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Nothing Personal
If you had any kind of a life at all, you wouldn't be hanging out in your laundry room at nearly ten on Friday night - alone. For Carla, her mother's voice inside her head rings a little too true. The reason she's dateless yet again can be summed up in two words - Leo Spencer. But he's off limits. Not only is he ten years younger - just out of college, for crying out loud - he's also her best friend's younger brother. Getting involved with Leo would be a mistake. But it would be so nice to run her fingers through his dark hair... Carla has been a key participant in Leo's...ahem...steamier fantasies for years, but she's always treated him like a kid brother. Good thing Leo welcomes a challenge, because coaxing Carla into bed might be the biggest one he's ever faced.
208 pages, Paperback
First published August 11, 2005
46 people want to read
About the author
Elisa Adams
63 books64 followersBorn in Gloucester, Massachusetts, Elisa Adams has lived most of her life on the east coast.
Formerly a nursing assistant and phlebotomist, writing has been a longtime hobby. Now a full time writer, she lives on the New Hampshire border with her husband and three children.
Formerly a nursing assistant and phlebotomist, writing has been a longtime hobby. Now a full time writer, she lives on the New Hampshire border with her husband and three children.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
December 7, 2009
This is such a cute story. Leo, 25, is absolutely wonderful and patient and younger. He's liked the heroine, Carla since he was 7. Its just so perfect. Carla, 35, is less likable since she seemed too cowardly to make their relationship work. Supposedly she had good reason in thinking that they were too different, but if I was in her place, I wouldn't be thinking that way at all.
I wish there was more family interactions and acceptance, but the father walking in on them during their passionate kiss was pretty funny too.
I was expecting more sex, since the author was Elisa Adams, but it was quite tame. Actually really tame. Nothing kinky and there was only 2 scenes I think and they were both very romantic and kinda sensual. The story was really nice, that it didn't really matter anyway. They generated really good tension.
Overall, a great read, especially if you are into this kind of romance. Even so, Leo is absolutely perfect. When he gets angry, its so understandable because Carla just says the dumbest things.
I wish there was more family interactions and acceptance, but the father walking in on them during their passionate kiss was pretty funny too.
I was expecting more sex, since the author was Elisa Adams, but it was quite tame. Actually really tame. Nothing kinky and there was only 2 scenes I think and they were both very romantic and kinda sensual. The story was really nice, that it didn't really matter anyway. They generated really good tension.
Overall, a great read, especially if you are into this kind of romance. Even so, Leo is absolutely perfect. When he gets angry, its so understandable because Carla just says the dumbest things.
July 18, 2011
I didn't expect much from a book that cost me $0.99 at Borders; it was on the clearance rack. I was correct in my skepticism. Nothing Personal contained a rather tepid romance with multiple editing errors, which I'm surprised at since I've read other titles from Cerridwen Press that don't contain such mundane errors. Plus, they've often been better stories. Maybe I just got a bad printing or noticed glaring errors that other readers glossed over.
The setting wasn't really important, and to be honest, I can't remember many of the details regarding it. I know that the main characters, Carla and Leo, live in the same apartment complex. Carla works in a beauty salon while Leo is a computer business man (neither of their careers are highlighted very much). There is one scene where Carla is invited to a family gathering, but overall the locations were as mundane as the romance. I really wanted to be drawn into the setting, but the vagueness made it difficult to get lost in the story. Perhaps the author tried to give Nothing Personal a generic and modern-day contemporary setting that any reader could relate to no matter where they lived. That or the setting really wasn't a concern since she wanted to focus on the romance. This was a poor choice, though, because the setting could have helped develop the plot and characters.
There are a few main characters. First, our heroine is a rather meek and annoyingly self-conscious female by the name of Carla. She is thirty-five, works at a dead-end salon job, and is constantly concerned about settling down and having a family. After all, her biological clock is ticking. Let's meet the amazing man of her dreams next. His name is Leo Mark Spencer; I admit that I love this name! He is ten years younger but has known Carla since he was seven years old. Alice, his older sister, is best friends with Carla. Heck, Carla even babysat him with Alice. Leo's family is rather large compared to Carla's, and Carla's been like one of the family for a long time. Little does she know that little Leo has been crushing on her since that tender age of seven. So, he's had a crush on an older woman for around eighteen years. When I consider that long of a crush, part of me thinks it's romantic while another part of me thinks it's a little excessive, especially considering how young he was when the crush first formed.
As for other important characters, there aren't really any worth mentioning. There are a few family members, Carla's and Leo's friends (I especially liked Cameron Murphy since he started to like Carla and presented a point of conflict other than Carla's own insecurities), and Leo's ex-floozies, all women he used to help him forget Carla.
The plot is simple enough-- Carla and Leo are "star-crossed lovers" that have always been destined for each other despite their ten-year age gap. Now that Leo is a mature adult, he's taken up the hunt. He's going to convince Carla to fall in love with him and isn't afraid to use every inch of his body to accomplish this feat. Meanwhile, there is a bit of family muddling, especially from the pregnant Alice and Carla's own self-sabotage that complicates their budding relationship.
One aspect I really enjoyed about Nothing Personal is that it jumps into the story and romance right away. The beginning laundry scene was one of my favorites, with the quote from Carla's mother causing me to crack a smile as I started to read:
If you had any kind of a life at all, you wouldn't be sitting in your apartment building's laundry room at nearly ten on Friday night. Alone (9).
I really wanted to like this story because it contained a novel concept. I'm not used to reading romances in which the female character is older than the male character, and especially not to the degree they are in this book. Plus, there were so many social implications I hoped would be tackled throughout the book-- the stigma attached to beauty and aging women, the immaturity of younger men, the fact that a woman choosing to not have kids right away, or at all, is a valid and important life choice. Unfortunately, all these issues fell flat purely because Elisa Adams was not interested in tackling such heavy concepts in her romance novel. She gave the reader what they typically expect-- pure and utter fluff. No substance. No purpose other than to entertain and provide housewives around the world escape from their dreary realities. Call me a romance snob, but I expect more heart, depth, and meaning to the romances I read. I especially expect more from the female characters than Carla gave.
Carla is just too weak, insecure, and depressingly mundane for me to admire or even like. She whined continuously, cared too much about what others thought, especially in regards to her age difference from Leo's, and is concerned with settling down and having a family, too stereotypical and predictable behavior. Another frustrating point is that Carla's last name is easily forgotten, being mentioned toward the very end of the novel. I completely forgot she had a last name or really any type of identity outside of her relationship with Leo. Carla's full name, Carla Michaels, is mentioned in exclamation by Leo's sister Sophie, who is surprised that the pair are in a relationship. Carla's a nobody loser working a dead-end job in a beauty salon waiting for prince charming to rescue her, situate her into a comfy home where she can stop working and raise their brood of children. Predictable. Boring. Typical. Blah.
Leo is a much more interesting character, and I did appreciate that Elisa Adams alternated chapters and sections from Carla's perspective to Leo's. It gave the reader a more balanced look at how their romance budded and developed. Leo was the main reason the romance didn't suck completely, him and his interesting and laughable family. As I already mentioned, I like his name. He is also a younger guy, which is a different type of a male protagonist from what I'm used to. I liked that he works with computers (a graphic arts designer) because my husband does too. I especially enjoyed how surprisingly mature he was for his age, and the care and fineness he pursues Carla with. He really loves her, more so than he even realizes. Of course, he has his own flaws. He's stubborn, which complicates things with Carla, and he's shielded himself from ever getting hurt by sleeping with every dumb tramp that comes across his path. Of course this turns out to be a good thing because he's developed into an excellent lover.
Being a "fluff" romance, there were no real themes nor motifs other than the usual "love conquers all" attitude. Also, that happy endings are always around the corner, no matter how ugly the situation looks. There are no literary elements utilized in this book because it is not that type of a read.
I've read much better romance novels, and it's books like this that give the entire romance genre a negative stigma in literary circles. There is nothing wrong with having a "fluff" piece to read, but at least have the audacity to write well! If you are looking for some intelligent romances, I highly recommend anything by Amanda Quick and Jo Beverly. My preferred romance setting is anything historical, which is the type of books those two authors write. If you are looking for a good contemporary romance, Jayne Ann Krentz, the same person as Amanda Quick, and Christina Dodd are very apt in that romance style. I've even written a review about one of Dodd's contemporary romances called Tongue in Chic.
