The Romance ... of self-giving love
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The first fiction book I've had time to read cover to cover in a long time -- and I am glad I did.  Well written, thought-provoking - wherever you sit on this subject - this book doesn't polarize but instead gives a beautiful example of self-giving love. There is much to consider - but I think my favorite point, to quote character Scott Kyle, "Where would we be without Grace."  This has been a long, cold and for some us SNOWY winter, do yourself a favor, grab a warm blanket, and comfy spot and lose yourself in a real romance!
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This new episode in the Real Man series has a nice theme. It's about two characters who have been secretly in love for years, but only now get to share an apartment because he's helping her out. This leads to unleashing their pent-up passion.

I liked reading about their hidden thoughts about each other and how each day meant getting closer to acting on them. Brendan acts more possessive, yet there is this dance of denial between them that only makes their eventual surrender that sweeter.

The heat of their first time together combines perfectly with a couple of epilogues that complete their relationship in a most romantic way. I think one of my favourite parts was when they are not really sure of the other's feelings so they try to hide their own. Really nice.

(First reviewed on my blog Literaria)
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As with quite a few books this year, I don't know how to feel about it. On the one hand, the prose is lovely and the story is great for a hopeless romantic like myself. On the other, every action in this book is driven by the main character's love for a guy that she only spent one day with. Without spoiling a lot of the plot, she gets a little ridiculous with her level of obsession for the guy--the angst is strong with this one--and the last few chapters are a bit too serendipitous for my liking.

That said, it's a cute feel-good story that ends too soon, and I'll be reading the sequel (and sequel novella) for some fluff. 4 stars because even with my issues with the plot, it was cute and kept me interested until the very end.

Oh, and Dee needs his own book. I love him so hard.
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Heart-moving and insightful, Jessica Hart's PROMOTED: TO WIFE AND MOTHER is a short romance with a big story for modern women readers. This romance features a professional heroine faced with being a caretaker for an aging parent with too little time for the niceties of picture perfect romance, but a woman who might just find love nevertheless.

Perdita James is stuck at one of those inane corporate management workshops. Dressed to the hilt and a bright, intelligent, professional woman, Perdita stands out from the crowd. The workshop labels her as a peacock, and indeed she is a vixen, a leader and a magnet whom no eye can resist. Try as she might to be a dolphin, a likable team player, she cannot hide her magnet professional and personal qualities. When she spots a latecomer to the event, irresponsible but ever so sexy, like a sleek panther, she can't help but open her mouth...and put her foot not far behind.  Labeled a panther by the management test, Edward watches and plans. Forceful and innovative, he knows how to revitalize businesses but when it comes to love and family, can he perform a miracle? Widowed with three children and businesses to run, does Edward have time for romance? Labeled a panther, does Edward have the patience needed to capture Perdita's heart?

Forget the silly title of this book, and forget the blurb too. Neither tells anyone the awesome story of love inside the pages of this short romance. Away from the office, family preoccupy their time. Perdita cares for her aging mom and her boss Edward Merrick is a widower with three children. How can these two achieving professionals find love with others depending so much on them? Jessica Hart's PROMOTED: TO WIFE AND MOTHER is a rich story of learning that the message of true love is not some perfect scenario but a life lived with love amongst all the demands of life. As in previous romances, Jessica Hart once again demonstrates her gift for dialogue. The reader feels the hero and heroine getting to know each other, feels love evolving and growing. The unfolding dialogue builds an assurance that this hero and heroine, because they know each other and share, will have an happy ending long after the last page.

Although the title is accurate in keying a potential buyer into the themes of work and family that are inside this book, it gives no clue as to the reading treasure to be found inside. Quite simply, Jessica Hart's romance is a gem! The title word "Promoted" seems to place family above intelligence and career, creating a dichotomy and hierarchy in the roles women have. This is exactly what this book does not do. Indeed, Jessica Hart's romance opens the door, not closing it in a stay-at-home mom versus working mom or either/or choices but about a woman living and loving and respecting herself and her values --- all of them. It's not feminist or non-feminist but about women being full women in the midst of their lives, at all stages of their lives and also having romance. Hats off to Jessica Hart and Harlequin for bringing romance to those women who are caretakers for their parents, something that is happening to more and more women nowadays. Jessica Hart's PROMOTED: TO WIFE AND MOTHER is awesome! A keeper on my shelves and a book I would never lend out for fear of never getting it back.
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Harry Clavering is a Trollopian hero very much in the mold of George Bertram (The Bertrams): romantic, impatient, impulsive, confident. Like George, as well, he feels himself betrayed in love. Julia Brabazon, goddess-like in beauty but also deeply in debt, has jilted him and broken his heart, choosing wealth and rank over love by marrying a decadent aristocrat instead of Harry, then employed  as a schoolmaster. Cambridge graduate Harry makes the bold, unconventional choice to pursue a career in civil engineering.  He fantasizes about the great projects he will undertake and the great wealth which will be his ultimate reward. Julia will see then how wrong she was to spurn him!

