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Hard Bodies #1
Femme Fatale
**THIS TITLE IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE.**
He has three days to turn her into a sex goddess...
Former teen star Olivia Harper has a problem. If she can’t shake her girl-next-door image and become the femme fatale her latest role requires, her career will flop. But with her squeaky-clean image, Liv’s hardly been kissed, let alone had her world rocked between the sheets. There’s no way she’ll ask her playboy co-star for pointers, so she turns to the sexy new military consultant for some discreet…guidance.
Major Blake Ramsey is stuck hiding out babysitting actors who can’t even lace their combat boots, until his boss can deal with the fallout from his last mission. When Liv propositions him, he can’t decide whether she’s the naïve girl she claims to be or a bombshell looking for another conquest.
But as the lessons heat up, Blake and Olivia catch the eye of the papparazzi and jeopardize both their lives...
He has three days to turn her into a sex goddess...
Former teen star Olivia Harper has a problem. If she can’t shake her girl-next-door image and become the femme fatale her latest role requires, her career will flop. But with her squeaky-clean image, Liv’s hardly been kissed, let alone had her world rocked between the sheets. There’s no way she’ll ask her playboy co-star for pointers, so she turns to the sexy new military consultant for some discreet…guidance.
Major Blake Ramsey is stuck hiding out babysitting actors who can’t even lace their combat boots, until his boss can deal with the fallout from his last mission. When Liv propositions him, he can’t decide whether she’s the naïve girl she claims to be or a bombshell looking for another conquest.
But as the lessons heat up, Blake and Olivia catch the eye of the papparazzi and jeopardize both their lives...
276 pages, ebook
First published April 22, 2013
8 people are currently reading
842 people want to read
About the author
Cindy Dees
172 books1,953 followersCindy Dees started flying airplanes while sitting in her dad’s lap at the age of three and got a pilot’s license before she got a driver’s license. At age fifteen, she dropped out of high school and left the horse farm in Michigan where she grew up to attend the University of Michigan.
After earning a degree in Russian and East European studies, she joined the U.S. Air Force and became the youngest female pilot in the history of the Air Force. She flew supersonic jets, VIP airlift and the “C-5” Galaxy, the world’s largest airplane. She also worked part-time gathering intelligence. During her military career, she traveled to forty countries on five continents, was detained by the KGB and East German secret police, she got shot at, flew in the first Gulf War, met her husband and amassed a lifetime’s worth of war stories.
Her hobbies include professional Middle Eastern dancing, Japanese gardening and medieval reenacting. She started writing on a one-dollar bet with her mother and was thrilled to win that bet with the publication of her first book in 2001.
After earning a degree in Russian and East European studies, she joined the U.S. Air Force and became the youngest female pilot in the history of the Air Force. She flew supersonic jets, VIP airlift and the “C-5” Galaxy, the world’s largest airplane. She also worked part-time gathering intelligence. During her military career, she traveled to forty countries on five continents, was detained by the KGB and East German secret police, she got shot at, flew in the first Gulf War, met her husband and amassed a lifetime’s worth of war stories.
Her hobbies include professional Middle Eastern dancing, Japanese gardening and medieval reenacting. She started writing on a one-dollar bet with her mother and was thrilled to win that bet with the publication of her first book in 2001.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
December 12, 2013
2.5 Not So Hot Stars
Where do I start? I wish I could say there was a bigger part of me that found this to be an entertaining and pleasurable read. Unfortunately the only part that really enjoyed it is the sarcastic bitch in me that kept making fun of how ridiculous it all seemed. I don’t let that bitch out very often but once she’s let loose it’s hard to rein her back in. I tried, I really did but she was on a roll. I’ll attempt to keep the snark to a minimum while relating my thoughts regarding Femme Fatale.
Olivia Harper is a former child star looking to make it big in the world of action/adventure movies. She wants the fame and recognition that only big budget projects can bring her. Yes, she’s currently starting a big deal action film, but she knows she’s only got one shot to get it right. What does every former child star turned action/adventure movie female need to have going for her? A more sexually adventurous reputation. That’s right, she needs to learn how to be a Femme Fatale. It’s not easy for a former child star to make her way with the big boys and girls but apparently having a wide range of sexual experience makes all of the difference. Since our gal Olivia has only unsatisfactory one position sex in her repertoire she needs to find a sexual tutor and STAT. But where does a girl find a hot piece of man willing to show her the ropes?
Blake Ramsey is a high ranking marine looking for a place to hide. He trusted the wrong girl and now he’s paying the price. It turns out the woman he loved and trusted was actually a Russian spy looking to get classified information from him. The Russians are pissed because the U.S. government won’t release her and the Russian government’s plans to do…whatever they were going to do with the classified info have turned to shit. Pissed off Russians can mean only one thing for Blake. He needs to hide out on the set of a big budget Hollywood movie and work as an explosives expert. It’s really the only logical conclusion when you think about it. Hiding him in an office somewhere is so obvious and the Russians would see through that ploy in no time. Only an idiot would attempt to “hide out” with a bunch of photographers around the clock. No way would the Russians ever think to look for him in plain sight. It’s such a stupid plan that it just might work! As an aside, am I the only one who thinks of bad 80s movies when someone refers to “Russian spy”?
As you might guess the attraction between these two is instantaneous. And why not? Blake is gorgeous, ripped, hung and just broody enough without being a douche 24/7 to make him interesting. Plus the guy knows the proper way to blow things up. That’s hot! Olivia may look young but she’s 26, beautiful and her naturally ample breasts are spectacular . Her ass is nothing to sneeze at, either. Those points are mentioned more than once so I thought I’d make sure to relate them. Blake agrees to help Olivia get her tramp on and the two embark on a no strings sexual relationship, which, by the way, is to be kept on the down low because Olivia can’t date regular guys, only other famous actors. Gah! My head hurts!
Bitchy sarcasm aside, all of those things would’ve been fine if the story had been better. Everything you think’s going to happen does happen and I’m not even going to bother to spoil it. Name a situation you can see coming a mile away and chances are this story has it. The characters themselves weren’t annoying, mostly, but they had almost no depth. Not much background info or personal history and virtually no character development. If I’m expected to follow a story with this many unbelievable elements, I at least want to get to know and like the characters involved.
ARC provided from Entangled Publishing via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review
Where do I start? I wish I could say there was a bigger part of me that found this to be an entertaining and pleasurable read. Unfortunately the only part that really enjoyed it is the sarcastic bitch in me that kept making fun of how ridiculous it all seemed. I don’t let that bitch out very often but once she’s let loose it’s hard to rein her back in. I tried, I really did but she was on a roll. I’ll attempt to keep the snark to a minimum while relating my thoughts regarding Femme Fatale.
Olivia Harper is a former child star looking to make it big in the world of action/adventure movies. She wants the fame and recognition that only big budget projects can bring her. Yes, she’s currently starting a big deal action film, but she knows she’s only got one shot to get it right. What does every former child star turned action/adventure movie female need to have going for her? A more sexually adventurous reputation. That’s right, she needs to learn how to be a Femme Fatale. It’s not easy for a former child star to make her way with the big boys and girls but apparently having a wide range of sexual experience makes all of the difference. Since our gal Olivia has only unsatisfactory one position sex in her repertoire she needs to find a sexual tutor and STAT. But where does a girl find a hot piece of man willing to show her the ropes?
Blake Ramsey is a high ranking marine looking for a place to hide. He trusted the wrong girl and now he’s paying the price. It turns out the woman he loved and trusted was actually a Russian spy looking to get classified information from him. The Russians are pissed because the U.S. government won’t release her and the Russian government’s plans to do…whatever they were going to do with the classified info have turned to shit. Pissed off Russians can mean only one thing for Blake. He needs to hide out on the set of a big budget Hollywood movie and work as an explosives expert. It’s really the only logical conclusion when you think about it. Hiding him in an office somewhere is so obvious and the Russians would see through that ploy in no time. Only an idiot would attempt to “hide out” with a bunch of photographers around the clock. No way would the Russians ever think to look for him in plain sight. It’s such a stupid plan that it just might work! As an aside, am I the only one who thinks of bad 80s movies when someone refers to “Russian spy”?
