Kiss Me, I'm Irish

by Roxanne St. Claire, Jill Shalvis, Maureen Child

Bestselling authors Roxanne St. Claire, Jill Shalvis and Maureen Child bring you three classic stories of sexy Irishmen and the women who love them...

The Sins of His Past by Roxanne St. Claire
For one incredible night, Kendra Locke gave Deuce Monroe everything she had. Then he walked away without a backward glance to chase his big-league dreams. Now after one too many daredevil stunts, he's back in his hometown ready to pick up where they left off--but Kendra has no intention of giving in so easily...

Tangling with Ty by Jill Shalvis
Dr. Nicole Mann, a child prodigy who graduated high school at the age of thirteen, has no room in her mind or her schedule for romance. But when the architect renovating her apartment turns out to have a charming Irish accent, all bets are off--and Ty Patrick O'Grady plans to use every trick in his book to stay in her life for good.

Whatever Reilly Wants by Maureen Child
Connor Reilly only has a few weeks to go in his "no sex for ninety days" bet with his brothers--and he figures no woman is safer to be around than his best friend, Emma Jacobsen. Until Emma shows up at a bar in a short skirt and high heels, and suddenly seems anything but safe!

Genres: Romance, Anthologies, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Fiction, Friends To Lovers, Ebooks

505 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published February 28, 2012

About the author

I don’t know about you, but when I check out an author's bio, it’s usually because I’ve read a book I liked and wondered about the person behind it. Let's skip the formal bio and I'll give you the inside scoop on who Roxanne St. Claire really is.

First of all, call me Rocki. Everyone does. Evidently, when my mother brought me home from the hospital I seemed too scrawny and small to pull off “Roxanne” (she’d read Cyrano de Bergerac while pregnant or I would have been Judy) so they called me Rocki.

I grew up in Pittsburgh, PA, the youngest of five (overachievers, every one), and fell in love with words and stories the summer I read Gone With The Wind. That year, for my twelfth birthday, my parents gave me a typewriter (with italic font – it was the coolest thing) and from that day on, I’ve had my fingers on a keyboard, pounding out love stories for fun. My AP English teacher taught me the two most important lessons an aspiring author ever needs: 1) verbs are the key to life and 2) a writer should get a real job. After attending UCLA and graduating with a degree in communications, I tried acting and television broadcasting. Oh, they aren’t real jobs? I learned that the hard way. I changed my last name from Zink to St. Claire because a news producer told me Roxanne Zink had too many harsh consonants for a TV personality – apparently Katie Couric didn’t get the memo. I got some fun gigs, and even met Tom Hanks when I did a guest appearance on Bosom Buddies. I liked on camera work, but wasn’t too crazy about starvation, so I moved to Boston and got that “real” job. In fact, I placed my foot on the bottom rung of the corporate ladder and didn’t look down until I’d climbed all the way up to the level of Senior Vice President at the world’s largest public relations firm. On the way up, I met the man of my dreams in an elevator. Two years later – in the same elevator! – he asked me to marry him and I wisely said yes.

I stayed in PR, moved to Miami, had a few babies, lost my home in a hurricane, built another one a few hours north and all along, I kept writing my “stories” for fun. One night, I read a particularly fabulous romance novel that changed my life for good. That night, I decided I wanted to make someone else feel as whole and happy as that author made me feel. (Everyone asks! It was Nobody’s Baby But Mine by Susan Elizabeth Phillips.) With two small children and one big “real” job, writing my first novel wasn’t easy, but I did finish a manuscript that managed to get the attention of a literary agent. She told me to do one thing and one thing fast: write another book. (The first one is usually a “learner” book, honestly.) That second manuscript sold to Simon & Schuster’s Pocket Books and was released in 2003 as Tropical Getaway. Since then, I’ve written almost thirty more, in multiple genres, and long ago replaced the corporate ladder with the rollercoaster of publishing as a full-time novelist. Finally, writing is my real job.

Today, I live in a small beach community in Florida with my husband and two dogs. Our kids are off to college and law school, which means my nest is empty! I spend my time writing, working with the kids at my church, enjoying my husband's gourmet cooking, and hanging with my many writer friends. Of course, I love to read. I’m still crazy about words and stories and hope to write at least a hundred books in my lifetime. And, yes, verbs are the key to life. My favorites? Love. Work. Believe.

xoxo
Rocki

Reviews

[UniquelyMoi ~ BlithelyBookish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just in time for St. Patrick's Day, three short stories about gorgeous, sexy Irishmen and the women they drive crazy!

1. The Sins of His Past by Roxanne St. Clair: 4 stars - This was such a great story! Romantic, heartwarming, sensual and sexy… it had all the things I love in a short story. Seamus “Deuce” Monroe is funny, famous, successful, and all kinds of sexy. He knows how to charm women, in bed and out, but when a reckless move on his part ends his Major League Baseball career, he finds himself back home, and completely out of his element. Kendra is a strong, no-nonsense woman who’s had more than her fair share of heartache, but with her feet on the ground a steady plan for the future, she sees at least some of her dreams coming true. That is, until she runs into Deuce, the one man in the world who can bring her dreams to a screeching halt, and has every intention of doing so.

2. Tangling with Ty by Jill Shalvis: 4 stars - Now this… this was an emotional story, one that had me in tears. I just adored ‘Ty Patrick O’Grady of Dublin’ and Dr. Nicole Mann, and their story was so touching. Sweet, romantic, heartbreaking, incredibly hot… this one, in true Jill Shalvis style, had it all, and I loved every minute of it! Two people, both so lonely, and not even realizing it until they each see it in the other, but will they be able to set aside their stubborn determination to remain single long enough to see the chance for true love standing right in front of them? You’ll have to read it yourself and find out.

3. Whatever Reilly Wants by Maureen Child: 4 stars - I really enjoyed this story! It’s hot, funny, and had me giggling out loud. Connor Reilly is a handsome, healthy, sexually active Marine, one of the brothers in a set of identical triplets. But a $10,000 wager has the brothers abstaining from sex for 90 days, the money to be divided between the winners, or winner take all if just one makes it to the end. If they all three lose, their older brother, Father Liam Reilly, will get the money and use it for a badly needed roof job for his church. Connor wants to win the bet, not only for the money but to prove he can hold out, so he does everything he can to avoid temptation; staying away from bars or anywhere else trouble in the shape of a woman might find him. Unfortunately for Connor, one not-too-bright comment to his “pal” Emma has her doing everything in her power to make sure he doesn’t win, and let me tell you… this made for some fun reading!

The bottom line – I was already a fan of Jill Shalvis and Roxanne St. Claire, and now I can add Maureen Child to the list, too! If you’re looking for some fun, sexy short stories, stories with heart and soul, give this anthology a try. You won’t be disappointed!

Note These stories were previously published as singles and have been compiled into this anthology.

This book was provided by netgalley.com in behalf of Harlequin HQN

[Cyndi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three of my favorite authors contribute to a lovely romance book. All the heroes are Irish and the heroines are not to be pushed around. In the first story our hero leaves the heroine to follow his baseball dream, but when he comes back he thinks to swoop back into our heroine's life. Ha! We'll see about that, boyo!
In the second story our heroine is a busy genius with no time for love, but our hero turns on the charm and quickly changes her mind.
In the last story our hero is riding a bet to be celibate for 90 days. No problem. He will just spend time around the one girl he has never desired, his best friend. Oh well, it was only a bet. lol!
Cute stories!

[Wminbc · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Sins of His Past (4 Hoots)
Ms. St. Claire's story focuses on a recently retired ball player, Deuce, and the one girl that used to follow him around, Kendra. Well, Kendra is all grown up and now managing Deuce's family bar as a internet café. Deuce didn't know what to be more surprised about, Kendra all grown up, his father changing up the business or rumor that his dad was getting married. The build up leads to some hilarious "one-up-manship" as Deuce and Kendra try to prove their idea for the bar/café is the better choice. As old secrets come to roost, Deuce must decide if it is better to win the game or the woman. I liked these two, even though I always say that the truth should be told upfront!

Tangling with Ty (3.5 Hoots)
Ty is a wonderer who lands here and there, but never quite finds his place. Nicole is an overachieving doctor who has deferred having a personal life for her career. As these two make instant magic, I was struck by the lack of depth in Nicole. Her shallow personality was written very well and I can almost feel her as that ER doctor that you do not want to get: extremely competent yet totally lacking bedside manner. I loved how Ty dragged her out of her shell and made both her and himself realize that home is the person with whom you can share your heart and soul.

What Reilly Wants (5 Hoots)
A crazy bet between brothers sets the stage for this novella. Ms Child gives us three gorgeous brothers, plus another, Father Liam(something in me cannot comment on the hotness of a priest). Connor vows to abstain from sex for three months in order to win the $10 000 bet. While trying to hide out from temptation, Connor hangs with his pal, Emma. Emma has been there for Connor and Connor for both her and her late father. The two have developed a strong friendship based on their love of cars, common interests, sports, blah, blah, blah…boring buddy Emma. And that is why Connor feels totally "safe" with Emma, his "non-woman" friend. Emma, shocked at Connor's total dismissal of her and her sexuality, sets her sights on not only making Connor lose the bet, but eat his words. This story was sweet and funny and I loved these two!


image:

The last story and best IMHO...I have included my photo of the two brothers from the last story...while there should be four brothers, I picked the two main men who have found their HEA!


First two stories were good...last one to go

While the boy is sick...I read the last story...cute and heart wrenching!

[♡Karlyn P♡]

Hmmm, a collection of re-issued Irish hotties in category romances.

1. The Sins of His Past by Roxanne St. Claire. Originally published in 2006 by Silhouette, 192 pages. http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27...

2. Tangling with Ty by Jill Shalvis. Originally published in 2003 by Harlequin Temptation, 224 pages. http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51...

3. Whatever Reilly Wants by Maureen Childs. Originally published in 2005 by Silhouette Desire, 192 pages. http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/96...

[Jae · Rating 4 out of 5]

All three heroes in the three stories were Irish and very yummy. I mean what not to love about Irish men? Dark haired, light eyed and don't get me started on the accent. Oh, the accent. Well, at least I imagined that they talked in accent.

The Sins of His Past by Roxanne St. Claire B+

Tangling with Ty by Jill Shalvis B

Whatever Reilly Wants by Maureen Childs C+

[Darcy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the Irish theme with all of these romance stories. Like all collections some are stronger than others.

Roxanne St. Claire's was the weakest of the bunch for me and a big part of that was because of Deuce, I didn't like him, thought he was selfish, and was made at Kendra for her choice at the end. It seemed like all Deuce could think of was himself, when he was the big baseball player he couldn't give those at home a second thought, but when in disgrace he expected all of them to fall at his feet. I understand why Kendra kept her secret years ago, in her place I would have done the same. Even when he found out the secret all he could think of was himself, he didn't stop and consider just what Kendra went through. I felt like Kendra was a doormat to him. I wanted her to stand up and tell him off, but she couldn't seem to. I was happy to see this one end.

I really enjoyed Jill Shalvis's story. I liked how Nicole was clueless, how all she did was work and then tornado Ty came in and threw her off. From the start he made her act out of character, but when she called in sick, I new she was a goner, she should have as well. For once I liked seeing the couple fight their attraction, I think because they both knew they were doing it and you couldn't help but to laugh at them.

Maureen Child's story with the brothers had me laughing, for some reason the whole bet struck me funny. Right when you hear it you just know that those boys can't win against their priest brother. I loved Emma's reaction to Conner and his whole "You aren't a woman" speech. I would have been mad too. Her playing pool and playing cool to him had me giggling, even though I knew it would backfire on her just like Father Liam said it would. After he was in the dog house, I liked seeing the ways that Connor worked to get out of it. With a shaky start he finally realized what he needed to do and did it superbly.

Overall this was a fun read!

[Amanda The Book Slayer · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5 Stars****

Whether you want a hot sports celebrity-once boy next door, bad boy with a Rockin bod and a dark past or the local heart throb with a bet to win this book has it all. Three sexy, drool worthy men meet their match in three equally determined women who tame their wild ways.

Recommend: You want Steamy Men and sexy wild scenes then this book is for you. Don't forget about the Happily Ever After's!

1. The Sins of His Past by Roxanne St. Claire 5 *****
This story pulled at my heart and made me hoot with laughter. Nothing like a good competition of wills that ends up turning toward their hearts.
Deuce Monroe decided to come home to run his family's bar since he "retired" from his Baseball career with the Nevada Snake Eyes. The minute he shows up he realizes that this was not the home he left. Things have drastically changed and the biggest change was the co-owner of Monroe's, Kendra Locke. Kendra has big dreams for Monroe's turning it into a "cyber salon," as Deuce puts it. Seamus,Deuce's father, decides that Kendra and Deuce need to work out what will happen with Monroe's."Let's Play Ball!" Kendra is given days to run her cyber cafe and Deuce has nights to run his bar and the game begins. Can Kendra hit it out of the park while keeping her secret?

Extra's : Poor Kendra, when Deuce walked in to the bar and throughout their story I had Why ya Wanna by Jana Kramer running through my head. Thought I would share : Click here to watch and listen to Why ya Wanna by Jana Kramer
Sexy Deuce Monroe -Curling up in bed with him, Yum!
[image error]


2. Tangling with Ty by Jill Shalvis 4 ****
I enjoyed this one, but I felt more like and observer then a participant. Bad boy Ty Patrick O'Grady is a man with a very dark past who stays one step ahead of his haunting memories by wandering. The sexy Architect makes an appearance when Nicole, a tenant, finds him cursing up a storm in a thick Irish accent.(Oh Yeah!) Nicole is a very young, smart Doctor who doesn't take crap from anyone and lives to save lives. Taylor, the landlord and matchmaker, hires Ty to fix the building and he can't help but want to take care of Nicole in more than one way. Just when their relationship starts to take off Ty's secret is about to unravel and Nicole shields herself with her job. With a little luck,or bad luck, from a ceiling Ty and Nicole come to know each other. Can they reconcile what they dreamed their lives would be to what they could be together?

Extra's :
Ty O'Grady




3. Whatever Reilly Wants by Maureen Child 4.5 ****
Started out with a bet, turned into his loss but ultimately their gain! Connor was determined to win Liam's bet(celibate for 90 days = $10,000), until he offended his best friend Emma. She decided to seek revenge by throwing a wrench in his plan to win. She showed him that she wasn't just a female,but one Hot woman! Poor Connor had not idea what hit him when he walked into the local bar and spotted one sexy women who ends up being Emma. Tongue-tied and temperature rising he doesn't know if he wants to make her his or stay friends. Emma is underhanded in her attempt to get Connor to lose, by going out of her way to tempt him. Her attempt bites her in the butt when the tables are turned on her. Lots of steamy sex and plenty of wit. Can they save their friendship or will they have to part ways?

Extra's : I loved that Liam's housekeeper makes horrible tea and him and Emma had to drink it. Hilarious. Also loved what Connor did for Em in the end! But I can't tell you have to pick up the book and read it for yourself!
Connor Reilly
:

Overall I enjoyed these stories. I haven't read much in the way of contemporary romance area, but found that I enjoyed these authors and will be reading more of their books.

Thank you to netgalley who provided me with a copy of this book.

[Dannielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Roxanne St. Claire- It was really hard for me to like Deuce at first. He comes roaring back into town after being gone for 10 years and expects nothing to have changed and Kendra to fall into bed with him after he left her with no phone call or anything. He really had an ego problem and spent most of the story working on getting into check. I knew finding out Kendra's secret would put him in his place, just took a little longer than expected. Kendra was nice, I thought she could have spoken up for herself more than she did. But I guess when you've loved a guy for as long as she's loved Deuce that is hard to do.

Overall, it was a nice story with some good supporting characters. Although some things did get left in the air a bit at the end of the story, so that was frustrating.

Jill Shalvis- A much better story. At first I wasn't sure I'd like Nicole. She seemed to have so many excuses for why she had no time for a guy and had to be a workaholic. But she let her guard down and Ty was able to make his move. They were so great together. Nicole's sarcasm and lack of social skills made for some funny moments. They each have their issues to work through and I was very happy when that happened. Ty and Nicole are great together!

Maureen Child- This was probably the hardest story for me to finish. It started off fine, but then I just felt that it was too predictable. So I set the book down and had to force myself to pick it up and finish. Sure it was as predicted, but the story was still decent. Connor is really freaking HOT. I got kind of annoyed with Emma. She knew she loved Connor but was still convinced that he would be just like her ex. But isn't a part of loving someone, knowing who they really are? Just frustrated me.

[Mary · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read this via NetGalley. Well I read the first half of the first story.

It's a compilation of three Irish related stories. The Sins of His Past by Roxanne St. Claire, Tangling with Ty by Jill Shalvis & Whatever Reilly Wants by Maureen Child.

I should have just skipped to Jill Shalvis' since I am a fan of hers but I kept trying to push through the first story. It's just awful. Although it was written in the 2000s it has the feel of the mid 90s. Both protagonists are unlikable. When I tried to read it I actually thought that maybe I didn't even like reading anymore (I've been an avid reader since age 4). That's how bad it is. I don't need to bore you with the plot. Both characters seem to be masochists (and not in a good, sexy way), they just hate themselves. Pass on this compilation or at least skip the first story.

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I could have given this book 4 stars for the delicious cover alone, but all 3 stories about yummy Irishmen were fantastically fun and I enjoyed every minute!


***This book was provided to me as an ARC by Netgalley

[Kati · Rating 4 out of 5]

***original review posted at Romancing Rakes For The Love of Romance***

The Sins of His Past by Roxanne St. Claire ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
That Deuce Monroe is something else. He's returned home due to being stupid and racing a car just to end up wrecking it. Now he's back and wonders what in the heck happened to Monroe's, the bar that has been passed on from father to son. Why is Monroe's spelled with a lowercase m and who put all these computers in it and why is the smell of coffee drifting from it's open doors? Oh Deuce, you've been gone far too long.

Kendra Locke has held a torch for Deuce since she was a little girl, listening through the heater duct for all her brother's conversations with friends. One night was all it took to change Kendra's life forever and a secret that only those closest to her know. She's put Deuce out of her mind but from the minute he walks through the front doors of monroe's, her heart begins to open again; old feelings resurface. Damn you Deuce Monroe!

Everything has changed for the better. The small seaside town of Rockingham, Massachusetts has become a destination place and the economy is picking up again. Kendra must at all costs keep her secret from Deuce all the while trying to fall back in love with him. Not that she ever stopped. Now, Deuce must not only fight for changing monroe's back into Monroe's but also try to keep himself from having a reason to stay in a town that he no longer knows.

Favorite Quote:

"...Do you have everything you need?"
No. She needed blinders to keep from staring at him, and a box of tissue to wipe the drool. Throw in some steel armor for her heart and fail-safe chastity belt, and then she'd be good to go.

Overall: Roxanne St. Claire, I need to read more of you. For real. The moment Deuce was introduced, I fell in love with him. He was the bad boy with the cocky attitude who got your heart pounding but your head asking you where the heck your sanity went because he was bound to be a total jerk. Deuce hit it and quit it. Just like that. He didn't even think about the consequences. Kendra had a right to be all sorts of angry and then some. Plus, if a guy ever came waltzing back into your life with the notion that things are going to be the same the way he left it should be made to beg on his knees.

Tangling with Ty by Jill Shalvis ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
An Irishman who has tried to distance himself from his horrible beginnings gets the surprise of his life in 1)a long lost half sister and 2)a workaholic doctor who has no time for a man in her life and lives by the mantra of "stay single". Ty Patrick O'Grady has been a drifter throughout his life. After getting taken in by a man he tried to steal from and getting an education, he's moved from place to place; wanderlust in his veins. He's been tapped to renovate the building that Dr. Nicole Mann lives in.

Nicole is a child prodigy. Straight A student, graduating early, not really a people person, annoyed by her mother and her perfect sister with the nice house, white picket fence, doting husband and 2.5 children. Ty sends everything she's ever thought about staying single right down the drain. He's funny, sexy as hell and has a sometimes accent. After Ty falls through her ceiling ogling her while she's rocking out in her mismatched underwear, she takes to nursing him. The fall brought out a caring side of her that goes beyond doctor/patient feelings. She forgets what's she's supposed to do and her friends have to help her. Um, she's a doctor for goodness sake!

As Nicole nurses Ty back to health, she realizes that there's more to this sometimes accented Irish man. She must decide whether she'll go the way of her friend Suzanne and allow herself to fall in love or follow in the footsteps of her sister in singlehood, Taylor. Meanwhile, Ty is getting mysterious emails from someone claiming to be his long lost half sister. He wants to deny that she might be it but knows that it's a possibility due to his mother's sexual promiscuity.

Favorite Quote:

She'd slept on her feet before, during med school, during the long nights of residency...
A sharp click had her blinking rapidly blinking at her...door? Ty Patrick O'Grady, architect, sometimes owner of a sexy Irish lilt, man of a thousand curses and one incredible smile, held up a credit card. "Handy, these things, aren't they now?"
"You...broke in?"
"Easily."
"Are you a criminal?"
He laughed, low and sexily, damn him. "Let's just say I've been around. You need a better lock.

Overall: I think I fell in lust with Ty the moment he popped Nicole's door open with a credit card. That's a very handy skill to have. Not that I'm confessing to have knowledge of said skill. He's rough around the edges and only the right woman could make him stay. Nicole staying single didn't seem doable to me. Sure, she pretty much lived by the whole "singlehood is good" thing but puh-lease. The moment a man with an accent takes interest in you (albeit, the accent may fluctuate), get him any way you can. Being single doesn't mean you can't have sex with someone. Being single isn't taking a vow of celibacy. Oh Nicole, you poor girl. You've been looking at singlehood the wrong way.

Whatever Reilly Wants by Maureen Child ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
Emma Jacobsen and Connor Reilly have been BFFs for a while and so they can shoot the breeze anytime they feel like it. No sexual tension whatsoever. Emma is one of the guys and Connor shares everything with her.

A bet between the brothers Reilly already has one brother out of the running of winning a nice sum of money bequeathed by a deceased uncle. Last man standing takes all. One catch: last man standing has to be celibate for three months. Do you know how long that is in guy time? Ages and ages and ages! Brian has gotten back with his ex-wife so that takes him out. Liam has taken vows to the church so he'll probably win considering that he'll be celibate the rest of his life. Aidan and Connor still have a chance at that money, only 2 more months.

Emma's father left her Jake's Garage. She works there fixing cars and trying to convince a little old lady to sell her son's (who's been dead for quite some time) '58 Corvette so she can restore it to its former glory. She still has yet to convince her. Emma was hurt by a jerk named Tony who got to know her (cute feminine clothes wearing Emma) and realized that he didn't much like her the way she was (coveralls, car fixing Emma). She vowed to never again let any man in.

All it takes is Connor telling Emma that he doesn't see her as a woman but a mechanic to make her go ballistic. She'll show him. Dressed up to the nines in Short Skirt and Tiny Tank Topville, Emma sets out to make Connor lose the bet by getting him in bed. Warnings from Liam and her friend Mary Alice that the plan may backfire only makes her scoff at them. Bad idea Emma!

Once the line between friends (especially a guy and a girl) is crossed, there is no turning back. Nothing will be the same again. I guess Emma didn't see Friends with Benefit or No Strings Attached. It can't be done! Nuh-uh. No flipping way. For guys, sex is physical. For girls, it's emotional. You can keep telling yourself that it's only sex but your heart will tell you otherwise.

Favorite Quote:

As a Marine, he'd learned long ago to trust the impulses that drove him. He didn't question, didn't doubt. He just did. That confidence in his own subconscious had saved his butt more than once.
And tonight those instincts had brought him here.
To Emma.
"What are they telling you to do now?"
If he told her that, she'd probably run for the hills. Because it was taking all of his self-control to keep from tearing her clothes off and tossing her onto the cool, damp grass. He wanted her naked. He wanted her beneath him. Over him. Astride him. He wanted her in every possible way, and as they stood there in the starlit shadows, that want continued to pulse and grow. "You don't want to know.

Overall: Ah yes, the best friends to lovers trope. This one does it beautifully. I laughed my way through this one. Connor's antics and thoughts after seeing Emma in a short skirt, tiny tank top and heels definitely were all sorts of inappropriate. I loved that Emma had that 'I'll show him!' attitude but wanted to scream at her that she wouldn't come out unscathed by trying to get Connor into bed. I've seen this sort of thing play once or twice before my very eyes. It's not a pretty thing. Either both parties live to laugh about it after falling head over heels in love or both parties become so very bitter that no one is allowed to ever speak the other's name in front of them. Emma didn't have to change herself. She knew who she was and totally confident in herself. Connor should have thought before he spoke. Really? A mechanic instead of a woman? *shakes head*


***review copy from Netgalley***

[Pennie Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one is a revisit for me after many years and this time is audio and I LOVED IT even more then time. There are three different books by three of my favorite authors. What more could you want? Highly recommend!

[Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an anthology featuring Roxanne St. Claire, Jill Shalvis and Maureen Child. I've heard of St. Claire before but never read anything by her and have never heard of Child. I really picked this one up because I now have a love affair with all things Jill Shalvis. I am just in love with her heroes and her heroines.

I do find it hard to rate anthologies because it is technically three separate books. But I'll just break it down by story.

St. Claire started off the anthology with her story (The Sins of his Past) about Kendra and Deuce. I have to say this was my least favorite of the bunch. Kendra is working at Deuce's father's bar and has been working towards changing it into an internet cafe. Deuce is a retired (really fired) baseball player who has returned home to help run his father's bar. Little does he know that Kendra is there with plans of her own to expand the cafe into a whole artists retreat. The two also don't know how to deal with each other because of their previous one night stand that resulted in a disastrous event for Kendra which derailed her school career at Harvard, too bad Deuce has no idea what happened from their night of fun.

Honestly, I didn't like either Kendra or Deuce. She held him accountable for things he didn't even know about. And Deuce was such a jock I couldn't find any redeemable quality in him. Just having him strut back into his father's life thinking he would "save" the day and buy the bar from his dad to help out annoyed me. He's just like that guy in highschool that you don't want to talk to because he's so full of himself and only cares about what he wants. Yeah he might be pretty but that's about all that's going on. The plot was written well, but I couldn't bring myself to care when I found myself disliking the main characters so much.

The Shalvis story (Tangling with Ty) was of course my favorite. It featured Nicole and Ty. Nicole is a doctor who works too much and Ty is an architect running from his past and trying to make something of himself. The two stumble upon each other as Ty is the architect in charge of restoring the building Nicole lives in. They find they are instantly attracted to one another but are fighting hard to not act on that attraction.

I really adored Ty's character. A rough and intense man, Ty is hurt by his family's past and doesn't realize how much that has affected his current life. He keeps everyone at an arm's distance and when he realizes that Nicole might knock down some of his barriers he tries to hide from her. That just makes me all warm and fuzzy inside, and I found myself cheering and cajoling Ty to get with it and make a move on Nicole. Nicole was slightly annoying, maybe because she pretty much had everything. She is a doctor, beautiful and possessed a nice body. The only con was she was a little socially awkward. I did end up liking her although I kept picturing her as looking like the character Dr. Brennan from Bones.

Lastly, the Maureen Childs story (Whatever Reilly wants) ended up being one that surprised me. This is one of things I enjoy about anthologies, getting a little taste of authors and possibly picking up one that I really like. I will definitely look into other books as this was one that I found appealing.

The two main characters were Connor and Emma. Now this is actually the second book in a series but I didn't have any trouble following along but did have the sense of having missed one of the brother's books. Connor is a Reilly brother (in a set of triplets) and is involved in a bet with his siblings about remaining celibate for three months. His other brother has already lost (in the first book) and now everyone is looking at Connor to fail next. He insists he won't and decides that spending time with his best friend Emma will be safe since she's just one of the guys. Although Emma is a mechanic, she feels slighted by Connor's statement that he isn't attracted to her and she sets out to make him lose his bet by sleeping with her. Connor's older brother Liam (who is a priest) warns her that she could end up trapping herself but she knows she will be fine. Famous last words.

I liked Emma's character even if I did find her predictable and also her situation a bit predictable. It was great to see a strong woman who is considered "a guy's best friend" and yet she could still sexy when she wanted to. She also wasn't afraid of being herself and having people accept her for the way she truly was. Connor was adorable, although slightly obsessed with sex. Is it really that hard to abstain for a few months? Maybe he is a sex addict. Anyway, it was nice to see them fall for each other and even better to watch them try to find a way around it. It ended up being a fun read that made me want to learn more about the other Reilly brothers.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

You can also read this review at Reflections on Reading Romance


Anything with Jill Shalvis’s name on it is going to be an auto-buy for me, so when I saw this anthology on NetGalley, naturally I requested it. I hadn’t read anything by either of the other authors, but of course I recognized their names, so I was really excited to check out this book. I’m happy to say I was not disappointed! The three novellas have been previously published separately, so if you’re a fan of these authors, check your bookshelf before purchasing the anthology. Even though these novellas were published as early as 2003, for the most part they manage to remain relevant, although there are a few parts of the Roxanne St. Clair novella that were fairly dated, even though it’s only 6 years old.

Roxanne St. Clair The Sins of His Past (originally published 2006)

This was a touching reunion romance between baseball star Seamus “Deuce” Monroe and Kendra Locke. Years before Deuce had hooked up with Kendra, his best friend’s younger sister, then never called her afterwards. Fast forward to the present, and Deuce has returned home after a car wreck and accident that’s forced the baseball team to invoke a contract clause and fire him. He’s planning on running the family-owned sports bar, Monroe’s, but when he arrives at the sports bar, Kendra has turned it into an internet café. Deuce’s father finds himself in the awkward position of having to decide if he’ll continue with the plans to turn Monroe’s into an internet café or if he should allow Deuce to turn it back into a successful sports bar. There’s also some mystery as to why Kendra, the smartest girl in high school, dropped out of Harvard.

This was a sweet romance, filled with lots of angst and difficult decisions. Unfortunately, the premise of the internet café really dates the story. With the popularity of smart phones today, the internet café and Kendra’s reasons for starting one are very dated. That said, the romance between the irresponsible Deuce and the go-getter Kendra sizzles, and you’ll root for both of them. 4 out of 5

Jill Shalvis Tangling with Ty (originally published in 2003)

I really enjoyed this story of child genius turned doctor Nicole Mann and the aloof architect Ty Patrick O’Grady. Because of Nicole’s high IQ, she graduated high school and college at obscenely early ages, making it difficult for this workaholic to relate to people. She’s currently living in an old apartment building, and the two other young women in the building have taken her under their wings. When the building’s owner hires Ty to look into fixing up the building, he and Nicole set off sparks, but the two loners struggle to find their way.

I liked the pairing of this couple, although you have to suspend disbelief a bit to accept that these two loners would actually find their way together. But my absolute favorite part of the novella is how Nicole deals with her boss, who’s trying (and failing) to sexually harass her. Really, that was the most satisfying part of the entire novella. 3.5 out 5

Maureen Child Whatever Reilly Wants (originally published in 2005)

Marine Connor Reilly is a triplet and quite the hottie! Unfortunately, he and his brothers made a bet with their older brother Liam, a priest, that they can’t remain celibate for 90 days. If they lose the bet, they have to shell out $10,000 and dress up in embarrassing costumes. One of the triplets has already bit the dust, and the novella begins just after his wedding. Mechanic Emma Jacobsen is a friend of Connor’s and is stunned when he tells her how much her friendship means to him, because he doesn’t think of her as a woman! Naturally this means war. Emma goes on the offensive, and Connor never sees it coming.

This was a cute story, and I really liked how Emma deals with the situation. She makes Connor take notice, but I love that she confronts Connor with who she really is, pointing out that he didn’t notice her as a woman until she changed. 4 out of 5

I received a copy of this book for review from the Publisher through NetGalley.

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of three "classic" (read: published several years ago) stories that can be considered either long novellas or shorter novels, Kiss Me, I'm Irish is a decent collection. The last story, "Whatever Reilly Wants" I thought was the strongest of the three, with the first, "The Sins of His Past" a close second. I found the middle one, "Tangling with Ty" to be the weakest, but it still wasn't a bad read.

"Whatever Reilly Wants" was a bit of a slow start and slightly dated (the heroine is trying to get an Internet cafe going, which is presented as a fairly new concept), but ultimately was a cute story. I was pleasantly surprised when Kendra had the perfect opportunity to blow a conversation she overheard totally out of proportion and overreact accordingly, resulting in an overblown sense of drama (as has happened in more than one book I've read recently, to my frustration), but didn't. Instead she reacts calmly and rationally, using her good sense to help Deuce see the error of his ways in the end. Roxanne St. Claire mentions in her forward that the straight-up romance genre is one she doesn't write much of any more having moved on to mystery/suspense; on the strength of this story I'm willing to give some of her more recent works a shot.

Overall "Tangling with Ty" just felt like it was trying too hard. For one thing, there was more telling than showing throughout. For example, the female lead was supposedly a doctor with a genius IQ who started medical school at a significantly younger age than the rest of her classmates, but you really don't see that in her behavior in the story. (Not that she's not intelligent, she is; she just doesn't "read" as a person who should have graduated high school at the age of twelve.) There's many situations that feel artificially forced as well, which had me shaking my head. For example, when Nicole comes home from an exceptionally long shift looking forward to nothing more than eating, showering, and sleeping (She's exhausted--it was a long and grueling day, and she tells us so, in no uncertain terms), only to have a moderately uncomfortable encounter with another character--which she conveniently extracts herself from by heading right back to work! Surely that's neither realistic nor advisable? Though it wasn't a disappointing story, in the end, it just didn't seem polished enough to be as enjoyable as many of her more recent works.

"What Reilly Wants" is the second in a trilogy about a set of triplets who have inherited a large chunk of change from a relative--and then promptly bet it in a friendly family wager. Their older brother, a priest, bets his three siblings that they couldn't manage ninety days of celibacy. The first brother, Brian, has already lost "The Bet" when the story begins, and it's pretty clear from the start that Connor's days are numbered though the poor guy doesn't have a clue. How he becomes happy to be the second brother to go down is an entertaining story that will definitely have me looking for Brian and Adrian's stories soon...I wonder what kind of roof Father Reilly will be getting for his church when he wins?

[Julie Barrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kiss me I'm Irish by Roxanne St. Claire, Jill Shalvis, Maureen Child
Here we have 3 stories about Irish men and the women they love.

The Sins of His Past By Roxanne St. Claire
Deuce is back in town after he's been forced to retire from baseball. He
walks into the family bar and realizes it's now an internet cafe. He meets
Kendra who he had sex with the time he was home for his mothers funeral. He
never looked back. The town has changed so much although he was never here
to see it for himself. Now he finds out she owns half the cafe. Will he be able
to convince his dad who's hooked up with a younger woman that he wants the whole
bar as it was. There is SO much Deuce doesn't know of what's happened in the past
when he first signed up for baseball.
His father tells them to work together to make the place work: her with the internet
cafe and him with the sports bar.

Tangling with Ty by Jill Shalvis
Nicole is a doctor and eats, drinks and sleeps doing just that. She forgets about family
gatherings and upcoming engagement parties. She's all set to fight for her taco, that's all she
ever has time to eat when she works 24 hours straight, when she hears a male voice at the top
of her stairs, the new architect for the building. The one who will renovate it. Ty Patrick O'Grady.
She's also been fighting off going to parties with her boss. She tries to just do her work and
get out of the hospital.
Due to an injury she finds out a lot more about him that he really didn't want her to find out.
The emails continue also which is out of the blue and he's not sure if they are for real.
He's got a notion to pass through this town and hurry to the next one except ...


Whatever Reilly wants... by Maureen Child
Connor Reilly comes from a large size Irish family and they know what it means to stand by your family.
Being one of triplets and an uncle that left $10,000 they decided to place a bet-winner takes all.
No sex for 90 days and one of them is a priest, Liam so if the others fail the money will go towards a new roof for the church. Brian just got back together with his ex wife so chances are he was out.
Emma is a really close friend of the family and she's one of the guys. She's a mechanic and inherited the garage from her father when he passed away. She starts acting and dressing more sexier around him and he does take notice and does something about it.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been a fan of Jill Shalvis for a long time, but this was my first read by authors Roxanne St. Claire and Maureen Child and I was not disappointed.

Sometimes it’s hard for me to review and rate anthologies with different authors because some of the stories are not as good as the others, but in this case all of the stories are very well written and readable. And while they may not receive the same stared rating as a whole I am comfortable in the rating it received.

The first novel was The Sins of his Past, by Roxanne St. Claire. Featuring “retired Baseball player” Deuce Monroe and small town heroine Kendra Locke.

My thoughts before reading the book- I wasn’t expecting a whole lot, considering I’ve never read anything from this author. I just hoped it was good enough to get through.

My thoughts after reading the book- Why in the heck haven’t I read any of this authors work before? I immediately stalked her website and Facebook page to get more info on previous books she has written and new ones that are to be released soon.

4.5 Stars

In Jill Shalvis’ Tangling with Ty we got hunky architect Ty O’Grady and Doctor Nicole Mann.

I love Jill Shalvis, and while I thought Tangling with Ty was an okay read, I could tell it was one of her earlier books. I loved Ty; he was so sexy and funny. Nicole got on my nerves quite a bit though.
While this is nowhere near my favorite read from the talented JS. It gave me a chance to see how much she has improved over the years.

3.5 Stars

The last novel in this set was Whatever Riley Wants by Maureen Child. This story revolves around best friends Connor Reilly and Emma Jacobson.

I liked this book too and hopefully one day I’ll have enough time to catch up with the other Reilly’s.

3.5 Stars

As a whole I’m glad I had the opportunity to read these stories and got to add some new to me authors to my WL.

I received this ARC copy via NetGalley for an honest review.

[Annie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Posted on Under the Covers

This anthology is a compilation of previous released titles by Roxanne St. Claire, Jill Shalvis and Maureen Child. I have read only one of these authors (Jill Shalvis) so I was interested in reading some of her older titles, as well as reading works of the other two authors I haven’t had the chance to read as of yet.
As you can tell with the title, this has a St. Patrick’s Day theme, which is very, very cute!

The Sins of His Past by Roxanne St. Claire - 3 stars

I found that I enjoyed Roxanne’s writing style. It’s fun, sweet and also sexy. Deuce and Kendra were a good match for one another. For a shorter story, there was quite a lot of character development, so that impressed me a lot. I’ll have to look into St. Claire’s work since this one was a fun read.

Tangling with Ty by Jill Shalvis - 4 stars

Shalvis’ story was my favourite of the bunch. Immediately upon starting this book, I loved the heroine Nicole. She is a doctor and a workaholic and she meets her match in Ty Patrick O’Grady. I loved Ty! I thought it was sweet and funny, a perfect example of a lot of Jill Shalvis’ heroes. Jill never fails to make me smile as I read her books. Her charm comes across with each word and build up of character until you are swept away, falling in love, just like the hero and heroine.

Whatever Reilly Wants by Maureen Child - 3 stars


I haven’t read anything by Child before so I had no expectations going into this book. I was pleasantly surprised by this one. It was fun and the whole idea with the bet was interesting and funny! $10,000 goes to whoever can abstain from sex for 90 days. Money and male ego and sex put together always makes for a fun time!

[Shannon · Rating 2 out of 5]

A collection of older stories. I believe at least one of the characters in each story mentioned that they were part Irish.

The Sins of His Past - 4 stars - Fun with great chemistry and seemingly evenly matched main characters. I'm not sure of the exact number of pages, but there was much more character development than I expected from such a short story. Will have to keep an eye out for books by this author.

Tangling with Ty - 3 stars - I am a fan of the most recent books from Jill Shalvis and even her blog, but this was written a while back. The relationship between the main characters felt completely based on physical attraction and sex. The ending seemed rushed and artificial. I did like the workaholic heroine with a PhD.

Whatever Reilly Wants - DNF - The two main characters were supposed to be long-time friends. They start talking together and they don't seem to know anything about each other at all. She even asked him what it was like growing up as a triplet. I got tired of reading about what he wanted to do with her body, the zinging body parts when they come into contact with each other, her anger and how he was completely clueless.

2.5 stars out of 5

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow.... 3 hot men for the price of 1... you just can't beat it!!!

Sins from his Past was a sweet and some what complicated story. I really did fall for Deuce but at the same time he seemed clueless even after everything was laid out for him. Kendra was adorable, still in love with the man of her dreams but trying her damnedest to keep her heart under lock and key! A definite 4.5 star read!

Tangling with Ty It took me just a little more to warm up to this one because I just couldn't connect with Nicole.. but once I did I absolutely loved her. Then there is Ty, my heart broke for him in so many ways, he made me smile, he was absolutely adorable! Their story was sweet and beautiful. Another 4.5 star read!

Whatever Reilly Wants Wow... this had to be my favorite of the 3. I LOVED Conner and Emma, I loved how Emma got mad and decided to take a stand and then had Conner eating out of the palm of her hand. My favorite part was watching him finally realized what had been in front of him the entire time... and realizing he couldn't live without it. Definitely a 5 star read!

[Tina "IRead2Escape" · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a compilation of 3 different stories. Tangling with Ty, Whatever Reilly Wants... (Three-Way Wager, Book 2), The Sins Of His Past. My rating is a product of the 3 stories. I individually rated them, as well.

[Holly · Rating 3 out of 5]

All three stories in this collection are reprints. I have to say, I didn't love them. Each story had its good moments, but mostly I found myself frustrated with the story or annoyed at the characters.

[Ellen W-S · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice 4 out of5 stars. All enjoyable stories, my favorite was Tangling with Ty.

[Hina · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Sins of His Past by Roxanne St. Claire - 4 Stars
Tangling with Ty by Jill Shalvis - 4 Stars
Whatever Reilly Wants by Maureen Child - 4 Stars

[_yay_ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This ARC was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Publish date: February 28th, 2012 Fiction – Adult: Romance: Contemporary
Harlequin (HarlequinHQN)

#2 Jill Shalvis - Tangling with Ty: 5 stars

Dr. Nicole Mann lives for her job, it’s what defines her. When she isn’t working at the hospital, she’s sleeping - just to be woken up by her beeper a measly couple of hours later. The same routine day in day out; there’s no time for socializing. She’s not any good at it anyway.
An Irishman rattling her to the point of distraction clashes with her no men ever policy. Ty Patrick O’Grady can take his accent, sexy smile, laid-back personality…and shove it! Before either of them realizes what’s happening, they’re in trouble already. The happily ever after kind.

Driven, focused, single-minded. Yippie-ya-yeah! Nicole was in desperate need of some Irish fun. Nope, I’m not talking about a Guinness, though that’s one tasty dry stout. The heroine was the odd genius out, graduating high school at age twelve. My first impression of her? Wound up preeeeetty tight. You guessed right, this made me extremely happy. I couldn’t wait for her to meet her Irishman.

The heroine was very uncomfortable around other people. She even forgot about taking good care of herself and was on the verge of working herself into the ground. Needless to say I was giddy with excitement; wanted to see what would happen. What a fun premise!

I hoped for a hero with a large boisterous family, but soon realized the author’s decision to not grant my wish was the right one. Awkward introvert Nicole turned out to be the one with a big family. They all cared deeply about her. She loved them right back, just wasn’t capable of showing it, let alone deal with the whole bunch over long periods of time. It really tore at my heartstrings. Couldn’t wait for Ty to sweep her off her always-pressured-for-time feet.

Taylor and Suzanne were a true blessing. They took Nicole under their wings and went from neighbors to dear friends. Poor Nicole wasn’t really sure how to handle that, which made it all the more important for her to have them in her life. Caring and loyal to a fault – Nicole really hit the jackpot when moving into her new apartment.

I liked the heroine a lot, and with every chapter that feeling intensified. You will adore and respect her. She’s capable and competent in her line of work, yet completely clueless when it comes to interpersonal relations. Nicole actually thought she could plan to feel desire. Hilarious! There was one critical moment. Nicole acted exactly right and didn’t back down, didn’t let herself be intimidated. Using Ty’s words – she’s a “warrior princess.”
*Evillaugh*- you just wait for Mr. Kiss-Me-I’m-Irish to come into the picture, I thought before their first meeting. He did so swearing like a sailor, trying his best to hide his accent. Fortunately, that didn’t work when he was agitated or turned on.

Crystal-clear blue eyes? Gaaaaah! Hot! I had to pause for a moment to drool all over myself in the most unladylike fashion possible. The author mentioned the difference in height between hero and heroine. Wow, by doing so she reduced me to a squealing loved-up teenager mess. At well over 6 feet (him), Dr. Mann didn’t even reach Ty’s shoulders. Perfect match! His disarming little half smile totally did me in. The sparks were flying. He called her a peewee! Honestly, the chemistry wasn’t just off the charts; it was from an entirely different universe.