There were just too many cons to make this book worth reading. Just look at the cover art. I usually don't put a lot of stock into cover art, but out of all the genres, the cover makes the biggest difference with romances. This one is just plain sloppy. It's computer generated, and it's the scene from the beginning of the book, when Carla and Leo are in the washing room of their apartment building. In my opinion, it doesn't look professional. The shading is all off, and the cover just turns me away from reading it. The only reason I wasted my time on it was because of the inexpensive price, and now I look forward to giving this one away to an interested reader. Any takers?
At least the cover art went with the novel. The title didn't make sense to me. Why Nothing Personal? Who was taking anything personal in the book? Was it the fact that Carla didn't want to date a younger man...you know, nothing personal? I just don't get it.
The entire book had an "I don't get it" feel to it. It was as if Elisa Adams slapped together a novel from a secret hidden fantasy of hers. I've never read anything else by Adams, so I can't compare this to her other writing. I've read, though, that she does have other romances that are better. Maybe this was her first exploration into the contemporary romance genre. Who knows? All I know is that it has weak presentation, writing, and storytelling, especially when compared to other romance giants that I've read.
As for the maturity rating, there are a few love scenes but nothing overly explicit, especially when compared to pieces by Laurell K. Hamilton and J.R. Ward. Because of the content and adult-themed elements, I would recommend this read to anyone that is eighteen years or older.
The book started with some promise, and it even had interesting supporting characters. However, the main female protagonist left me wanting something better and stronger. And you can't have a romance novel without a strong pair of lead lovers. I was disappointed by this tepid romance. I wouldn't read it again, and I would only recommend it to readers that are fans of Elisa Adams' writings. Otherwise, even if you saw this book for free, it's not worth the time it would take to read it.
The setting wasn't really important, and to be honest, I can't remember many of the details regarding it. I know that the main characters, Carla and Leo, live in the same apartment complex. Carla works in a beauty salon while Leo is a computer business man (neither of their careers are highlighted very much). There is one scene where Carla is invited to a family gathering, but overall the locations were as mundane as the romance. I really wanted to be drawn into the setting, but the vagueness made it difficult to get lost in the story. Perhaps the author tried to give Nothing Personal a generic and modern-day contemporary setting that any reader could relate to no matter where they lived. That or the setting really wasn't a concern since she wanted to focus on the romance. This was a poor choice, though, because the setting could have helped develop the plot and characters.
There are a few main characters. First, our heroine is a rather meek and annoyingly self-conscious female by the name of Carla. She is thirty-five, works at a dead-end salon job, and is constantly concerned about settling down and having a family. After all, her biological clock is ticking. Let's meet the amazing man of her dreams next. His name is Leo Mark Spencer; I admit that I love this name! He is ten years younger but has known Carla since he was seven years old. Alice, his older sister, is best friends with Carla. Heck, Carla even babysat him with Alice. Leo's family is rather large compared to Carla's, and Carla's been like one of the family for a long time. Little does she know that little Leo has been crushing on her since that tender age of seven. So, he's had a crush on an older woman for around eighteen years. When I consider that long of a crush, part of me thinks it's romantic while another part of me thinks it's a little excessive, especially considering how young he was when the crush first formed.
As for other important characters, there aren't really any worth mentioning. There are a few family members, Carla's and Leo's friends (I especially liked Cameron Murphy since he started to like Carla and presented a point of conflict other than Carla's own insecurities), and Leo's ex-floozies, all women he used to help him forget Carla.
The plot is simple enough-- Carla and Leo are "star-crossed lovers" that have always been destined for each other despite their ten-year age gap. Now that Leo is a mature adult, he's taken up the hunt. He's going to convince Carla to fall in love with him and isn't afraid to use every inch of his body to accomplish this feat. Meanwhile, there is a bit of family muddling, especially from the pregnant Alice and Carla's own self-sabotage that complicates their budding relationship.
One aspect I really enjoyed about Nothing Personal is that it jumps into the story and romance right away. The beginning laundry scene was one of my favorites, with the quote from Carla's mother causing me to crack a smile as I started to read:
If you had any kind of a life at all, you wouldn't be sitting in your apartment building's laundry room at nearly ten on Friday night. Alone (9).