As you might guess the attraction between these two is instantaneous. And why not? Blake is gorgeous, ripped, hung and just broody enough without being a douche 24/7 to make him interesting. Plus the guy knows the proper way to blow things up. That’s hot! Olivia may look young but she’s 26, beautiful and her naturally ample breasts are spectacular . Her ass is nothing to sneeze at, either. Those points are mentioned more than once so I thought I’d make sure to relate them. Blake agrees to help Olivia get her tramp on and the two embark on a no strings sexual relationship, which, by the way, is to be kept on the down low because Olivia can’t date regular guys, only other famous actors. Gah! My head hurts!
Bitchy sarcasm aside, all of those things would’ve been fine if the story had been better. Everything you think’s going to happen does happen and I’m not even going to bother to spoil it. Name a situation you can see coming a mile away and chances are this story has it. The characters themselves weren’t annoying, mostly, but they had almost no depth. Not much background info or personal history and virtually no character development. If I’m expected to follow a story with this many unbelievable elements, I at least want to get to know and like the characters involved.
ARC provided from Entangled Publishing via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review
April 26, 2013
2.5 stars
Oh man. Honestly, some of this is my fault. I should have known from the blurb that this wasn't the book for me, but I was blinded by my love for Hollywood romances.
First, the premise of the book just stretches the bounds of believability. You have an uber hot, famous, TV turned movie star, who at 26 has all the experience in the sack of your average senior in high school. She not a virgin, but for her to tell it, she may as well be. Then you have Blake, who is sent to hide out from Russian spy's on the set of a major motion picture. Ok, let's think about that one. Do we send him to some obscure military installation? Maybe a small town, a mountain top, a safe house? Nope, a Hollywood set, with A-list actors that will invariably have paparazzi running after them. Yeah, it doesn't make sense to me either.
I might have eventually been able to get past that, except the rest of the story was just so awkward and convoluted. For a guy that is supposed to be a bad ass marine spy, Blake sounds like a chick a lot of the time. I think he was supposed to be some kind of uber sensitive alpha male, and it just didn't work. There were some truly unfortunate and down right confusing love scenes.
Outside of the plot, I didn't feel like I knew anything more abut Blake or Liv then what their job was. No pasts, families, hopes and dreams, etc. they were both very one dimensional.
And my pet peeve (and yes, I know it's just me that this bothers this much), there was more than one reference to how Blake was going to "bed" Liv. For me, in a non historical novel, that term drives me crazy, because no modern alpha guy is going to think in terms like "bedding". Then we threw in a "have his wicked way with her" and a "ravish" here and there, and I was annoyed.
Overall, I found the plot to be wholly unbelievable, both in premise and execution, and the characters underwhelming.
Oh man. Honestly, some of this is my fault. I should have known from the blurb that this wasn't the book for me, but I was blinded by my love for Hollywood romances.
First, the premise of the book just stretches the bounds of believability. You have an uber hot, famous, TV turned movie star, who at 26 has all the experience in the sack of your average senior in high school. She not a virgin, but for her to tell it, she may as well be. Then you have Blake, who is sent to hide out from Russian spy's on the set of a major motion picture. Ok, let's think about that one. Do we send him to some obscure military installation? Maybe a small town, a mountain top, a safe house? Nope, a Hollywood set, with A-list actors that will invariably have paparazzi running after them. Yeah, it doesn't make sense to me either.
I might have eventually been able to get past that, except the rest of the story was just so awkward and convoluted. For a guy that is supposed to be a bad ass marine spy, Blake sounds like a chick a lot of the time. I think he was supposed to be some kind of uber sensitive alpha male, and it just didn't work. There were some truly unfortunate and down right confusing love scenes.
Outside of the plot, I didn't feel like I knew anything more abut Blake or Liv then what their job was. No pasts, families, hopes and dreams, etc. they were both very one dimensional.
And my pet peeve (and yes, I know it's just me that this bothers this much), there was more than one reference to how Blake was going to "bed" Liv. For me, in a non historical novel, that term drives me crazy, because no modern alpha guy is going to think in terms like "bedding". Then we threw in a "have his wicked way with her" and a "ravish" here and there, and I was annoyed.
Overall, I found the plot to be wholly unbelievable, both in premise and execution, and the characters underwhelming.
April 26, 2013
Femme Fatale... This one had a bit of a rough start for me. I put it down a few times and finally finished it. I have to say it finished much stronger than it started.
Former teen star Olivia, is looking to shake her wholesome good girl image. She takes a part in an action film starring Hollywood hottie and womanizer, Jeremy. She is looking to get more "grown up" roles and to do that she needs to show the world that she can party with the best of them.
Blake is hiding from the Russians... on a movie set, in Hollywood. He was hired by the director to consult on the movie and help them achieve a more realistic action film. Blake is a hot Marine who is not looking for anything more than to lay low until he can come out of hiding.
Olivia propositions Blake to help her learn how to make her love scenes more believable. She is somewhat inexperienced, though no virgin, in the bedroom.
Jeremy is a hot A-list actor who sees himself as Mr. Wonderful. He thinks Olivia should be grateful to be working with him. When he discovers she is actually pretty good. He decides that she needs to be his next conquest.
The pros: Hot chemistry between the main characters with good love scenes. Interesting story idea. Good dialogue and story building. I loved Jeremy's annoying arrogant character. Overall writing style was good.
The cons: Strange internal dialogue from Blake, it seemed a bit cheesy at times. Emotions of the characters were a little unbelievable. The story line moved very fast and that made the buildup of emotion less believable.
I wanted more depth and understanding of the main characters. They just didn't have much in common, aside from hot sex.
****ARC given via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. ***
Former teen star Olivia, is looking to shake her wholesome good girl image. She takes a part in an action film starring Hollywood hottie and womanizer, Jeremy. She is looking to get more "grown up" roles and to do that she needs to show the world that she can party with the best of them.
Blake is hiding from the Russians... on a movie set, in Hollywood. He was hired by the director to consult on the movie and help them achieve a more realistic action film. Blake is a hot Marine who is not looking for anything more than to lay low until he can come out of hiding.
Olivia propositions Blake to help her learn how to make her love scenes more believable. She is somewhat inexperienced, though no virgin, in the bedroom.
Jeremy is a hot A-list actor who sees himself as Mr. Wonderful. He thinks Olivia should be grateful to be working with him. When he discovers she is actually pretty good. He decides that she needs to be his next conquest.
The pros: Hot chemistry between the main characters with good love scenes. Interesting story idea. Good dialogue and story building. I loved Jeremy's annoying arrogant character. Overall writing style was good.
The cons: Strange internal dialogue from Blake, it seemed a bit cheesy at times. Emotions of the characters were a little unbelievable. The story line moved very fast and that made the buildup of emotion less believable.
I wanted more depth and understanding of the main characters. They just didn't have much in common, aside from hot sex.
****ARC given via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. ***
dnf
April 21, 2013This is a DNF for me. The characters are so awkwardly under developed and the plot... Um no. You have this guy who is hiding out and laying low from the big bad guys, but you're going to send him out to the next big Hollywood blockbuster being filmed with the big up and coming star and a well established well known star ... Um.....
Also... My word sensitivity was on high alert through the first half... Anus, crotch, moist.. Not sexy.
Also... My word sensitivity was on high alert through the first half... Anus, crotch, moist.. Not sexy.
May 4, 2013
I liked the premise for Femme Fatale more than the delivery.
The characters had such conflicting emotions and their actions seemed inconsistent for the most of the book.
For example Olivia grew up on the set of a Disney style TV show and is now trying to rebrand herself as a badass action star. Unfortunately that means participating in smexy scenes that leave her very uncomfortable due to her lack of real life experiences. Her handlers want her to shed her wholesome image so she acts the part of a wild child for the paparazi but then doesn't want to be seen with the hunky marine might cause a scandal. Um…wouldn't that *help* your image as a wild child? She is also always worrying about what people think of her behavior. I get that she's portraying an image that isn't quite her but I don't know....still seemed inconsistent to me.
Olivia acts almost like a virginal teenager but she's 27 years old and pretty confident and bold so I just couldn't' get a firm read on her character.
Blake (the hunky marine) agrees to help Olivia to relax and become a - you guessed it - femme fatal. He doesn't trust women because he let his guard down once and got burned. Sometimes he came on too strong for me and waffled between I don't trust women to let's have hot monkey sex within a few seconds.
