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Manley Maids #1
What a Woman Wants
What happens when three irresistibly sexy brothers lose a poker bet to their enterprising sister? They get hired out for her housecleaning venture. Now, the Manley Maids are at your service. Satisfaction guaranteed. It’s what a woman wants...
Resort entrepreneur Sean Manley was all set to buy an historic mansion at a great price, making a name for himself while making millions, when the seller and a poker bet change the game. Now he’s in the place as a hunky male maid and there’s one more complication: Livvy Carolla.
The house is Livvy’s inheritance. Her plan? Unload it to the highest bidder and use the cash to start her own bakery business. One look at �the help” and she’s hot to take him with her. Until she finds out he’s got a secret agenda.
But when Sean falls for the free-spirited, strong-willed Livvy, he has new ideas for the estate—and Livvy’s part in it. If all goes well, they’ll both be getting what they want. And then some.
Resort entrepreneur Sean Manley was all set to buy an historic mansion at a great price, making a name for himself while making millions, when the seller and a poker bet change the game. Now he’s in the place as a hunky male maid and there’s one more complication: Livvy Carolla.
The house is Livvy’s inheritance. Her plan? Unload it to the highest bidder and use the cash to start her own bakery business. One look at �the help” and she’s hot to take him with her. Until she finds out he’s got a secret agenda.
But when Sean falls for the free-spirited, strong-willed Livvy, he has new ideas for the estate—and Livvy’s part in it. If all goes well, they’ll both be getting what they want. And then some.
316 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published March 4, 2014
192 people are currently reading
825 people want to read
About the author
Judi Fennell
98 books266 followersAward-winning, best-selling author Judi Fennell loves to laugh and loves love, so it’s no surprise there’s a little bit of each in every book she writes. Check out her flirty fun… seriously sexy light-hearted tongue-in-cheek paranormal and romantic comedies. From mermen to genies, to men in maids’ uniforms and male strippers, there’s always a laugh and love to be had.
And, in her copious (?) amounts of spare time, she helps authors with all aspects of writing and indie-publishing with her formatting, cover/promotional design, editorial company, www.formatting4U.com.
Judi lives in suburban Philadelphia with a menagerie of four-legged friends, and the minute those creatures start A) singing, B) sewing clothing, or C) cleaning the house will be the day she retires from writing…
And, in her copious (?) amounts of spare time, she helps authors with all aspects of writing and indie-publishing with her formatting, cover/promotional design, editorial company, www.formatting4U.com.
Judi lives in suburban Philadelphia with a menagerie of four-legged friends, and the minute those creatures start A) singing, B) sewing clothing, or C) cleaning the house will be the day she retires from writing…
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
March 1, 2014
read this review on Got Fiction? book blog
This book has all the makings of being fun, and while it had its funny and light moments, it didn’t do it for me. While the beginning was fun and entertaining, I found it all too easy to put down.
Basically, Livvy has just inherited a huge manor house, money, property, everything from her grandmother. But this is the same woman who never gave Livvy a single scrap of attention. Livvy’s mother got knocked up with the Martinson’s only son, the heir to the kingdom, so to speak, and instead of taking her anger out on her son, Merriweather Martinson took it out on Livvy. But she also took care of Livvy. She took her from her mom (who was an angry bitter addict), at age 5 and had Livvy put in a boarding school.
This is where Livvy gets the chip on her shoulder from. And it’s big. Huge. She not only hates her grandmother, but anything to do with the family. So when she finds out that in order to obtain her inheritance, she has to go on a scavenger hunt, she’s not thrilled. She feels that Merriweather is messing with her from beyond the grave just to be a jerk. It isn’t until the end that she sees the real reasons.
Sean, for his part, flips houses. Well, technically he flips B&Bs, and he’s heavily invested in the Martinson estate. Merriweather had gotten everything ready to sell, but it was only on the condition that Livvy didn’t fulfill her end of the scavenger hunt. But Sean didn’t know that.
He’s lost a bet and has to help his sister’s maid service by cleaning the Martinson estate-he’s thrilled because he wants the property, so it seems like fate. Until he meets Livvy. And all of her animals. Then fate shows him another direction. Does he sabotage her scavenger hunt, or does he help her?
The animals drove me nuts, Sean was a good hero, but by the end, Livvy still didn’t know he had severe dyslexia, which was integral to the plot, so I feel he should have said something to her. They spent more time repetitively lusting after each other that I got annoyed. It wasn’t fun after a while,it didn’t help build sexual tension, it just kept interrupting the flow. And Sean should have told Livvy all sorts of things. He’d say I’m going to tell her when I get back. And then he wouldn’t. Got annoying.
For someone who’s a real contemporary fan, or who likes zany antics and lots of animals causing those antics, this is for you. It definitely wasn’t for me.
I will say that I like the idea of the guys losing the bet and having to work as maids for their sister. It’s a fun idea, and I think I’d like to read the next in the series.
***ARC courtesy of Berkley Sensation
This book has all the makings of being fun, and while it had its funny and light moments, it didn’t do it for me. While the beginning was fun and entertaining, I found it all too easy to put down.
Basically, Livvy has just inherited a huge manor house, money, property, everything from her grandmother. But this is the same woman who never gave Livvy a single scrap of attention. Livvy’s mother got knocked up with the Martinson’s only son, the heir to the kingdom, so to speak, and instead of taking her anger out on her son, Merriweather Martinson took it out on Livvy. But she also took care of Livvy. She took her from her mom (who was an angry bitter addict), at age 5 and had Livvy put in a boarding school.
This is where Livvy gets the chip on her shoulder from. And it’s big. Huge. She not only hates her grandmother, but anything to do with the family. So when she finds out that in order to obtain her inheritance, she has to go on a scavenger hunt, she’s not thrilled. She feels that Merriweather is messing with her from beyond the grave just to be a jerk. It isn’t until the end that she sees the real reasons.
Sean, for his part, flips houses. Well, technically he flips B&Bs, and he’s heavily invested in the Martinson estate. Merriweather had gotten everything ready to sell, but it was only on the condition that Livvy didn’t fulfill her end of the scavenger hunt. But Sean didn’t know that.
He’s lost a bet and has to help his sister’s maid service by cleaning the Martinson estate-he’s thrilled because he wants the property, so it seems like fate. Until he meets Livvy. And all of her animals. Then fate shows him another direction. Does he sabotage her scavenger hunt, or does he help her?
The animals drove me nuts, Sean was a good hero, but by the end, Livvy still didn’t know he had severe dyslexia, which was integral to the plot, so I feel he should have said something to her. They spent more time repetitively lusting after each other that I got annoyed. It wasn’t fun after a while,it didn’t help build sexual tension, it just kept interrupting the flow. And Sean should have told Livvy all sorts of things. He’d say I’m going to tell her when I get back. And then he wouldn’t. Got annoying.
For someone who’s a real contemporary fan, or who likes zany antics and lots of animals causing those antics, this is for you. It definitely wasn’t for me.
I will say that I like the idea of the guys losing the bet and having to work as maids for their sister. It’s a fun idea, and I think I’d like to read the next in the series.
***ARC courtesy of Berkley Sensation
March 20, 2014
Amanda‘s review posted on Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews
5 STARS
I would have to say that the first book in the Manley Maids series called What a Woman Wants by Judi Fennell was an absolute delight from the opening chapter to the very emotional ending. The opening hook of a poker game between siblings was attention grabbing especially when the first- time player Mac Manley wins the hand, and gets her 3 older brothers to work for her cleaning company as maids for the next 4 weeks. Brilliant! This first story dealt with Sean Manley and the mansion he hoped to purchase. However, now it looks like there is a hitch in that plan when the long- lost granddaughter arrived to claim her inheritance. Livvy Carolla was only here by her grandmother’s mandate for 2 weeks in order to sell this monstrosity of a home to the highest bidder and use the purchase money to set up her own baking business. When she gets a look at her hot looking maid she wants something more, especially the way that he is making her feel when they are around each other. It looks like it could all work out until she find out he has a secret agenda.
Livvy’s grandmother set up a scavenger hunt of clues in order for her to learn about her ancestors and history of her paternal side. It is ironic that she is learning about her family after they totally disregarded her for most of her life. But she’s become her own person and I have to admire her for making it on her own. She created her own family with her co-op and menagerie of animals. How could you not love a person when she names her dogs after the Monkees and the Beatles?
Nevertheless, people had let her down and it took a good friend to show her how to live in the moment and let the future will take care of itself. One of Livvy’s greatest qualities is being able to forgive others and it is a much needed quality when it comes to loving someone.
Sean was a character I didn’t want to like in the beginning because of his initial intent. However, by the end he found his moral compass and my approval. He needed to prove to himself and to his brothers that he could make it big just like them. It turns out that Livvy showed him that there was more than a bottom line and money. I like it when characters grow slowly and how love shows them that there is more to life than a job or a goal. I was glad to see that there was a bit of interaction of the other two brothers, Bryan and Liam, in this story to whet my appetite for their stories and see how their maid service is going for them. The biggest surprise could possibly come from Mac herself when her secret and The Plan were revealed.
What a Woman Wants was a definite fun read and I love getting in on the beginning of which I hope to be a very good series. The chapters flowed easily from beginning to end and the attraction and interactions between Sean and Livvy kept getting better. The letter written at the end was by far the best thing written for a character to express regret by a loved one. I’m so glad that Livvy got her happy ending with Sean and the epilogue said it all in that the maid tradition was going to continue in that household. I am so looking forward to future stories and to see where the chips fall and their outcomes for the all the Manley siblings.
5 STARS
I would have to say that the first book in the Manley Maids series called What a Woman Wants by Judi Fennell was an absolute delight from the opening chapter to the very emotional ending. The opening hook of a poker game between siblings was attention grabbing especially when the first- time player Mac Manley wins the hand, and gets her 3 older brothers to work for her cleaning company as maids for the next 4 weeks. Brilliant! This first story dealt with Sean Manley and the mansion he hoped to purchase. However, now it looks like there is a hitch in that plan when the long- lost granddaughter arrived to claim her inheritance. Livvy Carolla was only here by her grandmother’s mandate for 2 weeks in order to sell this monstrosity of a home to the highest bidder and use the purchase money to set up her own baking business. When she gets a look at her hot looking maid she wants something more, especially the way that he is making her feel when they are around each other. It looks like it could all work out until she find out he has a secret agenda.
Livvy’s grandmother set up a scavenger hunt of clues in order for her to learn about her ancestors and history of her paternal side. It is ironic that she is learning about her family after they totally disregarded her for most of her life. But she’s become her own person and I have to admire her for making it on her own. She created her own family with her co-op and menagerie of animals. How could you not love a person when she names her dogs after the Monkees and the Beatles?
