Book Review: Unfixable by Tessa Bailey

 

Willa Peet isn’t interested in love. She’s been there, done that, and has the shattered heart to prove it. Ready to shake the breakup, she heads to Dublin, Ireland. But there’s a problem. A dark-haired, blue-eyed problem with a bad attitude that rivals her own. And he’s not doling out friendly Irish welcomes.

Shane Claymore just wants to race. The death of his father forced him off the Formula One circuit, but he’s only staying in Dublin long enough to sell the Claymore Inn and get things in order for his mother and younger sister. He never expected the sarcastic American girl staying at the inn to make him question everything.

But even as Willa and Shane’s fiery natures draw them together, their pasts threaten to rip them apart. Can Shane give up racing to be with the woman he loves, or will Willa’s quest to resurrect the tough-talking, no-shit-taking girl she used to be destroy any hope of a future together?

Unfixable is not normally the type of book I like. The New Adult genre and me have not really hit it off, I can count the number of New Adult books I have liked on one hand. I don't really get it if I am honest, they are just like adult romances but with more angsty drama and I am not really a big fan of angst especially if it is over done which appears to be a must for New Adult. One look at the description for Unfixable and I was sure I was going to hate it. A doomed romance between a trapped boy and a girl who hates herself, sounds like pure angst to me. No, I should not have liked Unfixable. Yet somehow this book got under my skin and I couldn't put it down and I fell in love with it.

I have only read one Tessa Bailey book before this. I gave His Risk to Take three stars but I struggle to remember anything about it. Even looking back over the blurb and my review I am coming up blank. Unfixable will not be as unforgettable. Tessa Bailey really did a good job of writing this book, everything was thought out, the characters, storyline and relationships were all structured and well built and the writing was descriptive. Reading Unfixable was easy, I picked it up and within moments I was lost in the story. I felt maybe that the ending was a bit rushed like Bailey realised the was running out of room but that's the only complaint I have.

What I really enjoyed about Unfixable was it's storyline. Sure there was drama but for the most part it was believable. For me this was more than a romance, it was almost like a coming of age novel, the characters take a journey of personal discovery along side the romance. Tessa Bailey managed to sneak a little bit of everything into Unfixable, it was at times happy and sad, it made me laugh, it filled me with wonder and at times despair. It was a well balanced book full of ups and downs, it flowed well and I never found myself bored with it.

Tessa Bailey's writing and Unfixable's story line both helped to make this book great, but what made me fall in love with this book was it's characters. Shane was a tempestuous man, he was stubborn and angry but behind that there was a guy that truly cared, that didn't know how to go about doing the right thing. He was very much a secondary character to Willa but that didn't make him less important. Shane was the only one who could and would challenge Willa's perception of the world and herself. I liked Shane a lot but it was Willa that truly made this book a joy to read. I fell in love with this girl from the beginning, and I related to her in quite a few ways. Willa does not have the best opinion of herself, she feels like she is broken and unfixable but she never wallows in self pity, she wants to live and to love but she doesn't know how. I found her honest and real, she's had it tough but is determined to make it through. It is rare to come across a new adult character with this much baggage and not have them be an angsty, dramatic mess. Sure, Willa was not perfect, she made mistakes but she owned them. Self pity really wasn't her style and I loved her for that.

The romance was fantastic. The chemistry between Willa and Shane sizzled and jumped off the pages. They didn't fall into bed quickly and the sexual tension Bailey created was almost unbearable. Sometimes books heavy with sexual tension can fall flat once the characters give in but not Unfixable. Tessa Bailey kept the tension high and I must say that she sure knows how to write a sex scene. This book is seriously hot, none of the love making was casual, it meant something to these characters which made it even hotter. Out side of the physical the romance still worked, animosity turned to lust, lust to respect and respect to love. These characters learn to love each other and themselves, they learn that it is ok to lean on others when you need to, that it is ok to share your bad thoughts and your good ones, your hopes and your fears. Everything about the romantic aspect of this book worked for me, I truly have nothing negative to say about it.