I guess it's a minor quibble but it was things like that that kept me from begin fully engrossed with the story and characters.
The bigger problem for me was the over the top unnecessary drama that kept piling on. Russian spies, paparazzi, two people that wouldn't just say what they were thinking and a sicko lead actor. Too much for me as all those differing plot threads raced for a conclusion.
There was one incident that I don't want to spoil but it made me SO mad. There is a character that does something very disturbing and it's kind of passed off as an annoyance. Hollywood or not...this person should have been arrested. Not just threatened.
The ending was a sweet HEA but a little unbelievable for the time span that this relationship developed.
Final thoughts: I liked Olivia and Blake so I kept reading. They have great chemistry and the requisite smoking hot bordering on erotica love scenes. They were too graphic for me but I can see how other readers will love it. I wish the story stuck more to Olivia and Blake's relationship issues and the movie business. There was just too much going on that couldn't fully be addressed in between the sexy times.
The characters had such conflicting emotions and their actions seemed inconsistent for the most of the book.
For example Olivia grew up on the set of a Disney style TV show and is now trying to rebrand herself as a badass action star. Unfortunately that means participating in smexy scenes that leave her very uncomfortable due to her lack of real life experiences. Her handlers want her to shed her wholesome image so she acts the part of a wild child for the paparazi but then doesn't want to be seen with the hunky marine might cause a scandal. Um…wouldn't that *help* your image as a wild child? She is also always worrying about what people think of her behavior. I get that she's portraying an image that isn't quite her but I don't know....still seemed inconsistent to me.
Olivia acts almost like a virginal teenager but she's 27 years old and pretty confident and bold so I just couldn't' get a firm read on her character.
Blake (the hunky marine) agrees to help Olivia to relax and become a - you guessed it - femme fatal. He doesn't trust women because he let his guard down once and got burned. Sometimes he came on too strong for me and waffled between I don't trust women to let's have hot monkey sex within a few seconds.
I guess it's a minor quibble but it was things like that that kept me from begin fully engrossed with the story and characters.
The bigger problem for me was the over the top unnecessary drama that kept piling on. Russian spies, paparazzi, two people that wouldn't just say what they were thinking and a sicko lead actor. Too much for me as all those differing plot threads raced for a conclusion.
There was one incident that I don't want to spoil but it made me SO mad. There is a character that does something very disturbing and it's kind of passed off as an annoyance. Hollywood or not...this person should have been arrested. Not just threatened.
The ending was a sweet HEA but a little unbelievable for the time span that this relationship developed.
Final thoughts: I liked Olivia and Blake so I kept reading. They have great chemistry and the requisite smoking hot bordering on erotica love scenes. They were too graphic for me but I can see how other readers will love it. I wish the story stuck more to Olivia and Blake's relationship issues and the movie business. There was just too much going on that couldn't fully be addressed in between the sexy times.
April 21, 2013
I couldn't even finish this without skimming about half. Terrible pacing, flat characters and awkward sex scenes made for a complete mess of a book. The two MC's had zero chemistry, and about 50% of what Blake said sounded like he had a vagina. Poor execution all around.
January 2, 2018
Fast read, could've made a little more of an effort. It felt a little bit sloppy.
May 2, 2013
Original post at Fangs, Wands and Fairy Dust:
FEMME FATALE Hide in Plain Sight or a Hollywood Fairy Tale?
http://fangswandsandfairydust.blogspo...
Nothing in here that isn't apparent from the description. But it might be seen as a little spoilerish.
With the enticing idea of a marine hiding in plain sight as a military consultant on a movie set populated by an assinine male star and a luscious actress, this story has a lot of potential. The female love interest, Olivia, is well developed and not too typical. The male protagonist, Blake, is a little more typical and gruff. but he's also impulsive. Having come of age during the "Cold War" I didn't think there was much spying happening these days or that the U.S. Marines had their own spies and a quick Google search proved that wrong in less than 30 seconds.
Okay, so the second issue is the improbability of he Russians sending a hit squad after a marine who caught one of their spies. They really wouldn't gain anything from it. And, knowing the hit squad was after the guy why would you hide him on a movie set where the crew says they are chasing paparazzi off the set all the time.
I credit Blake - sent in to this on-location hazard zone; he immediately sets to work - fixing uniforms, teaching how to fight and working with explosives. It's the more hazardous minefield of the human heart that's going to get him in trouble.
Really, it is that Blake's impulsiveness that puts him and those around him in harms way; he knows he should keep away from Olivia but the attraction is so strong he makes decisions that seem a little unlikely. For her part, it seems that outside of the film biz she hasn't a clue of how life works.
He also seems to know, without question, how to go about teaching a beautiful young woman how to get sexy, and works out a three day lesson plan in about thirty seconds. And, where does he get all those candles??
On Olivia's side: she wants to be valued for her acting ability but her agent and she have decided on a course of her being an action star and hanging out only with A-List bad boys. And that's why she is not suposed to get involved with Blake.
I think a star coming off a long role in a teen drama who wanted to be valued for her acting ability would probably go to Broadway to earn her acting creds like Daniel Radciffe or do dramatic roles on film like Kristen Stewart. If she really wants to buck the clean girl-next-door image, be seen as a hottie and do it in a gritty way where good acting doesn't matter all that much, then action films are probably a good way to do it. But, instead of pairing her with "A-List" actors, if I wanted to promote her as an action star, being with an elite Marines, well I think that would be the best publicity ever!
So, what in Hollywood is realistic? Probably not too much! None of us has any expectation of realistic or sensible behavior
from anyone in the film industry. If we did then we'd all be horribly surprised by the behavior of people in the industry when it is reported. But we aren't. We expect young stars to screw up big time.
So like an action film one has to set those less likely aspects of the story aside for a fairly enjoyable tale of lust at first site, a princess and her white knight, with an evil presence in the form of her co-star. We do it all the time with romance -- we replace the sighs and eye-rolling for sigh of wishful thinking. For that kind of adult fairy tale -- very adult -- experience, I recommend FEMME FATALE.
FEMME FATALE Hide in Plain Sight or a Hollywood Fairy Tale?
http://fangswandsandfairydust.blogspo...
Nothing in here that isn't apparent from the description. But it might be seen as a little spoilerish.
With the enticing idea of a marine hiding in plain sight as a military consultant on a movie set populated by an assinine male star and a luscious actress, this story has a lot of potential. The female love interest, Olivia, is well developed and not too typical. The male protagonist, Blake, is a little more typical and gruff. but he's also impulsive. Having come of age during the "Cold War" I didn't think there was much spying happening these days or that the U.S. Marines had their own spies and a quick Google search proved that wrong in less than 30 seconds.
Okay, so the second issue is the improbability of he Russians sending a hit squad after a marine who caught one of their spies. They really wouldn't gain anything from it. And, knowing the hit squad was after the guy why would you hide him on a movie set where the crew says they are chasing paparazzi off the set all the time.
I credit Blake - sent in to this on-location hazard zone; he immediately sets to work - fixing uniforms, teaching how to fight and working with explosives. It's the more hazardous minefield of the human heart that's going to get him in trouble.
Really, it is that Blake's impulsiveness that puts him and those around him in harms way; he knows he should keep away from Olivia but the attraction is so strong he makes decisions that seem a little unlikely. For her part, it seems that outside of the film biz she hasn't a clue of how life works.
He also seems to know, without question, how to go about teaching a beautiful young woman how to get sexy, and works out a three day lesson plan in about thirty seconds. And, where does he get all those candles??
On Olivia's side: she wants to be valued for her acting ability but her agent and she have decided on a course of her being an action star and hanging out only with A-List bad boys. And that's why she is not suposed to get involved with Blake.
I think a star coming off a long role in a teen drama who wanted to be valued for her acting ability would probably go to Broadway to earn her acting creds like Daniel Radciffe or do dramatic roles on film like Kristen Stewart. If she really wants to buck the clean girl-next-door image, be seen as a hottie and do it in a gritty way where good acting doesn't matter all that much, then action films are probably a good way to do it. But, instead of pairing her with "A-List" actors, if I wanted to promote her as an action star, being with an elite Marines, well I think that would be the best publicity ever!
