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Boys of Bishop #1
Wild Child
Perfect for readers of Susan Elizabeth Phillips and Rachel Gibson, this sizzling romance tells the story of a sexy small-town mayor and a notorious “bad girl,” who discover that home really is where the heart is.
Monica Appleby is a woman with a reputation. Once she was America’s teenage “Wild Child,” with her own reality TV show. Now she’s a successful author coming home to Bishop, Arkansas, to pen the juicy follow-up to her tell-all autobiography. Problem is, the hottest man in town wants her gone. Mayor Jackson Davies is trying to convince a cookie giant to move its headquarters to his crumbling community, and Monica’s presence is just too . . . unwholesome for business. But the desire in his eyes sends a very different message: Stay, at least for a while.
Jackson needs this cookie deal to go through. His town is dying and this may be its last shot. Monica is a distraction proving too sweet, too inviting—and completely beyond his control. With every kiss he can taste her loneliness, her regrets, and her longing. Soon their uncontrollable attraction is causing all kinds of drama. But when two lost hearts take a surprise detour onto the bumpy road of unexpected love, it can only lead someplace wonderful.
Monica Appleby is a woman with a reputation. Once she was America’s teenage “Wild Child,” with her own reality TV show. Now she’s a successful author coming home to Bishop, Arkansas, to pen the juicy follow-up to her tell-all autobiography. Problem is, the hottest man in town wants her gone. Mayor Jackson Davies is trying to convince a cookie giant to move its headquarters to his crumbling community, and Monica’s presence is just too . . . unwholesome for business. But the desire in his eyes sends a very different message: Stay, at least for a while.
Jackson needs this cookie deal to go through. His town is dying and this may be its last shot. Monica is a distraction proving too sweet, too inviting—and completely beyond his control. With every kiss he can taste her loneliness, her regrets, and her longing. Soon their uncontrollable attraction is causing all kinds of drama. But when two lost hearts take a surprise detour onto the bumpy road of unexpected love, it can only lead someplace wonderful.
368 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 15, 2013
69 people are currently reading
2150 people want to read
About the author
Molly O'Keefe
108 books2,136 followersThis author is also published under: M. O'Keefe.
Molly O'Keefe has always known she wanted to be a writer (except when she wanted to be a florist or a chef and the brief period of time when she considered being a cowgirl). And once she got her hands on some romances, she knew exactly what she wanted to write.
She published her first Harlequin romance at age 25 and hasn't looked back. She loves exploring every character's road towards happily ever after.
Originally from a small town outside of Chicago, she went to university in St. Louis where she met and fell in love with the editor of her school newspaper. They followed each other around the world for several years and finally got married and settled down in Toronto, Ontario. They welcomed their son into their family in 2006, and their daughter in 2008. When she's not at the park or cleaning up the toy room, Molly is working hard on her next novel, trying to exercise, stalking Tina Fey on the internet and dreaming of the day she can finish a cup of coffee without interruption.
Molly O'Keefe has always known she wanted to be a writer (except when she wanted to be a florist or a chef and the brief period of time when she considered being a cowgirl). And once she got her hands on some romances, she knew exactly what she wanted to write.
She published her first Harlequin romance at age 25 and hasn't looked back. She loves exploring every character's road towards happily ever after.
Originally from a small town outside of Chicago, she went to university in St. Louis where she met and fell in love with the editor of her school newspaper. They followed each other around the world for several years and finally got married and settled down in Toronto, Ontario. They welcomed their son into their family in 2006, and their daughter in 2008. When she's not at the park or cleaning up the toy room, Molly is working hard on her next novel, trying to exercise, stalking Tina Fey on the internet and dreaming of the day she can finish a cup of coffee without interruption.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 261 reviews
February 6, 2017
4.5 stars
Stars, I loved this book!
Don't get me wrong. This is not the next American great novel. It just hit close to home for me. I could relate to the characters and their internal struggles.
First, there is Jackson, the young mayor of the small town of Bishop. He hasn't had sex in two years. He's the kind of guy who tries to make everything right for everybody... except for himself and his sister, Gwen. Well, the sister part isn't exactly correct. He tries to do what's best for her, while keeping her away from him. They lost their parents when Jackson was in law school and he had to drop everything and return to his hometown in order to raise Gwen. He resents the death of his parents for that (and himself for resenting it). And that's just so incredibly human! I don't buy all that selfless sacrifice in name of a sibling without a hint of resentment (see Sugar Daddy for that). I mean, yes, one sacrifices himself, and one keeps thinking what if I didn't had to do that. But Molly O'Keefe does something amazing for her characters. She gives them enough brains to realize that they act the wrong way sometimes, and, what's more important, she lets them grow. Jackson understands his mistakes/his flaws and does his best to improve.
Plus, he's really hot! Yes, they always are really hot in books... Where do all the hot, amazing men hide in the real world?
Then, there is Monica, the former Wild Child reality TV celebrity-turned-writer. She had an awful childhood (her mother shot her father in self defense), been a troubled teenager and a promiscuous young adult. Eventually, Monica started writing non-fiction. Now she is back in Bishop to try and write a book about that dreadful moment when her father died.
Monica has serious intimacy issues, generated by her sleeping around so easily in her wild years. Again, I'm impressed at how the author approached her problems. There aren't many books who talk so openly about faking orgasms, self-destructive behavior and humiliating sex acts as this one. In most books, women turn on with a flick of the man's finger, stay that way and finish without any troubles. Monica's first experience with Jackson is nothing like that. There's attraction, but her mind is hyperactive and things finish as soon as they started.
Also, Monica manages to overcome her becoming aggressive when hurt. I do that a lot and find it extremely hard to contain myself although I know what I'm doing is wrong. O'Keefe gives her character thematurity ability to analyze herself and move forward.
Also, the female friendships in this book are so good and hate-free. I love friendships between two women. I'm tired of them hating each other or bullying one another.
So, yes! Go read this book! It's worth it.
Stars, I loved this book!
To everyone who has faked it... whatever "it" is.
Don't get me wrong. This is not the next American great novel. It just hit close to home for me. I could relate to the characters and their internal struggles.
First, there is Jackson, the young mayor of the small town of Bishop. He hasn't had sex in two years. He's the kind of guy who tries to make everything right for everybody... except for himself and his sister, Gwen. Well, the sister part isn't exactly correct. He tries to do what's best for her, while keeping her away from him. They lost their parents when Jackson was in law school and he had to drop everything and return to his hometown in order to raise Gwen. He resents the death of his parents for that (and himself for resenting it). And that's just so incredibly human! I don't buy all that selfless sacrifice in name of a sibling without a hint of resentment (see Sugar Daddy for that). I mean, yes, one sacrifices himself, and one keeps thinking what if I didn't had to do that. But Molly O'Keefe does something amazing for her characters. She gives them enough brains to realize that they act the wrong way sometimes, and, what's more important, she lets them grow. Jackson understands his mistakes/his flaws and does his best to improve.
Plus, he's really hot! Yes, they always are really hot in books... Where do all the hot, amazing men hide in the real world?
Then, there is Monica, the former Wild Child reality TV celebrity-turned-writer. She had an awful childhood (her mother shot her father in self defense), been a troubled teenager and a promiscuous young adult. Eventually, Monica started writing non-fiction. Now she is back in Bishop to try and write a book about that dreadful moment when her father died.
Monica has serious intimacy issues, generated by her sleeping around so easily in her wild years. Again, I'm impressed at how the author approached her problems. There aren't many books who talk so openly about faking orgasms, self-destructive behavior and humiliating sex acts as this one. In most books, women turn on with a flick of the man's finger, stay that way and finish without any troubles. Monica's first experience with Jackson is nothing like that. There's attraction, but her mind is hyperactive and things finish as soon as they started.
Also, Monica manages to overcome her becoming aggressive when hurt. I do that a lot and find it extremely hard to contain myself although I know what I'm doing is wrong. O'Keefe gives her character the
Also, the female friendships in this book are so good and hate-free. I love friendships between two women. I'm tired of them hating each other or bullying one another.
So, yes! Go read this book! It's worth it.
November 8, 2014
Ignore the cover. The cover is miles away from what this book actually is, which is fucking BRILLIANT. Not that it isn't sexy. It is. O'Keefe writes some seriously hot sex scenes. But the thing about this book is that she just claws her way right through the usual shallow, barely realized romance tropes to the stripped down core of her characters, and then she digs some more. She reaches in and digs around and pulls out great bloody handfuls of REAL. The kind of real you recognize because you've lived it yourself, so you know just exactly how real it is, and you know she knows it, too. This is seriously honest writing. It hurt to read it, so I'm pretty damn sure it had to hurt to write it. Bravo, Molly! This is the best thing you've ever written. I rarely give five stars. This deserved six.
October 27, 2013
3 Stars
I finished Wild Child over a week ago and I’m still not quite sure how to review it. On one hand I think Molly O’Keefe can write a decent story. On the other hand this book bored me to tears at times and I’m not quite sure how to reconcile the two.
Monica Appleby is known to millions of Americans as “The Wild Child.” Monica and her mother had a popular reality show a decade and a half ago. I’m thinking something along the lines of Lindsay Lohan and her mother had that nightmare become a show on E! *shudders*. When she left the show and her mother as a teenager, she ended up touring with rock bands and becoming the typical rock groupie, then decided to write a book about her experiences. Needless to say, ten years have passed, Monica’s calmed down and tried to center herself, but all anyone can see is the Wild Child. When she’s offered the opportunity to write a book about her mother and father’s tumultuous past and the subsequent killing of her father, she accepts and returns to her mother’s hometown of Bishop to get started.
Jackson Davies never wanted to be mayor of Bishop, Arkansas. When he was forced to quit law school and return home to take care of his much younger sister after his parents died in a car accident, he saw his future slipping away. His father was mayor and somehow (still not sure how or why) he became mayor. He vowed to turn the hard-hit-by-the-economy Bishop around, make sure his uber smart sister made her way to college, and then it was HIS TIME! Time to fuck all the random women he wanted, time to go to Vegas for the weekend and not give a damn, TIME TO LIVE! When a popular, but apparently foul tasting cracker company announces their plans to relocate their factory to a needy American town, Jackson sees this as his way out of the boonies. When he finds out Monica’s in town to stir up trouble regarding the town’s most infamous event, he knows he has no choice but to stop her. But wait! Monica might be a great way to get some solid press! GAH!!!
My real problem with this book is the fact that EVERY SINGLE CHARACTER lived inside their own damn head! There was an instant attraction between Monica and Jackson. They liked each other, didn’t trust each other, wanted each other, but never did they communicate! Even after they’d had sex, or at least what seemed some pretty satisfying mutual gratification, she was still wondering how she could kick him out without seeming cold so she could erect those walls around her heart again. This isn’t new territory in romance land, but I’m used to at least a smidgen of the character’s personalities showing themselves. These two argued and flirted occasionally then retreated inside their heads where the reader gets to know them, but I never felt the connection between the two because conversation was so minimal. All of a sudden she’s in love and I honest to god couldn’t understand how that happened. He wasn’t a jackass by any means; I just missed the connection that should make this book a romance.
This same scenario happened between Jackson and his 17 year old sister and an art teacher dear to the community who ended up having an affair with the cracker dude. It did pick up at the 75% mark or so and I absolutely loved it! Monica and Jackson started communicating, Jackson began to talk to his sister and Monica and her mom at least had a few seemingly gratifying conversations. Unfortunately, I needed the connections and conversations to happen a whole lot earlier than they did.
The entire time I was reading Wild Child, I kept thinking “this could be such a good book!” I did enjoy it for the most part, but unfortunately it never quite got there for me. Molly O’Keefe is a smooth and talented writer and I’m definitely looking forward to reading some of her other work. I just wish this one had worked for me a little more.
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
I finished Wild Child over a week ago and I’m still not quite sure how to review it. On one hand I think Molly O’Keefe can write a decent story. On the other hand this book bored me to tears at times and I’m not quite sure how to reconcile the two.
Monica Appleby is known to millions of Americans as “The Wild Child.” Monica and her mother had a popular reality show a decade and a half ago. I’m thinking something along the lines of Lindsay Lohan and her mother had that nightmare become a show on E! *shudders*. When she left the show and her mother as a teenager, she ended up touring with rock bands and becoming the typical rock groupie, then decided to write a book about her experiences. Needless to say, ten years have passed, Monica’s calmed down and tried to center herself, but all anyone can see is the Wild Child. When she’s offered the opportunity to write a book about her mother and father’s tumultuous past and the subsequent killing of her father, she accepts and returns to her mother’s hometown of Bishop to get started.
Jackson Davies never wanted to be mayor of Bishop, Arkansas. When he was forced to quit law school and return home to take care of his much younger sister after his parents died in a car accident, he saw his future slipping away. His father was mayor and somehow (still not sure how or why) he became mayor. He vowed to turn the hard-hit-by-the-economy Bishop around, make sure his uber smart sister made her way to college, and then it was HIS TIME! Time to fuck all the random women he wanted, time to go to Vegas for the weekend and not give a damn, TIME TO LIVE! When a popular, but apparently foul tasting cracker company announces their plans to relocate their factory to a needy American town, Jackson sees this as his way out of the boonies. When he finds out Monica’s in town to stir up trouble regarding the town’s most infamous event, he knows he has no choice but to stop her. But wait! Monica might be a great way to get some solid press! GAH!!!
My real problem with this book is the fact that EVERY SINGLE CHARACTER lived inside their own damn head! There was an instant attraction between Monica and Jackson. They liked each other, didn’t trust each other, wanted each other, but never did they communicate! Even after they’d had sex, or at least what seemed some pretty satisfying mutual gratification, she was still wondering how she could kick him out without seeming cold so she could erect those walls around her heart again. This isn’t new territory in romance land, but I’m used to at least a smidgen of the character’s personalities showing themselves. These two argued and flirted occasionally then retreated inside their heads where the reader gets to know them, but I never felt the connection between the two because conversation was so minimal. All of a sudden she’s in love and I honest to god couldn’t understand how that happened. He wasn’t a jackass by any means; I just missed the connection that should make this book a romance.
This same scenario happened between Jackson and his 17 year old sister and an art teacher dear to the community who ended up having an affair with the cracker dude. It did pick up at the 75% mark or so and I absolutely loved it! Monica and Jackson started communicating, Jackson began to talk to his sister and Monica and her mom at least had a few seemingly gratifying conversations. Unfortunately, I needed the connections and conversations to happen a whole lot earlier than they did.
The entire time I was reading Wild Child, I kept thinking “this could be such a good book!” I did enjoy it for the most part, but unfortunately it never quite got there for me. Molly O’Keefe is a smooth and talented writer and I’m definitely looking forward to reading some of her other work. I just wish this one had worked for me a little more.
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
September 28, 2013
3.5 Stars
Jackson Davies is the handsome, young Mayor of Bishop, Arkansas and his last hope of saving this town from bankruptcy is a National contest that would bring a new business into the area. The residents are all on board with his plan and willing to do their share to ensure a win.
The only hitch is the return of Monica Appleby. She’s sexy, beautiful and a well known author of Wild Child, a bestseller which depicts the story of her untamed, youthful sexcapades.
Jackson is very afraid of what her presence will do to their wholesome town image. In addition, she’s stirring up more ghost as she interviews the locals about an incidence that occurred when she lived there as a child. He would like nothing more than to see her leave, or at least stay in hiding until the contest is over. What Jackson didn't count on is their explosive chemistry.
Molly O’Keefe offers a cast of realistic, flawed characters along with a well written story centered around small town living. Both Jackson and Monica are dealing with a past filled with tragedy and years of loneliness. They’re both closed off emotionally and neither believe or expect to find love. Giving in to a desire that cannot be denied, they each soon find themselves facing some important issues.
This is my first book by Ms. O’Keefe and I love her writing style. Monica Appleby is a complex, loveable young woman and easily grabs the limelight in this tale. They’re both suffering from the effects dealt from their past and while I was sympathetic to Jackson and understand his issues, I found myself becoming frustrated with him in parts of this story. However, his redemption was gained with his understanding and patience with one of Molly’s major issues.
I enjoyed this poignant, engaging love story and the small town setting was the icing on the cake. I’m happy to have found another author whose writing style I enjoy and I’m looking forward to more!
ARC courtesy of publisher via Netgalley
Jackson Davies is the handsome, young Mayor of Bishop, Arkansas and his last hope of saving this town from bankruptcy is a National contest that would bring a new business into the area. The residents are all on board with his plan and willing to do their share to ensure a win.
The only hitch is the return of Monica Appleby. She’s sexy, beautiful and a well known author of Wild Child, a bestseller which depicts the story of her untamed, youthful sexcapades.
Jackson is very afraid of what her presence will do to their wholesome town image. In addition, she’s stirring up more ghost as she interviews the locals about an incidence that occurred when she lived there as a child. He would like nothing more than to see her leave, or at least stay in hiding until the contest is over. What Jackson didn't count on is their explosive chemistry.
Molly O’Keefe offers a cast of realistic, flawed characters along with a well written story centered around small town living. Both Jackson and Monica are dealing with a past filled with tragedy and years of loneliness. They’re both closed off emotionally and neither believe or expect to find love. Giving in to a desire that cannot be denied, they each soon find themselves facing some important issues.
This is my first book by Ms. O’Keefe and I love her writing style. Monica Appleby is a complex, loveable young woman and easily grabs the limelight in this tale. They’re both suffering from the effects dealt from their past and while I was sympathetic to Jackson and understand his issues, I found myself becoming frustrated with him in parts of this story. However, his redemption was gained with his understanding and patience with one of Molly’s major issues.
I enjoyed this poignant, engaging love story and the small town setting was the icing on the cake. I’m happy to have found another author whose writing style I enjoy and I’m looking forward to more!
ARC courtesy of publisher via Netgalley
October 14, 2013
Molly O'Keefe is one of my favorite writers. You can count on her to create characters that will test you and take your emotions for a spin, one moment loving them the next wanting to give them a good shake. Well, she didn't let me down with this story!
The set up
Monica Appleby returns to Bishop, Arkansas to write her next book. She was the unwilling reality TV star growing up and labeled the teen-aged "Wild Child." Bishop is where her father was killed when she was five years old and she wants to reconcile her memories with those who witnessed the events. Meanwhile, Mayor Jackson Davies is preparing the town to show it's best face in a contest to woo a major conglomerate to move their factory operations to Bishop. He's not sure the Wild Child fits into the scenario.
The issues
Monica has her own agenda and gets prickly when Jackson balks at what she plans to do. He can't afford to have anything (or anyone!) foil his plan to save this town because he plans to leave as soon as the town recovers. Jackson hasn't had a chance to explore the world since being forced to return to take care of his much younger sister following his parents' deaths. His sister is rebelling and pulling further away from him every minute. He also doesn't want to give in to the obvious attraction he and Monica have for each other.
What I loved about the story
Having both Monica's and Jackson's individual points of view kept me in the romance because these two did a dance with each other that kept me off balance. They were so true to their emotionally battered selves when dealing with each other I thought it might take forever for them to come together. There was no instant love here but the lusting didn't hold them back. The dialogue is clever, the sexual tension high and the secondary characters/story lines pitched perfectly to add even more conflict. The writing is some of the finest I've seen in this genre.
But what I REALLY loved was the complexity of these two characters. Monica is really damaged and I liked how she didn't seek sympathy nor made any excuses for her past behavior. She owned her identity, flaws and all, and disarmed her detractors. It pained me sometimes to see her be so exposed while at the same time be incredibly private about the real depth of her pain and loneliness. Her prickliness with Jackson could be maddening at times. He, on the other hand, masked his pain and disillusion behind a pleasing facade..."I've got it handled" so no one ever saw the real Jackson. And yet, these two saw straight through each other and their relationship was as complicated as they were individually.
Why not 5 stars?
I usually complain about a book needing to be pared down, maybe 50 fewer pages and it would be a more nimble read. Here it was just the opposite. The story deserved just a little longer ending as I think the issues involving Monica and her Mom were resolved too quickly and neatly. It didn't ring true to the rest of their story and they deserved more time. I would have been thrilled with 50 more pages.
The bottom line
This is not chic-lit or some light and breezy romance. This is a serious story, meaning the writing is spectacular and meaningful, the story has depth and the characters EXTREMELY interesting and true to their designed nature. I make no bones about O'Keefe being one of my favorite writers and, even though I was prepared for a good book, I was blown away by this one. It's not a light read and it should be one you make a point to include on your shelf. Just make certain that you take the time to savor this story when you do read it. 4.5 stars
(I received an ARC from Edelweiss)
The set up
Monica Appleby returns to Bishop, Arkansas to write her next book. She was the unwilling reality TV star growing up and labeled the teen-aged "Wild Child." Bishop is where her father was killed when she was five years old and she wants to reconcile her memories with those who witnessed the events. Meanwhile, Mayor Jackson Davies is preparing the town to show it's best face in a contest to woo a major conglomerate to move their factory operations to Bishop. He's not sure the Wild Child fits into the scenario.
The issues
Monica has her own agenda and gets prickly when Jackson balks at what she plans to do. He can't afford to have anything (or anyone!) foil his plan to save this town because he plans to leave as soon as the town recovers. Jackson hasn't had a chance to explore the world since being forced to return to take care of his much younger sister following his parents' deaths. His sister is rebelling and pulling further away from him every minute. He also doesn't want to give in to the obvious attraction he and Monica have for each other.
What I loved about the story
Having both Monica's and Jackson's individual points of view kept me in the romance because these two did a dance with each other that kept me off balance. They were so true to their emotionally battered selves when dealing with each other I thought it might take forever for them to come together. There was no instant love here but the lusting didn't hold them back. The dialogue is clever, the sexual tension high and the secondary characters/story lines pitched perfectly to add even more conflict. The writing is some of the finest I've seen in this genre.
But what I REALLY loved was the complexity of these two characters. Monica is really damaged and I liked how she didn't seek sympathy nor made any excuses for her past behavior. She owned her identity, flaws and all, and disarmed her detractors. It pained me sometimes to see her be so exposed while at the same time be incredibly private about the real depth of her pain and loneliness. Her prickliness with Jackson could be maddening at times. He, on the other hand, masked his pain and disillusion behind a pleasing facade..."I've got it handled" so no one ever saw the real Jackson. And yet, these two saw straight through each other and their relationship was as complicated as they were individually.
Why not 5 stars?
I usually complain about a book needing to be pared down, maybe 50 fewer pages and it would be a more nimble read. Here it was just the opposite. The story deserved just a little longer ending as I think the issues involving Monica and her Mom were resolved too quickly and neatly. It didn't ring true to the rest of their story and they deserved more time. I would have been thrilled with 50 more pages.
The bottom line
This is not chic-lit or some light and breezy romance. This is a serious story, meaning the writing is spectacular and meaningful, the story has depth and the characters EXTREMELY interesting and true to their designed nature. I make no bones about O'Keefe being one of my favorite writers and, even though I was prepared for a good book, I was blown away by this one. It's not a light read and it should be one you make a point to include on your shelf. Just make certain that you take the time to savor this story when you do read it. 4.5 stars
(I received an ARC from Edelweiss)
June 26, 2016
DNF and it kills me to say so...
BAH, I can't even begin to describe how frustrating this book is. The characters are very two-dimesnional and the writing is quite round-about. I am the type of person who once commits to a book in a series always reads it the entire way through even if I hate one (or more of the books), because I HAVE to know I gave it a fair chance. But this, no... just no. And it sucks because the book had a LOT of potentially and the cover is just plain smokin'. This one was a skip for me.
BAH, I can't even begin to describe how frustrating this book is. The characters are very two-dimesnional and the writing is quite round-about. I am the type of person who once commits to a book in a series always reads it the entire way through even if I hate one (or more of the books), because I HAVE to know I gave it a fair chance. But this, no... just no. And it sucks because the book had a LOT of potentially and the cover is just plain smokin'. This one was a skip for me.
November 17, 2013
Wild Child is a book truly about a wild-child, the heroine Monica is infamous for her wild teenage being years, for being a groupie but she has moved on and is trying to change, her location is the hero's town.
The hero Jackson, is the Mayor and he has had huge responsibilities on his shoulder, his young teenage sister and even the entire town and now he sees a light at the end of the tunnel and he just wants to leave it all and be wild and free and unencumbered and to do that he needs his town to win a contest and he thinks Monica and his image will stand in the way. All of this of course doesn't stop them from getting involved and their road to happiness is complex.
Now, the reason I loved this book was because of the characters because they all were so real and so flawed. We see Monica, her struggles with her past, the return of her mother and we see Jackson struggling to be a brother and a father in one.
For me the star of this book was Monica and I for one cannot wait for the next book. Molly O'Keefe remains a terrific author.
ARC provided by publisher through Netgalley.
The hero Jackson, is the Mayor and he has had huge responsibilities on his shoulder, his young teenage sister and even the entire town and now he sees a light at the end of the tunnel and he just wants to leave it all and be wild and free and unencumbered and to do that he needs his town to win a contest and he thinks Monica and his image will stand in the way. All of this of course doesn't stop them from getting involved and their road to happiness is complex.
Now, the reason I loved this book was because of the characters because they all were so real and so flawed. We see Monica, her struggles with her past, the return of her mother and we see Jackson struggling to be a brother and a father in one.
For me the star of this book was Monica and I for one cannot wait for the next book. Molly O'Keefe remains a terrific author.
ARC provided by publisher through Netgalley.
December 21, 2016
I read a lot of Romance. Recently I find it hard to fell in love with a book in this genre. Call it romance burn-out. Same tropes, same characters, same stories… But I longed for a love story that would make me feel deeply again. I want to say thank you to Molly O’Keefe for this book.
Wild Child is one of the best romance books out there. Molly took the same old trope, but wrote a beautiful unique and meaningful story. Now I have an urge to revisit my old ratings and change them, I gave away 4 and 5 Stars so freely.
I loved Molly’s writing style. The most fitting word to describe it is delicious. Yes, delicious words… I read this book slowly, savoring every sentence.]
The author wrote complex multidimensional characters and I was fully invested in their stories.
And of course the romance. Deep, touching, at times sad and hurting, Monica and Jackson’s relationship was such a delight to follow.
My only complaint is Shelby Monroe’s story. This sub-plot was thrown onto the reader so abruptly and from nowhere, that I had difficulties with it. But it was a minor thing that didn’t lessen my overall enjoyment of the book.
Beautifully written deep story with great characterization. Highly recommended to all lovers of romance.
You can find my reviews:
Wild Child is one of the best romance books out there. Molly took the same old trope, but wrote a beautiful unique and meaningful story. Now I have an urge to revisit my old ratings and change them, I gave away 4 and 5 Stars so freely.
I loved Molly’s writing style. The most fitting word to describe it is delicious. Yes, delicious words… I read this book slowly, savoring every sentence.]
The author wrote complex multidimensional characters and I was fully invested in their stories.
And of course the romance. Deep, touching, at times sad and hurting, Monica and Jackson’s relationship was such a delight to follow.
My only complaint is Shelby Monroe’s story. This sub-plot was thrown onto the reader so abruptly and from nowhere, that I had difficulties with it. But it was a minor thing that didn’t lessen my overall enjoyment of the book.
Beautifully written deep story with great characterization. Highly recommended to all lovers of romance.
You can find my reviews:
July 15, 2013
Rating: 3.5 out of 5.
The novel has a great heroine and a good plot. But I was really really disappointed with the hero. What started off as a sexy brooding man, he turned out to be the biggest user and whiner. What’s worse is that he always played the victim. With his sister, with the heroine, you name it. If something went wrong, I’ll play the victim. Also, I did not think it was cool how he treated the heroine. Ever since the first night he met her, he has been insulting and hurting her, and then turning around to apologise. What’s worse was that the heroine keeps on accepting his apologies. We are not in secondary school any more, it’s not okay to say hurtful things and then think that a mere sorry will help you own up to it.
I’ll give you an example. There is this one part, where this infamous wild child opens up to this undeserving man and tells him that she keeps herself distant from everyone like an island. This so called hero throws that back in her face, not once, but twice! He says something along the lines of: oh, how would you know, being an island and all. He was such a child! Seriously, he had some growing up to do, and the heroine needed someone better.
Having said that, the rest of the novel was good, which is why I am giving it such a rating.
ARC Courtesy of NetGalley and Random House Publishing.
The novel has a great heroine and a good plot. But I was really really disappointed with the hero. What started off as a sexy brooding man, he turned out to be the biggest user and whiner. What’s worse is that he always played the victim. With his sister, with the heroine, you name it. If something went wrong, I’ll play the victim. Also, I did not think it was cool how he treated the heroine. Ever since the first night he met her, he has been insulting and hurting her, and then turning around to apologise. What’s worse was that the heroine keeps on accepting his apologies. We are not in secondary school any more, it’s not okay to say hurtful things and then think that a mere sorry will help you own up to it.
I’ll give you an example. There is this one part, where this infamous wild child opens up to this undeserving man and tells him that she keeps herself distant from everyone like an island. This so called hero throws that back in her face, not once, but twice! He says something along the lines of: oh, how would you know, being an island and all. He was such a child! Seriously, he had some growing up to do, and the heroine needed someone better.
Having said that, the rest of the novel was good, which is why I am giving it such a rating.
ARC Courtesy of NetGalley and Random House Publishing.
October 11, 2013
Wild Child – 4 Stars.
I must admit by the hot cover I thought this would be a fun and sexy read, but its actually a little deeper than that.
This book contains characters that have deep and painful pasts, unfulfilled goals, longing to belong and to be able to live life how you choose and not how you are directed, whether it be by circumstance or responsibility.
Monica and Jackson are both trying to make the best of their futures while striving to leave the nightmare of their pasts behind. Monica is also dealing with the grief of losing a trusted and loved friend, while Jackson is struggling with the responsibility he feels while being the town mayor as well as trying to raise his sister after the tragic loss of their parents.
This is a great book, if you are looking for some laughs, a little sexiness and a whole lot of well written story. Perfect vacation reading, or snuggled up in the warm winter reading the cast and characters are all likeable and the story is well thought out, develops at a great pace and left me wanting to look up more of Molly O’Keefe’s books as soon as I had finished it.
ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for the above honest review.
I must admit by the hot cover I thought this would be a fun and sexy read, but its actually a little deeper than that.
This book contains characters that have deep and painful pasts, unfulfilled goals, longing to belong and to be able to live life how you choose and not how you are directed, whether it be by circumstance or responsibility.
Monica and Jackson are both trying to make the best of their futures while striving to leave the nightmare of their pasts behind. Monica is also dealing with the grief of losing a trusted and loved friend, while Jackson is struggling with the responsibility he feels while being the town mayor as well as trying to raise his sister after the tragic loss of their parents.
This is a great book, if you are looking for some laughs, a little sexiness and a whole lot of well written story. Perfect vacation reading, or snuggled up in the warm winter reading the cast and characters are all likeable and the story is well thought out, develops at a great pace and left me wanting to look up more of Molly O’Keefe’s books as soon as I had finished it.
ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for the above honest review.
October 31, 2013
I've been finding it really, really tough to write a review for the Molly O'Keefe books I've read. Firstly, because the covers make this book seem like erotica or hard-core contemporary romance when it's more of a raw, realistic, and brutal look at life. It's an adult novel, so yes, it has fairly explicit sex, but the sex is only one aspect to the depth these books contain. Of course these characters are broken, but they're the kind of broken that passes for normal until it doesn't. And these are the kind of relationships, messy and unflinchingly honest, that we all sustain, at some point or the other, in our lives. I really wish I could articulate how perfectly O'Keefe writes really complex story arcs, with plenty of swoon to counter the dark places she takes her characters, but I can't. If you're one for realistic novels, ones that use sex as a means of empowerment, take characters out of the boxes we've labeled for them, and is downright un-put-downable, read Molly O'Keefe. I just don't think you can go wrong with her.
Also, as always, a huge thank you to Sarah for recommending this one. I'd have significantly fewer 4 and 5 Star reads under my belt if it wasn't for her. :)
Also, as always, a huge thank you to Sarah for recommending this one. I'd have significantly fewer 4 and 5 Star reads under my belt if it wasn't for her. :)
June 19, 2014
From Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
I loved this book it was angsty and touching .