Two years later, when Julia reappears in his life as the widowed Lady Ongar, Harry is working as an apprentice engineer, already engaged to Florence Burton, a bright, charming, pretty young woman from a large, prosperous family in which all the sons become engineers and all the daughters marry engineer husbands. Lady Ongar is extremely rich, vaguely scandalous, and, for Harry, dangerous -- seductive flame to his susceptible moth. Harry's concern for Julia is only what a protective brother might feel, he tells himself, while she struggles to find a place in society alone, as a woman with a past.

Harry finds himself at cross purposes both with his old love and his new one, and to some extent with himself.  Does Harry really want to be an engineer, or does he just want to be rich? Does he have the patience and determination necessary to succeed through hard work? Does Julia know about his engagement to Florence? How would Florence feel if she knew the truth about Harry's visits to Julia? Does Harry even have any idea what he really wants, or how to go about achieving it? Several characters, including Harry's own mother, and even Julia, have doubts as to his ability to earn a living. Trollope explains, once again, that he never intends for his heroes to be perfect, only human.

This novel is vintage Trollope, with a well defined plot, well developed characters, and plenty of moral, social, economic, and psychological dilemmas. Harry's partly clerical, partly titled landowning family (which includes Julia's wretchedly unhappy sister, married to Harry's cousin), Florence's practical, prudent engineering relatives, and Julia's  opportunistic, greedy continental hangers-on provide the minor characters and subplots.  Memorable scenes include Lady Clavering's anguish at the death of her small son, made even more painful by the fear that her husband will use this loss to put her out of his life forever, and the courtship of Harry's sister Fanny by the awkward, determined curate Mr. Saul, so serious and good that he makes everyone around him feel uncomfortable.

Though The Claverings might be considered to be among Trollope's lesser known works, anyone who has enjoyed the Barchester or Palliser novels, especially The Eustace Diamonds,  should certainly seek it out.
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Maybe I do...but then again maybe I don't that is the question and what seems to be the mantra running through the minds of Charlotte and Dean, the main couple, in this one, my fellow romance book loving friends. Both become conflicted as they struggle with attraction they have kept contained the last couple of years with harmless back and forth, flirty banter/winks every time they meet. Dean is eleven years older, thinks hes wise enough to know he isn't what Charlotte needs, and is all but married to his business. Besides considering what happened with his former wife, he assumes hes just not meant to be the family man hes always wanted to be.

Charlotte plans to never put another engagement ring on her finger again, folks. Sure, shell sign up for the companionship and even children some day but she doesnt believe wedding vows deliver on their promise of a HEA. Yeah, thats a rather inconvenient confession since shes in the wedding photography business. She cant help but push those thoughts aside though whenever she lays eyes or hands on Dean, owner of a popular wedding venue she uses. Shes had a crush on him for years and is more than ready to make her move to see if he feels the same.

With lots of relationship angst, we journey with these destined to be together knuckleheads but not without some frustrating What were you thinking? moments that clearly show age doesnt always bring wisdom, folks.

I loved Charlottes strong character and resilience. She somehow always reached deep and was the better person when dealing with those who had wronged her. A trait that also seemed to be carried by Dean, as well.

There is some OW/OM drama in the form of exs that I could have lived without, but thats just my personal preference. Neither main character are in any way shape or form tempted to go back with their former lovers at any time in this storyline. For that, I am very thankful, though one of them gets hurt when a crisis hits and they are excluded, left to feel like an outsider, while the ex is not.

Heres to hoping this review has been helpful in deciding if maybe you do want to give this series a try.  I found the writing flowed, and I stayed completely engaged. By the way, you might want to check out this authors Hearts and Crafts series, as well. Book 1 - Win Me Over and Book 2 - Draw Me Close were both very enjoyable for this NetGalley reviewer.

