Review: All He Ever Needed by Shannon Stacey

All He Ever Needed by Shannon Stacey

published by Carina Press in October 2012

He won’t stay put for a woman, and she won’t chase after any man…

Mitch Kowalski lives out of a suitcase—and he likes it that way. Traveling for work has the added bonus of scaring off women who would otherwise try to tie him down. But when he’s called home to help with the family lodge, he’s intrigued by the new girl in town and her insistence that she doesn’t need a man. If there’s one thing Mitch can’t resist, it’s a challenge.

After a nomadic childhood, Paige Sullivan is finally putting down roots. Determined to stand on her own two feet, she lives by the motto “Men are a luxury, not a necessity.” But when Mr. Tall, Dark and Hot pulls up a stool in her diner and offers her six weeks of naughty fun with a built-in expiration date, she’s tempted to indulge.

They’re the perfect match for a no-strings fling. Until they realize their sexy affair has become anything but casual…

Genre: Contemporary romance
Series: Kowalski Family, Book #4

The Story: Mitch Kowalski is the oldest of five Kowalskis in Whitford, Maine and owns a demolition company. He doesn't mind coming home from time to time, but usually doesn't stay very long because of the lack of privacy of small towns and the fact that they still haven't forgotten his youthful indiscretions. However, this time, he's home for 6 weeks as his youngest brother, Josh, who's been taking care of the familial business, the Northern Star Lodge, broke his leg and needs assistance. 6 weeks between demolition assignments with not much to do seems the perfect stretch of time to Mitch to have a fling... And as soon as he meets Paige Sullivan, owner of the revamped diner, he's decided she was it.

Paige Sullivan has been in Whitford for two years. Her car broke down, liked the town and saw the diner for sale and decided Whitford would be perfect to put down roots. Paige had a very nomadic childhood thanks to her mom who flew wherever love was... and Paige is determined not to make the same mistake. As a result, she hasn't gone on a date for two years and it has not gone unnoticed in town. However, she's attracted to Mitch... but she's also heard all the stories... Can she do a no-strings fling?

My Opinion: I read and enjoyed previous installments in this series, but I didn't love them like the majority from whom I read reviews. And once again, I'm most probably going to be in the minority where it concerns All He Ever Needed.

Overall, the story was okay. I mean, when it came to the romance, there wasn't much we haven't seen. The hero wants a fling, the heroine succumbs, they have a good time but eventually realize what they have is more. As a secondary storyline, you have the Northern Star Lodge that is not really doing well financially which brings back another of their brother, Ryan, to check it out. While in truth, Josh is just tired of taking care of it, being the youngest, he was kind of stuck with the lodge while his older siblings got to spread their wings and do what they wanted. In that sense, I do think the older siblings were a bit selfish, just assuming Josh liked taking care of the lodge. Then again, Josh is old enough to express his opinions and could have voiced his displeasure earlier. There were a few more storylines such as the part-time lodge housekeeper's 26 years feud with a friend of her late husband... but the most interesting one involved Mitch's best friend, Drew Miller who is the sheriff. He and his wife are going through a rough patch, because Drew wants to have children and his wife doesn't. As I said, the situation is quite interesting and the arguments on both sides make sense. The problem though is what the wife doesn't understand is that Drew is not choosing hypothetical kids over their years of marriage, what he can't get past is having been lied to for his entire marriage. Definitively not a clear cut, but I can still take side :)

So what was my issue with All He Ever Needed? Basically, Mitch's behavior. There's something about his attitude that just rubbed me wrong... and I know I'm in the minority here, but please, just hear me out.  I was fine with the fact that Mitch wanted to have a fling, six weeks of pure fun and something temporary. My problem was he saw Paige, was attracted and wanted to have the fling with her. He was warned very early that Paige haven't been out with any guy for two years, and still, he set his cap on her... and when she turned him down, he still pursued her. Ultimately, it felt to me like he was  forcing his agenda on her. It's one thing if she had jumped in on the fling, but she didn't. She didn't want to get involved and he still pursued her. Why not respect her decision, her choice? Sure, they found each other attractive, but that didn't mean they had to act on it. They wanted different things... So why did he keep pursuing her? As I said, it'd be different if he wanted something more than just sex, but that was his motive. It just felt disrespectful to me. From the beginning, it felt like he's been after a conquest. He came into town knowing he'd be there for 6 weeks and decided he wanted someone warming his bed and Paige would be it. It just didn't work for me.

