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Say Something #1
If I Say Yes
Elizabeth Lewis was the child of Hollywood's darling couple, until her father murdered her mother.
Six years later, she has traded her flashy, luxurious lifestyle for one of safe anonymity as a literary agent. With a different name and appearance, Liza Winter is living the life of her dreams--one where she's known for who she is instead of what her father did. Except her apartment should be condemned, her car only starts when it wants, she hates the romance genre she has been assigned, and the CEO's deliciously attractive nephew is out to ruin her carefully laid plans.
Reid Harder has never met an obstacle he couldn't overcome. When his new position in the romance department comes with a benefit his uncle didn't mention, he decides to wage a war against the intelligent, beautiful Liza to destroy every argument she has for turning him down. Still, the closer he gets to winning the prize, the more he realizes that the woman is keeping secrets that may endanger not just her life but his.
Will Liza overcome her mistrust of Reid to reveal her secrets before he learns the truth and walks away? Or will a grudge-wielding apparition from her past make her the next deadly Hollywood headline?
Six years later, she has traded her flashy, luxurious lifestyle for one of safe anonymity as a literary agent. With a different name and appearance, Liza Winter is living the life of her dreams--one where she's known for who she is instead of what her father did. Except her apartment should be condemned, her car only starts when it wants, she hates the romance genre she has been assigned, and the CEO's deliciously attractive nephew is out to ruin her carefully laid plans.
Reid Harder has never met an obstacle he couldn't overcome. When his new position in the romance department comes with a benefit his uncle didn't mention, he decides to wage a war against the intelligent, beautiful Liza to destroy every argument she has for turning him down. Still, the closer he gets to winning the prize, the more he realizes that the woman is keeping secrets that may endanger not just her life but his.
Will Liza overcome her mistrust of Reid to reveal her secrets before he learns the truth and walks away? Or will a grudge-wielding apparition from her past make her the next deadly Hollywood headline?
190 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 3, 2016
16 people are currently reading
726 people want to read
About the author
Brandy Jellum
8 books91 followersBrandy's passion for writing began long before she actually sat down to write. As a child, she has had an obsession with reading. Everything from the classic stories by Jane Austen to YA Fiction by Richelle Mead. Finally, in 2012, she decided to create her own stories for people to fall in love with. Brandy bounces back and forth writing both Young Adult Fiction and Romance.
When she isn't writing, she can be found chasing after her husband, her four children and her black lab Diesel. Or curled up on her favorite corner of the couch with her newest book.
Follow Brandy on Social Media:
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When she isn't writing, she can be found chasing after her husband, her four children and her black lab Diesel. Or curled up on her favorite corner of the couch with her newest book.
Follow Brandy on Social Media:
http://www.brandyjellumbooks.wordpres...
https://www.facebook.com/BrandyJellum
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews
May 2, 2015
3 stars
Meh. This book really didn't work for me...
I LOVED the premise...a former Hollywood socialite running from her crappy past that involved her father murdering her mother. Trying to leave the past behind her, she works a mediocre job at a publishing agency and owns a crappy apartment. Despite having a ton of money left to her from her father, she refuses to use the "blood money".
One day at work, she meets the bosses nephew - enter Reid.
From here, the book went downhill for me. I didn't really like Reid. The insta-love factor was pretty high in this book, and it's even quoted as such.
"It only takes me two weeks to fall for Reid, and I have fallen harder than I ever have before. Life seems normal."
Two weeks? Normal? Not so much. She goes from not trusting him to loving him in the matter of a few pages.
Reid BARELY knows her, and he pledges his devotion to her more times than I care to count.
And then the ending came TOTALLY out of left field!
On a positive note, the writing was well done.
This book had a ton of potential and I felt like it just fell short.
Meh. This book really didn't work for me...
I LOVED the premise...a former Hollywood socialite running from her crappy past that involved her father murdering her mother. Trying to leave the past behind her, she works a mediocre job at a publishing agency and owns a crappy apartment. Despite having a ton of money left to her from her father, she refuses to use the "blood money".
One day at work, she meets the bosses nephew - enter Reid.
From here, the book went downhill for me. I didn't really like Reid. The insta-love factor was pretty high in this book, and it's even quoted as such.
"It only takes me two weeks to fall for Reid, and I have fallen harder than I ever have before. Life seems normal."
