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review 2015-06-12 02:00
A Cute Story, But Not One I Would Have Personally Picked
By Design - Jayne Denker

I got a copy of this from Nook's free Friday. It's not a book I would typically choose, but I thought why not try it?

First, the comedy mentioned was amusing. The author had a great sense of humor in adding a few good laughs. I also enjoyed that there was no mention of feeling like the main character had to choose between marriage and her career, a trope thar irritates me immensely. Additionally, I liked that the relationship itself was focused on and not just great sex.

That being said, it still was syrupy sweet and what I like to call emotional pornography.

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review 2014-10-12 19:52
Down on Love
Down on Love - Jayne Denker

This started off kind of slowly for me.  I almost stopped reading when I'd barely started, but I did keep going.  It was okay.  I think I didn't enjoy it more because it was more about George, the heroine, getting her head out of her ass than it was about the romance.  I would've enjoyed more romance.  Casey, the hero, at one point sets out to "woo" George.  But, there's really no wooing.  No hand holding.  No romantic touches.  Barely any kissing.

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text 2014-08-20 16:00
Tweed: Professors Heroes
The Key - Victoria Darkins
Try a Little Tenderness - Roslyn Hardy Holcomb
The Temptation of Rory Monahan - Elizabeth Bevarly
Don't Tell (Romantic Suspense #1) - Karen Rose
Goodnight Tweetheart - Teresa Medeiros
Off the Edge - Carolyn Crane
A Lesson in Temptation (A Stanton Family Novella) (Entangled Edge) - Audra North
Unscripted - Jayne Denker
Geoducks Are for Lovers - Daisy Prescott
Once Upon a Dream - Jennifer Archer

Even Professors have to go back to school! 

 

Enjoy these Professor Heroes of Romance Heroes and none of these heroines are their current students. 

 

1.  The Key by Victoria Darkins 

 

Jack and Carrie are lost souls. Jack is an eminent university lecturer in English Literature who suffers from quadriplegia after a spinal cord injury in his late teens. Having convinced himself that he was better off on his own he has closed the door on any romantic entanglements and instead directed all his energy into his work. 

Carrie is trying to unchain herself from a cruel, neglectful and guilt ridden childhood. She has earned a place on a degree course of her dreams but it comes at a costly price. 

Both are thrown together by Mary, a mutual friend and past social worker, who has hatched a plan to help Jack and Carrie with their predicaments. Carrie becomes Jack's live-in carer securing her with an income and unexpected benefits. 

Will it be too late from them to find out that they both hold the key to unleash each other from the chains that hold them to their past? A key that will unlock their hearts.

 

2. Try A Little Tenderness by Roslyn Hardy Holcomb

 

A struggling college student by day and stripper by night, Lola Bordenaux is definitely not looking for love, until one day it literally sweeps her off her feet...and into the nearest Emergency Room. It's impossible to resist the unconditional love and unbelievably hot sex offered by her former professor, Peter Koss. Intrigued by the possibilities presented by a virginal mate, Lola can't wait to mold him into the perfect lover.

Lucky for her, this boy genius learns quickly and is very good with his hands, his mouth, and assorted other body parts. Giddy with their new found love, they quickly move in together, but Lola can't resist the appeal of the strip club, and their relationship is trashed in her wake.

Five years later, older, wiser, and determined to achieve all her ambitions, Lola returns to the school and the man she has always wanted. But it will take more than apologies to win him back. First, they'll have to fight together for their lives.

 

3. The Temptation of Rory Monahan by Elizabeth Bevarly 

 

He was a man of books, all right, but Rory Monahan had no explanation for his new reaction to lovely librarian Miriam Thornbury. Something was suddenly different about her. He’ d never noticed that her legs were so long… or her lips quite so full.

Why, it was almost as if the sultry but sensible Miss Thornbury was trying to seduce him!

