What do you think?
Rate this book
Bad Blood/The Notorious Wolfes #1
Žavingasis Natanielis
Pirmasis serijos Galingieji Vulfai romanas
Natanielis
Ikona. Įžymybė. Numylėtinis.
Holivude Natanielis – viena populiariausių filmų žvaigždė. Moterys geidžia jo kūno ir turtų, o žiniasklaida piešia tobulą šio vyro paveikslą. Bet viskas netrukus pasikeis.
Kai teatro kostiumų dizainerė Keitė Fyld išgirsta netikėtą Natanielio prašymą, supranta gavusi vienintelę progą pažinti savo svajonių vyrą. Ar Natanielis išdrįs ja pasitikėti tiek, kad atskleistų tikrąjį savo veidą? Teprasideda gundymai...
320 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2011
51 people are currently reading
1498 people want to read
About the author
Sarah Morgan
697 books7,198 followersAbout Sarah
USA Today and #1 Sunday Times bestselling author Sarah Morgan writes romance and contemporary women's fiction and her trademark humour and warmth have gained her fans across the globe. Sarah lives near London, England, and when she isn't reading or writing she loves being outdoors.
Look out for Sarah's latest novel - All Together for Christmas (UK title)/ A Merry Little Lie (US/Canadian title)
Join Sarah on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorSarahM...
Follow Sarah on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SarahMorgan_
Follow Sarah on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahmorgan...
Website: www.sarahmorgan.com
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
USA Today and #1 Sunday Times bestselling author Sarah Morgan writes romance and contemporary women's fiction and her trademark humour and warmth have gained her fans across the globe. Sarah lives near London, England, and when she isn't reading or writing she loves being outdoors.
Look out for Sarah's latest novel - All Together for Christmas (UK title)/ A Merry Little Lie (US/Canadian title)
Join Sarah on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorSarahM...
Follow Sarah on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SarahMorgan_
Follow Sarah on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahmorgan...
Website: www.sarahmorgan.com
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 155 reviews
September 12, 2011
Sarah Morgan has written a book that is both very funny and quite sad and poignant at the same time. She used the overlying theme of Nathaniel being an actor and built a whole story around it, including a lot of symbolism and motifs related to acting/playing roles to enrich this novel.
You see, Nathaniel is not an accoladed, successful actor for no reason. Playing roles was a way to escape from his terrible childhood, in which he was treated in a way no child should have to experience by his parents. He took the opportunity to become a Hollywood actor at the age of 16 and didn't look back. Since then, he has gone from one role to another, hiding himself in the characters he enthusiastically and vibrantly plays.
Katie is a clothing designer who prefers to hide behind the scenes. She is self-conscious about her voluptuous curves and the fact that she feels her looks pale in comparison to her glamorous model sister. She prefers being unnoticed, watching the actors play their roles and dressing them, and she is a very talented clothing designer with aspirations to make clothing for movie productions. When she meets Nathaniel, she is in awe of him, since he is one of her favorite actors, and a beautiful man. Never could she imagine that she would be embarking on an exotic interlude with him.
Despite their obvious differences, it's clear that Katie and Nathaniel have a connection that will lead them down the rocky but ultimately rewarding path to love. Katie being a determinedly bright, cheerful, communicative person, and Nathaniel always in control with his 'actor' facade on, unless he's lost in a role, giving as little as possible outside of his characters. I loved how Katie became a formidable opponent to that self-control, destroying that cold wall that the real Nathaniel hid behind (and she got revealing glimpses of the more time she spent with him). He couldn't resist her, because her spark and her joy, and her veracity hit him deep where he couldn't run away. Before long, Nathaniel is giving more to Katie than he ever shared with anyone. And Katie is in love with the real Nathaniel. But can she keep the real man from retreating behind the actor role he plays 24/7?
There were some very funny moments, and I loved those. Yet I was deeply affected at the pain and anguish that Nathaniel (and his numerous siblings) suffered and held deep in his heart. His family life was truly horrible. I felt for him and his siblings, and Ms. Morgan did such a good job of conveying this intense angst without beating the reader over the head with it. Like Katie, I could see the subtle signs that all was not as smooth and casual as Nathaniel tried to convey. Beneath his Hollywood persona was a wounded, troubled young boy that I wanted to hug. I was glad that Katie was there to love him, and that she met him head on and wasn't afraid to challenge Nathaniel to be real.
I have been a fan of Sarah Morgan for years, because she writes such rich, emotional, and hopeful stories with heroines I love a lot. They don't have to be sophisticated and gorgeous, or perfect to be wonderful heroines. Instead they have determination, emotional fortitude, and good hearts, and they make you cheer them on to get their men, and without settling for less than they deserve. I also like that her heroes are three-dimensional, and even though they might start out with undesirable traits, love causes them to grow into men that make worthy mates for their women.
This book is five stars because it had so much to offer to me. For a short read, it took me on a very comprehensive emotional journey, and it has me totally psyched to read the Notorious Wolfes series. This is one family that I need to read more about, and to see these eight siblings overcome a very sad family past to be successful people who find true love.
Highly recommended!
You see, Nathaniel is not an accoladed, successful actor for no reason. Playing roles was a way to escape from his terrible childhood, in which he was treated in a way no child should have to experience by his parents. He took the opportunity to become a Hollywood actor at the age of 16 and didn't look back. Since then, he has gone from one role to another, hiding himself in the characters he enthusiastically and vibrantly plays.
Katie is a clothing designer who prefers to hide behind the scenes. She is self-conscious about her voluptuous curves and the fact that she feels her looks pale in comparison to her glamorous model sister. She prefers being unnoticed, watching the actors play their roles and dressing them, and she is a very talented clothing designer with aspirations to make clothing for movie productions. When she meets Nathaniel, she is in awe of him, since he is one of her favorite actors, and a beautiful man. Never could she imagine that she would be embarking on an exotic interlude with him.