Two weeks? Normal? Not so much. She goes from not trusting him to loving him in the matter of a few pages.
Reid BARELY knows her, and he pledges his devotion to her more times than I care to count.
And then the ending came TOTALLY out of left field!
On a positive note, the writing was well done.
This book had a ton of potential and I felt like it just fell short.
June 24, 2014
I was really intrigued by the summary of this book. I thought it was a little different from the straight romance I've been reading for a while. And while the book started out great, I soon found that there were things that didn't add up. In the end, I felt If I Say Yes needed more content editing. This book would benefit from it greatly, and I think it would make a really good mystery/romance if all the questions I had while reading were better answered and the development was looked into more thoroughly. I found myself saying, "What about this?" and "How is this possible?" or "What exactly are they thinking here?" There was too many things that I felt needed work for If I Say Yes to really work as a solid story.
The premise of the book is that Liza Winter who is really Elizabeth Lewis has been in hiding for the past six years. Now the reason why she's been in hiding is flimsy at best. She "changed" her identity to escape all the media and hoopla that surrounded her mother's murder by her father. But yet, she has stayed in the same city she lived in before and lives relatively close to her childhood home. She called it hiding in plain sight. Which I don't really understand since she did nothing really to hide, but people who knew her very well appeared to not even recognize her. I'm sorry but people don't change looks that much in six years. And the media, being creepy, wouldn't forget her face given something as sensational as the murder of her very famous mother. (And what was her mother famous for again? I forgot because it was mentioned so little.) The media circus would never end. Look at the OJ Simpson trial. It's been over 20 years now and there was a spread in People about it, featuring Simpson's kids. The murder of her mother wouldn't be forgotten after six years and the the hoopla she wanted to escape would still be there. Plus, how much has she changed looks since then? There is no mentioned of plastic surgery, no losing or gaining weight, no anything. She should still look like the same person even if she changed her hair. It just seems all too contrived and convenient.
Anyway, Liza works for this literary agency or agent house and becomes infatuated with her new boss but won't let herself get infatuated because she has these rules which aren't really explained, but then gets infatuated anyway. Reid Harder is equally infatuated but I was left scratching me head as to why exactly. There never really was a "get to know you" part to their relationship. In fact the majority of their relationship was either Liza or Reid running away because either one of them misread or misunderstood the other or pushed each other away because they didn't want to open up. I kept thinking, "Why are they attracted to each other other than physically here?"
Plus Reid has his own secrets which he doesn't tell and later we find out lied about anyway once he told them but constantly is harping on Liza for not telling him about her secrets. Ugh.
The real meat and bones of the story is the mystery about who is sending Liza threatening letters wanting to exposes her. First, what would it do if she was exposed? She didn't kill her mother, her father is in jail, and she's not in any threat of her life. So I'm guessing it's because she is guarded of her privacy but yet the threats are about exposing her to Reid and it's presented like he would hate her or not love her if he knew the truth. Now I would get if she felt threatened because her father was getting out on parole or he wasn't in jail, or maybe the killer is still on the loose, but not not the flat reasons given in the book as it is.
And was there almost a love triangle between Liza, Reid, and Eli? I thought there might have the makings of one but again it felt flat like a lot of the subplots in the book.
And I want more backstory on the relationship she had with her parents. The author hinted that Liza and her mother didn't have a good relationship (Liza's nightmares) but we never are shown or told why.
And I want more backstory on Heidi. I mean a lot. Okay, I just want more backstory on a lot of things.
And....There are many more things I found needed more attention content wise in this book. I don't want to give them away because it would tell the ending. But I will say that the ending of the book left us on a cliffhanger that made no sense whatsoever. It felt like the author was saying, "Hey, I want to make this a trilogy, so what can I throw in there to prolong the drama. I know...dun dun dunnnnnn!"
If I Say Yes was written well. It has so much promise but completely fails in my opinion. I really want to sit down with the author and help her. Really, delve into the story. She has the bones of a great mystery if she just gets her ducks in a row and get off the contrived story train. I ended up giving this book three lip bites becasue the romance wasn't bad, the writing was good, and pacing was well done. This book just needs a trip through a content edit because I don't think it had a decent one.