Nevertheless, people had let her down and it took a good friend to show her how to live in the moment and let the future will take care of itself. One of Livvy’s greatest qualities is being able to forgive others and it is a much needed quality when it comes to loving someone.
Sean was a character I didn’t want to like in the beginning because of his initial intent. However, by the end he found his moral compass and my approval. He needed to prove to himself and to his brothers that he could make it big just like them. It turns out that Livvy showed him that there was more than a bottom line and money. I like it when characters grow slowly and how love shows them that there is more to life than a job or a goal. I was glad to see that there was a bit of interaction of the other two brothers, Bryan and Liam, in this story to whet my appetite for their stories and see how their maid service is going for them. The biggest surprise could possibly come from Mac herself when her secret and The Plan were revealed.
What a Woman Wants was a definite fun read and I love getting in on the beginning of which I hope to be a very good series. The chapters flowed easily from beginning to end and the attraction and interactions between Sean and Livvy kept getting better. The letter written at the end was by far the best thing written for a character to express regret by a loved one. I’m so glad that Livvy got her happy ending with Sean and the epilogue said it all in that the maid tradition was going to continue in that household. I am so looking forward to future stories and to see where the chips fall and their outcomes for the all the Manley siblings.
February 25, 2018
Originally posted on Adria's Musings and Reviews.
* A copy of this book was and provided by the publisher via NetGalley for the purpose of an honest review. All conclusions are my own responsibility and I was not compensated for this review.
What’s it About? The Manley brothers, Sean, Bryan, and Liam try and teach their little sister Mac why she shouldn’t play high stakes card games with them but end up getting their butts handed to them instead. Their forfeit? Each brother must work for free at their sister’s cleaning service for a month. Entrepreneur Sean Manley was all set to buy a mansion and turn it into a luxury resort when he ends up working as a maid inside the mansion and finds out the owner has died and left it to her estranged granddaughter Livvy if she can solve a series of odd riddles and puzzles. In short, Sean’s plans soon get complicated when he’s torn between talking Livvy into keeping the mansion or talking her into selling it to him.
Overall reaction to the story? I spent the entire book waiting for a grand romance to happen and it just, didn’t. What a Woman Wants definitely sounds like a hot, sexy read but in reality it was more sugar, no spice, and too much of nothing important going on.
I enjoyed the set up, it was a crazy one but it was just crazy enough to be believable. I know I bought it. I liked Sean and most of the time I liked Livvy but I didn’t fall in love with them and to me they were a little wooden as far as characters go. To me Livvy was more scatterbrained child than quirky adult and I think that’s what kept me from really liking her. I loved that she came with a whole host of animals that gave Sean a hard time. Livvy’s love of animals was her saving grace for me, otherwise I would have labeled her a TSTL character. She was too child like in her behavior for most of the book. Sean was a little better though. I loved the conflict he was faced with because it brought out all sorts of sides to him that probably wouldn’t have surfaced in any other situation. He was definitely more than just a pretty face. He did have a condition that I wish had been discussed and used more in the plot because it’s a pretty big one, but instead it was glossed over like it was nothing more than a hair out of place. That could have made for a more interesting plot device.
As far as the romance go, I wasn’t feeling it either. There was waaay too much internal dialogue going on that slowed down the pace and bored me. It annoyed me how many times Sean and/or Livvy would drift off into their own minds while supposedly having conversations with each other. How did these two get to know one another if all they did was zone out almost every time they were together? I wanted more actual interaction and less internal dialogue. And that internal dialogue was usually how attracted they were to the other so I was expecting some real fireworks between them but guess what? Zip. Zilch. Nada. With all that prelude and buildup that was a very disappointing aspect of the romance. Then again, had I known that What a Woman Wants was more sweet than spicy with too much internal dialogue, I would have passed on it altogether.
And while I LOVE animals in romance, I do feel like the author put too much of them into a romance between two humans. That’s saying something because I usually love it when there are animals involved but many of the scenes with them did nothing to further the plot or provide anything useful. The first couple of scenes were funny, especially when it came to Livvy’s silly parrot but after a while it was just too much.
Click It or Skip It? Skip It. To me there was too much of nothing going on and not enough work on the characters’ relationship. I could overlook it being too sweet but the rest not so much. It took me forever to finish this book.
* A copy of this book was and provided by the publisher via NetGalley for the purpose of an honest review. All conclusions are my own responsibility and I was not compensated for this review.
What’s it About? The Manley brothers, Sean, Bryan, and Liam try and teach their little sister Mac why she shouldn’t play high stakes card games with them but end up getting their butts handed to them instead. Their forfeit? Each brother must work for free at their sister’s cleaning service for a month. Entrepreneur Sean Manley was all set to buy a mansion and turn it into a luxury resort when he ends up working as a maid inside the mansion and finds out the owner has died and left it to her estranged granddaughter Livvy if she can solve a series of odd riddles and puzzles. In short, Sean’s plans soon get complicated when he’s torn between talking Livvy into keeping the mansion or talking her into selling it to him.
Overall reaction to the story? I spent the entire book waiting for a grand romance to happen and it just, didn’t. What a Woman Wants definitely sounds like a hot, sexy read but in reality it was more sugar, no spice, and too much of nothing important going on.
I enjoyed the set up, it was a crazy one but it was just crazy enough to be believable. I know I bought it. I liked Sean and most of the time I liked Livvy but I didn’t fall in love with them and to me they were a little wooden as far as characters go. To me Livvy was more scatterbrained child than quirky adult and I think that’s what kept me from really liking her. I loved that she came with a whole host of animals that gave Sean a hard time. Livvy’s love of animals was her saving grace for me, otherwise I would have labeled her a TSTL character. She was too child like in her behavior for most of the book. Sean was a little better though. I loved the conflict he was faced with because it brought out all sorts of sides to him that probably wouldn’t have surfaced in any other situation. He was definitely more than just a pretty face. He did have a condition that I wish had been discussed and used more in the plot because it’s a pretty big one, but instead it was glossed over like it was nothing more than a hair out of place. That could have made for a more interesting plot device.
As far as the romance go, I wasn’t feeling it either. There was waaay too much internal dialogue going on that slowed down the pace and bored me. It annoyed me how many times Sean and/or Livvy would drift off into their own minds while supposedly having conversations with each other. How did these two get to know one another if all they did was zone out almost every time they were together? I wanted more actual interaction and less internal dialogue. And that internal dialogue was usually how attracted they were to the other so I was expecting some real fireworks between them but guess what? Zip. Zilch. Nada. With all that prelude and buildup that was a very disappointing aspect of the romance. Then again, had I known that What a Woman Wants was more sweet than spicy with too much internal dialogue, I would have passed on it altogether.
And while I LOVE animals in romance, I do feel like the author put too much of them into a romance between two humans. That’s saying something because I usually love it when there are animals involved but many of the scenes with them did nothing to further the plot or provide anything useful. The first couple of scenes were funny, especially when it came to Livvy’s silly parrot but after a while it was just too much.
Click It or Skip It? Skip It. To me there was too much of nothing going on and not enough work on the characters’ relationship. I could overlook it being too sweet but the rest not so much. It took me forever to finish this book.
October 24, 2017
What happens when three irresistibly sexy brothers lose a poker bet to their enterprising sister? They get hired out for her housecleaning venture. Now, the Manley Maids are at your service. Satisfaction guaranteed. It’s what a woman wants...
The book starts with the poker game where Sean, Liam and Bryan lose to their sister, Mary-Alice and are forced to work in her housecleaning company as maids.
Sean Manley had it rough. He is the second son and suffered through his studies as he has dyslexia. He is in the business of purchasing old historic houses and turning them into B&Bs. He is trying to buy a manor to expand his business and taking his first step into high-end resorts. All his plans are foiled when the owner of the manor dies and leaves the manor to her granddaughter.
Olivia 'Livvy' Carolla has been neglected by her family all her life. She is illegitimate and so was never accepted by her family. Her grandmother, Merriweather Martinson,
Merriweather set up a scavenger hunt throughout the manor to find clues based on Martinson history.
Sean and Livvy band together to find the clues and in doing so draw closer to each other.
What a Woman Wants is a nice book; it had the potential to be amazing. The interest and chemistry between the protagonists is great, the storyline is refreshing and characters are relatable. the only damper (according to me) is that the book felt a little drag out when it came to Livvy’s animals and got boring. I understood the importance of the animals but writing so much about them seems useless.
All in all, What a Woman Wants is a great book, it is an enjoyable read and is a great start to (hopefully) an amazing series.
June 23, 2021
I REALLY wanted to love this book. It has all the things that make a rom-com great. But it felt like the longest book I've ever read and I just could not wait for the ending. Livvy inherits her grandmother's mansion but she has to jump through some hoops to finalize the bequest. Sean wants the mansion for his newest B&B project and is working as the 'maid' at the mansion hoping to finalize all his plans. He didn't count on a menagerie of rescue animals, a host of clues taking them through the mansion, or falling in love with the heiress. Standalone, HEA.
September 24, 2021
Sean ends up losing a bet & has to pretend to be a maid in Livvy’s new house filled with a menagerie of animals. However, the house isn’t hers yet, she has to do a scavenger hunt before anything is signed, & Sean ends up helping her.
However, she doesn’t know that it’s really in Sean’s best interests if she loses the house.
Added to this is the fact that they’re both quite attracted to each other...
It was quite predictable, & at times a bit long. However, there were some cute & funny parts in it, so it was worth reading.
However, she doesn’t know that it’s really in Sean’s best interests if she loses the house.
Added to this is the fact that they’re both quite attracted to each other...
It was quite predictable, & at times a bit long. However, there were some cute & funny parts in it, so it was worth reading.
February 23, 2021
Cute and entertaining are the words that best describe What a Woman Wants. There’s plenty of humor, too. The entire book is based on a poker bet, who loses, and what happens after the loss. There’s a treasure hunt worth a fortune, literally. The characters are engaging. The story isn’t really anything new, but there are a few twists. There’s nothing out of the ordinary or that makes this one stand out. All in all, it’s a good, average read.
February 24, 2021
Good romance about a woman who felt rejected by her family and a man who feels like he is the least of his three brothers. They come together when she inherits her family's mansion--with conditions--and he plans to turn it in to a resort. He has lost a bet and has to be a caretaker at the mansion while she is trying to satisfy her grandmother's conditions. While the attraction is there, tyey have competing goals. Lots of fun moments with comedy.
December 20, 2020
Poor little rich girl
Interesting story of a girl who may get a large inheritance. Her grandmother set up a type of treasure hunt she has to complete to inherit the family estate. Then there is the guy who has invested three years and lots of money in a plan to turn the estate into a luxury hotel.
