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Donovan Brothers Brewery #1
Good Girls Don't
Too much of a good thing...
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.
Tessa has her hands full, too. Her brother's playboy ways may be threatening the business, and the tension 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. He's not who people think he is - and neither is she.
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.
Tessa has her hands full, too. Her brother's playboy ways may be threatening the business, and the tension 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. He's not who people think he is - and neither is she.
384 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published August 30, 2011
178 people are currently reading
6572 people want to read
About the author
Victoria Dahl
65 books2,001 followersI have my mother to thank for my passion for writing. My mom is an avid reader of popular fiction, and I began reading highly inappropriate books around the age of eleven, I think. (Thanks, Mom, for always leaving those delicious books strewn about!)
To Tempt a Scotsman, a Golden Heart winning historical, was my first published book. Here I am signing the cover! A Rake's Guide to Pleasure (which was excerpted at the back of Scotsman) is my second.
Due to my all-around goofiness, my agent suggested I also try my hand at a contemporary romantic comedy. Boy, is my agent smart! I had a great time writing Talk Me Down, the story of a young woman who goes back to her small hometown in Colorado and causes a huge stir with her secretive career and her burgeoning relationship with the chief of police. Not only did I have a great time writing it, but Tara Parsons at HQN liked it too! So if you like cold weather, hot sex and dirty jokes, be sure to check out Talk Me Down (out in January 2009).
Speaking of cold weather, my family and I live in a beautiful ski town in
Utah. No, I don't ski. I prefer to sit inside with a hot toddy and a good
book while the snow falls. It's especially beautiful to watch when from the inside!
I have a wonderful husband and children, and the house is kind of crowded, what with the dukes, Scotsmen, police chiefs, and naughty ladies running around, but my family is very understanding about my imaginary friends. Good thing, since they refuse to leave!
To Tempt a Scotsman, a Golden Heart winning historical, was my first published book. Here I am signing the cover! A Rake's Guide to Pleasure (which was excerpted at the back of Scotsman) is my second.
Due to my all-around goofiness, my agent suggested I also try my hand at a contemporary romantic comedy. Boy, is my agent smart! I had a great time writing Talk Me Down, the story of a young woman who goes back to her small hometown in Colorado and causes a huge stir with her secretive career and her burgeoning relationship with the chief of police. Not only did I have a great time writing it, but Tara Parsons at HQN liked it too! So if you like cold weather, hot sex and dirty jokes, be sure to check out Talk Me Down (out in January 2009).
Speaking of cold weather, my family and I live in a beautiful ski town in
Utah. No, I don't ski. I prefer to sit inside with a hot toddy and a good
book while the snow falls. It's especially beautiful to watch when from the inside!
I have a wonderful husband and children, and the house is kind of crowded, what with the dukes, Scotsmen, police chiefs, and naughty ladies running around, but my family is very understanding about my imaginary friends. Good thing, since they refuse to leave!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 595 reviews
March 9, 2020
3 Stars
Overall Opinion: This was a cute and surprisingly steamy read. Did it get deep and meaningful? Not so much. Did I go in thinking that's what I was going to get? Not really, so no harm done. The characters seemed kind of surface level even though they both had baggage and past trauma when it came to relationships, and this (I think) caused me not to fully connect with either one of them. While it was steamy and they seemed to have the sexual chemistry, I didn't quite feel the emotional chemistry as much as I wanted to either. This might also be because both of them held back big parts of their baggage until the very end. I didn't love it, but I also didn't hate it...making it 3 "just okay" stars for my rating.
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Tessa and Luke's story. Tessa and her two older brothers own a brewery and Luke is the lead detective when they get robbed. Luke also was friends with one of her brothers in college and has a lot of rumors that tarnish his reputation and cause her brothers to warn them away from each other. They both cannot deny the attraction they feel towards one another and start up a casual relationship that turns into more. There are some mysterious dealings with the crime, some family/partner and ex drama, and some sexy times...and they get a HFN ending.
Point Of View (POV): This alternated between focusing on Tessa and Luke in 3rd person narrative.
Overall Pace of Story: Good. I never skimmed and I thought it flowed well.
Instalove: No, they take a while to develop stronger feelings. Instalust? Yes.
H (Hero) rating: 3 stars. Luke. He was alright. I did, however, appreciate his protective nature.
h (heroine) rating: 3 stars. Tessa. She was also just alright. She was definitely a mess in managing her relationships.
Sadness level: Low, no tissues needed
Push/Pull: Yes
Heat level: Hot. They have some hot tension, chemistry, and scenes -- but not so much it takes away from the story.
Descriptive sex: Yes
OW (Other Woman)/OM (Other Man) drama: Yes
Sex scene with OW or OM: No
Cheating: Not with mcs
Separation: Yes
Possible Triggers: Yes
Closure: This ended abruptly with what I would call a HFN ending. I didn't get nearly enough closure and had a bunch of unanswered questions in the end.
Safety: This one should be Safe for most safety gang readers
Overall Opinion: This was a cute and surprisingly steamy read. Did it get deep and meaningful? Not so much. Did I go in thinking that's what I was going to get? Not really, so no harm done. The characters seemed kind of surface level even though they both had baggage and past trauma when it came to relationships, and this (I think) caused me not to fully connect with either one of them. While it was steamy and they seemed to have the sexual chemistry, I didn't quite feel the emotional chemistry as much as I wanted to either. This might also be because both of them held back big parts of their baggage until the very end. I didn't love it, but I also didn't hate it...making it 3 "just okay" stars for my rating.
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Tessa and Luke's story. Tessa and her two older brothers own a brewery and Luke is the lead detective when they get robbed. Luke also was friends with one of her brothers in college and has a lot of rumors that tarnish his reputation and cause her brothers to warn them away from each other. They both cannot deny the attraction they feel towards one another and start up a casual relationship that turns into more. There are some mysterious dealings with the crime, some family/partner and ex drama, and some sexy times...and they get a HFN ending.
Point Of View (POV): This alternated between focusing on Tessa and Luke in 3rd person narrative.
Overall Pace of Story: Good. I never skimmed and I thought it flowed well.
Instalove: No, they take a while to develop stronger feelings. Instalust? Yes.
H (Hero) rating: 3 stars. Luke. He was alright. I did, however, appreciate his protective nature.
h (heroine) rating: 3 stars. Tessa. She was also just alright. She was definitely a mess in managing her relationships.
Sadness level: Low, no tissues needed
Push/Pull: Yes
Heat level: Hot. They have some hot tension, chemistry, and scenes -- but not so much it takes away from the story.
Descriptive sex: Yes
OW (Other Woman)/OM (Other Man) drama: Yes
Sex scene with OW or OM: No
Cheating: Not with mcs
Separation: Yes
Possible Triggers: Yes
Closure: This ended abruptly with what I would call a HFN ending. I didn't get nearly enough closure and had a bunch of unanswered questions in the end.
Safety: This one should be Safe for most safety gang readers
August 16, 2012
This was one of those rare moments where 10 pages into the book and I was overwhelmed with sadness. Sadness knowing that the more I flip the pages the nearer I got to the end. The story about the Donovan siblings just sucked me in and got me bewitched with their witty sibling antics.
Tessa was just the girl! I really felt for her. Being orphans at an early age had made Eric, Jaime and Tessa very close to each other. And Tessa had made her ultimate priority to keep all three of them together no matter what, at whatever cost.
A fast paced story with many secondary characters including the on and off boyfriend, his mother, his ex-wife, his pregnant colleague, the brewery staff, their business associates and a brief appearance by Eric's secret one night stand. I lovvit.
Tessa was just the girl! I really felt for her. Being orphans at an early age had made Eric, Jaime and Tessa very close to each other. And Tessa had made her ultimate priority to keep all three of them together no matter what, at whatever cost.
A fast paced story with many secondary characters including the on and off boyfriend, his mother, his ex-wife, his pregnant colleague, the brewery staff, their business associates and a brief appearance by Eric's secret one night stand. I lovvit.
August 23, 2011
Review posted: Happily Ever After - Reads
His hand slid up to grip her hip as if he were afraid he’d float right off the earth if he didn’t hold on. She loved that she was his anchor, if only for this one brief moment.
A series centered around siblings. Stop right there, SOLD. I love all kinds of romance in all different types of sub genres, but I have a huge soft spot for series that are centered around families, especially when each sibling gets their own book. I love this element in the Rough Riders series by Lorelei James, the Brown Siblings series by Lauren Dane and my most reread favorite family series, the Travis family series by Lisa Kleypas. If book 1 of Victoria Dahl’s new Donovan Brothers Brewery series is any indication, it’s well on its way to being at the top of my favorites list.
First up, Tessa Donovan. Youngest of three siblings, her two older brothers Eric and Jamie, couldn’t be more different but they’re both protective of Tessa and love her fiercely. They lost their parents years ago to an accident, Eric being the oldest moved back home to take care of Jamie and Tessa and start running the family brewery. All the siblings now work at the brewery and tension is high between Jamie – a lovable guy who finds himself messing up when he really does try to avoid it and Eric – the strong, oldest sibling, shouldering the bulk of the responsibilities by his own choice and fighting with Jamie over pretty much everything. Tessa feels like she’s the glue that holds her family together and after losing so much already, she’ll do whatever it takes to keep her brothers right where they are, in the family business and in her life.
After a break-in at the brewery, Luke Asher is on the case. Luke’s old friends with Jamie and after spending time at the brewery gathering evidence, he notices Tessa and when she calls him up asking to meet for dinner, of course he says yes! Jamie and Eric are irate that she’s seeing Luke, they’ve heard some unfavorable rumors about his past and his work situation. Tessa has a few moments of doubt, but that doesn’t keep her from getting to know Luke and after spending time with him she realizes what a caring, nice guy he really is and she wants to get to know him…a lot.
He had that bad-boy aura she found appealing, and yet he was a polite police detective who had no problem working with women. In other words, the guy was smoking hot. She might have to break her third-base rule for him. Though it’d always been more of a gentle suggestion than a hard-and-fast rule. A girl had to keep her options open.
The mystery regarding the brewery break-in goes throughout the story, with Luke tracking down clues and the thief ends up being a lot closer than anyone realized. There’s also the business deal Eric’s trying to finalize with Roland Kendall that would help expand their business. The deal gets thrown off track by Jamie and Kendall’s daughter when they’re caught…the morning after by Daddy Roland. Tessa starts telling little white lies, first asking Jamie to keep the incident from Eric, then by trying to salvage the deal with Roland on her own, behind Eric’s back. Her little lies turn into crazy, out of control lies and everything eventually comes to a head in a big family fight.