I know All He Ever Needed is a contemporary romance novel, so yes, the H/H have to get together for this book to work out, but deep down, I really wanted Paige to stick to her gun, turn him down and not succumb. Why do heroines, when they know full well they're not made for flings, still go for them? Does this really reflect reality? Something else that really bothered me was everyone in Paige's surroundings having an opinion about whether or not she should get with Mitch. I know this is a small town and there's no privacy and people are noisy, but still... This was taking it a bit too far for my taste.

Otherwise, Mitch and Paige's characters were okay. They liked and wanted different things, but could compromise. But really, this book just didn't do it for me and when Paige and Mitch got their HEA ending... I didn't feel like cheering. For now, I also doubt I'll be picking the subsequent books.

My Grade: C-. As I said, this book didn't work for me, but that's really because from the start, Mitch's behavior rubbed me the wrong way. However, from all the favorable reviews for All He Ever Needed I've read on blogland, I seem the only one who had this reaction. So if you had enjoyed Ms Stacey's books previously, you should give this one a try :)

Monthly Reads: June 2012

Eeeep, I missed the Week-End's Minis feature again ^_^; I guess I'm still not totally back into my blogging mojo... However, I'm trying! And eventually, I'll get back into it LOL. However, I at least had an excuse: bachelorette party :) It was my friend's sister's bachelorette party and so, we attended a burlesque dance class... It was definitively interesting and yep, I'll never look at some of my friends the same way again LOL.

I did not buy any books this week! Yay! I really need to start curbing my book-buying a bit. Sigh. But that's another story for another day. Since no new books = no Hauling Sunday post, I decided to catch up on things a bit and post my Monthly Reads post for June! So take a look at what I read in June! Post for July should follow shortly... Good news is I was so busy I didn't read much LOL.


1) A Night Like This by Julia Quinn: B-
Upcoming Review.

2) Bedding Lord Ned by Sally Mackenzie: C-

Eleanor Bowman has been in love with Lord Edward, second son of the Duke of Greycliffe, forever and is still carrying a torch for Ned, despite the fact that he married her best friend and is now a widower. But as the years go by, Ellie realizes that she wants a family of her own and as such, needs to put an end to her infatuation. This year, at the Valentine's house party hosted by the Duchess of Greycliffe, also known as the Duchess of Love due to her matchmaking skills, Ellie is determined to marry one of the eligible men the Duchess has invited for her. However, this is easier said than done, especially when Ned has decided it was time to marry again.

I was really looking forward to Bedding Lord Ned because the cover and the blurb had both caught my attention. However, I was quite disappointed because I feel the blurb was misleading. The way it was worded, I thought Ellie would actually be bold enough to go after Ned and seduce him. Instead, Ellie and Ned spent their time denying their feelings and attraction for each other and then, being jealous or trying to make the other jealous. At the end of the day, I simply did not see any chemistry or connection between Ellie and Ned and didn't care much about their romance - which is very unfortunate. I felt frustrated at Ellie, spending years pining after Ned and letting her life slipped through her fingers... And seriously, how dense is Ned?!? I mean, everyone knew of Ellie's feelings for Ned... Sigh.

There were some positive elements in Bedding Lord Ned and they included Ned's family and the cat LOL. The cat was a good way to infuse some humor :) I liked Ned's brothers and their friendship with Ellie. I also liked Ned's parents, although I found it a bit weird we saw more close-doors sex scenes from them than Ellie and Ned ^_^; In any case, I'm not ready to give up on Ms Mackenzie yet and will be digging through my TBR pile to find her books :)


3) Crazy People by Jennifer Crusie: B


4) Rescue Me by Rachel Gibson: C++


5) Chaos Burning by Lauren Dane: B


6) Larkspur Road by Jill Gregory: C


7) Jacked Up by Erin McCarthy: C


8) Never a Lawman by Jo Goodman: C+


9) No Tan Lines by Kate Angell: B+


10) More Than a Stranger by Erin Knightley: B-


11) Perfectly Matched by Heather Webber: B
Upcoming Review.


