Meet executive assistant Shari She's smart, sexy, talented--and excitingly fed up. . . Shari is past done with letting her uber-incompetent boss, Corinne, steal her ideas and get the big bucks and promotions. So, why not pose as Corinne, work a major ad account, and prove who's the real talent? And if that means competing with a rival agency's top executive, well, Shari can't wait to take him on. But when the man turns out to be her boss' ruggedly-sexy boyfriend, his agenda has the kind of sizzling moves Shari can't trust or resist . . . Tom Sexton couldn't be happier about Shari's deception. He's been aware of her abilities for as long as he's been getting sick of Corinne's ego. And helping her will give him a chance to start the agency of his dreams. But keeping their double game under control is only making Tom want more of Shari in every way. And as the stakes get thrillingly higher, he'll do whatever it takes to show her they're the perfect partners, in the boardroom and the bedroom. . . Praise For The Novels Of J.J. Murray "Hilarious. . .Murray's dialog sparkles and the characters are witty and fun. Readers won't want to miss this." – Booklist on She's the One "Murray tells a sexy story of interracial love that's long on charm, romance and humor." -- Booklist on The Real Thing "Thoughtful and well done." -- Library Journal on Original Love
Prolific novelist J. J. Murray writes BWWM romance novels in all genres. He lives with his amazing, talented, and creative wife Kimberlee and their precocious son Steven in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
I picked up this book because I'm fascinated with the fact that J.J. Murray is a white man married to a black woman and he has chosen to write interracial romance for a career. His stuff never verges on the edge of erotica. There simple romantic stories with a hint of sensuality.
Now on to the book: For the first few chapters, I honestly did not like Shari. Why? Because she went on and on about what she didn't like about her job and other people then stated that she was the nicest person at her job. It just seemed to be an outlandish statement. I wish we would have seen more of the "nice" Shari first. I eventually started to like her more once she headed to Macon and met the Petersons.But I kept reading...mainly because I wanted to see how things played out with Tom. The story has it's overly romanticized moments...times that led me to say, "Now come on now, really?" But regardless of the things I didn't like about the book, I still found myself enjoying the story.
Have you ever wanted to get revenge on a person who's made your life pretty miserable? What if you found a way to not only get revenge on that person but also a way to make yourself look great at the same time? Well, that's the premise of J.J. Murray's latest novel, I'LL BE YOUR EVERYTHING.
Shari Nance is a bit disgruntled. She's been an assistant to the worst boss ever for about five years and she has little to show for it. To top it all off, her boss, Corinne, steals all of her ideas and uses them for her own. So, when the opportunity comes up for Shari to step into Corinne's shoes, she takes it. But there is only one problem: Corinne's boyfriend, Tom Sexton.
Tom works for a rival company and will be competing with Corrine--who is actually Shari--for the same account. But what Shari doesn't know is that Tom has been watching Shari for a long time and he has more than a few plans for Shari and her future.
I liked this story in the beginning. Shari was strong, sassy, and smart even if she was a little pissed off. I was rooting for her to get to shine and show her stuff even if she was impersonating her boss. The plot reminded me of that 90's movie with Melanie Griffith and Harrison Ford. I thought that the interaction between Tom and Shari was sweet and had lots of potential for a future relationship.
Then in about the middle of the book, the book kind of dissolved for me. The story reached a turning point and the characters that I had previously rooted for turned cruel and manipulative. Because of that, it was hard for me to find redeeming qualities for them, and I did not particularly care if they found their happiness or not.
The end of the book *kind of* made things better, but not much. I think that the damage had been done, so I didn't want to be happy for Tom and Shari. Although, I will admit that at the end, I found myself smiling despite myself.
So, for me, I thought I'LL BE YOUR EVERYTHING missed the mark. I started out with high hopes and ended up being sorely disappointed.
This is my first time reading anything by J.J. Murray, but I must say, I will give another one of his stories a go. I'm intrigued by his bio and it's not often we see a man writing romances. So, I'll be looking for something else by this author to try. I'll let you know what I think.
Being from NY, when I think of Brooklyn, I think of drama. And Brooklyn, NY hasn't seen drama like this! This isn't the type of drama that ends up on the eleven o'clock news, either. It's the type that ends up on a reality TV, on You Tube, or on your e-reader, while you struggle to keep reading well past your three-thirty A.M. bedtime.
And no, this drama ain't on "90210." This is drama straight from the 11210— Downtown Brooklyn!
In I’ll Be Your Everything, JJ Murray definitely comes out of his comfort zone, giving his readers a novel that was completely unexpected. Shari Nance is a young, black woman who walks her "booty" off and works her "booty" off every day for a crazy, inane, cruel boss. Shari's dedication, hard-work ethic, creativity, and desire to beat the odds turns this character into "Everywoman" or "Manywomen." Come on, haven't "Manywomen" worked for a dingbat, who makes twice their salary, treats them like dirt, keeps them from rising in the ranks, while rubbing their noses in it? I know I have. I know you have. And Shari is sick of it (and so was I! And so were you!). But unlike “Manywomen,” Shari decides to…(Drumroll, please)…
“DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!”
