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Smart Move
The spark was undeniable the night Sandy Burke met the devastatingly handsome Jake. Conversation flowed easily, so after they parted, she waited eagerly for his call. It never came. A high-powered career woman at the ripe old age of twenty-seven, Sandy feels she has had her heart broken one too many times, and now the redheaded trendsetter is facing a major quarter-life crisis. After some introspection, Sandy determines that helping others may be the key to helping herself. When she's presented with a job offer in Washington DC as the director of New Horizons, a nonprofit organization benefiting women in poverty, it seems providential.
But now that she's moved, two major obstacles threaten the success of her first assignment: The first is her mother and her constant fog of less-than-helpful New Age advice. Secondly, plans to build another New Horizons outreach center have come to a screeching halt, thanks to the interference of a pesky lawyer and his attempts to reverse zoning approval for the building project.
After weeks of verbal sparring over the phone, Sandy is in for a shock when she comes face-to-face with her foe. The smooth voice at the other end of the line is a heart-wrenching blast from the past. In this twist of fate, Sandy sees the perfect opportunity to ensure the success of the outreach center — and to enact a little payback on this man she thought she'd left behind. And so the battle of wits begins. Will Sandy's "flirt-to-convert" plot sway her nemesis' determination to block the center, or will his charming and undeniably attractive ways convince the sassy redhead to give love a second chance?
But now that she's moved, two major obstacles threaten the success of her first assignment: The first is her mother and her constant fog of less-than-helpful New Age advice. Secondly, plans to build another New Horizons outreach center have come to a screeching halt, thanks to the interference of a pesky lawyer and his attempts to reverse zoning approval for the building project.
After weeks of verbal sparring over the phone, Sandy is in for a shock when she comes face-to-face with her foe. The smooth voice at the other end of the line is a heart-wrenching blast from the past. In this twist of fate, Sandy sees the perfect opportunity to ensure the success of the outreach center — and to enact a little payback on this man she thought she'd left behind. And so the battle of wits begins. Will Sandy's "flirt-to-convert" plot sway her nemesis' determination to block the center, or will his charming and undeniably attractive ways convince the sassy redhead to give love a second chance?
256 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2012
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674 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 173 reviews
April 26, 2015
Melanie Jacobson writes enjoyable, witty contemporary romances with LDS main characters, so the boy-girl action is limited to kissing, but without any other really noticeable religious content or proselytizing. They're great when I want a romantic read that's quick, light and fun but doesn't make me feel like I'm killing off my brain cells.
This particular novel has Jake, a lawyer who's almost too sharp for his own good, tangling with Sandy, a cute redhead who finds him attractive, but is at odds with him over a legal issue: they're on opposite sides of a zoning battle, with Sandy fighting for the rights of her employer to open a new center to help poverty-stricken women gain employment skills. Jake and Sandy also have a bit of a history: they spent one magical evening together a year ago, but then Jake disappeared from her life without ever calling her. Now he wants back in her life, but (a) Sandy's still carrying a grudge because he blew her off back then, and (b) she can't see how to have a a relationship with someone who's fighting against a cause that's so important to her.
I had a couple of fairly major issues with the plot. First, Jake is kind of a nasty shark of a lawyer at the beginning, but gets much nicer very quickly when he realizes he's dealing with his old acquaintance Sandy. His rudeness at the beginning didn't jibe well with the nice guy he's really supposed to be. Second, I think he was playing too fast and loose with his ethical obligations in connection with this case and his actions toward Sandy and her organization, particularly toward the end. I'm a lawyer, and his actions just weren't passing the gut test for me. But at the same time, I'm not a litigator, and I'm not really certain whether he was on the wrong side of the legal ethics rules or not.
For all I know, Melanie Jacobsen got her plot vetted by a lawyer who knows ethics [ETA: she did--see comment #2 in the thread], so I'm reluctant to come down too hard on this. I suppose I could take this to one of my partners who's a litigator or ethical expert, but I'm having a difficult time envisioning a conversation with another lawyer that begins with the words, "So I was reading this romance novel, and it raises some interesting legal ethics issues that I'd like your input on . . ."
3.5 stars, rounding up because overall I still thought this was one of the better LDS romances I've read, with some quirky and interesting secondary characters.