The premise of the book is that Liza Winter who is really Elizabeth Lewis has been in hiding for the past six years. Now the reason why she's been in hiding is flimsy at best. She "changed" her identity to escape all the media and hoopla that surrounded her mother's murder by her father. But yet, she has stayed in the same city she lived in before and lives relatively close to her childhood home. She called it hiding in plain sight. Which I don't really understand since she did nothing really to hide, but people who knew her very well appeared to not even recognize her. I'm sorry but people don't change looks that much in six years. And the media, being creepy, wouldn't forget her face given something as sensational as the murder of her very famous mother. (And what was her mother famous for again? I forgot because it was mentioned so little.) The media circus would never end. Look at the OJ Simpson trial. It's been over 20 years now and there was a spread in People about it, featuring Simpson's kids. The murder of her mother wouldn't be forgotten after six years and the the hoopla she wanted to escape would still be there. Plus, how much has she changed looks since then? There is no mentioned of plastic surgery, no losing or gaining weight, no anything. She should still look like the same person even if she changed her hair. It just seems all too contrived and convenient.
Anyway, Liza works for this literary agency or agent house and becomes infatuated with her new boss but won't let herself get infatuated because she has these rules which aren't really explained, but then gets infatuated anyway. Reid Harder is equally infatuated but I was left scratching me head as to why exactly. There never really was a "get to know you" part to their relationship. In fact the majority of their relationship was either Liza or Reid running away because either one of them misread or misunderstood the other or pushed each other away because they didn't want to open up. I kept thinking, "Why are they attracted to each other other than physically here?"
Plus Reid has his own secrets which he doesn't tell and later we find out lied about anyway once he told them but constantly is harping on Liza for not telling him about her secrets. Ugh.
The real meat and bones of the story is the mystery about who is sending Liza threatening letters wanting to exposes her. First, what would it do if she was exposed? She didn't kill her mother, her father is in jail, and she's not in any threat of her life. So I'm guessing it's because she is guarded of her privacy but yet the threats are about exposing her to Reid and it's presented like he would hate her or not love her if he knew the truth. Now I would get if she felt threatened because her father was getting out on parole or he wasn't in jail, or maybe the killer is still on the loose, but not not the flat reasons given in the book as it is.
And was there almost a love triangle between Liza, Reid, and Eli? I thought there might have the makings of one but again it felt flat like a lot of the subplots in the book.
And I want more backstory on the relationship she had with her parents. The author hinted that Liza and her mother didn't have a good relationship (Liza's nightmares) but we never are shown or told why.
And I want more backstory on Heidi. I mean a lot. Okay, I just want more backstory on a lot of things.
And....There are many more things I found needed more attention content wise in this book. I don't want to give them away because it would tell the ending. But I will say that the ending of the book left us on a cliffhanger that made no sense whatsoever. It felt like the author was saying, "Hey, I want to make this a trilogy, so what can I throw in there to prolong the drama. I know...dun dun dunnnnnn!"
If I Say Yes was written well. It has so much promise but completely fails in my opinion. I really want to sit down with the author and help her. Really, delve into the story. She has the bones of a great mystery if she just gets her ducks in a row and get off the contrived story train. I ended up giving this book three lip bites becasue the romance wasn't bad, the writing was good, and pacing was well done. This book just needs a trip through a content edit because I don't think it had a decent one.
May 12, 2015
After her father murdered her super-famous actress mother in front of her, Elizabeth Lewis disappears to escape the media circus, and every painful reminder forever. As Liza Winter, she lives the quiet life of a literary agent, with the one aim of becoming the best rep and the one name in Horror/Thriller. The only problem is her boss insists she works in the Romance department, which gets trickier when her new manager, the boss' handsome nephew, steps in.
I loved this book. I always relate to emotionally shut off, career-minded women - no idea why...
Liza is really cool. She has a plan, which involves being one of the youngest people to climb the ladder at a major book agent company. Her plan definitely doesn't include getting involved with anyone. After all, she's learned the hard way that if you allow yourself to love someone, you're handing over the ability to hurt you more.
I thought it was very entertaining that she was stuck in the Romance section by her boss, to try and get her to broaden her skills. Poor Liza is so bloody stubborn! She would rather take the drastic option of quitting, than solve the problem in front of her.
Reid is her new manager (yes, the book agent is called Reid). He decides to set new challenges for Liza, to try and get her to accept her role. When he finds out that she's as stubborn as a mule, and feisty to boot, his aims start to change to something more personal.