Interesting story of a girl who may get a large inheritance. Her grandmother set up a type of treasure hunt she has to complete to inherit the family estate. Then there is the guy who has invested three years and lots of money in a plan to turn the estate into a luxury hotel.
February 28, 2021
this was fun, but had a lot of slow spots. A poker bet, that causes the Manley men to take up house cleaning for their sisters company for 4 weeks. A treasure hunt, lots of animals and a big old mansion to search make it a fun read. It’s a good, read for a slow rainy day.
December 2, 2021
Funny, funny, funny!!! Sweet, steamy, steamy, sweet!!!
Very enjoyable and humorous. Loved watching Livvy's and Sean's relationship grow, ping-ponging back and forth from her point of view to his. The animals were truly cooky. Interesting back stories, great ending.
Very enjoyable and humorous. Loved watching Livvy's and Sean's relationship grow, ping-ponging back and forth from her point of view to his. The animals were truly cooky. Interesting back stories, great ending.
April 25, 2020
The beginning and end were good, but the middle drug on and on.
February 25, 2021
An easy read with a some quirky humour and entertaining animals! Gave me just enough to want to read more in the series
July 27, 2021
Love this author
Great book. Love the humor the love and the paths that shoot off into small stories. Can't wait to see what happens in the next books
Great book. Love the humor the love and the paths that shoot off into small stories. Can't wait to see what happens in the next books
August 7, 2023
This one was slow going for me to get into. Despite the slow start and Sean being so aggravating, the ending was well worth it.
September 25, 2025
I found this a difficult book to read, mainly because I didn’t particularly like the characters.
August 6, 2016
What a Woman Wants was a fun, sweet and gigglesnort-worthy read. Yall I had such a good time with this one. After seeing the premise of the series--a trio of brothers losing a poker game to their baby sister and having to work for her cleaning company as maids for a month--I was all in. It just sounded...fun and light hearted and like something I'd enjoy. And it delivered on every count!
So the quick of it is that Sean has been in negotiations to buy a piece of property but the owner up and dies before things are finalized and much to his dismay has left the property to her estranged granddaughter--if said granddaughter can figure out a string of riddles before time is up. And in comes Livvy--who will be his boss for the next month thanks to that bet he lost-- and her whole menagerie of crazy animals--from geese to alpaca and cheeky birds. Leaving poor Sean all in a tither and questioning his plans to talk her into letting him have the property as originally planned or convincing her she deserves her birthright and her ancestral home. Ahh yeah. It was a fun little ride for these two.
Sean was quite the hero. I really loved this guy. Even though he wasn't an animal person there at the start and was utterly horrified by them he's an entertaining one. He's hard working, all kinds of sexy and fighting a fierce battle with himself over his attraction to Livvy and his desire to own her estate. And in a different twist he's also dyslexic. I thought that was an interesting addition and brought a great layer to his character as he worked around his dyslexia and dealt with both the "physical" problems and emotional issues that came with it. Though I do wish it had been explored a bit more and she'd found out about his dyslexia. A bit of a missed opportunity there in my opinion.
Livvy took me a little while to warm up to. She's fighting a lot of hurts and insecurities where her family is concerned and has quite the chip on her shoulder when she first arrived and it caused a good bit of emotional waffling on her part on if she wanted to fight for her inheritance or give a big 'screw you' to her Gram and walk away which after a spell got a bit tedious. She's a health nut too which can drive me a little batty. But she's also kind hearted, creative, fun to be around and absolutely adores her herd of animals which is something I can totally relate to and in the end won me over.
I enjoyed these two together. They balance each other out nicely-she mellows him a bit and he keeps her focused. And I enjoyed watching them discover the clues her grandmother had left and having to deal with real life things like caring for the animals--who were an absolute riot and endearingly naughty-- cleaning and keeping up with their jobs. And I loved seeing her finally heal from all the abandonment issues over the years because of her family with his help--I was bawling there at the end (well done, Judi, well done lol). Things eventually heat up very nicely but for a good portion of the book there's not more than some heavy kissing--though that was real nice too.
All in all, this one was cute and kept me smiling. I really enjoyed What a Woman Wants and can't wait to see what happens with the rest of Sean's siblings as they take on their clients and the role of maids for a month to settle things up with their baby sister. From the little teasers during the book they sound like they're going to be incredible reads.
Reviewed for herding cats & burning soup.
So the quick of it is that Sean has been in negotiations to buy a piece of property but the owner up and dies before things are finalized and much to his dismay has left the property to her estranged granddaughter--if said granddaughter can figure out a string of riddles before time is up. And in comes Livvy--who will be his boss for the next month thanks to that bet he lost-- and her whole menagerie of crazy animals--from geese to alpaca and cheeky birds. Leaving poor Sean all in a tither and questioning his plans to talk her into letting him have the property as originally planned or convincing her she deserves her birthright and her ancestral home. Ahh yeah. It was a fun little ride for these two.
Oh hell. The animals were doing it in the middle of the room. On the half-eaten rug.
Sean started laughing. Insanity. Crazy, absurd insanity. Here he was in a room furnished with priceless antiques, planning to convert it into a reception room for no-expenses-spared weddings, and there was alpaca copulation going on. And one of the sexiest women he'd seen in a long time--whom he'd just kissed at great risk to his job and his company's future--was standing there in almost see-through wet clothing with a parrot on her shoulder.
A singing parrot. Whose off-key rendition of "I'm in the Mood for Love" was hysterically appropriate.
"Shh! Orwell! Bad boy! Bad boy!" Livvy tried to clamp the parrot's beak shut. "Ow!"
Yeah, she wasn't successful.
But Rhett, ol' boy, sure was. With a back-shivering grunt the alpaca removed himself from his lady, then took to preening around the room as if he'd just performed the greatest service int he world.
Sean glanced at Livvy, whose nipples were still outlined beneath her shirt. He wasn't about to begrudge Rhett one second of crowing. Lord knew, he'd do the same thing if it wouldn't get him fired--making love to her and crowing about it, that was.
Sean was quite the hero. I really loved this guy. Even though he wasn't an animal person there at the start and was utterly horrified by them he's an entertaining one. He's hard working, all kinds of sexy and fighting a fierce battle with himself over his attraction to Livvy and his desire to own her estate. And in a different twist he's also dyslexic. I thought that was an interesting addition and brought a great layer to his character as he worked around his dyslexia and dealt with both the "physical" problems and emotional issues that came with it. Though I do wish it had been explored a bit more and she'd found out about his dyslexia. A bit of a missed opportunity there in my opinion.
Livvy took me a little while to warm up to. She's fighting a lot of hurts and insecurities where her family is concerned and has quite the chip on her shoulder when she first arrived and it caused a good bit of emotional waffling on her part on if she wanted to fight for her inheritance or give a big 'screw you' to her Gram and walk away which after a spell got a bit tedious. She's a health nut too which can drive me a little batty. But she's also kind hearted, creative, fun to be around and absolutely adores her herd of animals which is something I can totally relate to and in the end won me over.
I enjoyed these two together. They balance each other out nicely-she mellows him a bit and he keeps her focused. And I enjoyed watching them discover the clues her grandmother had left and having to deal with real life things like caring for the animals--who were an absolute riot and endearingly naughty-- cleaning and keeping up with their jobs. And I loved seeing her finally heal from all the abandonment issues over the years because of her family with his help--I was bawling there at the end (well done, Judi, well done lol). Things eventually heat up very nicely but for a good portion of the book there's not more than some heavy kissing--though that was real nice too.
All in all, this one was cute and kept me smiling. I really enjoyed What a Woman Wants and can't wait to see what happens with the rest of Sean's siblings as they take on their clients and the role of maids for a month to settle things up with their baby sister. From the little teasers during the book they sound like they're going to be incredible reads.
Reviewed for herding cats & burning soup.
March 10, 2014
Rating: B Liked It, Recommend
Originally posted at That's What I'm Talking About
Review copy provided by NetGalley
Judi Fennell introduces readers to the Manley sibling via a short prologue at the start of her newest title, What a Woman Wants. Sister Mary-Alice Catherine (Mac) challenges each of her older siblings: Sean, Bryan, and Liam, to working for her maid service company for 4 weeks if she wins the poker hand, and of course, she is successful.
What a Woman Wants shares brother Sean’s story while he “serves his time” cleaning and maintaining the historic Martinson property. His Heritage Corporation buys historic buildings and converts them to bed & breakfasts. Now he has his eye on the expansive Martinson site, having spent nearly a year working with Merriweather Martinson on a sales agreement for her estate prior to her death.
Meanwhile Merriweather’s granddaughter, Olivia (Livvy) Carolla, arrives at the estate after finding out she will inherit the property, if she satisfactorily completes a scavenger-like puzzle Merriweather stipulated in her will. Livvy has no love-loss for her grandmother, whom she hasn’t seen since she was a small child and is torn on whether or not she wants to live in the home where she felt shunned her whole life. Thinking she has an ally in Sean, Livvy shares the journey with him, enlisting his help to solve the puzzle.
What a Woman Wants is a delightful contemporary romp with an easy-going story and smoothed-edged conflicts. The story is a quick read, with few twists and turns, but packed with enough enjoyable fluff to make me smile. While the story focuses on the relationship of Livvy and Sean, the book (and the series) is grounded in the ties of close-knit kin with strong moral values and sense of family.
Livvy had a rough childhood: shipped off to boarding schools and never knowing anyone in her family. Yet she turned out to be a kind and caring woman. She is an “earthy-crunchy” gal: organic farmer and baker. She owns several (dozens) of animals, who are her life. At times she can be a bit of a train-wreck, but has her head firmly on her shoulders.
Likewise, Sean has a plan and expects success. While he initially plots to win the house out from under Livvy, his strong sense of family values instilled in him by his grandmother, won’t allow him to do anything to jeopardize Livvy. I adore how his instinct for survival meshes with his natural chivalrous nature.
Each experiences an immediate attraction for the other, which was steamy at times, but a bit over-the-top also. I don't read contemporaries often at all, so maybe this is normal, but it seems like Sean's immediate and insanely strong attraction to Livvy is unrealistic. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the kissing. However, his feelings (via his POV) seem extreme for someone he just met and even says to himself is "not his usual type."
As the story progresses, their mutual lust pulls and pushes as they circle one another, simultaneously fighting and indulging in their feelings. I found I enjoyed Livvy’s devil-may-care attitude as she makes her intentions towards Sean apparent. And I also adored the prolonged flirtation, which allows the pair to get to know one another before sex… However, after a while, I found myself growing weary of the whole “I want to, but shouldn’t” inner monologues from Sean. His hot then cold attitude and desires became repetitious after a while.