Title: Maybe I Do, Series: Whiskey and Weddings (Book 1), Author: Nicole McLaughlin, Pages: 300, stand-alone but part of a series, resilient/sweet/gorgeous heroine, older good guy hero who takes awhile to come to his senses, some very steamy scenes, accurate synopsis.

Book 1 - Maybe I Do, 8/29/17, Pages: 300 (Charlotte & Dean)
Book 2 - Maybe This Time, 2/27/18, Pages: 300

(I received a free advanced reader copy provided via NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. No type of compensation was given to this reviewer. There is no relationship/affiliation between the reviewer and the author/publisher/NetGalley.)
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Sparks are always going to fly between the goddess of chastity and the god of fertility. They are two edges of the same sword, two sides of the same coin. To say they have to meet in the middle sounds sort of obvious, but mythology is full of such tales.

Syrinx is the goddess of chastity and shes being pursued by Pan, the god of fertility. Shes tempted and thats the problem. She shouldnt be, by her own estimation. So she makes a deal with a water nymph and hides out in the twenty-first century. There, she works as a florist, happily making things grow while keeping her chastity, er, belted.

Enter Parker Thomas, the breathtakingly handsome bachelor who needs five hundred roses for a gala. Syrinx finds herself tempted again, but given he is mortal, thinks she can handle the situation.

Parker is not mortal; he is Pan in disguise and has traveled through time in pursuit of the one maiden he must have. Through the judicious advice of a friend, however, he discovers the meaning of that old adage, the one about the journey being more important than the destination.

The god of fertility learns about romance rather than conquest and the goddess of chastity learns that she can make her own rules.

Pans Conquest is a really sweet romance. There are a lot of funny moments and more than a touch of sincerity. I liked both characters, but felt more drawn to Pan, particularly as he evolved into something other than a raging lust monster. Beneath the love story is a setting that showcases Aubrie Dionnes interest in music and poetry, and an obvious fascination with mythology and nature.

The book could have been meatier, definitely. More plot and even more romance. But I didn't mind that it was short. It felt like a quick interlude, a break from the every day, and I think thats exactly what these sort of romances should be. Not heavy and thoughtful, but light and easy to read. Entangled Publishings Covet line is offered at such a low price, no reader is going to feel ripped off.

I quite enjoyed Pans Conquest and Im inspired to look into some of Dionnes other offerings, particularly her science-fiction romance.
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Esme Canville is desperate. She's been subjected to her father's abuse since her mother abandoned them, and now her last hope for escape through marriage is gone: the man her father has chosen to marry her off to is old, and just as cruel as her father.

Banished to her room, she watches out the window and sees a shocking scene: Cpt. St. John Radwell and his mistress having an argument. St. John has let his mistress go, but what's so amazing to Esme, giving her an idea and a glimmer of hope, is that despite the mistress screaming and throwing things, St. John remained calm and never laid a hand on her.

St. John needs a mistress; Esme needs an escape. He's a kind man, and while becoming a mistress will ruin her in the eyes of society, she's been kept from society anyway, so it's no great loss.

So she sneaks out of the house at night and propositions him.

St. John, however, has been trying to turn over a new leaf. He's tired of war, and semi-estranged from his family after trying to seduce his brother's bride (in the preceding book). The last thing his reputation needs is to seduce a virgin, and a lady. Adding to the urgency is his last chance to make something of himself: an inheritance he'll receive only if he remains scandal-free for a year. So he swallows his pride and bundles her off to his brother's house for safekeeping.

This pair is just so.... likable, and easy to sympathize with. St. John is truly trying to make amends to his family, and he doesn't deny or minimize his sins--in fact, he accepts more blame than he's really due, understanding that his past is the cause of the suspicion.

Esme, too, is strong and brave and... I was going to say self-effacing, but that's not really it. Both of them are distinctly lacking in a sense of entitlement that I found very appealing. They're both trying to improve their lives, but they're trying to do so by their own efforts. I fell in love with them both.

