Category / Friends to Lovers

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Just Friends? By Allison Leigh

Format: E-book
Read with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Men of the Double-C Ranch, Book 7
Publisher: Silhouette
Sensuality: 3
Hero: Evan Taggart
Heroine:  Leandra Clay
Date of Publication: February 1, 2007
Started On: January 19, 2010
Finished On: January 21, 2010

I guess I have been reading a bit too much within the last few days and sort of just hit a phase where reading anything didn’t appeal to me that much. So for a change from my usual reading activities I watched a little bit of TV and caught up on watching those television series I always collect but rarely sit down and watch. So anyhow, this was a book I found on one of my usual forays into finding books where best friends find love with one another.

It wasn’t surprising to say the least that this book is the 7th in a series when I kind of had that intuition all along when details of the main characters’ huge family kept cropping up now and again. Though it is confusing to make sense of who comes from where with such a large family and as close knit as they are portrayed to be, this book can be read as a standalone.

So to continue on with the review, Evan Taggart is the only veterinarian in town and has been in love with his childhood friend Leandra ever since he can remember. However, on one of his college breaks he had brought along Jake his best friend and Jake and Leandra had fallen in love and tied the knot and left to live elsewhere. And now, Leandra divorced from Jake for a couple of years, is back in their hometown and filming Evan for a series that she is developing for the television station she works in. Evan although hates the intrusion into his life can’t help but want Leandra all over again although he tries to convince himself that his best friend’s ex-wife should be off limits for him.

To complicate matters further, Leandra is hurting from the loss of her child, whose death had led to Leandra closing herself off from all those who love her. Blaming herself for the death of her child, Leandra doesn’t handle being around kids very well. However, Evan looks after his autistic niece Hannah, with whom Leandra’s first instinct is to flee and never look back.

This story is more about family life, getting over one’s past and moving on than focusing on the romance aspect of the two characters. I have mixed feelings about this novel. There were times when I felt like giving Leandra a big good shake just to make her see what was right in front of her if she gives her life half the chance. Anyhow, the read wasn’t half bad I suppose.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | AbeBooks

fairread

 

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Just Friends by Robyn Sisman

Format: E-bookjustfriends.jpg
Read with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Hero: Jack Madison
Heroine: Freya Penrose
Sensuality: 2
Date of Publication:  July 30, 2002
Started On: January 12, 2010
Finished On: January 16, 2010

This is the type of book that should be made into a movie. I bet that all those who love a good romantic comedy would adore the story of Jack and Freya.

Freya is a British woman who works in New York at a trendy art dealer shop scouting new talent now and then. Jack Madison is an author who has hit the writer’s block ever since the release of his debut novel which hit the bestselling list. Its been 5 years since he has started on his second novel and he doesn’t seem to  be getting any constructive work done on the novel. Coming from a rich family from Texas, Jack lives on a monthly allowance set aside by his father together with the money he earns from teaching creative writing classes as well as writing reviews of books for newspapers.

Freya and Jack first met each other around the time that they both ventured into living in New York. Each had their own dreams to fulfill and Freya being older than Jack had stuck to being friends given the flambouyant and playboy lifestyle that Jack seems to prefer.

Now in her mid-thirties, Freya seems to be going on the right path with her career on the right course and her live-in boyfriend of five months about to propose to her. Life couldn’t get any better. That is until, instead of the proposal that Freya was both dreading and kind of hoping for with an inevitability, Freya’s boyfriend Micheal, a lawyer who is as serious as Freya is a ball of energy, breaks off their relationship.

Now with no place to live, Freya ends up crashing at Jack’s place regardless of the warnings Cat, her best friend who is a divorce lawyer who has sworn off men seems to dish out. Contrary to the warnings of Cat, proximity doesn’t make Jack and Freya tumble head over heels in love with each other or make Jack pounce on her as a cat would do for a good slab of meat but rather create a situation of animosity between the two friends.

Meanwhile, Cat meets Micheal and these two click from the moment they lay eyes on each other, a situation that Freya is totally unaware of. Freya is busy trying to find someone who would accompany her as her better half to the wedding of her step sister Tash, someone with whom Freya had always had a turbulent relationship with.

