Early Review: Searching for Someday by Jennifer Probst

Searching for Someday by Jennifer Probst

Searching for Someday by Jennifer Probst
Series: Searching For #1 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: November 26th 2013
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher (Gallery Books) in exchange for an honest review

Kate has given up on love—at least for herself. She is both blessed and cursed with the ability to sense a romantic connection between two people—a gift that her family passed down for generations. When Kate launches her own matchmaking company, Kinnection, with her two best friends in a cozy New York town, she has to put aside her own romantic disasters to make her business a success.

But when a furious man stalks into her office and accuses her business of being a scam, Kate is given the ultimate challenge to prove herself. Slade puts himself in her hands and asks Kate to find him love. Enraged at his arrogance but stubbornly eager to prove herself, Kate agrees, dedicating herself to the journey of finding him love…only to find herself falling for him along the way.

This is my first Jennifer Probst book, and I’m impressed! The Searching For series is a spinoff of the Marriage to a Billionaire series, but you don’t have to read the MtaB series before reading Searching for Someday.

I loved the concept of the main character owning a legitimate matchmaking company, and Jennifer Probst doesn’t disappoint. Kate, along with her friends Kennedy and Arilyn, own a successful matching company called Kinnection. And one of the reasons why it’s so successful is because Kate has… the touch. If she touches two people and they’re soul mates, she feels a shock. And while she’s been able to use the touch to help couples get together, she’s never been able to find her own soul mate, and gives up on trying to find one.

Enter divorce lawyer Slade Montgomery. He’s hot, smart, successful, and jaded about love. His sister becomes a client at Kinnection, and Slade, being the over-protective brother he is, becomes a client as well to expose Kinnection as a sham. He doesn’t expect to meet Kate Seymour or to develop feelings her. And when Kate touches him and realizes he’s her soulmate, she refuses to believe he’s her ‘one’. He’s everything she doesn’t want in a man, and the worst part–he doesn’t believe in love. His job has made him so jaded that he doesn’t believe love exists, but if Kate can match and find him a woman he’ll fall in love with, he’ll give up on trying to expose Kinnection as a sham and he’ll actually believe in love.

No matter how many women Kate sets Slade up with, he can’t get Kate out of his mind. He doesn’t want any woman except her. And as Slade and Kate spend more time together, their hilarious bantering increases, as well as the sexual tension. Slade knows it’s inevitable that they’ll end up in bed together, but he doesn’t want a relationship, so Kate goes out of her way to avoid him. Slade hurts her with his cavalier attitude about love, and this is when he realizes that he wants more from Kate than just sex.

“You’re wrong, counselor,” she said softly. “I’m not looking for forever. But I am looking for someday. I think I deserve that.”

I enjoyed Searching for Someday so much more than I expected. I was laughing and giggling in one moment, and then my heart would be aching and hurting for Kate and Slade the next. It’s not an easy road to their happily ever after, because they’re both so resistant to finding love in each other. But along the way, they teach each other that love is possible and does exist.

“The possibility of love is worth everything, Mr. Montgomery. Pain, heartbreak, grief. It is the only thing worthwhile to fight for in this life. And though there are never any promises, if one is true and brave enough to give, there will never be regret.”

I loved reading this book. It wasn’t perfect, but the story and characters kept me riveted. I couldn’t stop reading and wishing for a happily ever after that Kate and Slade both deserved. Searching for Someday is a must read for contemporary romance lovers. I highly recommend it, and I’m looking forward to reading Kennedy’s book, Searching for Perfect, and Jennifer Probst’s other books in the Marriage to a Billionaire series.

4 hearts
lacey

Quotes are taken from the arc and are subject to change in the final version.