I really wanted to like this story because it contained a novel concept. I'm not used to reading romances in which the female character is older than the male character, and especially not to the degree they are in this book. Plus, there were so many social implications I hoped would be tackled throughout the book-- the stigma attached to beauty and aging women, the immaturity of younger men, the fact that a woman choosing to not have kids right away, or at all, is a valid and important life choice. Unfortunately, all these issues fell flat purely because Elisa Adams was not interested in tackling such heavy concepts in her romance novel. She gave the reader what they typically expect-- pure and utter fluff. No substance. No purpose other than to entertain and provide housewives around the world escape from their dreary realities. Call me a romance snob, but I expect more heart, depth, and meaning to the romances I read. I especially expect more from the female characters than Carla gave.
Carla is just too weak, insecure, and depressingly mundane for me to admire or even like. She whined continuously, cared too much about what others thought, especially in regards to her age difference from Leo's, and is concerned with settling down and having a family, too stereotypical and predictable behavior. Another frustrating point is that Carla's last name is easily forgotten, being mentioned toward the very end of the novel. I completely forgot she had a last name or really any type of identity outside of her relationship with Leo. Carla's full name, Carla Michaels, is mentioned in exclamation by Leo's sister Sophie, who is surprised that the pair are in a relationship. Carla's a nobody loser working a dead-end job in a beauty salon waiting for prince charming to rescue her, situate her into a comfy home where she can stop working and raise their brood of children. Predictable. Boring. Typical. Blah.
Leo is a much more interesting character, and I did appreciate that Elisa Adams alternated chapters and sections from Carla's perspective to Leo's. It gave the reader a more balanced look at how their romance budded and developed. Leo was the main reason the romance didn't suck completely, him and his interesting and laughable family. As I already mentioned, I like his name. He is also a younger guy, which is a different type of a male protagonist from what I'm used to. I liked that he works with computers (a graphic arts designer) because my husband does too. I especially enjoyed how surprisingly mature he was for his age, and the care and fineness he pursues Carla with. He really loves her, more so than he even realizes. Of course, he has his own flaws. He's stubborn, which complicates things with Carla, and he's shielded himself from ever getting hurt by sleeping with every dumb tramp that comes across his path. Of course this turns out to be a good thing because he's developed into an excellent lover.
Being a "fluff" romance, there were no real themes nor motifs other than the usual "love conquers all" attitude. Also, that happy endings are always around the corner, no matter how ugly the situation looks. There are no literary elements utilized in this book because it is not that type of a read.
I've read much better romance novels, and it's books like this that give the entire romance genre a negative stigma in literary circles. There is nothing wrong with having a "fluff" piece to read, but at least have the audacity to write well! If you are looking for some intelligent romances, I highly recommend anything by Amanda Quick and Jo Beverly. My preferred romance setting is anything historical, which is the type of books those two authors write. If you are looking for a good contemporary romance, Jayne Ann Krentz, the same person as Amanda Quick, and Christina Dodd are very apt in that romance style. I've even written a review about one of Dodd's contemporary romances called Tongue in Chic.
There were just too many cons to make this book worth reading. Just look at the cover art. I usually don't put a lot of stock into cover art, but out of all the genres, the cover makes the biggest difference with romances. This one is just plain sloppy. It's computer generated, and it's the scene from the beginning of the book, when Carla and Leo are in the washing room of their apartment building. In my opinion, it doesn't look professional. The shading is all off, and the cover just turns me away from reading it. The only reason I wasted my time on it was because of the inexpensive price, and now I look forward to giving this one away to an interested reader. Any takers?
At least the cover art went with the novel. The title didn't make sense to me. Why Nothing Personal? Who was taking anything personal in the book? Was it the fact that Carla didn't want to date a younger man...you know, nothing personal? I just don't get it.
The entire book had an "I don't get it" feel to it. It was as if Elisa Adams slapped together a novel from a secret hidden fantasy of hers. I've never read anything else by Adams, so I can't compare this to her other writing. I've read, though, that she does have other romances that are better. Maybe this was her first exploration into the contemporary romance genre. Who knows? All I know is that it has weak presentation, writing, and storytelling, especially when compared to other romance giants that I've read.
As for the maturity rating, there are a few love scenes but nothing overly explicit, especially when compared to pieces by Laurell K. Hamilton and J.R. Ward. Because of the content and adult-themed elements, I would recommend this read to anyone that is eighteen years or older.
The book started with some promise, and it even had interesting supporting characters. However, the main female protagonist left me wanting something better and stronger. And you can't have a romance novel without a strong pair of lead lovers. I was disappointed by this tepid romance. I wouldn't read it again, and I would only recommend it to readers that are fans of Elisa Adams' writings. Otherwise, even if you saw this book for free, it's not worth the time it would take to read it.
October 5, 2011
I loved it!
I didn't know why I bother to pick it up.
But then I got curious merely because the hero name was Leo (one of my favorite hero name and I love Leo Hathaway sooooo much (from Hathaway Series - Lisa Kleypas). :))
Anyway, I really don't mind having a younger man, since I experienced it before. But especially after reading Suddenly You by Lisa Kleypas, I didn't mind 5 years also.
But 10 years???
I doubted it. At least until I finished reading this one. And I love Leo even more. He's so adorable, young, but mature enough.
I can understand exactly what Carla felt about having a relationship with a younger one, especially when he's 10 years younger, and ... her best friend's brother. She even used to help Alice babysit him! So when she seemed a bit on and off, thought that this was just a fling, can't blame her. Cause, well, I can't help myself not to think it's kinda weird when I see a couple like that. Let's say Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher? :))
And Leo's frustration over this was also understoodable for he had this feeling for Carla since he was seven! So, it's been like-what? 18 years crush?? Hahahahaha...
It's not the kind of steamy romance story, but it's more like fun sweet loving one and I do love it!
I didn't know why I bother to pick it up.
But then I got curious merely because the hero name was Leo (one of my favorite hero name and I love Leo Hathaway sooooo much (from Hathaway Series - Lisa Kleypas). :))
Anyway, I really don't mind having a younger man, since I experienced it before. But especially after reading Suddenly You by Lisa Kleypas, I didn't mind 5 years also.
But 10 years???
I doubted it. At least until I finished reading this one. And I love Leo even more. He's so adorable, young, but mature enough.
I can understand exactly what Carla felt about having a relationship with a younger one, especially when he's 10 years younger, and ... her best friend's brother. She even used to help Alice babysit him! So when she seemed a bit on and off, thought that this was just a fling, can't blame her. Cause, well, I can't help myself not to think it's kinda weird when I see a couple like that. Let's say Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher? :))
And Leo's frustration over this was also understoodable for he had this feeling for Carla since he was seven! So, it's been like-what? 18 years crush?? Hahahahaha...
It's not the kind of steamy romance story, but it's more like fun sweet loving one and I do love it!
January 25, 2015
If you had any kind of a life at all, you wouldn't be hanging out in your laundry room at nearly ten on Friday night-alone.For Carla, her mother's voice inside her head rings a little too true. The reason she's dateless yet again can be summed up in two words-Leo Spencer. But he's off limits. Not only is he ten years younger-just out of college, for crying out loud-he's also her best friend's younger brother. Getting involved with Leo would be a mistake. But it would be so nice to run her fingers through his dark hair...
Carla has been a key participant in Leo's...ahem...steamier fantasies for years, but she's always treated him like a kid brother. Good thing Leo welcomes a challenge, because coaxing Carla into bed might be the biggest one he's ever faced.
Carla our heroine was rather meek and just annoying. She's 35, works a dead end job at a salon and is constantly worried about meeting someone to settle down since her biological clock is ticking..
Leo, ten years Carla's junio has known her for most of his life since she is bff's with his sister. He also has been crushing on her since then.
So now that Leo is 25 he is ready to catch himself some Carla, and Carla is feeling all types. So does he catch her or not?
July 15, 2011
This would have been a solid 3 star "I liked it" read if the h, Carla, hadn't gotten on my nerves so much. She's insanely insecure and headtrippy, and when a LOT of the story is spent in the characters' heads, analyzing and ruminating and obsessing over everything, insecure and headtrippy is NOT a good thing. There was way too much time spent hearing what they each thought and not enough time showing their interactions and doings. Even the older woman-younger man trope (a favorite of mine) and the slightly obsessive (in a good way) attraction/love that torments Leo aren't enough to pull this one out of the Carla-annoyance 2 star territory.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews