Maid for Love

Gansett Island #1

by Marie Force

Maddie Chester is determined to leave her hometown of Gansett Island, a place that has brought her only bad memories and ugly rumors. Then she’s knocked off her bike on the way to her housekeeping job at McCarthy’s Resort Hotel by Gansett’s “favorite son,” Mac McCarthy. He’s back in town to help his father with preparations to sell the family resort and has no intention of staying long. When Mac accidentally sends Maddie flying over the handlebars, badly injuring her, he moves in to nurse her back to health and help care for her young son. He soon realizes his plans for a hit-and-run visit to the island are in serious jeopardy, and he just may be “maid” for love.

Gansett Island Reading Order
Maid for Love (Mac & Maddie)
Fool for Love (Joe & Janey)
Ready for Love (Luke & Sydney)
Falling for Love (Grant & Stephanie)
Hoping for Love (Evan & Grace)
Season for Love (Owen & Laura)
Longing for Love (Blaine & Tiffany)
Waiting for Love (Adam & Abby)
Time for Love (Daisy & David)
Meant for Love (Jenny & Alex)
Chance for Love, A Gansett Island Novella (Jared & Lizzie)
Gansett After Dark (Owen & Laura)
Kisses After Dark (Shane & Katie)
Love After Dark (Paul & Hope)
Celebration After Dark (Big Mac & Linda)
Desire After Dark (Slim & Erin)
Light After Dark (Mallory & Quinn)
Victoria & Shannon (Episode 1)
Kevin & Chelsea (Episode 2)
A Gansett Island Christmas Novella
Mine After Dark (Riley & Nikki)
Yours After Dark (Finn & Chloe)
Trouble After Dark (Deacon & Julia)
Rescue After Dark (Mason & Jordan)

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Ebooks, Chick Lit, Adult, Fiction

264 pages, Paperback

First published April 28, 2011

About the author

Marie Force is the New York Times bestselling author of contemporary romance, romantic suspense and erotic romance. Her series include Gansett Island, Fatal, Treading Water, Butler Vermont and Quantum.

Her books have sold more than 12 million copies worldwide, have been translated into more than a dozen languages and have appeared on the New York Times bestseller more than 30 times. She is also a USA Today and #1 Wall Street Journal bestseller, as well as a Speigel bestseller in Germany.

Her goals in life are simple—to finish raising two happy, healthy, productive young adults, to keep writing books for as long as she possibly can and to never be on a flight that makes the news.

Join Marie’s mailing list on her website at marieforce.com for news about new books and upcoming appearances in your area. Follow her on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/MarieForceAuthor and on Instagram at www.instagram.com/marieforceauthor/. Contact Marie at marie@marieforce.com.

Reviews

[Candace · Rating 3 out of 5]

Please check out more of my reviews at www.bookaddicthaven.com

I have seen this book around for quite some time and I picked up the audiobook on sale recently for $1.99. At just under 7 hours, it was a great choice to finish out my weekly commute. It was sweet, straightforward and easy to follow. Sometimes, you just need something "light" and this was just that kind of story.

Mac McCarthy has only just arrived back in his hometown when he knocks Maddie Chester off of her bicycle. He is immediately taken aback by Maddie's beauty and wants to make amends for his lapse in judgment. He is determined to win over this feisty lady and get to know her better.

Poor Maddie gets roughed up pretty badly from the accident and is unable to exert herself physically for a few days. For a single-mother that lives paycheck to paycheck, this is a nightmare. She won't be able to take care of her infant son or go to her housekeeping job. If she misses work, she knows that she'll get fired by her nasty employer.

When Mac offers to help Maddie out, doing her work for her until she recuperates, she is suspicious of his motives. No man has ever done anything nice for her without expecting something sexual in return. Ever since puberty, she's had to fend off the unwelcome advances of lewd men and the contempt of jealous women...not to mention the rumors that circulate around town.

As it ends up, Mac's parents own the hotel where Maddie works. He's able to use his pull to ensure that Maddie doesn't lose her position and he fills in doing her work in the meantime. Sadly, he discovers that Maddie was not exaggerating about the horrible way that she has been treated as an employee of his family's business.

Although this was a nice story as a whole, I did have some pretty big issues with it right from the start. First of all, with the exception of Mac, most of the characters made a terrible first impression. I kept thinking, "Where did they find these wretched people?". Nearly all of them were off-putting.

Maddie's nasty treatment of Mac was absolutely deplorable right from the start. He was bending over backwards to try and be nice to her and she was just being a straight-up bitch. Her sister wasn't any better, once she was introduced. If I were Mac, I would've told her where she could stick it and been glad to be rid of her.

Then, we meet the women in Mac's family. His sister immediately tells Mac what a bad reputation Maddie has when Mac first mentions that he is helping her out. It was done in a manner that made her seem like a shallow, malicious, gossip-monger.

While I eventually warmed to her, I can't say the same for Mac's mother. She was vicious in her treatment of Maddie, all because of her bad reputation. Talk about a slut-shaming old bitty! I couldn't stand that woman!

Needless to say, my initial impressions of most of these characters left much to be desired. If it hadn't been for Mac's kindness and good sense of humor, I would've hung it up there. I felt like I stuck it out for him, as weird as that sounds.

Luckily, most of the characters did redeem themselves. I can't say that I ever came to terms with Mac's mother's atrocious behavior, but the others did grow on me. While I don't excuse her initial mistreatment of Mac, I did come to understand why Maddie treated him the way she did at first.

