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The Guy Most Likely To...
Ever wonder what happened to the guy most likely to…Score with the prom queen?
Lauren and Seth were the high school "it" couple—until Seth disappeared on prom night. But a reunion gives Seth a chance to show Lauren an evening long overdue.
Not date a Playboy Bunny?
Ali was the highlight of geeky Will's high school years. But now that he's ditched the nerdiness, he's 100 percent of calculated hotness…and Ali won't be able to say no.
Ride out of town on a Harley?
Rebel Scott "Rip" Ripley always had a thing for the elusive Erica. But reunion night holds a few sexy surprises when Erica decides it's time to take the bad boy for a ride.
Lauren and Seth were the high school "it" couple—until Seth disappeared on prom night. But a reunion gives Seth a chance to show Lauren an evening long overdue.
Not date a Playboy Bunny?
Ali was the highlight of geeky Will's high school years. But now that he's ditched the nerdiness, he's 100 percent of calculated hotness…and Ali won't be able to say no.
Ride out of town on a Harley?
Rebel Scott "Rip" Ripley always had a thing for the elusive Erica. But reunion night holds a few sexy surprises when Erica decides it's time to take the bad boy for a ride.
224 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 19, 2012
3 people are currently reading
144 people want to read
About the author
Leslie Kelly
243 books406 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
New York Times Bestselling author, Leslie Kelly writes sexy romances and dark romantic thrillers. A four-time RWA RITA Award nominee, eleven-time Romantic Times Award nominee and 2006 RT Award winner, Leslie has become known for her delightful characters, sparkling dialogue, and outrageous humor in her romances, and for the dark grittiness of her thrillers. Since the publication of her first book in 1999, Leslie has gone on to pen more than forty sassy, sexy romances for Harlequin Temptation, Blaze, and HQN.
In 2009, Leslie began tapping into her love for dark suspense by penning several books under the pseudonym Leslie Parrish. The Black CATs and Extrasensory Agents series quickly put Leslie on the must-read list of romantic-suspense fans.
Tired of writing under various names, Leslie decided to go into her next genre--futuristic thrillers with a suspense element--under her real name. She released her dark, gritty Veronica Sloan books, and reissued the Black CATs series, as Leslie A. Kelly.
Leslie lives in Denver with her husband Bruce--her real-life romance hero. Visit her online at lesliekelly.com (for her sexy romances) or at leslieAkelly.com (for her romantic suspense.)
New York Times Bestselling author, Leslie Kelly writes sexy romances and dark romantic thrillers. A four-time RWA RITA Award nominee, eleven-time Romantic Times Award nominee and 2006 RT Award winner, Leslie has become known for her delightful characters, sparkling dialogue, and outrageous humor in her romances, and for the dark grittiness of her thrillers. Since the publication of her first book in 1999, Leslie has gone on to pen more than forty sassy, sexy romances for Harlequin Temptation, Blaze, and HQN.
In 2009, Leslie began tapping into her love for dark suspense by penning several books under the pseudonym Leslie Parrish. The Black CATs and Extrasensory Agents series quickly put Leslie on the must-read list of romantic-suspense fans.
Tired of writing under various names, Leslie decided to go into her next genre--futuristic thrillers with a suspense element--under her real name. She released her dark, gritty Veronica Sloan books, and reissued the Black CATs series, as Leslie A. Kelly.
Leslie lives in Denver with her husband Bruce--her real-life romance hero. Visit her online at lesliekelly.com (for her sexy romances) or at leslieAkelly.com (for her romantic suspense.)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
August 26, 2012
For this review and more check out my blog
*I was provided with a free copy of this book in exchange for a review*
Guy most likely to is a three story anthology based on high school reunions. Normally I find anthologies to be a little hit or miss, I never seem to like all the stories but Guy Most Likely To managed to entertain me from beginning to end. I will break down the review into the individual stories.
Underneath It All by Leslie Kelly
This was by far my favourite story out of the three. It had a female character that had a great and at times humorous personality, and a male character worth swooning over. I found the storyline engaging and generally cared about what happened. The romance was good, I got behind it and could feel the chemistry between the characters. The big issue with this story is the gargantuan amount of cheese that comes with it. It is in parts so cheesy it made me giggle. However, if you embrace the cheese the story is really quite enjoyable.
Can’t Get You Out Of My Head by Janelle Denison
This was my second favourite story of the lot and was by far the cutest. Everything about it was good but it was never quite great. The story is nice, the characters are nice and the romance is nice but it doesn’t manage to totally engage you.
A Moment Like This by Julie Leto
This was my least favourite story. I really liked the idea of the bad boy turned good by the good girl gone bad, but something in the execution just wasn’t right for me. I can’t put my finger on it exactly but it just didn’t have the flow of the others. It makes up for that in intensity and it is by far the most sensual of all three stories.
All in all Guy Most Likely Too is an enjoyable and quick read full of sweetness. I did have a favourite but none of the stories were disappointing of plain bad.
*I was provided with a free copy of this book in exchange for a review*
Guy most likely to is a three story anthology based on high school reunions. Normally I find anthologies to be a little hit or miss, I never seem to like all the stories but Guy Most Likely To managed to entertain me from beginning to end. I will break down the review into the individual stories.
Underneath It All by Leslie Kelly
This was by far my favourite story out of the three. It had a female character that had a great and at times humorous personality, and a male character worth swooning over. I found the storyline engaging and generally cared about what happened. The romance was good, I got behind it and could feel the chemistry between the characters. The big issue with this story is the gargantuan amount of cheese that comes with it. It is in parts so cheesy it made me giggle. However, if you embrace the cheese the story is really quite enjoyable.
Can’t Get You Out Of My Head by Janelle Denison
This was my second favourite story of the lot and was by far the cutest. Everything about it was good but it was never quite great. The story is nice, the characters are nice and the romance is nice but it doesn’t manage to totally engage you.
A Moment Like This by Julie Leto
This was my least favourite story. I really liked the idea of the bad boy turned good by the good girl gone bad, but something in the execution just wasn’t right for me. I can’t put my finger on it exactly but it just didn’t have the flow of the others. It makes up for that in intensity and it is by far the most sensual of all three stories.
