Review- Pimpernel by Sheralyn Pratt

For centuries, the elite of the world have sought the Pimpernel everywhere. Some want to kill him, others want to hire him, but Jack Cavanaugh knows that the love/hate relationship comes with the job title.

At present, Jack is trying to dismantle an investment scheme centered in Las Vegas, but "trying" is the operative word. It's been a month since he put the face of the scheme behind bars, yet the scam is still going strong. As Jack tries to uncover who has stepped in as the new head, what miniscule evidence there is all seems to point him back to Claire Ramsey, an introverted PhD student studying at UNLV.

If ever there as an unlikely head of an investment scheme, Claire's it. She has a genius IQ, but from all Jack has seen, Claire’s intelligence is as much a blessing as a curse when paired up with her acute OCD. Claire can barely make conversation with the cute guy down the hall, which makes it hard to believe she could be the charismatic salesperson who is getting international businessmen to invest $5—50 million a pop.

So what is Jack missing? What is the real story behind Claire Ramsey? And once Jack learns it, will he be able to walk away?

I am a huge fan of the 1930s movie version of The Scarlet Pimpernel. I will admit, I have not read the original book, but the movie is one of my favorites. You can imagine, then, that I was super excited when I saw Pimpernel by Sheralyn Pratt was available for review.

Claire is obsessive compulsive. But in a way that is needed at the beginning of the book. She's been forced in to defrauding millionaires out of their money because she thinks it is the only way to keep her mentor, and the man she thinks she loves, alive while he's in jail for a crime he can't possibly have committed.

At the risk of spoiling the book, I won't say too much on the plot. But Claire has definitely bitten off more than she chew when it comes to her mentor. She finds herself pulled in to a world of theft and trickery and manipulation.

I liked Claire. As OCD as she was, it served a purpose in the story and gave her incredible dimension. She's quiet and shy and kind of pathetic when we first see her but she transforms throughout the story in to someone incredible.

Jack, Margot, and Ren are great characters. Each with their own specific specialties and quirks and faults. They mesh well together and they've always got each other's backs. It was incredibly refreshing to read a story with characters who made promises and did everything they possibly could to make sure they were kept. I wish we had seen more of Margot's and Ren's back stories, but it was fascinating to learn Jack's.

I will definitely say that there were no lulls in this story. It was action packed and fast paced and exciting. The characters were written well and everything flowed really nicely. Now, with that being said, and this may be because I've only seen the movie and not read the book, I was kind of disappointed that I didn't really see any mention of or correlation to the Pimpernel until preeeetttty far in to the book. I don't think it detracted from the story really, but I just expected.... More.

However, I really enjoyed this one. A lot. You really feel for the characters and their heartaches and frustrations. And you'll be totally impressed by their operations and how they manage to pull off what they do. If you're looking for an exciting story I would definitely recommend this one.

Review - My Own Mr. Darcy by Karey White

After being dragged to the 2005 movie Pride and Prejudice by her mother, sixteen-year-old Elizabeth’s life changes when Matthew Macfadyen’s Mr. Darcy appears on the screen. Lizzie falls hard and makes a promise to herself that she will settle for nothing less than her own Mr. Darcy. This ill-advised pledge threatens to ruin any chance of finding true love. During the six intervening years, she has refused to give any interested suitors a chance. They weren’t Mr. Darcy enough. Coerced by her roommate, Elizabeth agrees to give the next interested guy ten dates before she dumps him. That guy is Chad, a kind and thoughtful science teacher and swim coach. While she’s dating Chad, her dream comes true in the form of a wealthy bookstore owner named Matt Dawson, who looks and acts like her Mr. Darcy. Of course she has to follow her dream. But as Elizabeth simultaneously dates a regular guy and the dazzling Mr. Dawson, she’s forced to re-evaluate what it was she loved about Mr. Darcy in the first place.

When I saw the opportunity to read My Own Mr. Darcy by Karey White I couldn't pass it up.