So, what in Hollywood is realistic? Probably not too much! None of us has any expectation of realistic or sensible behavior
from anyone in the film industry. If we did then we'd all be horribly surprised by the behavior of people in the industry when it is reported. But we aren't. We expect young stars to screw up big time.
So like an action film one has to set those less likely aspects of the story aside for a fairly enjoyable tale of lust at first site, a princess and her white knight, with an evil presence in the form of her co-star. We do it all the time with romance -- we replace the sighs and eye-rolling for sigh of wishful thinking. For that kind of adult fairy tale -- very adult -- experience, I recommend FEMME FATALE.
April 26, 2013
I have all of the Brazen books by Entangled and I can honestly say that they've all been at least 4-star books, though most would get 5-star ratings. Femme Fatale, however, failed to deliver the quality of writing I've come to expect from the Brazen series. There's always an element of fantasy in these books but the believability factor in Femme Fatale was nonexistent.
The story is about an actress trying to reinvent her squeaky clean image in the hopes of becoming Hollywood's next Femme Fatale. Olivia Harper spent years working on a family-friendly television show and is in the process of reinventing herself into a bad-ass action star with sex appeal. Despite being in her late 20s, Olivia has little experience in the romance department and decides to remedy this by propositioning the toughened marine turned military film consultant, Blake Ramsey. Despite being recently burned by his double agent girlfriend, Blake is only too happy to improve Olivia's sexual prowess.
The concept of inexperienced girl seeking sexual lessons to serve a specific purpose (learning how to be a femme fatale, in this case), has been done before by Brazen, albeit more successfully. Private Practice by Samantha Beck and Seducing Cinderella by Gina L. Maxwell are two such instances.
Each character wasn't just a stereotype, but an exaggerated version of whatever role assigned to them by the author. Being a film fanatic, I have been waiting for one of these series to tackle Hollywood, but this was a major letdown. There are a lot of loose ends that get tied up with the simplest of explanations, ensuring that the path to a HEA is cleared of any possible obstacle.. For example, we're supposed to believe that a marine is on the run from the Russians, who are supposedly searching for him to retaliate for the capture of their agent. The threat doesn't seem too serious if a dye job and contacts can magically transform him into a person indistinguishable by master criminals.
Everything seemed too easy - there was no real conflict. I kept expecting the heroine to get kidnapped or the hero to get shot. Something exciting seemed always to be on the precipice, but I was constantly let down in this aspect. The most they have to deal with is damage control over an incredibly immature costar who deserves to be put in jail for several offenses. No one seems to take his actions seriously, though, excusing his actions because he is drunk and/or emasculated. I feel like this lack of following through is a recurring theme in the story. Overall, the story was fine. The plot could've been further developed to give a bit of credibility to the unlikely situation.
The story is about an actress trying to reinvent her squeaky clean image in the hopes of becoming Hollywood's next Femme Fatale. Olivia Harper spent years working on a family-friendly television show and is in the process of reinventing herself into a bad-ass action star with sex appeal. Despite being in her late 20s, Olivia has little experience in the romance department and decides to remedy this by propositioning the toughened marine turned military film consultant, Blake Ramsey. Despite being recently burned by his double agent girlfriend, Blake is only too happy to improve Olivia's sexual prowess.
The concept of inexperienced girl seeking sexual lessons to serve a specific purpose (learning how to be a femme fatale, in this case), has been done before by Brazen, albeit more successfully. Private Practice by Samantha Beck and Seducing Cinderella by Gina L. Maxwell are two such instances.
Each character wasn't just a stereotype, but an exaggerated version of whatever role assigned to them by the author. Being a film fanatic, I have been waiting for one of these series to tackle Hollywood, but this was a major letdown. There are a lot of loose ends that get tied up with the simplest of explanations, ensuring that the path to a HEA is cleared of any possible obstacle.. For example, we're supposed to believe that a marine is on the run from the Russians, who are supposedly searching for him to retaliate for the capture of their agent. The threat doesn't seem too serious if a dye job and contacts can magically transform him into a person indistinguishable by master criminals.
Everything seemed too easy - there was no real conflict. I kept expecting the heroine to get kidnapped or the hero to get shot. Something exciting seemed always to be on the precipice, but I was constantly let down in this aspect. The most they have to deal with is damage control over an incredibly immature costar who deserves to be put in jail for several offenses. No one seems to take his actions seriously, though, excusing his actions because he is drunk and/or emasculated. I feel like this lack of following through is a recurring theme in the story. Overall, the story was fine. The plot could've been further developed to give a bit of credibility to the unlikely situation.
July 23, 2013
For this review and more visit my blog
Femme Fatale was an odd book. It had a lot of problems and there were times where it really annoyed me but it was not the worse romance I have read.
Blake is in the military and is in more than a little bit of trouble. Some Russians are after him for something he did on his last mission and he needs somewhere to lay low. So he gets a job as a military consultant on a block buster Hollywood movie set. There he meets Olivia an up and coming movie star that the press love to follow and even though he knows he should stay away from her he can’t.
The first problem with the book is right there in the description. Blake needs to go into hiding so he works on a movie set where there are a ton of journalists and press around. Clearly that is a bad idea, the storyline just wasn’t believable and the more it went on the more silly it got.
I had two other big issues with this one the first was Olivia who is obsessed with her image and reputation. I understand that is probably a reality of being a movie star but Olivia seems to think that in order to have a good reputation and be successful she has to be ‘slutty’. I have no idea why she thinks this or why anyone would push a young woman into making herself feel like that.
My other issue was that there was Olivia’s male co-star attacked Blake with a knife, then on set during shooting in front of many people he slapped her and attempted to rape her. The police are not called even though it is all on tape and he is essentially allowed to get away with it. I can forgive a lot in my books and I think I am very tolerable but that is a step to far for me. He needed to be punished by the law for what he had done, instead he remained a super star that everyone fawned over.
Blake and Olivia are alright characters. I liked them enough but didn’t love them the romance was a little heavy. They fell in love straight away and the sex scenes were completely unbelievable. Olivia has never had an orgasm in her life and the first time she has sex with Blake she has about 5 of them through penetration only.
Femme Fatale is a quick and readable book but there are a ton of problems and in the end this book left me feeling rather cold.
The publisher provided me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
May 30, 2013
Femme Fatale was such a delight to read because it was both really sexy and totally fun. Whatever Cindy Dees is doing, she’s doing it right because I am so hooked!
It’s not everyday you get to read a book where it centers around a rising movie star and a Marine brought together on set under certain circumstances. In Femme Fatale, Dees really brings out the best of these characters and completely dives into the everyday workings of a movie set, the issues of being a Marine, and the choice between career or love.
Olivia was funny, fierce and so ready to be the next Hollywood badass chick. I really liked her because she was bold, but sweet and just a genuinely kind and thoughtful character. She got alone great with nearly everyone in the book, she was driven in her career, and although she sometimes didn’t have 100% confidence, it didn’t show. She went after what she thought she wanted with few hesitations and she didn’t think twice to help out or sacrifice her image when someone needed her help.
Can we not even get started on Major Blake?! At times tough and oh so serious, I cannot deny that Blake was majorly sexy. Previously burned, betrayed and let down by a beautiful woman, Blake is very wary and cautious when it comes to putting his heart on the line, but even he couldn’t resist Olivia’s charm! I loved Blake because he was a freaking sweetheart! He was a gentleman with a protective nature he couldn’t shake. Most of all, he was a man who was looking for more in a relationship and who can actually keep it his goddamn pants! Sure, Blake was honorable and noble as they come, but daaaaamn was he a freak in the sheets!
Hello instant chemistry and attraction! Olivia and Blake were freaking burning up, burning up for me, baby. Both flirt back and forth with some sexual jokes and innuendos and then when they are together, someone has to ask “did it get hot in here?” Because you can bet it sure does!
Cindy Dees did a wonderful job with this book. It definitely stands out among the Brazen books because of the idea and the characters. Her writing catches fire and it flows very nicely until the end. If she had a great time writing it, I had an amazing time reading it.