In the end, Jack is the one who saves the day and these two head off to Europe, to a place so different from the busy and heady life of New York, and find themselves confronting feelings that they have long since buried before. However, the age factor together with Jack’s betrayal with Tash breaks these two apart till Jack and Freya both do a lot of growing up on their own and finally accept the love they have for each other.

This book is a highly enjoyable chic flick that all those who love a good romantic comedy would no doubt fall in love with.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | AbeBooks | Half.com

greatread

 

by mvbookreviewer

Review: A Mutual Favor by Ann Jacobs

Format: E-bookmutual
Read with: Adobe Reader
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Ellora’s Cave
Hero: Dr. Kurt Silverman
Heroine: Shelly Ware
Date of Publication: July 30, 2002
Started On: December 20, 2009
Finished On: December 21, 2009

I went on a hunting binge after reading the last book, to find more books of my favorite theme. I came across this book on Amazon’s recommendation list and since it has got great reviews, thought I would give this book a try.

Dr. Kurt an orthopedic surgeon with a bad divorce under him can’t for the life of him see himself ever married again. And the continuous demand for his time which his first wife had always claimed and he could never give has made him antsy at the thought of being that vulnerable with someone ever again. The only woman he feels comfortable around with enough to drop down his guard and be himself with is his best friend and physiotherapist Shelly Ware. Good at giving mind blowing massages after Kurt spends grueling hours at the surgery, Shelly has always made him feel good about himself and made his problems seem less intense.

Now with the custody of Kurt’s child Jason at a balance, with his ex-wife Adrianna making life hellish for him by revoking visitation rights claiming Kurt doesn’t provide a suitable enough environment for a young boy of 12 years, Kurt is at his wits ends. However, Shelly in a moment of weakness after finding out her sister has ovarain cancer and fearing that at 32 years she is fast losing her chance of ever having children of her own, asks Kurt to donate the sperm for the  baby that she so craves.

Angry at first, Kurt begins to realize that they both could do each other a favor and asks Shelly to marry him. Kurt is forever afraid of a repeat episode of his first marriage taking place but soon finds out that Shelly as his best friend and as the woman who understands him more than anyone else makes a totally different experience of being married to.

Add in a rebellious teenage son to the mix with a complicated pregnancy for Shelly, this story proved to be a good read.

Purchase Links:  Amazon | Barnes&Noble | Jasmine Jade

favorableread

 

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Home For The Holiday by Wendy Stone

Format: E-book
Read with: MSReader
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Phaze Books
Hero: Nicolas Grefield
Heroine: Kenna McEwen
Date of Publication: October 26, 2009
Started On: December 20, 2009
Finished On: December 20, 2009

A book of my favorite theme, where best friends fall in love, this romance is a heartwarming story filled with love, laughter and happy moments. And of course being of the erotica genre, the sensuality of this novel just scorches the pages. A story told on the  first person basis, which I rarely read, was a good read, almost worth a re-read.

What I loved most about Kenna and Nicky’s story is that their story is straight forward with no silly misunderstandings to undermine what they feel for each other. Each of them lays out in the open how they feel about one another, such that no trivial misunderstandings take place to make the reader scream in frustration.

The story starts off when Kenna receives an invitation from her mom to come home for the holidays. Kenna has not been home since her fiancé dumped her on her wedding day to marry Kenna’s older sister. With the knowledge that her pregnant sister and cheating ex-fiancé would also be home for the holidays, Kenna asks Nicky to tag along with her pretending to be her boyfriend. But Nicky, who has always wanted the chance to get together with Kenna on more than just a friend basis, jumps at the chance and quickly convinces Kenna to explore what develops between them.

The time spent with Kenna’s family proves to be a wholesome family experience. Even I as the reader, envied the relationship that the author has described with such vivid details on what family life should really be like for all of us. Anyhow, Nicky’s family proves to be of a different breed to Kenna’s horror and finds that Nicky’s mother would try anything, just about anything to get rid of Kenna so that she can always keep Nicky by her side.