I also really liked the authentic feel of this story. So often in Regency romances, the characters end up flouting society's rules with impunity. Not so, here. For example, they have to come up with ingenious ways to keep Esme out of her father's and his choice of bridegroom's clutches, and to explain her absence, rather than just spiriting her away.
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Before we commence with the review, let's look at that cover for a moment, shall we? Is it just me, or does the dude on the left look like Ryan Seacrest? It's probably just me. I swear, though, it looks just like him. Hmmmm ....

Okay, so. The path to true love never runs smoothly. We know that, right? Well, imagine, if you will, what the path to true gay love, circa 1752, and on a ship. For Robert  Hughes, the challenge is even more fraught with tension and frustration because Hal Morgan, the man he loves, is in love with another man. As crewmen on a ship, the two are closeted, to say the least, but Robert knows of Hal's infatuation with William. Hal, on the other hand, has no idea that Robert is gay; he assumes Robert is in love with a woman.

One night, fueled by the giddy taste of possibility, Robert confesses all to Hal: I love you, William doesn't, give us a chance.

Hal's response and the ensuing drama verge on the emotionally fulfilling and the emotionally devastating. For such a slight book, Alex Beecroft draws her characters very well, causing us to care about and understand them. We  can see why Hal feels so strongly about his fidelity to William; we feel Robert's frustration and sadness. When Robert makes his move, we are nervous with anticipation:

"Robert ached for Hal with a fierce, hot pain, He put a carefully casual hand on Hal's knee, feeling the roughness of the heavy linen. The warmth of Hal's flesh, seeping through it, travelled up his arm like a flame eating along a fuse. So far, so good, and yet Hal had been about to tell him something. after all these years of being at arm's length, he had been about to confide in Robert as though he considered Robert a true friend."

While this romance may not be typical in that it features two men, it certainly rings true in its sense of hope and loss.

My only complaint, though - and I think it's a biggie - is that there is no rocking of the headboard. Or at least there is no detailed rocking of the headboard. There are a couple of love scenes, but they are so vaguely written that you are left unsatisfied (no pun intended).

Even so, this is a sweet little read. Just don't go into it expecting hot sexy times.

Published on cupcake's book cupboard. @VivaAmaRisata
Thanks to NetGalley for the preview.
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So, here is my review... I raved about this book on my social media, then realized I'd forgotten to do this ;)
Let's start with the basics, shall we? There just aren't enough novels out there with mature main characters. Much of the angst and drama in a regular romance are at least partially driven by the fact that one or the other of the main characters hasn't grown up enough to know what they want, or is still in a dithering state of immaturity. Often that results in at least one of them needing killing before the book is over, whether it's a giant rectum of a Hero, or a heroine who is "TSTL" (too stupid to live).
Something I have come to enjoy about Daisy Prescott's books, the Wingman series in particular, is the perspective. I like that these are written as if they come from the inside of a man's mind. It is a lot simpler in there (and no, I'm not being sarcastic). Dan's been around the block, and around the world. He's made a fortune, and has chosen to live simply, make pizza, and enjoy the simple pleasures of Whidbey Island. Early retirement, so to speak, except he dropped out at his peak, and left behind the ambitious love of his life, Roslyn.
They both knew at the time that his life choice prevented them from sharing a happy co-existence.
What hasn't stopped over the years, though, is the love and yearning that they have for one another. They are both practical people, smart, gifted in their own ways, and persuasive. I do see that Roslyn bends more in this scenario than Dan does, but I also see that timing is everything in life, and at last, for her, it's time to reap the benefits of her hard work and learn to enjoy life and love herself.
The road to that isn't easy, of course, and they're both pretty stubborn. But it's clear there is not only chemistry but a deep fondness on both of their parts that is going to be enduring.
I was cheering for them to find that HEA that they'd both waited so very long for.
Highly recommended, and since it's self-contained you can read it separately from the rest of the series, though I do recommend you at least try out the first of the Wingmen, Ready to Fall, which is free; the characters are endearing and cross over between her series. I read a *lot*, and I can't express how refreshing some honest, natural, real behavior is. This is what a contemporary romance should look like.
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This is the third part of a trilogy of romances, but stands alone on its merits (you don't have to read the first two parts, although doing so will give you more insight into the hero, Rhys's, character).