Well, two could play at this game. After all, he was a scholar— it was time he figured out what was up with her. Even if it took all day— and all night.

The things a man will do in the name of research…

 

4. Don't Tell by Karen Rose 

 

Since escaping her abusive cop husband and moving to Chicago seven years earlier, Mary Grace Winters has reinvented herself. With the help of a safe house for battered women, she changed her name to Caroline Stewart and her son's to Tom and secured a secretarial position at Carrington College. But unbeknownst to Caroline, her husband is on her trail, determined to reclaim his son and kill anyone who stands in his way. Meanwhile, Caroline struggles to live a normal life and open her heart to the love of a good man, Max Hunter

 

5. Goodnight Tweetheart by Teresa Medeiros 

 

Can two strangers who meet (and tweet) by chance find a love strong enough to last a lifetime? That’s the question former literary sensation Abby Donovan is forced to explore when she meets Mark Baynard on Twitter. Mark, an English professor traveling the world, shatters Abby’s writer’s block one witty tweet at a time. Just as she begins to write and live again, she discovers Mark is hiding a secret that could change both of their lives forever. In the tradition of Sleepless in Seattleand You’ve Got Mail, two lonely people discover it doesn’t take 140 characters to find your soul mate, just three little words.

 

6. Off the Edge by Carolyn Crane

 

SHE MAY BE HIS WORST ENEMY… 
For deadly secret agent Peter Macmillan, language is a weapon—one he uses to hunt criminals, destroy plots, and charm enemies. Seducing information out of a beautiful singer in a Bangkok hotel should be easy…except this particular singer has the power to destroy his cool façade, and with it, his last defense against a dark past. 

HE MAY BE HER ONLY HOPE… 
He tricked her. He helped himself to her body and her secrets. He has enemies everywhere. Laney Lancaster should hate Peter, but when she discovers him shirtless, sweaty, and chained up in the hotel’s dungeon, all she can think about is freeing him. Because she knows what it’s like to be trapped and alone. And she could use a dangerous friend. 

They might be wrong for each other, but the instant they join forces, Laney and Peter are plunged into an odyssey of hot sex and dark danger. To survive, they must trust each other with their lives—and their hearts. 

 

7. A Lesson in Temptation by Audra North

 

Adam Harkness pulled himself out of poverty to become one of the world's most respected Finance professors, but at the cost of his personal life. When a well-meaning friend gifts him with a dance course, Adam decides to attend one class out of courtesy, but no more than that. He has work to do, after all - or at least, that's what he tells himself.

 

After being bullied in high school, Julie Stanton took refuge in her studies. But now that her hard work has paid off and Julie has found success in her job, it's time to focus on finding the same happiness in the rest of her life.

 

When Adam walks into the same tango class that Julie signed up for, she recognizes him immediately as the professor whom she had a crush on in college. Both Adam and Julie have proven themselves to be excellent scholars. But when the attraction between them turns into something more, will they be able to open their hearts and learn a new lesson - how to love.

 

8. Unscripted by Jayne Denker 

 

One of Hollywood’s hardest working women is about to discover there's a lot more drama behind the camera than in front of it...

 

Faith “Freakin’” Sinclair probably shouldn’t have called her boss a perv…or grabbed his “privates.” But as creator of the hit dramedy Modern Women, she’d had enough of his sexist insults. Now she’s untouchable in the industry—not in a good way. The only way to redeem herself is to convince Alex, the wildly popular, wildly demanding former star of her show, to come back. But there’s one obstacle in her way—one very handsome, broad-shouldered obstacle…

 

Professor Mason Mitchell is head of the theater department where Alex is studying “real” acting. The only way he’ll let Faith anywhere near Alex is if she agrees to co-teach a class. It’s an offer she can’t refuse—and as it turns out, the professor just might end up teaching Faith that there’s more to life than work—and that real-life love scenes are way more fun than fake ones….