This particular novel has Jake, a lawyer who's almost too sharp for his own good, tangling with Sandy, a cute redhead who finds him attractive, but is at odds with him over a legal issue: they're on opposite sides of a zoning battle, with Sandy fighting for the rights of her employer to open a new center to help poverty-stricken women gain employment skills. Jake and Sandy also have a bit of a history: they spent one magical evening together a year ago, but then Jake disappeared from her life without ever calling her. Now he wants back in her life, but (a) Sandy's still carrying a grudge because he blew her off back then, and (b) she can't see how to have a a relationship with someone who's fighting against a cause that's so important to her.
I had a couple of fairly major issues with the plot. First, Jake is kind of a nasty shark of a lawyer at the beginning, but gets much nicer very quickly when he realizes he's dealing with his old acquaintance Sandy. His rudeness at the beginning didn't jibe well with the nice guy he's really supposed to be. Second, I think he was playing too fast and loose with his ethical obligations in connection with this case and his actions toward Sandy and her organization, particularly toward the end. I'm a lawyer, and his actions just weren't passing the gut test for me. But at the same time, I'm not a litigator, and I'm not really certain whether he was on the wrong side of the legal ethics rules or not.
For all I know, Melanie Jacobsen got her plot vetted by a lawyer who knows ethics [ETA: she did--see comment #2 in the thread], so I'm reluctant to come down too hard on this. I suppose I could take this to one of my partners who's a litigator or ethical expert, but I'm having a difficult time envisioning a conversation with another lawyer that begins with the words, "So I was reading this romance novel, and it raises some interesting legal ethics issues that I'd like your input on . . ."
3.5 stars, rounding up because overall I still thought this was one of the better LDS romances I've read, with some quirky and interesting secondary characters.
May 3, 2016
I really liked Sandy. She was engaging and vivid and I loved her passion and determination. I also liked . . . uh. Well. I liked Sandy. Oh, her friends didn't suck! But that's about it. Jake was pretty much a dead loss from the start and never improved.
The biggest problem with Jake is subtle, but it persists from the start to the end and is key to my dissatisfaction with the book. See, he's kind of fundamentally selfish. That's behind the past where he blew Sandy off after they "connected" for an amazing night of good conversation in an unlikely setting. Which was bad, but his excuse made it even worse. This persists, though, through the whole story. He doesn't ever seem to think "hey, maybe I can prepare Sandy for this thing that's coming up, even if obliquely." or "hey, maybe I can talk to my client and see if I can't give her a heads-up or something." But no, it's all trust me because . . . uh.
And that's the other thing. I never could find what attracted them to each other. I mean, chemistry, sure. But I never got the sense of actual connection beyond yearning. Frankly, Sandy's right to shut him out based on how he doesn't seem to consider how she might react to the blind-siding he knows she's going to receive. Sure, he plans mitigating actions but he does so completely under her radar. He doesn't even bother to inform her of his emotional stake in their relationship or that he has concerns or fear that the strictures of his job might impact it. He's so connected to his vision of how things will play out that he doesn't consider her likely reaction.
I had this flying at a low three stars hoping Jacobson would pull it together at the end. Unfortunately, the reverse was true. Jake's actions at the end sank him further, in my opinion, and reinforced his fundamental, selfish character. It was all centered around him and his vision of how things would work out. Frankly, Sandy's taking a real gamble taking him back, though at least they shouldn't run into professional conflict in future...
A note about LDS: This book is completely and unselfconsciously Mormon. There are a lot of cultural and religious terms that are presented without explanation or elaboration. This isn't a bad thing, but needs pointing out.
The biggest problem with Jake is subtle, but it persists from the start to the end and is key to my dissatisfaction with the book. See, he's kind of fundamentally selfish. That's behind the past where he blew Sandy off after they "connected" for an amazing night of good conversation in an unlikely setting. Which was bad, but his excuse made it even worse. This persists, though, through the whole story. He doesn't ever seem to think "hey, maybe I can prepare Sandy for this thing that's coming up, even if obliquely." or "hey, maybe I can talk to my client and see if I can't give her a heads-up or something." But no, it's all trust me because . . . uh.
And that's the other thing. I never could find what attracted them to each other. I mean, chemistry, sure. But I never got the sense of actual connection beyond yearning. Frankly, Sandy's right to shut him out based on how he doesn't seem to consider how she might react to the blind-siding he knows she's going to receive. Sure, he plans mitigating actions but he does so completely under her radar. He doesn't even bother to inform her of his emotional stake in their relationship or that he has concerns or fear that the strictures of his job might impact it. He's so connected to his vision of how things will play out that he doesn't consider her likely reaction.