Reading Order: Searching For series

Searching for Someday by Jennifer Probst Searching for Perfect by Jennifer Probst 
Searching for Beautiful by Jennifer Probst Searching for Always by Jennifer Probst Searching for Mine by Jennifer Probst 

#1 ~ Searching for Someday: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Searching for Perfect: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2.5 ~ Searching for You: EbookGoodreads
#3 ~ Searching for Beautiful: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#4 ~ Searching for Always: EbookPaperbackAudible • Goodreads
#4.5 ~ Searching for Mine: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#4.6 ~ Searching for Disaster: EbookGoodreads (Oct. 10, 2016)


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ARC Review: Playing Dirty by Jennifer Echols

Playing Dirty by Jennifer Echols

Playing Dirty by Jennifer Echols
Series: Stargazer #2 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: October 29th 2013
Purchase: Ebook • Paperback
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher (Pocket Books) in exchange for an honest review

A public relations expert tries to prevent the breakup of a raucous country band and corral their wild—and very sexy—lead singer in book 2 of the Stargazer Series.As an expert in public relations crisis management—that is, babysitter to the stars—Sarah Seville just spent nine months in Rio trying to keep rock singer Nine Lives out of jail long enough to record his new album…and barely succeeded. Now she needs a triumphant success so she can keep the Manhattan-based job she loves. Trouble is, her new assignment is to travel to Alabama to prevent the breakup of the raucous country band The Cheatin’ Hearts, headed by sexy Quentin Cox. As she edges closer to Quentin, she discovers layers of secrets. It seems Quentin is taking the spin doctor for a spin.

The Cheatin’ Hearts have stayed on top of the charts two years following three rules. Rule One, no drugs. Rule Two, no sex with other band members. Rule Three, no sex with record company spies. Quentin figures he’d better follow the rules, because he made them. And because if you break a rule, you’re out of the band. But he can’t resist the record company’s beautiful PR agent, and inevitably he breaks Rule Three with hot Sarah Seville. As he falls for her, he finds out that she has plenty of secrets of her own, and one of them comes knocking on her door: what really happened to her in Rio.

It’s been a few days since I finished Playing Dirty, and I’m still not sure how to feel about it. It was my first time reading a book by Jennifer Echols, and while I’m not jumping for joy at the prospect of reading another of her books, I still did enjoy myself while reading Playing Dirty. I wasn’t really impressed with the writing, but I really liked the characters and story.

Well, I didn’t like the characters ALL the time. The first third of the book I didn’t like at all. The writing was all over the place, I couldn’t connect with any of the characters, so I didn’t like any of them, and everything was so hectic and crazy that I couldn’t believe when I started actually enjoying the book. It took me by a huge surprise. I was honestly thinking that this book was going to be a DNF, but then somewhere along the way, I started liking the Sarah and Quentin and the band. They started making me laugh out loud, and endearing themselves to me. Sure, they didn’t act their age at all sometimes, but it made the book all the more interesting.

The story was very… interesting to read. It was like nothing I’d ever read, and that was a great thing. Sarah is a PR expert at Stargazer, and her newest client is the country band The Cheatin’ Hearts. She needs to do well on this job, aka prevent the group from breaking up, because she’d screwed up on her latest job with singer Nine Lives. So Sarah goes to meet The Cheatin’ Hearts, and they’re all a bunch of hicks. They get drunk, they get into brawls, and are basically over-the-top. What Sarah doesn’t know is that all four of the people in The Cheatin’ Hearts, Quentin, Erin, Owen, and Martin, act this way on purpose. It’s all for publicity.

For The Cheatin’ Hearts, they live by three rules. Rule One: no drugs. Rule Two: no sex with other band members. Rule Three: no sex with record company spies. Quentin, the leader of the band, made these rules when they first started the band, and now… he’s in danger of breaking Rule Three. Because when Quentin meets Sarah, he wants her.

Quentin is such a unique main male character. He’s my favorite character of the book. He’s so utterly ridiculous, it’s cute. He’s a major dork and nerd, but he can’t let the public know, otherwise it might tarnish his image of being a badass rockstar. So instead of the world knowing about his allergies and asthma, they think he does cocaine. I laughed so hard every time Quentin spoke, or someone made fun of Quentin, which happens a lot, that he was the main reason why I started liking the book a lot more than I did in the beginning.