Tessa is a vibrant, loving person who just wants her brothers to be happy and get along and she didn’t realize how much she also wanted to find love, in the form of Luke. Having lost her parents at a young age, it’s hard for Tessa to open up and risk herself again, but Luke doesn’t make it easy for her to let him go. Luke’s also dealing with past hurt and anger, and while they’re two stubborn people who refuse to open up about anything painful, they quickly realize that it’s talk it out, or be alone. It probably goes without saying that their scenes together were all over the chart: passionate, sweet, tender, hilarious.
“Sorry,” he said. “I just need one second.”
“Carry on. You’re hot in detective mode.”
“Oh, yeah? Maybe I’ll show you my handcuffs later.”
She knew it was just a slightly distracted joke, but Tessa felt a shiver of nervous delight at the thought. Maybe indeed.
I really loved all the little details that Victoria Dahl writes in that gives the story that extra charm, from the brewmaster Wallace (who I can’t wait to see again), Tessa twittering, Jamie’s kilt, to the brewery’s kickball team and Tessa’s muttered cursing. Also Simone, who showed Tessa who the true Luke really is. Simone is Luke’s pregnant work partner and it kills him that she won’t share any details with him, won’t talk about the baby or who the father is, she’s shut him out of that part of her life. It bothers Luke that she won’t let him be a friend to her and help her through this and it just shows Tessa another side of Luke, and what a truly nice guy he is.
Victoria Dahl wrote about a family that I instantly fell in love with and created characters that I wanted to know. Luke and Tessa are such a fun couple, their scenes had me laughing one minute and *sighing* the next. I can’t wait to see where Victoria takes us with Jamie and Eric.
His hand slid up to grip her hip as if he were afraid he’d float right off the earth if he didn’t hold on. She loved that she was his anchor, if only for this one brief moment.
A series centered around siblings. Stop right there, SOLD. I love all kinds of romance in all different types of sub genres, but I have a huge soft spot for series that are centered around families, especially when each sibling gets their own book. I love this element in the Rough Riders series by Lorelei James, the Brown Siblings series by Lauren Dane and my most reread favorite family series, the Travis family series by Lisa Kleypas. If book 1 of Victoria Dahl’s new Donovan Brothers Brewery series is any indication, it’s well on its way to being at the top of my favorites list.
First up, Tessa Donovan. Youngest of three siblings, her two older brothers Eric and Jamie, couldn’t be more different but they’re both protective of Tessa and love her fiercely. They lost their parents years ago to an accident, Eric being the oldest moved back home to take care of Jamie and Tessa and start running the family brewery. All the siblings now work at the brewery and tension is high between Jamie – a lovable guy who finds himself messing up when he really does try to avoid it and Eric – the strong, oldest sibling, shouldering the bulk of the responsibilities by his own choice and fighting with Jamie over pretty much everything. Tessa feels like she’s the glue that holds her family together and after losing so much already, she’ll do whatever it takes to keep her brothers right where they are, in the family business and in her life.
After a break-in at the brewery, Luke Asher is on the case. Luke’s old friends with Jamie and after spending time at the brewery gathering evidence, he notices Tessa and when she calls him up asking to meet for dinner, of course he says yes! Jamie and Eric are irate that she’s seeing Luke, they’ve heard some unfavorable rumors about his past and his work situation. Tessa has a few moments of doubt, but that doesn’t keep her from getting to know Luke and after spending time with him she realizes what a caring, nice guy he really is and she wants to get to know him…a lot.
He had that bad-boy aura she found appealing, and yet he was a polite police detective who had no problem working with women. In other words, the guy was smoking hot. She might have to break her third-base rule for him. Though it’d always been more of a gentle suggestion than a hard-and-fast rule. A girl had to keep her options open.
The mystery regarding the brewery break-in goes throughout the story, with Luke tracking down clues and the thief ends up being a lot closer than anyone realized. There’s also the business deal Eric’s trying to finalize with Roland Kendall that would help expand their business. The deal gets thrown off track by Jamie and Kendall’s daughter when they’re caught…the morning after by Daddy Roland. Tessa starts telling little white lies, first asking Jamie to keep the incident from Eric, then by trying to salvage the deal with Roland on her own, behind Eric’s back. Her little lies turn into crazy, out of control lies and everything eventually comes to a head in a big family fight.
Tessa is a vibrant, loving person who just wants her brothers to be happy and get along and she didn’t realize how much she also wanted to find love, in the form of Luke. Having lost her parents at a young age, it’s hard for Tessa to open up and risk herself again, but Luke doesn’t make it easy for her to let him go. Luke’s also dealing with past hurt and anger, and while they’re two stubborn people who refuse to open up about anything painful, they quickly realize that it’s talk it out, or be alone. It probably goes without saying that their scenes together were all over the chart: passionate, sweet, tender, hilarious.
“Sorry,” he said. “I just need one second.”
“Carry on. You’re hot in detective mode.”
“Oh, yeah? Maybe I’ll show you my handcuffs later.”
She knew it was just a slightly distracted joke, but Tessa felt a shiver of nervous delight at the thought. Maybe indeed.
I really loved all the little details that Victoria Dahl writes in that gives the story that extra charm, from the brewmaster Wallace (who I can’t wait to see again), Tessa twittering, Jamie’s kilt, to the brewery’s kickball team and Tessa’s muttered cursing. Also Simone, who showed Tessa who the true Luke really is. Simone is Luke’s pregnant work partner and it kills him that she won’t share any details with him, won’t talk about the baby or who the father is, she’s shut him out of that part of her life. It bothers Luke that she won’t let him be a friend to her and help her through this and it just shows Tessa another side of Luke, and what a truly nice guy he is.
Victoria Dahl wrote about a family that I instantly fell in love with and created characters that I wanted to know. Luke and Tessa are such a fun couple, their scenes had me laughing one minute and *sighing* the next. I can’t wait to see where Victoria takes us with Jamie and Eric.
May 17, 2012
3.5 stars
The first book in Dahl's DBB series. We get to know the Donovan siblings, Eric, Jamie and Tessa who all work in the family brewery business. This book is Tessa's story and we soon learn this gregarious young lady has a few insecurities and fears.
Tessa, the youngest sibling often finds herself as peacemaker of the family. When she was fourteen, both parents were killed in a car accident. Oldest brother Eric stepped up to the plate and moved back home to help care for his brother and sister.
Now all grown and each having a hand in the running of their late father's business, Tessa finds herself once again trying to keep the peace between Eric and Jamie. Along with this endeavor, there is a robbery resulting in a mystery to be solved. And that's where the best part of the book enters...Sexy as sin Detective Luke Asher!
There is definitely a strong attraction between these two. With the rumors and gossip circulating around Luke, Tessa's brothers are against any type relationship. While I do understand how they wanted to protect her, this part of the book was a major distration for me. These two were OTT with their protectiveness. They acted like she was 16 instead of a smart twenty eight year old.
But never fear, Tessa soon solves their interference into her love life. And, WOW, the pages soon nearly combust! The sex scenes between these two were HOT!!
A pretty good start to this series and now I'm off for the second installment, Jamie's story...a bartender who often wears a kilt, a tight t-shirt that clings to all those muscles and work boots!
The first book in Dahl's DBB series. We get to know the Donovan siblings, Eric, Jamie and Tessa who all work in the family brewery business. This book is Tessa's story and we soon learn this gregarious young lady has a few insecurities and fears.
Tessa, the youngest sibling often finds herself as peacemaker of the family. When she was fourteen, both parents were killed in a car accident. Oldest brother Eric stepped up to the plate and moved back home to help care for his brother and sister.
Now all grown and each having a hand in the running of their late father's business, Tessa finds herself once again trying to keep the peace between Eric and Jamie. Along with this endeavor, there is a robbery resulting in a mystery to be solved. And that's where the best part of the book enters...Sexy as sin Detective Luke Asher!
There is definitely a strong attraction between these two. With the rumors and gossip circulating around Luke, Tessa's brothers are against any type relationship. While I do understand how they wanted to protect her, this part of the book was a major distration for me. These two were OTT with their protectiveness. They acted like she was 16 instead of a smart twenty eight year old.
But never fear, Tessa soon solves their interference into her love life. And, WOW, the pages soon nearly combust! The sex scenes between these two were HOT!!
A pretty good start to this series and now I'm off for the second installment, Jamie's story...a bartender who often wears a kilt, a tight t-shirt that clings to all those muscles and work boots!
August 31, 2011
*4.5 Stars*
Once again, Dahl has managed to give me a winner. I had a few moments here and there where Tessa grated on me, but I really understood what was driving her, so I was able to be patient for the most part. My issues with her caused me to drop my grade a little, but I'll get into that more in a bit.
I know when I pick up a contemporary by Dahl that I'll get humor, well developed characters, and lots of sexy. And boy, does she deliver here. The sexy times were great, although a little less flamboyant than I saw in her last CR trilogy. One of my favorite scenes in the book is when Tessa and Luke are getting hot and heavy and are close to having sex for the first time. Luke ends up backpedaling because of bad information, leaving Tessa pretty ticked. The whole scene was hilarious. I seriously read it twice just so I could laugh through it again.
Tessa was a great main character. She had some pretty serious flaws, but she was very likable and I enjoyed reading her POV. My biggest problem with her was her lies. She didn't do it maliciously, but it was hard feeling sympathy for her when she was digging her own hole. I totally understood why she behaved the way that she did, since the author did an excellent job of setting up the motivation for each brother and showing how much that single event in their childhood defined the rest of their life, but after a while it got old. Lie after lie piled on top of each other to make it work, but it was all crumbling around her. I felt really sorry for her when it fell, but I'm glad that no one let her convince herself that she was in the right. She clearly needed an intervention and it was long overdue.
Luke was such a fabulous hero. I can't even think of a single thing about him I didn't like. He wasn't perfect, he had his flaws as well, but it all combined into a compelling package. The way he silently endured the rumors, no matter how much they bothered him, and the way he was willing to put reach out again and again hoping for a connection, both with Tessa and his partner, had my heart melting. He was sexy and occasionally prickly, but he was so, so sweet and adorable. I felt so bad for him when we finally learned about his marriage, but I could see how it all got to that point. I liked that he was willing to be the one to apologize first, but that he took a stand when he was in the right and wasn't willing to smooth things over anymore. Tessa had to be the one to make things right.
I really liked the way the Donovan family was set up. They seemed like an actual family, with fights and resentments mixed in with the happiness and laughter. They each are slowly realizing that they need more than what they have had in their family roles so far. Each needs to think about themselves and what will make them happy instead of just what they can do for the family. I loved Jamie and Eric, but I thought their brotherly protection got a little smothering and it felt a little overdone. I'm really looking forward to the next books and seeing each brother fall in love.
