I finished it in one sitting.  Some parts, especially the ones where both Wes and Dani deny their feelings for the other and try to analyze and compartmentalize their reactions to the other, made me want to tear my hair out.  I wanted to skip chapters just so I could read them being together already!  It was a good kind of frustration that gave me palpitations.  Yet the wait was worth it in the end.  It’s a sweet ending that made me wish for, if not a part two, at least an epilogue of some sort. 

If you like your books lighthearted and fun, Falling for Her Fiancé is right up your alley.  Read it!

You may visit the Author’s site at:

http://cindimadsen.com/

Book Review: THE BOOBY TRAP by Anne Browning Walker

Book:  The Booby Trap

Author:  Anne Browning Walker

Publisher:  Pixel Entertainment

Category:  Adult Romance

Description via Goodreads:

The Booby Trap is a seedy bar where waitresses skirts are high, necklines are low, and customers show up for the eye candy. 

When brainy, beautiful, Harvard Ph.D. candidate Bambi Benson wants to study the women of the Booby Trap for her dissertation, she goes undercover and joins them.

All is going well for Bambi until handsome local celebrity Trip Whitley enters the scene. Hoping to shock his high-society family by dating a bimbo, Trip offers to pay Bambi to pretend to be his girlfriend. She accepts his offer and bides her time, waiting for the right moment to reveal her true identity and teach Trip not to judge based on appearances.

After a series of dates carefully orchestrated for their publicity value, Bambi’s trap is set. But there's one problem: the predator might have fallen in love with her prey.

Bambi needs money, fast, so she can go to a conference in London.  But being a simple student and working as a waitress at The Booby Trap, she isn’t exactly raking it in.  so when local heartthrob Trip offers her money in exchange for being his fake girlfriend for nine months, she reluctantly agrees.

Playing the bimbo is not as easy as it’s supposed to be for an intelligent woman, but though Trip has moments of doubt, Bambi still pulls it off.   Since they spend a lot of time together, their attraction for each other naturally intensifies. Until the day she reveals the truth to him…..on a local television show.   Trip is humiliated but later on decides to give Bambi and their budding relationship a chance to make it real…. But reality can bite one in the ass, especially when there’s someone else waiting in the wings…

Three cheers for the writer who here tries to change the basic assumption that beautiful, cleavage-baring women are all brainless bimbos. Here, the physically gifted women are smart and sassy as well, and it's a change well appreciated. However, the book itself isn't as great a read as I had hoped.

It didn't involve me as a reader into the lives of Trip and Bambi. I felt like a voyeur, an observer, from the outside looking in, watching the inevitable happen yet not quite getting into the emotion of the protagonists. I felt set apart from the story which was disturbing since the premise is very interesting and the flow was pretty good. It just lacked the thrill that I always look for in romantic books. The chemistry between the two is definitely there, just not as sizzling as I expected it to be, which was a bit disappointing. 

Overall, The Booby Trap is still a book worth you time if you like romance and comedy rolled into one.

You may visit the Author’s site at:

http://annebrowningwalker.com

Book Review: ALL HE EVER DESIRED by Shannon Stacey

Book:  All He Ever Desired
Author:  Shannon Stacey
Publisher:  Harlequin
Category:  Adult Romance

"Yours. That's the word I'd use."- Ryan
"What do you mean?"- Lauren
"If somebody wants you to pin a label on my place in your life, Just tell them I'm Yours.  It's that simple."-Ryan
"That simple huh? Mine?"- Lauren
"Yours."- Ryan

Book Description via Goodreads:

A second shot at first love

After college, Ryan Kowalski decided to leave Whitford, Maine, rather than watch Lauren Carpenter marry another man. Now his siblings need his help to refurbish the family-owned Northern Star Lodge and he’s forced to face the past sooner rather than later when he collars a vandal—and learns the boy is Lauren’s son…

The last person Lauren needs back in her life is Ryan Kowalski. With a bitter ex-husband and a moody teenage son, she has enough man trouble already. But her son needs to learn a few lessons about right and wrong, even if Lauren has to escort him to Ryan’s door every day to work off his crime.

With all this close contact, Ryan and Lauren can’t deny the chemistry between them is as powerful as ever. But can a few searing kisses erase their past and pave the way for a second chance at true love?

Ryan kowalski has only ever loved one girl. Lauren, the woman of his dreams, the one who broke his heart by getting pregnant and marrying his best friend.  That was years before.  Now ryan, who owns a successful building business, is back in town where they both grew up to fix his family's lodge, the Northern Star Lodge..but only for a few weeks.....or at least that was the plan until he saw Lauren.

Lauren has always dwelled on the what-ifs.  What if she said yes to Ryan when he asked her to run away with him? What would have life been like? Surely it's better than being cheated on by her now ex husband Dean and being a single mother to a teenage boy struggling with day to day expenses in a small town where everyone knows everybody else's business.  But Ryan is gone, having moved to the big city when she refused his intentions.

Then a Kowalski gets married.  

Ryan's older brother Mitch is getting married to Lauren's good friend Paige (from the book All He Ever Needed).  Which means inevitably they would run into each other.... A lot.  What they never expected was for Lauren's son Nick to be its catalyst.

Ryan catches Nick trying to vandalize the family lodge. Upon learning that he is Lauren's son, he offers for Nick to work off the damages so Lauren wouldn't have to give up her meager savings.  This leaves Ryan with a lot of one on one time with Lauren.  Then the inevitable happens and they fall in love.... But will their 2nd chance at love spell forever?

I have always loved Shannon Stacey.  The characters she creates are fun and strong with great one liners.  Plus i have a soft spot for the Kowalskis from the very first book...they are all interesting, tough and sweet at the same time, which makes me want to meet, or date, any of them.  You can actually exchange one character for the other since all Kowalski men are pretty much made from the same mold...hard on the outside, gooey on the inside.  

Despite the similarities, boredom does not set in when reading these books.  another plus is the chemistry between the two main characters which is explosive with lots of sexy moments. Written with much humour and heart, i am looking forward to reading more stories of different family members in the future, the next of which is Josh Kowalski in the book All He Ever Dreamed.

Happy Reading!

You may visit the author's site at:
http://shannonstacey.com/