Book Review: Good Girls Don't by Victoria Dahl

Title: Good Girls Don't
Author: Victoria Dahl
Series: Donovan Brothers Brewery #1
Release Date: August 30th, 2011
Publisher: HQN Books
Age: Adult

With her long ponytail and sparkling green eyes, Tessa Donovan looks more like the girl next door than a businesswoman – or a heartbreaker. Which may explain why Detective Luke Asher barely notices her when he arrives to investigate a break-in at her family’s brewery. He’s got his own problems – starting with the fact that his partner Simone is pregnant and everyone thinks he's the father. The last thing he needs is a nice girl like Tessa getting under his skin.

Tessa has her hands full, too. Her brother’s playboy ways may be threatening the business, and the tensions could tear her tight-knit family apart. In fact, the only thing that could unite the Donovan boys is seeing a man come after their “baby” sister. Especially a man like Luke Asher. But Tessa sees past the rumors to the man beneath.

Good Girls Don't is the story of Tessa, the good girl, and Luke, the bad boy. Tessa is the typical next door girl, while Luke is still dealing with his divorce and his pregnant partner. They couldn't be more different, but their attraction is obvious. Of course, Tessa's brothers, Eric and Jamie, don't think Luke is a good man for her.

It's my first book of Victoria Dahl, but I really liked it. The writing was good, the characters were likable and the hot scenes were so much fun and realistic! I enjoy when a couple is not only attracted to each other but also enjoy and have fun while being together.

I liked Luke. He's having a bad time, and everybody try to make it worse for him. Specially Tessa's brother, Jaime. It's obvious he has a sweet heart and is very protective, not only with his partner but with Tessa too.

Tessa is sweet, pretty and fun. I liked that she was most of the times happy. But sometimes I think she was too immature, or unjust, specially with Luke. Sometimes I just wanted to smack her, but I realize she was a version of me when I was younger, always deciding what was the best for the other people...

Overall, I really liked Good Girls Don't. It has the right amount of family drama, romance and hotness! I can't wait to read Jamie's and Eric's stories, Bad Boys Do and Real Men Will.

More about this book at www.victoriadahl.com, Goodreads, Amazon, The Book Depository.

Bout of Books Readathon Wrap Up Post

The Bout of Books read-a-thon has ended! Let's see if I completed my goal:

• 1 book from NetGalley: 

Good Girls Don't (Donovan Family #1) by Victoria Dahl

• 1 book from Simon & Schuster Galley Grab: 

The Dog Who Knew Too Much (Chet and Bernie Mysteries #4) by Spencer Quinn

• 1 book from my Kindle: 

Falling in Love with English Boys by Melissa Jensen

• 1  random book ? 

The Perfect Play (Play-by-Play #1) by Jaci Burton

• 1 book from my TRB pile.  Only read 124 pages :s

Going Bovine by Libba Bray

I didn't get to finish Going Bovine....I didn't have enough time. But I think I did good :). How did you do?

Bank Holiday Photo

All my posts at the moment seem to start by promising that I'll be returning to regular posts and proper reviews soon - at least this one comes with no false promises. I won't have time for a post today, since I'm off to Bristol to see Our Vicar, Our Vicar' Wife, and Colin all in the same place for the first time in 2011. So, instead, I'll just put up a photo of beautiful Compton Verney, which I visited last Thursday. As Debs commented, when we saw it, it's a bit like the first time Lizzie sees Pemberley...

In My Mailbox

In My Mailbox is a weekly bookish meme hosted @ The Story Siren

Kindle:

Bright Young Things with Bonus Material by Anna Godbersen (It was FREE yesterday, check it out today!)

NetGalley:

The Sweetest Thing by Christina Mandelski

Saving June by Hannah Harrington

Real Men Will by Victoria Dahl

What did you get this week?

Write a Post Help a Dog Campaign 2011

I don't usually publish non-book related posts at this blog, but as a Veterinarian and a dog's lover, I think this is important and worth to know!

In honor of the BlogPaws the Conference for Pet Bloggers, Pet Brands, and Pet Health Care Professionals, Pedigree has decided to launch a Write a Post, Help a Dog Campaign. For those of you who missed the event last year in September 391 bloggers wrote about the program and with each post, Pedigree donated 20 pounds of its Healthy Longevity dog food to shelter animals. In all, 7,820 pounds of food was donated to two shelters known across the country for their dedication to the care and re-homing of senior dogs: Muttville Senior Dog Rescue in San Francisco and Castaway Critters in Harrisburg, Pa.

How you can help in 2011

Simply spread the word about Write a Post, Help a Dog 2011 and once again Pedigree will donate 20 pounds of food for each blog post. If you don’t have a blog feel free to tweet about the campaign or share on Facebook so your friends who do blog can participate. All bloggers are welcome even if you do not generally talk about pets on your blog. Its all about using Social Media for Social Good.

