Dating Mr. December by Phillipa Ashley

Skeptic scale: ♥♥♥

Good time read. It was light and fun and did the trick for a few hours. It was well written for the most part but there was a lot of inner monologue going on in the girl's head (very little from the male POV) so it got a little noisy.

Question to self - WHY do writers like to write out every lame thought that goes through the chick's mind - Is he into me? Weally, weally, weeeallly?? What about his sordid sexual past? What about the ex-wife/girlfriend on whom he may still be hung up? Will he choose me over his career/ex/past?? 

And then there are cliches of the dude's inevitable issues...commitment phobia due to a) difficult childhood and daddy issues, b) difficult past relationship or c) he's just not a settlin' down kinda guy. But wait! what's this? This incredibly hot woman (competent and classy, but vulnerable in a way that inspires his thus far dormant protective instincts) somehow burrows her way into his hardened heart in a matter of 10 pages? what the what...

I'm being harsh and somewhat unfair to heap this criticism on this book. All the above points make their inevitable appearance of course, but Phillipa Ashley writes a decent sentence so it elevates the story safely above the sludge pile.

Anyway here's the 2 minute summary.

He: Volunteer on the local mountain rescue team (Read: burley and capable, with shoulders as wide as Russia). He's also a property developer so you know he's got some cheese.

She: City girl PR consultant who is somewhat out of her element in the rugged outdoorness in which she finds herself. But with a nice hunk of burnin' love by her side...

Conflict: Mainly the tension drew from the fact that each has relationship hang ups due to past disasters and neither wants a repeat performance of what they have previously experienced. There is some head-butting initially because in her PR work with the mountain rescue team she makes some proposals that he totally hates (having all the men pose for a Mr. December calendar), but that stuff is all for show. The real tension is the backstory stuff about their pasts. Nothing new here. We get it. He doesn't want commitment, she doesn't want to get cheated on again.

Skeptic's last word: All in all a decent read. I like brit romances. There is something a little different about the tone that I do like to read once in a while so I'd recommend this if you just wanted some time-pass fun for a few hours and didn't feel inspired by your existing To Read list.

The Cowboy Takes a Bride by Lori Wilde

Skeptic scale:♥♥♥

I dunno. I'm so conflicted. The main thing I took away from reading this is that Lori Wilde is a virtuoso. She managed to take about a dozen tired (and tiresome?) cliches and turn them into something pretty good. Ultimately, I didn't love the story. I thought the stereotypes finally won the battle, but that didn't stop me from appreciating how superbly LW wielded her pen against them.

I will outline the Him/Her/Conflict through all the cliched elements in the story so I can explain what I mean a little better. Just a quick point - I am not giving away the spoilers with each of these cliches - there really isn't a twist anywhere - just regular, vanilla, romance-novel stereotypes that LW manages to coat in just enough savvy so I just manage to choke them down. Only just.

Cliche 1: Big City Girl Goes to Small Cowboy Town and Point That Small Town People are All Wonderful Heart-of-the-Land Types and Big City People are Stone Cold Bastards is Brought Home.*

*Except for the one obligatory small town villain who is a total anomaly but who is swiftly brought to justice so the heart-of-the-landers can continue to live their wholesome, perfect lives, unblemished by evil.

Cliche 2: Girl Starts on Path to Self-discovery But First, Needs to Do Some Shopping to "Pretty Woman" Herself Into Her New Part

It's like the path to self discovery simply cannot occur without a new pair of shoes and a kick@ss outfit. Even if you're broke and can't afford it. But what am I saying! YOU wouldn't have to buy those clothes, silly, the GUY would! He would do it because he wants you to be happy and if new shoes make you happy, then you got 'em baby! It is absolutely not a subtle symbol of chauvinism at all! Don't be so sensitive. I mean, you could buy those shoes yourself, obviously. That's what credit is for. You only let him buy them for you because it seemed to be something he wanted to do. 

I am being annoying about this point only because I think we can do better. This scene doesn't have to be there in romance novels anymore (unless this is a historical where it may be appropriate for the time). Authors can show the H's caring, kind nature some other way besides the old, "here's some money - go get yourself something shiny, hon" way.

Cliche 3: Girl Can "Have It All" if Having It All Involves Realizing That She Wants What Her Man Wants (Really, She Really, Really Wants What Her Man Wants).