Despite their obvious differences, it's clear that Katie and Nathaniel have a connection that will lead them down the rocky but ultimately rewarding path to love. Katie being a determinedly bright, cheerful, communicative person, and Nathaniel always in control with his 'actor' facade on, unless he's lost in a role, giving as little as possible outside of his characters. I loved how Katie became a formidable opponent to that self-control, destroying that cold wall that the real Nathaniel hid behind (and she got revealing glimpses of the more time she spent with him). He couldn't resist her, because her spark and her joy, and her veracity hit him deep where he couldn't run away. Before long, Nathaniel is giving more to Katie than he ever shared with anyone. And Katie is in love with the real Nathaniel. But can she keep the real man from retreating behind the actor role he plays 24/7?
There were some very funny moments, and I loved those. Yet I was deeply affected at the pain and anguish that Nathaniel (and his numerous siblings) suffered and held deep in his heart. His family life was truly horrible. I felt for him and his siblings, and Ms. Morgan did such a good job of conveying this intense angst without beating the reader over the head with it. Like Katie, I could see the subtle signs that all was not as smooth and casual as Nathaniel tried to convey. Beneath his Hollywood persona was a wounded, troubled young boy that I wanted to hug. I was glad that Katie was there to love him, and that she met him head on and wasn't afraid to challenge Nathaniel to be real.
I have been a fan of Sarah Morgan for years, because she writes such rich, emotional, and hopeful stories with heroines I love a lot. They don't have to be sophisticated and gorgeous, or perfect to be wonderful heroines. Instead they have determination, emotional fortitude, and good hearts, and they make you cheer them on to get their men, and without settling for less than they deserve. I also like that her heroes are three-dimensional, and even though they might start out with undesirable traits, love causes them to grow into men that make worthy mates for their women.
This book is five stars because it had so much to offer to me. For a short read, it took me on a very comprehensive emotional journey, and it has me totally psyched to read the Notorious Wolfes series. This is one family that I need to read more about, and to see these eight siblings overcome a very sad family past to be successful people who find true love.
Highly recommended!
April 12, 2012
I have no idea how I even heard of this book. I'm usually too embarrassed to pick anything up that has a cover like this:
And the title: Seriously? I cringe even typing it. This book was released under a different title at one point: A Night of Scandal. Besides having nothing to do with anything in the story, it probably wasn't nearly sexy enough for the rest of the series.
Here's the premise for the series: Eight (count 'em, EIGHT) siblings. Some full, some step, some half, all obscenely wealthy and successful, all of them "50 shades of fucked up" as a result of a horrific upbringing. An angsty, Harlequin version of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, each written by a different author.
That did for me - I had to have the whole series.
The Tortured Rake (sigh. It's. just. so. bad.) is the story of Nathaniel Wolfe, uber-sexy mega-talented actor and, I believe, the youngest of the Wolfe clan. Oh yeah, and he's an emotional cripple, but just like in real life we don't find that out until a bit later. Bring on the angst, I say!
Said angst angle enters in the form of Katie Field, a wardrobe designer on the play Nathaniel is starring in in London, and so begins one of my favourite fairy tales -- the regular girl snags the movie star. I love these stories, especially when they are done well.
I really enjoyed this - it was much better than I was expecting it to be. The writing was good, both characters were believable and they felt real. I could identify with Katie and see exactly what she saw in Nathaniel.
There were a couple of clunky moments , and an instance or two where I had to remind myself that I was reading a Harlequin and the author didn't have 500 pages to work with, but overall I liked this quite a bit.
It'll go on a new shelf with my other movie star/regular girl books -
and I'm on to the next book in the series, the equally awfully titled The Shameless Playboy.
3.5 stars
A quick, enjoyable read with a really hot guy on the cover. :)
And the title: Seriously? I cringe even typing it. This book was released under a different title at one point: A Night of Scandal. Besides having nothing to do with anything in the story, it probably wasn't nearly sexy enough for the rest of the series.
Here's the premise for the series: Eight (count 'em, EIGHT) siblings. Some full, some step, some half, all obscenely wealthy and successful, all of them "50 shades of fucked up" as a result of a horrific upbringing. An angsty, Harlequin version of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, each written by a different author.
That did for me - I had to have the whole series.
The Tortured Rake (sigh. It's. just. so. bad.) is the story of Nathaniel Wolfe, uber-sexy mega-talented actor and, I believe, the youngest of the Wolfe clan. Oh yeah, and he's an emotional cripple, but just like in real life we don't find that out until a bit later. Bring on the angst, I say!
Said angst angle enters in the form of Katie Field, a wardrobe designer on the play Nathaniel is starring in in London, and so begins one of my favourite fairy tales -- the regular girl snags the movie star. I love these stories, especially when they are done well.
I really enjoyed this - it was much better than I was expecting it to be. The writing was good, both characters were believable and they felt real. I could identify with Katie and see exactly what she saw in Nathaniel.
There were a couple of clunky moments , and an instance or two where I had to remind myself that I was reading a Harlequin and the author didn't have 500 pages to work with, but overall I liked this quite a bit.
It'll go on a new shelf with my other movie star/regular girl books -
and I'm on to the next book in the series, the equally awfully titled The Shameless Playboy.
3.5 stars
A quick, enjoyable read with a really hot guy on the cover. :)
August 19, 2011
Absolutely loved the book,Nathaniel-Katie such strong adorable lonely people who have so many secrets fears and securities,both are quiet opposite of each other in every way but the only similar thing is both hide their real self-Nathaniel hides in his characters and Katie hides by sketches and designing ,both have suffered so much both ways physically and emotionally,Nathaniel prefers solitute and Katie is talkative(loved one funny moment where in Katie is so lonely that she is now talking to lizards so Nathaniel reply is yes i saw one lizard unconscious seems he was "Katied" i laughed so much),
Nathaniel carries on the guilt and what he went through but the way he survived is applaudable,Katie cause of comparisons and constant negative comments she has so many insecurities and has low self esteem,then these two meet fill the gap that they both have in their life's and Katie helps Nathaniel to overcome his guilt and Nathaniel helps Katie to accept that she is a talented beautiful person from inside and outside
Through many walls Katie manages to get to Nathaniel's heart but Nathaniel keeps running Katie tries to make him understand without going in the past and facing the demons he can't make a better future which will be free of the past demons but Nathaniel is a hard nut to crack Katie is really hreat broken and leaves
Nathaniel goes to the Wolfe Manor where in Jacob is waiting together they face their past and make amends and Nathaniel realises his love for Katie,tracks her down ,i was so happy these two got their happiness and HEA which they both deserved so much
This is the first book in the series and absolutely loved it,such a wonderful emotional read just can't wait to go on next siblings story
Great Read
Nathaniel carries on the guilt and what he went through but the way he survived is applaudable,Katie cause of comparisons and constant negative comments she has so many insecurities and has low self esteem,then these two meet fill the gap that they both have in their life's and Katie helps Nathaniel to overcome his guilt and Nathaniel helps Katie to accept that she is a talented beautiful person from inside and outside
Through many walls Katie manages to get to Nathaniel's heart but Nathaniel keeps running Katie tries to make him understand without going in the past and facing the demons he can't make a better future which will be free of the past demons but Nathaniel is a hard nut to crack Katie is really hreat broken and leaves
Nathaniel goes to the Wolfe Manor where in Jacob is waiting together they face their past and make amends and Nathaniel realises his love for Katie,tracks her down ,i was so happy these two got their happiness and HEA which they both deserved so much
This is the first book in the series and absolutely loved it,such a wonderful emotional read just can't wait to go on next siblings story
Great Read
March 2, 2018
re-read: Not as engaging as I remember. Lowering from 4.5 to 3.5.
April 14, 2017
The Bad Blood Premiere…
Featuring…a seriously sexy tortured hero with deep dark secrets, light and shade.
Like the lovely easy-to-identify-with Katie, I wanted the real Nathaniel, the man behind the actor’s mask. And loved how she held out for him, and was instrumental in finding him.
The strong characterisation is matched by the emotional depth and relationship intensity, and propelled by loads of meaningful dialogue and hero and heroine interaction.
The ending made me laugh and cry. And left me looking forward to meeting Jacob again, and Rafaelle, and Lucas.
Definitely a keeper as I can’t wait for an Encore!
Featuring…a seriously sexy tortured hero with deep dark secrets, light and shade.
Like the lovely easy-to-identify-with Katie, I wanted the real Nathaniel, the man behind the actor’s mask. And loved how she held out for him, and was instrumental in finding him.
The strong characterisation is matched by the emotional depth and relationship intensity, and propelled by loads of meaningful dialogue and hero and heroine interaction.
The ending made me laugh and cry. And left me looking forward to meeting Jacob again, and Rafaelle, and Lucas.
Definitely a keeper as I can’t wait for an Encore!
April 3, 2011
Tortured Rake is the first book about the Wolfe family. The family comprises of 8 siblings(not all share the same mother). The father Williams was psychotic, he beat his children, abused them and nearly killed his daughter. Protecting all the siblings was the eldest brother Jacob, who killed the father and then disappeared for 20 years. To say the Wolfe family is dysfunctional would be an understatement.
Our hero Nathaniel is a Hollywood super-star who feels more comfortable as an actor than as Nathaniel. On the opening night of his play he sees his brother Jacob and panics and runs into our heroine Katie(a struggling costume designer with family debts, and in the shadow of her beautiful sister). The story is how they run away from the press and get to know each other, how Katie opens up Nathaniel, makes him confront Jacob and his past. She initially is star-struck and raises valid questions that how can she a normal person compete with him, a star?She makes the hero human.
The book was fairly enjoyable.
Our hero Nathaniel is a Hollywood super-star who feels more comfortable as an actor than as Nathaniel. On the opening night of his play he sees his brother Jacob and panics and runs into our heroine Katie(a struggling costume designer with family debts, and in the shadow of her beautiful sister). The story is how they run away from the press and get to know each other, how Katie opens up Nathaniel, makes him confront Jacob and his past. She initially is star-struck and raises valid questions that how can she a normal person compete with him, a star?She makes the hero human.
The book was fairly enjoyable.
July 29, 2011
A Night Of Scandal is the 1st book in the "Notorious Wolfes" miniseries of 8 books written by various HP authors.I loved this book,def 4.5 star read for me. The beginning 3rd of the book read like a romantic comedy ,it was funny and witty IMO.The middle of the book was the "romance" and getting to know you part and the last 3rd of the book was the angst that you would expect in an HP.This book had all the aspects that comes in a really good HP and I was hooked from the 1st page to the last. There was a love scene in the elevator,WOW!!!!!!!!,that is all that I will say.Sarah M organ did a beautiful job with this book and it is on my keeper shelf now.A great way to start this miniseries and I hope that all the others will be just as good.Looking foreword to reading about all the other bros and esp about Annabelle ,the lone sister's story , looks to be a real tearjeerker.
August 15, 2016
I read this awhile ago - on Scribd when they had Harlequins. I'm writing this so I'll remember that I've read this. It's the first book in the Bad Blood series. Hero is an famous actor from a notorious family. Heroine is an ordinary gal who is in charge of the wardrobe of the stage play in which hero is appearing. Hero messes up when he sees his brother and he ends up with heroine on an luxury island to lick his wounds. Heroine is bubbly and talky. Hero is morose and hides behind various personas. (He's an actor after all). The romance is cute. The family story line is intriguing. It was a good start to the series, but not my favorite.
July 10, 2021
Ahh, this was one poignant story and I found myself tearing up quite a few times by the end. This was a heroine I really truly liked as she was just such a great and pure human being. I wish she hadn’t been so insecure though but I loved that he made her feel so beautiful and brought her out of her shell.
She returned the favor and brought him out of his shell as well, and quite beautifully at that. I think I liked this story even more because even though it had some of the “poor average girl gets rescued by prince charming” elements, it was still very much realistic and dark.
Luckily, the dark moments were lightened by the clever writing and funny moments. Really enjoyed it!
June 3, 2011
At the beginning of this book the hero Nathaniel, a world famous Hollywood actor, is about to make his stage debut. Before he even opens his mouth for his first line he is frozen in shock at seeing someone he didn't expect in the audience. He walks off stage and runs (literally) into the play's costume designer Katie, the heroine. He begs her to help him escape before being noticed, sensing his distress and desperation Katie agrees and takes him to her place. Nathaniel was shocked after seeing his eldest brother Jacob in the audience, whom he hasn't seen in 20 years after Jacob ran out on the family after a horrifying incident. Katie doesn't know what to make of Nathaniel, she can see he is suffering from some trauma that he tries to hold in, and he refuses to open up to her always resorting back to his actor persona. Nathaniel whisks them away to a private island to escape the paparazzi (and his demons), where they begin an affair.
I had been looking forward to starting this series ever since it was released, with it being called BAD BLOOD I knew it was going to be dark, but boy I was not expecting it to be that dark. Trust me when those secrets and events are revealed they will shock you!
This was a fantastic start to the series, if it had stopped at this one I would have been a happy bunny, but from this example I can't wait to read the rest!
In this book Sarah Morgan has written two fantastic characters, neither of them overshadowed the other. Nathaniel is really well developed and every bit the tortured rake (see what I did there?!!), I really liked how he uses his acting as a way to hide from his demons, he slips seamlessly from disturbed to charming in the blink of an eye. I simply adored Katie's character, especially her bouts of endless nervous chatter, I was cringing along with her! She had some self esteem issues, which got a little annoying, but I can forgive this since she was in the presence of a famous actor. She managed to make Nathaniel more normal with her openness, they seem perfectly matched.
Those secrets and events that are revealed are explosive and written with great depth and sensitivity, the journey that is taken in this book is very emotional. Oh and that HEA, wow! just wow!
Full review at http://everyday-is-the-same.blogspot....
I had been looking forward to starting this series ever since it was released, with it being called BAD BLOOD I knew it was going to be dark, but boy I was not expecting it to be that dark. Trust me when those secrets and events are revealed they will shock you!
This was a fantastic start to the series, if it had stopped at this one I would have been a happy bunny, but from this example I can't wait to read the rest!
In this book Sarah Morgan has written two fantastic characters, neither of them overshadowed the other. Nathaniel is really well developed and every bit the tortured rake (see what I did there?!!), I really liked how he uses his acting as a way to hide from his demons, he slips seamlessly from disturbed to charming in the blink of an eye. I simply adored Katie's character, especially her bouts of endless nervous chatter, I was cringing along with her! She had some self esteem issues, which got a little annoying, but I can forgive this since she was in the presence of a famous actor. She managed to make Nathaniel more normal with her openness, they seem perfectly matched.
Those secrets and events that are revealed are explosive and written with great depth and sensitivity, the journey that is taken in this book is very emotional. Oh and that HEA, wow! just wow!
Full review at http://everyday-is-the-same.blogspot....
April 4, 2011
A good start to the Bad Blood Collection.
Nathaniel is a good, and as the title say, tortured hero. His childhood was horrible, and his father was a real monster. Now, he's an successful actor, voted many times as the Sexiest Man Alive. But he spends all of his time acting, playing the role of Nathaniel Wolfe, the famous actor, and not being the man. He mostly manages to fool people, but Katie is much harder to deceive.
Katie is a costume designer, and gets involved with Nathaniel accidentally. She has many issues with her body, mostly because her sister is a model, and in comparison, to many people, she is less everything than her sister. She is so open and honest, sometimes to honest, and she manages to get past the wall he built around himself.
The premise is highly unbelievable. You just met a guy, and you go away with him to a private island across the Atlantic. But when you go past that, it's a really good story.
The Wolfe family is fascinating, Jacob especially, what he must have gone through *sigh*.
Rating:
4.5 stars.
Nathaniel is a good, and as the title say, tortured hero. His childhood was horrible, and his father was a real monster. Now, he's an successful actor, voted many times as the Sexiest Man Alive. But he spends all of his time acting, playing the role of Nathaniel Wolfe, the famous actor, and not being the man. He mostly manages to fool people, but Katie is much harder to deceive.
Katie is a costume designer, and gets involved with Nathaniel accidentally. She has many issues with her body, mostly because her sister is a model, and in comparison, to many people, she is less everything than her sister. She is so open and honest, sometimes to honest, and she manages to get past the wall he built around himself.
The premise is highly unbelievable. You just met a guy, and you go away with him to a private island across the Atlantic. But when you go past that, it's a really good story.
The Wolfe family is fascinating, Jacob especially, what he must have gone through *sigh*.
Rating:
4.5 stars.
September 4, 2012
For me this was quite a disappointing start to the series. I am hoping that it picks up with the next one!
March 12, 2023
This was OK. The characters read flat to me - more like "types" than characters who were having life breathed into them. He's the hunky Hollywood star with a Big Secret! She's the "frumpy" overlooked sister martyring herself to keep Mom in the family home! They felt like tropes as opposed to people for too long.
Things did pick up for me around the 50% mark. The characters started to get a bit more dimension to them and the hero's Big Secret starts to come out - and whoa doggie, it's pure Presents soap opera! I immediately looked up the next seven titles in this continuity series.
Morgan has written stronger and better Presents, but this was still OK - and I breezed through it in a day. So hardly a failure by any means.
Things did pick up for me around the 50% mark. The characters started to get a bit more dimension to them and the hero's Big Secret starts to come out - and whoa doggie, it's pure Presents soap opera! I immediately looked up the next seven titles in this continuity series.
Morgan has written stronger and better Presents, but this was still OK - and I breezed through it in a day. So hardly a failure by any means.
March 17, 2012
So because I have bought a kindle for Ilona, a kindle for my grandmother who must be close to 90 now, a kindle fire for Ilona and a kindle fire for kid 2, I get an email every time a book is purchased on any one of the aforementioned devices. Several months ago, somebody bought "Water for Elephants," and I was ready to make terrible fun until I talked to Me-maw and figured out it was her. She saw the commercials and while she will not go and see the film, she is an avid reader and bought the book. This morning, I had an email telling me I bought this, hmmm,I thought, was it my 13 year old daughter, my elderly grandmother, or my beautiful wife? Am I upset, embarrassed or cool with it? Turns out it was my wife and she quite liked it. You might as well.
December 12, 2024
Dnf, too boring
June 4, 2011
This was my first book by Sarah Morgan, and I really enjoyed it. I received it through netgalley.
It had some great things going for it that really held my attention. It's not a particularly long book, although the length is, in my opinion, absolutely perfect for the story.
What I really liked about this one:
- The writing is great. Nicely descriptive, not too many words, not too few, grammar and spelling is good (I know, I know, I'm being a bit anal here, but I hate it when spelling and grammar are sloppy). There are some lines which were just hands-down hilarious.
- The London setting to start with just seems spot on. The author doesn't particularly go into details about precise locations, but London feels exactly as it does when you live there (bad traffic, ridiculous property-prices which force you to live in less-than-nice areas on a normal salary, and a completely celebrity-obsessed population)
- The hero and heroine are, well, great. I really, really liked them both. In some ways, they are an attraction-of-opposites couple, but it is very credible, and works. They felt remarkably real to me - I could see facets of friends and family in them. I liked that the heroine has her insecurities about her body (to be honest, you wouldn't catch me in a bikini either), but I LOVED that the hero (a) doesn't understand why she's insecure since (b) he just thinks she's completely hot and sexy. And kinda related to that, I've always wandered why the media and celebrity-culture seems to project images of stick-thin women as sexy, when plenty of men (yes, even those with a lot of money) find women with "padding" (taken from one of my favorite lines in this book) absolutely ravishing.
- The whole superstar-meets-nobody plot is really, really well done. Of course, this is the whole premise of the book, so it should be well-done, but even so, you can see this really happening. It's not naff like superstar-bumps-into-girl-carrying-coffee-and-falls-in-love, or nobody-saves-life-of-superstar-and-they-live-HEA. No, having the heroine work backstage in the theater, and have the kind of personality she does, works incredibly well. Also, I LOVED how the heroine is star-struck, but is also faintly repulsed by the realities of trying to get to know the person underneath all the celebrity. It is incredibly realistic to me. I also loved that the heroine has her connections to the world of the famous - after all, lots of ordinary people have famous family members.
- The bit in Rio with the kids was actually OK for me. Very often when you have the heroine as some do-gooder type helping disadvantaged kids, it's just completely icky-sweet, and a complete turn-off. This time it actually worked OK.
What I didn't like quite so much:
- While tragic, the whole thing with the person in the audience (I don't want to give anything away here) didn't really work for me, beyond the amazing first few chapters. I haven't read any of the other books in this series (and you don't need to in order to enjoy this one), but when it was finally revealed, I just felt it wasn't really up to the quality of the rest of the plot
- The whole bit where they take off overseas doesn't really do much for me. Now, it was OK, but I really loved the bits where they have to hide around in the heroine's flat in London, and it would have been intriguing to have had a bit more of that and less of the jet-setting stuff.
So, I'm really undecided whether to give this a 3 stars "liked it", or a 4 stars "I really liked it". I think I'll go with 3 stars, but I did definitely enjoy it.
It had some great things going for it that really held my attention. It's not a particularly long book, although the length is, in my opinion, absolutely perfect for the story.
What I really liked about this one:
- The writing is great. Nicely descriptive, not too many words, not too few, grammar and spelling is good (I know, I know, I'm being a bit anal here, but I hate it when spelling and grammar are sloppy). There are some lines which were just hands-down hilarious.
- The London setting to start with just seems spot on. The author doesn't particularly go into details about precise locations, but London feels exactly as it does when you live there (bad traffic, ridiculous property-prices which force you to live in less-than-nice areas on a normal salary, and a completely celebrity-obsessed population)
- The hero and heroine are, well, great. I really, really liked them both. In some ways, they are an attraction-of-opposites couple, but it is very credible, and works. They felt remarkably real to me - I could see facets of friends and family in them. I liked that the heroine has her insecurities about her body (to be honest, you wouldn't catch me in a bikini either), but I LOVED that the hero (a) doesn't understand why she's insecure since (b) he just thinks she's completely hot and sexy. And kinda related to that, I've always wandered why the media and celebrity-culture seems to project images of stick-thin women as sexy, when plenty of men (yes, even those with a lot of money) find women with "padding" (taken from one of my favorite lines in this book) absolutely ravishing.
- The whole superstar-meets-nobody plot is really, really well done. Of course, this is the whole premise of the book, so it should be well-done, but even so, you can see this really happening. It's not naff like superstar-bumps-into-girl-carrying-coffee-and-falls-in-love, or nobody-saves-life-of-superstar-and-they-live-HEA. No, having the heroine work backstage in the theater, and have the kind of personality she does, works incredibly well. Also, I LOVED how the heroine is star-struck, but is also faintly repulsed by the realities of trying to get to know the person underneath all the celebrity. It is incredibly realistic to me. I also loved that the heroine has her connections to the world of the famous - after all, lots of ordinary people have famous family members.
- The bit in Rio with the kids was actually OK for me. Very often when you have the heroine as some do-gooder type helping disadvantaged kids, it's just completely icky-sweet, and a complete turn-off. This time it actually worked OK.
What I didn't like quite so much:
- While tragic, the whole thing with the person in the audience (I don't want to give anything away here) didn't really work for me, beyond the amazing first few chapters. I haven't read any of the other books in this series (and you don't need to in order to enjoy this one), but when it was finally revealed, I just felt it wasn't really up to the quality of the rest of the plot
- The whole bit where they take off overseas doesn't really do much for me. Now, it was OK, but I really loved the bits where they have to hide around in the heroine's flat in London, and it would have been intriguing to have had a bit more of that and less of the jet-setting stuff.
So, I'm really undecided whether to give this a 3 stars "liked it", or a 4 stars "I really liked it". I think I'll go with 3 stars, but I did definitely enjoy it.
May 12, 2011
This is a Quickie Review. For the full review, please visit The Romanceaholic.
Expected Release Date: June 21, 2011
Publisher: Harlequin
Imprint: Harlequin Presents
Author’s Website:
My Source for This Book: Netgalley
Part of a Series: Yes, Book 1, Notorious Wolfes
Series Best Read In Order: N/A
Steam Level: Steamy
Nathaniel Wolfe is the Hollywood Hunk. Handsome, wealthy, and talented, he’s what many a woman (and man) dreams of. He’s also a coward. Nathaniel hides behind his acting, and has been running from his horrible childhood as soon as he was old enough to escape.
Katie is just an ordinary woman, with ordinary concerns and insecurities, who is working as a costume designer in a London theater. She’s an absolute genius with design, and is hoping that this job will help to launch her career and bring in some desperately needed income.
When we meet Nathaniel, he’s about to take the stage in a theater production of Shakespeare’s Richard II, where Katie has been working as costume designer. Just as he’s about to say his opening lines, however, he spies someone in the audience from his past — a past he’d long since hoped was buried and forgotten.
Flustered and furious, he storms off stage where he runs into Katie, and demands that she help him find a way out that doesn’t involve the paparazzi. When it seems there is nowhere to hide but Katie’s tiny apartment, they head there only to have the media show up the next morning, determined to get their slice of the pie.
Knowing that the super-talkative Katie would never be able to hold her own against the press, he whisks her off to a private island, free from the prying eyes of the world…
Overall, I really enjoyed this one. Nathaniel had a truly nasty childhood, and used his acting as an escape. Even though he was incredibly successful, it wasn’t until he met Katie that he realized how much he was truly missing in life. Katie’s obsession over her figure was a bit annoying at times, especially since she wasn’t exactly overweight, but her talkativeness and determination to get Nathaniel to open up really endeared her to me.
There are 8 scheduled novels in this continuity, meaning it will be a series of interconnected books by different authors, so I’m curious to see where the series goes.
In the end this was a satisfying summer read, recommended for fans of tortured heroes, talkative and mildly insecure everyday heroines, and touch of celebrity and Hollywood glitz. 4/5 Stars
Expected Release Date: June 21, 2011
Publisher: Harlequin
Imprint: Harlequin Presents
Author’s Website:
My Source for This Book: Netgalley
Part of a Series: Yes, Book 1, Notorious Wolfes
Series Best Read In Order: N/A
Steam Level: Steamy
Nathaniel Wolfe is the Hollywood Hunk. Handsome, wealthy, and talented, he’s what many a woman (and man) dreams of. He’s also a coward. Nathaniel hides behind his acting, and has been running from his horrible childhood as soon as he was old enough to escape.
Katie is just an ordinary woman, with ordinary concerns and insecurities, who is working as a costume designer in a London theater. She’s an absolute genius with design, and is hoping that this job will help to launch her career and bring in some desperately needed income.
When we meet Nathaniel, he’s about to take the stage in a theater production of Shakespeare’s Richard II, where Katie has been working as costume designer. Just as he’s about to say his opening lines, however, he spies someone in the audience from his past — a past he’d long since hoped was buried and forgotten.
Flustered and furious, he storms off stage where he runs into Katie, and demands that she help him find a way out that doesn’t involve the paparazzi. When it seems there is nowhere to hide but Katie’s tiny apartment, they head there only to have the media show up the next morning, determined to get their slice of the pie.
Knowing that the super-talkative Katie would never be able to hold her own against the press, he whisks her off to a private island, free from the prying eyes of the world…
Overall, I really enjoyed this one. Nathaniel had a truly nasty childhood, and used his acting as an escape. Even though he was incredibly successful, it wasn’t until he met Katie that he realized how much he was truly missing in life. Katie’s obsession over her figure was a bit annoying at times, especially since she wasn’t exactly overweight, but her talkativeness and determination to get Nathaniel to open up really endeared her to me.
There are 8 scheduled novels in this continuity, meaning it will be a series of interconnected books by different authors, so I’m curious to see where the series goes.
In the end this was a satisfying summer read, recommended for fans of tortured heroes, talkative and mildly insecure everyday heroines, and touch of celebrity and Hollywood glitz. 4/5 Stars
April 10, 2011
pertama tertarik karena co di cover nya ganteng banget...
ke 3 karena pengarang nya sarah morgan...sarah ini kebanyakan tokoh utama ce nya masih vi....
ceritanya ttg keluarha WOLFE ...di mulai dari nathaniel wolfe yang seorh aktor tampan dan berbakat pujaan semua perempuan....
dibalik sifat angkuh dan percaya diri nya, dia damage di dalam...soalnya korban abuse bokap nya dan hampir di tenggelamin di danau waktu masih kecil sama nyokapnya sendiri yang sakit jiwa krn penghianatan ayah nya...
rupanya si ayah ini gemar main perempuan jadi dia punya banyak anak dari perempuan yang berbeda...dan si ayah ini menyiksa semua anak2 nya kalo lagi drinking....
karena sesuatu hal, nathaniel ketemu sama heroine nya, katie fiedls yang seorg penata kostum yang membantu dia kabur dari kejaran paparazzi....
mau gak mau waktu nathaniel kabur dia bawa juga si katie ke tempat pulau milik keluarganya buat bersembunyi dari nyamuk press selama 2 minggu...
disinilah walo awalnya nathaniel sinis , pelan2 dia mulai terbuka sama katie....
katie pun walo dia aslinya ngefans sama nathan as actor, dia gak mau berhubungan selain sama real nathaniel....
katie ini hidup nya susah, ayahnya meninggal dan meninggalkan banyak hutang, dia harus merawat ibu nya sementara kaka perempuannya yang cantik dan jadi super model sama sekali gak ngakuin mereka sebvagai keluarga...
katie juga selalu rendah diri karenA SELALU DI BANDINGIN SAMA KAKNYA YANG CANTIK....
dia gak percaya kalo akhirnya nathanie jatuh cinta ke dia...
padahal dengan katie si nathan merasa nahwa dia bisa menjadi dirimya sendiri dan menghadapi hantu masalalu yang mengakibatkan keluarga nya tercerai berai....
nb : ada adegan sex di lift...gilingan hahahaha....
ke 3 karena pengarang nya sarah morgan...sarah ini kebanyakan tokoh utama ce nya masih vi....
ceritanya ttg keluarha WOLFE ...di mulai dari nathaniel wolfe yang seorh aktor tampan dan berbakat pujaan semua perempuan....
dibalik sifat angkuh dan percaya diri nya, dia damage di dalam...soalnya korban abuse bokap nya dan hampir di tenggelamin di danau waktu masih kecil sama nyokapnya sendiri yang sakit jiwa krn penghianatan ayah nya...
rupanya si ayah ini gemar main perempuan jadi dia punya banyak anak dari perempuan yang berbeda...dan si ayah ini menyiksa semua anak2 nya kalo lagi drinking....
karena sesuatu hal, nathaniel ketemu sama heroine nya, katie fiedls yang seorg penata kostum yang membantu dia kabur dari kejaran paparazzi....
mau gak mau waktu nathaniel kabur dia bawa juga si katie ke tempat pulau milik keluarganya buat bersembunyi dari nyamuk press selama 2 minggu...
disinilah walo awalnya nathaniel sinis , pelan2 dia mulai terbuka sama katie....
katie pun walo dia aslinya ngefans sama nathan as actor, dia gak mau berhubungan selain sama real nathaniel....
katie ini hidup nya susah, ayahnya meninggal dan meninggalkan banyak hutang, dia harus merawat ibu nya sementara kaka perempuannya yang cantik dan jadi super model sama sekali gak ngakuin mereka sebvagai keluarga...
katie juga selalu rendah diri karenA SELALU DI BANDINGIN SAMA KAKNYA YANG CANTIK....
dia gak percaya kalo akhirnya nathanie jatuh cinta ke dia...
padahal dengan katie si nathan merasa nahwa dia bisa menjadi dirimya sendiri dan menghadapi hantu masalalu yang mengakibatkan keluarga nya tercerai berai....
nb : ada adegan sex di lift...gilingan hahahaha....
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 15, 2012
Me encantan las series que cuentan las historias de varios hermanos, y un mismo hilo conductor para la trama...!! Esos trabajos en conjunto de las autoras son geniales!
La dinastía Wolfe promete mucho mas!
El primer libro me gusto, una buena historia familiar, mucho dolor y sufrimiento....
Hermanos marcados por un padre malnacido y distanciados por el dolor del recuerdo.
Nathaniel es tan duro consigo mismo, me da tanto dolor. Pero en el fondo solo es por culpa del dolor que le causo su padre. Duele tanto ver a los hermanos distanciados.Tan ajenos unos de otros. Katie es perfecta para él, porque con ella no es el frió actor de Hollywood, sino el niño que su padre pegaba y su madre intentó ahogar. Tierno ,sexy y protector *.*
Ya quiero leer mas de ellos....!!!
"–Sobreviví convirtiéndome en otra persona. Actué durante los años más difíciles –Nathaniel le sostuvo la mirada–. Era otra persona todo el tiempo hasta que te conocí. Eres la primera mujer que ha mostrado interés por la persona, no por la estrella de cine. Quiero cambiar mi vida, Katie. No quiero levantarme cada mañana y actuar todo el día. Quiero vivir mi vida, no la de otra persona –la miró fijamente–. Y quiero vivirla contigo. Te quiero –al ver que ella seguía sin decir nada, la sonrisa le tembló–. Es la primera vez que digo algo así fuera de un set del rodaje."
La dinastía Wolfe promete mucho mas!
El primer libro me gusto, una buena historia familiar, mucho dolor y sufrimiento....
Hermanos marcados por un padre malnacido y distanciados por el dolor del recuerdo.
Nathaniel es tan duro consigo mismo, me da tanto dolor. Pero en el fondo solo es por culpa del dolor que le causo su padre. Duele tanto ver a los hermanos distanciados.Tan ajenos unos de otros. Katie es perfecta para él, porque con ella no es el frió actor de Hollywood, sino el niño que su padre pegaba y su madre intentó ahogar. Tierno ,sexy y protector *.*
Ya quiero leer mas de ellos....!!!
"–Sobreviví convirtiéndome en otra persona. Actué durante los años más difíciles –Nathaniel le sostuvo la mirada–. Era otra persona todo el tiempo hasta que te conocí. Eres la primera mujer que ha mostrado interés por la persona, no por la estrella de cine. Quiero cambiar mi vida, Katie. No quiero levantarme cada mañana y actuar todo el día. Quiero vivir mi vida, no la de otra persona –la miró fijamente–. Y quiero vivirla contigo. Te quiero –al ver que ella seguía sin decir nada, la sonrisa le tembló–. Es la primera vez que digo algo así fuera de un set del rodaje."
October 20, 2011
What a good book!
The sad thing was…it could have been a 5 star book.
An actor? A tortured actor? Family secrets?
A sunny heroine that was not a nitwit? A cute witty sunny one?
Intrigue and Hollywood along with secluded islands?
A worthwhile mix.,,if only it hand not lack the spark.
Maybe some more drama? A surprise visit for the evil modeling sister?
Some other woman, a jilted lover, ex wife?
Bigger and really meaningful collision of the long lost brothers?
Something. A flare. A rocky patch.
Without that it was just one long therapy session with bursts of good jokes and few boring character insights.
When the time was up, looking back I thought:
Sure,the story was good. Readable. But what does it say about a book if even the final love scene was only a small beep on my romance radar?
It all comes to this: It was mysterious enough for me to want to read the other bad blood books. On the other hand, the disappointed idealist in me could only mourn the plot line that did not come up to scratch.
This book was given to me at NetGalley.
The sad thing was…it could have been a 5 star book.
An actor? A tortured actor? Family secrets?
A sunny heroine that was not a nitwit? A cute witty sunny one?
Intrigue and Hollywood along with secluded islands?
A worthwhile mix.,,if only it hand not lack the spark.
Maybe some more drama? A surprise visit for the evil modeling sister?
Some other woman, a jilted lover, ex wife?
Bigger and really meaningful collision of the long lost brothers?
Something. A flare. A rocky patch.
Without that it was just one long therapy session with bursts of good jokes and few boring character insights.
When the time was up, looking back I thought:
Sure,the story was good. Readable. But what does it say about a book if even the final love scene was only a small beep on my romance radar?
It all comes to this: It was mysterious enough for me to want to read the other bad blood books. On the other hand, the disappointed idealist in me could only mourn the plot line that did not come up to scratch.
This book was given to me at NetGalley.
August 7, 2012
I like Sarah Morgan's writing, but I couldn't get "lost" in this story. I always felt like I was reading a book instead of feeling immersed. Katie is a likeable enough heroine, but I'm tired of women who think that having a figure means they're "fat." Nathaniel thinks about her "long, slim legs" so she can't exactly be pudgy. She feels she's unattractive because she's "padded," which in this case simply meant she had a bust line you could measure and she had some shape to her derriere.
Nathaniel is a tortured soul, and even though his back story is definitely sad, his actions seem over-the-top. Since this is an HP and there isn't a lot of time for subtle character development I accepted the drama.
Even with the caveats, Morgan does a good job with this story and I'll continue to seek out her backlist.
Nathaniel is a tortured soul, and even though his back story is definitely sad, his actions seem over-the-top. Since this is an HP and there isn't a lot of time for subtle character development I accepted the drama.
Even with the caveats, Morgan does a good job with this story and I'll continue to seek out her backlist.
June 29, 2011
i must be feeling rather particular today as i had trouble getting into the story on thisone. it's the first of 8 books about the wolfe family siblings and step-siblings and i sincerely hope the next 7 are more engaging in the first few chapters than this one.
September 14, 2012
All Harlequin Presents are over the top. I mean, that's why I read them in the first place. This one, though, soared to exciting new heights of melodrama and silliness, not that there's anything wrong with that.
February 23, 2014
3.5 stars
Nice way to spend an evening. This was high on the angst, but that was expected. I've come to really like Sarah Morgan's writing, a lot. She injects humor into it so the angst doesn't overpower it.
Nice way to spend an evening. This was high on the angst, but that was expected. I've come to really like Sarah Morgan's writing, a lot. She injects humor into it so the angst doesn't overpower it.
December 16, 2020
I loved this one. The Wolfe family is seriously damaged but of course, they are all redeemed by true love. This is really nicely written and both h/H are easy to engage with. This author has a lovely touch and her characters are well developed and fascinating.
June 14, 2011
Sarah Morgan never disappoints! This was a fabulous start to the Notorious Wolfes.
July 17, 2011
A fabulous start to the Bad Blood series!
May 7, 2017
This is my favourite book of the series and how do I explain my love for Nathaniel Wolfe <3 I cried, laughed. Enjoyed this one so much, read this multiple times. One of my favorite heroes <3
August 26, 2016
Good story with a very insecure sweet heroine and a sexy alpha hero!
April 9, 2015
3,5*
Foi um livro que me divertiu muito.
Foi um livro que me divertiu muito.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 155 reviews