Review: Hooking a Handyman by Brenna Jacobs

My rating: 4 stars / I really liked it

Synopsis

When Zoey returns home to California to live with her ailing grandmother, she's less than enthusiastic when Nana tries to set her up with Harry, the handyman who's been helping her out around the house for years. But then she discovers Harry the handyman is actually Harrison Beckford, the handsome host of the hottest home renovation show on television.

To Zoey, Harry seems too good to be true. He's got the job, the house, the dog, even two adorable kids who Zoey quickly falls in love with. But as she gets swept up in Harrison's glamorous life, Zoey starts to let go of things that have always mattered to her in the past. Her career. Her friends. Soon she starts to wonder: Will fitting into Harrison's life require too much renovation of her own, or will the two of them be able to merge their worlds into a balanced and level whole?

My Review

This book is cute and fun and flirty, although I had a hard time relating to Zoey and her single-mindedness about her career. She falls into a too-good-to-be-true romance with Harry, the celebrity handyman, and his adorable kids. About midway through the book when she starts feeling apprehensive about her conflict of Chicago career or California relationship things get a little deeper as she struggles to figure out how to have both. I appreciated the quote from the self-help book she comes across in the newsroom that helps her gain some perspective, as well as the strong women in her life that support and encourage her. It was interesting to see her character arc as well as Harry's as the obstacles to their relationship make them realize how important they are to each other.

(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)

Review: Gambling on a Gentleman by Brenna Jacobs

My rating: 3 stars / I liked it

Synopsis

A society gentleman with a secret. An art expert who can expose him. An attraction neither of them can deny.
 
Alice Donnelly prefers paintings of medieval people to actual people, and classical art to the nonsense coming from contemporary artists. She also has a healthy disdain for the rich and ignorant who hire her to curate their collections, obsessed with valuing their financial worth without ever understanding the art. But her family depends on her paychecks, and so she reluctantly accepts a commission to assess the collection of one of Britain's most venerable aristocratic families.
When she meets the handsome and charismatic Geoffrey on her flight to London, she makes it clear she's immune to his charms. She has no time for romance. Not when she's starting the biggest job of her career.

Except it turns out that it's Geoffrey's family who has hired her, and now she must spend all her working hours trying not to fall for his charms. But much like a master painting, Geoffrey's layers draw her in against her better judgment.

As Geoffrey's secrets unravel, can Alice trust the privileged aristocrat with an artist's soul to see past her own baggage? Or is she just another way for him to rebel against his family?

My Review

First of all, isn't that the cutest cover?? I'm an art major so I enjoyed the plot and details about curating and discovering masterpieces. The setting in England was my fave! I traveled abroad for the first time last summer and now I enjoy books with European settings even more. The meet-cute seemed too coincidental for me, but it made for a fun setup as Alice and Geoffrey embark on restoring his family's financial situation and saving the estate. For some reason the chemistry fell flat for me- I think it had to do with not enough anticipation and romantic tension. There was also more telling than showing when it came to analyzing and reassessing their feelings for each other. Overall it was a pleasant diversion to read and see how the complicated family dynamics throw wrenches into both their relationship and professional goals.

(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)

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Be sure to check out the other books in the ABC's of Love series . . .

Review: Falling for a Former Flame by Brenna Jacobs

My rating: 4 stars / I really liked it

Synopsis

Will Hadley's old flame burn her again? Or could this be her second chance at love?

Headstrong Hadley Booth is on the verge of living her dream, running a delightful--and almost profitable--bookshop in the hometown she loves. But when her first love, Fletcher Gates, comes back on the scene, Hadley questions everything she ever thought she knew. Fletcher's alpha-male macho firefighter status should rub Hadley the wrong way. She does not need a man to take care of her, thank you very much. But even though her brain understands they aren't right for each other, she can't seem to explain that to her heart.

When Fletcher Gates returns home to care for his sick Mom, he doesn't expect his ex-girlfriend Hadley to ignite his world again. He's grown up; he's changed. Most importantly, he’s over her. Even if he wasn’t, they crashed and burned once before. Why risk a second inferno?

Caught between the push-and-pull of fiery emotions, will Hadley and Fletcher finally find the happily-ever-after they once believed would be theirs?

My Review

I just love a bookstore setting in a contemporary romance! While I didn't relate to Hadley's strong personality and defensive reactions, I admired her resolve to be true to herself and seek a different lifestyle than her family's.The author does a good job of showing rather than telling, like when Hadley inviting her family over for Thanksgiving dinner shows how she still yearns for their approval and unconditional love, even though she no longer expects it from them. Fletcher has a compassionate heart and is the type of guy who needs to be needed. He's a fixer. It was pretty fun to watch he and Hadley up in arms and awkward with each other before softening and falling for each other all over again, but this time with maturity and communication on their side.

(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)

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Don't miss the other books in the ABCs of Love series . . .

Review: Embracing Her Ever After by Brenna Jacobs

My rating: 5 stars / It was amazing

Synopsis

What is Tessa supposed to do when an old flame and a surprise new baby turn up on the same day?

Brilliant engineer Tessa Fuller has the opportunity of a lifetime at work, and all she needs to change the world is a little help from her old college friend, Ethan Bedford.

Ethan can give her five weeks before he’s off to chase his own dreams, and when they meet again for the first time in six years, Tessa realizes the gawky guy she graduated with has grown into a super hot tech genius.

Just as she’s on the verge of a fun, short-term fling to discover once and for all what-might-have-been, her wayward sister drops a baby on her doorstep and disappears, leaving Tessa to take care of the kid.

One huge problem: Tessa doesn’t know a thing about babies. And she doesn’t have time to learn while the clock is running out on her dream project at work.
 
But Tessa’s team is determined to show her that she’s not alone, and while they might be clueless about babies, they know a thing or two about engineering. As their baby “hacks” and inventions get progressively wilder, Tessa is less and less sure she really can have it all. And the first thing she has to give up is Ethan.

Except Ethan isn’t a quitter. And he’s not about to give up on Tessa, not when the flame that flickered between them in college gets fanned back to life.

Can a team of hilarious engineers, one sweet baby, and a handsome blast from her past open Tessa’s heart to new love and second chances?

My Review

I loved this story! It has so much more depth than the cover indicates. Although it also has fun and humor as well ;) Tessa and Ethan are so good together! They are both highly intelligent, driven, and confident engineers. It was eye-opening to see a bit of how a branch of that industry operates, the mix of creativity, innovation, pragmatism, and solution-finding. The new spark of attraction in an old friendship brings the anticipation of potential romance, but the short-term nature of Ethan's assignment puts a damper on things. Throw in an unexpected baby, and you would think that would put an end to things, but it only provided an impetus to bring them closer together- for Ethan to encourage and support Tessa, and for her to see a deeper side of him. Their relationship develops naturally with a few bumps along the way, but the tension and anticipation made the chemistry that much stronger. I absolutely loved how each member of Tessa's team had such unique personalities and their own way of showing they care through finding solutions in their own special ways. Ethan's mom was a fun addition to the story and I loved their close relationship. This story was a pleasure to read and it's one I already want to read again!

(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)

Review: B is for Barista by Brenna Jacobs

My rating: 4 stars / I really liked it

Synopsis

Ivy Morehouse loves her hourly-wage job at the funky punk-rock-themed Velvet Undergrounds coffee house. Bentley Hollis grew up in a wealthy family and has a Harvard business degree. The only thing they have in common is an appreciation for ironic branding and great pastry.

When Bentley shows up at the Velvet Undergrounds as an employee, Ivy’s certain he’s just another overconfident, rich, handsome jerk—a type she’s unfortunately familiar with. And he’s clearly keeping a secret. Why else would he be working in a coffee shop? But as she overcomes her first impressions, will they both learn that they could be the perfect blend?