Rhys really grew up during the course of the book; we see him mature and change from someone committed to revolt, and who's hanging onto the pain of his past, into someone capable of loving and committing to a woman who by rights would be his enemy.  The heroine, Isolde, is a little less well-drawn (she's a little shallow intially, and spoiled) but not totally to the detriment of the story.  She matures and changes too, although not so drastically as Rhys does.  I liked the fact that the story is centered around the changes that the two individuals, Rhys and Isolde, are undergoing.  The author's spotlight on the two characters; their inner thoughts and doubts, etc., makes the love story that much stronger.  It's a very sensual romance, also --always a good thing!
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Strawberry Summer is an intimate tale of two lives and of their twining in the span of time going from adolescence to maturity, it is a second chance romance, after a quite long time of separation, and it is also a story about the importance of both roots and wings for the inner life of a person.
The choice of first person narration from the point of view of Maggie has a very interesting effect, I think.
Courtney, the girl Maggie falls for, is initially portrayed as cool, self-confident, all sexy and misteriously charming. But with the growing of their relationship, her frailties and insecurity will emerge. And thats what made her so dear to me.
On the contrary, in the beginning, Maggie thinks of herself as clumsy and unable to socialize and behaves accordingly, but gradually she starts to see herself through Courtneys eyes, to see her qualities, her strength, and to grow accordingly in her behaviour, becoming more sure, more open. And with Maggie acquiring consciousness of herself, the reader also comes to know her better and to like her.
A third person narration with switching point of views is entertaining for the reader. Because it is more immediate. Because its easier. We see both the characters from different angles and thats complete, right away. Following a first person narration requires patience, attention and a bit of reading between the lines. But providing a reader doesnt get impatient, it is more charming in the end, when it is magistrally done as in this book.
Roots and wings, I was saying. To simplify a bit, Maggie has solid family roots, but has to develop her wings, while Courtney is wings oriented and needs the roots her parents did not give her.
The book shows the importance of the balance between the two. And it is subtle because it doesnt only focus on whats missing when one of the two aspects is lacking. It shows how both wings and roots have the proverbial two sides of a coin. And the attachment to one, when the other is needed bring forth the dark side of both. We see Maggie failing because she sticks with roots when she should not, and Courtney failing because she follow wrong wings, having no longer faith in roots.
Strawberry Summer is a beautiful and really not banal story. I loved it dearly, even with its complexity.
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Sara Wise has spent her life in the company of unseen ghosts.  The voices usually want her to carry some last message - she's learned the hard way to promise but not deliver - and then they go away.  For two months now though, she's had an incorporeal visitor that can't or won't leave.  Instead of asking her to give some, "I'm in a better place," or "the second will is under the doormat," message to a surviving loved one, he's been hanging around chatting during the day and at night stealing into her dreams and making passionate love to her.

Natan de Manua - Nathan - is seeking redemption for something he thinks he did more than five hundred years earlier.  He'd been suffering in tormented limbo until he was offered the chance to watch over Sara although he doesn't know what he's supposed to do or when.  He always assumed he'd stay incorporeal but the more he's with Sara, touching her in her dreams and being part of her life, the stronger he becomes until he's able to assume a solid form again.  The happiness that he and Sara find with each other feels fragile though because both know that if he's been allowed to become corporeal, chances are it's because the danger he's been sent to protect her from is near and when his job is done, he'll be gone.

While this is obviously a contemporary romance, it has a love-through-the-ages theme that reminded me of some of the romance novels that got me obsessed with the genre when I was a lot younger.  There are almost two stories book-ending a tragedy - Sara and Nathan's sweet, passionate and happy romance and the event that led him to her then the aftermath.  There's a paranormal suspense story throughout the majority of the book, enough to keep the lovers on edge and just enough to add some darkness to the story.

There was an interesting little segment in the story away from Nathan and Sara's romance that was a combination of a wink-wink and maybe a little side-eye at the business of romance publishing.  As a reader, I have zero idea about what goes on behind the scenes when it comes to getting something published, but the thrust of the scene is that in some eyes, it's best that authors find a genre, develop a brand and not vary from it or they won't find an audience (or get published).  There's a lot more in the section, but I think there's probably more than a little truth about the branding issue, since rather than using their own names when they switch genres to write, many authors use pen names.  The entire passage is handled with some humor and exasperation and gave me an appreciation for what I'm assuming is some of the minutia authors go through.