I was gifted the 2005 version of Pride and Prejudice by my brother (probably the best gift he's ever given me) for a birthday back in... 2006 I believe. I'd just been dumped by a guy I thought was all that and a bag of potato chips, though, so it took me months to decide I was ok enough to watch a romantic movie.

When I watched it, the guy who dumped me didn't even matter anymore. What I needed in my life was Mr. Darcy. More importantly, Matthew Macfadyen as Mr. Darcy. No one else would do. It became my favorite movie (the book became a favorite of mine as well (yes I read the book AFTER I watched the movie)). Forget that he was arrogant and rude at the beginning, he was wonderful by the end. And I was hooked.

So I could totally identify with everything that Lizzie was feeling in this story. To a point. Luckily, I never became as obsessed as she did. Lizzie was so intent on finding Mr. Darcy and only Mr. Darcy that NO ONE ELSE WOULD DO. No one. Not even Mr. Wonderful, Chad. Chad was sweet and attentive and kind and REALLY liked Lizzie. And she was so stubborn that she had to be forced in to even giving him a second shot.

I had high hopes for her until Matt Dawson walked in to the bank. Then it was "Chad who?" I mean, Matt fit the mold. He was aloof, uppity, stand-offish... but then warmed to Lizzie the same way that Mr. Darcy had warmed to his own Lizzie. Forget that he was also often rude and completely ignorant of Lizzie's feelings. Or dismissed them altogether as childish and unimportant. He wasn't supportive of her and he was genuinely embarrassed to even mention Lizzie to his parents. Which, as it turns out, probably had worked out in Lizzie's favor. As they were the HUGEST snobs I've ever seen.

Despite her walking away from a relationship with Chad, he still kept coming back. He helped her when she needed help. He was kind to her when he didn't have to be. He even helped her get a foot in the door as an interior designer. Matt belittled the clothing she wore, got irritated and grumpy every time she mentioned Chad even though HE was constantly around MEG, an ex-almost-fiance who had followed him to Portland and now worked in the bookstore that he owned, and totally discounted her talent as a designer despite the fact that it was what she'd trained and gone to school for.

I mean seriously... at that point, who cares if he is her perfect Mr. Darcy. GET RID OF HIM.

I can only support the fantasy to a point.

I understand it. Completely. But seriously... move on.

That being said, it was a great book. Because really... who has watched the movie (in any form) or read the book and not wished, even if just for a second, that they could be Lizzie Bennett. Or that they could find someone like Mr. Darcy. Who has seen Mr. Darcy dance with Lizzie at the Netherfield Ball and watched him profess his love to her and not wanted to be in her place?

My Own Mr. Darcy captured that fantasy perfectly. And then took it to the next level. It was kind of a wake up call to the ones who are so focused on a certain type of guy that they refuse to look at anyone else. They are so set in their dating requirements that they refuse to see that there may be someone else who is perfect for them. Even if they don't match all of the qualifications.

I wanted to yell at Lizzie throughout almost this entire book. Her friends and family were much too patient with her. Although I suppose if they hadn't been it would have been a much shorter story. If you like Pride and Prejudice, the book or the movie, I think you should give this book a read. If you've ever wished that Mr. Darcy would walk across the meadow in the early hours of the morning and re-affirm his affection for you then you should definitely read this book.

Personally, I'm glad I didn't stick too strictly to the Mr. Darcy fantasy. The man I married is admittedly nothing like him. But I wouldn't have it any other way. Sometimes men like Mr. Darcy should only be in books and movies.

But still, read the book.

Review - Burn Me by Shelley Watters

When Katrina Hale's brother dies in a house fire, she's determined to prove she's stronger than everyone thinks she is. But grief can do strange things to a person and Katrina knows all too well how the death of a loved one can change a person. As the romance in her current relationship fizzles, she focuses on her work and fights the undeniable attraction she has for Greyson Neal.