Once again, Dahl has managed to give me a winner. I had a few moments here and there where Tessa grated on me, but I really understood what was driving her, so I was able to be patient for the most part. My issues with her caused me to drop my grade a little, but I'll get into that more in a bit.
I know when I pick up a contemporary by Dahl that I'll get humor, well developed characters, and lots of sexy. And boy, does she deliver here. The sexy times were great, although a little less flamboyant than I saw in her last CR trilogy. One of my favorite scenes in the book is when Tessa and Luke are getting hot and heavy and are close to having sex for the first time. Luke ends up backpedaling because of bad information, leaving Tessa pretty ticked. The whole scene was hilarious. I seriously read it twice just so I could laugh through it again.
Tessa was a great main character. She had some pretty serious flaws, but she was very likable and I enjoyed reading her POV. My biggest problem with her was her lies. She didn't do it maliciously, but it was hard feeling sympathy for her when she was digging her own hole. I totally understood why she behaved the way that she did, since the author did an excellent job of setting up the motivation for each brother and showing how much that single event in their childhood defined the rest of their life, but after a while it got old. Lie after lie piled on top of each other to make it work, but it was all crumbling around her. I felt really sorry for her when it fell, but I'm glad that no one let her convince herself that she was in the right. She clearly needed an intervention and it was long overdue.
Luke was such a fabulous hero. I can't even think of a single thing about him I didn't like. He wasn't perfect, he had his flaws as well, but it all combined into a compelling package. The way he silently endured the rumors, no matter how much they bothered him, and the way he was willing to put reach out again and again hoping for a connection, both with Tessa and his partner, had my heart melting. He was sexy and occasionally prickly, but he was so, so sweet and adorable. I felt so bad for him when we finally learned about his marriage, but I could see how it all got to that point. I liked that he was willing to be the one to apologize first, but that he took a stand when he was in the right and wasn't willing to smooth things over anymore. Tessa had to be the one to make things right.
I really liked the way the Donovan family was set up. They seemed like an actual family, with fights and resentments mixed in with the happiness and laughter. They each are slowly realizing that they need more than what they have had in their family roles so far. Each needs to think about themselves and what will make them happy instead of just what they can do for the family. I loved Jamie and Eric, but I thought their brotherly protection got a little smothering and it felt a little overdone. I'm really looking forward to the next books and seeing each brother fall in love.
June 17, 2017
My search for a good contemporary romance isn't going so well. I DNF'd this at about 20%.
The writing was clumsy, I didn't care about any of the "conflicts" or the characters. The heroine was a compulsive liar, her brothers were paper-thin (and I disliked the one who was a fuckboi), and the hero is a divorced cop... not exactly dreamy IMO.
There is a bunch of nonsense such as the fact that the hero's partner (his police partner) gets pregnant and the whole town assumes he is the father, and he doesn't deny because... reasons (???). Even the woman says she tells people he isn't the father, and he should do the same, but apparently he thinks that by not denying it at least she won't be seen as a "fallen woman" who had a baby with an unknown man. (What???) He is really obsessed with finding out who the father is, even following her to the ultrasound clinic to see if there's a guy with her, in spite of the fact that she specifically tells him it's none of his business. (Creepy)
There is also a really weird scene where the heroine's brother tells the hero to "~stay away from her" because "she's a virgin". I actually laughed aloud at that one. The woman is like 27 btw. WHY is her brother so concerned about the state of her hymen? What kind of Lannister realness is this? And even if she was a virgin, why is it any of his business who his sister decides to date (and possibly sleep with)? At that point I had already decided to DNF, but I skipped ahead just to see if the author really DID write the heroine a virgin - she didn't, at least, but the way the hero freaks the fuck out about it is not a good look. "I don't want to ~deflower an ~untouched innocent"! Gross. Stop fetishising virginity. It's not even a real thing. If you're that worried about it, talk to the woman like a grown adult man.
The writing was clumsy, I didn't care about any of the "conflicts" or the characters. The heroine was a compulsive liar, her brothers were paper-thin (and I disliked the one who was a fuckboi), and the hero is a divorced cop... not exactly dreamy IMO.
There is a bunch of nonsense such as the fact that the hero's partner (his police partner) gets pregnant and the whole town assumes he is the father, and he doesn't deny because... reasons (???). Even the woman says she tells people he isn't the father, and he should do the same, but apparently he thinks that by not denying it at least she won't be seen as a "fallen woman" who had a baby with an unknown man. (What???) He is really obsessed with finding out who the father is, even following her to the ultrasound clinic to see if there's a guy with her, in spite of the fact that she specifically tells him it's none of his business. (Creepy)
There is also a really weird scene where the heroine's brother tells the hero to "~stay away from her" because "she's a virgin". I actually laughed aloud at that one. The woman is like 27 btw. WHY is her brother so concerned about the state of her hymen? What kind of Lannister realness is this? And even if she was a virgin, why is it any of his business who his sister decides to date (and possibly sleep with)? At that point I had already decided to DNF, but I skipped ahead just to see if the author really DID write the heroine a virgin - she didn't, at least, but the way the hero freaks the fuck out about it is not a good look. "I don't want to ~deflower an ~untouched innocent"! Gross. Stop fetishising virginity. It's not even a real thing. If you're that worried about it, talk to the woman like a grown adult man.
May 15, 2012
4 stars, but only because I read this series out of order and already was familiar with the suspense part of the book (so I found it kind of boring). What I loved reading about was Tessa (what a great, funny, compassionate character, always trying to fix things between her battling brothers) and her romance with hunky police detective Luke. These two were probably my favorite characters of the series.
Fantastic series, highly recommended if you like steamy hot contemporaries with touches of humor.
Fantastic series, highly recommended if you like steamy hot contemporaries with touches of humor.
August 31, 2020
Otro libro que no me pega...
Reconozco que no es la mejor historia que he leído. Reconozco que quizá tiene sus cosas. Pero es que me ha gustado TANTO, pero TANTO. Es que no sé, me he enamorado mucho de Luke Asher. Me ha parecido que los personajes estaban muy bien construidos. Que los momentos de tensión tenían todo el sentido. Me ha gustado muchísimo la trama de los 3 hermanos, más sabiendo que cada hermano tiene un libro. Me ha encantado la forma en que todo va sucediendo y hay momentos en los que la parte familiar va por un lado, la parte romántica por otro, luego está el caso...
Y sí, no lo voy a negar, parte de culpa que me gustara MUCHO este libro la tiene las escenas de cama. me han gustado MUCHO las escenas de cama. Me ha gustado como lo narra la autora, como lo llevan los personajes, como se comporta Luke... es que madre mía, me daban escalofríos de lo que me gustaba este señor. QUIERO UNO PA MI.
Ya en serio.. si lo que buscáis es una historia de contemporánea, bonita, sin pretensiones, con bastantes personajes, una trama romántica, una trama de fondo, complejidad, estructura, final feliz, Y BUEN SEXO, this is vuestro libro. Ni lo dudéis.
Reconozco que no es la mejor historia que he leído. Reconozco que quizá tiene sus cosas. Pero es que me ha gustado TANTO, pero TANTO. Es que no sé, me he enamorado mucho de Luke Asher. Me ha parecido que los personajes estaban muy bien construidos. Que los momentos de tensión tenían todo el sentido. Me ha gustado muchísimo la trama de los 3 hermanos, más sabiendo que cada hermano tiene un libro. Me ha encantado la forma en que todo va sucediendo y hay momentos en los que la parte familiar va por un lado, la parte romántica por otro, luego está el caso...
Y sí, no lo voy a negar, parte de culpa que me gustara MUCHO este libro la tiene las escenas de cama. me han gustado MUCHO las escenas de cama. Me ha gustado como lo narra la autora, como lo llevan los personajes, como se comporta Luke... es que madre mía, me daban escalofríos de lo que me gustaba este señor. QUIERO UNO PA MI.
Ya en serio.. si lo que buscáis es una historia de contemporánea, bonita, sin pretensiones, con bastantes personajes, una trama romántica, una trama de fondo, complejidad, estructura, final feliz, Y BUEN SEXO, this is vuestro libro. Ni lo dudéis.
February 8, 2013
Il romanzo viaggia su due binari, il romance e l'investigazione, che si intrecciano e mescolano creando una storia che, anche se non perfetta, risulta un piacevole intrattenimento per chi stà cercando alcuni momenti di relax e leggerezza.
La parte romance vede Tessa Donovan -giovane proprietaria di un birrificio che gestisce assieme ai due fratelli maggiori Eric e James- e Luke Ashton -detective di polizia duro e dal passato e presente pieno di problemi- incontrarsi dopo il furto di alcuni computer della Donovan Brothers Brewery. Il fatto che Luke sia un vecchio amico di "bisboccia" di James non aiuta molto le cose dato che ci vuole poco perchè i fratelloni, capita l'aria che tira tra i due, tentino di bloccare la cosa sul nascere. Ma quella che per i due è un'innocente e pura sorellina si dimostra subito un personaggio intraprendente che sa quello che vuole e come prenderselo. E chi meglio di un attraente e pericoloso detective per una relazione che si prospetta intrigante? Senza contare che le investigazioni di Luke giocoforza fanno si che il detective mantenga un contatto ravvicinato con quella ragazza così solare e sexy che lo fa divertire suo malgrado.
Ma se per Tessa da un lato le cose sembrano andare piuttosto bene, dall'altro con l'ultimo casino creato da James -ovvero andare a letto con la figlia dell'uomo con cui Eric stà per stipulare un contratto milionario- la sua vita stà prendendo una svolta piuttosto complicata. Per paura di quello che avrebbe potuto succedere una volta che Eric (già ai ferri corti con James) avesse saputo del contratto saltato, Tessa convince il fratello donnaiolo al silenzio e inizia la sua campagna di conquista verso il vecchio cocciuto magnate in questione. Ma le cose si complicano a più non posso quando anche il figlio del suddetto entra nell'equazione proponendo un affare difficile da rifiutare.
Dall'altro, invece, Luke sta' procedendo nelle investigazioni che stanno portando in una direzione del tutto inaspettata, scoprendo altarini fin nei piani alti del governo. E anche se la sua vita privata sembra aver ingranato la marcia giusta, i fantasmi di un passato che ancora lo tormentano stanno iniziando a erodere il primo spiraglio di felicità che abbia visto da tempo. Problemi e frustrazioni a cui non sa trovare una soluzione, con una partner e migliore amica incinta e senza marito/compagno che non ha intenzione di confidarsi e una ex-moglie tornata a tormentarlo.
Insomma, di carne al fuoco in questo romanzo ce n'è non poca.