Sarah was pretty funny as well. While The Cheatin’ Hearts has its own scheme of trying to get rid of her, she has her own plan to have them stay together as a band and churn out another album. She holds her own against the band’s antics, and with Sarah and the band going head to head, it was so much fun to read.

Quentin and Sarah are absolutely adorable together. They were perfect for each other, and complemented each other so well. And Quentin can be such a sweetheart. He’s always thinking of others first, and then when he falls in love with Sarah, he’s even sweeter with her. He’s still boisterous and crazy, but there’s a sweet side of him no one ever saw before.

I really did end up enjoying Playing Dirty. I was pleasantly surprised to find it so entertaining and laugh-out-loud funny to read. This was a fun, hilarious, if a bit hectic, contemporary romance.

3.5 hearts
lacey

Reading Order: Stargazer series

Star Crossed by Jennifer Echols Playing Dirty by Jennifer Echols

#1 ~ Star Crossed: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ Playing Dirty: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads

Review: One Good Earl Deserves a Lover by Sarah MacLean

One Good Earl Deserves a Lover by Sarah MacLean

One Good Earl Deserves a Lover by Sarah MacLean
Series: The Rules of Scoundrels #2 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: January 29th 2013
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

The second in the incredible new Rules of Scoundrels series from New York Times bestselling author Sarah MacLean.

Lady Philippa Marbury is odd. The bespectacled, brilliant fourth daughter of the Marquess of Needham and Dolby cares more for books than balls, flora than fashion and science than the season. Nearly engaged to Lord Castleton, Pippa wants to explore the scandalous parts of London she’s never seen before marriage. And she knows just who to ask: the tall, charming, quick-witted bookkeeper of The Fallen Angel, London’s most notorious and coveted gaming hell, known only as Cross.

Like any good scientist, Pippa’s done her research and Cross’s reputation makes him perfect for her scheme. She wants science without emotion—the experience of ruination without the repercussions of ruination. And who better to provide her with the experience than this legendary man? But when this odd, unexpected female propositions Cross, it’s more than tempting . . . and it will take everything he has to resist following his instincts—and giving the lady precisely what she wants.

I. am. in. love! One Good Earl Deserves a Lover was incredible–it had the perfect amount of edge, angst, humor, sexiness, and sweetness. This book was everything I never knew I wanted in a historical romance!

I was fairly impressed with the first book in The Rules of Scoundrels series, but I didn’t LOVE it. And then I read this gem and WOW. Just WOW. I fell head over heels in love, and I couldn’t put the book down! The characters are incredibly written and the storyline hooked me from start to finish. And I’m hoping other historical romances set in England will be this divine!

love Philippa Marbury, aka Pippa. She’s quirky and cute and lovable. She’s incredibly intelligent–she knows random facts about anything and everything, but this makes her odd in her society. She’s meant for more in life, but she has to settle for marrying boring old Lord Castleton. Okay, so he’s not old, but he’s just not right for Pippa. She doesn’t make her breathless, her heart race, her body flush… but Cross does.

Cross–the enigmatic part owner of the gaming hell The Fallen Angel, who has just as many quirks as Pippa.

Pippa thinks purely in the scientific sense. She believes in cold hard facts, not in frivolous things like love. She’s never experienced passion and lust, and figures she should know what to expect when her wedding night comes. And so this leads to her research, research about passion, about desire. She goes to Cross, because of his scandalous reputation, for help in her “research.” But she never expected to actually feel things for him, to fall in love with him.

“My whole life . . . two and two has made four.”
He nodded, utterly focused on her, and she loved him all over again for paying attention . . . for understanding her.
“But now . . . it’s all gone wrong.” She shook her head. “It doesn’t make four anymore. It makes you.”

Pippa is just wonderful. She’s tough and stubborn and honest. She’s relatable and just so freakin’ adorable! Ever since she met Cross, she’s become someone more than just her über scientific self. She experiences passion and love. And yet I love how she retains her quirks. Cross just brings out the best in her, both her intelligent side, and her emotional side.

Oh my, Cross. Cross, Cross, Cross. He makes my heart flutter! This man is beautiful, inside and out. He’s so unusual for a main male lead, but that ended up being so endearing to me. Let’s see–he’s abnormally tall, even taller than what you would expect a hot male alpha to be (and he is such a hot male alpha *swoon!*), and he has a head full of red hair. Yes! He’s a redhead, and he makes having red hair sound hot! Personally, I think he could make anything look and sound sexy. There was one scene where Cross’s shirt was unbuttoned a little at the top, and his shirtsleeves were rolled up, baring those delicious forearms… *sigh* The forearms, they just do me in. Can you tell I’m in love with him? And not just with his physical traits either. This man, when he wants to be, is the sweetest man on earth. It may seem as if he’s a scoundrel and a selfish man, but in reality, everything he’s done, he’s done for those he loves. His remaining family has always been his number one priority ever since an incident years ago. But ever since Pippa came into his life, he’s never been the same.

She was everything he’d never known he wanted.
And he did want her. Enough to make him wish he were someone else. Enough to make him wish he were more. Different. Better.

Oh, this man made my heart swoon madly.

The angst! Oh gosh, it was perfect. Cross doesn’t believe he’s good enough for Pippa because of his past and what he’s done. So he pushes her away, doesn’t allow himself to be happy with her. And this just raises the tension off the charts!

I loved every single interaction between Cross and Pippa. There were the funny parts, where Cross would deny himself about feeling anything for Pippa and make an absolute fool out of himself. There were the parts that were so intense and filled with tension between Pippa and Cross. It made my heart flip flop and go crazy!

The secondary characters are so well written too. I became even more intrigued with the other owners of The Fallen Angel, Temple and Chase.

“No toast?”
“Not to love,” Temple said wryly. “Women may be warm and welcome . . . but they’re not to be trusted.”
“Now that you’ve said it, you know what that means.” Temple raised a black row as Chase toasted him with a grin. “You’re next.”

When I read this, it made me laugh so hard. Because yes, Temple will be next!

The book was perfect. Perfect characters, perfect story, perfect ending. I don’t think I’ve ever smiled as hard as I did at that scene right before the epilogue. SAH-WOOON!

I’m not usually a reader of historical romances, at least those that are set in England during the Regency era, but this book was wonderful. If you love historical romances, you should read this book. If you don’t read historical romances, you should read this book. If you don’t like historical romances, you should read this book. You don’t even have to read this first book before diving into this one, it’s that good. (And I’m a stickler for reading books in order!)

*Sigh* I just loved everything about One Good Earl Deserves a Lover. And I cannot WAIT for the next book in the series. TEMPLE!!

5 hearts
lacey

Reading Order: The Rules of Scoundrels series

A Rogue by Any Other Name by Sarah MacLean One Good Earl Deserves a Lover by Sarah MacLean No Good Duke Goes Unpunished by Sarah MacLean Never Judge a Lady by Her Cover by Sarah MacLean

#1 ~ A Rogue by Any Other Name: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ One Good Earl Deserves a Lover: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ No Good Duke Goes Unpunished: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#4 ~ Never Judge a Lady by Her Cover: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads


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Review: A Rogue by Any Other Name by Sarah MacLean

A Rogue by Any Other Name by Sarah MacLean

A Rogue by Any Other Name by Sarah MacLean
Series: The Rules of Scoundrels #1 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: February 28th 2012
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

What a scoundrel wants, a scoundrel gets…

A decade ago, the Marquess of Bourne was cast from society with nothing but his title. Now a partner in London’s most exclusive gaming hell, the cold, ruthless Bourne will do whatever it takes to regain his inheritance—including marrying perfect, proper Lady Penelope Marbury.