Firefighter Greyson Neal is the type of guy girls dream about. But Greyson isn't interested in other girls. He wants the one woman he can never have: Katrina. As the two struggle with their feelings, Kat must choose between her career and her heart, and fight to keep them both when an arsonist threatens to take it all away

This is the third time I've read Burn Me by Shelley Watters. I had the privilege of being a beta reader for this particular project many moons ago and I will say it's only gotten better with each read (and come on, who doesn't love the cover?).

Kat is a firefighter who thinks she has something to prove and she's dating Eric, a not so wonderful boyfriend but oh-so-gorgeous. It just so happens that Eric is the brother of Greyson, who may just be that-much-more-gorgeous and who totally has a thing for Kat. It doesn't hurt that he's the tall dark and handsome type. But it DOES irritate Kat that he seems to feel the need to protect her. She's perfectly capable of taking care of herself thank you very much. Most of the time, anyway.

Being that this is a brand new book, I can't really go in to detail on the plot without giving SO much away. So I will leave it with what I have and let you read it and figure the rest out.

I totally dig that Kat is a firefighter. She's strong, independent, and doesn't expect anyone to protect her or fight her battles for her. She worked hard to make it to where she is and she's not going to let anyone or anything stop her from staying right there.

Greyson is the poster boy for hot and sexy and absolutely fantastic. Sure, he may have what Kat calls "Knight in Shining Armor Syndrome", but at some point in almost every woman's life, there has to have been some (even if just teeny-tiny-itty-bitty-miniscule-fleeting) part of them that wished for such a man to just sweep them off their feet and ride off in to the sunset with them. It bothers Kat, but to the reader it shows that he's got a good heart and that he wants to protect the ones that he loves. Noble right?

The story was exciting. And as I said before, it's gotten better each time I've read it. The tension between Greyson and Kat at times was so thick you could cut it with a knife. There were moments when I wanted to shake Kat and scream at her to stop trying to rationalize and for the love of God to use her heart instead of her thick skull to think with, but she was fantastic. Greyson was equally as pigheaded and stubborn at certain points, but both characters were pretty endearing.

Though there were definitely some moments in the firehouse that would have warranted some sexual harassment awareness training, for the most part the chemistry between the firefighters Kat worked with were great friends. I'm not sure if they all saw her as an equal, but even if they didn't, they treated her that way.

We are not wanting for action with this story. I don't see how you could be with a novel about firefighting badasses. Know what I mean? From car accidents to steamy shower scenes to burning buildings to stolen kisses to stalkers... there's always something to keep you on your toes with this book. I can guarantee that if you read it, at some point you'll think you have it all figured out. But you're wrong. Very, very wrong. Loved the twist at the end. I don't think Kat and Greyson did, but I did.

If you're in to steamy romances or books with strong female leads or hot sweaty firemen.... this is the book for you. I'd recommend adult only since this has some very VERY mature instances in it, but ladies (and hey, maybe some gents too), I think this will end up being one you can't put down.

Cover Reveal - Burn Me by Shelley Watters

Burn Me

By Shelley Watters

An Adult Contemporary Romance

Releasing April 29, 2014

Published by Swoon Romance

After her twin brother dies in a house fire, firefighter Katrina Hale is determined to prove she’s stronger than the flames. But while her focus on her career leaves little room in her life for romance and her current relationship fizzles, she soon discovers fighting fires is nothing compared to the scorching desire she feels in fellow firefighter Greyson Neal's arms. Firefighter Greyson Neal is the type of guy girls dream about when they want their knight in shining armor to wear bunker gear. But he’s not interested in fulfilling every girl’s fantasies. Now he wants the one woman he can never have, and she seems hell-bent on getting herself killed to prove that she’s worthy of her job. Kat must choose between her career and her heart, and fight to keep them both when an arsonist threatens to take it all away.



About the Author

Shelley Watters writes romance for young adults and adults. She lives in Arizona with her husband, two kids and two dogs. She loves listening to music, reading good books and letting her imagination go wild as she creates new worlds and torments her characters in delicious ways.

Author Links: Facebook | Twitter