No big surprise, Mac and Maddie fall in love while he's taking care of her. He works his way into her heart pretty quickly. Of course, there are some minor conflicts and drama along the way to keep things interesting. However, there was nothing that was especially surprising or mind-blowing in this book.

This was a nice, straightforward, sweet romance. It isn't the type of story that I'll re-read or that will stay on my mind for any length of time. It was just a nice way to pass a few hours. Nothing earth-shattering here, but good entertainment.

[Jonetta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mac McCarthy returns to his hometown of Gansett Island for a month of much-needed rest from his highly stressful career. No sooner than he arrives he literally walks in front of Maddie Chester and causes a collision that leaves her injured. She's the single month of a 9-month old baby and can't afford to lose even one hour of work. What happens next alters the course of so many lives.

If you're looking for a feel-good story, one that allows you to escape into a lovely romantic fantasy, you'll adore this book. Even if the instant attraction and quick emotional escalation requires a suspension of everything you believe about relationships, you just will not care because of the charming setting and atmosphere, really likable characters and the promise of more challenging stories.

I've had this book on my shelf for years and even though I'm a big fan of the Fatal series, I kept putting this one off. Now I just want to abandon my reading plan for the month and dive into the next book. I loved overprotective Mac, the emotionally beaten Maddie and all the cuteness of her son Thomas. Oh, I'm suffering with Gansett Island fever.

[Pepito · Rating 4 out of 5]

WOW I just LOVED this book. I stayed up till 6 am reading because I could NOT put it down. This is the perfect read for when you're in cheesy moods and wanna read one of those reads with the PERFECT HEA. I can understand why some rated it lower though, but as I was just in this kind of mood, feeling all mellow, LOL, I just adore this read.

In this installment we get to read about one of the famous McCarthy brothers. All the boys in this family were always consider golden boys: Rich, sexy-as-hell, best in sports and academics, etc. But once they got old enough to leave the island they did. Mac has come back because he needs a time out from his very busy Miami life.

What he never expected, once he finally got home, was to be run over by a bike while in the meantime meet the love of his life. He never thought he could really be the type of guy Maddie needed but he never felt this strong about someone else, and after spending some time with her he just KNEW.

This was such a cute story, I loved it. I have a feeling next book will be even better. Can't wait.

[Melody Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

****4.75 Stars****

Incredible Love Story! I can't stop reading it. Every time I reread it I read it twice at a time and the next month I am doing the same thing all over again! I do the same with book 2.

Update: 02/27/19 I wanted to expound a bit on my review. When I wrote the first one I had forgotten to review after reading and it had been some time since I read it so I didn't go into detail. Now I have reread it twice more and felt it deserved more detail.

This is the first book in a series that focuses on one large family and their circle of friends, neighbors and acquaintances. Mac (aka Malcolm which he despises) McCarthy is the eldest son of Linda and Mac Sr. They have four sons and one daughter whom they love dearly. None of them are married and really have no interest in being so except their daughter, Janey, who you will also meet in this book. Her story is book two and it's excellent! The sons are all scattered across the United States working on their careers. As in most romance novels most of them are fairly wealthy in their own right.

Mac Jr. who I will refer to as just 'Mac' from here on out is home because he found out his father wants to sell the marina the family has owned for many, many years. He's not so sure he wants his dad to sell but he is getting too old for the daily grind. Mac is there to help him make repairs and do some upgrades. Mac also had a health scare (too much stress and not enough food or sleep) and the doctor has ordered rest and relaxation. As soon as he arrives on Gansett Island he heads off to see family on foot and isn't paying attention when he walks right out in front of a woman on her bike who is on the way to work. She is pretty badly banged up. Cuts, bruises, raw flesh etc.

That woman's name is Maddie Chester. She hated having an extra large chest because no one seemed to take her seriously. When a high-school football player wanted to date and 'score' with her she turned him down. She was still a virgin after all. This football player was mean and cruel and lest we not forget vindictive, a bully to the nth degree. He spread the word throughout, not only the school but the whole town that he and Maddie did the horizontal boogie. That wasn't the only lie he spread as he told everyone she was a whore and 'banged' the entire football team as well. It was a horrific lie but everyone believed the guy. He had also gathered up his friends and basically threatened them to back up his story...or else. He was a bully and the guys were terrified of him so these nincompoops went along with the lie...thus nicknaming Maddie Chester as Maddie Mattress! No one in town would speak to her. She had no friends except for a few girls she worked with in her job as a hotel maid. This hotel was owned by the McCarthy family and run by Linda McCarthy, the mother of Mac, and she's the wife of Mac Sr. Mrs McCarthy hated her because she believed all the lies. Every day she saw to it that Maddie was given the most horrendous rooms to clean that were vomit-filled, ladened with used condoms and other disgusting bodily fluids. This went on for eight years...a damn long time for the whole town to be so cruel.

Where was I...oh yes the accident that sent Maddie flying off her bike giving her multiple very-serious injuries. They described her hands as raw meat. Her legs were beat up and she could barely move, couldn't bend her knees either. Mac literally picks her up and carries her to a friend of his for first aid. This woman used to be a paramedic. She explained to Mac that Maddie would have to take it easy to give the deep wounds time to heal. Mac takes her to her small apartment and lets her know he is moving in so he can care for her and her nine-month-old son. Maddie was 28-years-old when she had her first sexual experience and had only been intimate with this one man twice. That was the extent of her whorishness! They guy told her he had had a vasectomy years earlier. So what's a girl to think when the test shows she's pregnant? She was naïve and never thought in a million years that he was lying to her. When the truth is finally told the man says he lied because he loves sex but has a latex allergy. She had nothing to do with him after their two encounters and they happened before the beginning of the book.

