Tag Archives: Actor/Model

December (Calendar Girl # 12)

By Audrey Carlan

BR December 2

Synopsis

Mountains, miracles, and marriage. 

I had no idea what to expect when the producers of Dr. Hoffman sent me to the pristine white mountains of Aspen, Colorado. As the town of Aspen is known for being a winter haven for uber-rich Americans, I knew this desert cactus was going to be way out of her element. The ace up my sleeve however, was a high-class movie-making surfer whose family owned a cabin in those snowy hills. With him by my side, I’d make the most out of the experience. 

The job was assigned under unusual circumstances. An anonymous mountain man paid a hefty fee to persuade the producers of my show to send me out for a segment on local artisans. Suited up in my parka and Ugg boots, I put the warmth of the California sun in the rearview mirror and headed to a winter wonderland. 

With my newfound family in tow, I was prepared to celebrate the best month the year had to offer…until the one woman who drastically changed my life all those years ago appeared like a shadow out of pure frosted air, shattering my soul all over again. 

Review

After eleven months, we have reached the end of Mia’s year-long journey in DECEMBER.  A series finale can be really hit and miss and I’m sure it’s very hard for an author to write.  Everything needs to be closed off, yet done in a way that will make their readers as happy as possible.

What are my thoughts on this finale?  I liked it, but I was left a little disappointed.  Despite the “Where are they now?” portion at the end⎯which ties a nice bow around every character from the series⎯I thought the story was unfinished in regards to Mia’s parents and the lie behind why she was sent to Aspen.  Given the revelation revealed in DECEMBER, I think the story needed to be longer and fleshed out more.  Mia’s anger is totally justifiable in my opinion because out of all the siblings, she was definitely the one hurt most by their mother’s actions.  But the most important thing is that Mia and Wes got their HEA in the form of their New Year’s wedding that went off without a hitch.  So long Mia.  It’s been fun.

December (Calendar Girl # 12)

My Rating:  4 Hearts

Buy Links:  Amazon | iBooks

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Calendar Girl Series

Unforgettable 2 (A Hollywood Love Story # 2)

By Nelle L’Amour

BR Unforgettable 2

Synopsis

Brandon: I’d kill for her. I want to see the bastard who murdered her mother burn in hell. No other woman has made me feel so much. My heart aches for her more than my cock does. I want her to be mine. I want to own every ounce of her body and her soul. But I’m trapped by another who’s holding a gun to my balls.

Zoey: Who am I kidding? I’m helplessly and hopelessly in love with my boss, Hollywood heartthrob, Brandon Taylor. Our pasts are entwined just like our hearts. He makes me feel things in places I’ve never known before. But I don’t stand a chance against America’s It Girl, Katrina Moore. Forget it. There won’t be a happily ever after for me. 

As his memory returns, Brandon’s need to dominate and possess his curvy assistant in every way consumes him while Zoey finds herself succumbing to his magnetic charm. Unexpected events and a fluffy little dog bring the twosome closer to their destiny, but an evil force threatens to end their journey. Fate’s a bitch, right?

Review

Zoey and Brandon’s story continues on from UNFORGETTABLE 1 and they discover that their lives are connected in a way they never could have imagined.  Brandon’s memories have mostly returned, but we only know this because we’re simply told that he’s regained his memories.  There was no lightbulb moment, no event that sparked his memories to return, which is what I was expecting.  All we got was a scene of “Oh, didn’t I tell you?  I remember everything now except for the accident and the month leading up to it.”.  Talk about a letdown.  I was also a little thrown by the sex scenes, only because Brandon’s desires and sexual preferences seemed to come out of nowhere.  I loved the dreams that Brandon had, even if he’s too slow to realise what his brain is trying to tell him.  Brandon’s relationships with Katrina and Scott are still very suspect and I can’t wait to find out what the deal is with both of them.  Are they in this (whatever this is) together?  Who knows.