 

9. Geoducks Are for Lovers by Daisy Prescott

 

Maggie Marrion is just getting back on her feet after a horrible year, or two, or three. With their twentieth reunion approaching, she invites four of her closest friends from college for a mini-reunion at her beach cabin on Whidbey Island. What she doesn't expect is her best friends Selah and Quinn to play matchmaker. Will Maggie risk her heart and her quiet life for another chance at romance?

Gil Morrow, former grunge musician turned history professor, joins them as Selah's date for the weekend. With the support of old friends, a few wishing rocks, the world's largest burrowing clam, and a hot lumberjack thrown into the mix, Gil reminds Maggie she isn't too old to fall in love.

 

10. Once Upon a Dream by Jennifer Archer 

 

When Professor Alex Simon moves to Canyon, Texas from England, he welcomes the opportunity to change his locale. Not only would he be aiding his recently widowed sister, but he would have a chance to forget a failed relationship.

 

Robin Wise is less than impressed by her new neighbor-- and his little devil-cat. The feline taunts her dog, and its stuffy owner has the gall to blame her pup for the squabbles. But at a second glance, Alex isn't quite as nerdy as he seems. As a matter of fact, when he isn't insulting her dog, he can be quite charming.

 

But Robin has her own problems. An inherited curse looms over her impending thirtieth birthday, and until Robin can overcome the hex, she can't indulge in any fantasy she might have regarding the more-perfect-by-the-minute professor. No matter how she wishes she had the courage to act on the awakened desire in her heart.

 

Let me know who your favorite Ethical Professor Heroes is! 

 

To vote for the best of the best, go to my Goodreads list: Tweed: Professors Heroes in Romance

 

I hope you are enjoying these Back to School Week Lists!

 

Be sure to check out my blog for College Student Heroines and Heroes.

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review 2014-07-05 00:00
Picture This
Picture This - Jayne Denker Looking for a book filled with humor, romance, and small town fun - Picture This!

Jayne Denker’s second novel based in the small, quaint Catskills town of Marsden, Picture This, will be released next week (17 July 2014). If you haven’t already read Denker’s Down on Love, the novel that introduces Marsden and it’s inhabitants, then I’d suggest you might want to take a look at it now. But don’t feel you have to as Picture This is a really self-contained story. However, there is so much laugh-out-loud humor in Down on Love that I don’t think you’ll want to miss it.

Celia Marshall, the almost girlfriend of Carey in Down on Love, is now a celeb photographer’s assistant in the Big Apple. She’s living her dream, right? Well, perhaps, but it does seem like a better life and career for her than the graphic design job she held in Marsden. Certainly being imposed upon (really blackmailed into) posing with Hollywood comedic heartthrob Niall Crenshaw for a whiskey ad wouldn’t seem onerous duty, but Celia likes to stay in the background and the spotlight is definitely on front-and-center with Niall.

But love (or lust) knows no boundaries and there is apparently a very special zing between Niall and Celia. Even with his B-movie costar hanging on his side, Niall only has eyes for this Marsden girl. Niall will have a hard time to convince country girl Celia that he can be serious in light of the glam party atmosphere that surrounds him though. During his three-hour drive upstate into the Catskills with Celia with a game of truth, they begin to discover a bit more about each other.

When Niall says he’s staying in Marsden to help out with a project, I wasn’t sure how this story would evolve. Seriously, the residents of Marsden were so wacky in Down on Love that with their nosiness they drove the heroine back to Boston. But Denker never does as expected and this story allowed the residents of Marsden to evolve quite a bit. Certainly they’re still quite quirky, but seem ever so slightly less frenetic.

Reading Jayne Denker’s books is pure pleasure and Picture This is my new favorite. She really provides readers with characters that are not only compelling and interesting, but who struggle through many issues we all have to face (aging relatives, career choices, living life or existing).