Sean and Livvy’s journey discovering the family and estate’s history is fun, and different from anything I’ve read before. While the clues are a bit silly, the scavenger hunt is a great tool, which allows the characters to grow in a short period of time. I did get confused a couple of times on the follow-through (or lack there of) on some of the puzzle pieces, but generally, it made for an entertaining plot. I do wish there had been a little more follow up on a couple of items, but there aren’t any major loose ends when all is said and done.
The ending is perfect, and this is where Ms. Fennell excels. She makes the sweet, and even sappy, something enjoyable and heart-warming. As everything comes to light, I found myself with a few tears in my eyes. I feel that What a Woman Wants is a simple, yet engaging story filled with light-hearted romance. It made me smile.
Originally posted at That's What I'm Talking About
Review copy provided by NetGalley
Judi Fennell introduces readers to the Manley sibling via a short prologue at the start of her newest title, What a Woman Wants. Sister Mary-Alice Catherine (Mac) challenges each of her older siblings: Sean, Bryan, and Liam, to working for her maid service company for 4 weeks if she wins the poker hand, and of course, she is successful.
What a Woman Wants shares brother Sean’s story while he “serves his time” cleaning and maintaining the historic Martinson property. His Heritage Corporation buys historic buildings and converts them to bed & breakfasts. Now he has his eye on the expansive Martinson site, having spent nearly a year working with Merriweather Martinson on a sales agreement for her estate prior to her death.
Meanwhile Merriweather’s granddaughter, Olivia (Livvy) Carolla, arrives at the estate after finding out she will inherit the property, if she satisfactorily completes a scavenger-like puzzle Merriweather stipulated in her will. Livvy has no love-loss for her grandmother, whom she hasn’t seen since she was a small child and is torn on whether or not she wants to live in the home where she felt shunned her whole life. Thinking she has an ally in Sean, Livvy shares the journey with him, enlisting his help to solve the puzzle.
What a Woman Wants is a delightful contemporary romp with an easy-going story and smoothed-edged conflicts. The story is a quick read, with few twists and turns, but packed with enough enjoyable fluff to make me smile. While the story focuses on the relationship of Livvy and Sean, the book (and the series) is grounded in the ties of close-knit kin with strong moral values and sense of family.
Livvy had a rough childhood: shipped off to boarding schools and never knowing anyone in her family. Yet she turned out to be a kind and caring woman. She is an “earthy-crunchy” gal: organic farmer and baker. She owns several (dozens) of animals, who are her life. At times she can be a bit of a train-wreck, but has her head firmly on her shoulders.
Likewise, Sean has a plan and expects success. While he initially plots to win the house out from under Livvy, his strong sense of family values instilled in him by his grandmother, won’t allow him to do anything to jeopardize Livvy. I adore how his instinct for survival meshes with his natural chivalrous nature.
Each experiences an immediate attraction for the other, which was steamy at times, but a bit over-the-top also. I don't read contemporaries often at all, so maybe this is normal, but it seems like Sean's immediate and insanely strong attraction to Livvy is unrealistic. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the kissing. However, his feelings (via his POV) seem extreme for someone he just met and even says to himself is "not his usual type."
As the story progresses, their mutual lust pulls and pushes as they circle one another, simultaneously fighting and indulging in their feelings. I found I enjoyed Livvy’s devil-may-care attitude as she makes her intentions towards Sean apparent. And I also adored the prolonged flirtation, which allows the pair to get to know one another before sex… However, after a while, I found myself growing weary of the whole “I want to, but shouldn’t” inner monologues from Sean. His hot then cold attitude and desires became repetitious after a while.
Sean and Livvy’s journey discovering the family and estate’s history is fun, and different from anything I’ve read before. While the clues are a bit silly, the scavenger hunt is a great tool, which allows the characters to grow in a short period of time. I did get confused a couple of times on the follow-through (or lack there of) on some of the puzzle pieces, but generally, it made for an entertaining plot. I do wish there had been a little more follow up on a couple of items, but there aren’t any major loose ends when all is said and done.
The ending is perfect, and this is where Ms. Fennell excels. She makes the sweet, and even sappy, something enjoyable and heart-warming. As everything comes to light, I found myself with a few tears in my eyes. I feel that What a Woman Wants is a simple, yet engaging story filled with light-hearted romance. It made me smile.
March 14, 2014
Author, Judi Fennell brings readers the first book in a new series. What a Woman Wants is the first book in the Manley Maids series and features three brothers who have lost a poker hand to their sister and become maids for a month as part of her business. With a premise like that, how could you go wrong? Fennell's sense of humor is on the goofy side and makes for a light-hearted, feel good romance. With more than one sizzling moment, a scavenger hunt that could result in a million dollar estate, and a gaggle of naughty pets, this book has a little something for everyone. Fennell shines with her newest book and will have readers in tears with giggles!
What I liked:
I absolutely loved the premise for this one. The three brothers, Sean, Bryan and Liam Manley should have known better than to risk maid service on a hand of poker, but I'm glad they didn't. Judi Fennell comes up with a plot that is fresh and original. I loved the overall story arc and can't wait to see the experiences of all three brothers unfold.
What a Woman Wants focuses on Sean's four weeks as maid at a beautiful historic estate. His company buys and sells historic homes and he has had his eye on this one for awhile. When the matron dies and leaves it to her wayward granddaughter, Sean becomes determined to buy it at a reduced rate when said granddaughter cannot complete the task required to inherit. That was before his met Livvy (said granddaughter) and before he realizes that making his dream come true will probably dash her dream of having a bakery and a place for her eccentric group of pets. Fennell does an amazing job of setting all of this up so that these characters get the chance to get to know each other and fall in love.
Sean is a confident business man. He knows what he wants and how to get it. But he morals as well and won't stoop to taking the estate away from Livvy. I liked the fact that it created a bit of conflict because he really wanted this property, but he wasn't willing to compromise what he believed was right. There aren't too many men like that left these days and it was a nice change to see the good guy finishing first this time.
Livvy was a basket case for the most part. She has been left a mansion by a grandmother she hardly knew. She was shipped off to boarding school and never really knew he family and it has made her into a hard nosed, stubborn woman. All she really wants is enough money to start her bakery and settle down with her large array of animals. In order to do that she needs to follows the clues and complete a scavenger hunt that is the stipulation to her inheritance. Fennell writes Livvy as somewhat of a free spirit. She has a deep love for animals and wants to be an organic farmer and baker. I loved her character and thought her issues were compelling and definitely entertaining.
The scavenger hunt was ingenious way to get the lead characters together. Livvy enlists the help of the maid, Sean to help her find the clues, not knowing he may have secret motives. Fennell provides so much humor in this book, I found myself snickering a lot and laughing out loud a few times. The antics of Livvy's animals alone was enough to have readers in stitches. I thought her use of humor really livened up the story and gave is a real heart warming feeling. It was a fun and entertaining read.
What I didn't like:
There was a bit of cat and mouse being played by both Sean and Livvy. They are extremely attracted to each other but they continue to hem and haw around a bit too much for my tastes. Life is short, go for it! LOL! It wasn't a deal breaker, though. This was a great book.
Bottom Line:
Who wouldn't want a hunk to be their maid for a month? With a great premise and loads of humor, this a great feel good romance that will have readers laughing and tearing up by turns. The ending is amazing and I can't wait to see what happens to Sean's brothers.
What I liked:
I absolutely loved the premise for this one. The three brothers, Sean, Bryan and Liam Manley should have known better than to risk maid service on a hand of poker, but I'm glad they didn't. Judi Fennell comes up with a plot that is fresh and original. I loved the overall story arc and can't wait to see the experiences of all three brothers unfold.
What a Woman Wants focuses on Sean's four weeks as maid at a beautiful historic estate. His company buys and sells historic homes and he has had his eye on this one for awhile. When the matron dies and leaves it to her wayward granddaughter, Sean becomes determined to buy it at a reduced rate when said granddaughter cannot complete the task required to inherit. That was before his met Livvy (said granddaughter) and before he realizes that making his dream come true will probably dash her dream of having a bakery and a place for her eccentric group of pets. Fennell does an amazing job of setting all of this up so that these characters get the chance to get to know each other and fall in love.
Sean is a confident business man. He knows what he wants and how to get it. But he morals as well and won't stoop to taking the estate away from Livvy. I liked the fact that it created a bit of conflict because he really wanted this property, but he wasn't willing to compromise what he believed was right. There aren't too many men like that left these days and it was a nice change to see the good guy finishing first this time.
Livvy was a basket case for the most part. She has been left a mansion by a grandmother she hardly knew. She was shipped off to boarding school and never really knew he family and it has made her into a hard nosed, stubborn woman. All she really wants is enough money to start her bakery and settle down with her large array of animals. In order to do that she needs to follows the clues and complete a scavenger hunt that is the stipulation to her inheritance. Fennell writes Livvy as somewhat of a free spirit. She has a deep love for animals and wants to be an organic farmer and baker. I loved her character and thought her issues were compelling and definitely entertaining.
The scavenger hunt was ingenious way to get the lead characters together. Livvy enlists the help of the maid, Sean to help her find the clues, not knowing he may have secret motives. Fennell provides so much humor in this book, I found myself snickering a lot and laughing out loud a few times. The antics of Livvy's animals alone was enough to have readers in stitches. I thought her use of humor really livened up the story and gave is a real heart warming feeling. It was a fun and entertaining read.
What I didn't like:
There was a bit of cat and mouse being played by both Sean and Livvy. They are extremely attracted to each other but they continue to hem and haw around a bit too much for my tastes. Life is short, go for it! LOL! It wasn't a deal breaker, though. This was a great book.
Bottom Line:
Who wouldn't want a hunk to be their maid for a month? With a great premise and loads of humor, this a great feel good romance that will have readers laughing and tearing up by turns. The ending is amazing and I can't wait to see what happens to Sean's brothers.
April 7, 2014
My Take on this Journey:
What a Woman Wants, by Judi Fennell, was a quick, fun, exciting journey into the world of entrepreneurs and sexy male maids. This is the first of a three brother trilogy about the Manley brothers. Sean, Bryan, and Liam Manley are put under the gun when they lose a poker bet to their younger sister, Mac. Mac wins the bet, and all three brothers are now indebted to her for a period of one month each, as house maids. The first story is about Sean, who is a resort entrepreneur, who buys historic mansions and turns them into resorts. Sean has had a Historic Mansion in mind for quite some time. The Martinson Estate, owned by the previous owner, Grandmother Meriweather Martinson. Her granddaughter, Livvy Carolla, has inherited the Mansion, but wants to make a quick sale, and fulfill her dreams of opening her own bakery. She has no interest in the estate, and has had no relationship with her Grandmother or her parents since she was a child.
