Bare It All Blog Tour! A Review of The New Lori Foster Romance

Bare It All by Lori Foster - Book 2 in the Men Who Walk The Edge Of Honor Series
3 Heart Review
Harlequin HQN

A cop’s craving to know more about the woman next door could prove fatal.

 

As the person responsible for taking down a brutal human trafficker, Alice Appleton fears retaliation at every turn. No one knows about her past, which is exactly how she prefers it…until the sexy cop next door comes knocking. Detective Reese Bareden thinks he knows what makes women tick, but his ever-elusive neighbor keeps him guessing like no other. Is his goal to unmask Alice’s secrets? Or protect her from a dangerous new threat? One thing is certain: their chemistry is a time bomb waiting to explode. And with no one to trust but each other, Reese and Alice are soon drawn into a deadly maze of corruption, intrigue and desire—and into the line of fire…

 

While the book is very interesting and I adored the side characters, I had mixed feelings about this book for a few reasons. The first is that the heroine Alice was very hard for me to get attached to. I felt she fell a little flat and too easily got over things upon sudden realizations. The second was that I found it too coincidental that the hero Reese is a cop who investigates human trafficking and Alice is a former victim who just happens to live next door.

 

One of the most important part of a plot for me is that even if it's the most way out there story idea ever, a writer has to be able to get the reader to suspend their disbelief and come along for the ride. That didn't totally work for me with this book. I just kept coming back to this being way too much of a coincidence and it kept me from really getting into the story. 

 

It is otherwise an engaging book and I really enjoyed the side characters most of all! I cannot wait for Rowdy's book and to learn more about Lieutenant Peterson. I think her story might even be one of the most interesting.

 

I will most definitely be picking up the next books in this series because again, I like the other characters but Alice just didn't speak to me and I couldn't get over how everything just fell into place at the beginning.

 

Happy Reading!

 

Cheeky Girl Sabrina

Lori Foster's A Perfect Storm Blog Tour - Win a Copy!

Welcome to Lori Foster's A Perfect Storm Blog Tour! 

Your Excerpt From A Perfect Storm: 

“Oh, aren’t you the generous one?”

He sighed. “The sneer is unappealing. Just tell me what it is.”

The narrowing of her eyes emphasized their pale, bright blue color and the thickness of her long, inky lashes. She drew two deep breaths, making it tough for him to keep his attention off her chest.

“It’s my birthday.”

Huh. Of all the things he’d imagined, that wasn’t one of them. It wasn’t even one of the top fifty. “Your birthday?” he said stupidly.

“Yeah, you know, the day I was born. Not under a rock, in case you’re wondering.” When he stayed mute, she added, “I’m twenty-one now. A legal adult. Not a little girl, like you keep saying.”

Find your next excerpt of A Perfect Storm at http://www.onceuponatwilight.com/

Now, welcome Lori Foster to Cheeky Reads - Advice for Aspiring Romance Novelists: 

I suggest that budding romance writers write what excites them. Avoid the traps of trying to jump on the bandwagon, or emulate a successful author. If it’s not YOU, you won’t enjoy it. If you don’t enjoy it, why would anyone else?

Some writers prefer stand alone books. Some, like me, have characters that take over and show up again and again.  Some like writing sweet romances, and some like super-steamy and explicit. It is such an amazingly personal thing that you can’t, and should never try to, write for anyone but yourself.

I’ve had books that readers hated. Some that readers *really* hated. LOL. But I’m a realist. I know I can’t please all the readers all of the time. When disappointed readers write to me, I apologize. I AM sorry that they spent time on a book they didn’t enjoy. 

But will I change what I’m doing for them? I can’t.

What works for me is writing what I want, what I enjoy, the way that I want to write it, and the way that works for me. All writers should do the same.

Another tip for new writers – stay away from critique groups. It’s YOUR book, not a book by committee. Just because your critique partner doesn’t like it, just because she thinks it’s awkward, doesn’t mean you need to change it. The only opinions that matter are #1) yours, and #2) the editor’s.  Your critique partner cannot buy your book. All she can really do is point out typos, which is great, discourage you with criticism, which is self-defeating, or bolster you with praise, which may or may not jive with an editor’s opinion.

So avoid it.

Contests can also be a catch 22. Sure, you get immediate feedback and sometimes you get a connection with an editor or agent. But you also get immediate gratification – something you should get after you’ve _finished the book!_ NOT because you’ve written one to three chapters.

I’ve know unpubs who’ve polished that first chapter a dozen times. It’s been submitted in at least that many contests. It’s even placed in a few, or won in some. But the whole book? Why finish a book when you can send just one chapter in to win another contest?

Contests make it so easy to lose sight of the end goal – which is publication. 

New writers – keep your eye on that end goal! As soon as you finish a book and get it mailed off, start another. And another.


Thanks Lori! 

Don't forget to keep following the blog tour! Check out this link for all the information:  http://booktrib.com/blog-tour-a-perfect-storm-by-lori-foster/

Giveaway: The awesome team at Media Muscle is allowing me to giveaway 1 copy of A Perfect Storm to a lucky reader! Tell me what you love the most about romantic suspense and high-octane heroes and you'll be entered to win! 


Open in the US and Canada, a winner will be randomly selected on Friday April 20th. So leave a comment and include your email so I can forward your information to Media Muscle!