Book Review: How to Tame a Modern Rogue by Diana Holquist

Book Review: How to Tame a Modern Rogue

By: Diana Holquist

Grand Central Publishing

3 Heart Review

Disclosure: Book provided by publisher

Ally Giordano is at the end of her rope. Her beloved grandmother believes that she's living in her favorite Regency romance novel and Ally doesn't have the heart to set her straight. But even worse, Granny Donny is now convinced that she's found the perfect "Duke" to rescue Ally from spinsterhood and she won't rest until this modern-day rogue escorts them both to her country retreat.

Commitment-phobic Sam Carson is attracted to naughty, not nice. But one stolen kiss from Ally and he's hell-bent on stripping away her good girl ways and teaching her the art of being bad. Love isn't in the stars for this rake -- he has no interest in being tamed by a woman, no matter how soft her skin or sharp her wit. But as the country beckons, Sam can't resist the charms of Ally or her dotty Granny. Has this playboy met his match?

How to Tame a Modern Rogue was a fun, light-hearted contemporary that satisfied my craving for something bright and cheery to read. I enjoyed Ally and Sam's story and could see myself re-reading it again for the fun atmosphere it provided.

The premise of Granny living out her favorite Regency novel was far-fetched but handled delightfully. I especially liked the addition of quotes from "The Dulcet Duke" at the beginning of each chapter and how Sam weaves the book into his seduction of Ally.

There was a lot going on with side characters in this story, but I mostly felt they either added to the story or provided comic relief so I wasn't bothered by them.

I would have liked to have read more about Sam's background and see him discuss it more with Ally. It would help readers forgive his womanizing ways a little more, but you still won't be too bothered since Sam always comes across well thanks to his interaction with Granny.

A witty, fun and breezy read, this is a good light book for any fan of contemporary romance or lovers of Regency romances with a modern twist!

Happy Reading!

Book Review: So Into You by Sandra Hill

Book Review: So Into You
By: Sandra Hill
Grand Central Publishing
2 Heart Review
Disclosure: Book Provided by Publisher

The Sinner
She's been a nun, poker champion, treasure hunter, and folk healer. Redhead Grace O'Brien thinks life is one grand adventure – until her hunky friend Angel Sabato suddenly declares his love for her. That's one risky business she'll never want a part of, not if she's going to keep her past a secret forever.

The Angel
With heartbroken Angel hightailing it out of town, Grace makes herself busy working with Tante Lulu. Together they agree to help a poor teenage girl who's trying to raise her siblings after Katrina by building them a new house. And Tante Lulu knows the perfect man for the job: Angel!

The Cupid
Angel's decided he's not taking no for an answer from reluctant Grace. Tante Lulu's convinced they need her Cajun style of matchmaking. And Grace has braced herself for a lightening bolt of trouble, one that could jolt her into heartbreak...or straight into Angel's arms.

I wish I had been so into this book, I really wanted to be, but I just couldn't get wrapped up in it. I really liked the characters of Grace and Angel, but I felt that the book didn't spend enough time focused on the two of them together.

The number of secondary characters took away from the main story and seemed to try too hard to set-up a sequel or two. They were all interesting, but there were too many and too much time was spent on them.

The characters of Angel and Grace were seriously awesome and I wish I could have pulled them out of this book and plopped them into a different story.

The character of Tante Lulu was fun, and I enjoyed seeing her through other characters' eyes. What I didn't love was the very thick accent and rambling speech that Sandra gave her. I found myself immediately skimming or skipping paragraphs of her dialogue. That doesn’t help keep me in a story.

Grace's secret and reasoning for not getting close to anyone is very compelling and I applaud Sandra for including a back-story and character that one normally only sees in Women's Fiction. It was nice to see a character with real problems instead of superficial ones.

I was frustrated with this book. Again, I loved the hero and heroine, but hated all the background noise that took away from their story. I wanted to read about them, and not 20 other characters.

If you are in need of something to read, and this book is around then I would say go for it. I wouldn’t say you should rush out to buy it unless you don’t mind a huge cast of characters that don’t add too much to the story.

Damn it. I loved Angel and Grace – can I ask for a do-over? Keep the main characters and toss the rest? Sigh.

Book Review: Start Me Up by Victoria Dahl

Book Review: Start Me Up
By: Victoria Dahl
HQN Books
5 Heart Review

Lori Love is yearning for something more

Lori had always planned to get out of tiny Tumble Creek, Colorado, but when her late dad left her his beloved auto body shop, she'd stayed. Now, according to her crazy best friend, Molly, what Lori needs is some excitement, in the form of hot, no-strings-attached sex...and lots of it.

Quinn Jennings has buildings on the brain – not love and romance. A serious architect, he's delighted to discover that Lori is willing to skip dating protocols and head straight for the sheets. And aided by the steamy books on Lori's bedside table, he's busy indulging both of their wildest fantasies. But when life in Tumble Creek takes a dangerous turn for Lori, Quinn's protective instincts kick in.