You can find more info about how to write your post and where to link it at Two Little Cavaliers

I think this is an amazing way to help as a blogger. Just writing a post and letting other people know how they can help. I love dogs (and cats too, by the way) and I think it's amazing that the Pedigree helps shelter animals this way.

By the way, if you are a book lover (I assume you are, since you're reading this blog!), Literary Escapism is having a swag giveaway for everyone who participates in this campaign ;)

Stuck-in-a-Book's Weekend Miscellany

I've been off on trips this week - two to Swindon (yesterday I was there reading letters, rather than diaries - which meant reading lots of different people's handwriting, rather than just Edith Olivier's. Anne Sedgwick, whoever you may be, one day I will track you down and MAKE YOU WRITE YOUR Es PROPERLY. Ahem) And my housemate Debs and I also went to Compton Verney to see the Stanley Spencer exhibition, and enjoy the beautiful grounds. More on that next week, for today we need a book, a link, and a blog post.



1.) The blog post - I don't think I've ever had an easier choice to make than this one: Sakura's review of SiaB favourite Who Was Changed and Who Was Dead by Barbara Comyns. I sent her a copy, because I can be a bit pushy when it comes to my favourite authors - and she has rewarded me with a positive and perceptive review that makes me want to read it all over again. (Take note, Rachel, take note.)



2.) The link - is of a similar ilk, but not from a blog. Here is an essay about Tove Jansson by Matthew Battles in the Barnes and Noble Review, which some kind soul emailed to me... but I can't right now remember who. Susan? Ruth? Nancy? Thanks, whoever it was!



3.) The book - comes from lovely Folio Society. I am thrilled to be on their review list now, let me tell you, as my first encounter with Folio books was more or less the first time I realised that a book's beauty could make me gasp. That book - or, indeed, those books - being the Mapp & Lucia series, which I eventually managed to secure for myself. But the one I'm mentioning today is Camus' The Outsider (English translation, obv.) introduced by Damon Galgut and illustrated by Matthew Richardson. They gave me a choice of three, and this is one I've been intending to read for ages. I feel a bit as though everyone else has read it first, so I daresay you can tell me about it, no?



Happy weekend everyone - although, while I've been writing this, it has started raining here. I had intended to go to the park with a book... hmm.

Book Review: To Scotland, With Love by Karen Hawkins

Title: To Scotland, With Love
Author: Karen Hawkins
Series: MacLean Curse #2
Release Date: August 21st, 2007
Publisher: Pocket

In this saucy battle of the sexes, New York Times bestseller Karen Hawkins pits a hard-headed Scottish lord with an unusual family curse against a headstrong heiress who has a solution for every problem...except her own wayward heart. When Lord Gregor MacLean learns his childhood friend, Venetia Oglivie, has been abducted by a fortune hunter, he rides off to Scotland in hot -- and very annoyed -- pursuit. Venetia's soft heart has gotten her in major trouble this time: if he doesn't rescue her swiftly, the scandal will ostracize the provocative wench! The only sensible member of her family, Venetia is sure she can fix any problem, even this one. So when an irate Gregor catches up with her, arrogantly expecting a hero's welcome, the sparks between them begin to fly. Then an unexpected snowstorm traps them at an inn, and Gregor discovers his feelings for the lovely Venetia are far warmer than he realized -- fiery enough to burn down the inn! Now if he can only convince Venetia that his motive for marriage isn't duty... but desire.

I read the first book of this series, How To Abduct a Highland Lord, and liked it. But I loved To Scotland, With Love!

When Gregor MacLean finds out his childhood friend Venetia has been "abducted" by a man, he rides to save her before it's to late.

I always like stories where the characters are childhood friends and turn into lovers. There is so much confusion between their feelings! Gregor and Venetia feel comfortable with each other, had secret jokes and understood each other better than anyone. But when they start to have other feelings, and share some kisses, everything turns into a chaos.

They were so much fun, I was laughing most of the time I read this book. Gregor is very hot tempered, and thanks to his curse, most of the time was snowing, trapping them to the Inn. Venetia is spirited isn't afraid to express her opinion, specially to Gregor, but also don't know when to stop helping everyone with their problems.

Gregor and Venetia are caught in the secondary characters issues while they try to understand their feelings and save Venetia's honor. Add to that mix Venetia's desperate mother and bad tempered grandmother, who is one of my favorite characters!

I don't want to say more about this story, but I really enjoyed it. It was a fun book, and I can't wait to read the next one of the series, To Catch a Highlander.

More about this book at www.karenhawkins.com, Goodreads, Amazon, The Book Depository.