One of the things I love best about reading Julia's books is that when I finish I always feel like she's given me an honest piece of herself in the story somewhere, whether it's an experience, an opinion or an emotion and it makes me feel more connected to the story.  I was with Nathan and Sara from the beginning, hoping that they'd find a way to be together, despairing right along with them when it looked like hope was lost.  I had a soggy handful of tissues by the last few chapters and even though I knew a happily ever after had to come for Sara, the one that was delivered was especially right, especially sweet and impossibly romantic.
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Im a little torn on how I feel about the premise of the story. Mikayla discovers something terrible on the night of prom, which leads to her meeting Jake, who ends up inviting her to his prom with his friends. On their way home at the end of the night, something far more horrendous happens, and Mikaylas life changes forever. While it all makes sense (it does, and I apologize for skipping out on details because I don't want to spoil it for anyone), I found the circumstances surrounding the forces that push Jake and Kayla together a little too farfetched. I understand that this genre tends to be soap-opera level dramatic, but I guess this was just too much for me to really wrap my head around. Nevertheless, it does the job of building the plot and giving both Jake and Kayla a lot of room for emotional depth and character growth.

Jake is definitely one of my favorite male leads (so far).  Hes compassionate and understanding, patient when necessary but still holds those alpha traits that a lot of readers (including me, Ill admit, but only occasionally!) find swoon-worthy. On the other hand, Kayla is a little harder to like. She shows a significant amount of weakness, and tends to be quicker on the trigger when it comes to her feelings for Jake, referring to him as her "home now soon after they just met. These things, along with her constant indecisiveness about whether she should be with Jake or not gets old after a while. I don't like it, but if you consider all the things she has to deal with in the first place, her emotional instability does make sense.

One (very important) thing for me: I genuinely appreciate the fact that although their attraction is instantaneous, their relationship takes some time (six months, although the book spans about a year). This, I think, gives both characters the opportunity to show personality and get to know each other. Both Jake and Kayla act their age (this, Im sure, was harder to convey in Kayla), and it gives a nice lightness to an otherwise angst-only novel.

I will admit that despite how much I like Jake&Kayla and their relationship, I find their jealousy frustrating. They tend to overreact A LOT, what each of them going twelve levels of crazy anytime someone from the opposite sex talks/looks at one of them

The cast of supporting characters (specifically, Jakes friends) also add more color to the story (Note: they are the lead characters in the other books). They show a great deal of personality, and are all interesting in their own ways. My favorites are definitely Lucy and Logan. Lucy is hilarious, funny, and I find her quite relatable, while Logans transformation to creepy beer dude to genuine friend/decent human being towards the end really got me. Im guessing there will be some degree of character crossover in the next books, so Im definitely thinking about reading them as well.

The writing is engaging and so emotionally wrought that its pretty hard to put down once you start getting into it. The story itself may be a bit slow, but the interaction that occurs is necessary in building their relationship. There is one thing towards the enda revelationthat I guessed and found predictable, but it doesnt really take anything away from the story.
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It's said that time is the great healer, but love can be every bit as powerful when it comes to mending the soul. This is certainly the case for one of the heroes in this poignant coming of age tale by Mia Kerick. Written with real tenderness, and featuring a protagonist whose voice grabbed my attention from the opening sentences, this is one of those novels that made me feel all warm and tingly inside. It left me with the belief that, no matter how damaged or embittered a person may be, there is always hope, the chance that things will get better.

High school senior Kai Manter--talented, confident, and sexy as hell--is unaccustomed to guys turning him down. Moreover, his evening shifts playing gigs at the popular college caf, Coed Joe's, earns him plenty of male admiration. Therefore, when he sets his sights on Jamie Arlotta, his beautiful but unapproachable coworker, Kai fully expects his advances to yield some no-strings-attached sex. Nothing could have prepared him for the vehemence of Jamie's hostility, or that this rejection would arouse in him a single-minded determination to gain Jamie's trust.

With the aid of music, his most comfortable mode of expression, Kai reaches out to Jamie. He assures him that he understands he's in pain, that he wants to be there for him. Little by little, Kai coaxes Jamie into opening up, and soon learns that he has deep-rooted issues, planted there by years of sexual abuse. It also becomes clear that he is fast losing his heart to the broken young man. Kai has no idea whether Jamie will ever heal sufficiently to return his feelings, but the one thing he does know is that he has to do whatever it takes to help him.

What appealed to me most about 'Intervention' was that it's primarily a story of character development. As the narrative opens, Kai is a cocksure young man whose main concern, besides his music, is scoring his next quick lay. Jamie, on the other hand, is an emotional wreck, who uses his bitchy tongue as a weapon to hold people at arm's length. The more deeply Kai falls in love, the more I realized the self-assurance conceals a genuine kindness, and the patience with which he draws Jamie out, gradually revealing the sweetness beneath the animosity, truly touched me.
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A very steamy but sweet romance read.  Three young Bostonians are brought back together as a result of the death of their mentor, Sully.  While, they grew up spending time together, they have grown apart over the years due to their own personal baggage and misconceptions of each other.  Cate has been bullied by her society grand-dame mother for her entire life to try to fit her mother's expectations for a proper young woman.  As a result, her self-esteem is low and she misinterprets her interactions with others to convince herself that she has little value.  Jack is an angry man, as a result of his impoverished beginnings and the ongoing pressure from his family to support them in their addictions and poor decisions.  He, too, doesn't understand his worth.  Dylan is the saving grace to the trio, as he is truly comfortable in his own skin - easy-going but strong of will.  As the three decide what to do with their shared legacy from Sully, Dylan works to bring the two most important people in his life back together.  The evolution of the relationship rings true, as does each character's development.  I'm not usually a fan of MMF fiction, but this sweet romance was a pleasure to lose myself in.
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BEHIND HER EYES is different. You may think that this deceptively simple novel by Sarah Pinborough is a romance --- that is, until it makes a number of slow twists and turns and becomes something else. It may require a suspension of disbelief due to a supernatural element that may be too much for some readers to swallow without warning. My recommendation is to open wide and take the medicine. You will be glad you did.

The story is told by Louise and Adele, who provide alternating first person narratives throughout the now of the book. Louise works as a secretary at a psychiatric practice. She has an adorable four-year-old boy named Adam whom she dearly loves, but also has some impulse issues that are fueled by fairly heavy alcohol consumption. While Adam is visiting his dad for a weekend, Louise hits the pubs and runs into a good-looking gentleman who seems genuinely interested in her. They have a round or two of kissy face before going their separate ways, leaving Louise just a little enchanted from this chance, brief encounter.

However, Louise doesnt have to wait long to see the dashing stranger again. It develops that he is Dr. David Martin and has just joined the practice where Louise works. David is getting a tour of the offices, accompanied by his wife, Adele, when Louise spots the pair. She manages to avoid them during their visit, but must confront David the following day --- his first real day on the job --- given that she has been assigned to be his secretary. They both agree that their actions from the previous weekend were a mistake and they will both move on. Shortly thereafter, though, Louise and Adele run into each other --- literally --- and Louise introduces herself as Davids secretary. The two have coffee and quickly become fast friends. Adele attaches one caveat to their relationship: She insists that David not know that Louise has been spending time with her.

Meanwhile, Louise, giving in to impulse and desire, fueled by proximity and, yes, alcohol, has picked up with David where they left off, and then some. Secrets abound within this very sharp-edged love triangle. Adele, as she reveals in her portions of the narrative, knows what Louise and David are up to. She not only continues to cultivate her relationship with Louise, but also tacitly enables David to resume his own. The question, of course, is why, but a bigger one is how she knows what she knows. Both questions are slowly answered in the intermittent Then sections of the novel, which documents Davids stormy history with Adele. There is much more to both of these people than Louise could ever think to guess. One of them is hiding a secret, revealed near the end of the book, which will leave you (and another of the characters) gasping.

BEHIND HER EYES asks its readers who are on the fence or outright doubters of the supernatural or new age advocacy to suspend their disbelief. I again urge those who find the concept hard to swallow to roll with it. It shouldnt be that difficult at this point, considering what we are expected to believe in the name of entertainment. I mean, did you watch The Avengers movie? Or more than five minutes of The Matrix? I will tell you that your patience and indulgence will be rewarded in spades when you get to the ending(s), which will have you simultaneously swallowing your tongue and screaming. Seriously. Youll be stuck in that nanosecond between seeing a cars bumper slide up to you and the moment of impact for a long time to come after reading it.

Did I say this book was about a love triangle? Thats not quite accurate. BEHIND HER EYES is about a lot more than that. You may still trust people in your relationships after reading it, but youll also want to verify, at least to the extent that you're able.

Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub