Ruth Clampett

I read another book by the author that was a goofy, fun few hours and got this on Kindle. Unedited, likely. I can’t believe it was published this year. The attitudes of all the characters are a throwback of a decade at least—yes, they’re in a conservative town, but it’s still honestly abhorrent (as is Dean’s initial hyper-homophobic response. I don’t care if it’s jealousy, it’s shitty). The most interesting thing were the glimmers of architecture study and how they shared it—the printouts of stuff they couldn’t afford was cute. Honestly I expect a little less gay panic in M/M romance in 2017. You can call it realistic, but it’s not new or in any way interesting.… (plus d'informations)

On paper this one looks like a disaster (yeah, it's P2P) but I couldn't help being charmed by this book. The obsession with cartoons isn't one I share, but I'm charmed by characters with obsessions, and Nathan was surprisingly charming. I can understand being put off by some of Brooke's behavior, but as someone who's been heartbroken by a few Brookes, I get it. Anyway, it's pretty ridiculous, but a fast, fun read that I found hard to put down, despite my intent to hate it.

Bonus Favorite Character: Arthur, Nathan's dad, is a wacky inventor who talks kind of like a Vulcan. It's so ridiculous, it's kind of wonderful.

Although I can't be Stern Internet Lesbian without noting that Nathan's final Monkeyman comic was mad rape-culture-y and shame on Brooke for encouraging it.

Loved the little illustrations. I wish there had been more.… (plus d'informations)

Sophia has always wanted to create documentaries focused on topics that matter, but she quickly learned that she wasn't going to be able to pay her bills that way, so she eventually ended up doing cooking shows. She has since moved on to reality TV and is still adjusting to the change. The first show she's assigned is focused on people who love a particular holiday so much that they basically live it 24/7. She's initially told that Will is completely on board to take part in the show, but in reality he takes a bit of convincing. Will decides Sophia is honest when she says she'll present him in a sensitive way, so he agrees to do the show. It also doesn't hurt that he and Sophia are attracted to each other.

Will loves Christmas, so much so that his house is elaborately decorated for it, and he's gotten special effects friends of his in the movie industry to help him out. Sophia finds herself falling for Will more and more as she learns about him and the motivations behind his house and the charity work he does that's connected to it. However, what neither Sophia nor Will realize is that Sophia's boss has very different plans for the show than what Sophia laid out for Will.

This was one of my Book Bonanza 2022 purchases. The author was part of the welcome panel, and I enjoyed the bit where she talked about the casting for the Passionflix movie based on this book. When I went to her table, I was actually more interested in her other book, Animate Me, but I figured I'd give this one a shot too. I'm not much of a fan of Christmas myself, not since it started creeping into half the year, but it looked relatively cute and I figured that the fact that it was turned into a movie meant that it was at least okay quality. (Yeah, I know, "it was made into a movie" doesn't technically mean anything, but still...)

Emotionally, it moved way too fast. Sophia was supposedly a professional, and yet she was flirting with Will pretty much immediately. Considering the way they behaved around each other, it would have made a lot more sense if Sophia had never managed to convince Will to do the show but they ended up dating as a result of that first meeting. It was honestly kind of weird that Will agreed to the show when they both knew that they wouldn't (shouldn't) progress any further in their attraction to each other until after filming was complete.

They couldn't even stick to that, by the way. Supposedly professional Sophia couldn't stop herself from touching and flirting with Will on-set, and at one point they escaped to a storage closet for a make-out session. They had sex for the first time well before filming was finished. It really didn't present Sophia in a good light, considering Will was supposed to be an interview subject for her work. She'd tell herself to get a grip, but then she spent most of the book letting her hormones run rampant.

The scenes where Sophia and Will talked about Will's past and his motivations behind his Christmas house were nice enough, although I'd have liked them more if they'd been part of a slow-burn "getting to know each other" period on the way to their eventual romance, instead of brief stops during their already raging attraction to each other. Unfortunately, the author ruined those potentially fluffy moments by including way too many jealousy scenes and adding details to Will's character that I considered to be red flags.

First, the jealousy. Both Will and Sophia were guilty of this, although Sophia's jealousy was more frequent. She got her hackles up anytime she saw another young woman around Will, and it was way too easy for her to believe that Will was a womanizer, even though she should have known that Paul's interviewing tactics were fishy and designed for maximum drama. Meanwhile, it didn't seem like Sophia could even work with another man without Will thinking she might be interested in him, unless the guy was gay. They both needed to tone it down, a lot.

Second, Will's red flags. He blew up when Sophia, as part of her job, tried to calm down one of Will's irate neighbors, because she was putting herself in danger - his wording made me think past girlfriends of his had probably accused him of being controlling and overprotective. At one point, Will also told Sophia that he ended up in juvie because he nearly beat a guy to death for hitting on his girlfriend. I couldn't help but think of this admission when he punched a guy to a pulp later in the book - granted, the person was threatening Will's home and his dog, but there's nothing romantic about out-of-control violent rage.

By the end of the book, I'd have been happier if Will and Sophia had gone their separate ways, which is definitely not something you want readers to be thinking at the end of a romance novel.

Additional Comments:

I caught quite a few incorrectly used words, missing quotation marks, and questions that didn't end in question marks. It was still perfectly readable, but combined with my feelings about the characters and story, it wasn't great.

(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)… (plus d'informations)

Could you celebrate Christmas 365 days a year?

Meet Will Saunders, he is a scenic set builder at Burbank Central Studio, who celebrates Christmas 365 days a year. He decorates his entire Gingerbread Victorian house with a passion that attracts crowds when he opens the house to tours and children's charity functions. To say his passion and extreme holiday setup is over the top is to put it mildly, but for Will it's all about the wonderment and magic that he wants to share with everyone.

Sophia Worthy is a naive TV producer with True Blue Entertainment, who recently transferred from cooking shows to reality shows. She hopes that the stint on the reality show will lead her to becoming a documentary film maker. Sophia is given the assignment to convince Will to take part in a reality show featuring people who celebrate holidays in an extreme manner.

Instant attraction and sparks fly when Will and Sophia meet, and while he is hesitant to appear on the reality show, he agrees when Sophia assures him that the show will provide positive exposure and help raise public awareness for his charitable work. But can Sophia protect Will from being exploited by the ruthless realty show crew and a vengeful neighbor who is looking to put a stop to Mr. 365's year-round Christmas cheer?

Mr. 365 is a delightfully touching romance story that will tug at the reader's heartstrings. Author Ruth Clampett weaves an enchanting tale set in Los Angeles, that follows the development of Will and Sophia's romance as they learn about each other, work together to overcome obstacles and troubled pasts, and grow individually and as a couple.

Will has had a troubled past, but his passion for Christmas brings him a sense of peace that he surrounds himself with 365 days a year. Like Sophia, the reader won't be able to help but get emotionally drawn into Will's story of his troubled past, his passion for Christmas, and his adorable dog Romeo, who has a "friendly" way of greeting people. As Will's backstory unfolds, the reader will find that there are many intriguing layers to Will that endears him to Sophia. Their story is filled with flirty banner and sizzling chemistry mixed with trials and tribulations that they have to overcome as their romance blossoms. You can't help but fall in love with Will and Sophia, their romance is simply heartwarming and will leave a smile on your face.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention the richly detailed description of Will's Christmas themed Gingerbread Victorian house. The author does a fabulous job of transporting the reader into Will's house as he takes Sophia on a tour of each room that is decorated in a different theme. The visual effect is amazing from the front hallway Christmas tree decorated with vintage ornaments, to the living room decorated with an undersea theme, and another room decorated in a winter wonderland theme of silver and white, to the dining room with its vintage model train and village set, the author provided stunning descriptions that captivated me in a whimsical holiday wonderment.

Mr. 365 is a wonderful holiday romance story that will put you in the Christmas spirit, but it is also a story that you can be enjoyed anytime of the year.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by AToMR Tours.

http://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot.com/2013/12/mr-365-by-ruth-clampett-book-r...… (plus d'informations)