UNFORGETTABLE 2 is told in dual POVs and ends in a doozy of a cliffhanger, so it cannot be read as a stand-alone.  I can’t wait for the third and final book in this series to see how it all ends.  Will Zoey and Brandon get their HEA?  If they do, I think it’s going to be a rough ride to get there, one I’m looking forward to going on with them.

Unforgettable 2 (A Hollywood Love Story # 2)

My Rating:  4 Hearts

Buy Links:  Amazon

Visit Nelle L’Amour:  Click Here

A Hollywood Love Story Series

Under The Spotlight (In The Zone # 4)

By Kate Willoughby

Promo - Under The Spotlight 1

Synopsis

Stage actress Christine Caspary couldn’t care less about hockey, but when she first sees Joe Rutherford playing in a Barracudas game her mind goes to all sorts of dirty places. By happy chance, her work with Grant A Wish gives her an opportunity to meet him in the flesh.

Right winger Joe Rutherford saw Christine perform when the team went to see Chicago and was so taken with her, he secretly saw the show a second time, alone. When the gorgeous actress with spectacular legs contacts him out of the blue asking for a favor, it’s a no-brainer.

Their chemistry is off the charts. Things heat up quickly and they can’t keep their hands off each other. Soon they’re hooking up whenever their busy schedules allow and having hot phone sex every night at midnight when they don’t. But Joe’s time in the hockey spotlight is fading, just as Christine’s star begins to rise. When she gets her big break into a TV career, how will Joe take to being the arm candy for a change?

Review

I have to admit, I couldn’t remember Joe at all from the previous books, and it didn’t take me long to realise why.  Simply put, Joe is just your garden-variety nice guy.  Heck, I’d even go so far as to say he’s unremarkable, and he quite likes it that way.  But I think it’s because of that that I really liked him.  It’s nice to read about a guy who doesn’t have anger issues.  Who isn’t a manwhore.  Whose life hasn’t been shaped by a terrible event that happened to him twenty years ago.  He’s just a nice guy who hasn’t found the right girl yet.  Christine is effectively his total opposite.  She’s a theatre actress hoping to land a TV role that would turn her into a household name.  While Joe is more than happy with his relative anonymity, Christine is hopeful her talents will be recognised and seen by a much larger audience.  Thankfully she’s not a diva and doesn’t seem like the type who’ll let fame go to her head.  But their hectic schedules don’t leave much time for romance, and while he may be a nice guy, can Joe’s ego handle his career possibly coming to an end just as Christine’s career begins?

UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT is told in dual POVs and while it is part of a series, it can be read as a stand-alone.  I loved reading the scenes that involved Joe’s teammates as they showed how the team is like a big family, annoying kid brother included.  A family that’s ready to stand up for you or knock you down a peg or two when needed.  The pranks and jokes they played on each other were funny and kept the book relatively light.  I’m assuming there will be a fifth book, but at this stage I can’t figure out who it would be about.  Not that it matters to me who it’s about because I’m sure I’ll be reading it as soon as I can get my hands on it.

Under The Spotlight (In The Zone # 4)

My Rating:  5 Hearts

Buy Links:  Amazon | iBooks

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In The Zone Series

Unforgettable 1 (A Hollywood Love Story # 1)

By Nelle L’Amour

BR Unforgettable 1

Synopsis

Brandon: I’ve just woken up from a life or death coma. And learned that not only am I Hollywood’s number one heartthrob, but I’m also engaged to America’s It Girl, Katrina Moore. She may be a blond goddess, but my mind can’t remember shit. And my cock doesn’t give a shit. Because my heart started beating for another the minute she came through the door. 

Zoey: Screw Brandon Taylor. Recovering from his hit and run accident, my demanding, egotistical boss is more of a jerk than ever. And with those violet eyes, more ridiculously panty-melting beautiful. As his personal assistant, I have to attend to his every whim and need as well as contend with his stuck-up fiancée. Life isn’t easy for me. Despite my visible size, I’ve always been invisible. Maybe, the amnesiac is beginning to remember. A girl can dream. No man is more unforgettable…in every way. 

Join Brandon and Zoey as their unlikely Hollywood fairy tale unfolds in three full-length books releasing a month apart. From Los Angeles to the South of France, their love story has it all—romance, passion, steamy hot sex, glitz and glamour, plus an adorable little dog and a murder that could unravel everything.

Review

This is the first book I’ve read from Nelle L’Amour and it is aptly titled UNFORGETTABLE.  It’s also unputdownable.  Before I started reading, I knew it was going to end in a cliffhanger.  I knew it was part of a three-book series.  I knew that all three books were being released a month apart and that book two hadn’t even been released yet.  So you’d think there’d be no need to rush through it, that I could take my time with it.  And yet I couldn’t put it down.  I climbed into bed, started reading and was up until after 2am finishing it.  That’s right.  I read this bad boy in one sitting.  Or laying, if you want to get technical about it.

Let’s talk characters.  I really liked Zoey.  She was orphaned at the age of five and grew up with her aunt, uncle and cousin.  Despite losing both parents, she seems to have had a good childhood and grew up to be a fairly well-rounded woman.  She’s hardworking and patient; two things she needs to be while working as Brandon’s PA.  I liked Brandon as well, but that boy needs to learn how to use his manners and is in dire need of a serious bitch-slapping.  He’s also an orphan, but he has that spoilt sense of entitlement that can only come with fame and fortune.  He has amnesia stemming from a hit-and-run, but I hated how he blindly went with what he was told and ignored his instincts.  I’m sure there’s a reason that will unfold in the coming books, but it’s the only part of the story I disliked.  His fiancé, Katrina and his manager, Scott, are absolutely awful people and are the two that are in Brandon’s ear telling him what to do.  I can’t wait to see them get what they deserve.

UNFORGETTABLE 1 is a full length novel that is told in dual POVs and ends in a cliffhanger.  It’s got a bit of everything in it to make it a great read: mystery; humour; frustration; anger; and most important, sizzling sexual chemistry.  I really enjoyed this book and can’t wait to get started on book 2.

Unforgettable 1 (A Hollywood Love Story # 1)

My Rating:  5 Hearts

Buy Links:  Amazon

Visit Nelle L’Amour:  Click Here

A Hollywood Love Story Series

November (Calendar Girl # 11)

By Audrey Carlan

BR November

Synopsis

Life, Love, Laughter. 

Three things I never expected to experience in the month of giving thanks, but that is just what I received. Wes had survived Hell on Earth, and was back where he was meant to be…in my arms and my bed. For good. There would be no breaking us apart after the trauma we experienced up to this point. 

My new job with Century Production sent me to the big apple to interview celebrities for a special segment on being thankful. What is a girl to do when she has an entire host of celebrity friends from her past year of travels? You better believe I called up my friends Mason Murphy, all-star pitcher for the Red Sox, and Anton Santiago, the Latin Lov-ah, to participate. They were all too happy to oblige, only my guy’s feathers were a bit ruffled by the ease with which they came running. 

Add in my new family and you’ve got a fairytale Thanksgiving. Except for one tiny detail…the single seat at the table, left open by the hole in my heart that only one person could fill. 

Review

Mia takes the opportunity while filming her upcoming ‘Be Thankful’ segment in New York to catch up with a couple of her close friends and ex-clients from previous months.  After taping has finished, Mia and Maddie, along with their fiancés, head to Texas to spend Thanksgiving with their brother Max and his family.  It’s Mia and Maddie’s first real Thanksgiving and it’s going well until they’re interrupted by a phone call they’ve been waiting eleven months for.

Most of NOVEMBER revolves around filming the New York segment and Mia & Wes’s sex life, er, relationship.  Life is going very well for Mia.  She loves her job, loves her expanding family and, despite having a few concerns about some of his behaviour, Wes is improving from his ordeal every day.  Sadly, there’s not much time spent on Mia’s father which I found beyond disappointing.  Personally I would have preferred less time spent on New York and sex and more time spent on Pops, especially considering everything Mia had to do during the past eleven months was because of him.  The book leads us into DECEMBER and will take us to Aspen, Colorado, where the person Mia will meet is obvious and I suppose a good way to end the series.  I’m not sure I’m going to like it though only because I don’t think there’s an explanation in the world that Mia, Maddie and Max could ever accept or forgive.  As we approach the final book in the series, I will be sad to see Mia’s journey come to an end.  I can only hope the final book does the series justice.

