ARC Review: Definitely, Maybe In Love by Ophelia London

I have loved Pride and Prejudice since the very first time I ever read it. Since then I have gone on to watch the movies and TV series about it as well. So when I heard about Definitely, Maybe In Love by Ophelia London, I knew that I had to read this story since it is P&P with a modern spin. I wasn't sure exactly what to expect when I saw that it was a New Adult story, but I figured it was definitely worth giving a shot. I ending up enjoying this story and I liked both the characters and the new twist on such a classic story. There were a few things that I didn't care for, but all in all this one was a quick fun read that allowed me to experience one of my all time favorites in a brand new way.

Spring Honeycutt is a junior at Stanford and is beginning to write her thesis. She is passionate about sustainability and knows that she wants to make a big difference with her life. When her advisor tells her that she needs to rethink a few points in her research and try to see things from a different perspective she has absolutely no interest in listening to anything the opposition has to say. Until she meets her knew neighbor, Henry Knightly and not only is he gorgeous, but he just so happens to be the perfect person to help her. They immediately get off on the wrong foot, but both of them feel the instant attraction and agree to work together. As they spend more time together, feelings start to develop beyond attraction. But with Spring being so set in her ways, is it possible for her to not only let her guard down, but also be with someone who is so different from everything that she believes in? Will Spring and Henry be able to get everything in order to risk having a chance at true love and a relationship together?

I liked Knightly. He was everything that you love about Darcy and yet he was also more. I loved seeing how he and Spring would challenge each other, and how much he liked her because of it. He was set in his ways, but he would also listen to what she had to say. I love that he had the same confidence bordering on arrogance as Darcy and yet he didn't come off as a jerk. He starts off a bit snobbish towards Spring and goes in with this idea about her having heard gossip about her, and yet he still offers to help her out. He was just such a likable character. I also really enjoyed Spring. She is strong and independent, and isn't afraid of what anyone thinks of her. I loved how much she really threw herself into what she believed in. It was really nice to see such a determined and smart heroine in this book, because that is not always the case with a New Adult book. I loved how Knightly and Spring would verbally spar and banter. It was always interesting watching these two interact and I really enjoyed watching as their relationship progressed throughout the story. There is not a lot of steam in this book, but you can definitely feel the chemistry and attraction between them. I wished that they had acted on a little more of the tension between them and that we would have been able to see more of them together. I think that because some of that was missing, it was harder to believe in their relationship and the love they declared and it just didn't seem as realistic as I would have hoped.

I also thought that even though the characters were likable and interesting, they seemed to be a little more immature than I would have expected for their ages. Some of the things that they did or said just didn't seem to be consistent with the age group and what you would expect for not only upperclassmen in college, but also grad students. I also thought that there were a few things that happened in the story that didn't quite make sense, and weren't really explained. They would be brought up a few times and then dropped. I just wished that we would have been given a better explanation on why some of the characters did a few of these things. Overall though, I really did enjoy this story. It is something new and different for fans of Pride and Prejudice, and there is enough of a twist that although you get parts of the classic story, you feel as though this isn't the same old thing. I recommend this book to anyone who loves Pride and Prejudice as much as I do and also to anyone who loves a good love story that is slow to develop. I really had a good time reading and enjoyed the fact that Knightly and Spring didn't just jump right into a relationship. This story is a sweet one and has a good amount of attraction, but if you are looking for a ton of steam and sexy scenes this is probably not one for you.

**ARC provided by Publisher**

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Romance is Bliss Event with Barbara DeLeo

Meet Bliss author, Barbara DeLeo.

Barbara DeLeo’s first book, co-written with her best friend, was a story about beauty queens in space. She was eleven, and the sole, handwritten copy was lost years ago, much to everyone’s relief. It’s some small miracle that she kept the faith and is now living her dream of writing sparkling contemporary romance with unforgettable characters.

After completing degrees in Psychology and English then travelling the world, Barbara married her winemaker hero and had two sets of twins.
She still loves telling stories about finding love in all the wrong places, with not a beauty queen or spaceship in sight.

Barbara’s first Bliss – “Last Chance Proposal” - is out December 2013.