My Review

This story is pretty cute! The coffeehouse setting is fun as well as Bentley's secret identity. I found his vulnerability and self-consciousness in Velvet Undergrounds surprising since he's at home in the much more intimidating setting of a corporate boardroom. Ivy really catches him off guard and makes him curious about what makes her tick. The chemistry wasn't all there for me, but I enjoyed their interactions and the anticipation of what would happen when his identity was revealed. The mannerisms of the characters really brought them to life. I'm excited for more from this promising series!

(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)

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Don't miss the novella that kicks off the series and the first book, A is for Author . . .

Synopsis

Can he persuade her to see him as something more than just her best friend?

Allie Carmichael is dating the wrong kind of man. To help Allie out of her dating rut, Allie’s sister, Cassie, challenges her to date 26 new men, all that have 26 different careers—one for every letter of the alphabet.

When Eric’s neighbor, Allie, asks him for help with her new dating challenge, he’s reluctant to get involved. Mostly because he’d really like Allie to fall in love with him. She’s determined to finish out her dating challenge, but he’s a veterinarian. And V is at the end of the alphabet.

Can Eric persuade Allie to abandon the list and see him as something more than just her best friend?

(Previously titled The ABC's of Dating) 

Read my 5 star review here

Synopsis

He’s the guy she loves to hate.

 

Emma Lindsor writes beautiful books adored by literary critics, even if readers don’t exactly line up for them. Aidan Maxwell writes heart-pounding thrillers with explosions and car chases. And thanks to his handsome face, readers line up for blocks to buy his novels.

Aidan Maxwell stands for everything Emma loathes, and when professional circumstances throw them together, sparks fly—angry ones. But as their paths keep crossing, will they see past their own hardwired ideas to star in a love story all their own?

Review: A is for Author by Brenna Jacobs

My rating: 5 stars / It was amazing

Synopsis

He’s the guy she loves to hate.
 
Emma Lindsor writes beautiful books adored by literary critics, even if readers don’t exactly line up for them. Aidan Maxwell writes heart-pounding thrillers with explosions and car chases. And thanks to his handsome face, readers line up for blocks to buy his novels.

Aidan Maxwell stands for everything Emma loathes, and when professional circumstances throw them together, sparks fly—angry ones. But as their paths keep crossing, will they see past their own hardwired ideas to star in a love story all their own?

My Review

I'm so excited for this series! I enjoy the author's writing style and the blend of fun and sassy with depth and emotion. In this book I loved getting to know Emma and Aiden- their flaws, struggles, vulnerabilities, and hopes. They have a great chemistry that starts out with misguided first impressions so it was interesting to watch how they were able to see past that and discover each other's true personalities and the developing romance.

I especially appreciated the perspectives shown of the literary and genre fiction worlds. I feel vindicated because I once had a liberal arts literary-loving friend mock me for my taste in books, and reading Emma’s experience of discovery was cathartic. The depth in this book goes beyond what your run-of-the-mill chick lit offers, which is what I look for in the contemporary romance that I read and enjoy. 

(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)

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Don't miss the novella that kicks off the series . . .

Synopsis

Can he persuade her to see him as something more than just her best friend?

Allie Carmichael is dating the wrong kind of man. To help Allie out of her dating rut, Allie’s sister, Cassie, challenges her to date 26 new men, all that have 26 different careers—one for every letter of the alphabet.

When Eric’s neighbor, Allie, asks him for help with her new dating challenge, he’s reluctant to get involved. Mostly because he’d really like Allie to fall in love with him. She’s determined to finish out her dating challenge, but he’s a veterinarian. And V is at the end of the alphabet.

Can Eric persuade Allie to abandon the list and see him as something more than just her best friend?

(Previously titled The ABC's of Dating)