La parte investigativa comunque la fa da padrone, creando quella suspance perfetta che mantiene il lettore avvinto fino alla fine. Quella romance, anche se interessante, mantiene effettivamente un piano di interesse leggermente sottotono.
Tutto sommato, come già dicevo all'inizio, un romanzo che si fa leggere, leggero e a tratti divertente, per passare alcune ore in tranquillità.
http://azurestrawberry.altervista.org...
La parte romance vede Tessa Donovan -giovane proprietaria di un birrificio che gestisce assieme ai due fratelli maggiori Eric e James- e Luke Ashton -detective di polizia duro e dal passato e presente pieno di problemi- incontrarsi dopo il furto di alcuni computer della Donovan Brothers Brewery. Il fatto che Luke sia un vecchio amico di "bisboccia" di James non aiuta molto le cose dato che ci vuole poco perchè i fratelloni, capita l'aria che tira tra i due, tentino di bloccare la cosa sul nascere. Ma quella che per i due è un'innocente e pura sorellina si dimostra subito un personaggio intraprendente che sa quello che vuole e come prenderselo. E chi meglio di un attraente e pericoloso detective per una relazione che si prospetta intrigante? Senza contare che le investigazioni di Luke giocoforza fanno si che il detective mantenga un contatto ravvicinato con quella ragazza così solare e sexy che lo fa divertire suo malgrado.
Ma se per Tessa da un lato le cose sembrano andare piuttosto bene, dall'altro con l'ultimo casino creato da James -ovvero andare a letto con la figlia dell'uomo con cui Eric stà per stipulare un contratto milionario- la sua vita stà prendendo una svolta piuttosto complicata. Per paura di quello che avrebbe potuto succedere una volta che Eric (già ai ferri corti con James) avesse saputo del contratto saltato, Tessa convince il fratello donnaiolo al silenzio e inizia la sua campagna di conquista verso il vecchio cocciuto magnate in questione. Ma le cose si complicano a più non posso quando anche il figlio del suddetto entra nell'equazione proponendo un affare difficile da rifiutare.
Dall'altro, invece, Luke sta' procedendo nelle investigazioni che stanno portando in una direzione del tutto inaspettata, scoprendo altarini fin nei piani alti del governo. E anche se la sua vita privata sembra aver ingranato la marcia giusta, i fantasmi di un passato che ancora lo tormentano stanno iniziando a erodere il primo spiraglio di felicità che abbia visto da tempo. Problemi e frustrazioni a cui non sa trovare una soluzione, con una partner e migliore amica incinta e senza marito/compagno che non ha intenzione di confidarsi e una ex-moglie tornata a tormentarlo.
Insomma, di carne al fuoco in questo romanzo ce n'è non poca.
La parte investigativa comunque la fa da padrone, creando quella suspance perfetta che mantiene il lettore avvinto fino alla fine. Quella romance, anche se interessante, mantiene effettivamente un piano di interesse leggermente sottotono.
Tutto sommato, come già dicevo all'inizio, un romanzo che si fa leggere, leggero e a tratti divertente, per passare alcune ore in tranquillità.
http://azurestrawberry.altervista.org...
September 29, 2011
Good Girls Don’t begins a family/family business contemporary series somewhat in the Susan Mallery mode, but considerably spicier.
Everyone thinks that Tessa Donovan is an innocent “good girl” (why, I’m not exactly sure, since she seems pretty flirtatious and in-your-face to me.) Police Detective Luke Asher has a notoriety even less well deserved -- he’s popularly believed to be a ladykiller who dumped his wife when she had cancer and callously knocked up his partner. But there is some truth behind each of their reputations. Tessa is the Donovan family peacemaker, willing to go to any desperate lengths to keep her two brothers happy and away from each other’s throats, and so committed to rescuing her family that she’s never had emotions left over for a real relationship. And Luke carries a lot of shame about his relationships that colors his view of potential future ones.
This is a mature, intelligent story with believably flawed, realistic characters -- i.e., not a whole lot of typical romance novel drama. It’s set in an absorbing backdrop of small business concerns and a related crime that Luke and his partner are working on; there’s also a moving subplot involving Luke’s partner, mysteriously pregnant and all alone. The sex scenes are hotter than typical mainstream romance and though the tone of the book is more serious than breezy (thank God,) there are some lighthearted moments between the lovers that made me smile. I’m looking forward to the rest of the series.
(reviewed from e-arc provided by netGalley)
Everyone thinks that Tessa Donovan is an innocent “good girl” (why, I’m not exactly sure, since she seems pretty flirtatious and in-your-face to me.) Police Detective Luke Asher has a notoriety even less well deserved -- he’s popularly believed to be a ladykiller who dumped his wife when she had cancer and callously knocked up his partner. But there is some truth behind each of their reputations. Tessa is the Donovan family peacemaker, willing to go to any desperate lengths to keep her two brothers happy and away from each other’s throats, and so committed to rescuing her family that she’s never had emotions left over for a real relationship. And Luke carries a lot of shame about his relationships that colors his view of potential future ones.
This is a mature, intelligent story with believably flawed, realistic characters -- i.e., not a whole lot of typical romance novel drama. It’s set in an absorbing backdrop of small business concerns and a related crime that Luke and his partner are working on; there’s also a moving subplot involving Luke’s partner, mysteriously pregnant and all alone. The sex scenes are hotter than typical mainstream romance and though the tone of the book is more serious than breezy (thank God,) there are some lighthearted moments between the lovers that made me smile. I’m looking forward to the rest of the series.
(reviewed from e-arc provided by netGalley)
June 8, 2018
Meh. I was bored. Also, I might have a book hangover from The Kiss Quotient and am unable to see beyond that? And I didn't really like the heroine and her trust issues, despite being the biggest liar in the story. And I didn't really care much for what I saw of the rest of the Donovan family, so I think I'm done here.
July 18, 2011
Good Girls Don't is about the Donovan family, two brothers and a sister who together work at their family business the Donovan Brothers brewery. Eric the eldest, is the serious, responsible one and took on all the responsibilities at 24 when their parents died. Jamie is the charmer, the bar-tender and Tessa(28) is the baby of the family who the brothers try to over-protect but in reality it is Tessa who works very hard to keep the family together and Eric and Jamie from clashing over Jamie's recklessness and irresponsibility.
So, when their place is broken into and Tessa finds that Jamie spent the night with the daughter of the guy who they've been negotiating with and that he saw him she goes into clean-up mode, she tells Jamie not to say a word and that she will come up with something.
Detective Luke Asher was Jamie's friend in college and comes to look into the break-in. Luke's life is pretty complicated, he was devastated when his cancer-fighting wife walked out on him and everyone seems to think he's a rat because of that, on top of that his partner Simone is pregnant and won't talk to him about the baby's father or anything else and everyone seems to think he's the father. Then, Jamie warns him to stay away from Tessa who he says is a virgin but Tessa calls him up.
Honestly, I found the scene amusing when Luke tried to stop him and Tessa from going forward based on what Jamie said, Tessa soon clears up his misconceptions. She may not have dated in front of her brothers but she's had light un-emotional flings and both of them are not sure they want something deeper. Luke tells her about Simone but his ex-wife he says is out of bounds and Tessa also at first refuses to talk about the secrets her family seems to keep from each other.
Victoria Dahl writes some sexy scenes and this book is no less but it's not just light and fun, there are Tessa's life and control issues as well which she refuses to acknowledge until in a fight Luke just throws it all in her face, about how she is trying to control her family and holding on too tight to them. You see, the fourteen year old Tessa still has scars from her parent's death and feels guilty over what she sees is her brother Eric's sacrificial when he took over looking after them, so she lies to make sure he doesn't leave them, messed up I agree but they do talk it out and take tentative steps towards a new beginning.
A good start to the series and I am looking forward to Jamie's book and how he becomes more responsible and deals with the mixed feeling he has towards Eric.
Rating 3.5
ARC provided by Netgalley
So, when their place is broken into and Tessa finds that Jamie spent the night with the daughter of the guy who they've been negotiating with and that he saw him she goes into clean-up mode, she tells Jamie not to say a word and that she will come up with something.
Detective Luke Asher was Jamie's friend in college and comes to look into the break-in. Luke's life is pretty complicated, he was devastated when his cancer-fighting wife walked out on him and everyone seems to think he's a rat because of that, on top of that his partner Simone is pregnant and won't talk to him about the baby's father or anything else and everyone seems to think he's the father. Then, Jamie warns him to stay away from Tessa who he says is a virgin but Tessa calls him up.
Honestly, I found the scene amusing when Luke tried to stop him and Tessa from going forward based on what Jamie said, Tessa soon clears up his misconceptions. She may not have dated in front of her brothers but she's had light un-emotional flings and both of them are not sure they want something deeper. Luke tells her about Simone but his ex-wife he says is out of bounds and Tessa also at first refuses to talk about the secrets her family seems to keep from each other.
Victoria Dahl writes some sexy scenes and this book is no less but it's not just light and fun, there are Tessa's life and control issues as well which she refuses to acknowledge until in a fight Luke just throws it all in her face, about how she is trying to control her family and holding on too tight to them. You see, the fourteen year old Tessa still has scars from her parent's death and feels guilty over what she sees is her brother Eric's sacrificial when he took over looking after them, so she lies to make sure he doesn't leave them, messed up I agree but they do talk it out and take tentative steps towards a new beginning.
A good start to the series and I am looking forward to Jamie's book and how he becomes more responsible and deals with the mixed feeling he has towards Eric.
Rating 3.5
ARC provided by Netgalley
August 20, 2011
It was a very sweet, very fun ride I had while reading this book.
I could go and rehash the plot. I could spoiler you all. I could ruin the fun.
I could, but I will not. I will only tell you the end result:
It did not disappoint me. I had faith in the pink girly cover and it proved to me, that yes, it was a super chick lit!
It is really hard to find good chick lit these days, is it not? Well, it is even harder to find a lite romance read that has any point at all. Mostly you feel like somebody told you their really boring life story, and because there was a woman involved in that relationship it is supposed to be women oriented.
What ever.
But I am telling you, you should get this and read it.
I have nothing to complain about it.
No, really, I know this is strange, but I do not.
It had a plot.
It had a spunky heroine.
It had a really good focus on trust issues.
It had a brooding hot hero.
It gave me insight in the Donovan brothers and made me want to read about them in the future. They were not just put in there for show, they already had personalities.
This all tells me it will be a series worth reading.
The only thing that bugged me a bit was the time line.
I like my plots a bit stretched and my epilogues 3 years in to the future showing the happy couple having a happy time! Wooohooo!
The two week plus two month later epilogue was a bit of a let down but I realize it was necessary to a) keep us, the readers on our toes and b) for the sake of future plot-lines.
All in all a solid 3.5 star read that was provided to me by NetGalley.
I could go and rehash the plot. I could spoiler you all. I could ruin the fun.
I could, but I will not. I will only tell you the end result:
It did not disappoint me. I had faith in the pink girly cover and it proved to me, that yes, it was a super chick lit!
It is really hard to find good chick lit these days, is it not? Well, it is even harder to find a lite romance read that has any point at all. Mostly you feel like somebody told you their really boring life story, and because there was a woman involved in that relationship it is supposed to be women oriented.
What ever.
But I am telling you, you should get this and read it.
I have nothing to complain about it.
No, really, I know this is strange, but I do not.
It had a plot.
It had a spunky heroine.
It had a really good focus on trust issues.
It had a brooding hot hero.
It gave me insight in the Donovan brothers and made me want to read about them in the future. They were not just put in there for show, they already had personalities.
This all tells me it will be a series worth reading.
The only thing that bugged me a bit was the time line.
I like my plots a bit stretched and my epilogues 3 years in to the future showing the happy couple having a happy time! Wooohooo!
The two week plus two month later epilogue was a bit of a let down but I realize it was necessary to a) keep us, the readers on our toes and b) for the sake of future plot-lines.
All in all a solid 3.5 star read that was provided to me by NetGalley.
July 30, 2015
My main problem with Good Girls Don't is that the conflicts are based in social mores that are not relevant in 21st century America. Who cares if an adult single woman is pregnant? What kind of brothers 'warn' away a guy from their 27 year old sister? These things would have made sense in the 50s or in a country with very conservative values but not in today's setting.
I also didn't care for the heroine at all. She has this idea that they were a close knit family but she's constantly lying to her brothers, running interference like they were 10-year olds. I only finished it because I wanted to get to the part when the heroine realized what a dope she was.
Lauren Fortgang did an OK job with the narration but I didn't care for the voice of the hero. He was so soft-spoken that he sounded weak at times - not at all like he was described in the book.
Not sure if I'll continue the series in audio...maybe in print because I'm more interested in the brothers.
Review of audiobook edition, narrated by Lauren Fortgang.
I also didn't care for the heroine at all. She has this idea that they were a close knit family but she's constantly lying to her brothers, running interference like they were 10-year olds. I only finished it because I wanted to get to the part when the heroine realized what a dope she was.
Lauren Fortgang did an OK job with the narration but I didn't care for the voice of the hero. He was so soft-spoken that he sounded weak at times - not at all like he was described in the book.
Not sure if I'll continue the series in audio...maybe in print because I'm more interested in the brothers.
Review of audiobook edition, narrated by Lauren Fortgang.
October 19, 2011
Clearly I'm going to be in the minority with this book. Dahl's writing is great. I thought Luke was a great hero. I didn't like Tessa. At all. When Luke accuses her of manipulating her brothers, I thought, "Thank you, Luke. Now, do you really want to be with a woman like that?" Sadly, apparently the answer was yes. What really bothered me, in the end (and continuing into the next book), is that she didn't see what was wrong with tweeting under Jamie's name. Even if he is the bad boy and screw-up, that wasn't funny. It was just wrong.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 1, 2015
Quickly paced, good dialogue, lots of steam typical of Dahl.
A book that's brewery centric sounded awesome - I wish it would have been a bigger part of the story. In fact, the brewmaster is a wacky side character! Lame. I could've gotten down with a hot brewmaster. Missed opportunity there.
A book that's brewery centric sounded awesome - I wish it would have been a bigger part of the story. In fact, the brewmaster is a wacky side character! Lame. I could've gotten down with a hot brewmaster. Missed opportunity there.
August 26, 2011
Mandi: Oh I love Victoria Dahl’s contemporaries and when I heard she had a new series coming out about siblings who own a brewery, it was a double win. Beer and smut wrapped up into one book? Along with many laughs and a little mystery, this book is definitely one I can recommend.
Before we discuss let’s do a little set-up. Tessa Donovan lost her parents many years ago in a car accident. At that time her older brother Eric took over the family and the brewery in Boulder, CO their father owned. Along with middle child Jamie, they made it as a family. Now all three work at the brewery. Eric running operations, and Jamie and Tessa filling in where needed, although they make business decisions together – at least they did.
Eric has a big deal in the works to sell beer on the airline owned by Roland Kendall. But things go awry when Jamie sleeps with Robert’s daughter Monica, and gets caught by Roland the next morning. Eric and Jamie are usually arguing about something or the other, and Tessa knows this mishap could throw their relationship over the edge. In a desperate effort to keep the family together, Tessa pleads to Jamie (and Monica) not to let Eric know that their sleeping together ruined this big deal until she has a chance to fix it.
Meanwhile, a robbery has occurred at the brewery. The only thing stolen are some computers and one keg of beer. Detective Luke Asher comes to the scene to investigate. He knows Jamie from his college days, although he moved to LA after college and got married. Now divorced, he moved to Boulder to escape the mess of his previous marriage. He meets Tessa and there is definitely some eye action going on.
This one pulled me in right from the beginning. Let’s start with Luke, who has some nasty rumors spreading about him in the first part of the book. Did you ever believe he was a bad guy, May?
May: I have really loved some of Dahl’s books, but her contemporary offering last summer really didn’t work for me so I’ve been worried about this new series. Brewery + light romantic contemporary setting = potential for big win for me, and I’m so glad to say that this book was definitely all I hoped for and more.
As for Luke, no I didn’t buy into the bad guy rap. I don’t think Dahl set it up for us to believe bad in him either. He reminded me of Johnny Castle (Dirty Dancing) how he’s got his partner who is pregnant and people say awful things about him but really he’s a wonderful, beautifully tortured, smexy beast. RAWR.
“The girl was as fresh and new as a wildflower. And Luke… Luke felt bruised and broken already at thirty-one. No, Jamie didn’t have to worry about his sister. Luke wasn’t going anywhere near her.”
The tortured sad hero bit has been pretty overplayed – but I felt like she hit a balance that didn’t over do it. I also really liked that he was a masculine capable guy but he wasn’t a over the top alpha super man type either.
On the flip side, we get a very immature heroine. She’s never been in a serious relationship, she has some serious honesty issues, and her “oh if I just lie to everyone maybe I can keep everything happy! ha ha happy!” attitude grated on my nerves. In fact – she never redeemed herself for me.
Mandi: Tessa’s lying never annoyed me – I felt like it developed due to her parents death, and it snowballed into a much bigger thing than she anticipated. I think she was so desperate to cling to happiness and the family she has left, she would do anything for it not to change.
My annoyance more came with how her brothers treated her. They were SO overprotective – to the point of telling Luke she is a virgin. I mean, really? At first it was kind of funny, but they kept going and going. I understood it more from Eric, since he is the eldest and kind of in charge, but it didn’t always make sense coming from Jamie. But really that is the only part of the book that worked my nerves.
I totally agree about Luke – he is very masculine but not alpha. And love how Tessa teased him so much throughout.
May: That tied into the problem I had – that she was so fake with her brothers, so obsessed with presenting the perfect front to them that they were convinced that she lives a nun-like existence,that she still is a little girl. I felt like the blame for their insane over-protectiveness fell to her, but I did see some growth all around in this book, and you know I enjoyed myself.
Mandi: Because this is Victoria Dahl – we must discuss how funny this book is! And the dirty sex! Hello shower scene. And balls…how awesome is it that the heroine curses “balls” throughout the book?
May: This book really put to use Dahl’s brand of humor. I laughed a lot, and I found myself bookmarking a whole lot of funny quotes. Even better, it didn’t feel forced or fake, but rather the humor and the funny moments blended right into the story seamlessly.
As for the heat, you know I’m in the ‘less is more’ camp and I felt like this book had the perfect balance of sizzle to story ratio. When I’m digging into a Dahl novel I know there’s going to be hot sexy time. I know that she’s not going to go overly emo/soul meld sex and she’ not going to gross me out with veiny overly detailed description either.
Another thing that I love about this author is definitely her lack of shy heroines. It was refreshing, and incredibly hot how our heroine takes the lead not only asking this guy out but also putting the moves on him, don’t you think?
Mandi: If Tessa had been shy, this relationship would not have gone anywhere. It is thoughts like these that she has….
“Tessa was glad that her tight jeans would keep her panties in place…for a few hours”
…that really get the relationship rolling. I think her more forthwith attitude, paired with Luke’s quieter, gentlemanly role, really makes this a hot couple.
I think the mystery in the book was great too – blended really well with the romance and the overall story arc of the siblings. And we have to mention Wallace! The bi-sexual brew master. A revolving door of men and women throw themselves at this “mountain man” and I thought it was hilarious. I can’t wait to see more of him in the series.
Jamie is up next. Are you excited for him?
May: How have we not mentioned Wallace? I think he was my favorite – his allure the greatest mystery of all. Honestly, I think we could sit down with some brews and discuss this book for hours. While it didn’t hit all time favorite status, I really enjoyed this one a lot, I definitely recommend it for anyone looking for a funny and sexy good time.
As for the brothers, I’m more interested in the older brother Eric, but yes. I’m going to dive right into Jamie’s book as soon as I can too. I am looking forward to seeing how the siblings each find their paths to HEA land, and I sure hope that brewery starts serving food. I know it was mentioned that Jamie had the idea to expand into some food offerings – I hope we see that happen!
I give it B+
Mandi: I’m looking forward to Jaime’s book, but REALLY can’t wait until we get Eric’s story.
I give it a B+ as well.
Before we discuss let’s do a little set-up. Tessa Donovan lost her parents many years ago in a car accident. At that time her older brother Eric took over the family and the brewery in Boulder, CO their father owned. Along with middle child Jamie, they made it as a family. Now all three work at the brewery. Eric running operations, and Jamie and Tessa filling in where needed, although they make business decisions together – at least they did.
Eric has a big deal in the works to sell beer on the airline owned by Roland Kendall. But things go awry when Jamie sleeps with Robert’s daughter Monica, and gets caught by Roland the next morning. Eric and Jamie are usually arguing about something or the other, and Tessa knows this mishap could throw their relationship over the edge. In a desperate effort to keep the family together, Tessa pleads to Jamie (and Monica) not to let Eric know that their sleeping together ruined this big deal until she has a chance to fix it.
Meanwhile, a robbery has occurred at the brewery. The only thing stolen are some computers and one keg of beer. Detective Luke Asher comes to the scene to investigate. He knows Jamie from his college days, although he moved to LA after college and got married. Now divorced, he moved to Boulder to escape the mess of his previous marriage. He meets Tessa and there is definitely some eye action going on.