November (Calendar Girl # 11)

My Rating:  4 Hearts

Buy Links:  Amazon | iBooks

Visit Audrey Carlan:  Click Here

Calendar Girl Series

October (Calendar Girl # 10)

By Audrey Carlan

BR October

Synopsis

Silicone, surgery, and Hollywood starlets. 

The land of the stars was beckoning and I answered its call. Now that I was free, well, as free as anyone could be, I decided to pursue something for me. To grab life by the horns and ride that sucker until I found my place within it. That decision brought me back home to Malibu, California, where I awaited the beginning of this next phase in my journey. 

The job? Create a segment surrounding Living Beautiful for celebrity doctor and daytime television guru, Dr. Hoffman. The man was known for his cunning wit, good looks, and no nonsense lifestyle. In a city that was filled with plastic Barbie dolls, and nothing you touched was real, I set out to find beauty. And in doing so, I found a lot more that, for me, for the man I loved, and for the rest of the nation. 

Review

Mia is no longer an escort now that her debt to Blaine has been paid.  But she still has to fulfil her obligations to her October client, who is a TV doctor that wants to use her current popularity to boost his show’s rating.  This job could be the break in her career she’s been looking for and gives her the perfect opportunity to stay at home with Wes.

While OCTOBER is about the positive changes happening in Mia’s life, it’s mostly about her and Wes dealing with what he suffered when he was held hostage the previous month.  The story also includes sex, a LOT of sex.  Be warned, there are discussions about rape and there are scenes that could be considered forceful in nature.

October (Calendar Girl # 10)

My Rating:  4 Hearts

Buy Links:  Amazon | iBooks

Visit Audrey Carlan:  Click Here

Calendar Girl Series

The Fifteenth Minute (The Ivy Years # 5)

By Sarina Bowen

BR The Fifteenth Minute

Synopsis

Freshman Lianne Challice is known to millions of fans as Princess Vindi. But sometimes a silver screen sorceress just wants to hang up her wand, tell her manager to shove it, and become a normal college student. Too bad that’s harder than it looks. 

She’s never lived a normal life. She hasn’t been to school since kindergarten. And getting close to anyone is just too risky — the last boy she kissed sold the story to a British tabloid. 

But she can’t resist trying to get close to Daniel “DJ” Trevi, the hot, broody guy who spins tunes for hockey games in the arena. Something’s haunting his dark eyes, and she needs to know more. 

DJ’s genius is for expressing the mood of the crowd with a ten second song snippet. With just a click and a fade, he can spread hope, pathos or elation among six thousand screaming fans. 

Too bad his college career is about to experience the same quick fade-out as one of his songs. He can’t get close to Lianne, and he can’t tell her why. And the fact that she seems to like him at all? Incredible.

Review

Lianne is a freshman heading into her second semester at school and after keeping mostly to herself during the first semester, she wants to get out there a little more and have a normal college experience.  But that’s hard to do when the actress is openly mocked by male and female students for the role that made her famous.  DJ is a sophomore whose college years may be over sooner than he ever expected after he’s placed on social probation for a crime he didn’t commit.  With the school not in a position to handle the investigation properly, yet all but considering him guilty, he’s spent the past several months waiting for the hammer to drop.  This has left him very depressed and withdrawn, afraid that his family and friends also question his innocence.

DJ is the primary character in this book, with most of the story revolving around what he’s been accused of and waiting for the case to be resolved.  He’s a young man who is hurt, confused and angry, who has been through the wringer and just wants it to be over with already.  Lianne has some issues, but they’re pretty minor in comparison and while they were seemingly resolved by the end of the story, they weren’t very deep or delved in to.  It’s because of that I found that she’s a little forgettable.  But she’s very nice and it was cute to read about her crush on DJ.