This is just the beginning but may I say...it may have been 'Love at First Sight' but I absolutely adored the way Mac loved her and Thomas, her son.

Original Review: This was a really sweet read, a great beginning to a new series. I can't wait to start Book 2. Enjoyed the characters, especially Mac, who was a one-of-a-kind, but not sure falling in love instantly is very realistic.

I highly recommend this book as well as the series. I enjoyed most of the series although there were a couple of the books that I didn't think quite measured up to the first two.

Safety:
1. This book was totally SAFE.
2. There was very briefly OM and OW drama (that amounts to nothing.) It was more an accidental meeting. Mac kicked his ex to the curb and was rid of her within a couple minutes. The same is true with a guy Maddie dated a very short time.

[Alp · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.25/5

Too predictable and cheesy!
Almost the whole story seemed unreal and impossible. The characters, in my opinion, were not realistic either. The hero was too perfect, too good to be true! The dialogue sounded strange, might be because it was too intentionally sweet.

The heroine, Maddie, I didn't like her from the beginning because she kept pushing Mac away though he tried every way to help her. She was so annoying!

When Maddie found out that Mac made the guys, who caused her to have a bad reputation since high school, write apology letters, she was angry with him because he did it behind her back. Then she broke up with him! Oh, come on Maddie! What was wrong with you, woman? He just wanted to help clear your name! It was ridiculous and there was an unnecessary drama.





I felt sorry for Mac. He deserved better than this unreasonable woman.

[Geo Just Reading My Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

O poveste drăguță, simplă și plină de speranță și emoții. Mult prea scurtă.
Maddie este o tânără mamă necăsătorită care locuiește pe insula Gansett, despre care locuitorii au o părere destul de proastă datorită unor zvonuri de pe vremea liceului.
Odată cu apariția lui Mac pe insulă, viața ei este complet dată peste cap. Mai întâi accidentul, apoi el se mută la ea pentru a o ajuta, îi tine locul la muncă; și se îndrăgostește fulgerător de ea.
În câteva săptămâni este hotărât să îndrepte toate greșelile care i-au dat lui Maddie viața peste cap, să se căsătorească cu ea și să-l adopte pe fiul ei, Thomas.
Îmi place stilul autoarei, alert și plin de viață.
O lectură plină de emoții.

[Anja · Rating 1 out of 5]

Why am I not surprised by the slut-shaming? Maddie’s nickname is Mattress because she banged all the boys in high school and the whole town hates her. But Mac and his insta-love don’t believe the rumors. What do ya know? She says they aren’t true. Good thing because what hero wouldn’t care at all about a heroine’s slutty past? It doesn’t matter that Mac was a ho-bag before his instantaneous and soul-deep connection to Maddie. He says he’s not a playboy. He just used women for sex but that’s okay because that’s all they wanted. Except they also wanted other stuff from him but that’s why Maddie’s different. He’s only known her for a few hours but she’s different from every other woman because she doesn’t want a stranger who caused her a soft tissue injury to declare he’s moving in with her five minutes after meeting her in order to help take care of her infant and do her housekeeping job for her so she won’t get fired. And he’s so mad at the town for judging her. If only they knew the truth. She isn’t a slut so their bullying of her won’t be tolerated. It’d be different if it was true but it’s not. So stop slut-shaming her until she deserves it.

The one good thing about the book is that Mac stands up to his mother about his decision to pursue Maddie without justifying it. But the rest is too insta, too sappy, and too boring when it isn’t teaching women that having sex while being female is wrong.

[StMargarets · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm in the minority on this one. I found the insta-love/lust a bit unbelievable - probably because the Block Island inspired setting was realistically drawn. The contrast between realism and romance was too great, I suppose.

The playboy hero returns home after years away, runs into the heroine, and causes her injury. He volunteers to stay in her apartment, look after her and her baby and do her chambermaid job at his parent's hotel.

It's all a little weird and OTT.

The heroine has a huge chip on her shoulder and she annoyed me to no end as the hero bent over backwards to help her and then court her.

I also didn't buy that her boss and the lady at the post office would be mean to the h because of her "reputation." The big boobs so you must be a ho - sounds more like junior high than high school. And she's lived a blameless life for years.

And finally the heroine's hypocritical stance on secrets was a bit much to take. She didn't tell (and wasn't planning to tell) the father of her child that she had had his baby. Now who is keeping secrets?

Hero is going to have to make up to the heroine for all the ills of the men her life. I don't envy him.

[TinaNoir · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of those books that I really think that you have to read with either a) a fair amount of disbelief suspended or b)you just love the romance fantasy of a basic Cinderella story.

Mac McCarthy is from a wealthy family who are well known and liked on a small New England island.

Maddie Chester lives on the same island but is of a decidedly less golden family. She was tormented in high school for developing early. And one lie by one guy resulted in a tarnished reputation that followed her into adulthood. She is either ignored or shunned by most of the townspeople, her mother is in jail and she is given the worst of the clean up jobs as the maid in the inn Mac's family owns.

When Mac comes back home for an enforced vacation, he bumps into Maddie precipitating an accident that results in Maddie's bike (her lone transportation) getting destroyed and causing her injury.