This one pulled me in right from the beginning. Let’s start with Luke, who has some nasty rumors spreading about him in the first part of the book. Did you ever believe he was a bad guy, May?
May: I have really loved some of Dahl’s books, but her contemporary offering last summer really didn’t work for me so I’ve been worried about this new series. Brewery + light romantic contemporary setting = potential for big win for me, and I’m so glad to say that this book was definitely all I hoped for and more.
As for Luke, no I didn’t buy into the bad guy rap. I don’t think Dahl set it up for us to believe bad in him either. He reminded me of Johnny Castle (Dirty Dancing) how he’s got his partner who is pregnant and people say awful things about him but really he’s a wonderful, beautifully tortured, smexy beast. RAWR.
“The girl was as fresh and new as a wildflower. And Luke… Luke felt bruised and broken already at thirty-one. No, Jamie didn’t have to worry about his sister. Luke wasn’t going anywhere near her.”
The tortured sad hero bit has been pretty overplayed – but I felt like she hit a balance that didn’t over do it. I also really liked that he was a masculine capable guy but he wasn’t a over the top alpha super man type either.
On the flip side, we get a very immature heroine. She’s never been in a serious relationship, she has some serious honesty issues, and her “oh if I just lie to everyone maybe I can keep everything happy! ha ha happy!” attitude grated on my nerves. In fact – she never redeemed herself for me.
Mandi: Tessa’s lying never annoyed me – I felt like it developed due to her parents death, and it snowballed into a much bigger thing than she anticipated. I think she was so desperate to cling to happiness and the family she has left, she would do anything for it not to change.
My annoyance more came with how her brothers treated her. They were SO overprotective – to the point of telling Luke she is a virgin. I mean, really? At first it was kind of funny, but they kept going and going. I understood it more from Eric, since he is the eldest and kind of in charge, but it didn’t always make sense coming from Jamie. But really that is the only part of the book that worked my nerves.
I totally agree about Luke – he is very masculine but not alpha. And love how Tessa teased him so much throughout.
May: That tied into the problem I had – that she was so fake with her brothers, so obsessed with presenting the perfect front to them that they were convinced that she lives a nun-like existence,that she still is a little girl. I felt like the blame for their insane over-protectiveness fell to her, but I did see some growth all around in this book, and you know I enjoyed myself.
Mandi: Because this is Victoria Dahl – we must discuss how funny this book is! And the dirty sex! Hello shower scene. And balls…how awesome is it that the heroine curses “balls” throughout the book?
May: This book really put to use Dahl’s brand of humor. I laughed a lot, and I found myself bookmarking a whole lot of funny quotes. Even better, it didn’t feel forced or fake, but rather the humor and the funny moments blended right into the story seamlessly.
As for the heat, you know I’m in the ‘less is more’ camp and I felt like this book had the perfect balance of sizzle to story ratio. When I’m digging into a Dahl novel I know there’s going to be hot sexy time. I know that she’s not going to go overly emo/soul meld sex and she’ not going to gross me out with veiny overly detailed description either.
Another thing that I love about this author is definitely her lack of shy heroines. It was refreshing, and incredibly hot how our heroine takes the lead not only asking this guy out but also putting the moves on him, don’t you think?
Mandi: If Tessa had been shy, this relationship would not have gone anywhere. It is thoughts like these that she has….
“Tessa was glad that her tight jeans would keep her panties in place…for a few hours”
…that really get the relationship rolling. I think her more forthwith attitude, paired with Luke’s quieter, gentlemanly role, really makes this a hot couple.
I think the mystery in the book was great too – blended really well with the romance and the overall story arc of the siblings. And we have to mention Wallace! The bi-sexual brew master. A revolving door of men and women throw themselves at this “mountain man” and I thought it was hilarious. I can’t wait to see more of him in the series.
Jamie is up next. Are you excited for him?
May: How have we not mentioned Wallace? I think he was my favorite – his allure the greatest mystery of all. Honestly, I think we could sit down with some brews and discuss this book for hours. While it didn’t hit all time favorite status, I really enjoyed this one a lot, I definitely recommend it for anyone looking for a funny and sexy good time.
As for the brothers, I’m more interested in the older brother Eric, but yes. I’m going to dive right into Jamie’s book as soon as I can too. I am looking forward to seeing how the siblings each find their paths to HEA land, and I sure hope that brewery starts serving food. I know it was mentioned that Jamie had the idea to expand into some food offerings – I hope we see that happen!
I give it B+
Mandi: I’m looking forward to Jaime’s book, but REALLY can’t wait until we get Eric’s story.
I give it a B+ as well.
March 31, 2017
4 estrellas por cosas como estas ↓
«–Ya me has oído. Mientes a las personas a las que quieres.
–¿Cómo te atreves? –le reprochó entre dientes–. Tú no sabes nada de mí.
–Eso no es cierto. Te conozco lo suficientemente bien como para que me sigas gustando a pesar de eso.»
«–Ya me has oído. Mientes a las personas a las que quieres.
–¿Cómo te atreves? –le reprochó entre dientes–. Tú no sabes nada de mí.
–Eso no es cierto. Te conozco lo suficientemente bien como para que me sigas gustando a pesar de eso.»
August 30, 2011
Very good start to a promising series. Victoria Dahl is an instant buy for me, I like her contemporary books the best. They are always sexy and quick moving with strong confident heroes and funny heroines and this one did not disappoint.
July 20, 2011
I love Victoria Dahl's contemporary romance writing style. This book doesn't disappoint but it isn't one of my all-time favorites. One of the things I especially love about Dahl is that I don't have to love love the characters and the story to love love the book. It's her dialogue. And the life philosophy that bleeds through her writing. I love it.
I was quite surprised about the way that Tessa's stories play out and how her 'issues' are addressed. Dahl makes a great point about Tessa and how she is living her life. Luke is a little woe-some and I thought that he made fewer positive changes in his life than Tessa. So I didn't really like Luke all that much (even though he is all sexy and has some yummy dialogue)but that didn't ruin the story for me.
There is a bit of mystery in this story (isn't there always?) but it's not too mysterious. The answers to the mysteries may surprise the reader but the suspense doesn't take up the spotlight for these stories.
Dahl sets up an intriguing family that holds the readers interest and keeps them coming back for more. The series started with a short story with no HEA for eldest brother Eric, this installment (Tessa's story) came next but had a lot of hints towards Jaimie's character (focus of the next installment) and the series ends with a full length story for Eric. Dahl has built in a lot of intrigue into these characters that will keep readers coming back for more and anticipating future installments with little disappointment. This isn’t just romance, it’s entertainment.
I was quite surprised about the way that Tessa's stories play out and how her 'issues' are addressed. Dahl makes a great point about Tessa and how she is living her life. Luke is a little woe-some and I thought that he made fewer positive changes in his life than Tessa. So I didn't really like Luke all that much (even though he is all sexy and has some yummy dialogue)but that didn't ruin the story for me.
There is a bit of mystery in this story (isn't there always?) but it's not too mysterious. The answers to the mysteries may surprise the reader but the suspense doesn't take up the spotlight for these stories.
Dahl sets up an intriguing family that holds the readers interest and keeps them coming back for more. The series started with a short story with no HEA for eldest brother Eric, this installment (Tessa's story) came next but had a lot of hints towards Jaimie's character (focus of the next installment) and the series ends with a full length story for Eric. Dahl has built in a lot of intrigue into these characters that will keep readers coming back for more and anticipating future installments with little disappointment. This isn’t just romance, it’s entertainment.
November 24, 2011
Tessa Donovan is a bad girl hiding in behind a good girl facade. Her brothers think that she's a virgin (she's 27), yet she climbs right on Luke Asher and gives him a good time. Virgin? I don't think so ;) But Tessa has some problems. Deep down she is afraid of loosing the people she loves. That's why she lies to her brothers (not just about her dating habits, but big stuff like making a deal for their family brewery) and she isn't too forthcoming with information about her self and her life, AND she doesn't trust easily - cause that would lead to her getting hurt when that person leaves. Her boyfriend, Luke, has problems of his own. Thankfully, they manage to open up, deal with their baggage and promise to be honest with each other.
I had been looking forward to reading this since this summer when I read the prequel in an anthology. This was worth the wait! I didn't realize how smoking hot the love scenes would be. Very nice *waggles eyebrows* My husband may reap the benefits of Victoria Dahl's writing tonight ;)
I had been looking forward to reading this since this summer when I read the prequel in an anthology. This was worth the wait! I didn't realize how smoking hot the love scenes would be. Very nice *waggles eyebrows* My husband may reap the benefits of Victoria Dahl's writing tonight ;)
July 28, 2011
I didn't think I was going to like this book. The first half was really hard for me to take. The lying and scheming of the heroine, plus the strange plot, really annoyed me. I was just about to give up when I got really intrigued. Plus, my husband helped calm me down (strange, I know), and pointed out that I was taking it a bit too seriously.
In the end, I felt this was an extremely well done tale of Tessa growing up. I would almost call it a coming-of-age novel, except she's 27. It worked, despite Tessa's age. The family dynamics were interesting and the romance was well done, though I did struggle with how old these two were. The romance read more like that of a younger couple.
In any case, despite my hesitancy and the frustrations I had early on, I'm glad I read this. It was an emotional tale that pulled me in.
In the end, I felt this was an extremely well done tale of Tessa growing up. I would almost call it a coming-of-age novel, except she's 27. It worked, despite Tessa's age. The family dynamics were interesting and the romance was well done, though I did struggle with how old these two were. The romance read more like that of a younger couple.
In any case, despite my hesitancy and the frustrations I had early on, I'm glad I read this. It was an emotional tale that pulled me in.
November 28, 2011
Great beginning to Dahl's new series. Both Tessa and Luke frazzled my nerves to some extent. However, as the story went along, I found my heart being tugged at by both of them, along with their "baggage." I love family-centered stories. I especially enjoyed this one where the youngest sibling and only sister is so determined to keep the family and their brewery safe and thriving for reasons known only to herself. The brothers are so different from each other and I look forward to their stories in the next two books.
May 5, 2015
Victoria Dahl did it again. She writes the best heroes *sighs* and downright funny romances. It was a very quick read (I finished it on an afternoon) but it was a pure delight!
What I loved about this book:
1. The overprotective brothers
2. Hot brooding detective
3. Happy and completely hilarious heroine
4. The small town setting
5. And the clever mystery
What I loved about this book:
1. The overprotective brothers
2. Hot brooding detective
3. Happy and completely hilarious heroine
4. The small town setting
5. And the clever mystery
May 20, 2016
RESEÑA -> http://crecererasencillo.blogspot.com...
