Simplicity is falling for Jake fast.
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Great writing, suspense, mystery, and first romance abound. Short reads, I have to read more, to see where  it's  going.
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TAMING JAKE
A Cypress Corners Romance

Author: JoMarie DeGioia

Type of Book: Audiobook - Unabridged

Narrator: Wendy Rich Stetson

Length: 6 hours, 17 minutes

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: January 5, 2015

Publisher: JoMarie Gioia

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

* I received a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Jake is the consummate rich bachelor. He is not interested in having a relationship. He lives to travel from place to place chasing the next adventure. Currently he is working for his father and hates being stuck in an office all day. Plus, no matter what Jake does, his father never thinks it is good enough.

Clair is the opposite of Jake in every way. She is the accountant for the Cypress Corners Resort. She has a talent for numbers and is saving money for the future. She is also responsible for the financial care of her father who lives in a nearby retirement community.

Jake comes to Cypress Corners with plans of adding an adventure course to the resort. He will be there only as long as the project lasts and then he will be off on his next adventure.

When Claire and Jake meet there is an instant physical attraction. But Claire is all about stability and long term planning and Jake is all about living for the moment. Can these two gorgeous and talented people put aside their differences and become a couple? Or will the fact that Jake is only there for a brief period of time stop their attraction from turning into something more?

I enjoyed this audiobook. It is a contemporary romance and would definitely fit into the category of "Chick Lit".

The characters are well developed and readers will become invested in the outcome of their potential romance.

The only small flaw was that this book was definitely predictable, but that seems to happen with all romance novels and did not detract from my enjoyment of this audiobook.

The narrator, Wendy Rich Stetson, did a great job voicing the multiple characters in this audiobook. Her voice lends itself very well to romance audiobook narration. Her pacing is excellent and her tone of voice allowed me to get caught up in the story. I liked the fact that she did not use sound effects since I find that they usually distract me from the story.

Overall I rate this audiobook as 4 out of 5 stars.
2245465
Having read "A View to Die For", I grabbed this second free offering in the "to die for" series by Richard Houston. Jake is a down and outer, living in a cabin sans electricity high in the Colorado mountains with his dog, Fred, the golden retriever. Seems Jake manages to stir it up wherever he goes and this is no exception. The BBQ he is attending at an informal get-together explodes culminating in the death of Lonnie. Jake did have an IT  job at one time, tries his hand at writing, but at the moment doesn't seem to have a lot else to do. Thank heaven he can devote his time to drinking beer with his closest neighbor Bonnie, who often foregoes the beer and goes straight for the bourbon. Fortunately, the story takes a small twist and introduces the lady who instantly becomes the love of his life. Fred is fed all the wrong food and shares Jake's beer--I'm not confident of his big dog life span either. Still, the characters can be entertaining, is a quick and easy read, and is recommended as such.
2634980
Sweet beginning to this story. Simple, but leaves you wanting more. Ethan isn't your overbearing alpha, but a sexy play boy who is starting to realize with the right woman, a relationship might not be so bad. To bad she lives 3,000 miles away. However, the distance and knowing all they have is one week allows Ethan and Anna to be honest with each other and make the most of their time together, they take the blinders off so to speak. Anna is a heartbroken woman looking to nurse her heart back together. Just when she gave up on love, it might have crept right in
3482659
Clem is a simple man with a complex history. Roxley also had a rough beginning and learned that a solitary existence was best for him. Clem runs the lodging at his brother's request, following his rules. Roxley is one of the few lodgers. They are an unlikely couple. Clem, handsome, tall, yet simple. Roxley is shorter, private, with an unusual occupation. There is an attraction between the two, but they are hesitant to act on it. Bad things begin to happen, murder, arson, brutal attacks, that show them the strength of their feelings for each other. As the suspense builds, I found it harder to put down the book, and I did enjoy the twists and turns of the story.

I received a copy of this story through Netgalley, and this is my unsolicited review.
808448
Jake and his teenage son Andy live alone in a trailer in a quiet Massachusetts town. His ex-wife Laura has been out of the picture for many, many years after Jake was in a drunk-driving incident which threw his baseball career out the window, as well as Andys diagnosis with diabetes. It was too much for her to handle so she walked out of his life, no traces of her to be found.

The two of them get along fine. Jake is a doomsday prepper and Andy is a computer geek. While Andys fine with his fathers doomsday preparations and hell help out sometimes as a sacrifice to keep his father happy, his patience with it is growing thin. As the days pass Andy wants less and less to do with the survival training his father forces upon him.

As it turns out, Andy is more than a computer geek. Hes a hacker. Him and a few of his friends at Pepperell Academy, where Jake works, are part of a secret computer club they call The Shire. Theyll hack into bank accounts of the wealthy and transfer a thousand or so dollars to those who could use it  and the people are so rich, they don't even notice the money left their account.

Unfortunately, one of their hacks goes wrong. They ended up hacking a Mexican drug cartel and stole two million dollars worth of bitcoins. The cartel isn't happy about it, so they hunt down the money thieves, tracking them to the school they attend. The cartel then infiltrates the school after having a chemical truck spill its contents a little ways from the campus. With the school evacuated as a safety precaution due to the spill, the cartel take the members of The Shire hostage until they get their stolen money back. Will they make it out alive?

Many of us have probably seen some sort of doomsday show on television within the past few years, after National Geographic brought to light their his show Doomsday Preppers  showing Americans around the nation preparing for what they feel is a looming end of the world scenario that they want to live through. While Jake definitely takes his stuff seriously, hes not totally crazy: he doesnt look like a guy from Duck Dynasty as the book puts it, nor does he go around preaching the end of the world. In fact, he guards his doomsday preparations as a secret. Not even his girlfriend, Ellie, is aware. In my eyes theres nothing wrong with being a prepper. We all have our hobbies, beliefs, and quirk. Being a prepper is Jakes, as by being a survivalist he can prepare for the future.

The book was a little bit of a slow start for me, but after the cartel became involved the gears really started churning and the pace picked up from there on out. The hostage situation is what takes up a majority of the novel, and its filled with many surprises and quite a bit of pain and gore  kicks to the testicles, a bullet splitting a head open like a watermelon dropped from a height.you get the idea. Quite some gruesome stuff! If it wasn't for all the gore and violence Id have considered this young adult-ish. In fact, Id almost consider The Silence of Six by E.C. Myers to be a young adult version of Constant Fear.

Constant Fear and The Silence of Six are completely different stories, let me make that clear. But both stories involve teenage hackers who find themselves in trouble for different reasons, and its up for them to make it out alive. Both books are filled with lots of action and surprises.

Aside from the slow start I aforementioned, there are no other gripes. Constant Fear is a rush of adrenaline for the reader as they live through the hostage situation.

And, as final note, I too love reading the acknowledgements in novels just as Daniel Palmer mentions in his. I found the acknowledgement to his father very touching.

Note: I had received an eARC for reviewing purposes, although it doesn't change my liking of the book. I have also posted this review to devinsbookhub.com
3767099
This one reminds me why I like this writer. He has a way with his characters. It is so easy to feel for them and be totally immersed in their story. This contemporary romance happens between two really young men. Davy and Gavin are only twenty two years old. While they act their age they are also vulnerable and fearful as they have been scarred by their pasts. I love Davy's character. I love Davy's growth from a shy and socially awkward kid to a man ready to fight for what he wants, yet never losing his sweet innocence. It takes a while to embrace Gavin but as the plot enfolds it is easy to root for these two to be together. I thought the sex angle is refreshing and hope that love can overcome incompatibility even in real life. The cast of secondary characters are solid and I especially like their little group of friends. And little Ollie's role in these guys' story is just perfect. A great one from this writer.
816132
More more and more please I feel like Jake is an old friend. One submariner to another
2316445
Max and Katie are living a simple life.  Then Max meets Greg and learns of the game at the bar that they play.  He is intrigued to say the least.  He pushes his wife a little, and she responds.  Next thing you know this has gotten way out of control, and Max is dying to know just what Katie is doing in her long absences.  She appears to be owned by another.  Hot.
2166929
Where to start with this review  theres so much going on this book that if you think you are in for a simple love story  you are mistake. Theres love, theres suspense, theres mystery, theres heartache and theres drama.
Reese is a single mum who is constantly being besieged by her ex-partner. Luke is a single dad who is in the same boat as Reese. Both working, both have kids, limited time for relationships but they seem to make it work.
Luke is tough talking, no nonsense, tells it like it is and has found the woman that fits all his desires. I think he was actually quite taken by how he fell in love with her even more after each interaction. Reese had me laughing in some parts by her frankness to Luke. Shes put up with enough crap from her ex-partner, shes not about to start taking any from Lukes ex-partner.
These two are a perfect matching. Their passion is explosive and Vales writing shows a great love story that can overcome just about any hurdle. There is a scene in here that made my heart stop. So much in fact, I thought no  that cant be right! so I went back and  reread it. Yes, the heart stopped again.
If you are looking for a love story with a lot more emotional depth than what a lot of books these days are offering, this one is for you.
I was given an advance reader copy for my honest opinion.
1084381
4.25 Stars

Jana Pritchard is a greeting card illustrator working from home and the highlight of her day starts to become the arrival of the hot delivery guy.

His nametag might read Dane but hes really Jake Aston, now CEO of the recently acquired SwiftEx delivery corporation, and hes gone undercover to gain insight into the mechanics of his new company.

Right off the bat, I gotta admit I was jealous of Jana. I mean half the time I cant even get my delivery guys to ring the  doorbell so I know I have a package before they take off yet alone wait for me to answer the door and then make pleasant conversation. But Jake is as smitten with Jana as she is with him.

Points on this one for an original premise. Its getting harder these days to find romantic set ups Ive not read many times before so this was a cute new angle for two people to meet. Its not new to the porn industry Im sure so points again for taking a porn trope and turning it into a sweet and sexy story.

Theres no shortage of either sweetness or sex in this tale. Jake is an all round great guy. Hes been a workaholic so hes thankfully not a manwhore. Hes devoted to making his companies better, and then hes devoted to making Janawell pleasured.

Told via Jana and Jake's alternating first person POV, there are plenty of steamy encounters here. And if you are looking for a smooth story of how two people get together and make it work then this is a no drama/no angst read to pick up. I cant begin to tell you how refreshing it was that there were no scheming, trouble-making exes or contrived conflict, nor is either character broken or troubled.  Its just two available singles who find a connection and go with the flow, making their love story feel down-to-earth even though its also a Cinderella tale.
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This cute romance is an adorable, fly by the seat of your pants journey that perfectly balances a light-hearted, laughter-filled relationship with the demands of two high-powered professionals in intense job fields (politics and medicine). The dynamics of an inter-racial relationship were well-played without being heavy-handed, both Alexa and Drew come across very genuinely. I enjoyed the realistic portrayal of how different genders handle relationship discussions - we see Alexa seek out a few close friends about the budding romance, while Drew only talks to his one guy friend, and then only after he's had a few beers. Alexa's relationship with her sister is featured more than I was expecting, and I found the subplot about Alexa's plans for a teen arts rehabilitation program as well thought-out as the main romance storyline. A fun, light, fast read.
1710290
Playing By the Book is a story about Jake, a teenage boy aspiring to be a journalist, yet living under the thumb of his father, a preacher (The Preacher), who wants Jake to follow in his footsteps. Jake is awarded the opportunity to study a once in a lifetime course for journalism, and after making a deal with his father, he heads off to New York City. While there, not only is Jake struggling with the deal he made to his father, but his own faith, his sexuality, and where the two of them meet.

The writing was a bit shaky at first, but once the story started to build the writing picked up and I think the author really found his place by the end.

Im not much of a religious person, so it was a bit frustrating for me at times while Jake beat himself up, but while the story was religious to the point it needed to be in order to get told, it wasn't in your face. It wasn't preachy.

I really enjoyed the story, actually staying up until 6am this morning to finish it. I like Jake, hes a great character with believable issues. The supporting cast are also enjoyable. I kept waiting for a reason to hate one of them, but even Jakes father was understandable. I might not have liked or agreed with his beliefs, but you know where hes coming from.

There were times where I wish things were a little more fleshed out. Jake is having this identity crisis and he goes from point A to point B in a matter of pages, and while I get what he does and what he does is definitely believable in the situation hes in, its also a bit rushed. I would have liked to have been in his head a little deeper instead of him just telling us and moving on.
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Lili Valentes INCREDIBLE YOU is an entertaining and action-filled story.  NHL star Jake The Dragon Falcone hires Shane Willoughby to be his fake girlfriend to help take down his evil ex-girlfriend, Keri Warner.  This contemporary sports romance takes place in New York.  It is suitable for adult audiences.

I like Jake. He had a difficult childhood.  He worked hard and he now plays hockey for the New York Rangers.  He is thirty years old.  He is a good guy.  Hes protective.

Shane is an interesting character.  She is thirty-two years old.  Her parents died when she was ten.  She was raised by her aunt.  She is a vet, which I respect because I love animals.  She is a strong individual.  She has some great insights.  I enjoyed her sense of humor.

I enjoyed Jakes and Shanes text to one another.  I love their nick names: dragon and princess.  The names are very appropriate and cute for them as a couple.

I could see why Jake was originally attracted to Keri.  I felt bad for what he went through with her.  She has some serious issues.  I thought the concept of Magnificent Bastard Consulting (MBC) was interesting.  A company that helps you get revenge on your ex.

INCREDIBLE YOU was skillfully written.  It flowed well and was interesting throughout the novel.  There were appealing twists.  The characters were well-developed and, the story was believable.  This was the first book I have read by Lili Valente.  I would read more novels by her in the future. I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.
322265
Sadie Fisher lives a simple live in Lancaster County Pennsylvania. An Amish widow, she supports herself by selling handmade goods in a small shop and occasionally renting out a small cottage on her property. She seems to have found another chance for love and companionship through letters with a good Amish man living in Texas. They hope to eventually marry and start a life together near his family, but their courtship has been a slow one and they have never met in person. Everything changes when a rich Englisher rents her cottage for a few months. He is single with a young autistic son, and is seeking answers to life's difficult questions. Sadie is instantly drawn to this man and his young son. What will become of their friendship? You will have to read Plain Promise by Beth Wiseman to find out more.

I truly enjoyed this sweet story of love and friendship. The characters were likeable and well developed and the plot was well developed making aspects of the story that might seem a bit unlikely, believable. I am finding that I enjoy books about the Amish, and hope to find more at my local bookstore, particularly by this author. I recommend this book to those looking for a quick, enjoyable, uplifting story filled with love, friendship and faith.
2068137
Its nice to have a strong, witty no bullcrap main character who seems genuine whether he's being nice or a jerk. He's trying to live life the best he can as he is. The story flows nicely. Jake can be a crude guy, his sister has quite the potty mouth but I find it amusing as I am a grown up. If you are easily offended or morally superior to curse words and crude worded thoughts from a man avoid this book I'd say. If you aren't that person and enjoy an easy read with humor, mystery and a great leading character, this would be an enjoyable book for you. I love Jake, he's a guys guy and at the core is a good man trying to do right by those he cares for and is hired to help. It was a nice change from the typical dry mystery series I've read recently
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Jake is a tough guy and he knows how to get what he wants. However, there is something about this family that he can't stay away from. Chelsea is the woman that will change his world without even knowing it. Jake is going to have to break all of his rules and figure out what his future plans are. Is this going to include this family or will he move on to the next conquest.

I truly thought this was going to be one of those books where the guy is a complete jerk and then this book took a completely different turn. I was hopeful that Jake was going to be this amazing man who would step up when needed and could do anything for Chelsea and the kids. I absolutely loved this book. I couldn't put it down. I needed to know more and be able to read the hilarious banter that went on with all of the kids, Jake, Chelsea and everyone else in the book. I found myself giggling while I was reading and there were definitely WTF moments. I kept saying just one more chapter and then I was finished with the book. There is nothing that is left out in this book. It will pull on your heart strings, make you giggle and well, it just has everything that you could want in a book. Throughout the story you learn more about Jake and where he came from. You get to meet people that are important to him and his mom is just a quick witted. Emma Chase is an amazing author who keeps you engaged and wanting to read more and more without stopping. Pick up this book now! Lindsey, Reviewer for MNP.