A broken engagement and years of disappointing courtships have left Penelope with little interest in a quiet, comfortable marriage, and a longing for something more. How lucky that her new husband has access to such unexplored pleasures.

Bourne may be a prince of London’s underworld, but he vows to keep Penelope untouched by its wickedness—a challenge indeed as the lady discovers her own desires, and her willingness to wager anything for them… even her heart.

I was weirdly in the mood to read a historical romance. It felt like a craving, really. Don’t know why I wanted to read a historical romance, I just did! I was wondering which book I should choose, and I randomly chose this one. Why? Maybe the pretty cover? I have no clue, but I’m glad I read it!

I love stories where the main hero and heroine used to be friends. I just LOVE those stories. They were friends when they were children, they were with each other constantly, thought about each other constantly, but never acted on anything because they were young. Yet they always held the promise of something more. And then something tragic happens and they separate. AH! The angst!

In this case, Michael, Marquess of Bourne, and Penelope were best friends when they were younger. But then Michael loses a bet, losing everything he owned–his inheritance, his house, his land–and he leaves. He deserts Penelope, who is crushed. Years pass without Michael ever contacting Penelope, and she becomes engaged to another. This ends in a disastrous scandal, leaving Penelope’s reputation in ruins. Her family is desperate for her to marry, and so her father adds in Michael’s lost land into her dowry to attract a husband.

Michael, now known only as Bourne, is one of four owners of a gaming hell known as The Fallen Angel, and is very successful. He has rebuilt his fortune, his name, yet he never forgot the day the lost everything, the day he promised to take back what was lost and vowed revenge against the man to stole everything from him. And he starts by forcing Penelope into marriage–with him. Now the two have to pretend they are over the moon about each other, that they have truly achieved a love match, and have to prove to society they didn’t marry because of certain circumstances (which of course they did). And throughout their entire farce, when Michael is a loving husband in public, Penelope can’t help wondering, is Michael acting? Or does he maybe, truly, have feelings for her?

I really enjoyed the writing, but the characters were harder to like. Penelope was a bit hard to connect with, and Michael is very much a class A jerk to Penelope. He’s cold and heartless and ruthless, and he’ll let nothing stand in the way of his revenge, even his old friend Penelope. Penelope still has some feelings for the boy who left her, but the man who’s with her now is completely changed, and she doesn’t know how to feel about that. I started liking them better later on in the book, when the tension between them gets more intense. And WOW does it get intense! *fans self*

Michael feels guilty for how he treats Penelope, but that doesn’t excuse his treatment of her. And somewhere along the way, feelings come rushing back in, and he’s in a dilemma. If he wants Penelope, he has to give up his quest for revenge. But if he wants his revenge, he gives up love and the only person who ever meant anything to him. And here’s where I started really enjoying the book. The angst for Michael is so well done! My heart was aching for him and Penelope, because neither knows whether their marriage could ever be real. They each have their faults, and aren’t sure if they really can love each other. Michael kept disappointing Penelope, and there were too many lies and deceits, but I was really cheering for them to have a HEA. Because I’m just a sucker for a couple who were best friends as children. They need to have a HEA!

“I am too imperfect for you,” he whispered at her temple.
“You are perfectly imperfect for me.”

There were several Awww moments that made my heart flutter when Michael realizes that wants more with Penelope. And I loved when Penelope grew more confident in herself. She may not be the most beautiful girl, or the most special, but she’s stubborn, clever, and loves Michael a hell of a lot.

This wasn’t the most perfect book, but it definitely made me happy with what I chose to read to satisfy my historical romance craving. The characters got better over time, and I’m such a fan of Sarah MacLean’s writing. And I loved all the letters between young Penelope and young Michael interspersed between the chapters! They were SO cute! Highly recommend this book for romance lovers!

4 hearts!