All in all Guy Most Likely Too is an enjoyable and quick read full of sweetness. I did have a favourite but none of the stories were disappointing of plain bad.
June 25, 2012
Three authors who write sexy contemporary romance put their heads together and came up with a theme. What ever happened to that guy from high school… Lets find out at the 10th year reunion in three wonderful stories.
Underneath It All by Leslie Kelly – “Ever wonder what happened to the guy most likely to...Score with the prom queen?"
Lauren and Seth were high school royalty. Prom King & Queen except Seth never showed up for the prom leaving Lauren alone and humiliated. His family up and left with no explanations. He did leave a message with her folks a few months later apologizing but still giving no reason for abandoning her with no word. He broke her heart. Now 10 years later he walks into the reunion looking better than ever and Lauren wants nothing to do with him except she does. When she finally finds out why he left she feels really bad for doubting him. Can she get past her broken heart to give him another chance?
Can't Get You Out of My Head by Janelle Denison- “Ever wonder what happened to the guy most likely to... Not date a Playboy Bunny?"
Ali was a busty cheerleader. Will was a geeky nerd. When Ali needed a tutor Will stepped up and they became friends. Will even got the courage to ask Ali out on a date. When Will calls off the date two hours before it was to take place and informs Ali he doesn’t want to see her anymore Ali is confused and a little bit relieved as her “friends” were giving her grief about going out with the geek. 10 years later Will has turned his geekyness into an asset and is the CEO of his own software security company. He has grown into his body and is looking much, much, hotter than the wimpy nerd he was in high school. He doesn’t want to revisit the pain that was high school but he does want to reconnect with Ali and explain why he canceled out on her so long ago. Can the geek get the hot chick?
A Moment Like This by Julie Leto - Ever wonder what happened to the guy most likely to... Ride out of town on a Harley?"
Erica was the good girl. Scott “Rip” Ripley was the bad boy and never the twain shall meet. Erica is still stung by the fact that when she tried to get Bad Boy Rip to kiss her when he was tutoring her in French he took off for the hills. Now 10 years later Erica still wants a piece of that bad boy. Things have changed for Rip. He is no longer the angry bad boy. Back in high school he wasn’t worthy of Erica but he has paid his dues and she might just have bitten off more than she was ready for.
Oh goodness who can’t relate to the horrors of high school and the what ifs and whatever happened too questions. These three stories are short but sweet and fun to read.
*I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
September 1, 2017
These were new authors for me.
May 15, 2018
The three stories were "OK", but pretty much a vehicle for writing sex scenes. Character development was pretty sparse and the stories lacked tension. Nothing special.
June 30, 2013
I picked this one up because I've read and enjoyed stories and/or novels by all three authors, so I was eager to see what they would do with the high school reunion theme. Ultimately, each story was pretty good, with sympathetic characters, good chemistry, and a varying amount of sweetness. However, I have to say that, while I enjoyed all three stories, none of them was particularly special - everything seemed formulaic, with mostly stock/cliche characters. So, while there isn't anything exactly innovative about the stories, I have to say that I liked them (as I liked the fact that all three titles were actually song titles from 2002 [that did briefly make me feel kinda old, though]). A brief breakdown of each story follows:
Leslie Kelly's "Underneath it All" - This one was my favorite of the three, mostly because Ms. Kelly really amped up the angst and emotions, which isn't all that easy to do over the course of such a short story. Both characters were likable in a standard way: Lauren had developed a hard, snarky edge due to Seth's actions on prom night, but the snark was understandable and not overdone. Seth was a good guy: earnest, but not overly so, with good intentions and a lot of feelings for Lauren. The reason for the requisite "big misunderstanding" ten years prior to the events of the story was fairly creative and led to a good amount of anger, hurt, and bitterness for both of them. They had a lot of chemistry and their feelings for one another were believable. The last scene was a nice full-circle kind of moment. The part of my mind that can never fully suspend disbelief made itself known at that point, though, because everything happened so very quickly. Ultimately, I told that little voice to shut up and enjoy the sweetness, and it did. This was a solid story that I liked a lot.
Janelle Denison's "Can't Get You Out of My Head" - This story touched on the bullying theme that is very much a part of the public discourse nowadays, and I liked that Ms. Denison showed how it can affect not only the "geeky," outcast kids (Will), but also the popular kids who seem to have it all (Ali). Will and Ali had a connection in high school, in spite of their differing social standings, but the aforementioned bullying led to them parting ways amidst a lot of hurt feelings and confusion. By the time the reunion rolled around, Will was (of course) handsome, rich, and successful, and only attended the reunion to see Ali. Once their past issues were addressed, they capitalized on their chemistry (which was pretty intense), and things ended on a sweet (and hot) note. This one was good, though I personally didn't feel like the emotions and chemistry were as palpable as they were in Leslie Kelly's story.
Julie Leto's "A Moment Like This" - For characters, we had a couple of archetypes: Erica, the good girl who always longed to be bad/wild; and Rip, the bad boy player who, underneath all of the rebelling and womanizing (and a lot of womanizing there was), was actually a good guy. This wasn't a bad story, but I find that I don't have all that much to say about it, because it seemed to me that the entire story was all about the physical. Don't get me wrong, the physical/chemistry-related aspects of this story were hot and intense (and plentiful), but though there were a few instances in which emotions entered the fray, they didn't feel all that deep or developed to me. In short, the story - while enjoyable - was mostly about hot sex and not all that much else, in my view.
So, all things considered, this one had three pretty good stories, and I think that anyone who has previously read offerings from any or all of these authors won't be disappointed.
Leslie Kelly's "Underneath it All" - This one was my favorite of the three, mostly because Ms. Kelly really amped up the angst and emotions, which isn't all that easy to do over the course of such a short story. Both characters were likable in a standard way: Lauren had developed a hard, snarky edge due to Seth's actions on prom night, but the snark was understandable and not overdone. Seth was a good guy: earnest, but not overly so, with good intentions and a lot of feelings for Lauren. The reason for the requisite "big misunderstanding" ten years prior to the events of the story was fairly creative and led to a good amount of anger, hurt, and bitterness for both of them. They had a lot of chemistry and their feelings for one another were believable. The last scene was a nice full-circle kind of moment. The part of my mind that can never fully suspend disbelief made itself known at that point, though, because everything happened so very quickly. Ultimately, I told that little voice to shut up and enjoy the sweetness, and it did. This was a solid story that I liked a lot.