At first I expected Niall to be all surface Hollywood overlaying just enough sincerity to make the book interesting. Instead, he became, for me, the center grounding point of the story. I love his initial impression of Marsden as he walks down the Main Street for the first time on a Sunday morning:

“…Niall had to admit to himself it was nearly impossible to dislike Marsden, despite the lack of a Starbucks on every corner. Celia wasn’t kidding when she described the place as quaint. It was so quaint it verged on twee. He’d never experienced twee before, but now he felt like he was up to his neck in it. He wandered down the old-fashioned Main Street expecting the cast of The Music Man to come high-stepping down the sidewalks….Plenty of trees, with wood-and-iron benches nearby, offered shade from the summer sun. Simply adorable storefronts, including an old-fashioned hardware store, antiques stores, gift shops, and restaurants, alongside art galleries and high-end boutiques completed the look.”

Marsden definitely seems a little enchanted as it begins to charm this Hollywood star. I laughed uproariously as he noted he couldn’t sleep because of the quiet (no car alarms, horns, sirens) and then because of the noise of the crickets. A true city visitor experiencing the country for the first time (yes, I have heard these complaints before)!

As Denker notes in an endnote, Marsden is a creation of her imagination, though aspects of it are drawn from several small towns in the Catskill region. For me that is an added bonus as I feel quite at home (being a Catskill Mountain girl myself).

Most of all, Picture This is a beautifully written love story between two disparate people, love for family members and friends, and for a community of people who care. Given it’s the hero is a Hollywood star, it’s not a surprise that at many points in the story I was imagining it on screen - casting and recasting various actors in the roles. In Picture This, Denker’s wonderful sense of humor echoes the best of Nora Ephron, so perhaps it wouldn’t be a giant leap to see this story transition to film.

Picture This is a book that I will recommend to all my friends and family, without reservation. Definitely a five-star read.
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text 2014-06-20 19:06
Best Beta Heros in Contemporary Romance
The Rebound Girl (Getting Physical) - Tamara Morgan
Vision in White - Nora Roberts
Hard Rock Remix - Ava Lore
Imperfect Chemistry (Imperfect Series) (Volume 1) - Mary Frame
Love Kinection - Jennifer James
Control - Charlotte Stein
CRASH - Pepper Pace
Geek with the Cat Tattoo - Theresa Weir
Friends Without Benefits - Penny Reid
Unscripted - Jayne Denker

For me, Beta Heroes are just more interesting. They have facets that will take a lifetime to explore. As a cat, I am infinitely curious so I find this depth of character, this nuance, hot. 

 

Here are some great Beta Heroes from Contemporary Romance. In not particular order because who can expect that of me? 

 

1. Friends Without Benefits  by Penny Reid Nico Ex Model/Comedian/Actor

2. Geek with the Cat Tattoo  by Theresa Weir Emerson Foshay Guitar Maker 

3. CRASH by Pepper Pace Lucas, a young homeless man

4. Control by Charlotte Stein Gabriel Bookshop Assistant 

5.  Unscripted by Jayne Denker  Professor Mason Mitchell

6. Love Kinection by Jennifer James  Tom Walker  Tech God 

7. Imperfect Chemistry by Mary Frame Jensen Walker, College Student 

8.  Hard Rock Remix  by Ava Lore Carter Hudson Rock Star 

9. Vision In White  by Nora Roberts Carter Maguire English Teacher

10. The Rebound Girby Tamara Morgan  Matt Fuller Grade School Teacher

 

Okay, so I think teachers and professors are sexy. Sue me.

 

Favorite Contemporary Beta Heroes that you think I missed? 

 

Vote for the best of the best Contemporary Romance Novel Beta Heroes on the Goodreads list: Best Beta Heroes in Contemporary Romance.

 

To get even more recommendations, see my Pinterest Board: King of the Betas: Best Beta Heroes in Romance. 

 

Category Romance Beta Heroes have their own list:  Best Beta Hero of Category Romance.

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