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Papaioannou #1
It's All Greek to Me
Billionaire Greek playboy Iakovos Papaioannou knew his sister hired her favorite band to perform at her birthday party. He's just not sure how their six-foot tall, wild-haired, tempestuous manager has already ended up in his bed-and in his heart. Eglantine "Harry" Knight is so not his type. She's as infuriating as she is intriguing, and she's can't keep her hands off of him. But she just may be the woman who knocks him off the world's most eligible bachelor list for good...
240 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 6, 2011
85 people are currently reading
1379 people want to read
About the author
Katie MacAlister
121 books5,975 followersFor as long as she can remember, Katie MacAlister has loved reading. Growing up in a family where a weekly visit to the library was a given, Katie spent much of her time with her nose buried in a book. Despite her love for novels, she didn't think of writing them until she was contracted to write a non-fiction book about software. Since her editor refused to allow her to include either witty dialogue or love scenes in the software book, Katie swiftly resolved to switch to fiction, where she could indulge in world building, tormenting characters, and falling madly in love with all her heroes.
Two years after she started writing novels, Katie sold her first romance, Noble Intentions. More than thirty books followed during the years after Noble's publication. Her novels have been translated into numerous languages, been recorded as audiobooks, received several awards, and placed on the New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly bestseller lists. She also writes for the young adult audience as Katie Maxwell, and for the mystery world as Kate Marsh.
Katie lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and dogs, and can often be found lurking around online.
Two years after she started writing novels, Katie sold her first romance, Noble Intentions. More than thirty books followed during the years after Noble's publication. Her novels have been translated into numerous languages, been recorded as audiobooks, received several awards, and placed on the New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly bestseller lists. She also writes for the young adult audience as Katie Maxwell, and for the mystery world as Kate Marsh.
Katie lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and dogs, and can often be found lurking around online.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 239 reviews
July 18, 2014
1 star – Contemporary Romance
I’m usually a generous reviewer and rarely rate a book less than 2 stars, but this is an absolute Greektragedy train wreck. I’ve never read anything by this author before, so I don’t know if fluffy and silly to the point of utterly ridiculous is her usual style or if this is just a disappointing exception. I think the author was aiming for light, humorous, and sexy, but it really missed the mark for me.
The first chapter is annoying with one of the most unromantic scenarios for the H/h meeting in any romance that I’ve read. And the hero, Iakovos, and heroine, Eglantine “Harry”, (yes, those are really their names) speed from animosity toward each other in the first chapter to sex in the third chapter, and the plot (or lack thereof) and dialogue are pour some wine cheesy.
Here’s an example of the strong cheese factor.
*Eyeroll*
I don’t relish giving low reviews because I recognize that authors put a lot of passion into their books. Unfortunately, this was too silly and borderline lazy and it just didn’t work for me. I really struggled to finish and ended up skimming the second half. Sadly, I can’t even say “it was ok” to give 2 stars, so a rare 1 star from me, it is. :(
I’m usually a generous reviewer and rarely rate a book less than 2 stars, but this is an absolute Greek
The first chapter is annoying with one of the most unromantic scenarios for the H/h meeting in any romance that I’ve read. And the hero, Iakovos, and heroine, Eglantine “Harry”, (yes, those are really their names) speed from animosity toward each other in the first chapter to sex in the third chapter, and the plot (or lack thereof) and dialogue are pour some wine cheesy.
Here’s an example of the strong cheese factor.
*Eyeroll*
I don’t relish giving low reviews because I recognize that authors put a lot of passion into their books. Unfortunately, this was too silly and borderline lazy and it just didn’t work for me. I really struggled to finish and ended up skimming the second half. Sadly, I can’t even say “it was ok” to give 2 stars, so a rare 1 star from me, it is. :(
November 14, 2011
When I was sent Katie MacAlister’s It’s All Greek to Me, I thought it would be a light-hearted, fun and sexy romance between the awkward heroine (who thinks she’s a plain Jane) and the to die for handsome Greek billionaire who falls in love with her. It’s sad that the first chapter is so full of WTFckery, where you want to throw the book against the wall and really wonder what the author and the publisher were thinking when they decided to release this. Also, my antenna was raised when I read in the dedication from Katie where she mentions it took her 6 days to write this book. That made me go, “huh?”, because unless you’re writing non-stop for 6 days straight, I can’t see how anyone can finishing writing a manuscript that comes out to be a 326 page paperback.
But I digress…
The first chapter is oh so droll and ha-ha where Iakovos Papaioannou's brother, or better known as Yacky to the heroine when they become lovers, is accused of raping an eighteen year old girl. The eighteen year old is Cyndi, the lead singer of the band that was sent to perform for Yacky’s younger sister’s birthday party on his Greek island. The heroine, Eglantine “Harry” Knight” is not only a famous author, but a stand in manager for Cyndi’s band. Harry thinks she’s plain and not that attractive. She has had only one lover since she’s so un-attractive, although Yacky thinks the exact opposite. Harry and Yacky meet and lock horns when she comes to Cyndi’s aid.
Cyndi is naked in a bed, crying and scared, as well as having “nasty-looking raw marks on her neck and chest”. Cyndi has accused Yacky’s brother, Theo of raping her. Harry knows right off the bat that something is wrong here and Cyndi is lying because Cyndi’s “petulant purse of her lips” sound off some warning bells in Harry’s brain. We’re told then told that Cyndi is milking this situation for all it’s worth and Cyndi perused Theo and not the other way around. Those marks on her chest are from whisker burns because Greek men need to shave everyday because they become so hairy. Theo accuses Cyndi of throwing herself at him and for some reason (which isn’t revealed) he stops having sex with her. Cyndi must be lying even though she’s crying and visibly upset.
Yacky accuses Cyndi of faking because in the past many women have wanted Theo because of his good looks and fortune. Harry thinks Yacky is a jerk for thinking that and Yacky finds Harry to be a very strange woman. But as this is all going on, “something primal, some urge, woke and demanded that he claim her in the most fundamental way a man could claim a woman.” Yacky is suddenly turned on by Harry while Theo has been accused of rape. Good to know where Yacky’s priorities lie.
Yacky, Theo and Harry go to the hospital with Cyndi to get her checked out. Theo thinks Harry is a she-devil because she dared not to believe him and kneed him in the balls when he got fresh with her. Yacky thinks Harry is a luscious Amazon. Theo continues to stay it wasn’t his fault even though he was a little drunk, more along the lines of being buzzed. He couldn’t help himself because, “All Papaioannou men have to do is smile, and women fall all over themselves to crawl into our beds.” From this statement, Theo believes Cyndi was asking for it and even if she told him to stop at one point, he shouldn’t because of his past experiences with all these women crawling into bed to be with him.
Harry then talks to Yacky, and instead of keeping her distance from him, she does a little bantering and flirting with him. Then they’re kissing and Harry decides she’ll have sex with him. This all happens while Cyndi is still being check out for sexual trauma!
Over the course of the next few chapters, Harry and Yacky become lovers, conveniently forgetting that Theo may have raped Cyndi. That situation is dropped and everyone goes on their marry way as if it never happened. Theo, who knows Yacky and Harry have become lovers, even tries to seduce Harry at one point.
That's where I chucked this book to the side seriously thinking WTF did I read? It’s bad enough a story starts out with an alleged attempted rape that apparently didn’t happen because the eighteen year old Cyndi is responsible for what happened to her because she threw herself at Theo. Also Harry jumps right into Yacky’s bed even before the crime has been investigated or a doctor comes forward to say that there is no evidence of Cyndi suffering any sexual trauma.
And don’t get me started how Harry has no real sexual experience other than one partner. This is a woman in her thirties who was with a man in a relationship for three years. She tells Yacky she never had a man’s tongue down her throat. This leads me to believe a man never kissed her or gave her passionate kisses. Hello? What type of relationship were you in for three years if a man never kissed you with a little tongue action? Yacky, on the other hand has worlds of experience because he’s handsome and a Greek Billionaire.
It’s All Greek to Me is a massive WTFckery with ridiculous situations that are insulting to women with a lame attempt to be slapstick. Maybe I’m missing something, but when did a rape attempt or even a failed seduction attempt by an eighteen year old girl, who is refused by the older man she wants and then cries rape (even after there is evidence that the man has been intimate with her to the point of intercourse ) is considered oh so funny? If someone can explain this to me, please do.
Based on what I read here, I will never read another Katie MacAlister book again.
Rape being made fun in such of way regardless of the character’s horrible personality or how she's overreacting and asked for it by her alleged rapist, is so wrong on the author’s part just to get a few laughs and bring the heroine and heroine together. For shame, Ms. MacAlister.
But I digress…
The first chapter is oh so droll and ha-ha where Iakovos Papaioannou's brother, or better known as Yacky to the heroine when they become lovers, is accused of raping an eighteen year old girl. The eighteen year old is Cyndi, the lead singer of the band that was sent to perform for Yacky’s younger sister’s birthday party on his Greek island. The heroine, Eglantine “Harry” Knight” is not only a famous author, but a stand in manager for Cyndi’s band. Harry thinks she’s plain and not that attractive. She has had only one lover since she’s so un-attractive, although Yacky thinks the exact opposite. Harry and Yacky meet and lock horns when she comes to Cyndi’s aid.
Cyndi is naked in a bed, crying and scared, as well as having “nasty-looking raw marks on her neck and chest”. Cyndi has accused Yacky’s brother, Theo of raping her. Harry knows right off the bat that something is wrong here and Cyndi is lying because Cyndi’s “petulant purse of her lips” sound off some warning bells in Harry’s brain. We’re told then told that Cyndi is milking this situation for all it’s worth and Cyndi perused Theo and not the other way around. Those marks on her chest are from whisker burns because Greek men need to shave everyday because they become so hairy. Theo accuses Cyndi of throwing herself at him and for some reason (which isn’t revealed) he stops having sex with her. Cyndi must be lying even though she’s crying and visibly upset.
Yacky accuses Cyndi of faking because in the past many women have wanted Theo because of his good looks and fortune. Harry thinks Yacky is a jerk for thinking that and Yacky finds Harry to be a very strange woman. But as this is all going on, “something primal, some urge, woke and demanded that he claim her in the most fundamental way a man could claim a woman.” Yacky is suddenly turned on by Harry while Theo has been accused of rape. Good to know where Yacky’s priorities lie.
Yacky, Theo and Harry go to the hospital with Cyndi to get her checked out. Theo thinks Harry is a she-devil because she dared not to believe him and kneed him in the balls when he got fresh with her. Yacky thinks Harry is a luscious Amazon. Theo continues to stay it wasn’t his fault even though he was a little drunk, more along the lines of being buzzed. He couldn’t help himself because, “All Papaioannou men have to do is smile, and women fall all over themselves to crawl into our beds.” From this statement, Theo believes Cyndi was asking for it and even if she told him to stop at one point, he shouldn’t because of his past experiences with all these women crawling into bed to be with him.
Harry then talks to Yacky, and instead of keeping her distance from him, she does a little bantering and flirting with him. Then they’re kissing and Harry decides she’ll have sex with him. This all happens while Cyndi is still being check out for sexual trauma!
Over the course of the next few chapters, Harry and Yacky become lovers, conveniently forgetting that Theo may have raped Cyndi. That situation is dropped and everyone goes on their marry way as if it never happened. Theo, who knows Yacky and Harry have become lovers, even tries to seduce Harry at one point.
That's where I chucked this book to the side seriously thinking WTF did I read? It’s bad enough a story starts out with an alleged attempted rape that apparently didn’t happen because the eighteen year old Cyndi is responsible for what happened to her because she threw herself at Theo. Also Harry jumps right into Yacky’s bed even before the crime has been investigated or a doctor comes forward to say that there is no evidence of Cyndi suffering any sexual trauma.
And don’t get me started how Harry has no real sexual experience other than one partner. This is a woman in her thirties who was with a man in a relationship for three years. She tells Yacky she never had a man’s tongue down her throat. This leads me to believe a man never kissed her or gave her passionate kisses. Hello? What type of relationship were you in for three years if a man never kissed you with a little tongue action? Yacky, on the other hand has worlds of experience because he’s handsome and a Greek Billionaire.
It’s All Greek to Me is a massive WTFckery with ridiculous situations that are insulting to women with a lame attempt to be slapstick. Maybe I’m missing something, but when did a rape attempt or even a failed seduction attempt by an eighteen year old girl, who is refused by the older man she wants and then cries rape (even after there is evidence that the man has been intimate with her to the point of intercourse ) is considered oh so funny? If someone can explain this to me, please do.
Based on what I read here, I will never read another Katie MacAlister book again.
Rape being made fun in such of way regardless of the character’s horrible personality or how she's overreacting and asked for it by her alleged rapist, is so wrong on the author’s part just to get a few laughs and bring the heroine and heroine together. For shame, Ms. MacAlister.
December 8, 2011
It's All Greek to Me - Katie MacAlister
Thank god, Katie followed her formula of writing; actually, I don't think she took one step off the path of the formula she uses. If you are a fan of Katie MacAlister as I had been, then I think you will know what I mean.
The formula? A heroine who is strong, smart and incredibly understanding yet runs off at the mouth inappropriately has sex somewhat too soon, declares her love a bit too soon and is totally irreverent to the ones she loves. A book filled with sly jokes and innuendo. Slapstick.
The sex scenes (and there were reams and reams of them in this book) are typical of past books too. The female (Harry) has an unhealthy fascination with the `hero's' (Yacky) body and typically what she want to do is to lick him -a lot- and in many, many places.
Oddly in this book I got to about 33 percent (reading on Kindle) and thought the book was done, over finished. They met, they had relations, and they fell in love. Yet the book was not done yet. We had to deal with the story and there wasn't much story. Usually Katie's books deal with some sort of mystery even her contemporaries and historical but this- I cannot even begin to tell you that this book was about anything else other than what I've already described. Mouthy writer meets hunky Greek billionaire, has sex, falls in love, has a tiny bit of conflict and misunderstanding with Yacky, deals with an alcoholic brother of the hero, resolves the issue(s) sort of. and they live happily ever after. Which you must do in contemporary romance and Katie does always give us that!
Formulaic to the end .
Oh and if you are reading this on Kindle be aware that the book does NOT end at the page that tells you to "click here to see more books by this author." An entire epilogue is important to the resolution of the `story' follows that page..
Thank god, Katie followed her formula of writing; actually, I don't think she took one step off the path of the formula she uses. If you are a fan of Katie MacAlister as I had been, then I think you will know what I mean.
The formula? A heroine who is strong, smart and incredibly understanding yet runs off at the mouth inappropriately has sex somewhat too soon, declares her love a bit too soon and is totally irreverent to the ones she loves. A book filled with sly jokes and innuendo. Slapstick.
The sex scenes (and there were reams and reams of them in this book) are typical of past books too. The female (Harry) has an unhealthy fascination with the `hero's' (Yacky) body and typically what she want to do is to lick him -a lot- and in many, many places.
Oddly in this book I got to about 33 percent (reading on Kindle) and thought the book was done, over finished. They met, they had relations, and they fell in love. Yet the book was not done yet. We had to deal with the story and there wasn't much story. Usually Katie's books deal with some sort of mystery even her contemporaries and historical but this- I cannot even begin to tell you that this book was about anything else other than what I've already described. Mouthy writer meets hunky Greek billionaire, has sex, falls in love, has a tiny bit of conflict and misunderstanding with Yacky, deals with an alcoholic brother of the hero, resolves the issue(s) sort of. and they live happily ever after. Which you must do in contemporary romance and Katie does always give us that!
Formulaic to the end .
Oh and if you are reading this on Kindle be aware that the book does NOT end at the page that tells you to "click here to see more books by this author." An entire epilogue is important to the resolution of the `story' follows that page..
February 9, 2012
Review Courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales
Quick & Dirty: Steamy goodness and hilarious fun.
Opening Sentence: The man in front of her was crazy.
The Review:
Fate does indeed smile upon those who are willing to be kind to their fellow man. When Harry agrees to fill in as manager of a teen-pop band headed for a gig in Greece as a favor for a sick friend, the planets align and serve up her destiny on a rather large silver platter. A gorgeous, loveable, and rather hot silver platter.
