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By the Book
This good girl can’t help but go after the alluring, unpredictable man who is just passing through town . . .
Is it possible that the gorgeous guy across the street is actually staring at her? Ellen Webster can hardly believe it; she thinks she’s far too ordinary to attract the attention of a handsome, edgy man like Jonah Blake. Yet he continues to stare. Ellen has always been unfailingly kind to others, and on this particular day it has cost her a parking spot and her place in line at the deli. On top of it all, she is about to be passed up for a promotion she rightfully deserves. She has reached her wits end, and with the aid of a small volume of helpful go-getter hints, Ellen sets her sights on what she wants, starting with the striking, dangerous Jonah. But this man is clouded in mystery, and may be more than Ellen bargained for.
Is it possible that the gorgeous guy across the street is actually staring at her? Ellen Webster can hardly believe it; she thinks she’s far too ordinary to attract the attention of a handsome, edgy man like Jonah Blake. Yet he continues to stare. Ellen has always been unfailingly kind to others, and on this particular day it has cost her a parking spot and her place in line at the deli. On top of it all, she is about to be passed up for a promotion she rightfully deserves. She has reached her wits end, and with the aid of a small volume of helpful go-getter hints, Ellen sets her sights on what she wants, starting with the striking, dangerous Jonah. But this man is clouded in mystery, and may be more than Ellen bargained for.
212 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2012
14 people are currently reading
52 people want to read
About the author
Mary Kay McComas
46 books35 followersMary Kay McComas is an acclaimed romance novelist and the author of twenty-one short contemporary romances, five novellas, and two novels. McComas has received numerous honors and prizes for her work, including the Washington Romance Writers’ Outstanding Achievement Award and two Career Achievement Awards from Romantic Times (one for Best New Novel and another for Most Innovative Romance Series). She has recently contributed to Nora Roberts’s J. D. Robb fantasy anthologies, with highly praised paranormal romance stories. McComas and her family live in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
November 22, 2012
1.5 stars
While browsing through the titles available on NetGalley, I came across this book. When I read the synopsis, I was intrigued (although I have to admit that the cover is what actually made me stop and notice the book - love the shoe!). Unfortunately, it didn't live up to my expectations.
Ellen Webster is, and has always been, a good girl. Always nice to people, and willing to help, even when it inconveniences her. One day, she she simply has had it with it all, and decides to follow the advice in a self-help book she found at the supermarket. After all, it's high time for her to actually put herself first.
One of the first things she does is to try and flirt with Jonah Blake, the handsome and mysterious man who is rumored to work for the FBI/CIA, or was it that he is mercenary?
Finally, things are going swell for her, until it crashes and burns.
The first chapter was really interesting and looked promising. And then Ellen started on her campaign. I get that she doesn't want to live her life putting other first (always), but she was simply cruel at times. There is no need to be brusque and curt to people, there are nicer ways of dealing with it all.
She went from one extremity to another. And that makes it hard to actually like her.
Then there's the relationship itself, that took a backseat to the process of Ellen discovering her inner strength in saying no to people. If the main story was more enjoyable, this wouldn't have been such a bad thing, but in here I really needed something to improve my opinion of the book.
Jonah looked like a nice guy, truly wish we learned more about what makes him tick. I mean, a guy with a job like his can truly be a delight to read about. :D
ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley.
While browsing through the titles available on NetGalley, I came across this book. When I read the synopsis, I was intrigued (although I have to admit that the cover is what actually made me stop and notice the book - love the shoe!). Unfortunately, it didn't live up to my expectations.
Ellen Webster is, and has always been, a good girl. Always nice to people, and willing to help, even when it inconveniences her. One day, she she simply has had it with it all, and decides to follow the advice in a self-help book she found at the supermarket. After all, it's high time for her to actually put herself first.
One of the first things she does is to try and flirt with Jonah Blake, the handsome and mysterious man who is rumored to work for the FBI/CIA, or was it that he is mercenary?
Finally, things are going swell for her, until it crashes and burns.
