Getting Schooled is the first book in Emma Chase's new series, this is a small town romance with a high school setting with our hero and heroine both teachers. So this is NO teacher student romance, this features mature adults who have some solid life experience on their backs. I put this book off for quite some time, but I am so so happy that I finally picked this one up because Emma Chase is always one of those authors that can make me laugh and low angst and Getting Schooled definitely delivered in those areas.
Getting Schooled gets started with our heroine, who is living in a big city, Callie Carpenter. She has been involved in the entertainment businessness with helping doing shows and musicals, and now she has a huge promotion, one she has been working hard for. But then she gets a terrifying phone call, Her delightful parents, got in a car accident by doing some smexy time and now they each have a broken leg. Callie is never shocked by the situations that her parents get stuck in, but now she will have to go back to her home town, across the country for a year to help care for them because her sister has her own family to take of and she can't do it on her own. So Callie puts her life on hold, moves back in with her folks, and gets a job at the high school teaching the drama class.
But that’s high school boys for you—back them into a corner and they turn ugly—like Gremlins feed after midnight
Garrett Daniels, is also a teacher and the head football coach for the high school and is considered to be the cool teacher on site. All the kids pretty much love and revere him. Garrett was once a all star quarterback with big dreams, but they were shattered when he got injured but he has a great life now with a good family and friends, a beautiful lakehouse and a job that is satisfying and one that he loves. But then his old sweetheart moves back home, the only woman he has ever truly loved, and sparks fly between them. He knows that what they have can only be temporary since she has a whole life in the big city and his life is in this quaint small town.
This was such a fun and cute romance and I had a ball of fun with this audiobook and of course we have some of my favorite narrators working this book. It is dual POV so we have two narrators doing the different POV. One of the many things that I do love about Emma Chase, is how she handles dual POV especially the male persepective. She really does a great job with these heroes, because they are definitely not flowery or sugary like some authors write them. Emma Chase lets her personal experiece really flow into her heroes POV and I just love that.
This is one of those forbidden romances that everyone will love, or mostly everyone. But what Emma Chase excells at is delivering a powerful sweet that isn't heavy with the angst or conflict. You just know that this will be the perfect lighthearted read that you can adore. And boy I had a fun time with this book. So many elements that make you laugh from the sexually charged heroine's parents (I mean seriously who gets in a car wreck from a BJ?? hehe ) the sweet dog of our hero, the antics of the siblings and the KIDS....these high schoolers reminded me why I NEVER liked High School *shivers*. But what you can rely on is that this book doesn't get heavy which I needed this past week while listening to it.
I have feelings for him. I always have … But these aren’t just left over echoes of a sweet first love. This is something new. A throbbing, breathless attraction to the amazing man he’s become. I want to be near him, to know him, inside and out all over again. And he feels the same way. Garret wants this version of me as much as he always did. Maybe even more
The sparks that fly between Callie and Garrett are pretty fantastic. I love how once they see each other again, their relationship takes off with flying colors. You see what a great friendship they once had and how it recovers pretty quickly despite how long they haven't seen or talked to each other. I really liked that, despite the fact that when they were younger, it didn't work out and they went their seperate ways, you also see that the love they have had, is one that picks right back up. They have some great safe sex (and yay I love Emma Chase and how she handles her sex scenes especially in handling safe sex) and we see the way that these two just come together, making out in the broom closet at the school, being there for each other through the ups and downs of being teachers. I am not a teacher but I have high respect for those that are teachers. I have an aunt that is a teacher and many friends that are, and this book really helps you admire all the hard work that goes into this career.
You were always my girl, Callie. Even after you weren’t any more.
The ending was NOT what I expected and I really liked how it turned out, in fact way better than I even expected and trust me with all the books in romance I have read over the years, And I really liked seeing what both the hero and heroine were willing to do to be together and it was simply perfection. Because the ending, and their sacrifice shows what a true partnership should be and Emma Chase wrapped this story up so wonderfully. And I can't wait for the next book.
And P.S. THE COVER....I just wanted to mention this cover because its HOT and SEXY and it makes me want to frame this cover and put it on my wall.
A Girl Like Her is the first book in the Ravenswood series, and this is also the September pick for our Romance Book Club read and having been eager to try this author out for a while, I was super excited and I first want to mention that if you haven't read this book....Buy it and READ it PEEPS!! I really had such a wonderful time reading this book and couldn't stop laughing in so many different ways. I wasn't sure what I was really expecting from this book but this book was entertaining and fun and swoony and everything you look for in a solid romance.
Our story begins when our hero has retired from the Military and wants to live in a peaceful quiet small town after his years of service. Starting his new job, with the boss's son that he doesn't like too much, he sees a young woman fall at his feet and from his first moment he is intrigued with this mysterious woman and starts to see that there is lies and deceit rumbling through the town. Evan is settling in his new apartment, but is curious about his next door neighbor, who lives like a hermit and he has never seen yet. So after making some meals for his friends, he decides to make a meal for his neighbor, and is surprised to see that it is the woman he met before....Ruth Kabbah.
Ruth is different from anyone else, but not in a strange way. Ruth has her own demons in her past, she is clumsy, loves comic novels, likes to wear Pyjamas around her apartment and works for herself. She is lousy at cooking and doesn't like people. Ruth does have a form of Autism/Asperger's but doesn't consider herself super smart...she is happy with who she is....its other people around her she struggles with. Ruth has been betrayed once and hurt in such a horrible way that she doesn't trust men especially. So when her handsome as sin neighbor comes to her door with a meal for her, she is suspicious of his intentions. So thus begins a fragile friendship that only gets stronger with time. But there is a chemistry between Ruth and Evan, one that forms into a beautiful love tale....
I simply adored "A Girl Like Her", it was so unique and fun and it leaves you with a happy feel in the end and really you get these happy optimistic feels ALL the way through the story not just the end. I found this book to be captivating and sweet and tender. We have a hero that COOKS for our heroine, because he is worried about her and wants to make sure she is feeding herself. He doesn't judge her for her unique quirks....and loves everything about her even her temper. He only finds her amusing when she gets her dander up and for the first time Ruth has found a man she wants to be around ALL the time. She never gets bored with him and wants to jump his bones.
I want to take everything you have to give, and I want to think that I deserve it.
We do have a small town that is quite horrible to Ruth and her sister at times and so many gossips....yep this is a small town for sure. And its a small town in England....because they serve tea :) And you know the British and their tea. There is a villain, who is a spoiled boy who gets just about anything he wants and he wants Ruth even though he treats her so bad and is married with someone who used to be Ruth's friend when they were younger. We see Ruth face up to her past and the guilt that she feels and we see her face herself and her painful past and become stronger and a fighter for the man she wants and the future she wants in Ravenswood. She doesn't want anything or anyone to hold her back and comes into her own. We the sacrifices that family makes for each other and boy I can't wait for Hannah's book because I really loved her character in this book and what she does for her sister. So heartbreaking but speaks of the loyalty and love sisters should have for each other.
There are some things you don't get over. You just accept them, and keep breathing. That's enough.
The romance the develops between Ruth and Evan is so heartfelt, we see it build from a strong friendship into something stronger than ever. I loved how well they understand each other, the ways they take care of each other and the sensual moments that build up slowly throughout the story. This is no quick fling type of read and I am so grateful for. I loved that the intimacy builds slowly ...step by step with this pair. The emotion and the heat of the romance were so in sync with each other and it flowed so beautifully.
A Girl Like Her is a sweet and poignant romance that will take you breath away, give your heart smiles and be a soft and tender memory for a long time.....A CAPTIVATING JEWEL!!
The Girl with the Make Believe Husband is a story I will admit that I was nervous about, especially since I haven't read the first book in the series. But then I heard some great things about this one, and decided that I really needed to try it out. I will say that I really stuggled with this one pretty much the first half of the book. I just couldn't get interested in the story that much, but then once I hit between the 50-60%, then I was golden. So this rating that I have is really based on the latter half of the book for the most part or it would be a lower rating.
The story sets off when our heroine has come to the Colonies to find her injured brother, but when she learns her brothers closest friend, has been injured, she makes sure that he is alright, but she is forced to lie about who she really is. So she claims him as her husband. And before she realizes it, she keeps telling more lies and she is in too deep and falling in love with her not so real husband. But secrets have a way of catching up to us and burning us, but will Edward fight for her or let her go in the end...
The story begins very slowly in the first half, it isn't until Edward regains his memories from his amnesia, where he starts to figure things out, and realize the real truth. Our Heroine, Cecilia, is not what I wanted for this book but in some ways she did make it work. I will say I wasn't fully satisfied with the ending, not in the ways that I wanted to be. I feel like there is more about her brother that we don't know yet, I just felt a bit off about what happens in this book. The hero though, he was simply wonderful, I love how devoted he is to Cecilia. And he makes some of the most swoon worthy scenes happen, especially toward the end. I do think that this was not what I expected from this author, was the setting. I was completely blown away that she even went out for a Early American Era and was fantastic. It was so refreshing to see this author do something different from the typical regency setting. I will admit that the "secret" wasn't my favorite part of the story. Normally it doesn't bother me so much, but for some reason it kinda grated at me more than I expected it would. I think probably because Cecilia had many opportunities to come clean and didn't.
But Overall this was still a wonderful story here!!! I did have a blast with this setting, a amnesia hero, a reserved but determined heroine, a mystery and spy intrigue, a military dilemma and a love story that will bring tears to your eyes!!
Glory In Death is the second in the "In Death" and slowly but surely I am making my way through this series but boy is it intimidating, I am just trying not to think about it too much (LOL) but this story continues on with our characters Eve and her man Roarke. I have to say this had a slightly less romantic focus as the first book, not by much but not as much as I was expecting either but still a fabulous read for sure. I definitely am getting why so many are drawn to these books as I am becoming drawn into this world that J.D. Robb has created here.
In Glory In Death, Eve is tasked on with another major under the focus of the media lime light type of case. When an high profile woman gets killed and this woman is connected to her boss, she knows that this will be a tough one to crack with lots of emotional upheaval to work through and Eve will have to really focus on staying objective and true to form in how she solves crimes and goes after the killer. But during all of this, the man she happens to be falling in love with is a suspect as he is connected and Eve becomes divided on being a cop and a girlfriend. And their relationship becomes tested when Eve has to delve deep into hidden issues into why she is pushing Roarke away and fearing commitment to him. But as Eve gets closer to finding the killer, Eve will need to face up to hidden fears and unresolved issues.
Glory in Death was definitely a solid read, I did have a hard time sticking with this one. The first one I couldn't put down but this one did take a bit longer to get through. I think a major aspect of that is wanting more interactions between Roarke and Eve and didn't happen as often as I would have liked. But still a fabulous book and great plot line that this author develops in this story. I did find myself hooked in this particular mystery though, I was so intrigued to see "who" the villain actually was and boy J.D. Robb really throws a curveball in having it be someone you least expect it to be, I was so OFF the mark on that one. :) But I do adore an author that can keep me on my toes and this author definitely did that for me.
It was humiliating to admit, even to himself, that every time he went away to see to business, a seed of fear rooted in his heart that she would have shaken herself loose of him by the time he returned. The simple fact was, he needed the one thing she had refused him. A commitment.
Now I did find the romantic elements that come into play here so unique and offered so much hidden depths that I love seeing in a romance despite not many of them. Makes up for it a bit I think. We see so much growth in this relationship. Love that Eve has to resolve some inner issues within herself if she doesn't want to lose Roarke. We really see her face up to herself and how she has been pushing him away without even realizing it fully. And she does have to learn to fight for her man and love it when a heroine needs to do that. Quite frankly we see how much he fights for her, accepts and support her, and I wanted to see the same from her as well and so happy I was able to see that.
Overall I found Glory In Death to be a stimulating addition to the series and I am becoming more hoooked on this writing style and eager to try out book three this week!!