Mac wants to make it right so he decides he is going to help Maddie out while she is recovering.

The set up is fine. The writing is good and the storytelling flows quickly and easily. This is one of those contemporary romances that just goes down smoothly and is tailor made for a light summer read.

My issues, and why I can't give this more than 3-stars, has to do with credulity. I know many readers will be perfectly fine with the swiftness of the romance and the way Mac swoops in and makes everything just right for Maddy in a matter of weeks. That's fine. That is where the fantasy part of the romance comes in. For a lot of romance readers this is catnip and this book would be right up their alley.

I am not one of them though. I like a little more grit sometimes with my books. I like Marie Force's writing style and I like the bones of story if not necessarily all the meat of it. I also just can't get past the super sticky sweetness of some of it or my skepticism at the trajectory of the romance.

Mac is a long-time confirmed bachelor who really has no desire to be back home. Yet he bumps into Maddie, takes her home, cleans her up, moves into her house, takes care of her kid, takes over her cleaning shift at the inn, and takes over her duties as a day care helper. And this is all just within the first day he gets back home. Within the first week he and Maddie are madly in love and within weeks after that he has completely restored her tarnished reputation.

This is pure Prince Charming fantasy. It works on some levels and on others it simply doesn't.

I heartily recommend it for readers who really like that in their stories.

Other readers however, if you don't like love-at-first sight stories or want a it more meat with your stories this one may not work completely for you.

[Babywave · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ein sehr schöner Liebesroman.

Ein tolles Setting , Erwachsene Charaktere und offene Kommunikation. Das kleine Drama zum Ende hin hätte es nicht mehr gebraucht. Das war mir zu sehr konstruiert und wenig nachvollziehbar. Daher einen Punkt Abzug.

Wenn ich mal wieder eintauchen will in eine cosy Geschichte, dann werde ich zu Band 2 greifen.

[Booklover · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a wonderful heartwarming story,Mac-Maddie two cuties who meet through an accident and from then n there their journey towards their HEA starts

Absolutely adored Mac he has a caring nature,his humbleness towards others,his trust loyalty determination towards Maddie his love and way he aches for Maddie and does everything to bring happiness and smile on Maddie's and Thomas face

Maddie she has suffered cause of other's ego and pride which has made her quiet bitter but when Mac comes into her life,he makes each pain go away even makes people pay who were responsible for tarnishing her reputation,Maddie is such a strong sweet character,i completely understand her fear where it comes to Thomas

Linda as Mac's mother i completely understood her hesitation with Mac-Maddie's relation but when she saw Mac is so happy and he even told her twice to accept it or back off but she kept throwing that woman Dora i disliked her at that point but then she accepted her mistake and apologized

But Linda as a woman i am angry at her how can she treat another woman with such coldness and say things about Maddie just by listening to town gossip,she never witnessed Maddie doing anything wrong while working for 8 years she should have given her benefit of doubt

i did'nt liked the way Maddie reacted when she read the letters,okay Mac should have told her but it was done in good intention,she should have not reacted so harshly and it even restored her reputation but then she sees her mistake and goes to Mac then again Mac i was angry here why did he allowed his ex to kiss him when it was over its done anyways but even after all the misunderstandings and hurdles they get their much deserved HEA

Overall its a good read,loved Mac-Maddie and secondary characters also,read excerpt of Janey-Joe's story just so eager to read their story,hope i get their book soon

I cutting one star cause Maddie made Mac cry,how could she,Mac is such a adorable sweet cute man

Good read
Recommend it

[The Reading's Love Blog · Rating 3 out of 5]

RECENSIONE QUI: https://thereadingslove.blogspot.com/...

3.5 stelle

Si può essere pazzi d'amore? Si può amare con ogni fibra del corpo fino a far battere all'impazzata il cuore, fino a perdere il respiro e a sentirsi mancare la terra sotto i piedi? Ebbene sì, chi si nutre di questo sentimento, chi ama senza remore e chi si abbevera d'amore è un pazzo, un pazzo che ama fino a farsi male, un pazzo del sentimento più nobile che esiste al mondo. Pazzo d’amore è il primo libro di una serie che si concentra sulla grande famiglia McCarthy e sulla loro cerchia di amici, vicini e conoscenti. Ho conosciuto Marie Force con la precedente serie d’azione e leggere un altro genere dalla sua penna coinvolgente e scorrevole, mi ha regalato momenti di spensieratezza. In questa storia incontriamo Mac e Maddie, due persone completamente opposte che al loro primo incontro si scontrano letteralmente: lui ha sempre avuto tutto dalla vita nonché la ricchezza, l’agio e una vita senza sacrifici; Maddie, al contrario, ha dovuto lavorare sodo, fare sacrifici, sopportare la crudeltà della gente, le occhiate sprezzanti di chi giudica e non conosce realmente la verità. Pagina dopo pagina scopriamo il passato di Maddie, le ferite del suo cuore che devono ancora rimarginarsi, la sua incapacità di fidarsi degli uomini e la voglia di andarsene da quell’isola che non l’ha sempre vista di buon occhio. La conosciamo come una donna dolce, forte, amorevole per il suo bambino e al tempo stesso vulnerabile. Vediamo un Mac gentile, affettuoso e protettivo e dotato di uno spiccato senso dell’umorismo, lo amiamo soprattutto per la sua intelligenza di non dare importanza ai pettegolezzi che ruotano intorno alla figura di Maddie. Ci innamoriamo di lui, del suo sapersi prendere cura di Maddie, di saper combattere per lei, di guadagnarsi la sua fiducia e il suo amore. Lui riesce ad insidiarsi nel cuore di lei abbastanza rapidamente ma naturalmente lungo il cammino ci saranno alcuni conflitti e drammi. Sullo sfondo della splendida località di Gansett Island, al largo della costa meridionale del Rhode Island viviamo una storia d’amore piacevole, diretta e dolce. Molti personaggi secondari dall’inizio fino alla fine della storia si riscattano e questa è una delle cose che mi è piaciuta di più. Pazzo d’amore è il primo volume di una serie rosa che farà innamorare molti lettori. Una storia dolce e romantica che ci fa capire che prima o poi l’amore arriva per tutti, anche dopo tante delusioni e che il principe azzurro esiste anche se è molto raro incontrarlo…