More Reviews on my blog: Words, Pages, and Books
It’s not everyday you get to read a book where it centers around a rising movie star and a Marine brought together on set under certain circumstances. In Femme Fatale, Dees really brings out the best of these characters and completely dives into the everyday workings of a movie set, the issues of being a Marine, and the choice between career or love.
Olivia was funny, fierce and so ready to be the next Hollywood badass chick. I really liked her because she was bold, but sweet and just a genuinely kind and thoughtful character. She got alone great with nearly everyone in the book, she was driven in her career, and although she sometimes didn’t have 100% confidence, it didn’t show. She went after what she thought she wanted with few hesitations and she didn’t think twice to help out or sacrifice her image when someone needed her help.
Can we not even get started on Major Blake?! At times tough and oh so serious, I cannot deny that Blake was majorly sexy. Previously burned, betrayed and let down by a beautiful woman, Blake is very wary and cautious when it comes to putting his heart on the line, but even he couldn’t resist Olivia’s charm! I loved Blake because he was a freaking sweetheart! He was a gentleman with a protective nature he couldn’t shake. Most of all, he was a man who was looking for more in a relationship and who can actually keep it his goddamn pants! Sure, Blake was honorable and noble as they come, but daaaaamn was he a freak in the sheets!
Hello instant chemistry and attraction! Olivia and Blake were freaking burning up, burning up for me, baby. Both flirt back and forth with some sexual jokes and innuendos and then when they are together, someone has to ask “did it get hot in here?” Because you can bet it sure does!
Cindy Dees did a wonderful job with this book. It definitely stands out among the Brazen books because of the idea and the characters. Her writing catches fire and it flows very nicely until the end. If she had a great time writing it, I had an amazing time reading it.
More Reviews on my blog: Words, Pages, and Books
June 24, 2013
I have to say, I am really liking guys in the armed forces, whether it be Marines, Army, Navy, etc. They just have this sex appeal about them that I find hard to resist. Needless to say, that’s what originally attracted me to this book. That, and the fact that Femme Fatale is a Brazen book. Unfortunately, this one falls into the lower side of the awesome spectrum that is Brazen books. Even though there are plenty of sexy scenes to make you sweat and pant, the plot was a bit ridiculous and unplausible, which really deterred me from enjoying the book as much as I wanted to.
Olivia was a great female lead. She has a passion and goals in life and does her best to not let anything stand in her way. I liked how dedicated she is to her career and how open she was to trying new things and become a better actress. When things really hit the fan, she went against what others told her to do and went with her gut. I wish she had more self-esteem though, but in the world of Hollywood, I could see where her insecurities came from.
Blake was your typical tough guy with a good heart. He also knows his stuff when it comes to women and sexy times and I loved watching him teach Olivia a thing or two about sexual prowess. I loved when he and Olivia were together and you can tell they have great chemistry and really balanced each other out. I felt like his side of the story could’ve been handled differently and it didn’t really make sense in the end how easily things wrapped up. My favorite parts involved him teaching Olivia how to unleash her inner vixen. The rest was just blah.
Probably the one thing that bugged me was how the plot progressed. The way that it played out was a little lame and unbelievable. Towards the end, things got a bit out of control and the plot was just all over the place, I felt like the author rushed through it and just laid out all her ideas in a jumbled mess. The overall feel I got from the book was light and fun, and that somewhat clashed Blake’s story arc, which was supposed to be serious. While not the best thing out there, especially as far as Brazen titles go, it was still fun to read. It was just missing that spark that I usually get with Brazen books, although definitely not a waste of time. If you’re a Brazen fan, I’m sure you’ll get some kind of kick out of this.
Olivia was a great female lead. She has a passion and goals in life and does her best to not let anything stand in her way. I liked how dedicated she is to her career and how open she was to trying new things and become a better actress. When things really hit the fan, she went against what others told her to do and went with her gut. I wish she had more self-esteem though, but in the world of Hollywood, I could see where her insecurities came from.
Blake was your typical tough guy with a good heart. He also knows his stuff when it comes to women and sexy times and I loved watching him teach Olivia a thing or two about sexual prowess. I loved when he and Olivia were together and you can tell they have great chemistry and really balanced each other out. I felt like his side of the story could’ve been handled differently and it didn’t really make sense in the end how easily things wrapped up. My favorite parts involved him teaching Olivia how to unleash her inner vixen. The rest was just blah.
Probably the one thing that bugged me was how the plot progressed. The way that it played out was a little lame and unbelievable. Towards the end, things got a bit out of control and the plot was just all over the place, I felt like the author rushed through it and just laid out all her ideas in a jumbled mess. The overall feel I got from the book was light and fun, and that somewhat clashed Blake’s story arc, which was supposed to be serious. While not the best thing out there, especially as far as Brazen titles go, it was still fun to read. It was just missing that spark that I usually get with Brazen books, although definitely not a waste of time. If you’re a Brazen fan, I’m sure you’ll get some kind of kick out of this.
April 27, 2013
Yay! Another Brazen book to obsess about. So far I have liked all of this group of books (some more than others and that's a great track record as I have read all but 2 or 3 of this group. They are fun, uncomplicated reads and are perfect for reading in between the heavier, more emotionally draining books we all love. Kind of like a sorbet of reading material.
Olivia was likeable, talented, and tough.
Blake is, well, Blake is a Marine. He's strong, loyal and passionate. He's yummy!
I had a hard time taking the Russian spy stuff seriously at first (it just sounded very 80's) but the story line worked and the love scenes were written well enough I got butterflies. Always a plus!
Some of my favorite bits from the book...
Olivia was likeable, talented, and tough.
Blake is, well, Blake is a Marine. He's strong, loyal and passionate. He's yummy!
I had a hard time taking the Russian spy stuff seriously at first (it just sounded very 80's) but the story line worked and the love scenes were written well enough I got butterflies. Always a plus!
Some of my favorite bits from the book...
"Well, let's see now," he drawled low and deep as he looked Olivia up and down. "You got your boots on the correct feet. That's a start."
"He's one-hundred-percent, USDA Prime, that Marine. I'll give you that"
"But honey, you're better than all that. You're real. Go for who you want, not who your adoring fans want. Don't let the machine swallow you up and spit you out."
"I have a feeling I'm never going to be able to say no to you."
"Just the way I like my men. Hot, hard and willing."
"Vixen."
Sympatico - Urban Dictionary - To share a mental connection or bond with someone, or to have a lot in common with someone.
Swearing up a blue storm in his head, he yanked open her trailer door without knocking and stormed in.
She looked up from one of the armchairs, her eyes red and her cheeks wet. What the hell? He checked his stride instantly. Female crying. Bad. Must fix. His target acquisition system kicked up to full alert, but there was no one in the room he could break in half.
He murmured lazily, "How on earth did you not know before now how sexual a creature you are?"
She answered simply, "Because I hadn't met you."
"I guess all that's left to do is tell you I love you, too. I think you're a damned fool for loving me, but who am I to argue? I give up, Liv. I surrender."
May 8, 2013
Originally published at The Rookie Romance Blog.
I thought that the premise for this book sounded very intriguing. I enjoy the odd book set in the movie world and, in my eyes, it's hard to go amiss with a hunky marine!
The book fell a little short of my expectations unfortunately I enjoyed it but there were definitely some elements that stopped me from liking it more.
I liked the main characters. Olivia's spent most of her acting career on a teen show, with a squeaky clean image. Now she needs to shed that image if she wants to become a badass action star. The movie she's filming has some hot love scenes, and Olivia has practically no experience, so she needs some help. I liked Olivia's innocence, despite the fact that she's 26.
I also liked Blake. He's a hot marine trying to lie low by working as a consultant on Olivia's movie. He was protective and kind of dominant, but he was very considerate as well.
Olivia and Blake has fab chemistry, and the love scenes were smoking hot! Like seriously....wowsers.
My biggest issue (and I'll try not to give too much away) is Jeremy, Olivia's co-star. I get it, he's meant to be a massive jerk. But some of the things he did were completely unbelievable, and that dude should have been straight to jail- but no, people get annoyed...and then that's it!
Also, Blake is meant to be lying low and avoiding Russian spies by working as the consultant. Yet...why would you send him to a high profile movie set? It doesn't seem that plausible, you'd expect he would be sent to a safe house or somewhere remote. Although, I did quite enjoy the added danger element of Russian spies.
Despite the few factors that bugged me, Femme Fatale does grab your interest and keep you turning the pages for more. The steaminess was most welcome, almost bordering on erotica at points. And once their romance was underway it was sweet and I was rooting for their Hollywood HEA!
*I received an eARC from the publisher, via NetGalley, for my honest review.
I thought that the premise for this book sounded very intriguing. I enjoy the odd book set in the movie world and, in my eyes, it's hard to go amiss with a hunky marine!
The book fell a little short of my expectations unfortunately I enjoyed it but there were definitely some elements that stopped me from liking it more.
I liked the main characters. Olivia's spent most of her acting career on a teen show, with a squeaky clean image. Now she needs to shed that image if she wants to become a badass action star. The movie she's filming has some hot love scenes, and Olivia has practically no experience, so she needs some help. I liked Olivia's innocence, despite the fact that she's 26.
I also liked Blake. He's a hot marine trying to lie low by working as a consultant on Olivia's movie. He was protective and kind of dominant, but he was very considerate as well.
Olivia and Blake has fab chemistry, and the love scenes were smoking hot! Like seriously....wowsers.
My biggest issue (and I'll try not to give too much away) is Jeremy, Olivia's co-star. I get it, he's meant to be a massive jerk. But some of the things he did were completely unbelievable, and that dude should have been straight to jail- but no, people get annoyed...and then that's it!
Also, Blake is meant to be lying low and avoiding Russian spies by working as the consultant. Yet...why would you send him to a high profile movie set? It doesn't seem that plausible, you'd expect he would be sent to a safe house or somewhere remote. Although, I did quite enjoy the added danger element of Russian spies.
Despite the few factors that bugged me, Femme Fatale does grab your interest and keep you turning the pages for more. The steaminess was most welcome, almost bordering on erotica at points. And once their romance was underway it was sweet and I was rooting for their Hollywood HEA!
*I received an eARC from the publisher, via NetGalley, for my honest review.
January 4, 2015
Okay, so I was expecting something much more different than what I got here. I was expecting a woman who knows what she wants and is THE Femme Fatale not so much wanting someone to teach her how to become a Femme Fatale. So that was the first issue I had. BUT the story did start off well. I enjoyed the beginning part of it. I liked the build up of the story and the connection that was being made.
When I found out that the 'Hero' was a Marine...I was instantly pulled in. Why? Well my husband is a Marine. Which brings me to my ONE other issue that I had.
I didn't really "feel" like he was a Marine. First when he is called a soldier...ANY Marine would correct that. They would NEVER let it go, a Marine takes pride in their branch and would NEVER let a civilian call them a soldier. Just like any Army enlisted would never just be okay being called a Marine...okay maybe they would because, let's face it Marines are the best. (heehee) He also didn't 'talk' like a Marine. So I started to lose interest a little as I was reading.
That being said, that was the first thing that drew my head out of the story. But the sex when it happened was pretty hot. We get to find out a little more information about Him and why he is there at the movie set to make sure things were realistic. (which is an AWESOME concept because I know it happens and a romance like that starting is not hard to believe) But when it all wound to an ending and we find out why he is there along with it being all tied up in a bow for an ending...I was just expecting more.
I felt like the ending was wound up way too fast and it was kind of like more thought went into the build up of the story than the ending. I think it could have been better there could have been more action mixed in there or even suspense but there just wasn't.
When I found out that the 'Hero' was a Marine...I was instantly pulled in. Why? Well my husband is a Marine. Which brings me to my ONE other issue that I had.
I didn't really "feel" like he was a Marine. First when he is called a soldier...ANY Marine would correct that. They would NEVER let it go, a Marine takes pride in their branch and would NEVER let a civilian call them a soldier. Just like any Army enlisted would never just be okay being called a Marine...okay maybe they would because, let's face it Marines are the best. (heehee) He also didn't 'talk' like a Marine. So I started to lose interest a little as I was reading.
That being said, that was the first thing that drew my head out of the story. But the sex when it happened was pretty hot. We get to find out a little more information about Him and why he is there at the movie set to make sure things were realistic. (which is an AWESOME concept because I know it happens and a romance like that starting is not hard to believe) But when it all wound to an ending and we find out why he is there along with it being all tied up in a bow for an ending...I was just expecting more.
I felt like the ending was wound up way too fast and it was kind of like more thought went into the build up of the story than the ending. I think it could have been better there could have been more action mixed in there or even suspense but there just wasn't.
April 23, 2013
I have thoroughly enjoyed all the Brazen books I have read so far, this one wasn't my favourite falling just a little short of the rest.
Olivia has been in the public eye since she was a teenager and as a result she has always been very cautious of her image, she's had an almost sheltered existence this far but now she is desperate to shed her 'girl next door' image in order to further her film career. Blake has been hired as a consultant on a movie set in order to keep the explosions and fight scenes as accurate as possible, however he is also laying low while his bosses figure out if there are still people after him. When confronted with her first big love scene Olivia turns to Blake for advice and direction - can he turn her into a convincing Femme Fatale without her falling for him or vice versa?
Blake - I liked. He was a marine at heart, he had morals and ideals. He was fair and his teaching methods made me want to sign up for his classes! His background story was too contrived for me - it could have done with some fleshing out or something. It just didn't fit properly for me.
Olivia - at times I liked her, I got whiplash a bit with her mood swings though. She was at that awkward stage where girls get trapped between being a teenager and being a woman, she was a little old for that though, being in the public eye you would have expected it to happen a little earlier.
I did like this, it was just lacking a little something and that stopped it from becoming a loved it book. I haven't read anything from Cindy before and I don't think this will be my last.
Olivia has been in the public eye since she was a teenager and as a result she has always been very cautious of her image, she's had an almost sheltered existence this far but now she is desperate to shed her 'girl next door' image in order to further her film career. Blake has been hired as a consultant on a movie set in order to keep the explosions and fight scenes as accurate as possible, however he is also laying low while his bosses figure out if there are still people after him. When confronted with her first big love scene Olivia turns to Blake for advice and direction - can he turn her into a convincing Femme Fatale without her falling for him or vice versa?
Blake - I liked. He was a marine at heart, he had morals and ideals. He was fair and his teaching methods made me want to sign up for his classes! His background story was too contrived for me - it could have done with some fleshing out or something. It just didn't fit properly for me.
Olivia - at times I liked her, I got whiplash a bit with her mood swings though. She was at that awkward stage where girls get trapped between being a teenager and being a woman, she was a little old for that though, being in the public eye you would have expected it to happen a little earlier.
I did like this, it was just lacking a little something and that stopped it from becoming a loved it book. I haven't read anything from Cindy before and I don't think this will be my last.
May 2, 2013
Rate: 3.5 Stars
Originally posted on What I'm Reading
All right, I just finished Femme Fatale by Cindy Dees. I must say that I enjoyed the story. At first I wasn't sure about the story, because I was having a hard time getting into the story. As I progress, I started to like the characters. So, let's meet the characters and my thoughts.
Olivia Harper: former child star trying to break her goodie-to-shoes image and become a femme fatale. Yet, she has no clue how do that (Sounds like that could be a problem. I hope it all works out).
Major Blake Ramsey: Hire to do the explosives on set. Not only that he's hiding out from the Russians (He kind of got himself in a bit of a pickle and he needs to lay low, but that's going to be kind of hard cause of Olivia).
Jeremy McDaniels: Olivia co-star in the action movie. Big time Hollywood actor, kind of a douche.
There are other characters, but these three are the main ones. Jeremy is somewhat important, but not really. He does bring in a bit of a conflict, but not in the way your thinking. Trust me, he's a douche. Blake is a bit damage and not from the war. That would be to simple, but a relationship. However, he's willing to help Olivia shed her Miss Goodie-to-Shoe image. Boy does he.
Overall, I did enjoy the story. It was a bit slow at first, but once Olivia and Blake got together it really started to pick up steam. Great chemistry between these two characters. So, if you are looking for military guy with an up and coming Hollywood starlight, you might want to checkout Femme Fatale.
Copy provided by publisher
Originally posted on What I'm Reading
All right, I just finished Femme Fatale by Cindy Dees. I must say that I enjoyed the story. At first I wasn't sure about the story, because I was having a hard time getting into the story. As I progress, I started to like the characters. So, let's meet the characters and my thoughts.