4 hearts

The British nobility hierarchy (this is more for my personal reference for the names and forms of address, and it’s not exactly very elaborate, but oh well!):

Duke/Duchess (Your Grace)
Marquess/Marchioness (My Lord)
Earl/Countess (My Lord)
Viscount/Viscountess (My Lord)
Baron/Baroness (My Lord)

I read A Rogue by Any Other Name and One Good Earl Deserves a Lover back to back, so be on the lookout for my review of the second book!

lacey

Reading Order: The Rules of Scoundrels series

A Rogue by Any Other Name by Sarah MacLean One Good Earl Deserves a Lover by Sarah MacLean No Good Duke Goes Unpunished by Sarah MacLean Never Judge a Lady by Her Cover by Sarah MacLean

#1 ~ A Rogue by Any Other Name: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ One Good Earl Deserves a Lover: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ No Good Duke Goes Unpunished: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#4 ~ Never Judge a Lady by Her Cover: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads


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Review: Beautiful Illusion by Jacquie Underdown

Beautiful Illusion by Jacquie Underdown

Beautiful Illusion by Jacquie Underdown
Series: Standalone
Publication Date: October 1st 2013
Purchase: Ebook
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher (Escape Publishing) in exchange for an honest review

A beautiful, spiritual story about a woman who meets the man of her dreams — and then wakes up…

The last thing Leah thought she’d get out of a shocking car accident was the perfect boyfriend. But there was Brennan in the hospital bed next to hers — equal parts charm, cheek, and chocolate. Their relationship, their love, her life, is almost too good to be true.

Then, to Leah’s horror, she discovers that it is. Her new life with Brennan is only a fabrication of her injured mind — a coma dream that ends when she wakes up.

Struggling with injuries and grieving for a man that never existed, Leah battles to put her life back together. But a series of coincidences hint that for some people, love can transcend all barriers and achieve the impossible.

When I saw this book on Netgalley, and I read the summary, I knew I just had to read it. The blurb is just so intriguing–the heroine meets the love of her life, but it turns out that their meeting, their life together, wasn’t… real. It was all a dream. To be honest, I would never have wanted to read this book if I hadn’t loved the blurb, and yet it gives away such a huge part of the story that I couldn’t enjoy it as much as I wanted to. So does the blurb hurt or help? If you don’t mind how it gives away the huge plot twist, then by all means, give this book a try. But for those who hate spoilers, this book might not be right for you.

I still enjoyed reading this book, despite how I was waiting and waiting for the time when Leah would wake up from her coma and her dream. Always, in the back of my mind, during Leah and Brennan’s love story, I would be wondering, Is this when she wakes up? Is this when she’ll lose the love of her life? I kept thinking and wondering the entire time, so I couldn’t really connect with the main characters. Their story was all a dream and wasn’t real, so I was never invested in their story or their romance. That’s not to say this isn’t a good book. I still liked it! But I didn’t LOVE it. Still, Leah and Brennan’s story was sweet and heart-warming, a romance that seemed very natural.

Leah meets Brennan in the hospital after her accident, and they are very sweet and flirty together. They’re not sure whether they’ll ever see each other again, but they want to. They want to try to have a relationship, to see how far a relationship will take them, because during their time at the hospital, they connect. They have conversations and become friendly, even though both sides want more. The first half of the story is told in Leah’s POV, and her narrating is very simple and straightforward. She and Brennan fall more deeply in love with each other each passing day, and it was all mellow and slow. But it wasn’t until Leah wakes up that things… get exciting. More interesting. Because in reality, she’s never met Brennan or his family. And yet she feels in her heart she does.

I wasn’t a fan of the writing, but Jacquie Underdown stepped it up for the second half of the book. I liked the story much better, because I honestly had no idea what would happen. Is Brennan even real? If he is, will Leah ever see him again, get the chance to love him, have the life they were meant to have before she woke up? The story really took a different turn after Leah wakes up, and I ended up really liking how Leah copes with the loss of Brennan.

While Beautiful Illusion isn’t the BEST book out there, it was still really interesting to read. If you’re intrigued by the blurb, like I was, who knows, you might end up loving it!

3 hearts for me!

3-hearts

lacey