Quick Reads and Quick Reviews 29

  

• How to Catch a Tomcat in Seven Days, Angie Speed
• Snowflake Kisses, Dawn Brower
• Dragon Protector, Ruby Forrest

Sweet and simple right from the start, Megan and TJ are obviously perfect for one another but both think they've got zero chance with the other.  With only a week to make a play for the player, Megan goes all out to catch TJ's attention.  But his obliviousness might mean he misses out on forever with a best friend who could be his best partner.

I like that she made him work for her affections but I did feel like she gave in too soon.  Needed more groveling for sure.  Megan was quirky and cute while TJ was humorously blind until it became hurtful.  I've never been a fan of "You know why I'm a player?  I'm too much of a coward to tell the girl I love that I love her.  Also, I'm too blind to notice that she can't actually lie or hide her feelings so I should totally have known she loved me too.  But because of all that I'll still date and sleep with lots of women knowing she can witness my appalling dating habits."  Yet that's always the way these stories play out...

Aside from that, it was kept very simply allowing the couple to move from friends to more quickly without too much drama.  The list was a cute device to move the plot along and watching him be oblivious was actually kind of cute and humorous until it became painful to imagine how Megan was feeling, realizing that she didn't stand a chance before he came to his senses.  3.5 stars.

*98¢ on Amazon!

Mack and Meghy have a second chance at forever but nothing is ever as simple as just showing up.  It'll take big life changes and granting forgiveness before they can take the next step together, but only if they're willing to lay their hearts on the line.

This story was sweet, simple, but it's simplicity unfortunately meant that it lacked depth.  Issues weren't really resolved, more like confession and an uber simplistic test followed by a huge life change combining to create the magic cure-all for every big and small problem.  I mean, from Meghy being a borderline recluse to having her life possibly thrust into the limelight just because of her partner, her discomfort in crowds, their lifestyle differences, Mack's not sleeping combined with pills that brought him home in the first place, his image, and the fact that they're completely different people after more than a decade apart...  There's just so much to resolve that is totally glossed over.

Overall it was a nice and pleasant story of a second chance, redemption, and going all in on a future that you truly desire.  3 stars.

*98¢ on Amazon!

With her father dead and the head of security making it his personal mission to keep her safe Janet is confused and yet feels something deep and passionate despite the danger surrounding her.  There's nothing to keep them together if they don't admit their feelings, but if her enemies have any say, she won't be around to have them at all.

I wanted so much to like this story.  The premise was interesting but the reality was abysmal.  Giving a dual POV synopsis to only give us Janet's view in the short story was the first disappointment.  After that it was piling on dramatic event after dramatic event in the hopes that the danger would give some basis for growing Fang and Janet's feelings.  Add in the Google Translate version of the story of The Golden Phoenix (a favorite of mine from childhood), and you've got a story full of holes and a severe lack of depth.  The fairy tale took up probably half of the book!  As for the interactions between Janet and Fang they were passionate, for sure, but there wasn't anything of depth or meaning to make me believe they would last.

Including the fairy tale was a good thing but it wasn't incorporated well by any means and the relationship had potential but it fell flat very quickly.  The dragon reveal was rushed and too simplistic for the build-up we were given.  And with the narration of absolutely every detail it's like we were reading a completely different author.  The writing was amateurish and juvenile and I seriously think this wasn't even the author's work at all since the voice and style were drastically different from every other book I've read from her.  Overall this was an incredible disappointment.  2 stars.

*2.99 on Amazon or FREE on KU!