Olivia Harper: former child star trying to break her goodie-to-shoes image and become a femme fatale. Yet, she has no clue how do that (Sounds like that could be a problem. I hope it all works out).
Major Blake Ramsey: Hire to do the explosives on set. Not only that he's hiding out from the Russians (He kind of got himself in a bit of a pickle and he needs to lay low, but that's going to be kind of hard cause of Olivia).
Jeremy McDaniels: Olivia co-star in the action movie. Big time Hollywood actor, kind of a douche.
There are other characters, but these three are the main ones. Jeremy is somewhat important, but not really. He does bring in a bit of a conflict, but not in the way your thinking. Trust me, he's a douche. Blake is a bit damage and not from the war. That would be to simple, but a relationship. However, he's willing to help Olivia shed her Miss Goodie-to-Shoe image. Boy does he.
Overall, I did enjoy the story. It was a bit slow at first, but once Olivia and Blake got together it really started to pick up steam. Great chemistry between these two characters. So, if you are looking for military guy with an up and coming Hollywood starlight, you might want to checkout Femme Fatale.
Copy provided by publisher
April 21, 2013
*Got an ARC copy of the book from net galley, for an honest feedback.*
A 3 star review.
Every time I read an Entangled published book, I feel excited. But with this book, I felt a little short of that excitement. Don't get me wrong the book was good. BUT I felt the story lacked feelings/emotions/connections that I expected to feel between to characters.
The good:
Olivia wasn't a whiny female character. Her voice felt strong and she took her career seriously. Her conflict seemed genuine to what a person would feel when it comes to choosing a guy over career.
Blake was a strong male character. He wasn't an alpha male per say, but he was a Marine. He was confident in his choices, until it came to Olivia. I liked the fact that he wasn't a BAD (womanizer/drinking, etc) guy, turned good because of a girl. He was a Marine :).\
The premises of the story was different. As in the Marine hiding from Russians as a stunt master, and the girl being the lead heroine in the movie set he was working at.
THE BAD:
The couple connection was lacking. I didn't feel the drive the story tried to portray the characters were supposed to have. I mean, they tell each other I LOVE YOU with 2 or maybe 3 weeks since they knew each other. AND they both were willing to put their careers in line. For me, that's just believable.
OVERALL:
So for me, I struggled between a 2 star and a 3 star, but because of the premises, the writing style, and strong male character that wasn't control alpha male, this book earned a solid 3 star.
A 3 star review.
Every time I read an Entangled published book, I feel excited. But with this book, I felt a little short of that excitement. Don't get me wrong the book was good. BUT I felt the story lacked feelings/emotions/connections that I expected to feel between to characters.
The good:
Olivia wasn't a whiny female character. Her voice felt strong and she took her career seriously. Her conflict seemed genuine to what a person would feel when it comes to choosing a guy over career.
Blake was a strong male character. He wasn't an alpha male per say, but he was a Marine. He was confident in his choices, until it came to Olivia. I liked the fact that he wasn't a BAD (womanizer/drinking, etc) guy, turned good because of a girl. He was a Marine :).\
The premises of the story was different. As in the Marine hiding from Russians as a stunt master, and the girl being the lead heroine in the movie set he was working at.
THE BAD:
The couple connection was lacking. I didn't feel the drive the story tried to portray the characters were supposed to have. I mean, they tell each other I LOVE YOU with 2 or maybe 3 weeks since they knew each other. AND they both were willing to put their careers in line. For me, that's just believable.
OVERALL:
So for me, I struggled between a 2 star and a 3 star, but because of the premises, the writing style, and strong male character that wasn't control alpha male, this book earned a solid 3 star.
June 3, 2013
Femme Fatale was a well rounded sexy romance. I think maybe the author was trying to put a romantic suspense spin on it, but to me the whole Russian spy back story really fell flat and the book would’ve been just as good without it. That being said, the rest of the book was fantastic. I love the main characters Major Blake Ramsey and Olivia Harper. Olivia is a good girl trying to be bad to help boost her from “teen girl next door” image into the new realm of femme fatale. Unfortunately her real life experiences haven’t given her any chance of pulling off the femme fatale act. Who better to help her out than a sexy alpha male military man? Blake is a military lifer who is sent to Hollywood to hide from Russians trying to kill him. The chemistry between Blake and Olivia is strong and I like the fact they both have reasons they shouldn’t be together so they fight between doing what they want and what everyone else wants from them. They steam up the pages every time they are together.
The supporting characters are just as strong and brings another level to the story. Olivia’s make up artists cracks me up and her co-star is such an ass I wanted Blake to just punch him and put him out of everyone’s misery. You’ll really hate him by the end of the book, I promise you that.
This is the first release in the Hard Bodies series and I look forward to what Cindy Dees brings in the next installment, Blond Bombshell, that’s due out in July 2013.
The supporting characters are just as strong and brings another level to the story. Olivia’s make up artists cracks me up and her co-star is such an ass I wanted Blake to just punch him and put him out of everyone’s misery. You’ll really hate him by the end of the book, I promise you that.
This is the first release in the Hard Bodies series and I look forward to what Cindy Dees brings in the next installment, Blond Bombshell, that’s due out in July 2013.
May 20, 2013
Major Blake Ramsey had gotten himself involved with the wrong woman. It not only nearly destroyed his Marine career, but his life was on the line because the Russians wanted to use him to get their operative freed. His boss sent him to a Hollywood movie set as a technical adviser so he could lay low until the CIA got things sorted out.
Actress Olivia Harper has problems. She is being groomed to be a femme fatale action star, but she has no idea how idea to be sexy. But from the moment she and Blake Ramsey lay eyes on one another, there is a sizzle that can’t be doused and before she can stop herself, she asks him to help her. But one chaotic night and a bad move on her part puts Blake in the spotlight.
I really wanted to like this story. The premise from the blurb sounded exciting. The Marine officer hero hiding out on a movie set as a technical adviser because he was being hunted by Russian spies. The problem was that the plot ended up being very thin. There was no edge of your seat danger unless you counted the heroine’s co-star in the movie who was a real douche. Olivia is a well-developed character and shows growth, Blake unfortunately does not grow much.
If you’re looking for edge of your seat suspense, this book isn’t for you. But if you like a lot of hot sex scenes, this burns up the page.
I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
May 25, 2013
When Blake Ramsey needs to be hidden from Russian operatives after his last mission (and near heart break) his superiors in the Marines send him to the California desert to be the military advisor to a high budget zombie movie. All he has to do is stay out of sight until things can be worked out, that turns out to be harder than he thought as soon as he meets former teen star turned action heroine Olivia Harper with her high profile life how can they be together at all.
Oliva wants to shed her Mid-West good girl image that she has had from being a teen tv star for so long, her new movie can be just the thing to set her up as a femme fatale if only she had any idea how to seduce a man. Meeting Blake Ramsey is the best and the worst thing that could happen to her and her carrier.
I really liked this step into the shoes of a Hollywood starlet and what goes into making and keeping an image. I loved the opposites attract but are they really opposites thing with Blake and Olivia. While this is a full length novel it is a quick read and an enjoyable ride. When Oliva asks Blake to help her learn to be a femme fatale things heat up big time.
I received this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
Oliva wants to shed her Mid-West good girl image that she has had from being a teen tv star for so long, her new movie can be just the thing to set her up as a femme fatale if only she had any idea how to seduce a man. Meeting Blake Ramsey is the best and the worst thing that could happen to her and her carrier.
I really liked this step into the shoes of a Hollywood starlet and what goes into making and keeping an image. I loved the opposites attract but are they really opposites thing with Blake and Olivia. While this is a full length novel it is a quick read and an enjoyable ride. When Oliva asks Blake to help her learn to be a femme fatale things heat up big time.
I received this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
August 8, 2013
In Hollywood, image is everything and Olivia has the next door image. She has a new role in an action movie and needs to shed the good girl baggage. There's one problem... Olivia wasn't sure if she was a femme fatale material. So she asked Blake a new hired consultant for the film to teach her how to become a femme fatale. Blake is attracted to Olivia and agrees to her proposition.
Okay, I like Olivia and Blake. I think both of them has strong personalities. Blake was a marine officer at heart and a one sexy alpha! Olivia on the other hand is quite a handful. I have a love-hate relationship with her character. She has this silly mood swings that irked me!
I'm a fan of Cindy Dees and was super excited to receive this from netgalley... but really... This book felt so flat. Something was lacking that I couldn't pin point what. I guess one of my problem was I couldn't connect with the characters. Yes the sexual tension was there and it has a lot of hot sex scenes but the connection was meh. It was too fast that I couldn't believe they love each other right away!
It has a good plot and I loveeee Blake, but other than that I guess the book is just not for me. :/
Okay, I like Olivia and Blake. I think both of them has strong personalities. Blake was a marine officer at heart and a one sexy alpha! Olivia on the other hand is quite a handful. I have a love-hate relationship with her character. She has this silly mood swings that irked me!
I'm a fan of Cindy Dees and was super excited to receive this from netgalley... but really... This book felt so flat. Something was lacking that I couldn't pin point what. I guess one of my problem was I couldn't connect with the characters. Yes the sexual tension was there and it has a lot of hot sex scenes but the connection was meh. It was too fast that I couldn't believe they love each other right away!
It has a good plot and I loveeee Blake, but other than that I guess the book is just not for me. :/
April 19, 2013
Olivia gained fame on a teen TV show with a squeaky clean image. Now she's cast in an action movie and wants a hot image to change the trajectory of her career toward these types of roles. The movie has bedroom scenes and she's not sure she will be able to act the sexy starlet. She propositions the movie's attractive military consultant to help her become a "femme fatal". Blake is attracted to Olivia and agrees as long as theirs is a business proposition only. He doesn't want photos of them together getting out and putting them both in danger from those he's hiding from.
Olivia was surprisingly forward from the beginning for someone who was supposedly as inexperienced as portrayed the book description. I was also looking forward to more danger from the faction Blake was hiding from. It was a nice book, but I wanted more. I wanted her to be more inexperienced and I wanted there to be more action and danger.
Olivia was surprisingly forward from the beginning for someone who was supposedly as inexperienced as portrayed the book description. I was also looking forward to more danger from the faction Blake was hiding from. It was a nice book, but I wanted more. I wanted her to be more inexperienced and I wanted there to be more action and danger.
June 2, 2013
Lights…Camera…Action!!
OK so I've noticed on a few web sites that some people weren't particularly crazy about this book or felt that it wasn't necessarily realistic. I myself really enjoyed it. I didn't go into this after reading the synopsis thinking that this was going to be a life altering read. I was looking for something to take my mind off my every day life with enough heat to make me stand up and take notice. This one delivered!
I felt that this was a great light read. It wasn't a deeply emotional you’re going to cry your eyes out, scream with frustration book but it did have passion, sexual tension, and humor. If you are looking for something to pass the time, and enjoy reading about movie stars and military men, you should pick this up. I myself am not one who usually likes to read about movie stars but with the military aspect thought why not and am glad that I did.
OK so I've noticed on a few web sites that some people weren't particularly crazy about this book or felt that it wasn't necessarily realistic. I myself really enjoyed it. I didn't go into this after reading the synopsis thinking that this was going to be a life altering read. I was looking for something to take my mind off my every day life with enough heat to make me stand up and take notice. This one delivered!
I felt that this was a great light read. It wasn't a deeply emotional you’re going to cry your eyes out, scream with frustration book but it did have passion, sexual tension, and humor. If you are looking for something to pass the time, and enjoy reading about movie stars and military men, you should pick this up. I myself am not one who usually likes to read about movie stars but with the military aspect thought why not and am glad that I did.
April 25, 2013
ARC was provided by Entangled Publishing via NetGalley in return for an honest review. Though I loathe insta-love, this was actually a good read for me. I appreciated that Olivia and Blake were both independent and mature characters. And for the most part, they expressed their frustrations like...normal people. Just the right amount of drama without being overdone. I've grown a bit weary of Alpha-males so Blake's personality was a welcome reprieve. I think the only bone I could really pick was with Olivia's quest to get rid of her virginity and the constantly flip-flopping between wanting to seem like a bombshell vixen and a naive young woman. I would've given this 4 stars but for me, insta-love is a surefire way to demote a book's rating. Nevertheless, I'd probably read the next book in the series.
October 9, 2013
*** ARC provided by NetGalley for an honest review ***
So, I kept putting off this book because it wasn't getting very high ratings. But I thoroughly enjoyed this story. I thought it was well written, well-paced, and well thought out. I liked the build up to the relationship between Marine (spy) Blake and Hollywood starlet Liv. They were more than compatible, and I loved their playful (and at times not so playful banter) I never imagined this book would be so good in so few pages. But it had lots of action, and very little stupid moments. I liked that Liv wasn't a virgin, but she was inexperienced, and that Blake separated their 'lessons' into those particular segments. They're moments together were sweet, and I really enjoyed the dual POV with allowed for less misunderstands.
I am looking forward to more books in this series.
So, I kept putting off this book because it wasn't getting very high ratings. But I thoroughly enjoyed this story. I thought it was well written, well-paced, and well thought out. I liked the build up to the relationship between Marine (spy) Blake and Hollywood starlet Liv. They were more than compatible, and I loved their playful (and at times not so playful banter) I never imagined this book would be so good in so few pages. But it had lots of action, and very little stupid moments. I liked that Liv wasn't a virgin, but she was inexperienced, and that Blake separated their 'lessons' into those particular segments. They're moments together were sweet, and I really enjoyed the dual POV with allowed for less misunderstands.
I am looking forward to more books in this series.
September 28, 2013
I wanted to really love this book but I couldn't. I'm all for military and romantic suspense but I felt like there was not enough. I didn't feel completely invested in the characters. I wanted more angst, more feeling, more heat. Everything was to rushed and to tied up nicely. I wanted to fall in lust with Blake and Liv but I felt like something was missing.
On the other hand the book wasn't awful just needed more! I will read this author again:)
ARC provided by Entangled Publishing, LLC via NetGalley*
On the other hand the book wasn't awful just needed more! I will read this author again:)
ARC provided by Entangled Publishing, LLC via NetGalley*
May 9, 2013
2.5 / 3 stars
Started with a bang, but I didn't find the back story for either character compelling or believable. Russian spies? For a guy who was supposed to be keeping a low profile, Blake showed no aptitude for being a covert operative. I hated Jeremy and his presence in the story killed my enjoyment every time he pouted into a scene. I won't even get into his attempted assault. I liked the story when it was focused on just Olivia and Blake - the minute they were out of the hotel room, not so much...
Started with a bang, but I didn't find the back story for either character compelling or believable. Russian spies? For a guy who was supposed to be keeping a low profile, Blake showed no aptitude for being a covert operative. I hated Jeremy and his presence in the story killed my enjoyment every time he pouted into a scene. I won't even get into his attempted assault. I liked the story when it was focused on just Olivia and Blake - the minute they were out of the hotel room, not so much...
April 21, 2013
**Copy kindly provided by the author via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**
Loved it. I found it interesting with the perfect amount of sexual tension, angst, passion, and humor. So wish there had been an epilogue flashing forward like 6 months or a year to show how their lives together worked out and if she became a huge star. This book was purely classic Brazen and is definitely now one of my faves, and Blake is so my new book boyfriend.
Loved it. I found it interesting with the perfect amount of sexual tension, angst, passion, and humor. So wish there had been an epilogue flashing forward like 6 months or a year to show how their lives together worked out and if she became a huge star. This book was purely classic Brazen and is definitely now one of my faves, and Blake is so my new book boyfriend.
April 27, 2013
Major Blake is hiding on a movie shoot as a military consultant when hte female lead catches his eyes.
Olivia is the former teen star looking for a new career as femme fatale, but she lacks the experience. When Blake comes on set, she sees her opportunity to learn more..
The couple didn´t grab me from the beginning but it got better and by the end, it was great.
I´ll definitely read the next book in the series.
3,5 Stars
Olivia is the former teen star looking for a new career as femme fatale, but she lacks the experience. When Blake comes on set, she sees her opportunity to learn more..
The couple didn´t grab me from the beginning but it got better and by the end, it was great.
I´ll definitely read the next book in the series.
3,5 Stars
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