The first chapter was really interesting and looked promising. And then Ellen started on her campaign. I get that she doesn't want to live her life putting other first (always), but she was simply cruel at times. There is no need to be brusque and curt to people, there are nicer ways of dealing with it all.
She went from one extremity to another. And that makes it hard to actually like her.
Then there's the relationship itself, that took a backseat to the process of Ellen discovering her inner strength in saying no to people. If the main story was more enjoyable, this wouldn't have been such a bad thing, but in here I really needed something to improve my opinion of the book.
Jonah looked like a nice guy, truly wish we learned more about what makes him tick. I mean, a guy with a job like his can truly be a delight to read about. :D
ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley.
January 22, 2013
Courtesy of Open Road Integrated Media through NetGalley in exchange of an honest review.
Ellen Webster is a good girl, she let's people basically push her around. She feeds left overs to her neighbor who always asks her for the left over food, runs grocery errands for her elderly neighbor during her own lunch time, passes up a line at the grocery store to a man who then wins the customer sweepstakes instead of her, and is about to not get a promotion she rightfully deserves. So Ellen gets this little green book that basically tells her to shape up and go after the things she wants. She cannot believe that the 'dangerous' hunky photographer next door is staring at her and not her friend! So Ella sets her sights on what she wants, and the first thing on her list is Jonah.
Okay, so I was interested with the blurb of the book – IF the book was anything like the premise, it probably would have been a lot better. Unfortunately... it wasn't.
First, Jonah had no signs of dangerous or edgy, he was kind of dare. He was a man she was interested in that had father troubles, that's it. There wasn't that big a mystery around him and the whole line that he is more than she bargained for.... I don't see it. If anything, this entire book was of Ellen saying no to people, trying to no be a push over and apparently everything she wants, ends up actually being bad. Which in turn EVERYTHING that she fixed, ended up actually having a bad blow back. I didn't get it, I really did not...
What she did with her brother was actually kind of stupid. She knew he had money trouble with Krane, and she was even warned about him from a cop friend and what does she do? She goes and demands that Krane – this dangerous guy – gives a job to her brother Felix in hopes that it will cancel out his debt to him. REALLY!?
I didn't understand why everything she went after turned out to be so bad. She finally gets confidence, grows and everything back fires. I also could have went without the long winded ending where she was explaining everything she did and what happened to Jonah, it felt like filler and it was boring. I was greatly disappointed that this book was not what it was promised to be in the premise. I wanted to see this dangerous side of Jonah, but as far as it went, there was also no real chemistry between them.
What I did like about it was the fact that Ellen grew. She went after the things she herself wanted (even thought I thought she was too snobby to her elderly neighbor) and I liked Jonah, or what little we saw of him. Also the fact that she was trying to get Jonah to forgive his father was touching. Those were the only saving grace of this book, unfortunately.
Ellen Webster is a good girl, she let's people basically push her around. She feeds left overs to her neighbor who always asks her for the left over food, runs grocery errands for her elderly neighbor during her own lunch time, passes up a line at the grocery store to a man who then wins the customer sweepstakes instead of her, and is about to not get a promotion she rightfully deserves. So Ellen gets this little green book that basically tells her to shape up and go after the things she wants. She cannot believe that the 'dangerous' hunky photographer next door is staring at her and not her friend! So Ella sets her sights on what she wants, and the first thing on her list is Jonah.
Okay, so I was interested with the blurb of the book – IF the book was anything like the premise, it probably would have been a lot better. Unfortunately... it wasn't.
First, Jonah had no signs of dangerous or edgy, he was kind of dare. He was a man she was interested in that had father troubles, that's it. There wasn't that big a mystery around him and the whole line that he is more than she bargained for.... I don't see it. If anything, this entire book was of Ellen saying no to people, trying to no be a push over and apparently everything she wants, ends up actually being bad. Which in turn EVERYTHING that she fixed, ended up actually having a bad blow back. I didn't get it, I really did not...