12) Dark Frost by Jennifer Estep: B-
Upcoming Review.

13) Haunted by Kelley Armstrong: B-

I'm actually not sure whether I've read Haunted or not ^_^; If I remember correctly, I picked up Haunted just after I finished reading Industrial Magic... And most probably, what happened, is that I skimmed through it - more interested in Eve and Kris relationship than the intrigue. This time around, I decided to pay attention to the storyline LOL.

So in Industrial Magic, in order to help Paige and Lucas, Eve broke some rules and owned the Fates. Well in Haunted, they have decided to call in their marker. Basically, they need someone unconventional like Eve to capture Nix, an evil spirit which has escaped from hell. This spirit has a past of haunting humans who have an evil core, pushing them through their threshold and turning them into serial killers. The Fates have sent many angels after the Nix, but she has eluded them all... which is another complication for Eve. In order to stop Nix, Eve will need an angel's sword which can only be yielded by angels. Thus, she is given the choice of becoming one... However, that will mean giving up the ghost dimension in which Eve and Kris are finally reconnecting.

While Haunted didn't turn out to be one of my favorite books in the Women of the Otherworld series, I have to say I'm glad I finally gave it another go :) I enjoyed getting to know Eve better and I have to say, I simply love Ms Armstrong's writing style :) There are many popular authors whose style I just don't click with, but Ms Armstrong is definitively not one of them :P Anyway, as a whole, Haunted was an interesting book. As I said, I liked getting to know Eve better. Is she my favorite heroine in this series? No, but she's different. She's a mother who is still trying to help and protect her daughter and so, her priorities are not the same. Her relationship with Kris was also very interesting. I wished we've seen more of them together, but I think that's the romance reader in me talking LOL. Still, no matter what or when, Kris had Eve's back and I admired that. It was also interesting to see Kris and Eve work through their issues, past and current.

The intrigue of Haunted was interesting and you had a nice amount of action in the storyline. I especially liked Eve meeting Dantalion, a high-ranked demon and also her uncle. However, I can't say I was engrossed in the plot and I think it's because some parts of it were long and draggy and there was a lot of things going on. Perhaps Ms Armstrong should have streamlined the story a bit. And then, you add in Eve's dilemma - whether she would become an angel or not. It was an interesting dilemma that Eve had to face, but at the same time, her reaction and the resolution were a bit obvious and not different than similar dilemmas in other series.

At the end of the day though, I still enjoyed Haunted. I also thought Ms Armstrong did a good job at integrating other characters of the series in the storyline and foreshadowing.

14) Slow Summer Kisses by Shannon Stacey: B

Slow Summer Kisses is a straight contemporary romance novella about Anna Frazier who's been laid-off her work in the financial industry. In order to save money, she's decided to stay at her grandparents' cabin while hunting for a new job. During her stay, she gets reacquainted  with Cameron Mayfield with whom she used to play with as a kid when she visited her grandparents. Cameron is now living permanently at the camp in New Hampshire, doing some handiwork and checking on cabins. He was headed for a great career, but working too hard... and when his father passed away from a heart attack, Cameron realized he needed to slow down and enjoy life. It's exactly what he's doing and he isn't very happy to have Anna come and disturb his peace - especially since she has not changed: always on the go with tons of lists and always talking. However, Cameron feels obligated to help her out and the more time they spend together, the more he wonders whether he should strangle or kiss her :P

I think Ms Stacey did a good job with this short story as it was a very enjoyable read :) It was a sweet romance with two interesting characters. I liked that Ms Stacey focused on them and their lives, what made them ticked and what made them happy. I very much enjoyed Anna and Cameron as characters, but also their interactions. As usual, Ms Stacey infuses a good amount of humor and her writing is as solid as ever. The story is low in conflict and that's exactly how it should given the number of pages. Finally, I liked the resolution to the conflict, I liked that Anna took a chance on their relationship :)

***

Balance
Books bought: + 20
Books read: -14
TBR pile: +6

Genres
Contemporary Romance – 6
Cosy Mystery  – 1
Historical Romance – 4
    --> ( Regency - 3/Western - 1)
Urban Fantasy – 1
Paranormal Romance – 1
YA – 1

***

Overall, not bad numbers, but I admit I'm a bit disappointed ^_^; I really feel like I should be reading more - I'm so behind on my reading objectives ^_^; But not much I can do about it. I guess I should remember that what matters is that I enjoy myself and what I'm reading :) And yep, a lot of work ahead of me when it comes to reviewing. That sucks a bit because I was doing so well for the first half of the year... Ah well, another thing I can't do much about.

Did you read any of the books in this list? Did we differ in opinion? :) How was your month of June? Is the summer and vacation time getting in the way of your reading?

WEM IX: The Many Sins of Lord Cameron by Jennifer Ashley and The Lady's Secret by Joanna Chambers

I hope everyone is enjoying the Easter week-end :) It was so great to have the day off yesterday and still know I had 3 days ahead of me!

I went to see The Hunger Games with some friends and actually enjoyed the movie a lot more than I expected :) The weather was also gorgeous so all in all, I had a great time with friends. Good way to start the long week-end. Now, I'm planning to relax, enjoy some books and watch some curling :) Oh and if I can convince my sister, enjoy some sweets :P

As promised, here is my mini-review of The Many Sins of Lord Cameron by Jennifer Ashley. I was reminded of how much I liked Cameron and Ainsley :) Also the timing seems perfect since I have The Duke's Perfect Wife in my TBR pile. I also give you The Lady's Secret by Joanna Chambers since it won the poll :)

Enjoy and have a nice week-end!


The Many Sins of Lord Cameron by Jennifer Ashley

published by Berkley in August 2011

He is a man of simple tastes - and complex pleasures...

Cameron Mackenzie is a man who loves only horses and women - in that order - or so his mistresses say.

Ainsley Douglas is a woman with a strong sense of justice and the desire to help others - even if that means sneaking around a rakish man's bedchamber.

Which is exactly where Cam finds her - six years after he caught her the first time. Only then, she convinced Cam she was seeking a liaison, but couldn't go through with it because of her husband. Now a widow, she's on a mission to retrieve letters that could prove embarrassing to the queen. Cam has no interest in Ainsley's subterfuge, but he vows to finish what they started those many years ago. One game, one kiss at a time, he plans to seduce her. And what starts out as a lusty diversion may break Cam's own rules - and heal the scars of a dark and damaging past...

Genre: Historical romance
Series: The Highland Pleasures series, Book #3

What do you need to know? Ainsley Douglas is one of the Queen's favorites and was sent to the Mackenzie's country party to retrieve a compromising letter which was stolen by another companion of Her Majesty who has fallen from favor. As a result, Ainsley is found by Lord Cameron Mackenzie in his bedchamber, a scene reminiscent of 6 years ago. Back then, Ainsley was trying to help a friend, but it turned out she was manipulated. Six years ago, Ainsley was married and tempted into an affair with Cameron, but could not betray her husband whom she respected and who saved her from scandal. Now a widow, Cameron considers all bets are off and he'll even help her retrieve the letter...

Eventually, Cameron and Ainsley become lovers and for the first time in her life, Ainsley learns what is true passion. However, when Cameron asks her to accompany him to Paris, she is torn between her duty to the Queen, her gratitude to her family and her feelings for Cameron. As for Cameron, he is frightened by his feelings for Ainsley. He also knows that if she agrees to accompany him to Paris, they will have to marry... And given Cameron's first marriage, Cameron has no idea how to be a husband. Actually, he has no idea of what marriage is and panic and fear are in fact understandable.