I had this flying at a low three stars hoping Jacobson would pull it together at the end. Unfortunately, the reverse was true. Jake's actions at the end sank him further, in my opinion, and reinforced his fundamental, selfish character. It was all centered around him and his vision of how things would work out. Frankly, Sandy's taking a real gamble taking him back, though at least they shouldn't run into professional conflict in future...
A note about LDS: This book is completely and unselfconsciously Mormon. There are a lot of cultural and religious terms that are presented without explanation or elaboration. This isn't a bad thing, but needs pointing out.
October 11, 2012
I’ve read and enjoyed Ms Jacobson’s other books and was excited when I saw she had a new one coming out. I was a little surprised when I had a hard time getting into this one though. From the start, I didn’t really like our heroine Sandy. Which is never a good sign when you’re starting a book and already don’t care for the lead character. I was really hoping she would grow on me, but she never did. I thought from beginning to end that she was narrow minded and was always jumping to conclusions. At the end of the day she just seemed cold to me. I couldn’t understand what Jake saw in her.
I liked Jake, although I wish he would have stood up for himself a little more. At one point he finally takes a stand and even tells Sandy he is done. But, the very next time they are together he starts chasing her again. He was always chasing her. It’s great that he is crazy about her (for some reason), but come on. I just wish he would have let her stew a little bit, let her think she has actually lost him. She was constantly putting him in the wrong, when he never actually did anything wrong. So, the whole time he is trying to win her over, when really she should have been trying to win him over.
I didn’t really feel the chemistry between them. I guess we’re supposed to assume that once this case was over things would go all happily ever after, but I have some doubts. Sandy never really proved herself. Sandy never really showed any growth. IMO. I get that she had a messed up childhood, crazy mom and nonexistent dad. But, I would have liked to see her show a little faith. Speaking of faith, I would have liked to see her faith play a bigger role in the story. It seemed pretty non-existent and I wasn’t sure why it was even brought up if it wasn’t going to be a part of the character or growth. It just seemed like a plot devise that would occasionally bring them together (he’s her home teacher, FHE, church, etc.)
Wow, this sounds harsher than I intended. Overall, it was okay, others will probably like it more than I did. I’ll still look for and read anything Ms. Jacobson writes, this one just didn’t click with me.
Content: Clean.
(I just realized this is a companion novel to Twitterpated.)
I liked Jake, although I wish he would have stood up for himself a little more. At one point he finally takes a stand and even tells Sandy he is done. But, the very next time they are together he starts chasing her again. He was always chasing her. It’s great that he is crazy about her (for some reason), but come on. I just wish he would have let her stew a little bit, let her think she has actually lost him. She was constantly putting him in the wrong, when he never actually did anything wrong. So, the whole time he is trying to win her over, when really she should have been trying to win him over.
I didn’t really feel the chemistry between them. I guess we’re supposed to assume that once this case was over things would go all happily ever after, but I have some doubts. Sandy never really proved herself. Sandy never really showed any growth. IMO. I get that she had a messed up childhood, crazy mom and nonexistent dad. But, I would have liked to see her show a little faith. Speaking of faith, I would have liked to see her faith play a bigger role in the story. It seemed pretty non-existent and I wasn’t sure why it was even brought up if it wasn’t going to be a part of the character or growth. It just seemed like a plot devise that would occasionally bring them together (he’s her home teacher, FHE, church, etc.)
Wow, this sounds harsher than I intended. Overall, it was okay, others will probably like it more than I did. I’ll still look for and read anything Ms. Jacobson writes, this one just didn’t click with me.
Content: Clean.
(I just realized this is a companion novel to Twitterpated.)
December 19, 2014
I was excited when I found this book. I really like this author and the other books of hers I have read. I struggled with this one though. I had a really hard time liking the main character Sandy. I felt she was judgemental, sarcastic, and prideful. It was supposed to come across as "sass and spunk" but it seemed more "mean and cynical" to me. I kept expecting to see her grow through it, but she was pretty close minded right to the end. I loved Jake! He made for a great Hero, but I struggled seeing them together. He was pretty patient to stick around so long. The story line was good and I am still glad I read the book...it just won't go to my read again pile. :)
October 10, 2012
Really, Melanie Jacobson? You want ME to review your book? (Big squee, little squee, dance a jig or two.) Okay. I'll review it. :)
If you have never read a book by Melanie Jacobson, you are missing out. Melanie writes LDS fiction with such fun and wit that you will be smiling the whole time.
Sandy. Oh, Sandy. (I'm having some Grease flashbacks here) You mean well. You have such passion for your job and you are so good at it. Your mom may be a TAD BIT odd and you may have been burned a bit by love in the past but can't you see that incredibly handsome, charming and determined guy right in front of you just begging for a chance to prove himself?! Sheesh, Sandy. Give the poor guy a chance. And when he does an idiot thing, can't you be nice? You do so enjoy his kisses, right?
The above was my plea to Sandy. If you couldn't tell. Sometimes I just wanted to shake that Sandy! She was so obstinate. She had some valid reasons for the wall of protection and it was good to see it come down as she learns to trust and love both mom and Jake again.
One of my favorite scenes in the book is when Sandy is trying to get something that has fallen way back inside a cupboard thing at work. She is down on the floor, wiggling her way inside to get it when she realizes she has caught her hair and can't get out. Guess who comes in at that very moment? Jake. Of course. So, with her bum sticking out in a very less than lady like way and her humiliation at an all time high, Sandy accepts Jake's offer to help her untangle. It is so funny and tension filled that I am still smiling and thinking about it days later.
I enjoyed this book so much. It was fun and flirty and provided me with a happy distraction from real life not so fun things. Thank you, Melanie for letting me read your book. It was really my pleasure.
If you have never read a book by Melanie Jacobson, you are missing out. Melanie writes LDS fiction with such fun and wit that you will be smiling the whole time.
Sandy. Oh, Sandy. (I'm having some Grease flashbacks here) You mean well. You have such passion for your job and you are so good at it. Your mom may be a TAD BIT odd and you may have been burned a bit by love in the past but can't you see that incredibly handsome, charming and determined guy right in front of you just begging for a chance to prove himself?! Sheesh, Sandy. Give the poor guy a chance. And when he does an idiot thing, can't you be nice? You do so enjoy his kisses, right?
The above was my plea to Sandy. If you couldn't tell. Sometimes I just wanted to shake that Sandy! She was so obstinate. She had some valid reasons for the wall of protection and it was good to see it come down as she learns to trust and love both mom and Jake again.
One of my favorite scenes in the book is when Sandy is trying to get something that has fallen way back inside a cupboard thing at work. She is down on the floor, wiggling her way inside to get it when she realizes she has caught her hair and can't get out. Guess who comes in at that very moment? Jake. Of course. So, with her bum sticking out in a very less than lady like way and her humiliation at an all time high, Sandy accepts Jake's offer to help her untangle. It is so funny and tension filled that I am still smiling and thinking about it days later.
I enjoyed this book so much. It was fun and flirty and provided me with a happy distraction from real life not so fun things. Thank you, Melanie for letting me read your book. It was really my pleasure.
February 1, 2019
Romance, clean; faith elements, LDS setting; stand alone read, but spin off characters from another novel.
Just re-read this and felt it deserved a written review and not just a star rating..
I rarely give 4 stars for anything. At first, I have to say that I was going to give this 3 stars, but the second time that I read it, I had to give it 4. Ms. Jacobson knows how to get us in the characters heads. It isn't just a 'he said', 'she said' story, it is the frustrations, longing, the thinking, the doing, the clever twists and turns. I will qualify and say that of all her stories, I had the hardest time with the brand names she kept dropping, but in one sense, it was part of the setting. I just don't enjoy that part of the world we live in. Jake and Sandy were opposites that attracted, and had great conversations. It was perfect that the conflict came with work, and it was great to see 'El Diablo' die in the end....
This is definitely an LDS/Mormon setting, but Ms. Jacobson is alway spot on with the romance. Clean, sweet, and longing...
Just re-read this and felt it deserved a written review and not just a star rating..
I rarely give 4 stars for anything. At first, I have to say that I was going to give this 3 stars, but the second time that I read it, I had to give it 4. Ms. Jacobson knows how to get us in the characters heads. It isn't just a 'he said', 'she said' story, it is the frustrations, longing, the thinking, the doing, the clever twists and turns. I will qualify and say that of all her stories, I had the hardest time with the brand names she kept dropping, but in one sense, it was part of the setting. I just don't enjoy that part of the world we live in. Jake and Sandy were opposites that attracted, and had great conversations. It was perfect that the conflict came with work, and it was great to see 'El Diablo' die in the end....
This is definitely an LDS/Mormon setting, but Ms. Jacobson is alway spot on with the romance. Clean, sweet, and longing...
September 18, 2012
I love it. Of course I love it. I'm so happy it's ALMOST HERE!
January 1, 2019
What happens when the guy you had the best connection of your life with turns out to be your new work nemesis? Totally enjoyable story!
September 6, 2024
Well, if I couldn’t sleep, this was a great modern proper romance to read through the night!
April 2, 2013
First line:
"Sandy tapped the toe of her high-heeled boot as she considered its sharp point and where it would do the most damage to Jake Manning."
Sandy Burke has her heart in the right place. She wants to help women who need a hand up and she's passionate about saving the place she works that helps those women.
Jake Manning is a lawyer with a good, honest work ethic. He's been hired to stop the place where Sandy works from building an annex.
Unbeknownst to either party, they met, and connected a year ago. But now they are on opposite sides of a good fight.
Ms. Jacobson is a good writer and does a good job at keeping romantic tension in the story. This is a good, clean story that I was able to read in one sitting.
I have to admit though that I was annoyed with Sandy's character. While she was passionate about her side, she never listened to Jake's side. She'd rant and rave about evil corporations and how if Jake liked her he'd back off. Jake tried to explain his side several times but she always cut him off or walk away. It got old. I felt sorry for Jake and wondered WHY! he kept coming back to her. I know he felt a strong connection but why?
Finally, they called a truce and dated (against their better judgement) and something happened at court where Sandy decided she hated Jake...again. Then finally, in the last few pages of the book, Sandy really listened to Jake and they resolved their differences. I couldn't help wonder if they married what their relationship would be. Would Sandy ever listen to Jake? Would he feel he had to constantly defend himself? Not a great start I think.
And don't even get me started on how she treated her mother. Once again, Sandy didn't listen, only judged. They did make amends towards to the end, which was good!
Rating: PG
S: No
V: No
L: No
Liked:
Sandy's real name was Sand Dollar
Jake
Clean, romantic book
Book cover
Disliked:
Sandy not changing until the very end
Relationship issues
"Sandy tapped the toe of her high-heeled boot as she considered its sharp point and where it would do the most damage to Jake Manning."
Sandy Burke has her heart in the right place. She wants to help women who need a hand up and she's passionate about saving the place she works that helps those women.
Jake Manning is a lawyer with a good, honest work ethic. He's been hired to stop the place where Sandy works from building an annex.
Unbeknownst to either party, they met, and connected a year ago. But now they are on opposite sides of a good fight.
Ms. Jacobson is a good writer and does a good job at keeping romantic tension in the story. This is a good, clean story that I was able to read in one sitting.
I have to admit though that I was annoyed with Sandy's character. While she was passionate about her side, she never listened to Jake's side. She'd rant and rave about evil corporations and how if Jake liked her he'd back off. Jake tried to explain his side several times but she always cut him off or walk away. It got old. I felt sorry for Jake and wondered WHY! he kept coming back to her. I know he felt a strong connection but why?
Finally, they called a truce and dated (against their better judgement) and something happened at court where Sandy decided she hated Jake...again. Then finally, in the last few pages of the book, Sandy really listened to Jake and they resolved their differences. I couldn't help wonder if they married what their relationship would be. Would Sandy ever listen to Jake? Would he feel he had to constantly defend himself? Not a great start I think.
And don't even get me started on how she treated her mother. Once again, Sandy didn't listen, only judged. They did make amends towards to the end, which was good!
Rating: PG
S: No
V: No
L: No
Liked:
Sandy's real name was Sand Dollar
Jake
Clean, romantic book
Book cover
Disliked:
Sandy not changing until the very end
Relationship issues
October 15, 2012
YAY!!!! Two Melanie Jacobson books in one year?! How awesome is that! The only thing that would be better? THREE!!! :)
Anyway, enough celebrating. On to the book. First off, how cute is the cover?! (I really want those shoes!) It gives you a taste of what the book is like - a fun, cute, and romantic story set in the sophisticated world of east coast politics.
I love when romances begin with the characters starting out as arch-enemies. It is inevitable that they will end up together but it is so fun to see the sparks fly as their relationship goes from "hate" to "love". I especially liked how Sandy referred to Jake as "El Diablo"!
My favorite part of Sandy's character is that she is a smart, driven, and successful woman who is confident in who she is. I admire her passion for the outreach center and her willingness to fight for what is right. I love that she doesn't play dating games and is honest and upfront with Jake. And even though her stubborness gets her into trouble a couple of times, it all turns out in the end.
Most of the "comedy" half of this romantic comedy comes from Sandy's mother, Magdalena. (You can imagine what she is going to be like just from her name!) She was hilarious! And yes, if she was my mother, she would probably have driven me insane. So I give Sandy credit for putting up with her. But I love her colorful and unique personality and the crazy antics she adds to the story.