This was a lip smacking read and I would recommend it for anyone who loves a romance with a healthy dosage of sensuality added to the mix.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble

amazingread

 

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Condition of Marriage by Emilie Rose

Format: E-bookconditionofmarriage
Read with: Stanza
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Dynasties: The Ashtons, Book 9
Publisher: Silhouette 
Hero: Jared Maxwell
Heroine: Mercedes Ashton
Date of Publication: September 1, 2005
Started On: November 21, 2009
Finished On: November 22, 2009

This I think is the first multi-author series that I have ever tried and the first book by this author that I have ever read. This was a really beautiful love story and of course, it didn’t hurt that this romance was that of my favorite theme, where best of friends find true love with one another.

The Ashton family’s history explained in snatches here and there throughout the novel is focused on Ashley’s father Spencer Ashton who is this huge multi-millionaire who is portrayed as a man who never cared for anyone but himself. He has children from three ‘wives’, only one of them to whom he was actually legally married to and never divorced from, rendering his other two marriages unlawful and thus the children classified as bastards in the society. This whole series revolves around his mysterious murder, and how children from all his three wives come to terms with the legacy that their father had left them with, together with on how each find everlasting love with their meant to be’s.

Mercedes and Jared’s story is the ninth book of the series. Mercedes and Jared has been the best of friends ever since Chloe, Jared’s wife and Mercedes’s best friend since college died of a car crash together with the baby Jared and Chloe were about to have. Their story begins when Mercedes finds out she is pregnant with the father of the baby (Craig) wanting nothing more from her than an abortion to get rid of the baby.

Jared has his own demons to fight on top of the forbidden bouts of desire he starts to feel for Mercedes all of a sudden. Mercedes battles with the same desire, blaming them on her over zealous pregnant hormones. Craig all of a sudden comes back into Mercedes’s life, demands that she marry him so that he can reap off the millions that Mercedes might supposedly inherit from her father’s assets. Jared offers a way out by offering to marry Mercedes, and the moving journey that takes place after their marriage made for a really wonderful read.

I do not know whether all the other stories in the series are as good as this one, but I have got the mind to try them out since this is one of the most beautiful love stories that I have read in a long time. Truly satisfying read and of course Mr. Hotness himself didn’t make it any harder to fall in love with this story.

Purchase Links: Amazon

outstandingread

 

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Betting Hearts By Dee Tenorio

Format: E-bookBetting Hearts
Read with: Stanza
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Rancho Del Sielo, Book 1
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Hero: Burke Halifax
Heroine: Cassandra Bishop
Date of Publication: June 6, 2006
Started On:  October 30, 2009
Finished On: November 1, 2009

This was my favorite kind of romance novel since its a swell story of two best friends turning into lovers. Cass and Burke have been best of friends since they were in their early childhood. Although neither Cass nor Burke has ever professed to have underlying romantic feelings for one another, Cass and Burke has always known they could count on one another with their lives.

This delectable story starts when Cass runs into  her ex-fiance’  Luke who broke up with her through a letter professing that she wasn’t woman enough for him and that he was actually gay and left town, turns up with a fiance’ in tow, who turns out to be a pretty blond.

Somehow, Cass ends up breaking Luke’s nose, and Luke in turn plans to hold the wedding in their hometown, and just somehow Cass ends up with a bet that Cass could turn on her feminine wiles and become the woman that Luke never saw underneath her tough-as-nails exterior. Burke unwillingly helps along this scheme, whilst the whole town watches for the sparks that fly between Burke and Cass, all the time wondering when they would succumb to the chemistry which is so obvious to everyone else but the couple-to-be in question.

I would have to say that I enjoyed this novel a LOT. It was a refreshing change to see all issues tackled with a lot of humor and the dialogue between all characters are pretty fun and made me want to laugh out loud several times. I recommend this novel to anyone who loves a good bout of romance with a sexy hero to die for and a heroine who gives as good as she gets with humor to keep the ride through their story a memorable one!

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble

outstandingread

 

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Guilty Needs by Shiloh Walker

Format: E-bookGuilty Needs
Read with: Mobipocket Reader
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Ellora’s Cave
Series: Standalone
Hero: Colby
Heroine: Bree
Date of Publication: September 19, 2008
Started On: October 10, 2009
Finished On: October 10, 2009

Shiloh Walker is absolutely one of my most favourite authors. Her books have a fantastic mix of emotions that can make you really cry, and throw into this wonderful sexy characters who know what they want and aren’t afraid to go after what they want. This is the THIRD time that I have read this book and it wouldn’t be a lie to say that I will most probably read this book again in the near future cos I just can’t seem to get enough of this wonderful story.