Unfixable was like an unexpected gift. It has made me look into the new adult genre again, and has introduced me to an author that I cannot wait to read more from. It was more than I thought it could be and I am so very glad I've read it.

4 stars

 

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Unfixable by Tessa Bailey.  Published April 14th 2014 by Entangled Publishing (Embrace)

 

A free copy of this book was provided in exchange for an honest review.  Image courtesy of Goodreads.

Book Review: The Art Of Christmas by Jane Lovering

What if the memories of Christmas past were getting in the way of Christmas future?

It’s been nearly two years since Harriet lost Jonno, but she’s finally decided that it’s time to celebrate Christmas again.

Then she finds a stash of graphic novels belonging to her comic book-loving husband in the attic, and suddenly her world is turned upside down once more.

With the help of eccentric comic book dealer Kell Foxton, she discovers that the comics collected by Jonno are not only extremely valuable, but also hold the key to his secret life – a life that throws Harriet’s entire marriage and every memory she has of her husband into question.

As Harriet grows closer to Kell, she begins to feel like she could learn to love Christmas again – but first, she needs to know the truth.  

 

I didn’t really expect much from The Art of Christmas. It is a short Christmas read that caught my eye because of its festive theme. I had never heard of Jane Lovering before so I didn’t really have much to go on. I had a feeling it might fall flat, as so many short Christmas romances do, but I ended up pleasantly surprised. I was expecting a bit of fluff but what I got was a novella full of depth and emotion. The Art of Christmas was a story where the author was not fearful of letting the romance take a back seat, a story where the characters and their growth were centre stage.

The Art of Christmas was a charming novella. Jane Lovering has created a lovely story and her writing was good too. This book wasn’t really about romance or the holidays, they played their part but it wasn’t what the bulk of this book was. It was about moving on; learning to trust not just people but yourself again when you fear your judgement has failed you. The Art of Christmas was a gently written novella that had not only depth but also quite a few well-placed laughs.

The characters were excellent. Harriet was at that point in her grief where she was ready to start moving on but wasn’t sure how to go about it. She had been on her own for almost two years and could see that her life was beginning to lose purpose. I thought she was very strong and brave. She faced everything that came at her in a cool and calm manner and when she found someone she liked she didn’t ruin it with a false sense of guilt.

Kell was also marvellous. He was complete geek and a little socially awkward. He was lonely and wasn’t scared to admit it which was nice. So often in these books the men try to act so tough but Kell wasn’t afraid of looking weak or being honest. I found him and his dog, Frodo, utterly charming and completely endearing. At times they were both hilariously funny which was excellent, as it bought a fun atmosphere to the story. It was clear that Kell was utterly mesmerized by Harriet but he knew she had stuff to sort through. He let her know his interest but didn’t push her, which is another reason to love him.

The Art of Christmas was a lovely holiday read, my only complaint was that I wish it has been a little longer.

3 stars

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Published November 13th 2015 by Choc Lit. 

 

A free copy of this book was provided in exchange for an honest review.  Image courtesy of Goodreads.

Book Review: Broken Resolutions by Olivia Dade

Romance has never had a happy ending for librarian Penny Callahan, who could write the book on cheating, heartbreaking liars. So she’s made a resolution: no men for the next twelve months. If she can just get through the library’s New Year’s Eve singles night, she can return home to her pajamas and a good book. But when she finds herself checking out a hot hunk with an irresistible smile, an evening in the stacks becomes a lot more tempting…

Reclusive author Jack Williamson never should have trusted his mother. Even though he’s trying to avoid being recognized, she guilts him into attending a dating meet-and-greet—where an adorable librarian makes him question his lonely lifestyle. Is this just a fleeting, flirty scene? Or could love be the next chapter for them both?

 

I have been going through a romance fiction dry spell recently. Nothing is really impressing me much . I keep waiting for a romance book to sweep me off my feet but nothing is getting the job done. For a moment I thought Broken Resolutions was going to be that book. It came very close but it didn't quite make it.

I really enjoyed Broken Resolutions. It was a hell of a lot better than I thought it was going to be. When I first started this book I was sure I was onto a winner. I would give the first half of this book five stars without hesitation. Why? Because this book (the first half especially) is really, really funny. It's not 'have a little chuckle' funny, it's 'I have to put this down because I cannot stop laughing' funny. Seriously, the fist half really did it for me. It was simple, adorable and hilariously awkward fun.

Dade wrote this one brilliantly. Her comic timing is superb and her world building strong. I loved that she dared to take the piss out of the romance genre as a whole. It was a brave move considering that this is a romance book. She could have been seen as arrogant but it didn't come across like that.

Unfortunately, the second half of the book could not compete with the first. As the romance kicked in the humour faded away and this book lost the spark that made the first half so great. That's not to say that the second half was not good, it was. The characters were strong and the romance sweet but for me Dade was stronger when she was being funny.

What didn't help matters was that the romance was built around a lie. It made the conflict in the romance predictable. I thought it was a shame that something so fun had to be tarnished by a lie. Also, I didn't feel like Dade got the chemistry right between her characters. I couldn't feel the sparks.

Olivia Dade came so close to writing a great book with Broken Resolutions, and I so nearly loved it, but it wasn't quite there. I will definitely read more from her. With the right plot and the right characters this author is more than capable of writing a romance that can seep me off my feet.

3 stars

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Broken Resolutions by Olivia Dade.  Lovestruck Librarians book 1.

 

Published December 8th 2015 by Lyrical Shine.

 

A free copy of this book was provided for free in exchange for an honest review.  Image courtesy of Goodreads.

Book Review: Christmas in Mustang Creek by Linda Lael Miller

Charlotte Morgan grew up in Mustang Creek, Wyoming, and couldn't wait to escape to the big city. But life in New York isn't as fabulous as she'd like to admit—she's lonely, doing a job she doesn't love and dating too many frogs she meets online.

 

There was one potential prince, though—Jaxon Locke, a veterinarian with definite possibilities—but his move to Idaho to fill in at his dad's vet practice ended things just as they were getting interesting. What Charlotte doesn't know is that he misses her, more than he expected…

 

Meanwhile, Charlotte's great-aunt Geneva—the woman who raised her—needs to enter an assisted-living facility. So, just before Christmas, Charlotte moves back home. When Jax catches wind of her move back West, he's determined to get to Wyoming and do whatever it takes to win her back.

 

Christmas in Mustang Creek is a magical time in a magical place, not least because of a mysterious visitor named Mrs. Klozz. She knows that love is the greatest gift of all, and she's ready to help out Santa by giving these two a push in the right direction!

 

I am really not on a good reading streak at the moment. In keep picking up books and wading through pages hoping to find something that will interest me but it is just not happening. Christmas in Mustang Creek is the latest in a long line of books that I just didn’t like.

To be honest this wasn’t a bad book and I didn’t hate it but it bored me. The writing was fine but not enough happened and the characters, although well writing, just weren’t likeable enough. I did find this book sweet and it certainly had its moments but at the same time I also found it a bit silly.

The main problem I had with this book was the characters. I wanted Charlotte to be stronger and firmer. Mrs Klozz I would too pushy and noisy but the worst was Jason. I cannot quite put my finger on it but there has something about his attitude towards Charlotte that just didn’t sit well with me. I found him too pushy and presumptuous. It was clear that he held real feelings for Charlotte but I couldn’t shake the feeling that he wasn’t happy with who she was, that he would have preferred her to change to suit him more.

This feeling ruined the romance for me. I just couldn’t get behind them as a couple and I felt no chemistry or personality between them at all.

It would be unfair for me to say that Christmas in Mustang Creek is a bad book, it isn’t. On the end it just wasn’t the book for me.

2 stars

 

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Christmas in Mustang Creek by Linda Lael Miller, The Brides of Bliss County book 4.

 

Published September 29th 2015 by HQN Books

 

A free copy of this book was provided in exchange for an honest review.

 

Image courtesy of Goodreads