Iakovos is a gorgeous, playboy gazillionaire extraordinaire. I mean the man even owns his own private island. When he agrees to hire his baby sister’s favorite band to play for her birthday, he thinks he is just being a good older brother. What he doesn’t realize is that the one who is to be the love of his life will also be traveling with them, and his life will never be the same.
When the pair meet amidst a scandalous incident involving a member of the band and Iakovos’s almost as handsome brother, the two instantly butt heads. However, just as quickly, the sparks begin to fly, and we find them locking lips in a hospital hallway, and a short time later, the rest of their body parts get to join in on the fun.
As their whirlwind of a courtship ensues, the two must overcome a few obstacles, a lewd drunk of a younger brother, a temperamental lead singer, a jealous ex-girlfriend, and tabloid rumors… not to mention a rather surprise pregnancy when one of the parents wasn’t even supposed to be able to have kids. But in the end, the two do find their way, make more beautiful babies and live their HEA.
I, for one, am jealous. These two are living out their days inhabiting a private island off the coast of Greece. It’s a beautiful place, next to a beautiful country, with beautiful people. But that’s now all. They have an apartment in Athens, home of gods and goddesses, myths, legends and awesome sites. With just enough time spent in the States so you wouldn’t get homesick, a girl would be insane not to sign up for this deal.
Also, I have to ask, who names their poor, innocent little baby something like “Eglantine”? Where exactly did her parents come up with that one? If that were my name, I’d have people call me something like Harry as well.
I love an irreverent, smart-alecky main character. Harry is one sassy lady, overflowing with sarcasm and rather adept at the witty comeback. Some of the lines given to her are things I could only come up with an hour after having a conversation. You know, when you’re in your car on the way home and you’re like, “Dang, I wish I had said such and such.”
I also love a delectable foreign leading man. One who can love with his whole soul, and isn’t easily intimidated. Who can be surrounded by beauty, and still only have eyes for his wife. The kind of guy that opens his home to a gang of teen musicians just to make his baby sister happy. If he weren’t fictional, I’d take him myself, even though I already am a married woman.
Put those two together, watch for the fireworks, and be careful you don’t get burned. These pages are so chock full of hot steamy goodness, I found my blanket and slippers unnecessary, even in this weather. As a warning ladies, this book requires reading when you have some serious alone time, because by page 35 it’s already not-safe-for-work, children or great Aunt Sally, but will definitely benefit the man in your life! *wink, wink*
Notable Scene:
“Why, if it isn’t Harry,” came a cool voice from behind her. “We haven’t seen you in weeks.”
Harry turned, her smile growing when she realized that her day really was going to be the best ever. “Hello, Tess.”
Tess Hayerson, it was whispered around the gym, was a woman who chewed men up and spat them out, usually after marrying them. Rumor had it that her third ex-husband had agreed to a divorce settlement that paid her in enhancement surgery, rather than money. In her early thirties, with long auburn hair, and an eye for the male of the species, she was the sexpot of their little group.
“Been putting on a bit of weight, sweetie?” Tess asked, giving her a scathing once-over. “I think a little extra time at the gym and a little less sitting around eating bonbons is in order, don’t you?”
“I can honestly say that I have never had a bonbon in my life,” Harry said. “Nice to see you, too.”
Tess opened her mouth to make a response, but at that moment she caught sight of Iakovos and his swarm of ladies. “What do we have here?” Tess asked, her voice a purr. “My god, he’s gorgeous. Just look at those legs! And that chest.”
“He’s something, isn’t he?” Harry asked, fighting to keep her lips from betraying her. She leaned closer and said softly, “Rumor has it that he’s packing, too.”
“A man that big? I wouldn’t doubt it at all. I bet he’s a handful in bed. Or should I say, two handfuls.”
“Two, definitely,” Harry said, pretending her nose itched so she could cover her mouth.
“He looks familiar. What is he doing here?” Tess asked, her gaze all but eating Iakovos up. “Is he a vendor or something? No matter, I don’t care if he’s here to fix the toilets, it’s clearly time to separate the girls from the women!”
She oiled her way forward, all sinuous hips and out-thrust breasts. Iakovos had evidently reached the saturation point of female adulation, for he managed to extricate himself from the gaggle of ladies and headed straight for Harry. Tess stopped in front of him, cooing, “Hello there.”
“Hello,” he said politely, not pausing until he reached Harry.
“I love you,” she told him before she leaped on him, wrapping her legs around his hips. He chuckled as he hoisted her up, kissing her with the passion that never failed to flare between them.
She heard more gasps behind him, followed by a smattering of applause.
“Are you ready to go?” he asked as she lowered her legs to the ground.
“In just one sec.” She turned back to the ladies, her hand on his arm. “Tess, I don’t think you got to meet my fiancé, Iakovos. If he looks familiar, it’s probably because you’ve seen him in magazines. I’ll miss you all, but you know you’re welcome to visit if any of you ever come to Greece.” She hugged each one of her friends, Tess included, accepting their best wishes and promises to stay in touch.
As they left the building and headed for Harry’s car, Iakovos slid her a glance and asked in a misleadingly bland tone, “Was it everything you hoped it would be?”
“Oh, that and so much more.”
FTC Advisory: Penguin Group provided me with a copy of It’s All Greek to Me. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
Quick & Dirty: Steamy goodness and hilarious fun.
Opening Sentence: The man in front of her was crazy.
The Review:
Fate does indeed smile upon those who are willing to be kind to their fellow man. When Harry agrees to fill in as manager of a teen-pop band headed for a gig in Greece as a favor for a sick friend, the planets align and serve up her destiny on a rather large silver platter. A gorgeous, loveable, and rather hot silver platter.
Iakovos is a gorgeous, playboy gazillionaire extraordinaire. I mean the man even owns his own private island. When he agrees to hire his baby sister’s favorite band to play for her birthday, he thinks he is just being a good older brother. What he doesn’t realize is that the one who is to be the love of his life will also be traveling with them, and his life will never be the same.
When the pair meet amidst a scandalous incident involving a member of the band and Iakovos’s almost as handsome brother, the two instantly butt heads. However, just as quickly, the sparks begin to fly, and we find them locking lips in a hospital hallway, and a short time later, the rest of their body parts get to join in on the fun.
As their whirlwind of a courtship ensues, the two must overcome a few obstacles, a lewd drunk of a younger brother, a temperamental lead singer, a jealous ex-girlfriend, and tabloid rumors… not to mention a rather surprise pregnancy when one of the parents wasn’t even supposed to be able to have kids. But in the end, the two do find their way, make more beautiful babies and live their HEA.
I, for one, am jealous. These two are living out their days inhabiting a private island off the coast of Greece. It’s a beautiful place, next to a beautiful country, with beautiful people. But that’s now all. They have an apartment in Athens, home of gods and goddesses, myths, legends and awesome sites. With just enough time spent in the States so you wouldn’t get homesick, a girl would be insane not to sign up for this deal.
Also, I have to ask, who names their poor, innocent little baby something like “Eglantine”? Where exactly did her parents come up with that one? If that were my name, I’d have people call me something like Harry as well.
I love an irreverent, smart-alecky main character. Harry is one sassy lady, overflowing with sarcasm and rather adept at the witty comeback. Some of the lines given to her are things I could only come up with an hour after having a conversation. You know, when you’re in your car on the way home and you’re like, “Dang, I wish I had said such and such.”
I also love a delectable foreign leading man. One who can love with his whole soul, and isn’t easily intimidated. Who can be surrounded by beauty, and still only have eyes for his wife. The kind of guy that opens his home to a gang of teen musicians just to make his baby sister happy. If he weren’t fictional, I’d take him myself, even though I already am a married woman.
Put those two together, watch for the fireworks, and be careful you don’t get burned. These pages are so chock full of hot steamy goodness, I found my blanket and slippers unnecessary, even in this weather. As a warning ladies, this book requires reading when you have some serious alone time, because by page 35 it’s already not-safe-for-work, children or great Aunt Sally, but will definitely benefit the man in your life! *wink, wink*
Notable Scene:
“Why, if it isn’t Harry,” came a cool voice from behind her. “We haven’t seen you in weeks.”
Harry turned, her smile growing when she realized that her day really was going to be the best ever. “Hello, Tess.”
Tess Hayerson, it was whispered around the gym, was a woman who chewed men up and spat them out, usually after marrying them. Rumor had it that her third ex-husband had agreed to a divorce settlement that paid her in enhancement surgery, rather than money. In her early thirties, with long auburn hair, and an eye for the male of the species, she was the sexpot of their little group.
“Been putting on a bit of weight, sweetie?” Tess asked, giving her a scathing once-over. “I think a little extra time at the gym and a little less sitting around eating bonbons is in order, don’t you?”
“I can honestly say that I have never had a bonbon in my life,” Harry said. “Nice to see you, too.”
Tess opened her mouth to make a response, but at that moment she caught sight of Iakovos and his swarm of ladies. “What do we have here?” Tess asked, her voice a purr. “My god, he’s gorgeous. Just look at those legs! And that chest.”
“He’s something, isn’t he?” Harry asked, fighting to keep her lips from betraying her. She leaned closer and said softly, “Rumor has it that he’s packing, too.”
“A man that big? I wouldn’t doubt it at all. I bet he’s a handful in bed. Or should I say, two handfuls.”
“Two, definitely,” Harry said, pretending her nose itched so she could cover her mouth.
“He looks familiar. What is he doing here?” Tess asked, her gaze all but eating Iakovos up. “Is he a vendor or something? No matter, I don’t care if he’s here to fix the toilets, it’s clearly time to separate the girls from the women!”
She oiled her way forward, all sinuous hips and out-thrust breasts. Iakovos had evidently reached the saturation point of female adulation, for he managed to extricate himself from the gaggle of ladies and headed straight for Harry. Tess stopped in front of him, cooing, “Hello there.”
“Hello,” he said politely, not pausing until he reached Harry.
“I love you,” she told him before she leaped on him, wrapping her legs around his hips. He chuckled as he hoisted her up, kissing her with the passion that never failed to flare between them.
She heard more gasps behind him, followed by a smattering of applause.
“Are you ready to go?” he asked as she lowered her legs to the ground.
“In just one sec.” She turned back to the ladies, her hand on his arm. “Tess, I don’t think you got to meet my fiancé, Iakovos. If he looks familiar, it’s probably because you’ve seen him in magazines. I’ll miss you all, but you know you’re welcome to visit if any of you ever come to Greece.” She hugged each one of her friends, Tess included, accepting their best wishes and promises to stay in touch.
As they left the building and headed for Harry’s car, Iakovos slid her a glance and asked in a misleadingly bland tone, “Was it everything you hoped it would be?”
“Oh, that and so much more.”
FTC Advisory: Penguin Group provided me with a copy of It’s All Greek to Me. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
December 7, 2011
I picked this up at the store out of curiosity. Katie MacAlister has written some very funny romances in the past though I haven't liked her last 5 or so books. It made me laugh out loud so I bought it. It's a great send-up of the Greek billionaire romance trope that has been so ubiquitous in the standard Harlequin/Silhouette lines for the last 20 years. Yes, there's a Greek billionaire but he falls head-over-heels for a funny, feisty, tall, busty, wild haired woman in her thirties, not the standard skinny teenaged blonde nervous virgin. The repartee is so hysterical and they both genuinely enjoy each other in bed and out of it that the book is a perfect antidote to all the stereotyped romances on the market. I grinned all the way through my first reading and am happily rereading it. This book definitely belongs on my keeper shelves.
December 9, 2011
Eglantine "Harry" Knight is asked by a friend to go and manage a band in Greece.
Iakovos Papaioannou is a real-estate billionaire and he owns the island that the band are performing on, and it's his sisters birthday that they are playing at.
Harry is amusing, she has an awesome habit of answering her internal monologue's out loud; she can't pronounce Papaioannou (who could?) but she really care either, which leads to being escorted out of his building because she claims that she's Iakovos' girlfriend but can't pronounce his name, she also had to ring him and get him to spell it for her driver's license.
The story is good, it has a billionaire greek playboy, pregnancy, a vicious ex-girlfriend and yet at no point does it ever seem like a harlequin book. The couple actually end up together within the first third of the novel, and most of the novel is spent showing Harry and Iakovos after they fall in love, and their lives. There's no stupid angst for angst's sake.
It was super cute the way Iakovos spaced out his proposal and his first time saying I Love You. He ignores all of Harry's hints about the romantic moments.
I did find Iakovos' name slightly annoying, it's a Greek version of Jacob, and I mentally pronounced it Yacko-vus. And Harry was calling him Yacky occasionally which is not the sexiest name or nickname
Iakovos Papaioannou is a real-estate billionaire and he owns the island that the band are performing on, and it's his sisters birthday that they are playing at.
Harry is amusing, she has an awesome habit of answering her internal monologue's out loud; she can't pronounce Papaioannou (who could?) but she really care either, which leads to being escorted out of his building because she claims that she's Iakovos' girlfriend but can't pronounce his name, she also had to ring him and get him to spell it for her driver's license.
The story is good, it has a billionaire greek playboy, pregnancy, a vicious ex-girlfriend and yet at no point does it ever seem like a harlequin book. The couple actually end up together within the first third of the novel, and most of the novel is spent showing Harry and Iakovos after they fall in love, and their lives. There's no stupid angst for angst's sake.
It was super cute the way Iakovos spaced out his proposal and his first time saying I Love You. He ignores all of Harry's hints about the romantic moments.
I did find Iakovos' name slightly annoying, it's a Greek version of Jacob, and I mentally pronounced it Yacko-vus. And Harry was calling him Yacky occasionally which is not the sexiest name or nickname
January 22, 2012
1.5/5
Should have been 1 Star. But the names of the characters are so funny so I gave it another 0.5. :D
The first chapter is so confusing I don't get anything at all. And the names made it worse.
Who would name her female character as "Harry" anyway? (Yeah, MacAlister would.) To think that her real name is Eglantine? (Another weird name)
The strong-willed, girl-from-amazon and most-sought-after-bachelor-in-the-entire-universe is an over used plot. Nothing new. Nothing extraordinary. Pretty predictable.
(If not for my new year's resolution, I would have skimmed this novel. But I know I won't have the right to rate this book if I didn't read it thoroughly.)
And when I say it's predictable,
Wait, I haven't mentioned the hero's name. *drum roll*
Iakovos Panagiotis Okeanos Papaioannou
I can't even read it aloud without stammering. At least I'm not alone, Harry can't pronounce and spell it as well. She usually makes up weird last names since Papaioannou is a mouthful. One last name that she made up and made me crack was Papamiaowmiaow.
Oh, and there's a memorable dialogue in this book (another reason to add 0.5). This isn't for young audiences so think before you click.
It's a common question I hear from my gay friends whenever we talk about their ahem... love life. Haha.
This is the second MacAlister book I've read and it would probably be the last.
Ugh. I'm getting a headache.
Read my other reviews at Off The Wall
Should have been 1 Star. But the names of the characters are so funny so I gave it another 0.5. :D
The first chapter is so confusing I don't get anything at all. And the names made it worse.
Who would name her female character as "Harry" anyway? (Yeah, MacAlister would.) To think that her real name is Eglantine? (Another weird name)
The strong-willed, girl-from-amazon and most-sought-after-bachelor-in-the-entire-universe is an over used plot. Nothing new. Nothing extraordinary. Pretty predictable.
(If not for my new year's resolution, I would have skimmed this novel. But I know I won't have the right to rate this book if I didn't read it thoroughly.)
And when I say it's predictable,
Wait, I haven't mentioned the hero's name. *drum roll*
Iakovos Panagiotis Okeanos Papaioannou
I can't even read it aloud without stammering. At least I'm not alone, Harry can't pronounce and spell it as well. She usually makes up weird last names since Papaioannou is a mouthful. One last name that she made up and made me crack was Papamiaowmiaow.
Oh, and there's a memorable dialogue in this book (another reason to add 0.5). This isn't for young audiences so think before you click.
It's a common question I hear from my gay friends whenever we talk about their ahem... love life. Haha.
This is the second MacAlister book I've read and it would probably be the last.
Ugh. I'm getting a headache.
Read my other reviews at Off The Wall
July 18, 2012
I did not like how fast things moved at the beginning. It was way over the top--they went from hello to wham-bam-thank-you ma'am in a mere few words. However, the thing that saved it for me, though, was that I also had a least a couple of laugh out loud moments--one of which I reread to savor--in the first chapter or so. It kept me reading and while I think there could have been some judicious editing, i.e. for phrases like "never failed to arouse him" when they'd only known each other 3 days. Never? Talk to me about never after 15 years and 2 to 4 to 6 kids! Or at least a couple of months into the relationship. After a while, I came to appreciate another perspective of the relationship, the part of what happens after they decide they are meant for one another. Of course, in another book all that would be what happens before the couple decide to get married and have babies. But anyway, because it made me laugh several times, I will try another Katie MacAlister and hope that it's a smoother ride.
February 1, 2013
Best Moment: MacAlister's characters are always full of funny moments and fast-paced joking/dialogue. I think my favorite moments--as in many in this book--are some of the inner dialogue moments of the heroine. In particular...the last chapter is pretty fun. I won't ruin any of the plot for you though.
Worst Moment: The book opens with a potential sexual attack on one of "Harry's" wards and while defending the rights and honor of the ward (who turns out to be a spoiled, misguided brat), Harry becomes sexually attracted to "Jake"/Iakovos. The most problematic moment for me is that a scene not very long after that weirdly and frustratingly echoes the potential sexual attack scene they are debating at the beginning...not cool.
Synopsis: Eglantine "Harry" Knight goes to Greece as emergency help for her friends band as a manger. Harry doesn't expect to meet a billionaire playboy, but lo and behold, she does--and she falls hard and fast for him. Iakovos Papaioannou (say that three times fast) knew his sister was going to hire her favorite band to perform at her birthday, but he did not expect the 6-foot tall sexy woman. He really didn't expect to end up in bed with her, and he certainly didn't expect to fall in love with her. They are magnetically attracted to each other, and it looks like this wild woman may revoke one Greek Prince's bachelor card.
The Good: MacAlister's dialogue is fast-paced and entertaining. Her characters are interesting and her heroes are always attractive/intriguing. She works off of the Mr. Darcy mold big time here. I like that this book mixes humor with a kind of romantic necessity for a soft resolution. The end is very classically romance with the idea of a larger family and two people being un-broken together (though not necessarily "fixed"). As always her heroines are quirky and usually physically voluptuous--though not in that Hollywood sense of voluptuous like Megan Fox...think classic bombshells like Marilyn Monroe or more modern figures like Queen Latifah. It's a good, fun, fast summer read (MacAlister herself says that she wrote this book in 6 days which leaves me aghast for many reasons--one of which being envy and another the certainty that she must mean the first draft). I won't ruin any of the plot for you, but (despite its problems) this book is fun and it ends up having some of my favorite romance elements. Definitely worth a looksie.
The Bad: The characterizations kind of stink. We're told a couple of times that Harry is "like the sea" and "full of lost hopes and dreams" and then that's followed by weird out-of-place moments of sexuality. It's one thing to be hot for each other...it's quite another to immediately throw out sexy-times moments when the characters have no back history and have said maybe five words to each other (all of which are words exchanged in an argument). Also, the echo of a potential sexual attack, albeit completely contrived on the part of an obnoxious character, is extremely not okay. While it may not be intentional or overt...that's part of the problem. This is the kind of stuff that subliminally convinces girls and women that sexual violence is attractive. There's a way to do fiery, uncontrollable passion and even the violence of attraction...this is not it. Other than that...just some annoying side characters, occaionally illogical and frustrating reasoning on the part of the heroine, and the extreme sexy-times attacks at every turn when you'd rather have emotional connections between the main characters make up the bad stuff.
The Ugly: Another half naked guy on a cover with half a face and a weird zombie stance. *sigh*
We’ve all been there. We’re wandering through a bookstore, or maybe aimlessly searching suggestions, looking at random lists on Amazon.com for something to read. Happily, we traipse through booktopias convinced that we’re going to find something wonderful to read and then… We are greeted with the cover.
Before I begin, I feel I must point out one very simple fact:
Most authors get absolutely no input in their covers, or, if they do, it’s mostly a kind of courtesy. Publishers rule. Authors weep and hope for reprints.
Challenge accepted. Unleashing Mockery…
[caption id="attachment_939" align="aligncenter" width="525"]
I'm too sexy for my shirt...too sexy for my shirt...too sexy...oh wait...this is your shirt. Sorry.[/caption]
Is it just me or is the rash of half-naked man covers a little horrific? They all seem to be horrified at their own objectification. I imagine there's some cover artist's computer somewhere full of cover characters who come to life at night and go to therapy for sexual objectification survivors. This one would go something like "Hi, I'm It'sAllGreekToMe and I...I just can't take my job anymore. It's all...speak sexy with an accent this and promise women your inhuman abs with that. I just...I just want to play computer games and maybe wear a shirt. Can't I have a shirt? Or maybe a vest?" Then there would be weeping and the cover of Fight Club would smoke a cigarette in the background while offering them a different life...
Forgive the cover artists, for they know not what they do.
As posted on http://bookswithbenefits.com
Worst Moment: The book opens with a potential sexual attack on one of "Harry's" wards and while defending the rights and honor of the ward (who turns out to be a spoiled, misguided brat), Harry becomes sexually attracted to "Jake"/Iakovos. The most problematic moment for me is that a scene not very long after that weirdly and frustratingly echoes the potential sexual attack scene they are debating at the beginning...not cool.
Synopsis: Eglantine "Harry" Knight goes to Greece as emergency help for her friends band as a manger. Harry doesn't expect to meet a billionaire playboy, but lo and behold, she does--and she falls hard and fast for him. Iakovos Papaioannou (say that three times fast) knew his sister was going to hire her favorite band to perform at her birthday, but he did not expect the 6-foot tall sexy woman. He really didn't expect to end up in bed with her, and he certainly didn't expect to fall in love with her. They are magnetically attracted to each other, and it looks like this wild woman may revoke one Greek Prince's bachelor card.
The Good: MacAlister's dialogue is fast-paced and entertaining. Her characters are interesting and her heroes are always attractive/intriguing. She works off of the Mr. Darcy mold big time here. I like that this book mixes humor with a kind of romantic necessity for a soft resolution. The end is very classically romance with the idea of a larger family and two people being un-broken together (though not necessarily "fixed"). As always her heroines are quirky and usually physically voluptuous--though not in that Hollywood sense of voluptuous like Megan Fox...think classic bombshells like Marilyn Monroe or more modern figures like Queen Latifah. It's a good, fun, fast summer read (MacAlister herself says that she wrote this book in 6 days which leaves me aghast for many reasons--one of which being envy and another the certainty that she must mean the first draft). I won't ruin any of the plot for you, but (despite its problems) this book is fun and it ends up having some of my favorite romance elements. Definitely worth a looksie.
The Bad: The characterizations kind of stink. We're told a couple of times that Harry is "like the sea" and "full of lost hopes and dreams" and then that's followed by weird out-of-place moments of sexuality. It's one thing to be hot for each other...it's quite another to immediately throw out sexy-times moments when the characters have no back history and have said maybe five words to each other (all of which are words exchanged in an argument). Also, the echo of a potential sexual attack, albeit completely contrived on the part of an obnoxious character, is extremely not okay. While it may not be intentional or overt...that's part of the problem. This is the kind of stuff that subliminally convinces girls and women that sexual violence is attractive. There's a way to do fiery, uncontrollable passion and even the violence of attraction...this is not it. Other than that...just some annoying side characters, occaionally illogical and frustrating reasoning on the part of the heroine, and the extreme sexy-times attacks at every turn when you'd rather have emotional connections between the main characters make up the bad stuff.
The Ugly: Another half naked guy on a cover with half a face and a weird zombie stance. *sigh*
We’ve all been there. We’re wandering through a bookstore, or maybe aimlessly searching suggestions, looking at random lists on Amazon.com for something to read. Happily, we traipse through booktopias convinced that we’re going to find something wonderful to read and then… We are greeted with the cover.
Before I begin, I feel I must point out one very simple fact:
Most authors get absolutely no input in their covers, or, if they do, it’s mostly a kind of courtesy. Publishers rule. Authors weep and hope for reprints.
Challenge accepted. Unleashing Mockery…
[caption id="attachment_939" align="aligncenter" width="525"]
I'm too sexy for my shirt...too sexy for my shirt...too sexy...oh wait...this is your shirt. Sorry.[/caption]Is it just me or is the rash of half-naked man covers a little horrific? They all seem to be horrified at their own objectification. I imagine there's some cover artist's computer somewhere full of cover characters who come to life at night and go to therapy for sexual objectification survivors. This one would go something like "Hi, I'm It'sAllGreekToMe and I...I just can't take my job anymore. It's all...speak sexy with an accent this and promise women your inhuman abs with that. I just...I just want to play computer games and maybe wear a shirt. Can't I have a shirt? Or maybe a vest?" Then there would be weeping and the cover of Fight Club would smoke a cigarette in the background while offering them a different life...
Forgive the cover artists, for they know not what they do.
As posted on http://bookswithbenefits.com
July 15, 2012
Being a Katie MacAlister fan, I've read about ten of her novels and have loved them all. That is, except this one.
I have to admit, this book was by far one of the worst I've read by her. And while I'm usually one to read a book and easily be able to at least say, "it was okay", I was very close to rating this book a one star. The plot was nonexistent, the writing was repetitive, and the romance was overly unrealistic. The entire premise of the two main characters, Harry and Iakovos, meeting was simply for a private music concert, where the most dire problem was . An easy fix, which occurs before the reader can even get nervous about anything. Then later, and you begin to have hope that conflict may actually be brewing, leading this mundane story to possibly redeeming itself. But don't worry, by this time, you're already 75% of the way finished with the book and it never pans out to anything big. Ultimately, there was just no real reason to get excited about the storyline at all.
MacAlister's writing does take an interesting twist, however. In a way that reminds me very much of people roleplaying through writing, this book continuously switches perspective from Harry to Iakovos multiple times within a chapter. Twice we even get to hear what the maid is thinking! I don't want to say it's bad, but while it's sometimes nice to hear what another character is thinking, the style gave me the perception of very juvenile writing due to a lack of consistency. Perhaps that's just me though.
As for the romance, it was entirely too quick-paced to seem even remotely true. Perhaps this quote will give you a good idea of what I mean by unrealistic romance: "She wasn't stupid, after all. She knew he wanted her physically, but even though he said nothing about his emotions, his delight was clearly evident in his eyes when he looked at her." I'm a pretty open minded person, but that sounds pretty "stupid" to me.
Overall, I would say this book is a somewhat-witty romance that lacked in creativity and realism. (Yes, I understand it is a work of fiction, but aren't books better when you can connect with the characters and be submersed into the story?) I know Katie MacAlister is a fan of strong, spunky women, which is something I really enjoy in her books, but this time around it just didn't work as well. Halfway through, I was ready to rate this only one star for its lack of any storyline and its quick pace. However, the last 100 pages were interesting enough to take me from "OMG, is this going anywhere?" to "I guess this wasn't too bad".
Bottom line, this book may have been disappointing, but don't let that discourage you from her other works! If you like fun, witty romances (especially paranormal romances where I feel love-at-first-sight soulmates connect together through unexplainable magic is a bit more acceptable), I definitely recommend MacAlister's other books. (Especially from the Dark Ones series.)
I have to admit, this book was by far one of the worst I've read by her. And while I'm usually one to read a book and easily be able to at least say, "it was okay", I was very close to rating this book a one star. The plot was nonexistent, the writing was repetitive, and the romance was overly unrealistic. The entire premise of the two main characters, Harry and Iakovos, meeting was simply for a private music concert, where the most dire problem was . An easy fix, which occurs before the reader can even get nervous about anything. Then later, and you begin to have hope that conflict may actually be brewing, leading this mundane story to possibly redeeming itself. But don't worry, by this time, you're already 75% of the way finished with the book and it never pans out to anything big. Ultimately, there was just no real reason to get excited about the storyline at all.
MacAlister's writing does take an interesting twist, however. In a way that reminds me very much of people roleplaying through writing, this book continuously switches perspective from Harry to Iakovos multiple times within a chapter. Twice we even get to hear what the maid is thinking! I don't want to say it's bad, but while it's sometimes nice to hear what another character is thinking, the style gave me the perception of very juvenile writing due to a lack of consistency. Perhaps that's just me though.
As for the romance, it was entirely too quick-paced to seem even remotely true. Perhaps this quote will give you a good idea of what I mean by unrealistic romance: "She wasn't stupid, after all. She knew he wanted her physically, but even though he said nothing about his emotions, his delight was clearly evident in his eyes when he looked at her." I'm a pretty open minded person, but that sounds pretty "stupid" to me.
Overall, I would say this book is a somewhat-witty romance that lacked in creativity and realism. (Yes, I understand it is a work of fiction, but aren't books better when you can connect with the characters and be submersed into the story?) I know Katie MacAlister is a fan of strong, spunky women, which is something I really enjoy in her books, but this time around it just didn't work as well. Halfway through, I was ready to rate this only one star for its lack of any storyline and its quick pace. However, the last 100 pages were interesting enough to take me from "OMG, is this going anywhere?" to "I guess this wasn't too bad".
Bottom line, this book may have been disappointing, but don't let that discourage you from her other works! If you like fun, witty romances (especially paranormal romances where I feel love-at-first-sight soulmates connect together through unexplainable magic is a bit more acceptable), I definitely recommend MacAlister's other books. (Especially from the Dark Ones series.)
September 1, 2016
All Greek To Me
By: Katie MacAlister
5 stars
Reviewed by:Angels
Format:Kindle/Paperback/Audio
Published:Mass Market Paperback
Source: Purchased Copy Gene:Contemporary Romance
http://angelswithattitudebookreviews-...
Book Blurb/Synopsis-
When Eglantine "Harry" Knight sets off for Greece at the last minute to step in as manager of a friend's touring band, the last thing she expects is to meet a billionaire Greek playboy. Iakovos Papaionannou is perfection on every level, except for his unpronounceable name. And Harry can't stop herself from falling hard and fast for him.
Iakovoos knew his sister hired her favorite band to perform at her birthday party; he's just not sure where this six-foot-tall, wild-haired, tempestuous woman fits in, or how she's already ended up in his bed-and in his heart. Harry is so not his type. She's as infuriating as she is intriguing, and she can't keep her hands off his butt. But she just may be the woman who knocks him off the world's most eligible bachelor list for good . . .
Our Review
I got to say this is the funniest book that I have read in a very long time. From the beginning pages Harry had me laughing a rolling in laughter she was a hoot and a pleasure to read about .Harry is a writer doing a favor of escorting band members to a Greek Island to play at a birthday party. Things pretty much go a rye from the beginning when one of the band member girls is attacked or so she says and this starts a change of events.The handsome hottie involved is the brother of the Greek god and overlord .LOL She starts by punching him out and giving him a skinning.Its was pretty funny to read about. You can just picture all her gestures reaming him out. The problem is Harry is super attracted to this playboy millionaire from the get go and vice versa .I am thinking this attraction has never happened to either one of them.They start a romance and its pretty evident that things will take some getting used to like old jealous girlfriends, that he is a billionaire , owns his own island, and is a very domineering character and is smoking hot!
This story was just a whole lot of fun and I loved it. Harry was just a great character to read about with all her gestures and antics and just her outlook on life. She was a strong loving character and as far as I am concerned she is the one who made this book rock.And that one miss little brought down a young handsome Greek bachelor that hundreds had a chance at with just a blink of and a eye and flirtatious smile...And one of the best parts of the book was the fact that she never even got his name right so she named him Yacky.....
Recommended read to all
By: Katie MacAlister
5 stars
Reviewed by:Angels
Format:Kindle/Paperback/Audio
Published:Mass Market Paperback
Source: Purchased Copy Gene:Contemporary Romance
http://angelswithattitudebookreviews-...
Book Blurb/Synopsis-
When Eglantine "Harry" Knight sets off for Greece at the last minute to step in as manager of a friend's touring band, the last thing she expects is to meet a billionaire Greek playboy. Iakovos Papaionannou is perfection on every level, except for his unpronounceable name. And Harry can't stop herself from falling hard and fast for him.
Iakovoos knew his sister hired her favorite band to perform at her birthday party; he's just not sure where this six-foot-tall, wild-haired, tempestuous woman fits in, or how she's already ended up in his bed-and in his heart. Harry is so not his type. She's as infuriating as she is intriguing, and she can't keep her hands off his butt. But she just may be the woman who knocks him off the world's most eligible bachelor list for good . . .
Our Review
I got to say this is the funniest book that I have read in a very long time. From the beginning pages Harry had me laughing a rolling in laughter she was a hoot and a pleasure to read about .Harry is a writer doing a favor of escorting band members to a Greek Island to play at a birthday party. Things pretty much go a rye from the beginning when one of the band member girls is attacked or so she says and this starts a change of events.The handsome hottie involved is the brother of the Greek god and overlord .LOL She starts by punching him out and giving him a skinning.Its was pretty funny to read about. You can just picture all her gestures reaming him out. The problem is Harry is super attracted to this playboy millionaire from the get go and vice versa .I am thinking this attraction has never happened to either one of them.They start a romance and its pretty evident that things will take some getting used to like old jealous girlfriends, that he is a billionaire , owns his own island, and is a very domineering character and is smoking hot!
This story was just a whole lot of fun and I loved it. Harry was just a great character to read about with all her gestures and antics and just her outlook on life. She was a strong loving character and as far as I am concerned she is the one who made this book rock.And that one miss little brought down a young handsome Greek bachelor that hundreds had a chance at with just a blink of and a eye and flirtatious smile...And one of the best parts of the book was the fact that she never even got his name right so she named him Yacky.....
Recommended read to all
June 8, 2012
It's All Greek to Me is one of Katie MacAlister's newest contemporary romances. While I enjoyed it quite thoroughly, I especially love the character Harry, the story line was unrealistic. Which, I can suspend my disbelief when the story is as fun as this one. :-)
The basic premise is that a wealthy Greek businessman, Iakovos, has hired the American teen pop band his younger sister loves for her 18th birthday party. He flew them out, all expenses paid. Their manager had a bad case of appendicitis , as well as having a wife ready to give birth at any moment. Harry (aka Eglantine) is asked to step in at the last minute to be a temporary manager for the band. While trying to protect the virtue of one of the singers, she is totally off guard by the eldest brother. It was the middle brother who had caused the problem.
Iakovos had dubbed Harry a "tempest storm", and it fits. They both definitely suffer from lust at first sight, and it doesn't hurt that Iakovos is pretty gorgeous. Sparks fly between them pretty quickly, and soon they can't keep their eyes off each other. That is the part of the story that is a little hard to swallow, but what woman wouldn't want a gorgeous Greek god to fall for. And one who falls for you just as quickly.
I love the things that come out of Harry's mouth while she is trying to berate "Yacky" (as she calls him, since she can't pronounce his name), as things she is thinking about (like licking his collarbone) gets mixed in the things she says. I love that she is an indipendant woman, who has made some money of her own as a best selling author. Hmmm, wonder if Katie designed Harry to be like her, as an alter ego? Hmm.... Anyway, overall a fun read that had me laughing out loud in spots.
The basic premise is that a wealthy Greek businessman, Iakovos, has hired the American teen pop band his younger sister loves for her 18th birthday party. He flew them out, all expenses paid. Their manager had a bad case of appendicitis , as well as having a wife ready to give birth at any moment. Harry (aka Eglantine) is asked to step in at the last minute to be a temporary manager for the band. While trying to protect the virtue of one of the singers, she is totally off guard by the eldest brother. It was the middle brother who had caused the problem.
Iakovos had dubbed Harry a "tempest storm", and it fits. They both definitely suffer from lust at first sight, and it doesn't hurt that Iakovos is pretty gorgeous. Sparks fly between them pretty quickly, and soon they can't keep their eyes off each other. That is the part of the story that is a little hard to swallow, but what woman wouldn't want a gorgeous Greek god to fall for. And one who falls for you just as quickly.
I love the things that come out of Harry's mouth while she is trying to berate "Yacky" (as she calls him, since she can't pronounce his name), as things she is thinking about (like licking his collarbone) gets mixed in the things she says. I love that she is an indipendant woman, who has made some money of her own as a best selling author. Hmmm, wonder if Katie designed Harry to be like her, as an alter ego? Hmm.... Anyway, overall a fun read that had me laughing out loud in spots.
May 5, 2012
Katie MacAlister has a winner in her newest book. Eglantine (Harry) Knight is filling in for a friend and managing a singing group playing at a birthday party on a small Greek island. The party is being held for the sister of hunky billionaire Iakovos Papaioannou. When the two meet, sparks fly and they embark on a spicy affair. The relationship starts early and heats up fast in this book, and I wondered how Ms. MacAlister would sustain the reader’s interest. It wasn’t a problem, I couldn’t stop reading. In the middle of the book, it seemed as though the story was going to use an old romance novel plot but it was tweaked enough to keep the story going. I really enjoyed Harry’s inability to remember “Yacky’s” real names. All through the book she comes up with some really ingenious versions. Although there is some conflict in the book, it is handled maturely with none of the annoying misunderstandings that drive the couple apart and really frustrate the reader. The secondary characters are fleshed out enough to drive the story and create interest. I hope a future book will focus on Theo, the troublemaking younger brother in the family.
All in all, an enjoyable book that is a departure from the usual paranormal books that Ms. MacAlister writes. (I am a big fan of her Dragon series). It would be great if this is the first in a trilogy about the Papaioannou siblings.
All in all, an enjoyable book that is a departure from the usual paranormal books that Ms. MacAlister writes. (I am a big fan of her Dragon series). It would be great if this is the first in a trilogy about the Papaioannou siblings.
May 14, 2012
This is the first book by Katie MacAlister that I read. In the beginning, it was a little sketchy and erratic and I couldn't figure out what was going on. It took a number of chapters to actually settle into the story. Before you know it, Bam! they were having sex, then before you could recover from that, Bam! she was whispering I love you. It seemed to me that the author wanted to hurry up and get all the usual elements of a romance novel i.e. the sex, the I love yous, over with quickly, so she could get to the meat of the story. Unfortunately that was a little hard to find.
One thing that completely distracted me from the story was that the heroine, aka Harry (huh?), insisted on calling the love of her life 'Yacky'. I can understand if it's a friend or a younger sibling you might occasionally want to tease. But imagine murmuring 'Yacky, Oh Yacky' in the throes of lovemaking.
The character of Patricia, the Ex, was conflicting. Half the time I didn't know if I should hate her or sympathize with her. That kinda fizzled out a bit for me.
Lastly about Theo. Oh! the tortured soul that he is...Theo the alcoholic brother does deserve his own story. Hopefully written with a little more time at hand.
One thing that completely distracted me from the story was that the heroine, aka Harry (huh?), insisted on calling the love of her life 'Yacky'. I can understand if it's a friend or a younger sibling you might occasionally want to tease. But imagine murmuring 'Yacky, Oh Yacky' in the throes of lovemaking.
The character of Patricia, the Ex, was conflicting. Half the time I didn't know if I should hate her or sympathize with her. That kinda fizzled out a bit for me.
Lastly about Theo. Oh! the tortured soul that he is...Theo the alcoholic brother does deserve his own story. Hopefully written with a little more time at hand.
February 24, 2012
Iakovoos is polished, powerful, and the epitome of a playboy billionaire who has frequently been on the top bachelor lists. Eglantine "Harry" is a writer who has a creative way of expressing herself, bossy, and the complete opposite of who the type of women Iakovoos typically goes for.
When Iakovoos hired his sisters favorite band for her 18th birthday, he had no idea he would be swept off his feet by the only women he has ever met who stood up to him. She can't pronounce his name, she talks to herself, just when he thinks he has figured her out she surprises him, and he is totally head over heels in love with this tempest of a woman.
Extremely funny, romantic, and blissful charming story. I ended up staying up way way too late finishing this book. I loved it, a special treat. This was a different book because there is no big conflict resolution that you typically have so it became unpredictable. When you are in a need for a smile, this is the perfect book for it.
When Iakovoos hired his sisters favorite band for her 18th birthday, he had no idea he would be swept off his feet by the only women he has ever met who stood up to him. She can't pronounce his name, she talks to herself, just when he thinks he has figured her out she surprises him, and he is totally head over heels in love with this tempest of a woman.
Extremely funny, romantic, and blissful charming story. I ended up staying up way way too late finishing this book. I loved it, a special treat. This was a different book because there is no big conflict resolution that you typically have so it became unpredictable. When you are in a need for a smile, this is the perfect book for it.
March 15, 2013
I've always enjoyed Katie's books when I'm in the mood for something funny with little drama, and this book fit the bill. The dialogue, name mispronounciations, and situations Harry sometimes found herself in were hilarious. I loved both the main characters. Iakovos was endearingly sweet and caring and I loved how he appreciated Harry's fiery nature. Harry was independent, quirky, loyal, so much fun to read. The secondary characters were harder to love, Theo and Patricia especially. I didn't really like either of them, and wasn't sure if I was supposed to or not. But Dmitri was a fun addition and I would love to see a book for him.
One of my favorite aspects of the book was that Harry and Iakovos committed to each other easily and stayed that way. No obligatory split at the end that are the norm for most romance novels. When Harry and Iakovos had issues, they worked them out immediately. This book was a great way to warm up a couple cold winter days.
January 2, 2012
Okay this is another quirky light romance by MacAlister. In this novel Harry, the heroine, is an Amazon statuesque that won't take crap from no one. She's a stand-in-band manager for a young group who have been hired out to the sister of one of the world's most eligible bachelors (3rd to be exact [:P] ), for her birthday. One thing leads to another and Iakavos, nicknamed Yacky by Harry because she cannot pronounce his name, falls for this head strong American. Their romance is a whorl wind and she becomes pregnant. The two throughout the whole story overcome little challenges, to leave an impression of a perfect romance that we dreamed of as children.
The story is a quick read and it isn't for anyone who wants to read about a relationship that takes work, but about love at first glance that is-as I've mentioned- the type of romance that most young girls dream about as children.
The story is a quick read and it isn't for anyone who wants to read about a relationship that takes work, but about love at first glance that is-as I've mentioned- the type of romance that most young girls dream about as children.
December 10, 2011
Oh Katie MacAlister, how I enjoy your hilarious contemporary romances. There is always such a light hearted feel to her CRs that they are just such a joy to read. I also love how unconventional her heroines always seem to be. Katie MacAlister creates a heroine who could sometimes be seen as pretty awkward but makes them so strong and charismatic. Harry is all of this and more. She has no problem speaking her mind and in fact has a hilarious quirk when she sometimes speaks her private thoughts out loud. Iakovos (Yacky) is a drool worthy hero that has such a wicked sense of humor. These two have such great chemistry and are able to deliver this story so well. I hope we get to see them in a later story!
January 9, 2012
I love this book, it kept me laughing and it light hearted which is something that I find important during times of stress. While I'll admit I was thrown off by the beginning of the book ( in which one of Harry's charges claims to be raped by Yacky's brother ) I quickly saw that it was to expose Cyndi as being a spoiled brat who doesn't wan to accept responsibility for her own actions. One of the aspects I love most about this book was Harry's difficulty with the Greek language as I took Greek and could 100% sympathize with her on that. I love Katie MacAlister's books and I hope to see these characters again!
October 4, 2012
Billionaire Greek playboy Iakovos Papaioannou knew his sister hired her favorite band to perform at her birthday party. He's just not sure how their six-foot tall, wild-haired, tempestuous manager has already ended up in his bed-and in his heart. Eglantine "Harry" Knight is so not his type. She's as infuriating as she is intriguing, and she's can't keep her hands off of him. But she just may be the woman who knocks him off the world's most eligible bachelor list for good...
I love this book. Iakovos is what every guy should be. He cares what Harry thinks and actually wants to be with her.
I love this book. Iakovos is what every guy should be. He cares what Harry thinks and actually wants to be with her.
April 21, 2019
I read this the first time a few years ago. It has become one of my top 10 faves.
since it was before i did GR, i decided to post my review as i did reread this book one day last week after a really, bad day.
and a book i read recently reminded me of it. (greek for beginners by jackie braun)
it is hysterical!!!! every time i reread it , i still laugh out loud.
Harry is totally relatable character. great story. Amazing chemistry b/w Harry & Iakovos. I love the running joke that harry can't properly pronounce all the long greek names.
very entertaining! well written. witty & smart dialogue. fast paced narrative. good romance.
since it was before i did GR, i decided to post my review as i did reread this book one day last week after a really, bad day.
and a book i read recently reminded me of it. (greek for beginners by jackie braun)
it is hysterical!!!! every time i reread it , i still laugh out loud.
Harry is totally relatable character. great story. Amazing chemistry b/w Harry & Iakovos. I love the running joke that harry can't properly pronounce all the long greek names.
very entertaining! well written. witty & smart dialogue. fast paced narrative. good romance.
Read
November 29, 2019Am I wrong for mentally singing "Eglantine, Don't Let Me Down" from Disney's Bedknobs and Broomsticks every time Iakovos says Harry's name...?
July 10, 2015
I really loved the heroine, Harry, in this book. She has a temper and she's not afraid to defend herself, not even against the brother of the hunky Greek billionaire playboy whose house she's staying in while she runs herd on the band who're there to perform for a birthday party. She's actually a writer, but she's watching the band as a favour to a friend. I loved the chemistry between the her and Iakovos, right from the start, and how she wasn't afraid to act on it. I loved the way she kept deliberately mispronouncing his last name, and I loved the way she never played coy, she always said exactly what she thought. She just might be one of my favourite characters of all time.
December 10, 2011
Excuse me while I go take a cold shower! WOW, full of steam! This book, like KM's others, have a great mix of humor, romance, and drama. Harry and Iakovos (Yacky) immediately fall in love and make mad love throughout the book. HA! Is that realistic? Probably not, but it sure makes for a good fantasy! It's a perfect book for a cold winter day when you need to warm up. If you haven't read any of KM's books, you're missing out!
for more information go to www.autumnreview.com
for more information go to www.autumnreview.com
December 16, 2011
This book was for sure a hilarious one It had me cracking up like a crazy
I've never laughed while reading as much as I did through this book.
Harry is spontaneous, crazy and says instantly and exactly what crosses her mind.
It would have been perfect if the hero was a little more a "macho" as the title may make you think but otherwise it was a very very enjoyable read.
As for "Papamiaowmiaow" It was really the final touch!!!
I've never laughed while reading as much as I did through this book.
Harry is spontaneous, crazy and says instantly and exactly what crosses her mind.
It would have been perfect if the hero was a little more a "macho" as the title may make you think but otherwise it was a very very enjoyable read.
As for "Papamiaowmiaow" It was really the final touch!!!
December 9, 2011
I have been a big fan of Katie MacAlister's contemporary romances, and I was glad to see her return to the genre. I also like her paranormal romances, but, it's fun to see her put her characters in the real world too.
This book had a lot of laugh out loud moments for me. I couldn't put the book down. I read the whole thing in a day. I just had to see what was going to happen.
This book had a lot of laugh out loud moments for me. I couldn't put the book down. I read the whole thing in a day. I just had to see what was going to happen.
February 6, 2020
I haven't read a Katie MacAlister book since she finished her first dragon series-yes, it has been a while. I really enjoyed this light, fun, parody of HP romances. At least, that's what it was to me. Not deep. Ridiculously cutesy and just plain Katie!
August 3, 2012
Is it too much to ask for a 6 ft tall heroine who doesn't wish she were shorter and complain that she's "too big" for things? Also, pro-tip, if the super sexy billionaire Greek man thinks you're hot, just go with it.
July 16, 2012
This one kept me entertained. The dialogue between Harry and "Yacky" is hilarious. I laughed out loud more than once.
August 13, 2015
Damned amusing. I do enjoy Katie MacAlister's humor.
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