Places to find Barbara:

| Site | Blog | Facebook | Twitter |

ARC Review: Taste the Heat by Rachel Harris

Bliss (and other sweet romance) titles are very hit-or-miss for me—I find them either delightfully heartwarming and fluffy and the perfect break from my darker romantic suspense reads, or excessively saccharine and making me feel like I need to get checked for cavities. Rachel Harris’s adult debut, TASTE THE HEAT—book #1 in the Love and Games series—is, thankfully, the former: it’s a thoroughly enjoyable short read that will have you smiling the whole way with its vibrant hometown setting, tight-knit families, and delightful characters. And have I mentioned that it’s a foodie romance with a hot firefighter hero and unrequited-teenage-crush-slash-best-friend’s-little-sister storyline? Even my preference for spice over sugar is no match for a trifecta of my favourite romance tropes, sweet-contemporary style.

My other major gripe with the Bliss line—or any of its ilk—is the short length: I generally feel like I don’t get a good sense of the characters or the setting and the romance is entirely too rushed and unrealistic in fewer than 200 pages. But TASTE THE HEAT manages to bring the vibrant food-and-tradition-steeped culture of Cajun Louisiana to life from the opening line and throughout. I’ve never been to New Orleans or small-town Louisiana, but I definitely feel as if I’ve experienced all the city has to offer vicariously through this book. Bring on the crawfish étouffée and jambalaya! Ms. Harris also lays out the dilemmas driving the story and character growth clearly and from the get-go: sexy fire captain and single father Jason Landry lost his one true love to random violence and now seeks to guard his heart and simply find a companion and mother figure for his daughter Emma; big-city chef Colby Robicheaux has been burnt by infidelity and has sworn off relationships and ever trusting a man again. She ran from tiny Magnolia Springs at 18 to escape a life-altering family secret and is only back in town temporarily to get the family restaurant back on its feet… but seeing her childhood crush all grown up and sexier than ever—and being the perfect dad to his delightful daughter—has her rethinking things. The same is true for Jason: one look at the woman his best friend’s little sister has become (and whom he doesn’t initially recognise in an adorably hilarious meet-cute that sets the tone for the entire novel) and his dormant libido and heart spring to life. Watching the two of them help each other heal from their respective heartbreaks and realise that they want (and deserve) it all is incredibly sweet and heartwarming without being over-the-top and cloying.

Jason is the perfect book boyfriend. Not only is he ridiculously hot, wears a sexy uniform (have I mentioned I have a thing for firefighters?), and knows his way around the kitchen, he’s also selfless (must be the firefighter thing), dedicated to preparing people (especially women) to deal with violence with the ninjitsu classes he teaches at his gym, and one hell of a father despite a crazy shift schedule at the fire station. A man that will brave the feminine products aisle with his tween/teen daughter for her first period (and knows to add a bottle of Midol to his purchases after some help choosing pads) is definitely a keeper. The way he woos Colby and restores her love for her Cajun roots by replacing her painful memories tied to food and the city with delightful, sensual ones… be still, my heart! I seriously want to take him home. I quite liked Colby as well—she has serious trust issues and is quick to jump to the wrong conclusion when it comes to men, but she knows it and acknowledges when she lets that mistrust get the better of her. Watching her learn to open up and the way she is with Emma despite believing she doesn’t have a maternal bone in her body is incredibly satisfying. And she’s hilarious, to boot, which makes her incredibly relatable and easy to root for, even when you want to slap her upside the head for letting her past threaten to ruin things with Jason.

Colby and Jason together are a delightful, awww-inducing couple, and there is plenty of heat between them despite the intimate moments being of the fade-to-black persuasion. In addition to the strong chemistry and all-around adorableness of the romantic leads, TASTE THE HEAT boasts a great cadre of secondary characters whose relationships to the hero and heroine and each other are an integral part of the story and the tight-knit community feel and add a surprising amount of depth and realism to so short a story. Colby’s bad-boy-who’s-really-a-math-nerd older brother Cane gets his own story in SEVEN-DAY FIANCE, and I hope her equally delightful younger sister Sherry gets her own shot at a HEA.