Me ha gustado mucho. Ha sido un libro ameno y entretenido. Me ha dado envidia la relacion que Tessa tenia con sus hermanos, siempre quise algo así..
Me ha gustado mucho. Ha sido un libro ameno y entretenido. Me ha dado envidia la relacion que Tessa tenia con sus hermanos, siempre quise algo así..
September 10, 2011
Tessa Doesn't, But Should
When Tessa Donovan's older brother Jamie makes an error in judgement that threatens her family's brewery and the relationship between him and their eldest brother Eric, Tessa flies into damage control mode. She'll do anything to re-secure the deal that Jamie's impulsive behavior had blown, just to keep the peace in her family. Making her life more complicated is her attraction to police detective Luke Asher, the cop investigating the robbery of the brewery's computer and some of its product.
Not that the attraction itself causes complications. Her over-protective big brothers do that all on their own. And when Jamie, who knew Luke from their shared college days, informs Tessa that Luke isn't the man she thinks he is and explains some of Luke's dark past, Tessa has that much more to think about. She's the queen of keeping secrets, but those that Luke hold may threaten the foundations on which she rests her heart. And that's way too big a risk to take...no matter how much Tessa may want to.
I've got a big problem with this book. I thoroughly enjoy Dahl's writing style and admire the breezy, fast-moving narrative, sexy dialogue, and lighter tone. I loved Luke, and was particularly pleased with the way Dahl added some depth to his character by shackling him with a truly nasty reputation. The way truths were slowly revealed was very appealing and made him and his backstory seem genuine and his pain heartfelt. I enjoyed him in the book immensely.
Then there are the Donovans. Rarely have I been as disgusted by two characters as I was of Tessa and her older brother Jamie. I was leery of them both from the very start. The book begins with Jamie confessing to Tessa that he had sex with the daughter of the man who owns the company with which their eldest brother Eric has been negotiating to secure a distribution contract. And he did so despite being repeatedly warned against that very thing...though the fact that he needed the warning to begin with sort of makes a statement all its own - one that nearly screams that he's a frickin' moron with impulse control problems.
Jamie didn't mean to sex up daddy's little girl, of course. I guess he tripped and fell on her...and his erect penis broke the fall. Oops.
Then, to compound that idiocy, Tessa not only plans to keep Jamie's rampant hormonal stupidity a secret from Eric, but when Jamie further confesses that the woman's father may have seen him as Jamie left her place that morning, she dives headfirst into a covert life of backdoor negotiations, pleas, and begging to prevent the man from backing out of the deal that had been moments from being signed. She lies to Eric and when Jamie wants to do the right thing and confess, she convinces him not to. She lies to...well...almost every other primary and secondary character in the book, also, including herself. Even Luke is not spared her falsehoods, prevarications, and omissions, and she likes him. In fact, from what I could figure judging from various sections of Tessa's internal monologue, that whole lying thing is second nature to Tessa by now.
I can't like a heroine who is so completely incapable of honesty, regardless of the reason. Tessa didn't stop there, though. She multiplied my displeasure by not only being a pathological liar, but by being what, for me, is the only thing worse. A complete and utter hypocrite. It's apparently fine for her to lie to anyone and everyone, but don't so much as omit a detail to her, regardless of its consequence in the grand scheme, or she'll treat you like you're a communicable disease. Charming girl, really.
By the time some glimpse of reason for her neurotic pathology and her emotionally needy self-absorption came into the story, I was beyond caring. I already hated her. A lot. No amount of the author trying to convince me that Tessa acted like such a freak because of a deep-seated fear of losing her brothers and being hurt by Luke was going to make her character seem sympathetic to me.
Unfortunately, if I don't like one of the two lead characters in a romance novel, than the romance doesn't work for me, i.e. the book doesn't work for me. Sadly, it doesn't matter how well-written the plot, or how appealing the other characters, or how pleasant the writing style, I just don't enjoy the read.
I didn't enjoy Good Girls Don't, and though Jamie did end up being a character I felt for by the end, and he did want to be honest with Eric from the start, given his unbelievable stupidity in the beginning of this book, I'm very concerned about what's coming in his own. Dahl certainly has the ability to completely redeem a character and provide a thoroughly entertaining book featuring Jamie as the male romantic lead. I just hope she does so.
Disclosure: An ARC of this book was provided to me by Harlequin via NetGalley. This rating, review, and all included thoughts and comments are my own.
~*~*~*~
Reviewed for One Good Book Deserves Another.
When Tessa Donovan's older brother Jamie makes an error in judgement that threatens her family's brewery and the relationship between him and their eldest brother Eric, Tessa flies into damage control mode. She'll do anything to re-secure the deal that Jamie's impulsive behavior had blown, just to keep the peace in her family. Making her life more complicated is her attraction to police detective Luke Asher, the cop investigating the robbery of the brewery's computer and some of its product.
Not that the attraction itself causes complications. Her over-protective big brothers do that all on their own. And when Jamie, who knew Luke from their shared college days, informs Tessa that Luke isn't the man she thinks he is and explains some of Luke's dark past, Tessa has that much more to think about. She's the queen of keeping secrets, but those that Luke hold may threaten the foundations on which she rests her heart. And that's way too big a risk to take...no matter how much Tessa may want to.
I've got a big problem with this book. I thoroughly enjoy Dahl's writing style and admire the breezy, fast-moving narrative, sexy dialogue, and lighter tone. I loved Luke, and was particularly pleased with the way Dahl added some depth to his character by shackling him with a truly nasty reputation. The way truths were slowly revealed was very appealing and made him and his backstory seem genuine and his pain heartfelt. I enjoyed him in the book immensely.
Then there are the Donovans. Rarely have I been as disgusted by two characters as I was of Tessa and her older brother Jamie. I was leery of them both from the very start. The book begins with Jamie confessing to Tessa that he had sex with the daughter of the man who owns the company with which their eldest brother Eric has been negotiating to secure a distribution contract. And he did so despite being repeatedly warned against that very thing...though the fact that he needed the warning to begin with sort of makes a statement all its own - one that nearly screams that he's a frickin' moron with impulse control problems.
Jamie didn't mean to sex up daddy's little girl, of course. I guess he tripped and fell on her...and his erect penis broke the fall. Oops.
Then, to compound that idiocy, Tessa not only plans to keep Jamie's rampant hormonal stupidity a secret from Eric, but when Jamie further confesses that the woman's father may have seen him as Jamie left her place that morning, she dives headfirst into a covert life of backdoor negotiations, pleas, and begging to prevent the man from backing out of the deal that had been moments from being signed. She lies to Eric and when Jamie wants to do the right thing and confess, she convinces him not to. She lies to...well...almost every other primary and secondary character in the book, also, including herself. Even Luke is not spared her falsehoods, prevarications, and omissions, and she likes him. In fact, from what I could figure judging from various sections of Tessa's internal monologue, that whole lying thing is second nature to Tessa by now.
I can't like a heroine who is so completely incapable of honesty, regardless of the reason. Tessa didn't stop there, though. She multiplied my displeasure by not only being a pathological liar, but by being what, for me, is the only thing worse. A complete and utter hypocrite. It's apparently fine for her to lie to anyone and everyone, but don't so much as omit a detail to her, regardless of its consequence in the grand scheme, or she'll treat you like you're a communicable disease. Charming girl, really.
By the time some glimpse of reason for her neurotic pathology and her emotionally needy self-absorption came into the story, I was beyond caring. I already hated her. A lot. No amount of the author trying to convince me that Tessa acted like such a freak because of a deep-seated fear of losing her brothers and being hurt by Luke was going to make her character seem sympathetic to me.
Unfortunately, if I don't like one of the two lead characters in a romance novel, than the romance doesn't work for me, i.e. the book doesn't work for me. Sadly, it doesn't matter how well-written the plot, or how appealing the other characters, or how pleasant the writing style, I just don't enjoy the read.
I didn't enjoy Good Girls Don't, and though Jamie did end up being a character I felt for by the end, and he did want to be honest with Eric from the start, given his unbelievable stupidity in the beginning of this book, I'm very concerned about what's coming in his own. Dahl certainly has the ability to completely redeem a character and provide a thoroughly entertaining book featuring Jamie as the male romantic lead. I just hope she does so.
Disclosure: An ARC of this book was provided to me by Harlequin via NetGalley. This rating, review, and all included thoughts and comments are my own.
~*~*~*~
Reviewed for One Good Book Deserves Another.
November 23, 2021
A generic, run of the mill romance. Not bad, but nothing particularly memorable.
October 3, 2011
Sometimes you just want to read a romance that's not historical, doesn't involve dead people, or the hero and heroine being chased across the state/country/continent, and isn't chick-lit exactly, but isn't emotionally draining either. This book, provided by netgalley, does that for me.
The synopsis is pretty accurate, so I won't regurgitate the set-up, but I just want to say that (a) the characters really are completely normal, and (b) although some of the things that happen to them are a little unusual, they are what normal people experience in life.
Hmm, actually having read that back to myself, it implies that this is rather a boring, uneventful book about boring, normal people and would be a bit like watching yourself in slow-motion in the mirror, but actually, how it is written makes normal life, not exactly compelling, but involving. So, here goes..
What I liked about this one:-
- The hero and heroine, and, in fact, all the characters, felt very real to me. On the surface, they are just like the people we live with, work with, play with, our colleagues and friends and just passing acquaintances. They are nothing special, and have their jobs and their families, and just get on with things. But also, there is a whole layer underneath, hidden from practically all social interactions, that you discover through this story. It really made me think about some of the people I know moderately well, and get on well with, and made me wander whether I really know them as well as I think I do? Probably not.
- The heroine isn't a "good girl". There is no hesitation here. When she meets the hero, she can't wait to get him in the sack, and it is so nice to meet a heroine who has been perfectly happy with no-strings attached sex, and, yet, is still a really nice, pleasant person. I do get incredibly fed up of the well-sexed female characters in romances inevitably being the villainess or bitchy ex or other unpleasant stereotype.
- The brothers. The older one runs the business and the younger one has fun. How great is that, and which one can I have?
- The secondary story about the hero's partner. I actually really liked this. It seemed like a completely no-win situation, and it really ended up that way. I don't like it when authors wrap up every tiny little sub-plot and sub-sub-plot in a story. I get the feeling it's almost an insult to my intelligence or emotional maturity that it's assumed I couldn't possibly read a story in which not everyone gets their HEA, and not feel so devastated that I find myself crying into my beer on the couch watching Dr. Phil, whilst sadly neglecting my husband and children. Well, the secondary story isn't resolved. Good. The hero's partner is a strong lady and I hope she gets her HEA, but not in this book/series.