Bree, Colby and Alyssa are the main characters in this story. Bree and Alyssa have been the best of friends since childhood rather like sisters to one another. Colby is the shy introvert who bloomed late in life. Alyssa and Bree both notices him in high school, but Alyssa is the one who ends up going after him and eventually marries him.

All the while Bree, silently loving Colby all her life, stands on the sidelines, envying what Alyssa and Colby have together, but determined not to lose what she has got with Alyssa, never acts on her feelings. That is until, Alyssa gets diagnosed with rapidly advanced cancer and dies leaving behind a devastated husband and a beloved friend in great turmoil with Alyssa’s dying wish which strikes a chord of longing deep within her heart.

Guilty Needs is a very appropriate title for a book that is steeped in unvoiced longings and desires that just creates the most wonderful sexual tension that I absolutely reveled in. Colby finds that he has an attraction, (which is putting it mildly), towards his wife’s best friend which fires up all the guilt inside of him which makes him leave everything behind until he gets himself sorted out. 

This is a really moving story and the passion between these two scorches ones hard disk drives whilst reading. I highly recommend this book for all romance lovers and especially for those who love books from Shiloh Walker. I tell you, you wouldn’t be disappointed.

Purchase Links: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | eBookMall | iTunes

outstandingread

 

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Where Rainbows End By Cecelia Ahern

Format: Paperback
Opens with: NA
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Series: Standalone
Hero: Alex
Heroine: Rosie
Published On: November 2004
Read on: July 25, 2009

This book from the author of P.S. I love you is a sweet read that clutches at your heart. Totally different from other styles of writing, this story is told in the forms of correspondences that take place between the main characters in the story.

Rosie and Alex are childhood friends who grow up together till Alex has to move away due to his father getting a better job offer in US. However, Rosie’s and Alex’s friendship does not grow weaker, instead they seem to develop feelings for each other which does not reach a fruitful conclusion till the very end of the novel by which time Alex and Rosie are in their 50’s and a whole lifetime has passed without them being together.

Rosie survives a teenage pregnancy, brings her daughter up all by herself, gets married and gets cheated on by her husband who cheats her out of the chance of finding out that Alex too did have feelings for her. Alex too survives two marriages and two kids before they both find each other.

Notes scribbled in class, SMS text messages, emails, letters and postcards make up this whole novel. I would recommend this for all true romance lovers out there!

Purchase Links: Amazon | AbeBooks

outstandingread

 

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Heat of the Storm By Elle Kennedy

Format: E-bookheat
Read with: MS Reader
Length: Novella
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
Series: Out of Uniform, Book 3
Hero: Lieutenant Will Charleston
Heroine: Mackenzie Wade
Published On: July 2009
Read on: July 29, 2009

Will and Mac have been best friends since they were 15 years old with Will having the hots for Mac since they met. While Will stays in top shape (has a body to die for!!) and puts his life in danger being a SEAL, Mac is a psychic who has had a sad turn in every relationship that she has been in. The latest breakup finally propels her into Will’s arms.

This story been refreshingly different, does not portray the guy to be tortured and cynical, but rather Mac who has issues with trusting men to accept her with her psychic abilities.

The sex is scorching and insanely HOT. The storyline good enough for such a short novel. Its interesting how for once, an author has attempted to write a novel where the guy goes for what he wants from the beginning of the story rather than the heroine who always takes whatever shit the hero has in store for her (not that I don’t enjoy those types of novels).

It takes much more than scorching sex to convince Mac that Will is the one for her. It was funny reading about how Will’s friend’s fiance helps him along in making Mac jealous after Mac tries to ignore the fact that they both had the best sex of their lives when the story begins.

If you want a read hot read with a satisfying ending, I would recommend it for you. This author is one I would keep my eye on from now on. 

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | Samhain | Fictionwise | Kobo

goodread