CONTINUA SUL NOSTRO BLOG. VENITE A TROVARCI
https://thereadingslove.blogspot.com/

[Yvonne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. Mac is the easy going, loyal beta hero and Maddie, is the down on her luck heroine (with baby in tow). Things move along very fast in this story, it's a sweet fantasy romance. Mac falls in love at first sight and saves "the day" for our heroine. Nothing wrong with that every once in a while! :)

[Jacqueline · Rating 3 out of 5]

My teeth hurt after that 🙄

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every once in a while I need a book like Maid for Love because my brain needs a break from the H and h fighting vampire wars, running from a drug lord, or waiting for the rake to realize he is in love. Maid for Love has little in the way of conflict, in fact I kept waiting for something gut wrenching to happen but it never came. This book is simply about two very nice people who fall in love and I found it sweet and heartwarming.

I always enjoy Marie Force's storytelling and writing style. Like her other stories, Maid for Love is full of dialogue, which I find makes the story move along faster and makes a book more interesting.

I enjoyed this book and will continue with the series. I am looking forward to Janey and Joe's story.

[Viviana · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Ingie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Written July 19, 2014

3 Stars - Sweet, tender and romantic cute

An seven hours audio romance for just $2. I can see that a lot of readers liked all these books in The McCarthys of Gansett Island series. So did Mo who recommended me this one when the ebook was a freebie a year ago.

Three stars for a an ordinary nice contemporary romance. ~ Maybe wasn't this audio narration the very best (slightly monotonous without much feeling) but I enyojed more or less.

***********************************************************

Maid for Love is a "Cinderella" story set on a beautiful summer resort, Gansett Island, off the southern coast of Rhode Island. The girl who was left now meets the boy who left the island...

Maddie Chester is a single (baby) mother who get knocked off her bike on the way to her housekeeping job at McCarthy's Resort Hotel by Gansett's "favorite son", Mac McCarthy.
Mac is just back in town for a couple of days (or weeks) and has no intention of staying long but his plans for a hit-and-run visit to the island are in serious jeopardy after that first "meeting" with Maddie.

***********************************************************

No big surprises but nicely done with a heartwarming topic, a sweet baby and slightly alluring clues to more books in the series. ~ An quite okay 'light' summer romance for sunny days in a sunchair.

...Maybe I'm a little disappointed but will definitely give this prized author another chance at a later time.

I LIKE - sweet and nice enough to listen to

[Alexis *Reality Bites* · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spoiler Free Review
4 STARS
Genre: Contemporary Romance/Chick Lit
Series: Book#1 in The McCarthys of Gansett Island

Relax, Mac. I want to kiss you everywhere."- Maddie
"You can't use my own words against me."-Mac
"Oh no? Watch me."-Maddie in Maid for Love

Brief Summary
Maddie Chester has worked for the McCarthy Resort & Hotel in housekeeping for 8 years. But today she is running a little late and due to her lateness she will directly collide into the love of her life. When Maddie is thrown from her bike after a man walks right in to her on the street she can't place a name to his face. One thing is for sure though the man is very handsome and very sorry for the injuries he has caused. She is not expecting the handsome stranger to also want to nurse her back to health but he does. Nurse her back to health that is. After the accident the man carries Maddie to get bandaged up at a friends near by, it is then that she learns his name. Mac McCarthy the eldest son of her horrid employers.

When Mac tells Maddie he will take her shifts at the hotel for the week to allow her hand to heal she is floored by the offer. And so is his mother.

Thoughts
This was a very sweet love story. I enjoyed reading about Maddie and Mac as their love grew. I also love how Mac instantly took to Thomas as well that was a huge huge plus! I will be reading more form this author.
Mac-He was sweet and caring yet very much male. Very much an Alpha male at that he was fiercely protective of both Maddie and Thomas. He would not allow anyone not even his own mother to mess with them.
Maddie-Is sweet she is also shy. I like how she never really put up a fight with Mac even when she was unsure of his true intentions. She allowed their love to grow.
Tiffany-Is Maddie's sister. She was also a real BITCH. I wish the author would have gave more insight into her story. I was curious as to what was going on with her and her husband.
Janey-Is Mac's sister. She was just as kind as Mac. Her story is next and i can't wait to read it!

My Ratings
Characters- Very Lovable
Writing Style- Good
Plot/Storyline- Good
Steam Factor- Medium/Moderately Steamy
Overall- I Enjoyed it!!! I recommend to Romance Lovers!

[Sandra Hoover · Rating 3 out of 5]

On his first day back home, Mac McCarthy steps off the sidewalk into the path of a bicycle ridden by Maddie Chester, causing her injuries that keep her out of work for a week. Maddie works as a maid at the islands hotel - owned by the McCarthy family. She can't afford to lose her wages or job as she has a 9 month old son to provide for. Mac offers to step in and take care of her & her baby Thomas and that means he is going to work as a "maid" at his own family's hotel until Maddie recovers. Mac & Maddie snap at each other but in the end, Mac wins out. As this story plays out and other factors & people come into play, we see the town's dynamics in action including the role people play based on their lot and fate in life. The rich live in the big mansions on the hill while the others live down below and work in the mansions. Everyone knows their place until Mac comes home and stirs things up - forever altering the town & people's lives...especially his own family's. Mac shakes a hornet's nest & the hornet's are buzzing through town spreading gossip far & wide.

Maid for Love is a sweet, feel good romance perfect for a lighter read in between some of those dark, heavy reads. It's got likable characters that are almost too good to be true doing unbelievably sweet, kind things for others. Nothing wrong with that. I actually liked these characters as individuals. The problem for me is finding it hard to feel a true connection or chemistry between Mac & Maddie. It's almost too sugary sweet, definitely too instant, just too perfect to be real love, in fact, it's too instant everything. I couldn't help feeling a little like the story was "staged" with characters reading lines off a script. Conversation didn't flow naturally, imo. In other words, these characters didn't feel real to me. I just couldn't ever get totally immersed in the story - couldn't buy into it.

If you love light, humorous, sweet love stories, Maid of Honor is probably the book for you. It's a low angst, few conflicts, insta-attraction kind of story featuring cute babies & instant love with quick solutions that many readers favor. A Must Read for fans of simple, sweet romance!

[Lucy (why do I bother to read chicklit) · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm a big fan of the Fatal Affair series from Marie Force (even if after the third book it drops in quality)so I thought there was no harm in reading the first of the McCarthys' series since it was free on Amazon.

So, Maid for Love is about Maddie Chester, a single mum whose live has been seriously impacted for having big boobs and having had a reputation for being easy during high school.

Mac is the eldest of the McCarthys and after a panic attack retires to the quiet island he grew up on and where his affluent parents still live in.

Fresh out of the ferry, he knocks Maddie down from her bike when he crosses the street without paying attention where he was going. AND THAT IS IT! after injuring her, he decides not only to move in with her so he can help care for her infant (!!!!), but also to pick her shift up at his parents fancy hotel.

Therefore, what we have is a story sets in 48 hours of him trying to help her, she refusing to be helped and them finding out they are the love of their lives. IN 48 hours. Did I mention all that happens in to days? Right... I rest my case :)

[Sonja Rosa Lisa ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maddie ist mit ihrem Fahrrad auf dem Weg zur Arbeit, als ihr ein Fußgänger ins Rad läuft. Maddie holt sich bei diesem Unfall böse Abschürfungen. Der Fußgänger - Mac McCarthy - bleibt unverletzt. Weil er Schuldgefühle hat, zieht Mac kurzerhand bei Maddie und ihrem kleinen Sohn Thomas ein, um Maddie bei Haushalt, Baby und Arbeit zu helfen. Dabei kommen sich die beiden mit der Zeit näher...

Mein Leseeindruck:

Ganz nett, mehr aber auch nicht. Die Geschichte an sich hat mir gut gefallen, aber das ganze wirkte so furchtbar übertrieben, dass es nicht mehr glaubhaft war.

Ich habe nichts gegen Kitsch, im Gegenteil eigentlich, aber hier wirkte alles einfach "too much". Dass Mac gleich bei Maddie einzieht, den Haushalt und die Kinderversorgung übernimmt, sogar für Maddie putzen geht im Hotel, in dem sie arbeitet, und wie dort die Zimmer beschrieben werden... Ein bisschen mehr Zurückhaltung wäre hier viel passender gewesen und vor allem glaubhafter.

Der Schreibstil hat mir gut gefallen. Das Buch hat sich flüssig und schnell lesen lassen, aber ein bisschen mehr Tiefgang, mehr Gefühl und weniger Übertreibungen hätten der Geschichte gutgetan!

[Vintage · Rating 3 out of 5]

Melody has the best review on this novella.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

My two cents. Two good heroes in a row! Wow. Where the hero in Rules of Engagement is a charming reformed rake, this one is just a simple, besotted nice guy. He has to be as his mother is the MOTHER FROM HELL, mother from hell, mother from.... I hated her and want her to die.

The heroine, well, she and her big breasts deserve a happy ending. She was branded a ho by a rotten to the core creep in high school, and the rep has never left. To make matters worse, the creep conned other stupid high school boys (including the H's brother) to say she had sex with them too. The MOTHER FROM HELL gets very embarrassed about this, but she was unreedamable, irredeemable?

Insta-love on the part of the hero who has his work cut out for him in convincing the h to trust him. Her sister is a problem too. We need to keep her and the mother apart.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maid for Love is the first book in Marie Force Gansett Island Series, and it is a sweet romantic story that at times will make the readers laugh. Mac McCarthy returns to his parent's resort after Doctor told him to rest and before he arrives he runs into one of his mother's maids Madeline Chester. Maid for love continues to explore the blossoming love of Madeline and Mac, however, like all romances, it does not always go to plan.

I loved the way Marie Force portrays her character especially Mac and Madeline. By Reading Maid for Love, you will learn about life on a small island. Also, about what you can achieve with kindness and support of others. Readers of Maid For Love will learn about the consequence of spreading stories about people that are not true.

I recommend this book.

[Dharini · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't know what I just read, except that it made my blood boil like no book has in recent memory, and now I need to itemize my blind rage in order to deal with it. After much angry pacing and rage-fueled cursing, I have finally arrived at the third draft of my review (each time, I went back and cut out some more Caps Lock screaming and expletives). So if you think I'm being harsh, please keep in mind that this is me desperately trying to sound polite.

TL;DR below.

This book was a minefield of emotional and sexual abuse couched in romantic vocabulary, without even pretending too hard to be otherwise. I looked up when it was written, expecting to find a date in the 80s or 90s perhaps, but this Neanderthal's Guide to Society was apparently written in 2011. I know romance as a genre is particularly affected by our changing standards of what is and isn't acceptable in the treatment of women, but I find it impossible to believe that this kind of behaviour was permissible ten years ago.

I'm so confused about where to start with this book, so let's go in order of Things That Enraged Me, from most to least:

1. The very obvious lack of consent at multiple junctures through the book. Our chest thumping caveman of a "hero" fell so in luuurve that he couldn't control his impulses. My problem is less with the testosterone-induced haze he seemed to permanently walk around in, and more with the fact that the author chose to present this alarming lack of character as sweet. Maddie told Mac explicitly that she wasn't interested multiple times, that she wasn't comfortable, or that it wouldn't work out. But Mac would interpret some microscopic, unconscious gesture as consent and blatantly disregard her feelings, all the while claiming he respected her. He forced himself on her multiple times, and took it as a victory every time she eventually gave in. No repeatedly became yes after coercion, so of course that must have been what she wanted all along.
To illustrate my point: he slid into her bed and kissed her while she was asleep, on two separate occasions. He touched her inappropriately when he was supposed to HELP HER WITH HER INJURIES.
What enraged me here was the differentiation between her expressed and implied consent. It should not have mattered that she "appeared to want it", whatever that meant. No amount of suggestive lip biting or eyelid-batting should have counted once the word "No" crossed her mouth. It disregarded the nuances of consent, and signaled that lust alone, even in the presence of a verbal refusal, is a green light.   

2. The lack of agency the female protagonist had in the relationship. Mac was a patronising asswipe who made all her decisions for her, and his good intentions paved the road to hell that she gleefully skipped on.
For context: It's three days into their acquaintance and he wants to marry her. Wonderful. So he buys her a car - without her knowledge - but that's okay, because her nine month old infant will someday need it, and it's not like she gets any say in the car she's going to drive, right? And then he gets the biological father of the baby to sign away his rights, because he didn't want to distress Maddie by letting her know all this was going on. He also prints the details of her personal life in the paper without so much as discussing it with her beforehand, because he wants to clear her reputation. For her own good, you know.
The infantilisation of the female protagonist and erosion of her autonomy were so blatant; I don't know how anybody could look at that and mistake it for something other than a sign to turn around and hightail it out of there as fast as is humanly possible. 
And then, if that wasn't enough, when she finally took him back after making it clear that she didn't want him hiding things from her anymore, HE TOOK HER TO THE HOUSE HE (SURPRISE, SURPRISE!!) BOUGHT FOR THEM WITHOUT HER KNOWLEDGE TO RAISE THEIR DEVIL SPAWN IN. And of course she was perfectly happy, because he loved her enough to buy her a McMansion. It was at that point that my breakfast came back up.

3. The deeply damaging, gendered views of sex and "virtue". Mac was a self confessed playboy who'd never been tied down by the numerous women throwing themselves at him through his life (of course), until he took one look at the nearly unconscious woman on the road (his fault, by the way), and decided to sign the rest of his life away to her. Wildly implausible, but relatively tolerable. On the other hand, we're introduced to Maddie as the girl everyone thinks has been around the block, but of course, it's painstakingly pointed out multiple times that she's actually a near-virgin, because we all know that women who choose to enjoy sex are not entitled to lasting happiness. Message very clearly received.
Even the language used was telling.

"Now she had to decide if she was willing to risk everything to see where he could take her."

 (Why is he taking her anywhere? Why aren't they going together?)
There's also that classic trope of her not being like any other woman he'd ever known. Why, you ask? Because she eats normal food, not like those icky vegetarians. Because she flashes her big eyes at him and now he feels feelings. Because she's gorgeous and Doesn't. Know. It. Please get me out of here. Please.

4. The lack of respect for the reader's intelligence. Inconsistent characterisations, ridiculous time frames. Jesus H. Christ, you expect me to believe his mother did that kind of U turn and offered the woman she hated a big fat promotion? Or that this entire circus transpired in ONE WEEK?! Random side plots with no answers. Parents who should not have a successful business, considering their lack of acumen. The hero, who's rolling in it despite any evidence of him working. For example, take this:

"Mac laughed, and as simply as that, McCarthy Construction was born."

The overly simplistic explanations for all conflicts in the plot were either indicative of a lack of effort on the author's part, or a lack of respect for the reader's intelligence. And since it doesn't take a genius to figure out that two people can't build a lasting relationship based on three days of errant hormones, I'm siding with the latter conclusion.

5. I have about ten more points, but I'm exhausted and unfortunately have to earn my living, so that's it for my 1,224 word rant.