What she did with her brother was actually kind of stupid. She knew he had money trouble with Krane, and she was even warned about him from a cop friend and what does she do? She goes and demands that Krane – this dangerous guy – gives a job to her brother Felix in hopes that it will cancel out his debt to him. REALLY!?
I didn't understand why everything she went after turned out to be so bad. She finally gets confidence, grows and everything back fires. I also could have went without the long winded ending where she was explaining everything she did and what happened to Jonah, it felt like filler and it was boring. I was greatly disappointed that this book was not what it was promised to be in the premise. I wanted to see this dangerous side of Jonah, but as far as it went, there was also no real chemistry between them.
What I did like about it was the fact that Ellen grew. She went after the things she herself wanted (even thought I thought she was too snobby to her elderly neighbor) and I liked Jonah, or what little we saw of him. Also the fact that she was trying to get Jonah to forgive his father was touching. Those were the only saving grace of this book, unfortunately.
January 4, 2013
This was an enjoyable read, not overly sexy or madly exciting, but a gentle romance about a woman accepting herself.
Ellen has worked in the bank for a few years and is plodding along, not going anywhere. She is nice to everybody and puts others before herself. One day while shopping for neighbours she spots a small book about being more positive and making things happen so she buys it........ She soon finds she has a pay rise, she can do this change things about herself.
A mystery man (jonah) has appeared in the shop opposite her bank, and one day she thinks she catches him smiling at her, could he be? No surely not...... So when he accidentally is there when her neighbours shopping is about to fall all over the Car park, can she do this.....
Is it me or are lots of our female main characthers redheads lately???? Ellen is too!
What follows is a gentle romance with a dash of danger in it. Perfect for a wet afternoon curled up on your favourite chair.
I enjoyed this comforting warm story so am giving it 3.5 star.
**i received this book from netgalley for an honest review**
Ellen has worked in the bank for a few years and is plodding along, not going anywhere. She is nice to everybody and puts others before herself. One day while shopping for neighbours she spots a small book about being more positive and making things happen so she buys it........ She soon finds she has a pay rise, she can do this change things about herself.
A mystery man (jonah) has appeared in the shop opposite her bank, and one day she thinks she catches him smiling at her, could he be? No surely not...... So when he accidentally is there when her neighbours shopping is about to fall all over the Car park, can she do this.....
Is it me or are lots of our female main characthers redheads lately???? Ellen is too!
What follows is a gentle romance with a dash of danger in it. Perfect for a wet afternoon curled up on your favourite chair.
I enjoyed this comforting warm story so am giving it 3.5 star.
**i received this book from netgalley for an honest review**
October 28, 2015
simple romance
This is a good, simple time-killer where everything turns out well. Every problem works out with a positive result in the end. There is no deception between the main characters who are in love -- no game-playing, no dishonesty, and no doubt when they declare their love.
Sometimes when life gets complicated and heavy, a book like this, where things work out well, is a good pastime.
This is a good, simple time-killer where everything turns out well. Every problem works out with a positive result in the end. There is no deception between the main characters who are in love -- no game-playing, no dishonesty, and no doubt when they declare their love.
Sometimes when life gets complicated and heavy, a book like this, where things work out well, is a good pastime.
March 26, 2013
This book was a little. .. odd to me, I guess. It was sweet, with a too-nice heroine trying to learn a little gumption and a kind of bland hero. He was good in the story, but ... not much there, I guess. I did notice the POV flipping a lot from hero to heroine. It wasn't hard to follow, just a little tiresome after a while. That said, I did enjoy the story for the most part. It was nice.
December 16, 2012
an endearing tale of a woman who just needs to realize that being a good person doesn’t mean that she can’t also be happy - for the full review, please visit http://romanticreadsandsuch.wordpress...
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January 14, 2013It was a truly unbelievable, love at first sight, blah blah characters that could have been so much more. Jonah could have been interesting but in the end he was a bore. Disappointing and just couldn't finish it.
June 4, 2013
Great love story!
November 19, 2013
This was OK..not overly exciting or sexy. It is a nice story about a nice but bland woman who falls for a nice but bland guy. Yeah, that is about it.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews