Dollycas’s Thoughts

Carrie Singleton never stays in one place too long but when she is offered a job coordinating the library’s programs and events she just can’t turn it down. Her first program features Al Buckley, a retired cop who is trying to solve the 15 year old murder of Laura Foster, a library aide. Before he can get to far into his presentation he falls to the floor, dead. The medical examiner rules his death a homicide by poison and the police have very few leads.

Carrie feels his death is partly her fault. Her boss had reservations about the program but Carrie pushed for it to go on as planned. Carrie is sure his death is connected to the library aide’s death all those years ago. Determined to find the killer and with a little help from her new library friend, who happens to be a ghost, she strives ahead with her own investigation. The closer she gets to the truth the closer she gets is to finding herself “checked out” permanently.

I really enjoyed this story. I liked Carrie and her aunt and uncle immediately. They are good people that try to see the best in everyone. Evelyn, the library ghost stole my heart. She appeared whenever Carrie needed her. I could picture her so clearly she felt as real to me as the living characters. We meet several of the library employees, they are quite a group. We also meet the family of Laura Foster and Carrie’s new landlord. The author twists things up a bit in the romance department for our protagonist and I loved it.

The library where most of this story takes place sounds amazing. It is a happening place with all kinds of programs and events, more than any library I have been to. I wish we had a library like it nearby. A secondary scene is the guest house Carrie is renting. It also sounds amazing with its rooms, amenities and views. One view being the hunky landlord.

The entire story is very well written. It flows nicely and at times is very hard to put down. I liked the interesting and unexpected twists and the edge of your seat moments.

Ms. Brook is off to a great start with this series and I am very excited for the next installment.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Carrie Singleton never stays in one place too long but when she is offered a job coordinating the library’s programs and events she just can’t turn it down. Her first program features Al Buckley, a retired cop who is trying to solve the 15 year old murder of Laura Foster, a library aide. Before he can get to far into his presentation he falls to the floor, dead. The medical examiner rules his death a homicide by poison and the police have very few leads.

Carrie feels his death is partly her fault. Her boss had reservations about the program but Carrie pushed for it to go on as planned. Carrie is sure his death is connected to the library aide’s death all those years ago. Determined to find the killer and with a little help from her new library friend, who happens to be a ghost, she strives ahead with her own investigation. The closer she gets to the truth the closer she gets is to finding herself “checked out” permanently.

I really enjoyed this story. I liked Carrie and her aunt and uncle immediately. They are good people that try to see the best in everyone. Evelyn, the library ghost stole my heart. She appeared whenever Carrie needed her. I could picture her so clearly she felt as real to me as the living characters. We meet several of the library employees, they are quite a group. We also meet the family of Laura Foster and Carrie’s new landlord. The author twists things up a bit in the romance department for our protagonist and I loved it.

The library where most of this story takes place sounds amazing. It is a happening place with all kinds of programs and events, more than any library I have been to. I wish we had a library like it nearby. A secondary scene is the guest house Carrie is renting. It also sounds amazing with its rooms, amenities and views. One view being the hunky landlord.

The entire story is very well written. It flows nicely and at times is very hard to put down. I liked the interesting and unexpected twists and the edge of your seat moments.

Ms. Brook is off to a great start with this series and I am very excited for the next installment.

There is nothing worse than looking forward to reading a book—especially for a long time—only to not enjoy it when you finally do get to read it. It's even worse when it is so I unenjoyable you have to flounce it.

 

I have been wanting to read Love Overdue for quite some time since I love library/librarian stories. But between plot elements I hate and how unlikeable I found the characters—as well as reading spoilers about the end of the book—this story doesn't seem to be salvageable for me.

 

First, the plot entirely hinges on the hero (Scott) and heroine (D.J.) having gross stranger sex eight years ago. You all know how much I hate that. To make matters exponentially worse D.J. did it to ~not he like herself~. On spring break, dressed like a hooker complete with plexiglass heels (who even?), encouraged by her friends she went out to find a stranger to fuck. (Here are my thoughts on that.) And she was a virgin. Just, why would you . . . just, why? That will never make any sense to me. Sorry I'm not sorry that I'm never going to find that to be in any way empowering and not stupid.

 

And Scott. He apparently cheats on his girlfriend in having that fling. Not that I abide or forgive cheating in any way, shape, or form, but worse—it didn't just happen, he set out to cheat. In reading other reviews apparently he had some convoluted reason: to get better at sex to please his girlfriend. Uhm. What? No . . . wait, what? I get his girlfriend made him feel insecure through no fault of his, but still! How in the world does cheating make things better??

 

So this entire scenario is off-putting, unromantic, and gross on a few levels. But I probably could have dealt with it as usual if the characters were at all likeable to me.

 

With Scott, the book had barely started when we're told he had carried on a sexual relationship with a married woman for sometime after his divorce. Given context clues, it didn't sound as if the woman and her husband had an open marriage, which makes him a homewrecker and he had no guilt about this at all. Worse, he got divorced because his wife cheated on him. What would possess him to do the same to someone else? So, between this and the previous cheating I did not like him at all. Add in what other reviews have said about the way he thought about women, particularly D.J., later on in the book and he apparently reaches dudebro levels of douchey.

 

D.J. was more actively awful, at least when it came to Scott. She, deservedly, feels stupid and mortified over her actions eight years ago. Lucky for her, Scott doesn't recognize her. So she takes her prim librarian persona to an extra degree with him so he won't remember. For some weird reason she thinks her life will be destroyed if he does. Okay. But on the other hand she gets pissed at him for not remembering! What? She already acted like an ass the morning after back then when she fled without a word. Now she meets him again and treats him like crap. With outright disdain. Initially so as not to tip him off, but then she starts making up shit about him in her head that makes no sense. According to her, because he jumped into bed with a stranger he's a liar (I still can't work out how she came up with that one), and a player. Then adds on more thinking he's a bigot against the town's lesbian couple. At no point in time, at least not before I DNF'd, does it occur to her that maybe he was pretending to be something he's not that night, too. That maybe she doesn't know anything about the guy whose name she refused to even hear then let alone learn anything else about him. That maybe there is some history between him and the lesbian couple that precipitated his attitude toward them. (Granted, it is a bigoted little town, of course, but she was just looking for more ammunition to hate him for no reason. Turns out half of that couple was his ex-wife, and the other half is the woman with whom she cheated. And she did get wind of the married woman affair, but it only reinforced what she had already convinced herself of.) Her whole bitchy, dismissive demeanor toward Scott and her nonsensical judgment of him made me really dislike her, too.

 

At this point I'm not enjoying the book and I don't think it's going to get any better. The only thing I do like is D.J.'s dog, Mr. Melville Dewey. So I go and look at reviews and thank the Book Gods I did. Turns out the only reason to even attempt to push through the book—Scott finally realizing who she is, the big reveal, and working things out—is completely absent. Most reviews lament the sudden abrupt end when he realizes it's her and it cuts to an eight years later epilogue. The climax is entirely absent. What?! Why would you do that?!?! I . . . am SO happy I didn't waste my time finishing this book. I think everyone would have felt my indignant rage. On top of that, everything to do with Scott's mother, D.J.'s landlady/boss, is so utterly ridiculous I almost started beating my head against something hard just reading reviews! (She tries to commit suicide with a botulism pie?! WHAT ARE YOU I CAN'T EVEN!!!)

 

So, yes. One very emphatic and heartbreaking DNF for me. Dammit.

 

Of course this complaint isn't far off what I usually complain about, but I feel like this is something n which we can all agree . . . maybe. I keep reading these over and over and it really gets under my skin now.

 

First: The (framed as) "prudish" heroine who wishes she could be promiscuous or go out and bang random dudes, etc. Usually she has a best friend or sister who does and she laments not being more like her. Okay, if you're me you're annoyed because what in the hell kind of thing is that to aspire to? Less STD and pregnancy scares, ooh, life is so boring! Physical intimacy actually means something to you, you're so juvenile! (Reference back to my irritation at heroines considering this sophisticated behavior. ) 

 

But where we all can agree is on wondering why is what these heroines are so bad? What is making them feel that being who they are is a bad thing? Are we supposed to nod our heads in agreement and say "you suck, change!"? I don't get it. You do you, girl. Let the grass stay greener because if you're not that person, trying to be is just going to cause you problems.

 

Second: The best friend who encourages the heroine to change who she is to be more promiscuous or whatever. Sorry, but I think you're best friending wrong. Aren't you supposed to be telling her she's great as she is? Not trying to dress her up like Streetwalker Barbie™ and telling her to throw herself at the first available cock that passes muster. Shouldn't the BFF understand who she is and know that this isn't going to work out well for her? It just reeks of, "I love you, but . . ." to me, something that drives me bonkers. Supportive is one thing, pushing her into something emotionally and physically dangerous is another.

 

Again, these things are probably just me and I likely wouldn't have noticed myself if I hadn't read them over and over. But unfortunately what has been noticed cannot be unnoticed. 

 

Some of you are lucky enough to be on Spring Break. Some of you are in the the wrong hemisphere for that.  I took last week off. Woo hoo! 

 

Here are some great Romances that will take you on Spring Break with them.

 

My lists are never in any particular order. 

 

1. Beyond Me: Sex on the Beach by Jennifer Probst

 

CAN FUN IN THE SUN TURN INTO LASTING LOVE?
Spring break in Key West with my besties was supposed to be casual fun. But I never expected to meet him. Sex and frolic? Yes! A relationship? No. But his hot blue eyes and confident manner drew me in. And when he let me see the man behind the mask, I fell hard, foolishly believing there could be a future for us. Of course, I never considered our relationship might be based on lies...or that his betrayal could rock my foundation and make me question everything I believed in…

OR WILL A LIFE BUILT ON LIES RUIN EVERYTHING?
The moment I saw her I knew I had to have her. She hooked me with her cool eyes and don’t-touch-me attitude. I had it all—money, social status, and looks. I could get any girl I wanted...until her. When my friends challenged me with a bet to get her into bed by the end of the week, I couldn’t pass it up. But sex wasn’t supposed to turn into love. She wasn’t supposed to change me, push me, and make me want more for myself. She wasn’t supposed to wreck me in all ways. And now, if I can’t turn my lies into truth, I just might lose her forever..

 

2. Love Overdue by Pamela Morsi

 

Meet Dorothy Jarrow: devotedly unsexy librarian 

Buttoned-up book lover DJ is all sensible shoes, drab skirts and studious glasses. After an ill-advised spring-break-fueled fling left her mortified, she's committed to her prim and proper look. When she's hired by a rural library in middle-of-nowhere Kansas, she finally has the lifestyle to match—and she can't wait to get her admin on. 

 

But it's clear from day one that the small-town library is more interested in circulating rumors than books. DJ has to organize her unloved library, win over oddball employees and avoid her flamboyant landlady's attempts to set her up with the town pharmacist. Especially that last part—because it turns out handsome Scott Sanderson is her old vacation fling! She is not sure whether to be relieved or offended when he doesn't seem to recognize her. But with every meeting, DJ finds herself secretly wondering what it would be like to take off her glasses, unpin her bun and reveal the inner vixen she's been hiding from everyone—including herself.

 

3. Elements of Chemistry Parts 1-3 by Penny Reid

 

Parts 1-3: Elements of Chemistry
This book has been split into 3 novels.
Part 1: ATTRACTION * Part 2: HEAT * Part 3: CAPTURE

PART 1: ATTRACTION
One week.
Private beach.
Invisible girl.
Jerk-faced bully.
What’s the worst that could happen?

Kaitlyn Parker has no problem being the invisible girl, which is why she finds herself hiding in various cabinets and closets all over her college campus. Despite her best efforts, she can’t escape the notice of Martin Sandeke—bad boy, jerkface bully, and the universe’s hottest, wealthiest, and most unobtainable bachelor—who also happens to be Kaitlyn’s chemistry lab partner.

Kaitlyn might be the only girl who isn’t interested in exploiting his stunning rower’s build, chiseled features, and family's billionaire fortune. Kaitlyn wants Martin for his brain, specifically to tabulate findings of trace elements in surface water.

When Kaitlyn saves Martin from a nefarious plot, Martin uses the opportunity to push Kaitlyn out of her comfort zone: spring break, one week, house parties, bathing suits, and suntan lotion. Can she overcome her aversion to being noticed? Will he be able grow beyond his self-centered nature? Or, despite their obvious chemistry, will Martin be the one to drive Kaitlyn into the science cabinet of obscurity for good?

 

4. Trade Me by Courtney Milan

 

Tina Chen just wants a degree and a job, so her parents never have to worry about making rent again. She has no time for Blake Reynolds, the sexy billionaire who stands to inherit Cyclone Systems. But when he makes an offhand comment about what it means to be poor, she loses her cool and tells him he couldn’t last a month living her life.

To her shock, Blake offers her a trade: She’ll get his income, his house, his car. In exchange, he’ll work her hours and send money home to her family. No expectations; no future obligations.

But before long, they’re trading not just lives, but secrets, kisses, and heated nights together. No expectations might break Tina’s heart...but Blake’s secrets could ruin her life.

 

5. Adrienne by D. Renee Bagby

 

He crossed dimensions to claim her as his queen -- but her reign may destroy his world.

Adrienne
Backett wants two simple little things this spring break: rest and
relaxation. After nearly four years of slaving away for her college
education, she deserves a holiday. What she gets is pulled into another
dimension by a man who claims she's his rightful queen.

Malik,
King of Ulan, has until his birthday to find his bride or he must
forfeit his throne. When a spell reveals her location, he will do
anything, even cross dimensions, to claim her as his own.

As if fending off a lusty king isn't enough of a headache, Adrienne finds
herself a pawn in a rival monarch's plot to bring Malik's world to its
knees. But is the real danger being stuck in the middle of a power
struggle between rival kingdoms? Or the damage Malik could do to her
heart?

 

6. Delicious Do-Over by Debbi Rawlins

On the cusp of a new business venture, überpractical accountant Lindsey Shaw has reluctantly let her friends talk her into a "second spring break" in Hawaii. Now she's in Waikiki…and even reuniting with her wickedly hot one-night fling from years ago! Only Lindsey is feeling a tingle of fear—or is that sweet, sweet anticipation?

Rick Granger has his own fear—that gorgeous, smart Lindsey might discover more about him than he's ready to reveal. She thinks he's just a surfer dude—fine with him, it keeps things uncomplicated. Only, complications whip up like waves once Lindsey dips a toe in his waters….

 

7. Spring Fling by Julia Kent

 

Four tales of hot New Adult romance in New Orleans …

 

Party Spring Break–style with four bestselling romance authors, including Julia Kent and Sara Fawkes, as they dish out sexy tales of romance in the Big Easy!

 

Share Me by Julia Kent
Emma Barton has just been dumped—for being boring. Now she's letting loose and reclaiming her inner bad girl with not one, but two sexy strangers! Double the pleasure means double the fun, right?

 

Shake Me by Sara Fawkes
Determined to forget her cheating boyfriend, Cassidy Dupre agrees to a night out with playboy Travis Dean. But when she finds herself wanting more than she bargained for, this evening could spell desire … or disaster!

 

Show Me by Cathryn Fox
Eva Parker wants a lesson in seduction … from her brother's best friend. When teaching becomes tension, will they be able to keep it professional? Or will friends forever become something much hotter?

 

Shock Me by Lauren Hawkeye
Callie Gilmore is determined to break out of the friend zone with Ryder Hawkins. Donning a mask and making her move seems easy, but when fate throws a curveball, Callie must choose: turn and run … or embrace the night.

 

8. Confessions of a Demon by Susan Wright

 

After accidentally stealing the life force of a dying demon, Allay became the only human-demon hybrid in existence. Demons feed on human emotions, so Allay decided the safest way to satisfy this need-and still retain some semblance of her humanity-was to open a bar. Here she can drink from, and ease, her patrons' pain, which has helped her to stay under the demon radar...until now.

When Allay is attacked and nearly killed by another demon, a human comes to her rescue. Theo Ram is tall, handsome, and mortal-and Allay feels a connection to him she didn't think she'd ever know. But that bond is tested when the demon community in New York begins to rise up, and two opposing clans fight for power. Now Allay is caught in the middle, and she must decide where her loyalties lie.

 

9.  Take What You Want by Jeanette Grey

 

She needs an escape…and he’s exactly what she had in mind.

 

College senior Ellen Price spends every spare minute studying to get into medical school. Until spring break yawns before her, as empty as her wallet.

 

With no money to hit the beach, she fills her empty to-do list with a plan: for just one week, she will become the kind of take-no-prisoners woman she secretly wishes to be, starting with the hot guy at the bar. It's a no-risk situation: at the end of break, he’ll head back to his campus, and she’ll go back to hers. No muss, no fuss.

 

At first, Josh Markley isn’t sure what to think when the quiet, intense beauty from his pre-med classes approaches him for a night of casual sex. Even more mystifying, she doesn’t seem to return his recognition. But if she wants to play “strangers in a bar”, he’s game.

Their passionate night is a welcome respite from life’s stress, but afterward, Josh realizes he wants more—from himself, from life, from Ellen. Except she still thinks he’s a one-off she’ll never see again. Confessing the truth now—before she figures it out on her own—could shatter the fragile beginnings of just what the doctor ordered. A forever love.

 

10. The Guy Next Door by Lori Foster

 

Ready, Set, Jett by Lori Foster

A vacation from her no-strings romance with her sexy next-door neighbor. That's what Natalie Alexander needs to get her head—and heart—together. But her solo trip south turns into a disaster when gorgeous Jett Sutter turns up with another challenge.

Gail's Gone Wild by Susan Donovan

Single mom Gail Chapman insists on chaperoning her teenage daughter's spring-break trip to Key West. But she never expects to face temptation—in the hunky form of Jesse Batista, the mysterious man in the cottage next door.

Just One Taste by Victoria Dahl

All-work-and-no-play businessman Eric Donovan won't be distracted by a "businesswoman" who's all wrong for him. Beth Cantrell owns a women's erotica shop! And she has a juicy little secret. Can she tempt him to put pleasure before business for once?

 

Did I miss one? Let me know! Vote for the best Spring Break Romance on my Goodreads list: Romance on Spring Break.