She impersonates her boss, takes over a multimillion-dollar account, and manages to destroy the agency that treated her like a field slave for years. All this in a few pages! As she schemes to find a way to steal her boss's unearned “limelight,” in hopes of getting the spotlight to shine on her for a change, she manages to snag Tom, her boss's boyfriend in the process. And boy does the spotlight shine on Shari for a change!
This wasn't the usual slow-roasting, kind, passionate, love that builds between two broken people that come together to feel whole. Both Shari and Tom start out with that kind of love and that lasts for all of a few nanoseconds. After a five-year phone courtship, once the two meet and realize what they have between them, they fall hard. Their love takes two shakes and a twist, and it turns into a gritty, real, resilient romance, between two head-strong individuals. These are lovers who know what they want and are willing to railroad any and every one to get it. And speaking of railroad, boy, do things go full steam ahead, much like the number 4 train roaring through Brooklyn.
My only issues were with the characters' character...traits. Their scheming turned these Christians into demons. I admit, it troubled me the way the characters seemed so closely tied to the Christian church, and lived opposite of how they should have...at least WANTED to live. We're talking an overall lack of integrity--afternoons taking credit for others’ work and plotting the destruction of careers, followed by hot and heavy nights, followed by mornings at Brooklyn Tabernacle praising God and rejoicing in His Word. Made me, an active Christian, sweat and frown a bit. These characters made me shout "repent, for the Kingdom is near!" at my e-reader a few times. But no one is the perfect Christian and we all have sinned...
But still…Christian or not, I have to admit all that drama rings true for some. And some will definitely appreciate how Mr. JJ Murray provides a realistic account of two people that are trapped in the dog-eat-god world of advertising. It's a career that can cause people to do things they never thought they would do. Matter of fact, coming from a small town as these characters do, it made me think about how moving to NY can change people too. And if there is any place that can get folks to do what they never thought they would do, it’s NY. And it’s all in the name of finding success and happiness. One thing for sure, JJ Murray’s wrote characters that go above and beyond to find bliss.
Some may say otherwise because of the internal dialogue and backstory, but I found it to be a fast-paced read. Lots of fire and ice to keep your page turning or your finger swiping. But don't take my word for it...
either download it or pick it up.
The only way to see all the drama unfold in the BK is to make a personal visit.
5.0 ⭐️Have you ever stopped and actually thought about your innermost thoughts and musings in a particular situation or throughout the day? Have you ever been talking to someone, whether you disliked them, liked them or were ambivalent toward them, and the words that came out of your mouth were entirely diametric to what you were actually thinking? Yes? Well, then, meet Shari. The book is told through her eyes, her musings and her mouth. Shari is brilliant and has worked for an ad agency for five long years; all the while getting used, disrespected and underutilized. Corrine, the woman Shari works for is the boss from hell. While I had to get used to reading a novel written in the first person, it soon became a sheer delight to walk through Shari's quick wit and multi-layered thought processes, while listening to her mouth say the exact opposite!
Tom's character, Shari's love interest, was less fleshed out, but the glimpses into the man made you fall in love with his promise as a man and lover. However, I would have LIKED him better had he been honest and less manipulative in his relationship with Corrine. Ditto, for Shari and her interactions with the hometown boyfriend she left behind, but kept on a string until something better came around. I'm also very pleased with Shari's and Tom's sensuality and the very tasteful yet arousing sexual encounters between the two. YES!!
If I summed up the main themes running through this book, I would say, "revenge is a dish best served cold" and "love conquers all." I found myself smiling throughout this book, and cheering for Shari and Tom. Now, the various scenarios and happenings in the book may not ever occur that way in real life. But it was so much fun wishing that it could----and who knows? Stranger things have happened!!
This was a delightful book filled with lots of goodies to enjoy. Mr. Murray is the real deal. It's so refreshing to read original, well thought out, character rich books.
This book wasn't bad but it wasn't good. It had the potential to be better but the writing style was a turn-off. I didn't like the way the author wrote the main character with the inner dialogue. It took away from a lot of the storyline in the beginning. The progression of the "love affair" was much too fast even with the book's length being longer. If anything I wish the author would have taken more time to develop that and let more time pass. I think as it stood only about 3 weeks time passed in the book from beginning to end.
"A sexy story of love, romance and getting even." Meet (executive assistant) Shari Nance: She's smart, sexy, talented--and excitingly fed up. . .Shari is past done with letting her uber-incompetent boss, Corinne, steal her ideas and get the big bucks and promotions. So, why not pose as Corinne, work a major ad account, and prove who's the real talent? And if that means competing with a rival agency's top executive, well, Shari can't wait to take him on. But when the man turns out to be (ad executive) Tom Sexton, her boss' ruggedly-sexy boyfriend, his agenda has the kind of sizzling moves Shari can't trust or resist . . .
I wanted to like this book more. I didn't. it was just okay.
the main characters were assholes. they just were. they were intentional in their maliciousness to principal antagonist. I normally love when the protagonists to be a little vicious but it wasn't as fun this time.
the heroine and hero fell into a silly case of insta-love so me cheering for their relationship was done with that. I hate insta-love.
I'm on edge with this book, because the writing was so good. I loved Shari in the beginning. Her attitude was a little rotten but what I liked about her was how intelligent she was. I hated how she never stood up to Corinne for never giving her credit for the things that she's actually done. She had great intentions in mind when she went to Macon. But when she met Tom her whole character changed in my eyes. I know that they had good intentions but they're action showed otherwise. Seemed like she was just money hungry and out for revenge. Lets be real, although Corinne has mistreated her, why would Shari be so evil? Isn't the heroin and hero show that they are better than all the petty games? I started to actually feel bad for Corinne after a while. That is honestly not a state of mind that you put anyone through no matter how evil they are. I want to give this book a much higher rating but I just couldn't. Now what I really liked was Shari and Tom's relationship. They were beyond adorable. Although I didn't like how Shari kicked Bryan to the curve, that's how the author wanted her to handle that situation. Tom and Her shared a really cute relation. I think though that Shari should of asked more questions because the things that Tom did was very questionable. But that's my opinion. This book is just I don't know, I loved it and then again I didn't. Someone else would have to read it and give me their opinion because I just do not know.
_OMG! Where do I start. First part of the story takes place in my other home town Macon, GA and I did not know that the author was in town or I could have given him some more interesting historical sights to put in his book. I enjoyed the story line of how the characters met and it did start off rather steamy especially in the hotel room. I liked the playful banter between the characters and I especially liked the way she got even with her boss.
This book made me laugh and as with all of J.J. Murray's novels I throughly enjoyed it and HIGHLY recommend it to all of my friends. I especially loved the fact that I downloaded it on my Kindle Fire.....That was awsome.
I really wanted to give this book a higher rating because the writing is very good, much better than most of what I've read recently. JJ Murray has a great style and voice. Unfortunately, while the writing was great the storytelling was mediocre. The story was slow and severely lacking in heat and chemistry. It was very sweet in parts, had a great, original plot and some of the characters were vibrant. It seems that all the elements were there but the execution wasn't great. I had to force myself to finish it and I did skim through some of it because I was getting bored. It's a good filler read but won't be going on my favourites list.
Because I really like the writing style I will be trying some of the author's other books and hopefully they will be better.
Having read all but one of J.J. Murray's books, I have my favs. Too Much of a Good Thing, I'm Your Girl, Something Real, Renee & Jay I & II. Love these!
What all Murray's books have in common: feisty women who know their own minds & know what they want--even if they don't always know how to go about getting it. And strong, sensual, semi-silent, men who are genius at allowing their women to think they're running things when they really are working in partnership with their men.
I'll Be Your Everything is a departure for Murray, but at the same time it's not . . .I'll be back to finish this review.
I just finished this book last night. I enjoyed it but there were a few aspects of the book that I had some problems with. The story is well written but some of the storyline was a little far-fetched. I loved that they mentioned real buildings, parks and area in Brooklyn. You could tell the author either lives or lived in Brooklyn. I wouldn't suggesting buying this book but you should borrow from the library. It's not one of those books you would read over again.
I didn't get into this book, it wasn't to the J.J.Murray that I like style.. I felt sorry for the person we were suppose to be hating and cheering for.. the hero and heroine of this story worked my last nerves.. to me they were more about revenge than anything.. and what they wanted revenge about was pure stupid to my idea.. I think Jj dropped the ball. I wont go into a lot of detail incase someone else is reading this
The story began with such promise; Shari’s voice is the anthem for many competent and ambitious career oriented women. A boss like Corinne is alive in work places across the country, and a bit of payback is every under-appreciated worker’s dream. An enjoyable read, yet the storyline was highly predictable with no real surprises.
I have enjoyed most of JJ Murray's books with the exception of the one that was a twist on Taming of the Shrew. I'll Be Your Everything reminded why I love his writing so much. This was a fun read and I really liked Tom. I don't understand the use of the word 'booty' so often in the story but I still liked the story. Looking forward to his next ones in 2013.
I just finished this last night. After a string of lousy books, I'm glad I can count on J.J. Murray for a story that proves all is not lost in my Novel World. I good story, with intersting characters. I spent most of the book waiting for 'the other shoe to drop', that moment where the book turns on me. that moment never came. Well done, as always, well done.
This book was a nice read about racially mixed couples and their lives. The intertwining of personal and business was a nice surprise and interesting. I thoroughly enjoyed the "evil" plot between Shari and Tom about getting revenge on their bosses and employers. This book is definitely a good read!
Meh. It had a really promising plot in the beginning. But, towards the end it got a bit too syrupy sweet and over the top for my taste. J. J. Murray's "You Give Good Love" was a much better read. I still enjoyed it though.