TL;DR: I want to buy a physical copy of this book so that I can rip it to shreds and then burn it. And yes, I will dance around the fire.
Zero stars, if the option existed.

Alternate branding suggestions:

1. How To Woo A Woman Who Doesn't Know She Needs You
2. I Dare You to Pay Money for This
3. Consent and Other Jokes
4. Lady, Not Tramp
5. A Foolproof Guide to Gouging Your Eyes Out

This is not, and never will be, romantic.

[Nellab1984 · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5 storia carina e scorrevole senza particolari drammi ma davvero troppo inverosimile per lasciarsi coinvolgere. C'è una linea di demarcazione fra un romanticismo che fa sospirare e situazioni eccessive che fanno storcere il naso e qui, purtroppo, viene spesso oltrepassata. Consigliato a chi vuole una storia leggera e poco impegnativa

[Becky ♡The Bookworm♡ · Rating 1 out of 5]

I need to be careful here as to not totally bash this book. It was a freebie and after seeing all the four and five star reviews I decided to give it a try. I had to wonder (as others have said) if I was reading the same book, or was it just me?

The actual plot had so much potential, but there were significant problems with the writing and timelines that left me scratching my head while saying, "Huh!?" Sorry, folks. I just didn't like this one.

Since this was written in 2011, I'm sure the author has grown over time, but I hesitate to spend money on a book that could end up like this one. I'll start with the good and do my best to address my issues constructively.

The Good:

1. It had a happy ending and Mac was very sweet to the baby, although it was a little creepy how quickly Maddie handed her son into his care.
2. Mac was a stand-up guy when it came to the important things.
3. Mac's father was actually my favorite character in the book, but I don't understand why he was given such a cheezy name: "Big Mac."
4. The chemistry between Joe and Janey peeked my interest. For just a few pages out of a 500 page book to stand out like that, the author is doing something right, but there was so much of...

The Bad:

1. I'll start with Maddie. I did not like her. At all. I prefer my heroines to be fighters, not victims that "give up" and wallow in their misery. Yes, she was treated unfairly in high school, but she gave her body image, specifically her overly large breasts, far too much negative power in her life.

2. IMHO, this book was insta-love (actually, it was insta-lust) with little to no realism. Mac learns that "...someone in his family had done this woman wrong, and if it was the last thing he ever did, he'd find out who." Okay. He's known her an HOUR. The book was riddled with scenes and scenarios where I simply couldn't suspend belief. Like this exchange:

Maddie: "I pictured you as a real playboy. Different day, different woman."
Mac: "That might've described me at one point in my life, but not anymore."
Maddie: "And when did this miraculous change occur?"
Mac: "About nine o'clock this morning."

3. The writing pulled me out of the story over and over with comments like "fingers fisting in his hair" and "the wicked scent of summer flowers." To me, fingers curl, hands fist. When I think of wicked, flowers aren't in the picture, unless they're dead or black. Some of the language and descriptions in the sex scenes I found to be trashy and vulgar.

4. Since when is breast feeding sexy? Reality in this book was he'd known her ninety minutes and it was: the sexiest thing he'd ever seen and then he tells her "I have a very vivid imagination."

5. Another problem was Maddie's behavior. If she was so self-conscious of her sexuality, why was she always "[rubbing] against him as she walked by" and so open about past sexual encounters? Then there was the father of her child. She'd just told Mac that this man had lied about a vasectomy, took her virginity without even noticing (another reality stretch), and broke up with her via text message. But WAIT! She NAMES her BABY after him?! WTHeck?

In summary, the book was over sexualized for the actual plot. If this hadn't been on a list for one of my reading challenges, I wouldn't have finished it.

[Vicky Sp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maddie è una madre single, la vita non è mai stata facile per lei, fin dal liceo. A scuola ha subito torti e qualcuno si è divertito a darle appellativi degradanti. Mac è un ragazzo dolce e sincero, si innamora di lei non appena la vede riversa a terra a causa di un incidente in bicicletta. Si tratta di una piacevole storia, dolce e romantica, sensuale quanto basta e con simpatici siparietti divertenti tra i protagonisti. Il piccolo Thomas ha fatto la sua parte con i suoi versi deliziosi, ammaliando quello che poi diventerà il suo papà.

[Dee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Being that this is a MF book I really expected to love it but I just didn't! Don't get me wrong, I did like it and thought it good and I am even glad that I took the time to read it, but I just didn't fall in love with it....Maybe I just wasn't in the mood :(

[Amneris Cesare · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tre stelline solo perché due sono troppo poche e il romanzo è ben scritto e tradotto ancora meglio. Ma non mi ha fatto tremare né impazzire. Storia romantica, con il Lui che tutte vorrebbero incontrare, il classico principe azzurro che incontri per strada - anzi, ti ci scontri proprio - e che ti porta sul suo cavallo bianco (SUV) nel suo castello (villona sul mare).
Però io sono un po' stanca di queste storie così... inverosimili. Sì va bene il sogno, va bene la favola, va bene i sentimenti, però anche basta questi occhi aperti su nuvolette rosa. Il mondo è diverso e io, non so, ma preferisco sognare storie concrete e non favole che nella realtà non si avvereranno mai.
Mi è piaciuto, comunque, il tema dello "slut shaming" anche se la soluzione è stata un po' troppo blanda e frettolosa (e la reazione di lei a tale soluzione, davvero eccessiva).

[Serap · Rating 4 out of 5]

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