THE FIFTEENTH MINUTE is another good addition to The Ivy Years series and we once again see a very sensitive issue addressed.  We got a little insight into DJ’s older brother Leo, so I’m wondering if he’ll get the next book, assuming there will be a book # 6 of course.

The Fifteenth Minute (The Ivy Years # 5)

My Rating:  5 Hearts

Buy Links:  Amazon | iBooks

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The Ivy Years Series

Making A Comeback (More Than A Game # 3)

By Kristina Mathews

BR Making A Comeback

Synopsis

With a divorce in the works, Annabelle Jones heads out to Southern California, the land of sun and starting over. She wants to prove to herself and her young daughters that she still has what it takes to turn heads as a swimsuit model—that she doesn’t need a man to take care of her. Until an accident forces her to rely on the hunky, yet mysterious man next door…

Nathan Cooper is trying to revive his own career. Once a top left-handed relief pitcher, he tried to get over a hidden injury with the aid of banned substances. Not only was he caught and suspended, he was traded and missed out on winning the championship. Now he’s a free agent without a contract, and that means life is ready to play ball…

Review

MAKING A COMEBACK is not your typical sports romance.  Cooper is an MLB pitcher fresh off of a 50 game suspension for taking banned substances for an injury.  The shame of what he did has turned him into a recluse, one whose afraid to step back into the game and unsure of what his future holds.  When his new neighbour, Annabelle, is involved in a car accident, he’s forced to become a part of her life while she recovers.  Initially he doesn’t want to be involved, but the longer he stays and the more he gets to know her and her twin daughters, the more he wants to stay…permanently.

Having recently separated from her husband, Annabelle’s plans to resurrect her modelling career and live independently are ruined by a texting teen-aged driver.  She’s forced to accept help from her new neighbour when the accident leaves her unable to look after herself and her kids.  As much as she’s attracted to him, she doesn’t want him there giving her kids the wrong idea.

I really liked that Cooper felt great guilt and shame over what he did and I think the author did a great job with explaining the reasons why he did it, the consequences of his actions, and the thoughts on how he’d be received by the public should he return to the game.  You know he will never make that same mistake again.  Annabelle’s need to stand on her own two feet was admirable, but a tad annoying when she was clearly attracted to Cooper but kept pushing him away, simply because she didn’t want to need a man.  But she did a great job standing up to her husband when he came back into the picture, not letting his hurtful words affect her.  With Cooper’s shameful mistake and Annabelle’s scars, both are afraid to face the world.  But when they finally give in and realise they’re meant to be together, the support and courage they give to each other allows them to move forward and face the world again.

I enjoyed MAKING A COMEBACK, but I did think the story moved a bit slow.  There’s also quite a bit of pushing away and pulling back done by both Annabelle and Cooper which was a little tedious.  This is part of a series but can be read as a standalone.  There are references to other characters from the previous books, but you don’t need to know them or what happened to enjoy the story.

Making A Comeback (More Than A Game # 3)

My Rating:  4 Hearts

Buy Links:  Amazon | iBooks

Visit Kristina Mathews:  Click Here

More Than A Game Series

For Us Alone

By Helen J. Barnes

BR For Us Alone

Synopsis

Meet plain Jane, she is your stereotypical wife, mother and slave to her family. She is also a blogger, about to attend her first ever book signing event.

Little does she know she is also about to embark on an empowering journey of self-discovery. A chance meeting with the man who dominates her fantasies leads to a lesson in the sensual delights of the body.

Can she allow herself to indulge in the ecstasy he offers, just for a single night, locked away from existence? Can she keep their sordid secret from the whole world?

A night for him. A night for her.
A night for them alone.