Smart Move is a companion novel to Twitterpated. However, it is definitely a "stand-alone" book and only references parts of the Twitterpated story.
Overall, it is fantastic, "non-put-downable", success from the queen of LDS romantic comedy!
Anyway, enough celebrating. On to the book. First off, how cute is the cover?! (I really want those shoes!) It gives you a taste of what the book is like - a fun, cute, and romantic story set in the sophisticated world of east coast politics.
I love when romances begin with the characters starting out as arch-enemies. It is inevitable that they will end up together but it is so fun to see the sparks fly as their relationship goes from "hate" to "love". I especially liked how Sandy referred to Jake as "El Diablo"!
My favorite part of Sandy's character is that she is a smart, driven, and successful woman who is confident in who she is. I admire her passion for the outreach center and her willingness to fight for what is right. I love that she doesn't play dating games and is honest and upfront with Jake. And even though her stubborness gets her into trouble a couple of times, it all turns out in the end.
Most of the "comedy" half of this romantic comedy comes from Sandy's mother, Magdalena. (You can imagine what she is going to be like just from her name!) She was hilarious! And yes, if she was my mother, she would probably have driven me insane. So I give Sandy credit for putting up with her. But I love her colorful and unique personality and the crazy antics she adds to the story.
Smart Move is a companion novel to Twitterpated. However, it is definitely a "stand-alone" book and only references parts of the Twitterpated story.
Overall, it is fantastic, "non-put-downable", success from the queen of LDS romantic comedy!
October 29, 2012
This book had me right form the beginning. I love it when I can have fun reading and laugh a time or two.
Sandy is a great main character. She is sassy and witty. She has a great sense of self, in spite of her less than conventional upbringing. In fact she may be so successful because of she had to learn from a young age to stand firm in her ideals and beliefs. Her mother is a new age guru. She has really taught Sandy many great life skills from her "religion", but some of her beliefs are a bit extreme.
Jake is a lawyer. He and Sandy met a year previous to this book and hit it off, unfortunately for him, he didn't call. He now has to prove his intentions, of course it is unfortunate that he is on the other side of legal wrangling from Sandy. She refers to him as "el diablo" and it's not in an affectionate way.
The sparks fly between the two of them. They have great chemistry. The only one who really can't see it is Sandy. She is so focused on her job and proving that she is right that she is blinded to what is around her.
I loved reading this book and now Melanie Jacobson is on my radar, I will be checking out her other books.
Sandy is a great main character. She is sassy and witty. She has a great sense of self, in spite of her less than conventional upbringing. In fact she may be so successful because of she had to learn from a young age to stand firm in her ideals and beliefs. Her mother is a new age guru. She has really taught Sandy many great life skills from her "religion", but some of her beliefs are a bit extreme.
Jake is a lawyer. He and Sandy met a year previous to this book and hit it off, unfortunately for him, he didn't call. He now has to prove his intentions, of course it is unfortunate that he is on the other side of legal wrangling from Sandy. She refers to him as "el diablo" and it's not in an affectionate way.
The sparks fly between the two of them. They have great chemistry. The only one who really can't see it is Sandy. She is so focused on her job and proving that she is right that she is blinded to what is around her.
I loved reading this book and now Melanie Jacobson is on my radar, I will be checking out her other books.
November 18, 2012
I have read all of Melanie's books and have enjoyed her writing style and characters. I was especially excited to read about Sandy from Twitterpatted, but sadly I was disappointed. The writing is still great, but Sandy turned out to be a huge disappointment. I found her narrow minded and quick to judge without all the facts, and not one willing to research the facts. I was also annoyed at the ending. After all the grief she gave Jake, he's the one who apologizes, but Sandy didn't and I felt she was the one who should have. I can't believe Jake stuck around for so long.
Also,I could be me, but it felt there were political undercurrents that just rubbed me the wrong way, which is why I rated so low. I was so looking forward to a few hours of escape after a VERY stressful month and especially stressful week and instead of feeling refreshed from reading a good book, I was perturbed!
Also,I could be me, but it felt there were political undercurrents that just rubbed me the wrong way, which is why I rated so low. I was so looking forward to a few hours of escape after a VERY stressful month and especially stressful week and instead of feeling refreshed from reading a good book, I was perturbed!
May 28, 2018
So, I guess sexual harassment as OK as long as the man is simply trying to convince the woman that she cares for him just as much as he cares for her. This wasn’t a terrible read. In fact, there were some fun moments, and feelings of annoyance were trumped by the fact that Iwanted to know how the novel concluded. But, for the most part, the story was full of a bunch of superficial tidbits about fashion and how the main character’s life was centered around her supposedly awesome career and vast amounts of clothing. I found very little depth, and completed the novel feeling more annoyed than satisfied. I wouldn’t necessarily steer readers away from this novel, but it was just OK and only may be worth the time.
November 14, 2012
Sandy is a no-nonsense go-getter and her mission right now is to save the place chosen to house women who are trying to get back on their feet again. Jake is a lawyer for the opposing side and is someone from her past.
Sandy is very standoffish. The way she pushes and pushes (and pushes) Jake away is crazy--and yet he keeps coming back and trying. I would have given up. Her background explains a little about why she is this way, but she seems to have a very hard time forgiving and moving on--even with her own mom.
I did like seeing her side of things (she was a minor character in Twitterpated), but I wish she had a happier story.
Content: clean.
Sandy is very standoffish. The way she pushes and pushes (and pushes) Jake away is crazy--and yet he keeps coming back and trying. I would have given up. Her background explains a little about why she is this way, but she seems to have a very hard time forgiving and moving on--even with her own mom.
I did like seeing her side of things (she was a minor character in Twitterpated), but I wish she had a happier story.
Content: clean.
November 13, 2012
Melanie Jacobson certainly made a Smart Move in her latest novel. Sandy (Jessie's roommate from Twitterpated) has moved across the country to pursue a new job and lifestyle. Her change of scene prompted by the encounter a year earlier with a man that left her hanging and emotionaly off balance. A classic romance with misconstued motives and flirty banter mixed with colorful characters, Smart Move is definately a solid read dressed for success.
May 3, 2016
This was pretty cute, but it was probably not the best fit for my mood. It has a lot of arguing in it, some of it quite funny, but it can be exhausting as well.
April 25, 2019
I give this a solid 3.5
I was very excited to dive into this story. It was given a lot of great reviews here in Goodreads. However, I just felt a bit confused at the end and the ending wasn't quite satisfying so I couln't give it a full 4 or 5
In this story we were introduced to Jake and Sandy (or Sand Dollar) as her mom named her. They met at a bar back in Seattle and sparks flew then. They parted that night with Sandy confident that Jake will call her again. To her surprise, he does not. He wouldn't make his presence known for a full year. This shook Sandy and made her look at her life which caused her to make a major career change and moved to the other side of the country.
The story starts a year later their meeting where we find Sandy in DC fighting a legal case against this mysterious lawyer she dubbed as El Diablo. Once she finds out who he is, she is suprised beyond belief. El Diablo turned out to be her once "love at first sight" man, Jake. They start to have a pull and push kind of relationship.
I liked the premise but sometimes it felt a bit crazy and disjointed for me. To credit the author, I didn't really see how it was going to end so the unpredictability was there. However, even after the "whole truth" of Jake's actions were explained at the end, it still didn't quite mesh with me. I didn't see how all of the lying can be brushed off to the side and how he couldn't give Sandy a few ounces of hints along the way. And he was surprised at her reaction at the end? For a smart guy, he sure was dense.
I also didn't like the ending. After all the back and forth of strong chemistry between them all we see is them finally deciding to date. I would've expected at least an epilogue of a marriage proposal or something. It just seemed like their story didn't quite have the ending that all of their angsty romance deserved.
Anyways, those are my thoughts. I still like this author. She is still a great contemporaroy romance writer but this one was not my favorite.
I was very excited to dive into this story. It was given a lot of great reviews here in Goodreads. However, I just felt a bit confused at the end and the ending wasn't quite satisfying so I couln't give it a full 4 or 5
In this story we were introduced to Jake and Sandy (or Sand Dollar) as her mom named her. They met at a bar back in Seattle and sparks flew then. They parted that night with Sandy confident that Jake will call her again. To her surprise, he does not. He wouldn't make his presence known for a full year. This shook Sandy and made her look at her life which caused her to make a major career change and moved to the other side of the country.
The story starts a year later their meeting where we find Sandy in DC fighting a legal case against this mysterious lawyer she dubbed as El Diablo. Once she finds out who he is, she is suprised beyond belief. El Diablo turned out to be her once "love at first sight" man, Jake. They start to have a pull and push kind of relationship.
I liked the premise but sometimes it felt a bit crazy and disjointed for me. To credit the author, I didn't really see how it was going to end so the unpredictability was there. However, even after the "whole truth" of Jake's actions were explained at the end, it still didn't quite mesh with me. I didn't see how all of the lying can be brushed off to the side and how he couldn't give Sandy a few ounces of hints along the way. And he was surprised at her reaction at the end? For a smart guy, he sure was dense.
I also didn't like the ending. After all the back and forth of strong chemistry between them all we see is them finally deciding to date. I would've expected at least an epilogue of a marriage proposal or something. It just seemed like their story didn't quite have the ending that all of their angsty romance deserved.
Anyways, those are my thoughts. I still like this author. She is still a great contemporaroy romance writer but this one was not my favorite.
November 6, 2020
I really don't have a taste for modern romance books, I don't know why... 2 stars might be a little low, (prob a 2.5) but first of all, I started this book 3 different times then got sidetracked with other books (because this one I actually read ebook, not audio), and so I re-read the first chapter too much and it was confusing... Anyway, with that being said... it really had a cute story line, sort of pillow talk ish... where they are enemies then fall in love, though, it was a little more wishy washy. I also didn't really follow the whole back story of her work and what she was trying to accomplish. I did on an intellectual level, after it explained it over and over (which got really old), I just never understood the road blocks she kept insisting on... anyway, I know they needed a resolveable conflict to overcome for the romance but it was lacking. It's like they were trying to make the guy sound like a bad guy. Speaking of the guy, He seemed like a good guy and she would not give him a break. She had some personal issues... anyway... I will wrap it up there.
March 20, 2021
The main characters in this book are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints so there are some religion references but the book is not religious. I liked a lot of things about this story but I did not like how Sandy treated people. She was horribly rude to her mom and Jake and yet they both put up with her. There were also a lot of out-of-the-blue kisses which threw me off and I know that Jake and Sandy have “chemistry” but they didn’t seem to have much which they based their relationship on. Kisses only.
October 29, 2022
Typical book for this author. I don’t know why I like them so much and it isn’t because the guy is too perfect and the girl is unbending and undeserving. That does drive me crazy because there is no way that if i kicked a guy out of my life, refused to so much as check the messages he left would he still try to be in my life let alone take a last minute flight across the country to surprise me on the hope of getting me back. NO WAY! Unrealistic romantic fantasy. Still, I guess that would be nice if the world really worked like that and thats why i like this book so much.
May 20, 2017
I usually like this authors books. But I was so grouchy with the chaotic ending. Trying to jerk emotions around too fast. I felt like the story would be better if he really was the jerk she knew him to be. This ending left my feeling worried and uncomfortable. I felt Similar reactions watching the Alfred Hitchcock's "Suspicion".
December 20, 2017
A pretty good story! I liked the characters, especially how real they felt, with individual quirks, interests, and personalities. I wish we could have been shown more of their initial meeting rather than being told about it, but overall it was a lovely tale, with my favorite character being her mother. <3
April 30, 2019
I have to agree with another reviewer. I really enjoyed Sandy's character. She was vibrant and lit up the page. I was however extreme disappointed in Jake's character. Selfish to the last chapter. I couldn't get over how angry he made ME feel. 2 stars for his character never getting over himself.
July 26, 2022
just what I expected. Light read. Clean romance - although that clean gets steamy sometimes. Not as cheesy as some, and characters quite different than other books - although the guy is always kind of a clone. But the main character, Sandy, and her new age mom were different and that was refreshing.
June 5, 2024
Clean romance that is very slow burn.
A lot of social and political maneuvering between a woman helping to run a nonprofit and a man working for a neighborhood preservation group.
I don’t know if the ending was very satisfying and it was just barely happy.
Mild violence. No sex. Mild language. Family drama.
A lot of social and political maneuvering between a woman helping to run a nonprofit and a man working for a neighborhood preservation group.
I don’t know if the ending was very satisfying and it was just barely happy.
Mild violence. No sex. Mild language. Family drama.
September 30, 2021
I was disappointed in this sequel to "Twitterpated". The romantic lead in "Smart Move" was unlikeable for me. Jake is a dishonest, manipulative, narcissist, and Sandy deserved better. Love takes more than chemistry...😕
May 24, 2017
It is was a fun, light, clean read like her other books. I just wish she would resolve things sooner than the last two pages. I want more time with them together.
April 2, 2018
It was a cute book, (3 1/2 stars) although a lot of arguing went on between the 2 main characters and I felt like Sandy was always quick to judge and didn’t always give Jake a chance.
June 7, 2018
Sandy is not my favorite. She's selfish, rude to her mother, and doesn't really develop as a character through the entire book. I had a hard time seeing why Jake would be interested in her.
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