Why this book? I read and enjoyed The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie. One of the character I was the most curious about was Cameron :) I've been looking forward to his book ever since and was glad that it was finally released :)

My thoughts? I actually really enjoyed The Many Sins of Lord Cameron. It was a very good book with great characters, a nice storyline and solid writing. Both Cameron and Ainsley's characters were likable and I loved their romance. I felt their relationship was a lot more than attraction... There was understanding and caring and I loved how Ainsley saw through Cameron's persona. Beneath the brash and strong exterior of Cameron, you have an hero who's been deeply hurt by his first wife - not just emotionally, but physically as well - and it understandably left him scarred. And Ainsley thought him what true love really is. I thought Cameron and Ainsley were perfectly matched. I also thought Ms Ashley did a great job with the sexual tension and the attraction; it was really palpable.

I also liked Ainsley's story, when it came to pursuing happiness. I just felt if someone deserved it, it was Ainsley. Despite her mistake in her youth, she was very considerate of her family, her husband and Her Majesty. However, it really felt like Her Majesty was taking advantage of Ainsley, keeping her so close, stifling the life out of Ainsley.

Something else that I liked about The Many Sins of Lord Cameron was the secondary characters. I liked that we got to see previous characters and that their presences were justified, served a purpose. I also think that Ms Ashley did a great job with Daniel's character, Cameron's son. There's was a strong bond between father and son... and the fact that Daniel wanted to see Cameron settled and happy before he could on with his own life. I find it was rewarding to see. For someone who didn't know how to be a good father and a good husband, Cameron did great by instinct :) All he needed was a bit more confidence in himself and Daniel and Ainsley gave it to him :)

My Grade? B+. I originally graded this book with a B... but writing this review, I realized I really enjoyed The Many Sins of Lord Cameron and it deserved a better grade, because there was little I did not like. Not only did I love the characters, but thought the storyline was refreshing as well :)


The Lady's Secret by Joanna Chambers
published by Carina Press in December 2011

London, 1810

Former actress Georgiana Knight always believed she and her brother were illegitimate—until they learn their parents were married, making them heirs to a great estate. To prove their claim, Georgy needs to find evidence of their union by infiltrating a ton house party as valet to Lord Nathaniel Harland. Though masquerading as a boy is a challenge, it pales in comparison to sharing such intimate quarters with the handsome, beguiling nobleman.

Nathan is also unsettled by Georgy's presence. First intrigued by his unusual valet, he's even more captivated when he discovers Georgy's charade. The desire the marriage-shy earl feels for his enigmatic employee has him hoping for much more than a master-servant relationship...

But will Nathan still want Georgy when he learns who she truly is? Or will their future be destroyed by someone who would do anything to prevent Georgy from uncovering the truth?

Genre: Historical romance
Series: None

What do you need to know? The blurb has it right :) I'm just going to add a few details... If they could find proof of their parents' marriage, Georgiana's brother, Harry, would actually become the new Earl of Dunsmore, instead of their cousin. Georgy and Harry actually suspect that their cousin and his mother know the truth and it is why they had their mother murdered...

Why this book? I picked up this book for several reasons. The first one is that Hilcia really enjoyed this book. The second is that Ms Chambers is actually a long-time romance blogger, Tumperkin, so I wanted to give her my support. And last, but not least, I love stories where heroines pose as men LOL.

My thoughts? I thought The Lady's Secret was a cute read and a good, solid debut novel for Ms Chambers. I enjoyed seeing Georgy masquerading as a man and thought she did a good job :) What made it work was that she had the background for it. Georgy would have been an incredible actress, if it wasn't for stage fright... and so instead of being on stage, she's been working behind the scene on costumes and decors. So she has the acting skills to pull it off, but also know men clothing to become a valet and know how to make herself appear manly through clothes. In that sense, I think it was very well thought by Ms Chambers.

I really enjoyed the first half of the book when Lord Nathaniel didn't know that Georgy was a woman. His growing interest in George, his confusion, the sexual tension between the two were great and fun :) However, I felt that once Lord Nathaniel found out that Georgy was a woman, the story started losing steam. Basically, because we reverted back to a "typical" romance. The excitement and spicing up that were present in the first half were no longer present. Instead, it was about Lord Nathaniel seducing Georgy, Georgy succumbing and
it became predictable.