What I didn't like so much
- I'm going to be horrendously vague in this, but there was just something missing for me. The hero and heroine were such nice people, I just felt a teeny, tiny bit let down when the hero wasn't as much a git as implied by one of the heroine's brothers. It felt a bit like the air was let out of my balloon when the heroine reassured that all those horrible things about him were totally untrue.
- It was missing a bit of texture in the background. This is set in a brewery, so couldn't we have some brewery stuff going on? I mean, these places smell and are noisy and there's a lot of action going on and forklift trucks everywhere, but we never really get this feeling of endless action and of a business living, as anything other than a backdrop for a romance book. There is a bar and most of the action seems to take place there, and I can't really figure out why. Also, we never really figure out exactly what the heroine does there. She seems to be some kind of HR manager, marketing manager, payroll clerk, accountant, accounts payable clerk... I don't know, didn't seem like a real business to me.
Anyway, I like how this author writes about real people and it was an entertaining read, so 3 stars, I liked it.
The synopsis is pretty accurate, so I won't regurgitate the set-up, but I just want to say that (a) the characters really are completely normal, and (b) although some of the things that happen to them are a little unusual, they are what normal people experience in life.
Hmm, actually having read that back to myself, it implies that this is rather a boring, uneventful book about boring, normal people and would be a bit like watching yourself in slow-motion in the mirror, but actually, how it is written makes normal life, not exactly compelling, but involving. So, here goes..
What I liked about this one:-
- The hero and heroine, and, in fact, all the characters, felt very real to me. On the surface, they are just like the people we live with, work with, play with, our colleagues and friends and just passing acquaintances. They are nothing special, and have their jobs and their families, and just get on with things. But also, there is a whole layer underneath, hidden from practically all social interactions, that you discover through this story. It really made me think about some of the people I know moderately well, and get on well with, and made me wander whether I really know them as well as I think I do? Probably not.
- The heroine isn't a "good girl". There is no hesitation here. When she meets the hero, she can't wait to get him in the sack, and it is so nice to meet a heroine who has been perfectly happy with no-strings attached sex, and, yet, is still a really nice, pleasant person. I do get incredibly fed up of the well-sexed female characters in romances inevitably being the villainess or bitchy ex or other unpleasant stereotype.
- The brothers. The older one runs the business and the younger one has fun. How great is that, and which one can I have?
- The secondary story about the hero's partner. I actually really liked this. It seemed like a completely no-win situation, and it really ended up that way. I don't like it when authors wrap up every tiny little sub-plot and sub-sub-plot in a story. I get the feeling it's almost an insult to my intelligence or emotional maturity that it's assumed I couldn't possibly read a story in which not everyone gets their HEA, and not feel so devastated that I find myself crying into my beer on the couch watching Dr. Phil, whilst sadly neglecting my husband and children. Well, the secondary story isn't resolved. Good. The hero's partner is a strong lady and I hope she gets her HEA, but not in this book/series.
What I didn't like so much
- I'm going to be horrendously vague in this, but there was just something missing for me. The hero and heroine were such nice people, I just felt a teeny, tiny bit let down when the hero wasn't as much a git as implied by one of the heroine's brothers. It felt a bit like the air was let out of my balloon when the heroine reassured that all those horrible things about him were totally untrue.
- It was missing a bit of texture in the background. This is set in a brewery, so couldn't we have some brewery stuff going on? I mean, these places smell and are noisy and there's a lot of action going on and forklift trucks everywhere, but we never really get this feeling of endless action and of a business living, as anything other than a backdrop for a romance book. There is a bar and most of the action seems to take place there, and I can't really figure out why. Also, we never really figure out exactly what the heroine does there. She seems to be some kind of HR manager, marketing manager, payroll clerk, accountant, accounts payable clerk... I don't know, didn't seem like a real business to me.
Anyway, I like how this author writes about real people and it was an entertaining read, so 3 stars, I liked it.
July 25, 2011
I became a quick fan of Victoria Dahl's when I read her novella in "The Guy Next Door" anthology earlier this summer. I was quickly grabbed into the Donovan Brothers series and was eager to move on to the first full length novel in the series. I will admit, I was a little miffed when I saw that Eric's story would not be featured first in the series, but I was quickly engaged in "girl next door" Tessa's story, whom I just couldn't help but like.
"Good Girls Don't" has all the things that I LOVE about contemporary romance wrapped up into one fantastic novel. A small town, a close knit family, good humor, fantastic likeable characters both main and supporting, and sizzling sex. Dahl even throws in a little suspense too to keep you on your toes.
Tessa is the younger sister of Jamie and Eric Donovan. After being orphaned at a young age, Tessa quickly became the peacemaker between her two brothers, sacrificing anything necessary to keep things amicable between them. So Tessa really isn't surprised when, yet again, Jamie as stepped over the boundaries, doing something that could cost their business the biggest deal yet. A deal that Eric had worked relentlessly to obtain. After it's discovered that their business has been robbed, Tessa once again finds herself making excuses, little white lies, to cover up Jamie's mistake so that there is no disruption to their already fragile family relationship.
Luke Asher is the main detective on the scene at the Donovan Brewery robbery. Luke and Jamie Donovan had been good friends back in college, but Luke's reputation has preceded him, and even Jamie has his doubts about his former friend. Especially when Luke takes a liking to Tessa.
I really enjoyed reading this story. It had many laugh out loud moments and even some where I was cringing with embarassment. I'm an only child and never had to suffer the wrath of an overprotective brother, so I can only imagine what it must be like with two brothers constantly in your business, constantly looking for ways to protect you or embarass you.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loved a good feel good romance with great humor and excellent story-telling thrown in there as well. I can't wait to read Jamie Donovan's story next. Four stars!!
This was provided to me via NetGalley
"Good Girls Don't" has all the things that I LOVE about contemporary romance wrapped up into one fantastic novel. A small town, a close knit family, good humor, fantastic likeable characters both main and supporting, and sizzling sex. Dahl even throws in a little suspense too to keep you on your toes.
Tessa is the younger sister of Jamie and Eric Donovan. After being orphaned at a young age, Tessa quickly became the peacemaker between her two brothers, sacrificing anything necessary to keep things amicable between them. So Tessa really isn't surprised when, yet again, Jamie as stepped over the boundaries, doing something that could cost their business the biggest deal yet. A deal that Eric had worked relentlessly to obtain. After it's discovered that their business has been robbed, Tessa once again finds herself making excuses, little white lies, to cover up Jamie's mistake so that there is no disruption to their already fragile family relationship.
Luke Asher is the main detective on the scene at the Donovan Brewery robbery. Luke and Jamie Donovan had been good friends back in college, but Luke's reputation has preceded him, and even Jamie has his doubts about his former friend. Especially when Luke takes a liking to Tessa.
I really enjoyed reading this story. It had many laugh out loud moments and even some where I was cringing with embarassment. I'm an only child and never had to suffer the wrath of an overprotective brother, so I can only imagine what it must be like with two brothers constantly in your business, constantly looking for ways to protect you or embarass you.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loved a good feel good romance with great humor and excellent story-telling thrown in there as well. I can't wait to read Jamie Donovan's story next. Four stars!!
This was provided to me via NetGalley
September 19, 2011
3.5 STARS!
Why I read this book: I read Dahl’s prequel in the The Guy Next Door anthology and really enjoyed it. Deciding to continue the series, I picked up book one of the Donovon Brothers Brewery series.
What I liked about this book:The first thing that pops into mind about what I liked about this book is the fact that it’s based on a family in Boulder, Colorado who run a brewery together. I just LOVE series that are centered around families. They just add something extra in a romance, another kind of love that we don’t always see.
Another thing is, Tessa and Luke’s relationship is complicated and while their obstacles don’t seem that troublesome, they still work hard to be with one another and I have to respect that in characters. I don’t like the idea of people meeting each other and then suddenly their life turns for the best. These two work at their relationship and it just makes the romance more believable that way.
What I didn’t like: I would have given this book a 4 star review. But there was one thing I could not overlook and it bugged the hell out of me. What was with all the communication problems? All the issues that stood in the way of all the characters were all communication problems. Jamie and Tessa keep Jamie’s secret from their older brother, Eric. Eric can’t get a hold on Big-shot Kendall in order to finalize their contract and get started on Phase Two of their project. Tessa wonders if she’s being lied to by Luke because of the secrets of his past like his divorce and the unknown possibility that he may be the father of his partner, Simone. The tension between Simone and Luke also shows a lack of communication in a previously trusting relationship. It was all just too much for me!
I didn’t like the fact that all the conflicts in this story was of the same nature. Spice it up! It frustrated me to read about problems that could be easily solved by ASKING the other person or simply revealing the truth so that no other assumptions could be made.
I wouldn’t have mind if these issues occurred between just a couple of the characters, but not all. It was just too much of the same thing. But I guess, there wouldn't be a story without it.
Overall, I did enjoy Good Girls Don’t despite the overuse of the same conflict. I am still eager to read the next book in the series. Jamie, here I come!
Why I read this book: I read Dahl’s prequel in the The Guy Next Door anthology and really enjoyed it. Deciding to continue the series, I picked up book one of the Donovon Brothers Brewery series.
What I liked about this book:The first thing that pops into mind about what I liked about this book is the fact that it’s based on a family in Boulder, Colorado who run a brewery together. I just LOVE series that are centered around families. They just add something extra in a romance, another kind of love that we don’t always see.
Another thing is, Tessa and Luke’s relationship is complicated and while their obstacles don’t seem that troublesome, they still work hard to be with one another and I have to respect that in characters. I don’t like the idea of people meeting each other and then suddenly their life turns for the best. These two work at their relationship and it just makes the romance more believable that way.
What I didn’t like: I would have given this book a 4 star review. But there was one thing I could not overlook and it bugged the hell out of me. What was with all the communication problems? All the issues that stood in the way of all the characters were all communication problems. Jamie and Tessa keep Jamie’s secret from their older brother, Eric. Eric can’t get a hold on Big-shot Kendall in order to finalize their contract and get started on Phase Two of their project. Tessa wonders if she’s being lied to by Luke because of the secrets of his past like his divorce and the unknown possibility that he may be the father of his partner, Simone. The tension between Simone and Luke also shows a lack of communication in a previously trusting relationship. It was all just too much for me!
I didn’t like the fact that all the conflicts in this story was of the same nature. Spice it up! It frustrated me to read about problems that could be easily solved by ASKING the other person or simply revealing the truth so that no other assumptions could be made.
I wouldn’t have mind if these issues occurred between just a couple of the characters, but not all. It was just too much of the same thing. But I guess, there wouldn't be a story without it.
Overall, I did enjoy Good Girls Don’t despite the overuse of the same conflict. I am still eager to read the next book in the series. Jamie, here I come!
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