Tag Archives: romance

Review of On Point (Out of Uniform #3), by Annabeth Albert

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I received a copy of Annabeth Albert‘s On Point through Netgalley. You can find my reviews for the first two books in the series here and here.

Description from Goodreads:
Pushing thirty, with his reenlistment looming, decorated navy sniper Maddox Horvat is taking a long look at what he really wants in life. And what he wants is Ben Tovey. It isn’t smart, falling for his best friend and fellow SEAL, but ten years with Ben has forged a bond so intimate Maddox can’t ignore it. He needs Ben by his side forever—heart and soul.

Ben admits he likes what he’s seen—his friend’s full lower lip and the perfect muscles of his ass have proved distracting more than once. But Ben’s still reeling from a relationship gone to hell, and he’s not about to screw up his friendship with Maddox, too.

Until their next mission throws Ben and Maddox closer together than ever before, with only each other to depend on.

Now, in the lonely, desperate hours awaiting rescue, the real challenge—confronting themselves, their future and their desires—begins. Man to man, friend to friend, lover to lover.

Review:
I liked this ok, about as much as any of the others in the series. Alberts writing is very readable, though there was one writing device used here that annoyed me. (The dropping of pronouns, making short—”Want you.” “Need You so much.”—sentences. Once or twice would have been fine, but it cropping up every time things got heated started to feel gimmicky.) I liked both of the characters and thought their personal hang-ups believable, Maddox’s more than Ben’s, though Ben’s fears of Maddox leaving the team were especially well done. All in all, I’m still interested enough to continue the series, even if I’m not quit gagging for more.

Take a Chance on Me

Book Review of Take a Chance on Me (Mirabelle Harbor, #1), by Marilyn Brant

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I won a copy of Marilyn Brant‘s Take a Chance on Me through Goodreads.

Description:
Chance Michaelsen, the youngest member of the family (by two minutes) and the quietest (by far), is a dedicated twenty-eight-year-old personal trainer at the local gym. While he might not say much, Chance has made it clear that he’s not a fan of toxic people, unhealthy habits, or sharing too many of his emotions. With anybody.

Enter Antonia “Nia” Pappayiannis—the prettiest member of the loudest and most overly demonstrative family in town. They’re also the owners of The Gala, a Greek restaurant and bakery known for its decadent pastries and located just a few steps from Chance’s gym. He considers their entire family business to be the enemy of good health, but he can’t quite shake his attraction to Nia, who doesn’t seem nearly as impressed with him or his sculpted physique as most of the women around Mirabelle Harbor.

Unfortunately, between her doctor’s orders and the interfering ways of Chance’s crazy-making ex-girlfriend, who just happens to be one of Nia’s long-time friends, Chance gets assigned to be Nia’s fitness coach for the month. Pure torture. And if his ex weren’t already causing enough problems, he also has to deal with Nia’s current boyfriend—some hotshot Chicago CEO who talks big but, in Chance’s opinion, is as fake as a Styrofoam barbell.

The road to romance is going to be a rocky one, and though Nia has her doubts about moving forward, Chance has a well-developed competitive streak and might just be willing to give it a shot…if he can convince her to do the same.

Review:
Wow, so this is probably a matter of taste and there isn’t anything actually wrong with this book, but it was 100% not my thing. I suspect readers were supposed to see Chance and Mia’s attraction as love at first sight. But I read the whole thing as a woman who is bored with her rich, polite boyfriend, meets her hot personal trainer, cheats on her boyfriend with him and (since sex = love) she and the trainer declare their ever lasting love for one another. (And she’s not wholly to blame. He pursued her knowing she had a boyfriend…because of his competitive streak. Gross.) Nothing in that appeals to me and there was no developing of a relation ship between the two of them! I think more of the book was dedicated to Mia and the boyfriend she dumps than her and Chance.

The writing and editing was fine, though the dialogue was stiff. But if this is Marilyn Brant’s idea of ROMANCE, I’m out. I don’t have any desire to read another.

Book Review of The Florentine Bridge, by Vanessa Carnevale

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I won an MP3 copy of The Florentine Bridge, by Vanessa Carnevale through Goodreads.

Description:
Young Australian artist Mia Moretti has been cancer free for nine months. But her battle with the illness has taken its toll, leaving her depressed and tormented by overwhelming fears. What’s more, she can’t seem to paint anymore. Mia needs a fresh start so when a surprise opportunity to travel to Tuscany presents itself, she takes it. With any luck, this trip will help her find whatever it is she needs to open her heart and start painting again.

What she doesn’t count on is meeting Luca, a handsome Italian mechanic. With his smile, his warmth and his inspirational outlook on all the good things life has to offer, he sweeps her off her feet. As Mia slowly lets down her walls and allows Luca in, her passion for life is reignited and her new perspective begins to inspire her art. But just when she’s ready to let go of her past, will a tragedy threaten her new life with Luca?

Review:
This was really sweet, with an uplifting theme and good writing. And if that’s all you’re looking for, and you’re not too concerned with details, grab it, because it is good. But details often catch me out and some of them irritated me with The Florentine Bridge. For example, Mia is supposed to be 19. And yes, she had a traumatic experience and might have matured a bit more than the average teen. But honestly she reads like a 30-year-old. Some of it is cultural. For example, she goes out and blithely orders wine with dinner. As an American reader that’s problematic, as the legal drinking age here is 21. Mia wouldn’t be able to drink in public. So this frequently pulled me out of the story. (Of course I understood she was in Italy, with different rules, it just always caught my attention.) But some of it wasn’t. Mia was still 19 and the classy dates she and Luka went on were not the dates of a 19-year-old. Almost nothing about Mia, except for her relationship with her parents, was teen-like.

Then there was the insta-love. Mia and Luka had a deep meaningful relationship from the moment they met. Some of it was explained, but not enough. This isn’t a fantasy of any sort, so I couldn’t figure out what their LOVE was based on so quickly.

Angèle Masters did an amazing job with the narration though. Yes, her accents slipped on occasion. But the characters were native and non-native speaking Italians, an Aussie, an American and a Brit, male and female. So, when I say her accent slipped on occasion, what I really mean is it’s amazing that her accent only slipped on occasion. There were a lot of different speakers to give voice to and she kept is all straight.