Signs that indicate that she really Has It All are exhibited in an Epilogue that contains the following. (If all these elements are not present, you are reading a horror/suspense story where someone will die in a terrifying and horrific way. Be warned.)

• Baby and/or pregnancy: If there's no bouncing little mini-me or at least a pregnancy in progress, then she has failed the Have It All test. 
• She has a career - kind of: It's not the career she thought she wanted. No, that was misguided and totally not for her. Being in love with her Man showed her that.
• Small City trumps Big City: C'mon guys, there's a baby involved. No one in the history of time has raised a family in a Big City. It's a proven fact that the water in Big Cities causes birth defects and babies are born with tiny dragon wings and horns. Besides, her Man lives in a Small Town and he turned out great.
• She and her Man are still as attracted to one another as they were when they first hook up: We know this because they still gaze upon one another with passion and longing (even though they haven't slept for the past 5 nights on account of their Perfect Baby). If there is no explicit reference to how his eyes shine when he looks at her and how she glows with inner happiness, then you are reading a story where someone is about to get murdered.

And the cherry on top of this diabetes-inducing sugar bomb sundae...

Cliche 4: Referencing "Sleepless In Seattle" to Indicate What Perfect Love Looks Like Even Though The Movie Literally Never Showed The Actual Relationship Between Tom and Meg

Sleepless in Seattle - best movie ever because it showed that NY IS a romantic place and not just full of angry cabbies

I can't. I just can't. I LOVE this movie. I don't have the words to describe how much I ADORE this movie. But to reference it in a romance novel for adults is a head-frack of epic proportions. And then to actually have the characters sit down and analyze Tom and Meg, and ACTUALLY ENACT SOMETHING from the movie...it's just too much. 

There is a thin red line between cuteness and nauseation and this just breached that barrier like an F16 fighter jet through a wispy lace negligee. 

So you see how I was flummoxed by the book? It contained many of the tropes I find distasteful but LW handled them so sincerely that I had to swallow my scowl and just read on. Did I buy the Happily Ever After? Yeah, sure. Why not? Maybe cliches are cliches because they are true for so many people and I just need to get over it. Alls I know is that Lori Wilde can write a story.

Crazy in Love by Lani Diane Rich

Skeptic scale: ♥♥♥

I though this was an entertaining read for the most part - the characters where interesting and fun and the set up was a pseudo-believable crime/romance combo - but I thought perhaps it wasn't quite the right "fit" for me. 

I am seeing a theme whenever I read a humor/crime/romance story - I don't take the crime part seriously (because honestly, when the tone is light and funny, my inner Skeptic feels like it's not really meant to be a dire life/death situation for the characters). I also don't totally invest in the romance angle, because with all the stuff about the crime and mystery, there's less time devoted to showing how the romance unfolds. I won't say that I categorically don't like these books - I do! But I guess they just don't do it for me because there is just a lot going on. In any case, this was a fun, light read and I would probably pick up another from LDR.

She: Privileged daughter of a wealthy real estate developer who doesn't really have a sense of direction or purpose until she joins the family business and is put in charge of taking care of a cute but not hugely profitable hotel that the family inherits from a dead aunt. 

He: Former cop and current bartender at the hotel who has some suspicions about an embezzlement case involving the hotel.

Conflict: There was no conflict between the H&h per se. There is chemistry and attraction between the two as they try to solve the embezzlement case together and then the only thing standing between them is whether she will stay at the hotel or whether she will return to her driftless life in the city.

What I liked:

1) I thought the mystery part was handled well - there weren't many characters in the novel so it was easy to feel like "oh, I knew it!" when you get to the whodunnit. But honestly, I wasn't trying to "pre-solve" the mystery so it was engaging.

2) Both characters were likable and nice. The H seemed very young. I couldn't say why - maybe because he wasn't a game-player - he just seemed like a genuinely nice dude. She too came across and someone who was sincere in trying to find somewhere where she really fit.

What I thought was only meh:

1) They were attracted to one another, yes, but there wasn't like a big wham! scene where they were hot and heavy and clearly meant to happen. It all was very nice and cute and a tad bit slow...

2) There was a thing about the dead aunt's ghost "communicating" with the h. I guess I just don't dig paranormal stuff because it razzes my Skepto-meter and makes everything else just a little less believable.

The Best Man by Kristan Higgins

Skeptic scale: ♥♥♥♥

First of all, KH is wonderful and amazing and I want to jump up and down every time I read a new book of hers. Ok, now that that's out of the way, let's begin. 

He: Chief of Police* of a small upstate NY town. He used to be a bad boy in high school but has shaped up nicely and is now universally loved by everyone in town. 

She: Girl who gets jilted at the altar and then leaves her hometown to get away from her ex-fiance and the inevitable gossiping, but also to "find herself". She does manage to rebuild a great life for herself in San Francisco but never quite stops blaming the H, her ex-fiance's best friend, for ruining her wedding to the "perfect man".

Conflict: 1) She has to get over the fact that the H "ruined" her wedding, 2) Will she really move back to her hometown and will the H sack up and ask her to stay?

A few things that I thought were especially great/interesting:

1) Lovely setting - wine country in upstate NY. Lends to the sweet and romantic mood but in KH's hands, avoids being trite. I mean, a vineyard? This could easily have veered off into a horrible morass of sickly sweet grapey-ness - remember a Walk in the Clouds? Oh Keanu, you beautiful dummy.

2) The H was more alpha that KH's usual Hs. Which I hearted greatly.

3) There were some interesting examples of difficult relationships - particularly the one between the h's grandparents. It was very refreshing to see that issue dealt with so well in a romance novel - some (maybe most) relationships are products of circumstance and chance and don't really progress perfectly. It was a good reminder that we are living in a generation that is lucky enough to get to even pursue love and romance for their own sake. All the examples of disastrous relationships also provide good contrast to the main romantic relationship in the book between the h & H.

4) Once again we get to see a KH protagonist have a passion for something other than her man. This h loves the outdoors, nature, and her family's land and legacy. She works as a landscape designer and is good at her job. And she has a dog.

Things that were strange-interesting:

1) The H's name is Levi Cooper... anyone else thinking about a dude in a denim shirt and jeans. Maybe a Lee Cooper shirt and jeans from Levi's?

2) Seemed like the h was angry at the wrong guy the whole time. Surely it was a good thing that the H put an end to her marriage to a TOTALLY wrong guy? Why did she stay so angry with him? She does thank him for it in the end, but seemed like he saved her from a huge disaster up front so her bitterness towards him was extremely misplaced.

That's it...I'm such a KH fan-girl that I can't even think critically anymore... 

*There is something about this small-town sheriff/police chief trope that I am really beginning to enjoy. They're alpha but in a different way than a big-city lawyer/detective/biz tycoon is alpha. I guess there is the underlying theme of "caretaking" of the citizenry that automatically shows him to be a father-figure and a man of action and responsibility. Oooo mama. I feel safer just knowing such a man is out there (in my imagination).

Cross My Heart by Abigail Strom

Skeptic scale: ♥♥♥♥♥

Ex-girl band rock star digs on nice guy-next-door doctor. The stuff of Reality Show legend.

What is this romance that authors have with Small Town America? Is it the same romance that politicians have? Because it's like everyone is living in a Norman Rockwell painting, mom's baking a casserole and dad's pouring a scotch and everyone is awash in the glow cast by their superior morals and Good Family Values. 

And whenever there is an issue where one of the characters is from the Big City and one is from a Small Town, the Big City person always moves to the Small Town as part of the HEA package. I mean, they want to, it's not like they're being forced, but I feel like Small Town always wins this battle. I worry what will happen to the labor market now with this mass influx of folks migrating back to Small Towns, because last I checked employment stats for small towns are not awesome.

She: Ex-girl band rock star who's temporarily back in her home town between gigs.

He: Straight-laced doctor who's apparently never had a shot of tequila in his life and has to be taught by the h how the salt-shot-lime thing works.

Conflict: There's an attraction between them, he's happy to take things further but she doesn't want to lose her edge and be tied down to some small town in Iowa. Since he's a doctor and single father of a teenage daughter, he represents all that is staid and small-towny (because let's face it, no doctor from a small town has ever moved to a bigger town or even a city with a rocking music scene, so yeah - obviously they can never be together...)

It's always fun to pick apart the conflict in these things that are keeping H and h apart. It's all rather obvious to an outsider what can instantly solve a lot of their problems i.e. moving to a medium-sized town or city where they value both musicians AND doctors. But while I may have been snarky in the summary above, AS handles this issue really nicely. Also, I am being facetious when I say that the good doctor could simply move to a bigger city so that h could keep up with song writing and performing. I know it was more than that, obvi.  She's trying not to become soft and settling down with a nice man who represents stability and order is the definition of soft.  

Both characters are really...nice. Sweet and mature and they have chemistry and still manage to retain adult composure. The writing, while not quite as snappy as Kristan Higgans or Rachel Gibson (both of whom I am entirely unable to be impartial about), is solid and smooth. 

Not sure that it is a re-read, but I am definitely going to look up other books by AS. 

Worth the Weight by Mara Jacobs

Skeptic scale: ♥♥♥

For every girl who's downed a pizza (or eight) after breaking up with The One

I wasn't blown away by this but I didn't hate it either. It was one of those middle-of-the-road ones that had its moments but didn't really sink in and make me want to trade lives with the h or anything.

She: Chick who's gotten her life together after a long battle with obesity and wants to go back to her hometown to celebrate her success with a quick fling with her then bad-boy boyfriend. This is a big deal because she hasn't felt confident enough to get intimate with anyone since him because she put on a bunch of weight and generally lost her mojo when they broke up

He: Small-town guy and former bad boy whose plans to get out into the Big City are smashed due to difficult family circumstances including bad marriage, disabled child and money troubles. Yikes.

Conflict: They come from different worlds and she has to choose between staying in the town she grew up in and her new life in the big city aka Detroit. 

It was kind of interesting reading about the h's problems with weight. The tone was a bit too squishy and old-school romantic so when there were modernisms such as the author's use of "fuck", they just seemed horribly jarring and discordant with the generally old-timey tone of the book. Not that I mind rough language, you understand, it's just that the whole rhythm didn't quite match up. 

Also, it seemed the the h went through a fat-phase after her high school romance with the H, and the breakup was one of the reasons for her spiral. But they meet again after she gets that part of her life relatively under control so he only hears about her issues from her later. It was unclear to me how the fat-theme really drove the story forward except to show that she made some big changes to take control of her life and becomes a better, more competent individual for it. She didn't really seem like a happier person for it, because she's obviously looking for validation from a boyfriend she had like a million years ago. But I could be reading too much into things.

Also, the hero was a bit too beta for me. He seemed to have been defeated one too many times by life. Mostly he was just really passive and hadn't really done anything except keep his head down and be all stoic and work-horse-y which isn't my favorite. But generally it was an ok read, the writing was fine and I didn't hate it.

Exclusively Yours by Shannon Stacey

Skeptic scale: ♥♥♥♥♥

Because kick-@ass career women CAN have it all.

Excellent! I found a new fave author! Yay.

She: Career-oriented tabloid journalist trying to get an exclusive interview with H at the behest of her rabid bitch boss.

He: A famous writer whose horror fiction is being made into a movie. He eschews publicity and never gives interviews.

Conflict: H&h had been high school sweethearts and the h breaks his heart when she hightails out of their small cozy town to make a name for herself in LA. He loves the small town life and wants to be near his family and desperately wishes she would stay back.

What I liked:

1) I liked that the h, while career-minded, didn't come across as an iron bitch. Too many times we see the bitch/career personality pairing and its unfair to career women everywhere

2) Holy sexual tension, Batman!

3) The minor characters in the extended family scenes were sympathetically portrayed and didn't come across as cliched small town hayseeds

What I didn't like:

1) I never understand why things are so all or nothing. Why does it HAVE to be LA vs small town in New Hampshire? She can't find a job in Boston, Connecticut, NY and he, as a rich and famous writer, can't bloody move to ANY city with an Internet connection?

2) They really don't meet for 20 years even though their families are friends with each other and she's come back to visit since leaving? They were never even curious enough to look for each other on Facebook? She never wrote him a "congrats on your success" note that whole time after having been each others best friend in high school?

I get why a writer would use these devices to create real separation and longing between the characters. But I just wish it was a little more realistic. But in the end, I didn't even care because the story was sweet and fun and hot.