I started it thinking it was all fluff because of its blurb and cover but fluff was one thing that this book wasn't.
After a few pages I realised I was reading about two messed up people who didn't know what they wanted .Their thoughts were messy and I didn't like what they were thinking or how they were behaving .I had to read each sentence a few times to understand ,I started thinking about DNFing the book .
I'm not sure if it was the writing that changed after 20% or it was my opinion of what I was reading but I gave up even the thought of DNFing this book and didn't put it down until I finished.It was hard to get into the story ,I didn't like the characters or where they were in life at first but after I read a bit more ,I was hooked.
The way the 2 main characters were changed during this book was so beautiful and believable. I loved the secondary characters ,I hope to read more about them in the next books in the series.
It reminded me of one of Susan Elizabeth Philips books and one of Jennifer Cruise's .I don't want to compare ,just to give you some idea how it was like.
ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley
I loved this book it was angsty and touching .
I started it thinking it was all fluff because of its blurb and cover but fluff was one thing that this book wasn't.
After a few pages I realised I was reading about two messed up people who didn't know what they wanted .Their thoughts were messy and I didn't like what they were thinking or how they were behaving .I had to read each sentence a few times to understand ,I started thinking about DNFing the book .
I'm not sure if it was the writing that changed after 20% or it was my opinion of what I was reading but I gave up even the thought of DNFing this book and didn't put it down until I finished.It was hard to get into the story ,I didn't like the characters or where they were in life at first but after I read a bit more ,I was hooked.
The way the 2 main characters were changed during this book was so beautiful and believable. I loved the secondary characters ,I hope to read more about them in the next books in the series.
It reminded me of one of Susan Elizabeth Philips books and one of Jennifer Cruise's .I don't want to compare ,just to give you some idea how it was like.
ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley
October 11, 2013
I absolutely loved this! This was my first book by Molly O'Keefe and won't be my last. The main characters were so broken and vulnerable and easily relatable, because everyone has felt the way they feel at some point in their lives.
I found myself falling in love with Monica more than Jackson in this LOL She hid behind her fame, pretending to be something she wasn't cause she didn't know how to be anything else. And she was so lost and broken. The way she changed throughout the book was amazing! It was perfect :)
If you read my comments while I was reading this, I found out who the guy on the side of the road was, and it was definitely a shock when Shelby saw him again. All I can say, without giving away too much is, I wish he would have stayed on the side of the road ;)
ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley
I found myself falling in love with Monica more than Jackson in this LOL She hid behind her fame, pretending to be something she wasn't cause she didn't know how to be anything else. And she was so lost and broken. The way she changed throughout the book was amazing! It was perfect :)
If you read my comments while I was reading this, I found out who the guy on the side of the road was, and it was definitely a shock when Shelby saw him again. All I can say, without giving away too much is, I wish he would have stayed on the side of the road ;)
ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley
September 19, 2013
What do you do when you are a small town mayor determined to keep your town from becoming another bankrupt statistic? Mayor Jackson Davies enters a contest that would bring a large cookie manufacturing company to Bishop. Yep, cookies, sweet, huh? How could he know Monica Appleby would come back to Bishop to dig up some of the town’s ugly, painful past? The tension runs high as these two battle it out in public-while in private they are burning up the sheets, playing havoc with their hearts.
Wild Child by Molly O’Keefe is a light, sometimes spicy romance that makes for a nice, if slightly predictable read. Both Monica and Jackson have troubled pasts they must learn to overcome. Can you say flawed humans? Then again, getting to that conclusion is kind of fun! With a town full of brilliantly fleshed out characters, the couple have a great supporting cast, a real contemporary crisis that is all too real for many towns today, emotional conflict in spades and small town talk to deal with!
Ms. O’Keefe can tell a tale, takes her time building the world we are invited into and pulls together a twisting tale that runs the gamut of emotions! Anytime the author can convince the reader that they want to throttle the immaturity of a character, they have done their job!
This ARC edition of Wild Child was given to me by Random House Publishing Group - Bantam in exchange for my honest review.
Series: The Boys of Bishop, Book 1
Publication Date: October 29, 2013
Publisher: Bantam
ISBN-10: 0345533712
ISBN-13: 978-0345533715
Number of Pages: 368 (Paperback)
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Age Recommendation: Adult
Available From: Amazon / Barnes & Noble
For more reviews check out Tome Tender's Book Blog or find us on Facebook.
Wild Child by Molly O’Keefe is a light, sometimes spicy romance that makes for a nice, if slightly predictable read. Both Monica and Jackson have troubled pasts they must learn to overcome. Can you say flawed humans? Then again, getting to that conclusion is kind of fun! With a town full of brilliantly fleshed out characters, the couple have a great supporting cast, a real contemporary crisis that is all too real for many towns today, emotional conflict in spades and small town talk to deal with!
Ms. O’Keefe can tell a tale, takes her time building the world we are invited into and pulls together a twisting tale that runs the gamut of emotions! Anytime the author can convince the reader that they want to throttle the immaturity of a character, they have done their job!
This ARC edition of Wild Child was given to me by Random House Publishing Group - Bantam in exchange for my honest review.
Series: The Boys of Bishop, Book 1
Publication Date: October 29, 2013
Publisher: Bantam
ISBN-10: 0345533712
ISBN-13: 978-0345533715
Number of Pages: 368 (Paperback)
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Age Recommendation: Adult
Available From: Amazon / Barnes & Noble
For more reviews check out Tome Tender's Book Blog or find us on Facebook.
February 10, 2017
*2.5/5* L'intégralité de ma chronique ici: http://lune-et-plume.fr/coup-declat-d...
Je vais être rapide, je vais faire simple, je vais faire court, en trois lettres : LOL. J’aurais aussi pu dire : MDR. Bref, grosse, grosse désillusion avec cette nouvelle collection des éditions J’ai Lu pour Elle. Après avoir coulé la collection Romantic suspense, après avoir commencé le saccage de la collection Promesses, avec Love Addiction, j’avais l’espoir d’avoir enfin une nouvelle collection contemporaine qui tienne la route, j’en attendais des publications du style de la grande époque de la collection Promesses, du Julie James (est-ce qu’on va avoir un jour ses nouvelles publications ?), de Susan Elizabeth Phillips, de Kristan Higgins, de Rachel Gibson, Robyn Carr, Louisa Edwards (dont j’attends désespérément la suite) … Avec Molly O’Keefe, c’est que l’on m’avait promis, une romance contemporaine, jeune, branchée, moderne … Verdict, je me suis pratiquement ennuyée comme un rat mort. [...]
Je vais être rapide, je vais faire simple, je vais faire court, en trois lettres : LOL. J’aurais aussi pu dire : MDR. Bref, grosse, grosse désillusion avec cette nouvelle collection des éditions J’ai Lu pour Elle. Après avoir coulé la collection Romantic suspense, après avoir commencé le saccage de la collection Promesses, avec Love Addiction, j’avais l’espoir d’avoir enfin une nouvelle collection contemporaine qui tienne la route, j’en attendais des publications du style de la grande époque de la collection Promesses, du Julie James (est-ce qu’on va avoir un jour ses nouvelles publications ?), de Susan Elizabeth Phillips, de Kristan Higgins, de Rachel Gibson, Robyn Carr, Louisa Edwards (dont j’attends désespérément la suite) … Avec Molly O’Keefe, c’est que l’on m’avait promis, une romance contemporaine, jeune, branchée, moderne … Verdict, je me suis pratiquement ennuyée comme un rat mort. [...]
March 31, 2015
This first entry in the Boys of Bishop series tells us the story of Monica, a former teen reality star and Jackson, Mayor of the small town of Bishop Arkansas. Monica has come back to the town where her life irrevocably changed to write about the death of her father. At the same time Jackson is trying to promote his town in hopes of getting new business investments and the last thing he needs is the notoriety of Monica's past getting in the way. But sparks fly when they meet and succumbing to the irresistible attraction between them seems destined to end up with someone getting burned.
I love how Molly is able to weave a romance with a thoughtful and emotional depth that takes the reader into the heart of the tale. The characters she writes are multi-faceted with positive traits and negative flaws, with hopes, dreams and past secrets waiting to be uncovered. Monica's character of a brash bold woman on the outside is revealed to have a hurt vulnerable child inside, looking for love and acceptance. Jackson is strong and confident in his role as Mayor but unsure and depressed at his inability to connect with his younger sister. Together their hurtful pasts are shared and healed, creating an emotional bond that transcends the sexual relationship they thought would be enough to satisfy each other. As always in Molly's books, secondary characters play an important role in the story adding realism to the small town where the story takes place.
This is a well crafted, engaging, steamy love story that is sure to delight readers of contemporary romance. I am looking forward to more books in this series. 5 heartwarming stars!
I love how Molly is able to weave a romance with a thoughtful and emotional depth that takes the reader into the heart of the tale. The characters she writes are multi-faceted with positive traits and negative flaws, with hopes, dreams and past secrets waiting to be uncovered. Monica's character of a brash bold woman on the outside is revealed to have a hurt vulnerable child inside, looking for love and acceptance. Jackson is strong and confident in his role as Mayor but unsure and depressed at his inability to connect with his younger sister. Together their hurtful pasts are shared and healed, creating an emotional bond that transcends the sexual relationship they thought would be enough to satisfy each other. As always in Molly's books, secondary characters play an important role in the story adding realism to the small town where the story takes place.
This is a well crafted, engaging, steamy love story that is sure to delight readers of contemporary romance. I am looking forward to more books in this series. 5 heartwarming stars!
November 8, 2013
4.5 stars
I really liked this one (no surprise, since I loved Molly's last series). Monica was a fascinating main character, with a lot of layers, and I really believed in her personal journey. I also really liked the subplot about Gwen, Jackson's sister, who was a very intriguing teen character (I would read an entire novel about Gwen). I wasn't completely sure Jackson was ready to be a fully functioning person (emotionally-speaking) by the end of this book, though he was on the right path and I wish the plot with Monica's mother hasn't been so tidy, but that's a complaint I have in most books involving fractured family relationships, so take that with a grain of salt.
Anyway, like the author's other books, if you're looking for a romance with nuanced female characters and sly subversion of traditional tropes/narratives, this is a pretty good choice.
I wrote a bunch of words about this one on my blog: http://cleareyesfullshelves.com/blog/...
I really liked this one (no surprise, since I loved Molly's last series). Monica was a fascinating main character, with a lot of layers, and I really believed in her personal journey. I also really liked the subplot about Gwen, Jackson's sister, who was a very intriguing teen character (I would read an entire novel about Gwen). I wasn't completely sure Jackson was ready to be a fully functioning person (emotionally-speaking) by the end of this book, though he was on the right path and I wish the plot with Monica's mother hasn't been so tidy, but that's a complaint I have in most books involving fractured family relationships, so take that with a grain of salt.
Anyway, like the author's other books, if you're looking for a romance with nuanced female characters and sly subversion of traditional tropes/narratives, this is a pretty good choice.
I wrote a bunch of words about this one on my blog: http://cleareyesfullshelves.com/blog/...
Read
June 30, 2025I tried to finish this for more than a month. In fact, I managed to push up to about the 2/3 mark. But I had the fundamental problem that I did not care.
This had promise. I was intrigued by the two main characters. Monica, the wild child who'd engaged in a lot of self-destructive behaviour in her younger years, and Jackson, who'd had to step up and be mature (to the point of taking on the job of mayor of a dying town) in his, and can't wait to give up and do what he feels he should have been doing then. Unfortunately, although the setup was interesting, the execution wasn't. I was bored to tears by their interactions, particularly when sex enters the equation.
Then there's the whole silly thing about saving the town through a reality TV show (seriously!), the super icky relationship between two secondary characters, the teenage drama. I was bored with all of it.
I feel I've given this enough of a shot, and I'm not prepared to waste more time.
This had promise. I was intrigued by the two main characters. Monica, the wild child who'd engaged in a lot of self-destructive behaviour in her younger years, and Jackson, who'd had to step up and be mature (to the point of taking on the job of mayor of a dying town) in his, and can't wait to give up and do what he feels he should have been doing then. Unfortunately, although the setup was interesting, the execution wasn't. I was bored to tears by their interactions, particularly when sex enters the equation.
Then there's the whole silly thing about saving the town through a reality TV show (seriously!), the super icky relationship between two secondary characters, the teenage drama. I was bored with all of it.
I feel I've given this enough of a shot, and I'm not prepared to waste more time.
July 20, 2013
Jackson is mayor of small town Bishop...a town that is getting closer and closer to becoming a ghost town. Jackson is determined to save the town though...mostly so he can leave it behind without any guilt. He left once before, but when tragedy struck he had to put his dreams on hold to return and raise his younger sister Gwen. Now that she is graduating and will be heading to university, Jackson is ready to leave once again. To do so with a clear conscious though, he really wants to help Bishop back on it's feet economically. When he finds out about a contest a cookie company is having to move it's production to a struggling small USA town, he is determined that this is the answer he is looking for, this is what can save Bishop.
Monica is a former bad girl wild child who briefly lived in Bishop as a child. Now she is back to relive the past for the book she is writing. She is the last person Jackson wants in town when the media comes looking for a small wholesome American town. But Monica isn't going anywhere! With the promise to be discreet, she plans to carry on with her work and Jackson can carry on with his. But in small town Bishop nothing stays secret for long, and it's even harder to avoid anyone! It gets even harder to ignore the sparks that flare between Monica and Jackson either. They are two people struggling with their past, their present, and their future who find themselves attracted to each to one another despite their differences.
Are they really so different though? Both of them have a past that has significantly affected who they are today and their inability to have lasting relationships. What starts out as annoyance with each other soon becomes a lust that can't be denied, and Jackson and Monica can really heat the pages of Wild Child up! Neither of them plans to have anything that will last beyond the time they are in Bishop...but their hearts might tell them differently. It's not just the blossoming relationship between Monica and Jackson that are the heart of Wild Child though. There is Monica's relationship, or lack of one, with her mother...and the walls Monica has erected around her heart are going to take a pretty strong person to break through them. Does Jackson have it in him to do that? Can he take the time for himself, to make himself happy, instead of always trying to keep everyone else happy? We also have an indepth look at the relationship between Jackson and his sister Gwen. It's so complicated and heartbreaking at times, I really hoped it was not beyond repair! We meet a lot of the residents and non residents of Bishop, and their stories all tie together nicely in Wild Child.
Molly gives us much more than romance in Wild Child. There is a community trying to pull together to save itself and each other...and broken and breaking families trying to heal. We also meet some people who we definitely want to learn more about like Shelby and Cora! But this is Monica and Jackson's story, their struggles, the conflicts, and the growing they are going to have to do separately and hopefully as a couple if they can start healing from the past and make a relationship work. Monica and Jackson are both strong characters that I really liked. Monica has a bit of a tortured past and I felt sorry for the little girl she was and what she went through. I could completely understand her reactions and how her past shaped who she is today. Jackson had tragedy in his past too when his parents died, and he has done the best he can even if at times I wanted to shake him!!
Wild Child was very well written. There are a lot of different plot twists, you never knew what was going to happen and Molly manages to weave everyone's stories together perfectly. I admit in the first few pages of Wild Child I wasn't too sure if I'd be able to get into the story, but it didn't take long and I was hooked! At times Wild Child was an emotional roller coaster, one I was happy to ride!
Monica is a former bad girl wild child who briefly lived in Bishop as a child. Now she is back to relive the past for the book she is writing. She is the last person Jackson wants in town when the media comes looking for a small wholesome American town. But Monica isn't going anywhere! With the promise to be discreet, she plans to carry on with her work and Jackson can carry on with his. But in small town Bishop nothing stays secret for long, and it's even harder to avoid anyone! It gets even harder to ignore the sparks that flare between Monica and Jackson either. They are two people struggling with their past, their present, and their future who find themselves attracted to each to one another despite their differences.
Are they really so different though? Both of them have a past that has significantly affected who they are today and their inability to have lasting relationships. What starts out as annoyance with each other soon becomes a lust that can't be denied, and Jackson and Monica can really heat the pages of Wild Child up! Neither of them plans to have anything that will last beyond the time they are in Bishop...but their hearts might tell them differently. It's not just the blossoming relationship between Monica and Jackson that are the heart of Wild Child though. There is Monica's relationship, or lack of one, with her mother...and the walls Monica has erected around her heart are going to take a pretty strong person to break through them. Does Jackson have it in him to do that? Can he take the time for himself, to make himself happy, instead of always trying to keep everyone else happy? We also have an indepth look at the relationship between Jackson and his sister Gwen. It's so complicated and heartbreaking at times, I really hoped it was not beyond repair! We meet a lot of the residents and non residents of Bishop, and their stories all tie together nicely in Wild Child.
Molly gives us much more than romance in Wild Child. There is a community trying to pull together to save itself and each other...and broken and breaking families trying to heal. We also meet some people who we definitely want to learn more about like Shelby and Cora! But this is Monica and Jackson's story, their struggles, the conflicts, and the growing they are going to have to do separately and hopefully as a couple if they can start healing from the past and make a relationship work. Monica and Jackson are both strong characters that I really liked. Monica has a bit of a tortured past and I felt sorry for the little girl she was and what she went through. I could completely understand her reactions and how her past shaped who she is today. Jackson had tragedy in his past too when his parents died, and he has done the best he can even if at times I wanted to shake him!!
Wild Child was very well written. There are a lot of different plot twists, you never knew what was going to happen and Molly manages to weave everyone's stories together perfectly. I admit in the first few pages of Wild Child I wasn't too sure if I'd be able to get into the story, but it didn't take long and I was hooked! At times Wild Child was an emotional roller coaster, one I was happy to ride!
January 6, 2017
Un mélange entre romance contemporaine classique (l'auteur est publiée depuis 2001) et les thèmes actuels (ici la télé-réalité que j'ai trouvée très bien exploitée, et un peu les réseaux sociaux).
En points négatifs: je me serais passée des scènes incluant Shelby (personnage secondaire), et j'ai trouvé certaines scènes hot un peu trop crues
Mais cela ne m'empêche pas de lui mettre la note maximum parce que j'ai trouvé beaucoup de scènes très belles, j'ai aimé la relation entre les héros.
Quelques scènes marrantes également, et un moment d'anthologie avec l'histoire des préservatifs. LOL
En points négatifs: je me serais passée des scènes incluant Shelby (personnage secondaire), et j'ai trouvé certaines scènes hot un peu trop crues
Mais cela ne m'empêche pas de lui mettre la note maximum parce que j'ai trouvé beaucoup de scènes très belles, j'ai aimé la relation entre les héros.
Quelques scènes marrantes également, et un moment d'anthologie avec l'histoire des préservatifs. LOL
July 8, 2013
***ARC given by RANDOM HOUSE PUBLISHING GROUP – BANTAM DELL in exchange for an honest review.*** Pub Date: Oct 29 2013
Light, Heartwarming and Sexy!
“…The difference between a house and a home wasn't anything you could point out; it was a feeling. A sense of a group of lives lived together, in tandem and opposition, messy and sweet and complicated.”
Monica Appleby is a best-selling writer with a “Wild Child” reputation. She goes back to her hometown with one goal: write a book about the saddest event of her life: the murder of her father when she was only six.
She doesn't know exactly why she is doing this. It's not only for the money, it's for something else. Maybe, a search for meaning, for...home.
Problem is, although the local people are willing to talk about the aforementioned event, the town's sexy and very polite mayor is decided to not let it happen.
"…People rarely mean what they say when they're being polite. I find that they usually mean the opposite.”
Jackson Davies is a man on a mission. The mayor of Bishop, Arkansas, sees on a national TV contest the great (and probably last) opportunity to save his hometown from bankruptcy. He has the charisma, leadership and drive to convince the population to embark on this journey: All they have to do is keep everything under control.
And when he finds out that Bishop’s most famous citizen is back in town and about to open a can of worms , he knows he has to do something before she jeopardizes his plans. He has to persuade her to leave. What he did not expect though, was to realize that maybe, just maybe, he doesn't want her to.
"Wild Child” is indeed a sizzling contemporary romance with the right ingredients.: easy plot, hot ‘scenes’, lovable main characters, interesting and very well ‘explored’ secondary characters, family drama and humor. It’s a light read and indeed perfect for the S.E.P and Rachel Gibson readers. (I am one of them!).
Molly O’Keefe is a great author and her 'voice' should not be taken for granted when it comes to contemporary romance. She knows her business! Her subtle insights on love and relationship will definitely put a smile on your face.
Now...
What didn’t work for me: For one, some things were left unresolved or solved ‘superficially’ which is kind of disappointing after 200+ pages of anticipation/expectation. Second, it started kind of slow so I struggled a bit on the first 30 or so pages. And finally this book deserves a better cover, IMHO. I mean, there are sex scenes and they are super hot and very well written and all, but there is so much more… I don't know. I think we are in the 21st century and contemporary romance readers don't need a cover like that to know there will be sex scenes in the book, KWIM?
Definitely recommend it!
Light, Heartwarming and Sexy!
“…The difference between a house and a home wasn't anything you could point out; it was a feeling. A sense of a group of lives lived together, in tandem and opposition, messy and sweet and complicated.”
Monica Appleby is a best-selling writer with a “Wild Child” reputation. She goes back to her hometown with one goal: write a book about the saddest event of her life: the murder of her father when she was only six.
She doesn't know exactly why she is doing this. It's not only for the money, it's for something else. Maybe, a search for meaning, for...home.
Problem is, although the local people are willing to talk about the aforementioned event, the town's sexy and very polite mayor is decided to not let it happen.
"…People rarely mean what they say when they're being polite. I find that they usually mean the opposite.”
Jackson Davies is a man on a mission. The mayor of Bishop, Arkansas, sees on a national TV contest the great (and probably last) opportunity to save his hometown from bankruptcy. He has the charisma, leadership and drive to convince the population to embark on this journey: All they have to do is keep everything under control.
And when he finds out that Bishop’s most famous citizen is back in town and about to open a can of worms , he knows he has to do something before she jeopardizes his plans. He has to persuade her to leave. What he did not expect though, was to realize that maybe, just maybe, he doesn't want her to.
"Wild Child” is indeed a sizzling contemporary romance with the right ingredients.: easy plot, hot ‘scenes’, lovable main characters, interesting and very well ‘explored’ secondary characters, family drama and humor. It’s a light read and indeed perfect for the S.E.P and Rachel Gibson readers. (I am one of them!).
Molly O’Keefe is a great author and her 'voice' should not be taken for granted when it comes to contemporary romance. She knows her business! Her subtle insights on love and relationship will definitely put a smile on your face.
Now...
What didn’t work for me: For one, some things were left unresolved or solved ‘superficially’ which is kind of disappointing after 200+ pages of anticipation/expectation. Second, it started kind of slow so I struggled a bit on the first 30 or so pages. And finally this book deserves a better cover, IMHO. I mean, there are sex scenes and they are super hot and very well written and all, but there is so much more… I don't know. I think we are in the 21st century and contemporary romance readers don't need a cover like that to know there will be sex scenes in the book, KWIM?
Definitely recommend it!
August 10, 2014
Broken characters, a seriously messy journey to sort-of HEA, interesting personal conflicts. I didn't find the hero all that appealing, although surprisingly this was addressed in one of the last chapters: "Sex with nameless women? Was he sixteen?" The LOL was hard and long. :)) His desperation was palpable, yes, and so were his hackles whenever things refused to be fixed. The 360 at the end was so fast, it gave me whiplash, because he was just so insensitive for the most part. That he recognised it himself did not make the bad taste he put in my mouth disappear. Heroine said it best: he was a most selfless but at the same time most selfish man.
Sideplot was disturbing, and I felt it needed more pages if only to take it out the creeper territory. Of course, the involved character's got her own book now, but I wish her story this time hadn't been so bitter just to add spice to the main dish. She was having sex with someone she didn't even like just to feel how it was to be desired, to be…not her. And I liked that idea, I really did, but in the end, I needed more for her—on the same book.