Suddenly he cares. More than either of them expected...

Ok, here's my review in a nutshell: BUY THIS BOOK! Then, buy Victoria's entire backlist and be first in line for every new release.

I'm beyond excited to have read my first book by Victoria! She's a fantastic writer who combines quick whit, strong female characters, sexy as hell love scenes, and an overall interesting plot into a fantastic read. Authors like Victoria are why I love to read and why I created Cheeky Reads in the first place. She gets readers like me and what we want. It's like she read my mind before writing Start Me Up!

Many Authors talk of writing the book of their heart, but I'd like to suggest that there is also the book of the reader's heart. Start Me Up might not seem like a contender since it's not weepy, dramatic chick-lit, but it’s very, very close to being my perfect book.

Maybe it's because I identify completely with Lori. Seriously, I think I AM Lori. From living in a small town and the desire to escape that town and travel the world, to being the caretaker of a handicapped parent and dealing with their passing, I am very like Lori. The list goes on and on as to how much of myself I saw in Lori. Oh, how I hope I can live up to Lori's wit and um...well we won't discuss the “other” side of Lori I'll never be able to live up to!

Victoria's books are the epitome of Cheeky Reads and she deserves her own special designation. I formally announce that Victoria Dahl will be known forever more here at Cheeky Reads as “Cheeky V!”

Long may Cheeky V write!

(TIP: Victoria released a new historical romance recently titled One Week As Lovers. So...Umm...maybe you should...you know...check that out!)

Romance Book Review: Lucky Streak by Carly Phillips

Romance Book Review: Lucky Streak
By: Carly Phillips
HQN Books
3 Heart Review
Buy Lucky Streak

Long ago, a witch proclaimed an eternal curse that every Corwin male who married for love would be destined to lose his woman and his fortune...

When Mike Corwin awakens after some wild partying in Vegas $100,000 richer and married to Amber, the gorgeous woman he met the night before, he thinks he's hit the jackpot. The bad news is that Amber's a con who takes his money and runs. Seems the family curse has finally hit him. Hard.

But to Amber, Mike isn't business as usual. If only she didn't need the money to ensure her father's safety, she might actually have fallen for the intense lawman. Instead, she's forced to betray him.

Now Mike's hell-bent on divorce and Amber's on the run...but when a twist of fate reunites them, can they turn their run of bad fortune into a lucky streak?

Lucky Steak is Carly Phillips’ second book in the Corwin Curse series and I found it to be a cute story with lots of fun characters. Not only did I enjoy Amber and Mike, but Mike’s family is loads of fun and the bad guys chasing Amber add some extra excitement.

The storyline is very believable and will probably hit close to the heart for many readers. Amber is a con only because she desperately needs to pay for her father’s nursing home and care. Mike is afraid of true love because his experience with it has only been through his messed up family (and of course the famous Corwin Curse). These are highly likeable characters and I really cheered for them to get together.

I enjoyed the story, but felt that there was so many characters and side stories that it took away from Mike and Amber. In particular, I felt that the scenes with Jason Corwin were forced into the book as a set-up for the next one. I do think his story sounds very interesting, but throwing in his scenes at the end of Lucky Streak just cluttered things up to me.

Lucky Streak was an enjoyable book, but it didn’t totally engross me. This might have been because of all the side stories and characters. I would have liked more focus on Mike and Amber. Although time passes in the book, very little of that time is spent with Mike and Amber together getting to know one another. This left me wanting more to their story. I wanted more Mike and Amber and less side characters. What I can say is that the story is fun to read and the writing made me laugh out loud!

Serial Lovin': Keeping Series Straight - Win The Sexiest Man Alive!

Cheeky Reader Marissa posted a great question last week: If a book is part of a series, why would I read them out of order? This question kept popping up in my head, so I thought it would make a great blog post.

Marissa's question was in reference to my review of Hard and Fast by Erin McCarthy since it’s the second book in Erin's Contemporary series about NASCAR drivers. So why did I read that book first? Well, in that instance, it was because I was in the mood for a contemporary, went to the bookshelf, and this book seemed to fit the bill. I completely spaced on this being part of a series, and I even have the first book on my shelf to read too! Both of these books, like most contemps, are stand alone books that share characters. So, even though they are linked, it's not 100% necessary to read them in order to enjoy them!

One thing I find very interesting – Why don't contemporaries do a better job of connecting books in a series? Yes, each book is a complete story in its own right, but very few of them bother to mention on the cover or back blurb that this isn't the first or only book with these characters involved.

Paranormals, Urban Fantasies and even mysteries, usually play up the connection between books on the cover. You'll often see “Book 5 of the xxx series” or “A xxx Mystery” right on the front cover. So why don't contemporaries do this more often? What is it about that particular genre?

In thinking about the other times I've read a series out of order I think it’s because I'm a reader just like you! I browse bookstores to find new authors, and that doesn’t always mean I know if a book is part of a series before I pick it up. Impulse shopping when you work across the parking lot from a bookstore can make you try out all kinds of new books!

I've been introduced to many of my favorite authors not through their first book, but through whatever book I first discovered of theirs. I read book three in Kim Harrison's Rachel Morgan series without any clue that it was part of a series. What happened? I said, “Whoa! I need more!” That's when I discovered the first two books – now I'm first in line for every new release! I'm constantly buying an author's backlist once I'm introduced to their awesomeness!

There are of course those books or series I've heard about online, so I will start with the first in the series, but I'm a reader like any other – drawn to an individual book like a moth to a flame! Catch my eye with a shiny cover or whet my appetite with a great blurb, and even if I haven't heard about the book or author I'll give it a try.

Have you ever bought a book only to discover that its part of a series, or do you always research books before buying? If you have read a later book in a series, did it inspire you to go back and read the previous books? What do you think about loosely linked Contemporaries that don't mention the series on their cover?

Leave a comment and you'll be entered to win a copy of Sexiest Man Alive by Diana Holquist! Winner will be announced Friday July 24th! A big thank you to Marissa for the great question – Send your mailing address to cheekyreads(@)gmail.com and I'll send you something special!

Romance Book Review: Hard And Fast By Erin McCarthy

Hard and Fast
By Erin McCarthy
Berkley Sensation
4 Heart Review
Book Excerpt

An experiment in romance...

New to Charlotte, North Carolina, stock car racing country, graduate student Imogen Wilson meets Ty McCordle, a driver who inexplicably has her pulse racing. After an encounter at the track with a woman whose main goal in life is to marry a driver, Imogen realizes she's hit on the perfect topic for her sociology thesis. If she follows the rules on how to get a man, can she steer her way into the hearts of the drivers and establish their
dating – and mating – patterns?

...that's testing the limits of passion.

Although sexy and reckless Ty is the ideal test subject, Imogen knows she can't pursue him for the sake of science. Yet he's the one who's chasing after her, and Imogen realizes that she actually wants to be caught. A Southern gentleman like Ty won't disappoint – he will satisfy her curiosity and make all the risks worthwhile...

As someone who doesn't understand the draw of NASCAR, I was slightly hesitant about this book. I wasn't sure how much a love of the “sport” was needed to enjoy it, but I found the book to be very light on the NASCAR references and this was a definite plus for me.

As the title suggests, the writing in this book is fast paced, but it definitely isn't hard to keep up with. This book was good enough to make me want to spout the cheesiest driving references I could think of...The story revved along and purred like the engine of an expensive car...Erin's writing took me for a ride...okay enough driving references!

What I liked about this book was that there was no huge mystery to be solved, no major revenge plot or a detailed historical setting. Instead, I found a straight up, sexy, contemporary with likable characters and great writing. Oh, and did I mention sexy? The sex scenes in this book were outstanding if you enjoy that kind of thing (cheeky smile appears on this reviewer's face).

I've recently purchased Erin's previous book, Flat-Out Sexy and will save it for when I need another great escape with some hot and steamy elements. I was very impressed with Erin's writing and the way she doesn't bog a story down in too many plot twists, minor characters or overly complex relationship hurdles. Hard and Fast was a perfect, uncomplicated story that I thoroughly enjoyed!

Buy From Amazon

Audio Lovin': Review of 16 Lighthouse Road By Debbie Macomber

16 Lighthouse Road Audio Book
By Debbie Macomber
Ready by: Sandra Burr
Brilliance Audio

I will admit I'm a latecomer to Debbie Macomber and her Cedar Cove stories. I was lucky enough to pick one up to read on our community loaner library shelf, and I discovered a writer with a sweetly sentimental contemporary voice. When I'm in the mood for a straightforward romance with warm feelings of home, I now reach for one of Debbie's books.

16 Lighthouse Road is my first foray into the lives of Judge Olivia, her mother Charlotte, and her selection of friends and family. I was very happy with the audio recording and the voice work done by Sandra Burr and the story was everything you should expect from Debbie.

The character Olivia is very interesting and as the story goes on you want to see more and more into her past and her future. I really connected with Olivia and was rooting for her relationship with local newspaper editor Jack to take off. Olivia's mother Charlotte adds just the right mix of humor to lighten the mood when the darker parts of the story threaten to take over.

The story of Cecilia and Ian Randall was both satisfying and slightly annoying to me. At times I felt so sorry for them, and at other, I wanted to yell at them just to sit down and talk and they might be able to work things out. I thought their romance was naively sweet and their hardships make their miscommunication understandable. Even so, I just wanted them to listen to each other!

The side story of Grace and her husband was surprising and that's why I loved it. Today i'll check out Debbie's Website to see if Grace has her own story since her story as the most compelling to me. I really want to know what happens to her and her husband.

Fans of Debbie and sweet contemporaries, will love 16 Lighthouse Road. With great characters, a very personal and memorable setting and great writing, this book will satisfy your need for a charming romance.