Review

There’s not really a lot to say about this book, other than it’s an erotic novella that was a fun way to kill an hour before going to bed.  Jane, a happily married wife and mother, happens to meet the celebrity of her dreams, Mr Green, who also happens to be married, while checking into her hotel room.  A one night only arrangement suddenly turns into two nights, with the promise of another hookup a few months down the road.  Both make no apologies about having an affair, and while I can’t speak for Mr Green, Jane doesn’t feel one ounce of guilt.  Those two nights of amazing sex was for her, for him, for them alone.  If you can get past the cheating side of the story, you’ll enjoy it.

And seriously, who doesn’t fantasise about spending a couple of nights locked in a hotel room with the celebrity of their dreams.

“We’ll share a night. Never to be spoken of again by either of us. It will be something we never share with anyone else, private between me and you. Once it’s over, it’s over. We can look back on it whenever we want, but it will never go any further than my hotel room. I will treat you how you deserve to be treated, show you the beauty that you are and love your body until you can stand no more. All I ask for is your continued unfaltering discretion.”

For Us Alone

My Rating:  5 Hearts

Buy Links:  Amazon

Visit Helen J. Barnes:  Click Here

Wife For Hire (For Hire # 1)

By Christine Bell

BR Wife For Hire

Synopsis

He needs a wife for three weeks…

Owen Phipps is out for revenge. His mission? To expose the man who stole his sister’s money and dignity. All he needs is a “wife” who can play along. Too bad his last best hope is an actress who tries to mace him with perfume when he offers her the role of a lifetime.

Lindy Knight is a real sap. She loves too hard, feels too deep, and often finds herself saying yes when she should be saying “Let me think about it.” She can’t believe her good fortune when Owen offers her more than enough money to hold off foreclosure until she can find a job. Three weeks at a resort, money she desperately needs, and she gets to help bring a criminal to justice? Score. It seems easy enough until a couples bonding game turns intimate, and they realize how dangerous their mutual attraction could be.

Can they keep their hands to themselves long enough to find the evidence Owen needs? Or are the close quarters more temptation than they can handle?

Review

WIFE FOR HIRE was an interesting read.  The cover looks dark and serious and the blurb also has a bit of a  “mystery/thriller” vibe to it.  What I was surprised at was the humour involved.  You won’t find yourself laughing throughout the entire book, but there are moments of hilarity that will have you laughing out loud and/or shaking your head, all of those moments involving Lindy.

Lindy is a bit of a ditz, but she has a very kind heart and a down to earth personality.  She believes in love and wants to see the best in people.  She also has trouble saying “No” to people, which is how she meets Owen.  She’s in between jobs and is at risk of losing her house to the bank when she answers Owen’s ad on Craigslist.  Owen is a wealthy man who will pay $20,000 for a fake wife to help him uncover the scam his half-sister’s ex-boyfriend is currently running.  After his sister was robbed of her life savings, Owen is determined to get justice for her and anyone else who may have been conned by the guy.  Owen is also a cynic when it comes to love.  His father left his mother for another woman and since then he’s refused to give a woman that much power over him.  To Owen, Lindy is a breath of fresh air, reminding him that sometimes it’s the simple things in life that are often the best.  But he doesn’t do relationships and Lindy doesn’t do casual encounters, so this has emotional disaster written all over it.

I really liked Lindy and Owen.  While Owen doesn’t believe in love and ultimately breaks Lindy’s heart when he finds out the depth of her feelings, he’s not a prick as some men are written to be.  And Lindy is a beautiful person, often putting other’s needs before her own, but she’s not a total pushover.  I liked the background story of trying to uncover the con, but I did think that particular part of the story moved a little slowly until it suddenly came to an end.  I enjoyed WIFE FOR HIRE so much that I’ve added GUARDIAN FOR HIRE (book # 2) to by TBR list.

Lindy:  This was it, the pivotal point in every horror movie, the one that always had her shouting, “Don’t let him in, you idiot!” at the screen.  And still, she kept walking.  Surely a guy that handsome could get a girl to live in his basement cage just by asking, right?  No need to go hunting for one.

Wife For Hire (For Hire # 1)

My Rating:  5 Hearts

Buy Links:  Amazon | iBooks

Visit Christine Bell:  Click Here

For Hire Series