TASTE THE HEAT is one big ball of happy—in a good way. You can see the perfect HEA coming a mile away, but it’s so darn adorable and uplifting that it just makes you want to keep reading and bask in the feel-good vibes. It’s short enough to be read in one sitting, and if you don’t come out of it with a huge smile on your face, there’s no hope for you! I’m looking forward to returning to Magnolia Springs and reading Cane’s story in the next instalment in the series.

**ARC provided by Publisher**

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Romance is Bliss Event with Roxanne Snopek

Meet Bliss author, Roxanne Snopek.

Roxanne Snopek is the author of ten books, more than 150 articles, and has had short fiction published in several anthologies. She is currently serving as Vice-President of the Romance Writers of America Greater Vancouver Chapter. She and her family live in the Pacific Northwest, where she’s at work on more love stories for Entangled Publishing.

Places to find Roxanne:

| Site | Blog | Facebook | Twitter |

ARC Review: Seven Day Fiance by Rachel Harris

Seven Day Fiance is the second book in the Love and Games series by Rachel Harris. This book features Cane and Angelle. I really enjoyed this story. Cane and Angelle are perfect together and I loved watching as their fake relationship turned into something real. This book is tied to the first book in the series, Taste The Heat, but it can be read as standalone. This is an Entangled Bliss imprint, meaning there isn't a ton of sex or steamy scenes. Usually that would disappoint me, but Rachel Harris's writing and the characters are so good that I didn't find myself missing it as much as I would have thought.

Tired of living up to everyone else's expectations, Angelle moves to a new town where she knows no one. She leaves behind her recent ex after having just turned down his very public proposal, and in the process not only upsetting him, but also her parents and the entire town. Angelle decides to become a firefighter and start living her life the way she wants to for a change. She has lusted after her roommate and friend's brother Cane from afar, knowing that he doesn't do relationships and even if he did she never thinks that he would notice her. But after winning a date with him at a charity auction, she asks him for a favor. She has told her family back home that he is her fiance and they have been asking her to bring him home with her for the holiday. Cane agrees to pretend to be her fiance for the week because not only did she just save him from having to go on a date with his crazy ex, but he has also been lusting after her. He figures with a week of pretending to be in a relationship, he can convince her to have a casual fling with him. But Cane and Angelle begin to really get to know each other as their fake engagement plays out, and there is an instant attraction between them beyond what either of them has ever felt before. The more they give in to their passion, the more they start blurring the lines between fake and real.

I really loved Cane. He was sexy with his tattoos and motorcycle, but also cute and nerdy. I loved that he wasn't your typical hero. I found him to be really interesting and completely unique. I loved that he was so sweet with his goddaughter and also with Angelle's. It was nice to see his soft side. I also really loved how great of a relationship he had with his sisters. You could really tell what a great guy he was and that just made him that much more likable. I also really liked Angelle. I thought that she was strong and determined and very brave. It was nice to see her go after not only a job that is usually a male dominated profession, but also leave everything and everyone she knew in order to change her life to how she wanted to live it. I think that she is one of those heroines that you just can't help but root for. I really liked her and Cane together. I thought that they made a great couple and were able to really help each other get over the issues that they both had. It was nice to see them go from admiring each other from afar to opening up and helping each other heal and grow. I think their relationship was extremely believable despite the short period of time that they actually took to fall in love. It was just so natural and even though they both tried to fight it at times and made some mistakes, when they were together they just had an easy and comfortable way of being without trying too hard.

Overall I really liked this story. This one was a quick and easy read, and I really enjoyed the characters. Not only was this story cute and fun, but I really felt that Harris did a great job of bringing to life the Cajun culture and lifestyle. It was very different from so many other stories that I have read, and I think that Harris described everything so well that the reader really gets drawn into the whole experience. Cane and Angelle were both very likable and interesting characters, but I also really enjoyed the other characters as well. This series is definitely one that I cannot wait to read more of. I am interested to get to know each of the other characters better, and hopefully get some little bits of Cane and Angelle again in the future. I was happy that they got their HEA, but I was wishing the book would have been a little longer so I didn't have to be done with them! I think that the Love and Games Series by Rachel Harris is one that romance fans will really enjoy. The series has so much to offer and I cannot wait to read more in the future. I highly recommend that you give this one a try if you like your romance stories sweet.

**ARC provided by Publisher**

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