Livvy was abandoned to boarding schools since a young child, left, and forgotten in her eyes. She feels no connection to this woman, but bad memories. She remembers the Estate, from when she was a child, but it carries no sentiment for her. Her down home feeling is wonderfully refreshing. She is all about the organic life. She wants to open an organic bakery and run an organic farm. Livvy has one big obstacle ahead of her, and that is a conditional will left by her grandmother that leads her on the scavenger hunt of her life. What happens is that Grandmother Meriweather was a very wise matchmaker of a woman who had an agenda. Along this scavenger hunt, Sean Manley is ushered in as an ally, by Livvy, to help her find the answers to the clues, so she can unload this mansion and get what she wants. Little does she know, that Sean has an agenda of his own, and may not be helping her for the right reasons. Meriweather just might get what she wanted for her granddaughter Livvy after all. Poor Livvys' only real friends are her menagerie of humorous, foul mouth birds, and animals, that she hauls along with her to the mansion.
This first installment of the Manley Maids has a lot of laugh out loud humor. I enjoyed the journey, the cat and mouse games, the obstacles that had to be overcome, and the cunning of the deceased Grandmother. There were some underhanded schemes, steam filled moments, suspense filled drama, and crazy animals, all in for the this quirky ride to freedom. There is a lot of character growth. Sean learns that being on top, getting what he wants, is not always what he needs. Family is most important, and Livvy makes him realize that, though he fights those feelings along the way. Eventually, his life lesson in integrity wins out and Sean becomes a beloved character with some great assets! I look forward to the next installment in the series and was pleasantly surprised by Ms. Fennells first segment in the series.
I give, What a Woman Wants, by Judi Fennell, 4 Fast Paced, Crazy Ride, Fun Filled, Exhilerating Moments with a Sexy Manley Maid Stars!!!
What a Woman Wants, by Judi Fennell, was a quick, fun, exciting journey into the world of entrepreneurs and sexy male maids. This is the first of a three brother trilogy about the Manley brothers. Sean, Bryan, and Liam Manley are put under the gun when they lose a poker bet to their younger sister, Mac. Mac wins the bet, and all three brothers are now indebted to her for a period of one month each, as house maids. The first story is about Sean, who is a resort entrepreneur, who buys historic mansions and turns them into resorts. Sean has had a Historic Mansion in mind for quite some time. The Martinson Estate, owned by the previous owner, Grandmother Meriweather Martinson. Her granddaughter, Livvy Carolla, has inherited the Mansion, but wants to make a quick sale, and fulfill her dreams of opening her own bakery. She has no interest in the estate, and has had no relationship with her Grandmother or her parents since she was a child.
Livvy was abandoned to boarding schools since a young child, left, and forgotten in her eyes. She feels no connection to this woman, but bad memories. She remembers the Estate, from when she was a child, but it carries no sentiment for her. Her down home feeling is wonderfully refreshing. She is all about the organic life. She wants to open an organic bakery and run an organic farm. Livvy has one big obstacle ahead of her, and that is a conditional will left by her grandmother that leads her on the scavenger hunt of her life. What happens is that Grandmother Meriweather was a very wise matchmaker of a woman who had an agenda. Along this scavenger hunt, Sean Manley is ushered in as an ally, by Livvy, to help her find the answers to the clues, so she can unload this mansion and get what she wants. Little does she know, that Sean has an agenda of his own, and may not be helping her for the right reasons. Meriweather just might get what she wanted for her granddaughter Livvy after all. Poor Livvys' only real friends are her menagerie of humorous, foul mouth birds, and animals, that she hauls along with her to the mansion.
This first installment of the Manley Maids has a lot of laugh out loud humor. I enjoyed the journey, the cat and mouse games, the obstacles that had to be overcome, and the cunning of the deceased Grandmother. There were some underhanded schemes, steam filled moments, suspense filled drama, and crazy animals, all in for the this quirky ride to freedom. There is a lot of character growth. Sean learns that being on top, getting what he wants, is not always what he needs. Family is most important, and Livvy makes him realize that, though he fights those feelings along the way. Eventually, his life lesson in integrity wins out and Sean becomes a beloved character with some great assets! I look forward to the next installment in the series and was pleasantly surprised by Ms. Fennells first segment in the series.
I give, What a Woman Wants, by Judi Fennell, 4 Fast Paced, Crazy Ride, Fun Filled, Exhilerating Moments with a Sexy Manley Maid Stars!!!
March 10, 2014
The prologue shares how the three Manley brothers’ find themselves working as maids for their little sister and I will leave you to discover the how and why. Sean Manley is a resort entrepreneur and decides to pay his dues at the Martinson estate. He has big plans for the estate and none of them include Livvy. Livvy Carolla hasn’t been back to the estate since she was a child and now it’s her inheritance. She fully intends to sell it to the highest bidder and say good riddance. Her grandmother has other plans, and in order to inherit the mansion, Livvy will have to meet the conditions of the will. Will Sean help or hinder her? Will Livy run from her past or embrace it? The tale that unfolds has a quest, an unusual herd of animals and quite possibly a happy ending.
Fennell presented us with two lovable and flawed characters. Sean Manley looks dreamy in his tight maid uniform. I envisioned Sean vacuuming while I watched from my chase lounge by the fire. He is successful, confidant and close to his family. Livvy lives in a co-op and bakes the finest desserts and breads you have ever tasted. She is a free spirit, lover of animals and very organic. She has abandonment issues thanks to her parents and grandmother. The physical attraction between them was electric from the beginning providing us with some delicious chemistry. Livvy was enchanting despite her issues, and you couldn’t help but smile at her antics. Sean struggles between his business aspirations and his attraction to Livvy. We see character growth as the relationship develops. While the romance developed quickly, Fennell did a good job of making it feel genuine. We briefly meet Sean’s brothers, sister and grandmother, and I am looking forward to learning their stories. The herd, oh my! Calling all animal lovers, you will adore the herd. From peacocks to a dirty mouthed parrot they were a hoot and added humor and tenderness to the story.
What a Woman Wants was a delightful tale that is sure to make you smile. The terms of the will were interesting and added a little suspense and a twist for the romance. The overall ARC of the series regarding the three brothers as maids is hilarious. I really connected with Livvy and enjoyed her from her naughty thoughts to her crazy herd. The romance was sweet, with moments of heat. It was a feel good romance with some sappy, gooey moments that made me smile. There were threads that were left unanswered which disappointed me. Sean has a disability, and I wish it had been more thoroughly addressed. We learn a little about the sister and grandmother scheming, and I would have loved to learn more. I am hoping we get the details about this scheme in a future novel. The pacing was well done, and I easily consumed this. The conflict and climax were enjoyable although we knew all along what could shatter this relationship. What a Woman Wants left me with a smile on my face.
Copy received from publisher in exchange for unbiased review that originally published @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer
Fennell presented us with two lovable and flawed characters. Sean Manley looks dreamy in his tight maid uniform. I envisioned Sean vacuuming while I watched from my chase lounge by the fire. He is successful, confidant and close to his family. Livvy lives in a co-op and bakes the finest desserts and breads you have ever tasted. She is a free spirit, lover of animals and very organic. She has abandonment issues thanks to her parents and grandmother. The physical attraction between them was electric from the beginning providing us with some delicious chemistry. Livvy was enchanting despite her issues, and you couldn’t help but smile at her antics. Sean struggles between his business aspirations and his attraction to Livvy. We see character growth as the relationship develops. While the romance developed quickly, Fennell did a good job of making it feel genuine. We briefly meet Sean’s brothers, sister and grandmother, and I am looking forward to learning their stories. The herd, oh my! Calling all animal lovers, you will adore the herd. From peacocks to a dirty mouthed parrot they were a hoot and added humor and tenderness to the story.
What a Woman Wants was a delightful tale that is sure to make you smile. The terms of the will were interesting and added a little suspense and a twist for the romance. The overall ARC of the series regarding the three brothers as maids is hilarious. I really connected with Livvy and enjoyed her from her naughty thoughts to her crazy herd. The romance was sweet, with moments of heat. It was a feel good romance with some sappy, gooey moments that made me smile. There were threads that were left unanswered which disappointed me. Sean has a disability, and I wish it had been more thoroughly addressed. We learn a little about the sister and grandmother scheming, and I would have loved to learn more. I am hoping we get the details about this scheme in a future novel. The pacing was well done, and I easily consumed this. The conflict and climax were enjoyable although we knew all along what could shatter this relationship. What a Woman Wants left me with a smile on my face.
Copy received from publisher in exchange for unbiased review that originally published @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer
April 18, 2014
3.25 Stars
A cute start to a fun series featuring brothers who are successful business men in their own right but have a sister who can hold her own with them, and when they lose a bet she gets to make the rules.
Sean Patrick Manley is working for Manley Maids, a cleaning service his sister Mary Alice Catherine, or MAC, owns. At first he is upset but when he finds out which house he is assigned he jumps at the chance. His company, Heritage Corp, has been interested in the Martinson’s mansion for awhile and has invested money in order to buy and fix it up as a Bed and Breakfast. It is unfortunate that he finds out that Merriweather Martinson has left her estate to her granddaughter.
Livvy Carolla, Merriweather’s granddaughter has mixed feelings about her inheritance. Merriweather rarely acknowledge her granddaughter, as Livvy was the product of an illicit relationship, and left her in a boarding school for her younger years. The fact that Livvy wants nothing to do with the family stems from her feelings of rejection. She is ready to inherit the estate and sell it to get on with her life and start her own business, a place that produces organic bakery products, but there is one stipulation, she must complete a scavenger hunt and when she goes to the estate she is greeted by a very sexy house cleaner.
What a Woman Wants is a cute romance that begins a series that has a lot of promise. I like the premise of sexy alpha brothers that loose a bet and must work for their sister and while they are working may just meet their HEA.
I like Sean, he is a sexy good guy that loves his family and is ready to jump start his corporation with the purchase of the Martinson’s mansion, he just needs to keep quiet long enough for Livvy to fail in her hunt, but he finds he likes her and wants to help. He comes across as this strong business man but by the end of the story he is a softy who wants Livvy to succeed. He is attracted to her from the start and the feeling seems mutual but he hold himself back because of the guilt he feels. Livvy is harder to like, she is very bitter toward her family and shows it in all her glory. I also did not like her menagerie of animals that seem to live in the house, yuck. The romance is nice but since there is the big issue between them, that she knows nothing about until the very end, it takes awhile to manifest and seems forced.
The Manley family is the type of family I enjoy reading about, a close knit group that shares their lives, their humor and their love and you can tell when they are together. I am excited about the other stories in the series as I enjoyed meeting the siblings.
Overall this is cute, funny and warm but stumbles a bit with the chaos of her animals and the stifled romance, and does she every find out about his reading issues? I will be picking up the next book in the series as I like the premise and Bryan seems to be totally out of his element in his house cleaning assignment.
Copy from publisher for an honest review
A cute start to a fun series featuring brothers who are successful business men in their own right but have a sister who can hold her own with them, and when they lose a bet she gets to make the rules.
Sean Patrick Manley is working for Manley Maids, a cleaning service his sister Mary Alice Catherine, or MAC, owns. At first he is upset but when he finds out which house he is assigned he jumps at the chance. His company, Heritage Corp, has been interested in the Martinson’s mansion for awhile and has invested money in order to buy and fix it up as a Bed and Breakfast. It is unfortunate that he finds out that Merriweather Martinson has left her estate to her granddaughter.
Livvy Carolla, Merriweather’s granddaughter has mixed feelings about her inheritance. Merriweather rarely acknowledge her granddaughter, as Livvy was the product of an illicit relationship, and left her in a boarding school for her younger years. The fact that Livvy wants nothing to do with the family stems from her feelings of rejection. She is ready to inherit the estate and sell it to get on with her life and start her own business, a place that produces organic bakery products, but there is one stipulation, she must complete a scavenger hunt and when she goes to the estate she is greeted by a very sexy house cleaner.
What a Woman Wants is a cute romance that begins a series that has a lot of promise. I like the premise of sexy alpha brothers that loose a bet and must work for their sister and while they are working may just meet their HEA.
I like Sean, he is a sexy good guy that loves his family and is ready to jump start his corporation with the purchase of the Martinson’s mansion, he just needs to keep quiet long enough for Livvy to fail in her hunt, but he finds he likes her and wants to help. He comes across as this strong business man but by the end of the story he is a softy who wants Livvy to succeed. He is attracted to her from the start and the feeling seems mutual but he hold himself back because of the guilt he feels. Livvy is harder to like, she is very bitter toward her family and shows it in all her glory. I also did not like her menagerie of animals that seem to live in the house, yuck. The romance is nice but since there is the big issue between them, that she knows nothing about until the very end, it takes awhile to manifest and seems forced.
The Manley family is the type of family I enjoy reading about, a close knit group that shares their lives, their humor and their love and you can tell when they are together. I am excited about the other stories in the series as I enjoyed meeting the siblings.
Overall this is cute, funny and warm but stumbles a bit with the chaos of her animals and the stifled romance, and does she every find out about his reading issues? I will be picking up the next book in the series as I like the premise and Bryan seems to be totally out of his element in his house cleaning assignment.
Copy from publisher for an honest review
June 2, 2014
What a Woman Wants, Manley Maids #1, by Judi Fennell
Grade: C-
“I’m not luring anyone. If he wants me, he’s going to let me know. I’m done throwing myself out there for people to trample all over.”
Sean Manley never thought he would lose a bet to his little sister and end up working for her new maid service but when a property on the client list turns out to be one Sean needs for his company he thinks his luck has changed. Sean is shocked when the owner passes away leaving the estate to her granddaughter she never acknowledged and now Sean will do whatever he can to make sure the inheritance doesn’t go through. When Livvy Carolla shows up she is nothing like Sean expected and she turns his world and heart upside down and he will have to decide how far he will go to further his career and if he can hurt Livvy in the process.
Livvy Carolla is the product of girl from the wrong side of the tracks gets pregnant by the rich boy home for the summer and was shipped off to boarding school never having a relationship with her parents or grandmother. Livvy is shocked that her grandmother left her estate to her but is not shocked to find out she has to find clues her grandmother left in order to inherit. With the help of the very sexy maid Sean Livvy embarks on a quest to learn about her family’s history and finds herself softing to not only the family she’s never known but also to the maid who has helped change her life.
I had high expectations for this book but I was sadly very disappointed. I loved that Meg tricks her brothers into a bet that results in them working for her new maid service and finding love with the women they are working for. The problem that I had was with Sean and Livvy. I found them both annoying especially Sean who was annoying and a jerk. All Sean thinks about is himself until the very end and he made me want to stop reading many times.Sean’s attitude towards Livvy also bothered me a lot and I never really believed that he actually liked her let alone loved her.
I liked Livvy at first even though I found her large pack of animals weird and annoying. I like animals don’t get me wrong but they seemed like they were just there to provide a dose of comedy which I felt they failed to do. Livvy is a free spirit with a lot of past baggage that she never seems to deal with. She has lots of issues due to her parents abandoning her as a child and being shipped away to boarding school and she just tries to put on a big front and acts like falling in love fixed everything. A lot of things never get discussed or get a conclusion and this just really bugged me.
I am not sure if I am going to continue this series since I really struggled with this book and the next one features Sean’s movie star brother Bryan who I didn’t really like the times he made a cameo in this book. I wanted to like this book but sadly it just didn’t work for me.
Grade: C-
“I’m not luring anyone. If he wants me, he’s going to let me know. I’m done throwing myself out there for people to trample all over.”
Sean Manley never thought he would lose a bet to his little sister and end up working for her new maid service but when a property on the client list turns out to be one Sean needs for his company he thinks his luck has changed. Sean is shocked when the owner passes away leaving the estate to her granddaughter she never acknowledged and now Sean will do whatever he can to make sure the inheritance doesn’t go through. When Livvy Carolla shows up she is nothing like Sean expected and she turns his world and heart upside down and he will have to decide how far he will go to further his career and if he can hurt Livvy in the process.
Livvy Carolla is the product of girl from the wrong side of the tracks gets pregnant by the rich boy home for the summer and was shipped off to boarding school never having a relationship with her parents or grandmother. Livvy is shocked that her grandmother left her estate to her but is not shocked to find out she has to find clues her grandmother left in order to inherit. With the help of the very sexy maid Sean Livvy embarks on a quest to learn about her family’s history and finds herself softing to not only the family she’s never known but also to the maid who has helped change her life.
I had high expectations for this book but I was sadly very disappointed. I loved that Meg tricks her brothers into a bet that results in them working for her new maid service and finding love with the women they are working for. The problem that I had was with Sean and Livvy. I found them both annoying especially Sean who was annoying and a jerk. All Sean thinks about is himself until the very end and he made me want to stop reading many times.Sean’s attitude towards Livvy also bothered me a lot and I never really believed that he actually liked her let alone loved her.
I liked Livvy at first even though I found her large pack of animals weird and annoying. I like animals don’t get me wrong but they seemed like they were just there to provide a dose of comedy which I felt they failed to do. Livvy is a free spirit with a lot of past baggage that she never seems to deal with. She has lots of issues due to her parents abandoning her as a child and being shipped away to boarding school and she just tries to put on a big front and acts like falling in love fixed everything. A lot of things never get discussed or get a conclusion and this just really bugged me.
I am not sure if I am going to continue this series since I really struggled with this book and the next one features Sean’s movie star brother Bryan who I didn’t really like the times he made a cameo in this book. I wanted to like this book but sadly it just didn’t work for me.
March 20, 2014
A hot guy loses at poker to his enterprising sister, who then requires him to join her maid service for a month. Sweet! I liked the premise of this book, but the style was ultimately too whimsical for me.
Sean and his brothers are all hot and rich. Sean wants to get even more rich by turning properties into bed & breakfasts, and he has his eyes on one particular old mansion. His sister’s company has a contract to clean it, and when the old woman who owns it dies, Sean takes the cleaning job so he can plan and scheme for his future.
Livvy is the free-est of free spirits in all the land. She wears camisoles, gypsy skirts, and combat boots. She lives on a commune with goats, alpacas, dogs, and sheep, and she makes money by selling homemade organic baked goods at a farmer’s market. She is also the sole heir of that very same mansion that Sean is after.
The thing about Sean is, he’s really sexy. And his maid uniform includes really tight pants, which are made even tighter by the presence of Livvy in all of her tumbling hair, body-skimming tops, lip-biting glory.
The thing about Livvy is, she really hated her rich dead grandmother. She felt abandoned, hated, her entire life, which is why she made her own animal family on the commune. She wants to sell the property and be done with it.
The catch is, Livvy’s grandmother left a scavenger hunt behind. Livvy must find all the clues within two weeks, or else she won’t inherit. Not that she wants the house, but the money would help her buy more goats and things, so she enlists Sean the hot housekeeper to help her find the clues. This forces them to spend time together, staring at each other, imagining every spoken word to be an innuendo, feeling the pants tighten, the moisture pool, all of that.
Interspersed with the scenes of physical longing are scenes of Livvy’s animals destroying the house. The author did a fine job describing the action, but it felt very slapstick. Plus, the various animals were named after the Beatles, and the Monkees, and movie characters, and I felt like I should find that adorable but instead I found it tiresome to keep track of them all. The animals pooped on things, chewed on things, and chased each other. I would have been over it, but luckily Sean grew to tolerate it.
If you like comical books with animals and a lot of thoughts about what kitchen counters can be used for other than fixing food, then this is for you. I was too flustered by the external business to enjoy myself, unfortunately. I might be too much of a grump for this book.
Rating: C+
This review was originally posted on Red Hot Books at: http://redhotbooks.com/2014/03/review...
Review copy provided by the publisher.
Sean and his brothers are all hot and rich. Sean wants to get even more rich by turning properties into bed & breakfasts, and he has his eyes on one particular old mansion. His sister’s company has a contract to clean it, and when the old woman who owns it dies, Sean takes the cleaning job so he can plan and scheme for his future.
Livvy is the free-est of free spirits in all the land. She wears camisoles, gypsy skirts, and combat boots. She lives on a commune with goats, alpacas, dogs, and sheep, and she makes money by selling homemade organic baked goods at a farmer’s market. She is also the sole heir of that very same mansion that Sean is after.
The thing about Sean is, he’s really sexy. And his maid uniform includes really tight pants, which are made even tighter by the presence of Livvy in all of her tumbling hair, body-skimming tops, lip-biting glory.
The thing about Livvy is, she really hated her rich dead grandmother. She felt abandoned, hated, her entire life, which is why she made her own animal family on the commune. She wants to sell the property and be done with it.
The catch is, Livvy’s grandmother left a scavenger hunt behind. Livvy must find all the clues within two weeks, or else she won’t inherit. Not that she wants the house, but the money would help her buy more goats and things, so she enlists Sean the hot housekeeper to help her find the clues. This forces them to spend time together, staring at each other, imagining every spoken word to be an innuendo, feeling the pants tighten, the moisture pool, all of that.
Interspersed with the scenes of physical longing are scenes of Livvy’s animals destroying the house. The author did a fine job describing the action, but it felt very slapstick. Plus, the various animals were named after the Beatles, and the Monkees, and movie characters, and I felt like I should find that adorable but instead I found it tiresome to keep track of them all. The animals pooped on things, chewed on things, and chased each other. I would have been over it, but luckily Sean grew to tolerate it.
If you like comical books with animals and a lot of thoughts about what kitchen counters can be used for other than fixing food, then this is for you. I was too flustered by the external business to enjoy myself, unfortunately. I might be too much of a grump for this book.
Rating: C+
This review was originally posted on Red Hot Books at: http://redhotbooks.com/2014/03/review...
Review copy provided by the publisher.
March 22, 2014
Contemporary romances always put me in a good mood, and I just could not wipe the smile off of my face the entire time I was reading this book. How could I not laugh when there's a very, very manly maid working for a woman who has 8 dogs and crowd of barn animals to call her family?
Livvy has never had a family to call her own. When her stuck-up, rich grandmother paid her mother for custody, Livvy was shipped off to boarding school and never treated like family. When her grandmother dies and leaves the estate to Livvy, Livvy is shocked. But getting her inheritance isn't going to be so easy. Liivy's grandmother left her a series of clues she must find in two weeks, or else the estate will be sold to the highest bidder. Good thing she has Sean, the Manley Maid hired to keep things in top shape, to help her out. Little does she know, Sean has his own ideas for the house and land, which includes turning it into a resort and making a whole lot of money for himself. But there's an undeniable attraction between Sean and Liivy, and Sean doesn't know if he can take away the only thing Livvy has left.
I absolutely loved how Sean was a Manley Maid. Who wouldn't want such a hunk working for them day and night? Of course, he had only lost a bet to his sister and wasn't actually a servant, but Livvy doesn't need to know that! What really drew me into this story, though, was how different Sean and Livvy were. Sean had a loving family with a pretty awesome grandmother, while Livvy was all alone left to uncover clues about a family she was never let into. Oh, and let's not forget how eccentric Livvy is with her numerous dogs, farm animals, and gypsy style. But opposites definitely attract in this book!
The romance was awesome, but so was the story itself. It was so much fun following Livvy on her scavenger hunt to try to solve the riddles about her family. Even though Sean had trouble reading the clues as he tried to solve them himself because of his dyslexia, you couldn't help but love him even more the harder he tried. He tries so hard in life, no matter what is thrown his way, and all he wants to do is prove that he's as good as his brothers. And I loved how Livvy was a baker. Her kitchen sounded AMAZING and I was so jealous when her and Sean got to bake all day in it. Add baking to any story and I'm hooked.
Overall, this was a super sweet contemporary romance that just puts you in a good mood. While there are some slow parts and the ending is pretty predictable, it was the perfect book to cuddle up at night with. I'd definitely recommend you check out Judi Fennell's Manley Maids series! You'll fall in love with the irresistibly manly maids with every turn of the page.
Livvy has never had a family to call her own. When her stuck-up, rich grandmother paid her mother for custody, Livvy was shipped off to boarding school and never treated like family. When her grandmother dies and leaves the estate to Livvy, Livvy is shocked. But getting her inheritance isn't going to be so easy. Liivy's grandmother left her a series of clues she must find in two weeks, or else the estate will be sold to the highest bidder. Good thing she has Sean, the Manley Maid hired to keep things in top shape, to help her out. Little does she know, Sean has his own ideas for the house and land, which includes turning it into a resort and making a whole lot of money for himself. But there's an undeniable attraction between Sean and Liivy, and Sean doesn't know if he can take away the only thing Livvy has left.
I absolutely loved how Sean was a Manley Maid. Who wouldn't want such a hunk working for them day and night? Of course, he had only lost a bet to his sister and wasn't actually a servant, but Livvy doesn't need to know that! What really drew me into this story, though, was how different Sean and Livvy were. Sean had a loving family with a pretty awesome grandmother, while Livvy was all alone left to uncover clues about a family she was never let into. Oh, and let's not forget how eccentric Livvy is with her numerous dogs, farm animals, and gypsy style. But opposites definitely attract in this book!
The romance was awesome, but so was the story itself. It was so much fun following Livvy on her scavenger hunt to try to solve the riddles about her family. Even though Sean had trouble reading the clues as he tried to solve them himself because of his dyslexia, you couldn't help but love him even more the harder he tried. He tries so hard in life, no matter what is thrown his way, and all he wants to do is prove that he's as good as his brothers. And I loved how Livvy was a baker. Her kitchen sounded AMAZING and I was so jealous when her and Sean got to bake all day in it. Add baking to any story and I'm hooked.
Overall, this was a super sweet contemporary romance that just puts you in a good mood. While there are some slow parts and the ending is pretty predictable, it was the perfect book to cuddle up at night with. I'd definitely recommend you check out Judi Fennell's Manley Maids series! You'll fall in love with the irresistibly manly maids with every turn of the page.
April 14, 2014
There is something quite sexy about a hunky man who knows how to use a vacuum. And when his name is 'Manley', well, I have a few knickknacks he can dust!
Sean Manley is in trouble. Not only has he lost a bet to his sister which means he will be working as one of her 'Manley Maids' for four weeks, but the business deal he has been brokering with a local matriarch is in jeopardy and will cost him millions if it falls through.
Olivia 'Livvy' Carolla has just received notice that she has inherited the familial estate (aka, the Mausoleum) from her paternal grandmother, Merriweather Martinson. All she has to do is fulfill the stipulations in the will, and the house, land and money will all be hers. At least until she sells it to the highest bidder. I mean, why should she want to keep it? The old battle-axe, I mean Grandmother, never made her feel welcome there. Actually, as the illegitimate daughter of Merriweather's only son, Livvy felt downright unwelcome, unwanted and unloved. Shipped off to boarding school at a very young age, Livvy has only been there once, one disastrous visit which she never repeated. Until now. Now she enters as the potential owner and discovers the house occupied by a six foot two, eyes of blue...maid? Mr. "Hot Guy With A Vacuum", I mean Sean, is just as bowled over by Livvy. What's not to like? Five foot nothing, curly auburn hair, curves for days. There are a lot of things he would like to do to Livvy but kicking her out of HIS house is not one of them. He will have to however, if his business and his reputation are to survive. Tough times call for tough measures and he is tough!
The stipulations to the will call for Livvy to track down a set of clues, the last of which is to be delivered to the estate attorney two weeks to the minute from the time she was informed of them. Sean volunteers to help ('how better to see that she fails', he thinks, guiltily). As they are getting closer to finding the clues in this ancestral scavenger hunt, they are getting closer to each other...a lot closer. The closer Sean gets to Livvy the harder it is to reconcile what he is going to have to do to her if his business is going to survive.
Between the Manley brothers and sister, Sean's grandmother, Livvy's menagerie, and the I-really-want-you vibe permeating the story, What a Woman Wants was a fun, sexy read that had me cheering for the heroine and hoping the hero was not going to break her heart. I really enjoyed this work by Ms. Fennell and look to check out the stories of the other 'Manley Maids' in the future.
I received this through a Goodreads/Firstreads giveaway.
Sean Manley is in trouble. Not only has he lost a bet to his sister which means he will be working as one of her 'Manley Maids' for four weeks, but the business deal he has been brokering with a local matriarch is in jeopardy and will cost him millions if it falls through.
Olivia 'Livvy' Carolla has just received notice that she has inherited the familial estate (aka, the Mausoleum) from her paternal grandmother, Merriweather Martinson. All she has to do is fulfill the stipulations in the will, and the house, land and money will all be hers. At least until she sells it to the highest bidder. I mean, why should she want to keep it? The old battle-axe, I mean Grandmother, never made her feel welcome there. Actually, as the illegitimate daughter of Merriweather's only son, Livvy felt downright unwelcome, unwanted and unloved. Shipped off to boarding school at a very young age, Livvy has only been there once, one disastrous visit which she never repeated. Until now. Now she enters as the potential owner and discovers the house occupied by a six foot two, eyes of blue...maid? Mr. "Hot Guy With A Vacuum", I mean Sean, is just as bowled over by Livvy. What's not to like? Five foot nothing, curly auburn hair, curves for days. There are a lot of things he would like to do to Livvy but kicking her out of HIS house is not one of them. He will have to however, if his business and his reputation are to survive. Tough times call for tough measures and he is tough!
The stipulations to the will call for Livvy to track down a set of clues, the last of which is to be delivered to the estate attorney two weeks to the minute from the time she was informed of them. Sean volunteers to help ('how better to see that she fails', he thinks, guiltily). As they are getting closer to finding the clues in this ancestral scavenger hunt, they are getting closer to each other...a lot closer. The closer Sean gets to Livvy the harder it is to reconcile what he is going to have to do to her if his business is going to survive.
Between the Manley brothers and sister, Sean's grandmother, Livvy's menagerie, and the I-really-want-you vibe permeating the story, What a Woman Wants was a fun, sexy read that had me cheering for the heroine and hoping the hero was not going to break her heart. I really enjoyed this work by Ms. Fennell and look to check out the stories of the other 'Manley Maids' in the future.
I received this through a Goodreads/Firstreads giveaway.
March 7, 2014
What a Woman Wants by Judi Fennell is the first book in her new Manley Maids series. This is my first book by Judi Fennell and I really enjoyed it. I will be reading more of her books. This was a sweet fun romance, with a hot couple. We meet our hero of this book, Sean Manley (he is certainly manly :) ) at the start when he and his two brothers lose a bet to their sister, who runs Manley Maids. The cost for each brother is they are each required to spend two weeks doing maid service at different houses. This story is about Sean, and our heroine, Livvy.
Livvy Carolla has inherited the Martinson Mansion from her grandmother, whom she has had no relationship, nor has seen much of her almost all of her life. Livvy is struggling to start her own bakery, and jumps at the chance to use her inheritance to fund her plans. Livvy arrives at the mansion with the knowledge that she has to complete a few stipulations before she can inherit. There she meets the maid….hot hot Sean. She knows nothing about the bet, nor why Sean is doing housekeeping work. She also doesn’t know that Sean has a secret agenda to make sure Livvy doesn’t do the required stipulations to inherit, because he wants to buy the mansion at a reduced price and turn it into a million dollar resort.
What Sean doesn’t plan on is his immediate attraction to Livvy, which eventually will put a crimp on his plans, unless he can fight off his lust for her. What follows is wonderfully hot romance, with so much humor within the story. It seems Livvy has her own Noah’s Ark, and brings all her animals (birds, peacocks, pig, dogs, goats, etc). She planned to put them in the mansion barn, but when that is filled with boxes, they have to stay in the mansion until it is cleared. Poor poor Sean, who has to clean up after them, but some hysterical moments happen throughout, as these “pets” adore Livvy and at times show their jealousy when Sean and Livvy act on their feelings.
This was fast and fun book to read, as I enjoyed it all. I loved Sean and Livvy together, as they made a hot and sizzling couple. The storyline with clues to be found was fun, and the animals just added to all the humor. The only thing I wasn’t crazy about was Sean’s original attempt to take all of her inheritance away from Livvy, which would have been cruel. Fortunately this is a happy ending. If you enjoy romance, sexy couple, great storyline, and cute animals, I wholly recommend that you read What a Woman Wants by Judi Fennell.
Barb
The Reading Cafe
Livvy Carolla has inherited the Martinson Mansion from her grandmother, whom she has had no relationship, nor has seen much of her almost all of her life. Livvy is struggling to start her own bakery, and jumps at the chance to use her inheritance to fund her plans. Livvy arrives at the mansion with the knowledge that she has to complete a few stipulations before she can inherit. There she meets the maid….hot hot Sean. She knows nothing about the bet, nor why Sean is doing housekeeping work. She also doesn’t know that Sean has a secret agenda to make sure Livvy doesn’t do the required stipulations to inherit, because he wants to buy the mansion at a reduced price and turn it into a million dollar resort.
What Sean doesn’t plan on is his immediate attraction to Livvy, which eventually will put a crimp on his plans, unless he can fight off his lust for her. What follows is wonderfully hot romance, with so much humor within the story. It seems Livvy has her own Noah’s Ark, and brings all her animals (birds, peacocks, pig, dogs, goats, etc). She planned to put them in the mansion barn, but when that is filled with boxes, they have to stay in the mansion until it is cleared. Poor poor Sean, who has to clean up after them, but some hysterical moments happen throughout, as these “pets” adore Livvy and at times show their jealousy when Sean and Livvy act on their feelings.
This was fast and fun book to read, as I enjoyed it all. I loved Sean and Livvy together, as they made a hot and sizzling couple. The storyline with clues to be found was fun, and the animals just added to all the humor. The only thing I wasn’t crazy about was Sean’s original attempt to take all of her inheritance away from Livvy, which would have been cruel. Fortunately this is a happy ending. If you enjoy romance, sexy couple, great storyline, and cute animals, I wholly recommend that you read What a Woman Wants by Judi Fennell.
Barb
The Reading Cafe
April 6, 2014
I received a copy of "What a Woman wants, a Manley Maids novel " by Judi Fennel through Goodreads First Reads Giveaways.
To start us off, this book's premise was all too much fun. I couldn't wait to get my hands on it to read it. It began with three brothers sitting around a table playing poker with their little sister, Mary-Alice or for short Mac. Each thought that they had the hand to win the game, but it was their little sister who won and in return all three of them have to work a set time for her housekeeping company Manley Maids.
The brother whose tale is told in this book is Sean Manley, resort entrepreneur. His specialty is flipping older houses and turning them into bed and breakfasts. He was all set to a buy a specific historic mansion right up until the card game. Now on top of having to deal with working as a maid, he had to deal with a long lost heir to the owner of the property, Livvy Carolla. At first he thought that he could just convince her to give up on the property and just simply go ahead with what Livvy's grandmother Merriweather had agreed to in the original will she had left. This was what he thought right up until Livvy breezed in through the door along with her menagerie of animals. From the second their eyes met, there was an instant attraction right up until one of the animals decided to ruin some of the furniture.
At the same time he found out what changes Merriweather had done with the will. She had made it so that Livvy would inherit everything but only if she went on a scavenger hunt for clues about her family's history around the property and then showed them to Merriweather's lawyer. The kicker was that she only had two weeks to find everything. Livvy got him to help her but he is torn between the start of feelings for her and all the money he had tied up in this venture for his business.
Still in spite of all that their relationship grew as the clock ran down on the will's time limit, making Sean decide what really matters in life. Money or Love.
I won't go much more into it, but I will say that the ending is definitely worth the read and I can't wait to read the next one.
To start us off, this book's premise was all too much fun. I couldn't wait to get my hands on it to read it. It began with three brothers sitting around a table playing poker with their little sister, Mary-Alice or for short Mac. Each thought that they had the hand to win the game, but it was their little sister who won and in return all three of them have to work a set time for her housekeeping company Manley Maids.
The brother whose tale is told in this book is Sean Manley, resort entrepreneur. His specialty is flipping older houses and turning them into bed and breakfasts. He was all set to a buy a specific historic mansion right up until the card game. Now on top of having to deal with working as a maid, he had to deal with a long lost heir to the owner of the property, Livvy Carolla. At first he thought that he could just convince her to give up on the property and just simply go ahead with what Livvy's grandmother Merriweather had agreed to in the original will she had left. This was what he thought right up until Livvy breezed in through the door along with her menagerie of animals. From the second their eyes met, there was an instant attraction right up until one of the animals decided to ruin some of the furniture.
At the same time he found out what changes Merriweather had done with the will. She had made it so that Livvy would inherit everything but only if she went on a scavenger hunt for clues about her family's history around the property and then showed them to Merriweather's lawyer. The kicker was that she only had two weeks to find everything. Livvy got him to help her but he is torn between the start of feelings for her and all the money he had tied up in this venture for his business.
Still in spite of all that their relationship grew as the clock ran down on the will's time limit, making Sean decide what really matters in life. Money or Love.
I won't go much more into it, but I will say that the ending is definitely worth the read and I can't wait to read the next one.
March 22, 2014
This book catches the reader’s attention by starting off with a heated sibling poker game in which Mac Manley wins over all four of her brothers and forces them to work for her cleaning business for four weeks! This story only deals with one of the Manley brothers, Sean, and a mansion his is cleaning but actually hopes to buy. However, Sean runs into a problem he does not expect. Her name is Livvy Carolla and she is the granddaughter of the woman whom the mansion belonged to. Livvy has arrived on orders for her grandmother to sell the house to the highest bidder and use the money for her up and coming bakery. Sean nor Livvy expect to run into problems, nor do they expect to fall in love!
Livvy has not had such a wonderful life or childhood. People are always leaving or betraying her. Livvy had to learn to put the past behind her and move on. She has now made a name for herself and is quickly climbing the ladder to her dreams. I enjoyed finding out about her family and the history of the mansion she was trying to purchase. I enjoyed seeing Livvy interacting with Sean mainly because he brought out a side of her that was locked away by the loved ones who disregarded her. Sean and Livvy were a great pair! I love characters like Livvy and I am glad she found someone like Sean.
This was a fun, quick read and I was of course happy to find out that I believe we will get to hear from the other Manley brothers. The end of the story had some emotional parts, but I was glad to see that the cleaning business was going to continue, as well as Livvy and Sean’s romance. This was an exciting start to a brand new series. I have started so many new series of books this year, and I recommend this one just as much as all the others!
***A copy of this book was provided to me by the publishers at Berkley in exchange for my honest review***
Livvy has not had such a wonderful life or childhood. People are always leaving or betraying her. Livvy had to learn to put the past behind her and move on. She has now made a name for herself and is quickly climbing the ladder to her dreams. I enjoyed finding out about her family and the history of the mansion she was trying to purchase. I enjoyed seeing Livvy interacting with Sean mainly because he brought out a side of her that was locked away by the loved ones who disregarded her. Sean and Livvy were a great pair! I love characters like Livvy and I am glad she found someone like Sean.
This was a fun, quick read and I was of course happy to find out that I believe we will get to hear from the other Manley brothers. The end of the story had some emotional parts, but I was glad to see that the cleaning business was going to continue, as well as Livvy and Sean’s romance. This was an exciting start to a brand new series. I have started so many new series of books this year, and I recommend this one just as much as all the others!
***A copy of this book was provided to me by the publishers at Berkley in exchange for my honest review***
July 5, 2014
This is the first book of Judi's that I have read and I will say it was a refreshing delight to read.
What a Woman Wants is the first book in the Manley Maids series and features three brothers Sean, Bryan, and Liam Manley who have lost a poker hand to their sister and become maids for a month as part of her business.
The first story is about Sean, he is a resort entrepreneur, who buys historic mansions and turns them into resorts. Sean has had a Historic Mansion that he wants in his mind for some time now. The Martinson Estate, owned by the previous owner, Grandmother Meriweather Martinson. Her granddaughter, Livvy Carolla has inherited the Mansion, but wants to make a quick sale. She had no relationship with her grandmother at all. So she wants nothing to do with the Estate.
Livvy who was abandoned as a child into boarding school,never had a relationship with her grandmother. She goes to the Estate with the intention of getting it sold as quick as she can. What she does not plan on is having to deal with Sean.
Livvy has a big obstacle in front of her and that is her grandmother's will. One that it seems she planned out very well with conditions that had to be met with by Livvy. Livvy enlists the help of Sean on her scavenger hunt so she can get things done and sell the Estate. what she does not know is that Sean has a plan of action himself. After all he wants the Estate himself, BUT Livvy does not know this.
I loved the back and forth between these two. The cat and mouse of the clues that Livvy had to find because of her grandmother and her will Stipulations.
Will Livvy find all the clues and sell the Estate? Will Sean get what he wants in the End? Or will these two comes together and build a life together at the Estate??
What a funny, sweet read it was. I enjoyed this one and I am looking forward to the next one as well.
What a Woman Wants is the first book in the Manley Maids series and features three brothers Sean, Bryan, and Liam Manley who have lost a poker hand to their sister and become maids for a month as part of her business.
The first story is about Sean, he is a resort entrepreneur, who buys historic mansions and turns them into resorts. Sean has had a Historic Mansion that he wants in his mind for some time now. The Martinson Estate, owned by the previous owner, Grandmother Meriweather Martinson. Her granddaughter, Livvy Carolla has inherited the Mansion, but wants to make a quick sale. She had no relationship with her grandmother at all. So she wants nothing to do with the Estate.
Livvy who was abandoned as a child into boarding school,never had a relationship with her grandmother. She goes to the Estate with the intention of getting it sold as quick as she can. What she does not plan on is having to deal with Sean.
Livvy has a big obstacle in front of her and that is her grandmother's will. One that it seems she planned out very well with conditions that had to be met with by Livvy. Livvy enlists the help of Sean on her scavenger hunt so she can get things done and sell the Estate. what she does not know is that Sean has a plan of action himself. After all he wants the Estate himself, BUT Livvy does not know this.
I loved the back and forth between these two. The cat and mouse of the clues that Livvy had to find because of her grandmother and her will Stipulations.
Will Livvy find all the clues and sell the Estate? Will Sean get what he wants in the End? Or will these two comes together and build a life together at the Estate??
What a funny, sweet read it was. I enjoyed this one and I am looking forward to the next one as well.
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