Cherrie Mack

Georgie by Cherie Mack
Book #2: Follow That Dress Series
Source: Netgalley
My Rating: 4/5 stars
My Review:

Georgie Randall likes her sex a tiny bit off the beaten path. Nothing too kinky or crazy but certainly more than plain old vanilla. While there’s certainly nothing wrong with Georgie or her sexual preferences, she probably shouldn’t mix them with alcohol. But mix with alcohol she did and since that night, Georgie has lived in fear of that night being revealed . . . . again. The first time that night got shared with the public, Georgie left school and the state, the second time the night was revealed she lost her fiancé and left the state.

For the past couple of years, Georgie has lived a lonely life in Amityville, Long Island. She loves her job as a bartender but because of her past, she has not allowed herself to get close to anyone, even her co-workers. If she isn’t going to have friends, Georgie certainly isn’t going to have a boyfriend or even the occasional lover. The chance of her past coming back to bite her on the ass yet again is just too great a risk. Fate is a funny thing and when her boss goes into the hospital, his son, Derek is called in to help carry the load. Derek is dead sexy, frustrating as all hell and Georgie is finding it hard to stick to her no dating rule. Especially when she discovers Derek likes his sex a tiny bit off the beaten path as well.

Derek has no intention of taking over his father’s bar but he also doesn’t want to see it go under. Reluctantly, Derek agrees to watch over the bar and is happy to find there is more than just good alcohol there, there’s also Georgie. Georgie fascinates Derek and when he discovers she likes her sex just the same way he does, well, he starts thinking about a bit more than one off. In fact, for the first time in his life, Derek is thinking that maybe, just maybe Georgie could be the woman he does happily ever after with. Unfortunately, like Georgie, Derek has a bit of a secret of his own and it may be just big enough to cause Georgie to head for the hills and never look back.

The Bottom Line: I really enjoyed this second novella-length installment of the Follow That Dress series. Rather than embracing who she is and celebrating her sexuality, Georgie has worked hard to hide who she is. To be fair, the couple of times Georgie’s proclivities have been revealed it hasn’t gone well so she is a bit gun shy. Derek doesn’t make her feel ashamed at all about who she is and what she wants but he also doesn’t know the whole story until he is emotionally invested. Of course, there has to be drama before the HEA and there certainly is drama. The drama and the sex are both just about right for this length of read with neither competing for the other for the spotlight. Both Georgie and Derek are likeable characters and yes, the dress shows up in this read too… (plus d'informations)

I got sucked in by the cover of this book. Gorgeous shoes. Dude in a suit and the hot pink text just pops off the page. Unfortunately, it kinda fizzled for me once I opened the book.

I just couldn't connect with the characters. In fact, I didn't even like any of them, except maybe Angelo/Victor. I thought this was going to be a Cinderella story where Allie was going to be a tortured heroine and we would feel sorry for her and yada yada. But I couldn't stand Allie... and I get that the author wrote her that way on purpose. But still. Allie was a whiny, judgmental, spoiled shrew who loved to wallow in her misery and wanted everyone to say "oh you poor baby." I couldn't take it.

Then we have Adrienne (the stepsister) and Trudy (the stepmother character) who are both painted as ridiculous, rich, nasty, self-absorbed and just plain mean. Adrienne was painted in a bad light at first, but then we get more info later that I guess is supposed to explain her behavior. I'm sorry, her daddy issues did not excuse her making Allie clean the apartment and whatever else.

Angelo/Victor was decent enough. I liked his character, but I felt he was weak at times. Allie treated him like crap, and he put up with all her whining and "woe is me" antics. And he didn't shun her for it. He must have nerves of steel. I didn't really get the whole fairy godmother aspect of his character... there could have been more detail about how this aspect of the story worked or came into play. It wasn't flushed out enough for me to get caught up in the fantasy. There was one sex scene that was okay... but it was a mix of steamy and clinical that threw me off. If you are using slang words for body parts, it reads weird to throw a "vagina" and "penis" in there - kinda ruins the sexy moment.

For such a short book, it seemed very long. I think because the majority of the book was filled with Allie's incessant self-imposed misery, it just made it seem longer. There is a redemption of the characters before the end, but the redemption was rushed and played false to me. I didn't get that true "come to Jesus" moment from Allie or Adrienne. And I still saw Allie start to backslide after she was supposed to have her epiphany. So I just didn't buy it.

The blurb for the next installment of the series actually sounds more interesting... assuming the tortured hero (a wounded soldier) is developed sufficiently to create an emotional connection. While I was not a fan of Adrienne in this book, I did like her better than Allie by the end. So I may give the next book a shot just to see if this was a fluke that I didn't like.

I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 2 stars / 3 flames.… (plus d'informations)

Crystal by Cherrie Mack
Book #1: Off the Rack Series
Source: Netgalley
My Rating: 4/5 stars
My Review:

Crystal’s day just can’t get much worse. Her clothes don’t fit thanks to her love of comfort food, she’s late for work, and the cupcake she bought ended up spread across the front of the angry asshole’s Armani suit she just ran into. Feeling so done with everything, Crystal decides to verbally unload on the man so he understands just how rude his behavior is.

Several hours later . . . .

The angry asshole is at Crystal’s front door and as it turns out, he is Robert Salinger, the owner of the company she works for. Oh, and he likes her saucy attitude and wants her to be his pretend girlfriend for the next two weeks. Huh? The day can get worse.

With nothing to lose, Crystal agrees to Robert’s crazy plan and quickly wonders just what in hell she has gotten herself into. Robert has something of a reputation that his actions just don’t seem to line up with. Robert is confident and somewhat arrogant but he can also be quite charming and genuinely nice. In order to maintain the façade of fake girlfriend, he is willing to share a great deal of information about himself and what Crystal learns is as appealing as the man’s hardened body. Knowing the affair has an expiration date, Crystal proposes a sexual relationship assuming she will get a little action and walk away at the end of the two weeks.

With every encounter, sexual or otherwise, Robert finds himself at a loss with Crystal. She is so unlike every other woman he has ever dated and her brash personality, matched by her willingness to experiment sexually is a complete turn on. She isn’t afraid to call out Robert’s old money “friends” on their bullshit and be exactly who she is at all times even when she feels a bit like a fish out of water. Robert feels quite attached to Crystal but knows there is no future for them because of their significant age difference. Clearly, he is going to take some convincing.

The Bottom Line: I rather liked this read and found myself often laughing at Crystal’s antics. For as brash (and sometimes crass!) as she is, she is also a compassionate person who genuinely likes Robert. She owns her behavior and her words even when they get her into trouble and she doesn’t hide behind anything or anyone. Robert is one of those characters who gets in his own way and if he would just stop doing that, he would find true happiness. It takes Crystal, her in your face attitude, a scheme to redeem his reputation, and a few choice words from some unlikely sources before Robert pulls his head out of his ass. Overall, I liked this read but would have liked to see more length. The story is good and the characters are believable but everything feels rushed and would certainly benefit from some further development.… (plus d'informations)