Janelle Denison's "Can't Get You Out of My Head" - This story touched on the bullying theme that is very much a part of the public discourse nowadays, and I liked that Ms. Denison showed how it can affect not only the "geeky," outcast kids (Will), but also the popular kids who seem to have it all (Ali). Will and Ali had a connection in high school, in spite of their differing social standings, but the aforementioned bullying led to them parting ways amidst a lot of hurt feelings and confusion. By the time the reunion rolled around, Will was (of course) handsome, rich, and successful, and only attended the reunion to see Ali. Once their past issues were addressed, they capitalized on their chemistry (which was pretty intense), and things ended on a sweet (and hot) note. This one was good, though I personally didn't feel like the emotions and chemistry were as palpable as they were in Leslie Kelly's story.
Julie Leto's "A Moment Like This" - For characters, we had a couple of archetypes: Erica, the good girl who always longed to be bad/wild; and Rip, the bad boy player who, underneath all of the rebelling and womanizing (and a lot of womanizing there was), was actually a good guy. This wasn't a bad story, but I find that I don't have all that much to say about it, because it seemed to me that the entire story was all about the physical. Don't get me wrong, the physical/chemistry-related aspects of this story were hot and intense (and plentiful), but though there were a few instances in which emotions entered the fray, they didn't feel all that deep or developed to me. In short, the story - while enjoyable - was mostly about hot sex and not all that much else, in my view.
So, all things considered, this one had three pretty good stories, and I think that anyone who has previously read offerings from any or all of these authors won't be disappointed.
July 2, 2012
From http://atastyread.blogspot.com
One of my FAVORITE Anthologies. Who can resist a Reunion Love Story.
In the first story, Underneath It All by Leslie Kelly, we meet Lauren and Seth, who had been the "it" couple up until the night he ditches her on prom night and never even calls to give her an explaination. Well ten years later, he shows up at the reunion with the truth and the need to get Lauren to listen after all these years.
I really enjoyed this story. Lauren and Seth were both such likeable characters and you can't help but want things to work out for them, even if the only thing they get out of the weekend is closure. It was fun to see where their lives took them after ten years and how it seemed that they both still thought about each other a lot over the past ten years. This was my favorite of the three.
In Can't Get You Out of My Head by Janelle Denison, we meet Ali and Will who had quite the opposite High School experience. Will was the nerd who got picked on and Ali was a cheerleader and very popular, but after a few toutouring sessions together, Ali and Will found out they had much more in common then either of them would have imagined. One kiss turned into Will asking her out on a date, just to call and cancel the night of, and he never spoke to her again, Ten years later, Will isn't so nerdy anymore and he plans to get Ali back, and maybe finally have that date he'd been regretting all these years.
Ali cant believe that Will actually showed up to the reunion after the horrible High School experience he had, but now he is rich, handsome and oh so sexy, all the girls are giving him the eyes. But his eyes are only for one girl, and one girl only, Ali. They have some things to discuss and Will plans to get Ali to give him a second chance.
I also really like Ali and Will. They had the typical geek/chic romance, which was very short lived, but they both thought about it often through the years, but could she trust him after crushing her teenage heart years ago?
The last story was A Moment Like This by Julie Leto where we meet Scott "Rip" Ripley, bad boy turned successful business man and Erica, Miss Perfect in High School turned wanna-be bad girl. Rip and Erica shared one kiss in High School after weeks of Rip tutoring Erica in French and the two forming a hidden friendship, but Rip ended the kiss and never spoke to her again. Erica never understood what she did wrong and why Rip wasn't attracted to her, and now ten years later, she was about to find out.
Rip and Erica have a great reunion meeting, with her dressed in leather and riding a motorcycle and him shocked that this is the same "goody-two-shoes" he remembered from High School. He never wanted Erica to fall for him becuase he didn't think he was good enough for her at the time and he knew he would just hurt her, but now, all bets are off. Scott is successful and he plans to show Erica that maybe if he can help her let her hair down, she can show him what it's like to have a good girl in him bed perminently.
This was a fun anthology and I enjoyed each story and all of the different couples. I highly recommend picking this one up, not only does it take you back to High School for a little trip down memory lane, but it gives you a little sneak peak into where all those kids you remmeber might be today!
Enjoy and Happy Reading!!
One of my FAVORITE Anthologies. Who can resist a Reunion Love Story.
In the first story, Underneath It All by Leslie Kelly, we meet Lauren and Seth, who had been the "it" couple up until the night he ditches her on prom night and never even calls to give her an explaination. Well ten years later, he shows up at the reunion with the truth and the need to get Lauren to listen after all these years.
I really enjoyed this story. Lauren and Seth were both such likeable characters and you can't help but want things to work out for them, even if the only thing they get out of the weekend is closure. It was fun to see where their lives took them after ten years and how it seemed that they both still thought about each other a lot over the past ten years. This was my favorite of the three.
In Can't Get You Out of My Head by Janelle Denison, we meet Ali and Will who had quite the opposite High School experience. Will was the nerd who got picked on and Ali was a cheerleader and very popular, but after a few toutouring sessions together, Ali and Will found out they had much more in common then either of them would have imagined. One kiss turned into Will asking her out on a date, just to call and cancel the night of, and he never spoke to her again, Ten years later, Will isn't so nerdy anymore and he plans to get Ali back, and maybe finally have that date he'd been regretting all these years.
Ali cant believe that Will actually showed up to the reunion after the horrible High School experience he had, but now he is rich, handsome and oh so sexy, all the girls are giving him the eyes. But his eyes are only for one girl, and one girl only, Ali. They have some things to discuss and Will plans to get Ali to give him a second chance.
I also really like Ali and Will. They had the typical geek/chic romance, which was very short lived, but they both thought about it often through the years, but could she trust him after crushing her teenage heart years ago?
The last story was A Moment Like This by Julie Leto where we meet Scott "Rip" Ripley, bad boy turned successful business man and Erica, Miss Perfect in High School turned wanna-be bad girl. Rip and Erica shared one kiss in High School after weeks of Rip tutoring Erica in French and the two forming a hidden friendship, but Rip ended the kiss and never spoke to her again. Erica never understood what she did wrong and why Rip wasn't attracted to her, and now ten years later, she was about to find out.
Rip and Erica have a great reunion meeting, with her dressed in leather and riding a motorcycle and him shocked that this is the same "goody-two-shoes" he remembered from High School. He never wanted Erica to fall for him becuase he didn't think he was good enough for her at the time and he knew he would just hurt her, but now, all bets are off. Scott is successful and he plans to show Erica that maybe if he can help her let her hair down, she can show him what it's like to have a good girl in him bed perminently.
This was a fun anthology and I enjoyed each story and all of the different couples. I highly recommend picking this one up, not only does it take you back to High School for a little trip down memory lane, but it gives you a little sneak peak into where all those kids you remmeber might be today!
Enjoy and Happy Reading!!
November 3, 2013
Reviewed by Marissa
Book provided by NetGalley for review
Review originally posted at Romancing the Book
Underneath It All by Leslie Kelley
Okay, confession time. I never went to my senior prom. I was so anti-school by my senior year that I wanted nothing to do with anything so “déclassé”. Now that I’m *mumble* one, I sometimes wonder what it would have been like. Somehow, I’m sure I would have had a better time than Lauren, the heroine in this story. As the prom queen, she’s left standing alone on stage, in tears, without her prom king. Luckily there is a class reunion where the two reunite and Lauren finally finds out what happened to Seth, the AWOL boyfriend, on prom night.
This story was well told and had me in tears, both sad and happy. I felt so much for Lauren, first being jilted, then running through the anger and finally acceptance of what had happened on prom night. And, of course, her new emotions – happiness and love.
Can’t Get You Out of My Head by Janelle Denison
What can I say? I love me a good nerd. Even my boyfriends tend to the nerdish side. (I’m currently dating an accountant but he swears he doesn’t own a pocket protector. Rats!) Our nerdy hero, Will, is really no longer a nerd. He’s kind of like Bill Gates – he grew out of the nerdiness when he got rich. Ali is the cheerleader with a heart who always had a thing for Will but was afraid to let her fellow cheerleader and football player friends know. It was amusing to see how those fellow class mates grew and matured (or not) and makes me wonder about all those snotty cheerleaders and jocks from my own class.
The worst line in the entire book came from this story: “… but there was no denying she had a gorgeous rack.” Rack? Really? Now, Will is supposed to be the shy kid from high school, the computer nerd, the guy whose older sisters taught him to look at a woman’s eyes when he talked to her and not at her “rack”. The word “rack” just doesn’t ring true here. And I am the furthest thing from a feminist but come on. A little dignity here.
A Moment Like This by Julie Leto
My other favorite kind of man? The bad-boy in leather and torn-up jeans that comes roaring in on a Harley. I never seem to end up with these men but they are fuel for my fantasies. And Rip is definitely fantasy material. As his polar opposite, Erica reminds me of the character Muffy Tepperman in the TV show Square Pegs – a senior class president, she knows everyone and is quick to relate anything negative happening to the principal. Yep, really dating myself with that one.
It was wonderful to watch Erica change to her true self when she was with Rip. Even she knows when the mask goes up and down and, like most women I think, Erica desires the one man she can be herself with. I love the way these characters developed from high school to adulthood, changing and growing up but retaining the essence of who they are.
For all the stories in this book, I give a thumbs-up. Each story is heart-warming and shows how we never forget that high school love – even if it was only love from afar. Now, if only my high school crush would show up…
Book provided by NetGalley for review
Review originally posted at Romancing the Book
Underneath It All by Leslie Kelley
Okay, confession time. I never went to my senior prom. I was so anti-school by my senior year that I wanted nothing to do with anything so “déclassé”. Now that I’m *mumble* one, I sometimes wonder what it would have been like. Somehow, I’m sure I would have had a better time than Lauren, the heroine in this story. As the prom queen, she’s left standing alone on stage, in tears, without her prom king. Luckily there is a class reunion where the two reunite and Lauren finally finds out what happened to Seth, the AWOL boyfriend, on prom night.
This story was well told and had me in tears, both sad and happy. I felt so much for Lauren, first being jilted, then running through the anger and finally acceptance of what had happened on prom night. And, of course, her new emotions – happiness and love.
Can’t Get You Out of My Head by Janelle Denison
What can I say? I love me a good nerd. Even my boyfriends tend to the nerdish side. (I’m currently dating an accountant but he swears he doesn’t own a pocket protector. Rats!) Our nerdy hero, Will, is really no longer a nerd. He’s kind of like Bill Gates – he grew out of the nerdiness when he got rich. Ali is the cheerleader with a heart who always had a thing for Will but was afraid to let her fellow cheerleader and football player friends know. It was amusing to see how those fellow class mates grew and matured (or not) and makes me wonder about all those snotty cheerleaders and jocks from my own class.
The worst line in the entire book came from this story: “… but there was no denying she had a gorgeous rack.” Rack? Really? Now, Will is supposed to be the shy kid from high school, the computer nerd, the guy whose older sisters taught him to look at a woman’s eyes when he talked to her and not at her “rack”. The word “rack” just doesn’t ring true here. And I am the furthest thing from a feminist but come on. A little dignity here.
A Moment Like This by Julie Leto
My other favorite kind of man? The bad-boy in leather and torn-up jeans that comes roaring in on a Harley. I never seem to end up with these men but they are fuel for my fantasies. And Rip is definitely fantasy material. As his polar opposite, Erica reminds me of the character Muffy Tepperman in the TV show Square Pegs – a senior class president, she knows everyone and is quick to relate anything negative happening to the principal. Yep, really dating myself with that one.
It was wonderful to watch Erica change to her true self when she was with Rip. Even she knows when the mask goes up and down and, like most women I think, Erica desires the one man she can be herself with. I love the way these characters developed from high school to adulthood, changing and growing up but retaining the essence of who they are.
For all the stories in this book, I give a thumbs-up. Each story is heart-warming and shows how we never forget that high school love – even if it was only love from afar. Now, if only my high school crush would show up…
June 22, 2012
This an anthology. All the novellas involving the class of 2002's reunion at a Reunion resort Celebrations in Chicago. And the stories are all named after hit songs from 2002.
"Underneath it All" by Leslie Kelly
Lauren was all set to go to prom with Seth, only he disappeared on prom night. Now ten years later, he's back to apologise to her for not showing.
I liked it, Seth definitely had a good reason for not showing and the reason they stayed apart is believable. Seth and Lauren were good together and I believe in the HEA.
I give it 4 stars.
Loosely connected to Kelly's book Blazing Midsummer Nights, Lauren lives in Georgia and used to work for Mimi Burnett the heroine of that book.
"Can't Get You Outta My Head" by Janelle Denison
Nerdy Will asked out the hot cheerleader Ali only to cancel hours before the date in fear. Tim, a linebacker and some of his buddies beat him up and threatened him if he went through with the date.
Now, after blossoming in college and making some tidy millions, Will decided to go to the reunion to apologise to Ali.
I love the hot nerd thing and so often am disappointed. I loved Will and Ali together and the fact that their relationship almost happened in high school, so Ali isn't just after his money (or body), although I say it doesn't hurt. I like that Ali had doubts in high school after the news got around, and that she admits it to Will
This novella really shows how some people don't change, many of Ali's highschool friends make her cringe now and she is a little embarrassed to think she liked them. Tim is the same personality wise, but he has let himself go physically.
I give it 4 stars.
"A Moment Like This" by Julie Leto
In the weakest entries of the Anthology, A Moment Like This is about Scott "Rip" Ripwell and Erica.
Classic bad boy and good girl story, Rip knocked Erica back when she tried to take their friendship to the next level because she deserved better. Now she wants to get what she missed out on back in highschool.
This one didn't actually spend much time at the reunion. I liked that both Rip and Erica admit he was right not to take her up on her offer, because she would've just been another notch.
I didn't like that the ending was so loose, more of a shaky HFN than a HEA.
I would looove to see more Kate and Scott because there was some smoking tension between them.
I give it 3 stars.
This is connected to Leto's Legendary Lovers through Abby, the heroine of Too Wicked to Keep.
"Underneath it All" by Leslie Kelly
Lauren was all set to go to prom with Seth, only he disappeared on prom night. Now ten years later, he's back to apologise to her for not showing.
I liked it, Seth definitely had a good reason for not showing and the reason they stayed apart is believable. Seth and Lauren were good together and I believe in the HEA.
I give it 4 stars.
Loosely connected to Kelly's book Blazing Midsummer Nights, Lauren lives in Georgia and used to work for Mimi Burnett the heroine of that book.
"Can't Get You Outta My Head" by Janelle Denison
Nerdy Will asked out the hot cheerleader Ali only to cancel hours before the date in fear. Tim, a linebacker and some of his buddies beat him up and threatened him if he went through with the date.
Now, after blossoming in college and making some tidy millions, Will decided to go to the reunion to apologise to Ali.
I love the hot nerd thing and so often am disappointed. I loved Will and Ali together and the fact that their relationship almost happened in high school, so Ali isn't just after his money (or body), although I say it doesn't hurt. I like that Ali had doubts in high school after the news got around, and that she admits it to Will
This novella really shows how some people don't change, many of Ali's highschool friends make her cringe now and she is a little embarrassed to think she liked them. Tim is the same personality wise, but he has let himself go physically.
I give it 4 stars.
"A Moment Like This" by Julie Leto
In the weakest entries of the Anthology, A Moment Like This is about Scott "Rip" Ripwell and Erica.
Classic bad boy and good girl story, Rip knocked Erica back when she tried to take their friendship to the next level because she deserved better. Now she wants to get what she missed out on back in highschool.
This one didn't actually spend much time at the reunion. I liked that both Rip and Erica admit he was right not to take her up on her offer, because she would've just been another notch.
I didn't like that the ending was so loose, more of a shaky HFN than a HEA.
I would looove to see more Kate and Scott because there was some smoking tension between them.
I give it 3 stars.
This is connected to Leto's Legendary Lovers through Abby, the heroine of Too Wicked to Keep.
May 30, 2015
This Blaze issue contains three short stories all about the subject of those dreaded class reunions. Heroines one and two are only attending very reluctantly, the third one is the organiser and loving it, but all of them had beaus in high school that are attending also. So, a reunion of hearts in the making?
To be quite honest, only story number three really pulls it off, the others seem to be lacking. The first tale is concentrating too hard on the prom queen and king getting back together, essentially leaving out his explanation as to why he suddenly and inexplicably disappearing by the wayside which is a great shame. The premise is very promising, even intriguing and needs to be explored in greater detail to make the storyline tally properly and not making it, essentially, a ‘bed hopping tale’ with not much substance.
The second narrative is actually quite good and easy to follow … and then we have the ‘bedding scene’ that feels like it has been put there because it is expected rather than forming part of the story. I fear, this is the downfall for many a good idea and setup, and possibly not enough time to interweave the ‘necessary’ into the tale to be told properly which is a great shame. Again, the idea is interesting and makes sense up to a point, and could have been so much more.
Story number three starts off with sexual innuendo right away, setting the scene for later interaction, and thus works well with Harlequin expectations, yet the storyline in itself is stimulating in its own right. Here, a tale told in about 70 pages works and leaves the reader satisfied, without wanting more details and explanations or simply feeling ‘cheap’ for having something added that does not fit, at least not the way it has been presented.
Overall, I do enjoy an easy and quick read every now and then, and thus the book does its bidding. However, maybe the stories ought to have been extended some with relevant information incorporated or pertinent details more focused upon, alternatively rewritten in a manner not to make it all sound cheap or even contrived and giving the ‘anti-romance-brigade’ more fodder. Harlequin does have its well-deserved niche in the book stores, even literature, be that for simple enjoyment or to actually learn a thing or two.
To be quite honest, only story number three really pulls it off, the others seem to be lacking. The first tale is concentrating too hard on the prom queen and king getting back together, essentially leaving out his explanation as to why he suddenly and inexplicably disappearing by the wayside which is a great shame. The premise is very promising, even intriguing and needs to be explored in greater detail to make the storyline tally properly and not making it, essentially, a ‘bed hopping tale’ with not much substance.
The second narrative is actually quite good and easy to follow … and then we have the ‘bedding scene’ that feels like it has been put there because it is expected rather than forming part of the story. I fear, this is the downfall for many a good idea and setup, and possibly not enough time to interweave the ‘necessary’ into the tale to be told properly which is a great shame. Again, the idea is interesting and makes sense up to a point, and could have been so much more.
Story number three starts off with sexual innuendo right away, setting the scene for later interaction, and thus works well with Harlequin expectations, yet the storyline in itself is stimulating in its own right. Here, a tale told in about 70 pages works and leaves the reader satisfied, without wanting more details and explanations or simply feeling ‘cheap’ for having something added that does not fit, at least not the way it has been presented.
Overall, I do enjoy an easy and quick read every now and then, and thus the book does its bidding. However, maybe the stories ought to have been extended some with relevant information incorporated or pertinent details more focused upon, alternatively rewritten in a manner not to make it all sound cheap or even contrived and giving the ‘anti-romance-brigade’ more fodder. Harlequin does have its well-deserved niche in the book stores, even literature, be that for simple enjoyment or to actually learn a thing or two.
June 29, 2012
This review will be posted on From the TBR Pile July 1, 2012.
Here
This book was a lot of fun. Each story is a very quick read. I enjoyed all three, but not equally. Of the three authors, I have only read books by Janelle Denison. I know I will be seeking out other works by the other two.
Underneath It All is Leslie Kelly's offering. I loved Seth and Lauren's story. Out of the three it was the most believable. They have a serious history together. Seth's story of why he left was heartbreaking. I won't give it away, but it was a pretty valid excuse. The ending was really sweet.
Can't Get You Out of My Head by Janelle Denison is the classic story of the geek who becomes wealthy and really hot after high school. He heads back to the reunion to get the girl of his dreams. Ali may have given into peer pressure in high school, but it was nice to see she had changed. She really grew as a person as an adult. Their HEA was cute.
A Moment Like This by Julie Leto was the one I liked the least. I didn't really like either of the characters. I felt like should have been a bit more back story about both Rip and Erica. I just didn't believe in their meeting and didn't think they would go beyond a hook-up. Rip seemed like he had more depth to him, but it wasn't really explored en0ugh to satisfy me. I didn't buy that he could love her when they really didn't have much of a history. There wasn't even a HEA. It was more a HFNish ending. Had it been a longer story or had some type of epilogue, I might have liked it more.
I definitely recommend this anthology. The guys are sexy and the love scenes are steamy. Check it out when it hits the shelves!
Here
This book was a lot of fun. Each story is a very quick read. I enjoyed all three, but not equally. Of the three authors, I have only read books by Janelle Denison. I know I will be seeking out other works by the other two.
Underneath It All is Leslie Kelly's offering. I loved Seth and Lauren's story. Out of the three it was the most believable. They have a serious history together. Seth's story of why he left was heartbreaking. I won't give it away, but it was a pretty valid excuse. The ending was really sweet.
Can't Get You Out of My Head by Janelle Denison is the classic story of the geek who becomes wealthy and really hot after high school. He heads back to the reunion to get the girl of his dreams. Ali may have given into peer pressure in high school, but it was nice to see she had changed. She really grew as a person as an adult. Their HEA was cute.
A Moment Like This by Julie Leto was the one I liked the least. I didn't really like either of the characters. I felt like should have been a bit more back story about both Rip and Erica. I just didn't believe in their meeting and didn't think they would go beyond a hook-up. Rip seemed like he had more depth to him, but it wasn't really explored en0ugh to satisfy me. I didn't buy that he could love her when they really didn't have much of a history. There wasn't even a HEA. It was more a HFNish ending. Had it been a longer story or had some type of epilogue, I might have liked it more.
I definitely recommend this anthology. The guys are sexy and the love scenes are steamy. Check it out when it hits the shelves!
August 17, 2013
Written for: Beyond Reading
The Guy Most Likely To... consists of three novellas/short stories based on high school students, now grown, with histories. Histories that include plenty of sparks that never did quite sizzle out.
Underneath it All
The Guy Most Likely to Score with the Prom Queen. Underneath it All was very much chuckle-worthy. I loved the chemistry between Seth and Lauren, they were very cute together. Their mutual history was note-worthy, and Seth provided a mystery for Lauren and a worthy excuse, however, I felt that his 'betrayal' was too bothersome to her. I mean, a guy left you ten years ago, you don't know why, but you still hate his guts? After all these years? Added to that, Lauren should have had backbone - the influence her friend Maggie had on her, albeit unknowingly, annoyed me a good deal. Lauren should have known her own feelings and her relationship. Cute end.
Can't Get You Out of My Head
The Guy Most Likely to Date a Playboy Bunny, NOT. This was the cutest premise of the three novellas. It was Ali, the cheerleader and Will, the dork. I don't have much to say about this one except that it was cute. I felt it was a tad bit lackluster and entirely to cliched. Readable, nontheless.
A Moment Like This
The Guy Most Likely to Ride Out of Town on a Harley. Yowza. I love bad boys. A Moment Like This embodied chemistry - totally hot. I loved the contrast of Erica then and Erica now and I think Erica and Scott "Rip" Ripley were matched perfectly. I, however, felt like there was barely any progression in the relationship, even at the end.
The Guy Most Likely To... consists of three novellas/short stories based on high school students, now grown, with histories. Histories that include plenty of sparks that never did quite sizzle out.
Underneath it All
The Guy Most Likely to Score with the Prom Queen. Underneath it All was very much chuckle-worthy. I loved the chemistry between Seth and Lauren, they were very cute together. Their mutual history was note-worthy, and Seth provided a mystery for Lauren and a worthy excuse, however, I felt that his 'betrayal' was too bothersome to her. I mean, a guy left you ten years ago, you don't know why, but you still hate his guts? After all these years? Added to that, Lauren should have had backbone - the influence her friend Maggie had on her, albeit unknowingly, annoyed me a good deal. Lauren should have known her own feelings and her relationship. Cute end.
Can't Get You Out of My Head
The Guy Most Likely to Date a Playboy Bunny, NOT. This was the cutest premise of the three novellas. It was Ali, the cheerleader and Will, the dork. I don't have much to say about this one except that it was cute. I felt it was a tad bit lackluster and entirely to cliched. Readable, nontheless.
A Moment Like This
The Guy Most Likely to Ride Out of Town on a Harley. Yowza. I love bad boys. A Moment Like This embodied chemistry - totally hot. I loved the contrast of Erica then and Erica now and I think Erica and Scott "Rip" Ripley were matched perfectly. I, however, felt like there was barely any progression in the relationship, even at the end.
July 26, 2012
You can find this review and more at Forever Book Lover.
Rating 3.5 Average
This was a great quick summer read, each story is filled with steamy scenes, just want you want on a hot summer day. Three of my favorite Blaze authors team up to create three sizzling books centered around "high school reunions".
"Underneath it All" by Leslie Kelly
Being stood up at your high school prom is not a good thing, especially if you are the Prom Queen and your King is MIA. Seth and his family leave suddenly and leave no explanation. The last thing Lauren wants to do is attend her 10 year reunion, but she promised her best friend she would go, she wasn't expecting was Seth to walk in looking hot as ever!! Can the past be explained, can they mend their broken hearts, well you know with Leslie Kelly true love and HEA are always possible.
"Can't Get You Outta My Head" by Janelle Denison
Cheerleader falls for class nerd! What a wonderful storyline, these are they type of stories I love reading. Class bullies kept them apart all those years ago, but seeing each other ten years later at their class reunion, can they rekindle the romance?
"A Moment Like This" by Julie Leto
I almost didn't finish this one, actually I skimmed through it rather quickly, yes it was super hot and sexy, but there storyline was weak. Bad boy and good girl reunite at reunion. I didn't see their romance blossoming to more than fulfilling an itch, a lust, not a HEA but more than let the good times roll..
Rating 3.5 Average
This was a great quick summer read, each story is filled with steamy scenes, just want you want on a hot summer day. Three of my favorite Blaze authors team up to create three sizzling books centered around "high school reunions".
"Underneath it All" by Leslie Kelly
Being stood up at your high school prom is not a good thing, especially if you are the Prom Queen and your King is MIA. Seth and his family leave suddenly and leave no explanation. The last thing Lauren wants to do is attend her 10 year reunion, but she promised her best friend she would go, she wasn't expecting was Seth to walk in looking hot as ever!! Can the past be explained, can they mend their broken hearts, well you know with Leslie Kelly true love and HEA are always possible.
"Can't Get You Outta My Head" by Janelle Denison
Cheerleader falls for class nerd! What a wonderful storyline, these are they type of stories I love reading. Class bullies kept them apart all those years ago, but seeing each other ten years later at their class reunion, can they rekindle the romance?
"A Moment Like This" by Julie Leto
I almost didn't finish this one, actually I skimmed through it rather quickly, yes it was super hot and sexy, but there storyline was weak. Bad boy and good girl reunite at reunion. I didn't see their romance blossoming to more than fulfilling an itch, a lust, not a HEA but more than let the good times roll..
May 21, 2014
As many of you know, I love grabbing a Harlequin Blaze book at the grocery store and reading them while at football practices. This one I picked up on Net Galley and read through one short at a time. But yesterday, I slipped into our local Chapters (Starbuck's is my excuse for the pop-in) and the cover in the flesh is so cute...so Tom Cruise in Risky Business...and a throw back for me to high school!
High school reunions are something of an oddity for me. I didn't go back to my 20th...well because we didn't have one! It would have been fun, but since our high school closed down the year before, many of the locals went to the closing ceremony instead of the reunion. This set of three stories focuses on reunions, but at a resort-style theme event centre. The first story of love lost and found is very sweet and touching. I enjoyed how Seth sought Lauren out and only had eyes for her.
Speaking of single minded and focused, Will returns to his reunion rich, successful and sexy as all get out. Ali crushed on him years ago, but succumbed to peer pressure and didn't pursue her true feelings for Will. Fast forward to their high school reunion and Ali can't keep her mind off what could have been...I love having these two fall in love all over again.
And as for falling...falling hard for a bad boy may have been frowned upon in high school, but as an adult, Erica knows that she missed her chance years ago and that she wants to take that ride with Rip. I know that I was cheering for second chances throughout the whole book! Sweet, fun and sexy! Enjoy!
High school reunions are something of an oddity for me. I didn't go back to my 20th...well because we didn't have one! It would have been fun, but since our high school closed down the year before, many of the locals went to the closing ceremony instead of the reunion. This set of three stories focuses on reunions, but at a resort-style theme event centre. The first story of love lost and found is very sweet and touching. I enjoyed how Seth sought Lauren out and only had eyes for her.
Speaking of single minded and focused, Will returns to his reunion rich, successful and sexy as all get out. Ali crushed on him years ago, but succumbed to peer pressure and didn't pursue her true feelings for Will. Fast forward to their high school reunion and Ali can't keep her mind off what could have been...I love having these two fall in love all over again.
And as for falling...falling hard for a bad boy may have been frowned upon in high school, but as an adult, Erica knows that she missed her chance years ago and that she wants to take that ride with Rip. I know that I was cheering for second chances throughout the whole book! Sweet, fun and sexy! Enjoy!
August 15, 2012
This was a quick read, and fairly satisfying. The theme was a fun one--reuniting with an old flame at a high school reunion (do people really look forward to those things? It's hard to believe), and all three stories took place at the same location--a resort designed for reunions. Other than that, they weren't connected, which was a bit of a letdown. I read this over a couple of days, so I kept checking back to see if any of the characters or situations were in common, but they weren't. It would have given it some extra pizzazz, I thought.
Of the three, I thought the strongest story was the first, Leslie Kelly's "Underneath it All." It was a bit of a stretch that Seth hadn't tried before the ten years were up to find Lauren and explain where he'd gone on prom night, but not too much of one. The next story, "Can't Get You Out of My Head" was fairly cute, if a bit less realistic. "A Moment Like This" I thought was the weakest of the three, but still not a bad story. All in all, it delivers what it claims to--short, summer fantasy reads.
Of the three, I thought the strongest story was the first, Leslie Kelly's "Underneath it All." It was a bit of a stretch that Seth hadn't tried before the ten years were up to find Lauren and explain where he'd gone on prom night, but not too much of one. The next story, "Can't Get You Out of My Head" was fairly cute, if a bit less realistic. "A Moment Like This" I thought was the weakest of the three, but still not a bad story. All in all, it delivers what it claims to--short, summer fantasy reads.
August 8, 2012
These three stories are about couples meeting again at their 10 year HS reunions at a resort near Chicago that specializes in reunions. Underneath It All by Leslie Kelly was a wonderful story in this anthology of Seth and Lauren. He ran out on her on Prom night 10 years ago and no one knows why. He's back to explain things to her if she'll let him. Two good characters that are very likable and quite lovable at the end.
Can't Get You Out of My Head by Janelle Denison was my favorite of the three stories. Computer geek Will meets Head cheerleader Ali again and they fall in love. Both had secrets that they needed to reveal to each other and it came across as believable and touching.
A Moment Like This by Julie Leto was bad boy meets good girl again. Except this time she wants to be bad. Scott "Rip" Ripley gets his eyes opened on what he finally wants in life and maybe a HFN with Erica.
Overall this is a nice anthology of writers I like and a good evening read.
Can't Get You Out of My Head by Janelle Denison was my favorite of the three stories. Computer geek Will meets Head cheerleader Ali again and they fall in love. Both had secrets that they needed to reveal to each other and it came across as believable and touching.
A Moment Like This by Julie Leto was bad boy meets good girl again. Except this time she wants to be bad. Scott "Rip" Ripley gets his eyes opened on what he finally wants in life and maybe a HFN with Erica.
Overall this is a nice anthology of writers I like and a good evening read.
June 26, 2012
First impressions: I liked this much more than I thought I would. I was a little irritated that all three stories were about tenth reunions - would have it been so horrible to make the couples 33 or even 38? Or - GOD FORBID - in their 40s?
Anyway, I really enjoyed the first two stories by Leslie Kelly and Janelle Denison - both were charming and sexy, with likeable heroines and great beta heroes. The conflicts were Big Misunderstandings that were cleared up with one conversation that led immediately to hot sexy times, but in this context both authors made it work. B+ for those two.
The third by Julie Leto was also good, but I didn't feel like I knew and understood the characters as well, probably because their backstories (especially the hero's) were more complex than the others. I think the role reversal premise needed something longer than a short story. B-
Anyway, I really enjoyed the first two stories by Leslie Kelly and Janelle Denison - both were charming and sexy, with likeable heroines and great beta heroes. The conflicts were Big Misunderstandings that were cleared up with one conversation that led immediately to hot sexy times, but in this context both authors made it work. B+ for those two.
The third by Julie Leto was also good, but I didn't feel like I knew and understood the characters as well, probably because their backstories (especially the hero's) were more complex than the others. I think the role reversal premise needed something longer than a short story. B-
August 12, 2012
I really enjoyed all three stories in this book. Three of my favourite authors deliver quite a punch with their sexy stories filled with emotion as well as both internal an external conflict. The only negative I find is that they were just too short. Each story would have been great as full length novels. I wish that was the case. It would have been fun to explore their characters more. The stories in this anthology are funny, sexy and filled with likeable characters that are placed in realistic situations. You really want to get to know them.
Want to read
October 30, 20194.5 stars. This set of three novellas embrace the 2nd chance romance trope. Conflict is resolved quickly and all stories have a nice feelgood moment. Great if you are looking for a lighthearted quick story. Story 1 was my favorite of the set, it took you on a full ride of different emotions. Story 3 was my least favorite, as the h seemed like she was faking the whole bad girl thing to get the guy. Overall, a nice set of stories that I anticipate that I will read again in the future.
July 8, 2013
Steamy! The last novella in this compilation - by Julie Leto - gets 4.5 stars from me. The other two stories get 3.
Why'd I like the last one so much? It sizzled in a way that was believable, and the lead characters, Erica and "Rip", cracked me up. I love a story where a "good girl" tries to remake herself.
Why'd I like the last one so much? It sizzled in a way that was believable, and the lead characters, Erica and "Rip", cracked me up. I love a story where a "good girl" tries to remake herself.
October 24, 2015
Fun premise for this anthology.
I always enjoy the authors in this anthology! I can always count on a fun hawt read......did not disappoint! This series is based on the always stressful.......high school reunion. There is always one that either got away or you wonder how their life turned out. These ladies did a great job at their reunions!
I always enjoy the authors in this anthology! I can always count on a fun hawt read......did not disappoint! This series is based on the always stressful.......high school reunion. There is always one that either got away or you wonder how their life turned out. These ladies did a great job at their reunions!
August 27, 2012
This was a fun collection of short stories. I was disappointed that they weren't all connected. For some reason I had expected them to all be classmates and weave throughout the stories.
June 10, 2012
Great Reads!! And I loved the fact it had several stories in them
June 23, 2012
All the stories were really good but I really only got the book for Janelle Denison.
July 11, 2012
Liked it, but wish the stories had been connected somehow besides the location.
July 17, 2012
Underneath It All by Leslie Kelly
3 stars
Can't Get You Out Of My Head by Janelle Denison
3 stars
A Moment Like This by Julie Leto
3 stars
3 stars
Can't Get You Out Of My Head by Janelle Denison
3 stars
A Moment Like This by Julie Leto
3 stars
July 19, 2012
I really loved the first two stories!! The third was okay.
September 11, 2012
Three fantastic reunion stories by three very talented authors. Loved it.
May 2, 2016
Only if...
June 9, 2016
All of the stories felt the same. The characters were all the same. The endings all wrapped up too easily. Wish there was more effort.
June 22, 2012
Loved all 3. Full review to come
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