This was not a very pretty story, and it was something I could appreciate. Some things just couldn't be fixed, and even love was not a remedy. People could feel helpless regarding their circumstances but still had choices—to communicate, to be happy, to do. And some choices could soil the love and happiness, maybe even redemption, maybe also closure, they sought. This was a story that was just a tad tragic, but the complexity of it, the awfulness, the richness, made it a flavourful reading.
Sideplot was disturbing, and I felt it needed more pages if only to take it out the creeper territory. Of course, the involved character's got her own book now, but I wish her story this time hadn't been so bitter just to add spice to the main dish. She was having sex with someone she didn't even like just to feel how it was to be desired, to be…not her. And I liked that idea, I really did, but in the end, I needed more for her—on the same book.
This was not a very pretty story, and it was something I could appreciate. Some things just couldn't be fixed, and even love was not a remedy. People could feel helpless regarding their circumstances but still had choices—to communicate, to be happy, to do. And some choices could soil the love and happiness, maybe even redemption, maybe also closure, they sought. This was a story that was just a tad tragic, but the complexity of it, the awfulness, the richness, made it a flavourful reading.
November 27, 2025
Monica Appleby is best known for her role as the “Wild Child” on a reality TV show. Now she is returning to her hometown to write an autobiography about her mother killing her father when she was 5.
Mayor Jackson Davies is trying to pull every string to save Bishop, Arkansas. He just entered a TV show contest to bring a new manufacturing plant to the town, hoping to revitalize the economy. When the town ends up in the contest's semi-finals the last thing Jackson wants is to stir up old town skeletons. Monica Appleby story is definitely the town's biggest skeleton.
Davies is torn between his goal to save the town and the desire that burns for Monica. With every argument it seems their attraction grows till it just boils over.
I really enjoyed Wild Child. The do battle attraction is always so fun to watch, while the romantic tension grows thicker with every sparring. The town provides a very interesting line up of secondary characters. I did find Jackson's mindset a little immature, but it was great to see the character growth at the end. Wild Child is an easy, entertaining story with a strong home town flare.
This ARC copy of Wild Child was given to me by Random House Publishing Group - Bantam in exchange for an honest review. This book is set for publication October 29, 2013.
Mayor Jackson Davies is trying to pull every string to save Bishop, Arkansas. He just entered a TV show contest to bring a new manufacturing plant to the town, hoping to revitalize the economy. When the town ends up in the contest's semi-finals the last thing Jackson wants is to stir up old town skeletons. Monica Appleby story is definitely the town's biggest skeleton.
Davies is torn between his goal to save the town and the desire that burns for Monica. With every argument it seems their attraction grows till it just boils over.
I really enjoyed Wild Child. The do battle attraction is always so fun to watch, while the romantic tension grows thicker with every sparring. The town provides a very interesting line up of secondary characters. I did find Jackson's mindset a little immature, but it was great to see the character growth at the end. Wild Child is an easy, entertaining story with a strong home town flare.
This ARC copy of Wild Child was given to me by Random House Publishing Group - Bantam in exchange for an honest review. This book is set for publication October 29, 2013.
August 15, 2013
*Received from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.*
rating: 3 1/2 stars
Overall I liked the story of Jackson being Mayor to a small town that is down on its luck, but trying to turn it around by winning a contest. While, Monica is going back to said town in order to write a book that will open old wounds about the death of her father. Jackson instantly sees Monica as a hindrance to the town winning the contest and nothing but trouble, while Monica is just wary of everyone and feels Jackson is also trouble because she has strong feelings for him.
Jackson and Monica meet and experience instant attraction; although, Monica is a little wary and Jackson is a little too cautious they decide to throw caution to the wind and have a fling.Jackson and Monica are both good at hiding their true feelings from the world; they hold themselves apart because they don't want to get hurt. In the process of discovering this about the other, and finding someone just as messed up as they are, they find love.
rating: 3 1/2 stars
Overall I liked the story of Jackson being Mayor to a small town that is down on its luck, but trying to turn it around by winning a contest. While, Monica is going back to said town in order to write a book that will open old wounds about the death of her father. Jackson instantly sees Monica as a hindrance to the town winning the contest and nothing but trouble, while Monica is just wary of everyone and feels Jackson is also trouble because she has strong feelings for him.
Jackson and Monica meet and experience instant attraction; although, Monica is a little wary and Jackson is a little too cautious they decide to throw caution to the wind and have a fling.Jackson and Monica are both good at hiding their true feelings from the world; they hold themselves apart because they don't want to get hurt. In the process of discovering this about the other, and finding someone just as messed up as they are, they find love.
March 27, 2016
I thought this one was really good. If it had only been about Monica, I probably would have given it *5 STARS* but Jackson brought it down for me a bit. I get that his life changed fundamentally at a young age, but he was so whiny about it. I hated that. People go through crap EVERYDAY and they deal, they don't become stunted a-holes who pretend to be martyrs.
He got better at the end but I just rolled my eyes a lot at him because he just felt like his problems were "more" than everyone else's.
I really liked the town of Bishop. I can't wait to see what's going to happen next. I will definitely be continuing on with the series at some point.
This is my first chance to read anything by this author and I really did enjoy the book. Eye rolling and all. :)
He got better at the end but I just rolled my eyes a lot at him because he just felt like his problems were "more" than everyone else's.
I really liked the town of Bishop. I can't wait to see what's going to happen next. I will definitely be continuing on with the series at some point.
This is my first chance to read anything by this author and I really did enjoy the book. Eye rolling and all. :)
July 3, 2013
Whoa. This book had unexpected depth and a lot of emotion! I liked the gradual reveal of the main characters as they learned about the people around them and, more importantly, about themselves. Family baggage, past imperfections, safeguarding the heart, all made me feel for them. Frank language, and steamy hot sex scenes, all fit seamlessly into a satisfying read!
October 30, 2018
I really liked this book I thought the story was pretty interesting. I don't read too many political books. I do like how Monica is the one that is wild when it is usually the man and how Mayor Jackson Davis is the one trying to bring wholesomeness to the town. I'm interested in reading the others in the series.
December 29, 2016
Une small town romance (qui aurait pu complètement figurer dans la collection Promesses) longue à se mettre en route, la dernière partie est meilleure.
July 15, 2018
Meh.
Wild Child is definitely a book about second chances. Whether is about relationships or not. In this book, you will meet Jackson and Monica. Jackson is the mayor of a dying town and will do anything in his power to save it. Monica is a wild child, well - she was. She went from a tv reality star to a promising author.
She's back in the town where her dad died and her mom became a murderer. Of course, this is Jackson's town and all he wants is to win some factory competition. In the same week he has to deal with the a tv crew, the factory CEO douche, and Monica. He didn't expect to develop any feelings for Monica until the day he said I love you.
Now their chemistry (and the smut) was pretty good. They weren't perfect but they definitely had each other to lean on. Both had terrible pasts and both had to develop a relationship with a family member. Not an easy task if you ask me.
Throughout the book, there are some twists and turns but at the end you find out that everything worked out. Friendships and relationships were being built and getting stronger. Some part of this book were a bit boring and kind of predictable. I'm glad that they all got a happy ending but it was kind of meh to read.
Wild Child is definitely a book about second chances. Whether is about relationships or not. In this book, you will meet Jackson and Monica. Jackson is the mayor of a dying town and will do anything in his power to save it. Monica is a wild child, well - she was. She went from a tv reality star to a promising author.
She's back in the town where her dad died and her mom became a murderer. Of course, this is Jackson's town and all he wants is to win some factory competition. In the same week he has to deal with the a tv crew, the factory CEO douche, and Monica. He didn't expect to develop any feelings for Monica until the day he said I love you.
Now their chemistry (and the smut) was pretty good. They weren't perfect but they definitely had each other to lean on. Both had terrible pasts and both had to develop a relationship with a family member. Not an easy task if you ask me.
Throughout the book, there are some twists and turns but at the end you find out that everything worked out. Friendships and relationships were being built and getting stronger. Some part of this book were a bit boring and kind of predictable. I'm glad that they all got a happy ending but it was kind of meh to read.
February 25, 2020
A book that is truly more than the sum of its parts and one that turns a lot of romance novel tropes on their head. Great supporting cast. A++ will read again.
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