As for the intrigue, it was also a bit predictable. I mean, we all knew that somehow, Georgy or Harry would find proof. What I don't get is why Georgy's aunt showed her the secret compartment of the tea trolley if she suspected Georgy's identity. It seemed kind of too obvious and easy. Although I have to say, I was glad that their cousin wasn't involved int he plotting... and the twist concerning him was interesting.

My Grade? B-. Overall, The Lady's Secret was an enjoyable read and a good debut novel. I liked Ms Chambers' writing style and would definitively pick her up again, given a good premise :)

Review: Yours to Keep by Shannon Stacey

Disclaimer: I've received Yours to Keep as an eARC from Netgalley


Yours to Keep by Shannon Stacey

published by Carina Press in June 2011

Sean Kowalski no sooner leaves the army than he's recruited by Emma Shaw to be her fake fiancé. Emma needs to produce a husband-to-be for her grandmother's upcoming visit, and, though Sean doesn't like the deception, he could use the landscaping job Emma's offering while he decides what to do with his civilian life. And, despite his attraction to Emma, there's no chance he'll fall for a woman with deep roots in a town he's not planning to call home.

Emma's not interested in a real relationship either; not with a man whose idea of home is wherever he drops his duffel bag. No matter how amazing his "pretend" kisses are...

Genre: Contemporary romance
Series: Kowalski clan, Book #3

The Story: Returning from Afghanistan, Sean Kowalski is looking forward to spending quality time with his cousins and especially eating his aunt's food while he figures out the next stage of his life. He's been in New Hampshire for less than an hour when he meets Emma Shaw, his cousin's wife's best friend, and is asked to pose as her fiancé. Turns out that while Emma's grandmother has moved to Florida, she worries a lot about Emma and the demands of the house on a single woman and to appease her grandmother, Emma made up an imaginary boyfriend which later proposed... named Sean Kowalski. And now, Emma's grandmother is coming up for a month-long visit... and since Sean is back, it'd be easier for Emma to continue the charade than tell her the truth. At first, Sean is reluctant, but he understands Emma's motives and therefore accepts.

However, what neither expected is the attraction between them... and with the intimacies of an engaged couple... let just say the month will be longer than they thought :)

My Opinion: I'm a bit torn with Yours to Keep. The Kowalski series is very popular and Yours to Keep has been getting a great buzz around blogland and while I want to love it as much as everyone else... I don't. Oh, don't get me wrong, the book was good and I enjoyed it... but it wasn't a wowzer to me. It simply doesn't reach me as it seems to reach everyone else and I find that overall, the book and the series is missing a bit of omphf.

Similarly to previous books, Yours to Keep is a character-centric/relationship-focus book and I'm really happy about that. I think that there's not enough of these in contemporary romance nowadays... and it's even better when all the elements - the writing, the characters, the relationship development - are handled by an author as skilled as Ms Stacey. I thought Emma and Sean were great characters because they were so real. I understood Emma's motives and was glad that Sean helped her. I don't think they had great chemistry, but their relationship and interactions were real as well. For me, what set Yours to Keep apart from most of the books with similar plots is that their scheme definitively had flaws and Emma's grandmother saw through them right away. An engaged couple has this aura, this intimacy that even if there's attraction between the two persons, it cannot be faked...

While I enjoyed Emma and Sean, what I preferred were the dynamics between all characters. How well Emma's grandmother knew Emma, the ribbing between the Kowalski cousins, the bet they had going, the jealousy between brothers... LOL, the fact that Sean had to bribe his nephews and niece LOL. Also, Ms Stacey did a great job at balancing everything - Emma and Sean had just the right amount of time, readers were able to catch up with the previous characters without them stealing the show and the grandmother's romance.

Oh and can I say I loved Sean's grand gesture at the end? Awwww. Also, the post-it relationship was pretty cute :)

All in all, there is a lot to like about this book. In fact, objectively, Yours to Keep is excellent and I have no issue with it at all... Except that it just didn't grab me, reach me ^_^; I guess that's on me and not on the book.

My Grade: B+.