Ty was the one without any family; all alone in the world. It broke my heart. At first he seemed without a care in the world, and then the truth came out. I was in love already, crying my eyes out.
As easy it was for him to irritate Nicole, she got to him, too. More than he was ready to admit. They both were dedicated to their work. However, Ty knew how to let work be work and enjoy life. He wasn’t consumed by it. Something altogether different haunted his dreams. Nothing had been handed to Ty. He grew up to be a real manly man. Sexy, smart, great humor, bit of baggage and as a result…commitment issues. Nice, but not too much of a good guy. Definitely a tortured hero. I could go on. The characters clicked with me. First page – I was a goner with a cheesy happily ever after smile on my face.

I especially liked the conflict Ty faced regarding his heritage. It was linked to a lot of pain and shame. Bottom line: both hero and heroine had something to give. They were like day and night; equals all the same. There’s nothing I love more! They brought out the best in each other. Nicole had to experience life beyond the hospital’s doors, and Ty had been restless far too long. It was about time for him and his wanderlust to settle down. He knew how to coax Nicole into compliance. She pushed his buttons (admittedly without being aware of it). I had goose bumps all over my skin when his dark past caught up with him to reveal itself as a sparkling flash of bright light. In a nutshell: Good things happen to good people.

Full of life. That’s how I’d describe the writing. I bet the author had a blast creating these characters and letting them take her on a journey. As of now, one of my favorite contemporary romance novels. 5 stars to Tangling with Ty by Jill Shalvis.

Beware of Spoilers!
A few of my favorite quotes for those of you who are interested:
° “…a firm loner. Connections to people tended to give her hives.”
° “…felt defensive. She hated feeling defensive. It tended to put her on the offensive.”
° “Never again would he have an empty belly or the bonegnawing fear of the unknown…”
° “He, Ty Patrick O’Grady, no-good bastard, blackheart.”
° “You’re a hoarder. – A what? – You hoard your emotions. I appreciate that in a woman, as I do the same.”
° “…when he laid on his easygoing charm, he was dangerous to her mental health…”


#3 Maureen Child - Whatever Reilly Wants: 3 stars

“The Bet” made Connor Reilly’s life a whole lot harder. Pun intended. His ninety-day celibacy vow has him hyper aware of anything female. Best to hide out at his best friend’s garage.
Emma Jacobsen is no threat to Connor’s libido, that is, until she decides to teach him a lesson. She’s just as much woman as the string of hook-ups he normally tells her all about – with a punch on the shoulder for good “pal” measure.

Triplets and an older brother who’s a priest: Does it get any better than that? Sure! I firmly believe that a friendship between a woman and a man can work. My bestie and I are living proof. Six years and counting! Nevertheless, I’m also a girl, so it shouldn’t be a surprise to you that I luuuuurve the best friends fall in love scenario in a contemporary read.

The story started out great. The Reilly brothers were definitely Irishmen, no doubt about it. Connor a US Marine on leave – again, does it get any better? He’s a good guy and obviously never wanted to hurt his friend Emma by unintentionally - and unaware of doing so – questioning her womanly appeal. What a klutz he was, but certainly not a mean-spirited one. I laughed out loud and waited for Emma to lay into him; scream at him in a high pitched girly voice. Steam was coming out of her ears.

Her plan to make him lose his bet (some serious cash) was sound. I hear ya! – my loyal inner devil said to her. The situation she was in; it could’ve been you or me. No big stretch of one’s imagination. I could easily relate to her. No one wants to be misunderstood or feel unappreciated.

The hero’s emotions were all over the place; his hormones, too. Bound for disaster! My expectations were high, so it was a bit disappointing to find fault with a couple of aspects of the storyline. I wondered how Em’s anger could’ve overridden her common sense to the point of not even thinking about the risk of destroying their friendship. To shock Connor into a drooling sex-maniac was just one side of the coin. For the longest time their interactions were on / based on a physical level only. Get your mind out of the gutter. What I meant to say is that Em’s skimpy skirt and tiny boob-tastic shirt took center stage. Connor’s view of her changed. I was waiting for him to look past that superficial nonsense, though.

When Em’s scheme backfired on her it was hard for me to believe she felt more for him than just as a friend. Why? The author didn’t take the time to explain their friendship to me before jumping into the “from coverall to cover model” transformation. A prologue – scenes of their friendship – would’ve been awesome. Something to fall back on when I wasn’t sure there’s more to their attraction than fogging his mind by flaunting a hot bod in his face.

I was one happy camper once I realized that what I was missing hadn’t been forgotten. In the last chapters ample background information (their shared love for…see for yourself lol) was given. I suddenly understood how precious Em’s friendship was to Connor. Yes, her attempt to seduce him resulted in a solely physical reaction. No, her appearance wasn’t the main reason for crossing into more-than-friends territory. It was merely a catalyzer.

One not so little issue didn’t get resolved. What was up with that? Maybe because the novella is part of a series, but the author could’ve added a little spoiler to wrap it up nicely / make it work as a standalone.

I found the middle-stretch lacking depth – and one-liners (the great ones). The plot could’ve used a bit of polishing. However, I loved the ending. Drama, misunderstanding, light bulbs going off, pure bliss. 3 stars to Whatever Reilly Wants by Maureen Child.

Beware of Spoilers!
A few of my favorite quotes for those of you who are interested:
° “…liked woman. He liked the way they smelled and the way they laughed and the way they moved. He liked dancing with ‘em, walking with ‘em and most especially, he liked making love to ‘em.”
° “…being here is like finding a demilitarized zone in the middle of a war.”
° “Emma’d been fuming. And thinking. A combustible combination.”
° “Damn it, who would’ve guessed that little Emma Jacobsen was packing concealed weapons?”
° “…a man needed a battle plan to deal with a woman. Any woman. Especially, it seemed, this…”


#1 Roxanne St. Claire - The Sins of His Past: 1 star

Kendra Locke has had a tough run of it the last couple of years. Finally, she sees light at the end of the tunnel, just to have her hopes crushed all over again.
Deuce Monroe was supposed to be out of her life for good, but now he’s back in town. Retired, he says. No more baseball.
She can’t tell him how devastated she was when he walked away without a backward glance nine years ago. She won’t! Reopening old sores hurts, even more so when the person that caused them still makes your heart flutter.

Deuce bulldozed his way back into town. What fun to have the “retired” baseball pro standing in front of what should’ve still been a family bar. Almost cute how shocked he was. He couldn’t help but pout. I said almost! He came across as a real jerk.

I felt bad for him, yes, just not all that much. He left Rockingham Massachusetts in his haste to find greener pastures; that doesn’t mean it all stayed the same while he was living life on the fast lane. Ungrateful is the word that came to mind. The circumstances of his so called retirement were in accord with his childish behavior. At least he was consistent. He got brownie points for acknowledging his major screw-up. A certain female bar manager deserved a heartfelt apology. She got two: The first one lacking sincerity, the second one heartfelt, but too late (at least in my humble opinion). The result? None of these brownie points left.

The hero had lots of growing up to do, burned bridges to rebuild. I was right to have doubts. He changed for the better, but didn’t redeem himself. I couldn’t shake my dislike of him, no matter how hard I tried. I also wasn’t really sure this novella was the best pick to be included in this compilation. He might’ve been Irish, but no accent was mentioned (or did I miss that part because I couldn’t get into the story?). Running a sports bar? A bit cliché, don’t you think?

I don’t know what it was that had me pulling my hair. Deuce thought himself an idiot for wham-bam-thank-you-mam-ing Kendra; I guess the gesture simply didn’t carry enough conviction to make me see him in another light. How he felt about his father didn’t change that either. At one point Kendra called him out on being a spoiled brat. Good for her! Basically the only time I felt a connection to any of the characters.
The secret Kendra kept from Deuce was a whopper. I waited until the end, hoping for them to really talk to each other. That moment never came. I’m not counting the lackluster conversation right after Deuce found out what exactly it was that had cost Kendra her Harvard dreams.

All in all, this theme (shared past, loss) definitely wasn’t the right fit for a novella. The author’s contemporary voice didn’t grab hold of me either. What could’ve changed my opinion: Why wasn’t the tragedy the heroine had to overcome revealed sooner? What I was really interested in reading about was the time right after the revelation until the happy end. I didn’t much care for his actions before that. There was no time left to grieve.

Their relationship also lacked chemistry. I felt it when Kendra remembered her childhood and how big her crush on Deuce was back then, but not between them as adults.

I don’t want you to think you won’t enjoy this quick read, for there’s a good chance you will. It just wasn’t for me. The story could’ve been really good with just a bit more soul (and with soul I mean depth, humor, power of persuasion). 1 star to The Sins of His Past by Roxanne St. Claire.

Beware of Spoilers!
A few of my least favorite quotes for those of you who are interested:
° “She’d been on fire with ambition. And on fire with a few other things, too.”
° “Men who’d had pacemakers put in a year ago didn’t have fiancées.”
° “Most times the bar is the most profitable part of a bar.”

[Summer · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bind up of Harlequin novels from 2003-2006, each featuring an Irish hero, though all are set in the U.S., and none lean all that heavily into the Irish aspect. Tone-wise and spice-wise these felt like they probably originated in the Desire or Blaze lines.


Sins of His Past by Roxanne St. Claire.

With his baseball career suddenly over, Deuce returns to his hometown determined to take over his family business only for that plan to put him at odds with Kendra, his one night stand from years ago who’s crushed on him her entire life.

I wanted to see a little more of Kendra’s spine. I just felt like after this guy basically ghosted her, after the detour her life took, and then he shows up unapologetically looking to blow up everything she’d worked towards for years, it seemed off to me that she’d still be so susceptible to this crush, that she wasn’t more inclined towards some anger and making him work harder to win her back.

While their chemistry was apparent, I never entirely warmed to Deuce, didn’t hate him, but he had this entitled air I guess that didn’t really work for me. And also, other than for somewhat contrived dramatic purposes, I didn’t really see why Deuce would have to choose between those two things in the end, many people manage to have both in their lives.

I did like Roxanne St. Claire’s writing style, very readable, smooth dialogue, just descriptive enough, so even though this story wasn’t perfect for me, I wouldn’t mind trying something else from this author.


Tangling With Ty by Jill Shalvis.

Got the sense that this is a part of series featuring three friends, one of whom has already paired off when this story begins, but there’s no problem reading this one as a standalone.

Chemistry was strong in this one, I liked their banter, though this relied more on lust and spice to “show” them falling in love and I would have preferred a bit more time developing the emotional connection.

I also wouldn’t have minded a bit more time spent on the mysterious emailer who’s gotten in touch with Ty, that unfolded more off the page than I would have liked.

The sexual harassment story was only briefly touched on but it was handled in a way that felt very true to Nicole’s character, who I really liked, a genius workaholic and a loner learning to let friends in, I enjoyed her, especially as she discovered the simple pleasures of a day off.


Whatever Reilly Wants by Maureen Child.

A celibacy bet between brothers to win $10,000 carries on throughout this trilogy, so some may prefer reading them all in order to see how that plays out, however this second book is easily read as a standalone.

I didn’t feel like I got to know Connor well enough, other than he’s fairly obsessed with sex. I just really wanted something else going on for him that wasn’t how challenging it is for him to resist nearly every woman he sees.

He initially thinks he can resist his friend, Emma, who takes great offense at that so she sets out to seduce him and cause him to lose his bet. I got that she’s fed up with guys wanting her to look and behave more stereotypically feminine, but I didn’t really understand how attracting Connor via dressing unlike her usual self was really proving any kind of point. I guess I just in general tend to prefer when attraction ignites from love interests just being themselves, no visual makeover required.

I really liked the idea that Emma’s a mechanic, that she’s running her father’s garage, that’s just such an uncommon profession in the world of romance novel heroines and I wish this would have shown more of her doing her job, more of her contending with a role that’s often occupied and surrounded by men.

I also would have loved if early on we spent more time with these two in their friendship, the romance or rather the sudden physical attraction, might have felt a bit more high stakes emotionally had I seen more of the bond they stood to possibly lose by crossing that line. I think ultimately this one was just a little too consumed with spice for me, not enough story to go with it, though considering current trends in romance, I’m sure there are other readers out there for whom this would be a perfect fit.

[RealmsQueen · Rating 3 out of 5]

We've got three stories here, The Sins of His Past by Roxanne St. Claire, Tangling with Ty by Jill Shavis, and Whatever Reilly Wants....by Maureen Child.

The Sins of His Past: This is the story of famous ball player Deuce Monroe, who wrecks his career and goes back home to Smalltown USA to take over the family bar, only to find the little sister of his best friend, Kendra Locke, owns half of it and is trying to turn it into her dream: a cyber cafe and artist space.

This also happens to be the little sister who had a crush on Deuce growing up, and who nine years before the story starts spent one night with the man she's loved all her life where she gives him her virginity, becomes pregnant with his child, and then loses the babe seven months later, all without telling him a damned thing.

So Deuce comes home, hoping to take over the bar, sees it all changed around, and tries to change it back. He and Kendra are left on their own for a month to work things out, and you can guess what happens.

I was a little disappointed with this one. The main character is third generation American so there's no hint of a brogue when he speaks, at least not that anyone notes, and the Irish heritage thing just kinda seemed tossed in there when we met his dad. Don't get me wrong, I liked it. They took longer to get things rolling than I usually like, but it's understandable. You kinda can't get over nine years of that stuff right quick and in a hurry.

Didn't make me a fan of the writer either. Good story, little slow, little disappointing, but not bad.

Tangling With Ty: Ahhhh....much better. This is the kind of story I was expecting at first. It also breaks the gender roles a bit which I quite liked.

Here we are introduced to Ty Patrick O'Grady, architect; and tough doctor chick Nicole Mann. Ty had been called in to do an estimate to renovate the old building Nicole lives in, she when she first sees him he's got his butt in the air taking measurements and 'swearing the air blue' because some piece of equipment isn't working.

Now here we have multiple references to the man's gorgeous accent, his 'typical' Irish looks, as well as we get to 'read' the accent. Translation: the words are printed the way they sound. Example: darling = darlin'

And while the gender deviation isn't very large or noticeable, it's there. Generally speaking, women in contemporary romance tend to be rather proper, in least in terms of appearance. No piercing, no tattoos, they don't smoke, make the first move, drink, swear, etc. But Miss Nicole Mann was a bit of a prodigy child growing up, and went into med school while still in her late teens. To commemorate the blood, sweat, and tears she shed to get her medical degree while in the midst of navigating the world when she was just becoming legal, she has one silver hoop in her right ear for every year she spent in school. A badge of honor and a rite of passage. A rather touching deviation if you ask me, and apparently there are quite a few of them earrings too.

There's a fair amount of humor here as well, as the tough, young, street savvy doctor gets completely flummoxed by the sexy Irish architect who's renovating her building hits on her. Rather sweet and charming really. The thing that seems to help this relationship the most is the fact that he falls through her ceiling while inspecting the attic and she has to take care of him. After panicking that there's an unconscious man in her living room first of course.

So this one went much better than the first. The Irish wasn't just kinda slapped on, the pacing was better, and it actually made me interesting in looking up more of Jill Shavis' works and seeing what else she had to offer.

Whatever Reilly Wants...: Little from column A, little from column B. I liked it better than Sins of His Past, but not as much as Tangling With Ty. There is the clear indication of the Irish background here, and gender deviation as well, but it didn't catch me like I was expecting it to.

The leading lady Emma, then takes it upon herself to go after her best friend Connor Reilly, who has 3 brothers: Liam the priest who is the eldest of the four; and Brian and Aidan who are the same age as Connor, seeing how they're triplets and all.

Now one thing about the Reilly brothers is that they're real competitive, but in a good way. See Liam has challenges his brothers that they can't go ninety days without something that Liam has sworn off of for the rest of his life: Sex. Now when we're brought into the story, there's about five weeks left to go, and Brian has already lost the bet seeing how he went and got married. So Connor, being a red blooded male and all, is getting kinda antsy and goes to his best friend Emma to talk to, because despite her being a woman, she is also a mechanic, and as such Connor sees her as one of the guys, not a woman, and feels safe around her.

And the fidiot make the mistake of telling her this. That he doesn't see her as a woman.

Now any woman would be rightly pissed at this, and Emma is no exception. So what does she do? She sets out to deliberately seduce Connor and make him lose his bet, and of course they wind up falling in love in the process.

I liked it better than The Sins of His Past because of Emma. She takes it upon herself to teach Mr. Reilly what for after that comment, and it is rather refreshing to see a woman make the first move. I also just like the way her character is set up. She's rather tomboyish, being a mechanic and all, and she makes no apologies for it.

I like it less than Tangling With Ty because again it seems that the 'Irish' was just thrown in. There's no accent, no reference, the only thing that really defines them as being of Irish decent is their names and that's no fun.

As for the writing and the author, while I won't be hunting down her books, I won't be completely ignoring her either. I liked her writing style and her characters, but not enough to seek her out in the future. But I will be open to reading more of her work if it ever catches my eye.

So all in all with this one folks, not bad. I'd say this one was kinda 50/50. All stories have their good points, all have their bad, none are really so bad that they make the book unreadable, and none are so awesome that they elevate it to "OMG MUST READ MORE" status. Didn't really pick anything up for inspiration unfortunately, but I'm sure there's something else out there I can find that will lend me that helping hand.

[Simply Love Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review post on Guilty Pleasures

Recommended Read and 4.5 Stars


This anthology is a collection of books written by long time favorite authors Roxanne St. Claire, Jill Shavis, and Maureen Child. They were originally published in 2003, 2005, and 2006. I found it very interesting to read these books by authors I still enjoy and see not only how their writing has changed but also how the world has changed. These were fun, flirty, and fast reads and I enjoyed each of them very much.Overall, I give this anthology 4.5 stars. As a reader, you will have to remind yourself when these were published.


THE SINS OF HIS PAST by Roxanne St. Claire
When a hometown sports hero, Deuce Monroe, returns home he finds that a whole lot has changed and he’s not sure he likes it. Deuce has had to “retire” from his pro baseball career following some bad behavior his team didn’t like. He’s not happy about this change in his life but figures he’ll return home to run his family’s bar. Problem is he’s been away far too long and the bar is being changed to a cyber café (here’s where you have to remember when the story was written). The manager and now part owner, Kendra Locke has a bigger vision for the bar/café and the blessing of Deuce’s father (Seamus) and his girlfriend.

Deuce and Kendra have a past, one that happened on one of the rare trips Deuce made home after he turned pro. Following his mother’s funeral he and Kendra had a fling and then he left and never called. Kendra had a crush on Deuce for a long time, so as you can imagine, she was crushed and now harbors bad feelings towards Deuce.

I didn’t find Deuce a very likeable hero, he was self centered and full of himself. He expected to come home and find everything like he left it even after being gone for a long time. Kendra was smart, savvy, and wounded. What I liked was that she didn’t allow Deuce to manipulate her. She stood up to him and didn’t back down. During the story the past comes back to haunt them both and this adds another dimension to this short story.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. It was kind of like a blast from the past with the whole “cyber café” theme, and definitely worth reading.

Slick gives The Sins of His Past 4 Stars


TANGLING WITH TY by Jill Shalvis
This book was kind of an eye opener for me. I’ve read just about everything Jill Shavis has written that’s available for my Kindle. I’ve read a lot of her older books and devour her new ones as soon as they are released. This book, written in 2003, is one I had never read and while I thoroughly enjoyed it, I see how Jill’s writing style has changed and developed over the years.

Ty Patrick O’Grady (don’t you just love that name), is a wanderer who had a horrible childhood and now lives his life on his terms. He’s accomplished a lot considering his upbringing, but feels he doesn’t “need” anyone in his life.

Nicole Mann is a very young, smart, and dedicated doctor. Because she’s always been different, she lacks social skills and doesn’t have a lot of friends. She prefers work to social situations and avoids most people including her family.

Ty is hired by Nicole’s landlord, Taylor, to renovate their building. From the minute these two meet, it’s clear there are sparks. Of course Ty has a nice little sexual fling in mind and Nicole doesn’t want to even think about anything with Ty. However, Taylor thinks these two belong together and sets out to thrust them together at every opportunity.

There were several things I loved about this book. I loved that at first Nicole and Ty seemed very, very different but underneath they were really a lot alike. They both tended to not stay in one place long, they both tried to avoid relationships and friendships, and they both are vulnerable but for different reasons. I enjoyed how Taylor and Suzanne kept after Nicole and tried to make her interact with people more. They were true friends that wouldn’t take no for an answer. I loved how Ty’s Irish accent came out when he was mad or horny. Can you say HOT? I adored that when Ty got hurt; calm, cool, and collected Nicole lost it. It seemed so out of character but in reality, it made you realize she was human after all.

This story has such likeable characters, great back story on the hero and heroine, and romance galore. For those of you who read Jill’s books of today there are sex scenes in this story but they are tame compared to her recent works. I enjoyed this book very much, and highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good romance.

Slick gives Tangling With Ty 4.5 Stars



WHAT REILLY WANTS by Maureen Child
I’m a sucker for friends to lover’s stories and this book is probably one of the best I’ve read. Connor Reilly is involved in a bet with his fellow triplets and their older brother, a priest. No sex for 90 days and if all of the triples loose this bet, Father Liam gets $10,000 for a new roof for his church. One triplet is down for the count, he reconciled with his wife. The other two, Connor and Adrian, are determined to win this bet and split the money. Emma Jacobsen is Connor’s best friend. He confesses to her that he has to stay away from women so he can win this bet. When she reminds him that she’s a woman, he basically tells her he sees her as the ace mechanic that she is and not as a woman. Emma sets out to make Connor loose the bet.

This book has such a great cast of characters. I love the interplay between Connor and his brothers. Father Liam is fantastic and his advice to all involved, including Emma, is spot on. Connor despite not thinking about Emma’s feelings really is a great guy and one most women would love to be involved with. Emma’s been hurt in the past and it affects the way she thinks and how she acts in her relationship with Connor. When they do get together the sex scenes are pretty darn hot. Loved the one in her shop, whew!

Probably the best thing about this book though is the dialog. There were so many humorous moments that I found myself laughing out loud. I’ll admit, I love romance books of all kind but ones that make me laugh are always my favorite. Some of the thoughts in Connor’s head amused me greatly.

A fun group of characters, witty dialog, a dashing albeit sometime clueless hero and a fragile but smart heroine make this a really great book. I also love that Connor finally realized that Emma isn’t like other women and that is a good thing!

Slick gives What Reilly Wants 4.5 Stars

[Debra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kids Me, I'm Irish

This book has three stories inside. Each one has a little Blarney in it. Love is not a straight path. Each has Irish roots that make their lives full of magic. The first is about a baseball player who went home for a visit and found more than he bargained for. The second one is about two people who have commitment issues due to their past. One is an Irishman and the other an overly smart doctor. Can they both learn to trust the other? And the third is one of three brothers who are Irish decent also triplets. Who with their oldest brother make a bet. This is the second brothers story, one has already but the dust, so to speak. With the help of the oldest, who is a priest, helping them lose this was a fun read. Need to read all of the brother's books.

[Bibliojunkies]

Three bestselling authors brings fans three classic stories of sexy Irishmen and the women who love them. Includes St. Claire's "The Sins of His Past", "Tangling with Ty" by Jill Shalvis, and "What Reilly Wants" by Maureen Child. Original.

The Sins of His Past by Roxanne St. Claire
For one incredible night, Kendra Locke gave Deuce Monroe everything she had. Then he walked away without a backward glance to chase his big-league dreams. Now after one too many daredevil stunts, he's back in his hometown ready to pick up where they left off—but Kendra has no intention of giving in so easily….

Tangling with Ty by Jill Shalvis
Dr. Nicole Mann, a child prodigy who graduated high school at the age of thirteen, has no room in her mind or her schedule for romance. But when the architect renovating her apartment turns out to have a charming Irish accent, all bets are off—and Ty Patrick O'Grady plans to use every trick in his book to stay in her life for good.

Whatever Reilly Wants by Maureen Child
Connor Reilly only has a few weeks to go in his "no sex for ninety days" bet with his brothers—and he figures no woman is safer to be around than his best friend, Emma Jacobsen. Until Emma shows up at a bar in a short skirt and high heels, and suddenly seems anything but safe!






As I mentioned previously, I am not a big fan of romantic short stories or novellas. In the past I have found that the shorter the story the less character development which makes the romance unbelievable. But after being wonderfully surprised by Boys of Summer, I decided to give this collection a shot. And let’s admit it. It has story by JILL SHALVIS and we all know how fangirl the three of us (especially Shel) can get over Jill.


The Sins of His Past by Roxanne St. Claire – Deuce has “retired” from his lucrative baseball career and has returned to his hometown in Cape Cod with the attention of taking over the family bar. But Deuce has been so absorbed in his own life that he isn’t aware of the changes that have taken place back home. What he finds when he returns is that his dad is engaged and has allowed Deuces old flame, Kendra, to take over the bar. Kendra is more than half way through plans and renovations to turn the bar in an internet café and the surrounding area into an arts center that will benefit the community. Deuce has already turned her life upside down once before. Now his return threatens to turn all her hard work on its head. When I started this story I complained to Shel because Deuce was so selfish and arrogant and Kendra seemed to be put up with too much. But this was a surprisingly well laid out and developed story. By the end I was rooting for both of them and their happily ever after.


Tangling with Ty by Jill Shalvis – Nicole has taken a vow of singlehood. She has her career (every hour of every day) and her family (when they are convenient) and her friends (when she wants them). When you have what you want on your terms why add something as uncontrollable as love? Ty has risen above his shady past. He is an architect and a wanderer. Picking up and moving when his current location and friends cease to keep his interest. When his current job brings him Nicole, he starts to rethink his wandering habits. It pains me to say this but I did not like this particular story. I had a hard time getting in touch with the characters. Not that they were unlikable. I just didn’t understand them. And to be honest, Nicole frustrated me. She was cute and her flakiness was kind of adorable. But she is a surgeon and she NEVER sleeps. Every time she comes home from her time consuming job she is paged back to work or she runs back to work to avoid something else. I think she slept twice in the entirety of the story. All I could think was I would not want her performing surgery on me - EVER. After reading and falling in love with some of Jill Shalvis’s more recent novels, it was disappointing to not fall in love with this one too. But I do have to remind myself that this is an older story of Jill’s and her work has only gotten better over the years.


Whatever Reilly Wants by Maureen Child – Connor Reilly still stands to win a $10,000 inheritance if he can manage to stay celibate for two more months. Not an easy bet but one he thinks he can manage. That is until his best friend of two years, Emma Jacobsen, turns his head at the local bar. Emma is pissed that Connor plainly stated he is hanging out with her more during the bet because she is safe. Not exactly the most flattering thing to say to a girl. She decides to seduce him into bed proving that she isn’t the safe bet he thought she was. What she didn’t plan on was losing her heart to her best friend. This story was cute. I am a sucker for best-friends-turn-lovers stories so I was immediately sucked in. Both Connor and Emma were likeable characters and the supporting characters had surprisingly significant roles to play in this short story.


In the end, this collection met my previous expectations for romantic shorts or novellas. It was an ok read but not something I would re-read later as a comfort read like I do with so many of my full length romance novels.






Nat