Blog Tour review + extract: Danger Sweetheart by MaryJanice Davidson, Romance, 10/10E, short 'n' sweet review)

10th May 2016, Piatkus, 335 pages, Paperback, Review copy

Content: humour, frequent strong language & innuendo, occasional strong romance scene, 

Summary from Little, Brown

This city boy’s about to get a taste of country life . . .

Blake Tarbell has a town to save. Rich, carefree, and used to the Vegas party lifestyle, Blake is thrown for a curve when his former cocktail-waitress mother pleads he go back to her roots to save the town she grew up in. When he arrives in Sweetheart, North Dakota, this city boy has to trade in his high-priced shoes for a pair of cowboy boots – and he’s about to get a little help from the loveliest lady in town . . .

Natalie Lane’s got no time for newbies. There’s nothing she can’t do to keep a farm up and running. But when a handsome city-slicker rolls into town with nothing but bad farmer’s instincts and good intentions, Natalie’s heartstrings are pulled. She’s about to teach him a thing or two about how to survive in Sweetheart. And he’s about to teach her a thing or two about love.

A sweet and sassy contemporary romance with a great cast of characters

Nayu's thoughts

A hilarious read about a rich guy forced to live on a ranch by his mother. As you can see from the summary there is a lot more to it than that. It is a book covering not only what a romance trope is but using dozens of them, which since I love anime tropes was enlightening to read and made the tale hilarious. 

The style of characters' thoughts took a tiny bit of time getting used to, but soon I read them as naturally as the other sentences. It was amusing and cheering to see Blake learn what ranch work is like, the intensity of it on his body and mind, as well as how life in Sweetheart grew on him. 

As for Natalie...she did make life tough for Blake. I didn't necessarily like her much, especially when her secrets become apparent, but she helped Blake change into a decent human being. Then there are the animals, two of whom I adore for being cute and stubborn yet when the occasion arose loving towards Blake. These are White Rose of York and Margaret of Anjou respectively. What they are you'll have to discover for yourself! 

Amongst the humour there are some major peril moments, but I promise the end is a happy one and it's a book you'll definitely reread when you need to smile! 

Find out more on MaryJanice's website. 

Danger, Sweetheart is available to buy at many stores including Amazon (a non sponsored link)

Danger, Sweetheart Extract

Please note this extract is for over 18s only

Natalie Lane watched the rented truck cover the last half mile to Heartbreak and was not impressed. 

This would be the first of what promised to be weeks of awful days, and not for the first time she wondered why she didn’t give up, give in, and get lost. Follow half the town out of town. Let Sweetheart die.

Not even if he stuck a gun in my ear. Because it wasn’t the town, it was never the town, it was always the people. Well. Most of the people. Garrett Hobbes, for example, could fuck right off. The world needed more golf courses like a diabetic needed a glucose drip.

The truck passed the last gate and pulled up between the farmhouse and Barn Main. The engine quit and she could see him in the driver’s seat, moving his hands, and was he . . . ? Was he patting the steering wheel? In a well done, mighty steed way? Yes. Yes he was.

Self-congratulation must run in that family, she mused. Oh, and look at this. He remembered to kick out the ladder this time. Too bad. She’d  have loved to see him on his ass in the dirt. Again.

“It’s you!” he said as he hopped down, having the balls-out nerve to sound excited. Except where did she get off ? Before she knew who he was, she’d have been happy to see him, too. If anything, she was more pissed because she had liked him on short acquaintance. What  if he’d never seen her in her other life? When would she have found out his terrible truth? Their first date? Their first month–aversary? Their wedding night?

Wedding night? Jeez, Natalie, get a grip.

“Hello again.” He stuck out his hand, which she definitely didn’t notice was large and looked strong, especially in contrast to her own teeny paws. Nor did she notice he had big hands and, as a glance at his shoes told her, big feet, and she definitely didn’t form a theory about his dick based solely on his sizeable mitts. She also didn’t notice how his smile took years from his face, or how his pricey clothes beautifully set off those long legs and wide shoulders, that  the color of his crisp button-down shirt was the same color as his dark blue eyes, that his tan slacks (slacks? Seriously? Slacks?) fit like they were made for him
(of course they were; guy’s probably got a fleet of tailors stashed somewhere)
and that his swimmer’s shoulders made his waist appreciably narrow in contrast.

He was still holding out his hand, and she gave it a brief listless shake, the limp kind with the bare tips of her fingers. “You’re late.”

The Unfinished Symphony of You and Me by Lucy Robinson (Romantic comedy, Romance, Fiction, 9/10E)

June 2014, Penguin, 496 pages, Paperback, Review copy

Themes: music student, theatre life, opera, crazy friends, life going weird, family rift, feeling scared, having fun, findingyourself, nerves, ignoring the obvious, tough choices,

 

Content: strong language, adult content, drug use, drinking,

Summary from Penguin

Sally is a woman of many (hidden) talents.

She's been working as wardrobe mistress at the Royal Opera House, not telling a soul she's a damn good singer. But then, she's only able to sing if she's shut inside her wardrobe, where it's safe.

But she made a promise to her cousin Fiona that she would audition for Opera School and for complicated reasons, she can't get out of it - even though she'd rather claw her own eyes out than sing in public.

Sally has a lot to learn, but will she figure out that stage fright is about more than forgetting the words? And that perhaps her real problems lie very much closer to home?

Nayuleska's thoughts 

I loved Sally from the start because she respects her childhood teddy (me, I have plural and then some!) and had a curious habit of singing in a wardrobe. This habit turns out to be a pretty huge deal for the entire story, one that I found endearing and squee-d when I saw it ,mentioned. How Sally got to love opera singing yet hate performing in front of others was just as tissue worthy and impressive as how she then got past her fear, resolved most of her big issues that taunted her for years and then became a star opera singer.

Opera isn't a passion of mine, yet I loved diving into the world of Sally's passion from both when she was backstage as a wardrobe mistress (putting clothes on and off theatre cast not someone who sells wardrobes or anything like that) and on stage as an opera singer student was fun to read. Sally's voice is easy to read and rather funny. Ignoring the adult content which I managed to skim over I loved this book. It was clever how I discovered the truth about that fateful time in New York bit by bit-that was annoying but Sally's aversion to being an opera singer despite her clear talent kept me diverted with a fair amount of giggling. 

The huge plot twist changed my perspective of how Sally and those who knew her acted, and yet it was the day to day details which I loved reading the most. I loved her proximity to the ballet world. I enjoyed finding out her comfort foods for while she was abroad. I know I've said it once already but I loved her wardrobe singing issue. It was pretty random but sweet to watch her personal demons appear, fight back then get squished. I loved how eventually she made firm friendships to help fill the gaping hole in her heart of those friends she'd lost for various reasons. The emotional baggage from her childhood remained a big issue until the end of the story which is just the beginning of a new act in her life - the book is even divided into acts and scenes for chapters.

I know I'm going to reread this book, so go on, give it a chance! You don't have to like or know much about opera to understand Sally's turbulent life. 

Find out more on Lucy's website.

Suggested read 

Another light and crazy read is The Out Of Office Girl by Nicola Doherty (Fiction, 9/10E)

Mermaid, Inc. by Caroline Mickelson (Romance, Romantic comedy, 8/10E)

April 2014, Bon Accord Press, 106 pages, Ebook, Library copy

Themes: housekeeping, mermaid curse, talking bird, whaling issues, mermaids

Content: Some suggestive language, some moderate romance

Summary from Caroline's website

Adamantly opposed to commercial whaling, Miranda happily trades her fin for human legs when she’s given the opportunity to work as a maid for a man in charge of public relations for a large Japanese whaling firm. Miranda soon finds out that she loves pedicures, favors bikinis over clamshells, and that she’s a natural disaster when it comes to human housework. There’s so much about the human world she doesn’t understand. Why does Justin Lockheed, her handsome boss, make her heart race and her knees weak? And just what is she supposed to do when it comes time to choose between advancing her cause and destroying his career?

Nayuleska's thoughts

I was in a mermaid mood, so even though I wasn't entirely in love with the front cover I wanted to give Miranda's tale a shot. While it was a little predictable in places, with almost stereotype romantic situations, and an ending that was in my view a bit too easy, I loved Miranda. Apart from needing to wear more clothes, Miranda was refreshing because she was completely fascinated with being a human. The way he interpreted simple tasks such as laundry made me laugh when Justin found his clothes strewn across his garden, and Miranda wanting a hose. Her idea of dinner is equally hilarious. She is highly intelligent, being pretty much a spy on an important mission brings out her oceanographic knowledge which impresses Justin.

Now I'm not one for romance (honest! I like the themes in the books) but I was a bit sad when Miranda got tricked away from Justin-she truly enjoyed being on land and being with him. To be separated from the experiences -okay and person- that she loved sucked a lot. I had no idea how the end would pan out, so I was rather pleased to see the happy ever after!

Find out more on Caroline's website.

Suggested read

For a teen mermaid in trouble check out Forgive My Fins by Tera Lynn Childs (Young Adult, 10E/10E)