The other main character is Liza's best friend Eli, the only person she kept in touch with from her old life. No spoiler here, it's obvious that Eli is in love with Liza from the beginning. For the most part, he's very sweet and understanding. But there were times when I really did wonder about him. If you love someone and know them deeper than anyone else; why would you constantly try and take that person to places where she feels uncomfortable? (i.e. restaurants and clubs that Liza fears she'll be recognised as Elizabeth Lewis)
There was a plot, which I enjoyed. I'm fed up of romance stories that don't have substance to them. I was so relieved that If I Say Yes stepped up to the mark.
I would say that the book is a 70/30 mix of Romance and Thriller. Aside from the prologue, where we are shown the darkest day of Liza's life, the first half of the book reads purely as a romance novel. There is an underlying theme of a threat to Liza's new life, and it build nicely to the culmination.
I was impressed when the bad guy was revealed - I usually guess who, but this one caught me by surprise!
Overall, it's not perfect, but it is completely enjoyable and well worth picking up this book.
Also, on a random note, I blame this Say Something series for getting this song stuck in my head for the last bloody month.
I loved this book. I always relate to emotionally shut off, career-minded women - no idea why...
Liza is really cool. She has a plan, which involves being one of the youngest people to climb the ladder at a major book agent company. Her plan definitely doesn't include getting involved with anyone. After all, she's learned the hard way that if you allow yourself to love someone, you're handing over the ability to hurt you more.
I thought it was very entertaining that she was stuck in the Romance section by her boss, to try and get her to broaden her skills. Poor Liza is so bloody stubborn! She would rather take the drastic option of quitting, than solve the problem in front of her.
Reid is her new manager (yes, the book agent is called Reid). He decides to set new challenges for Liza, to try and get her to accept her role. When he finds out that she's as stubborn as a mule, and feisty to boot, his aims start to change to something more personal.
The other main character is Liza's best friend Eli, the only person she kept in touch with from her old life. No spoiler here, it's obvious that Eli is in love with Liza from the beginning. For the most part, he's very sweet and understanding. But there were times when I really did wonder about him. If you love someone and know them deeper than anyone else; why would you constantly try and take that person to places where she feels uncomfortable? (i.e. restaurants and clubs that Liza fears she'll be recognised as Elizabeth Lewis)
There was a plot, which I enjoyed. I'm fed up of romance stories that don't have substance to them. I was so relieved that If I Say Yes stepped up to the mark.
I would say that the book is a 70/30 mix of Romance and Thriller. Aside from the prologue, where we are shown the darkest day of Liza's life, the first half of the book reads purely as a romance novel. There is an underlying theme of a threat to Liza's new life, and it build nicely to the culmination.
I was impressed when the bad guy was revealed - I usually guess who, but this one caught me by surprise!
Overall, it's not perfect, but it is completely enjoyable and well worth picking up this book.
Also, on a random note, I blame this Say Something series for getting this song stuck in my head for the last bloody month.
November 10, 2014
This is a debut novel for Brandy Jellum and boy was it a good one. I was definitely entertained throughout this whole book. I was pleasantly surprised. This book doesn’t waste anytime sucking you in and getting you to try and guess what is happening. She made this book even more suspenseful by adding the romance. It made you forget about the problems with Elizabeth and wonder what was going to happen next for her and Reid.
I am not one to read a lot of romantic suspense books. With that said if there are more that are written like this I think I will have to pick more of them up. I am one of those people that is really hard to surprise when it comes to books and movies that are like this. I usually can figure it out by the first couple minutes of a movie or the first couple chapters. The story opens right away with a question. We see Elizabeth’s past but it cuts out before the end. We are left guessing what her dad ended up doing to her. And the questions don’t stop. We are given bits and pieces slowly throughout the story about Liz’s life. When we finally get to the end and we learn who has been doing these things I was like…..
The romance was another reason it was hard for me to guess what was going on. You got so wrapped up yelling at Liz to get over herself and do this thing with Reid that you forget all of her other problems. I mean she tries really hard to keep Reid away but that wonderful man keeps getting in there. I mean he was an ass but what man isn’t sometimes. Hahaha. Oh! And you never really learn much about Reid so that is another mestory Brandy puts in the book that you aren’t actually aware is there until the end of the book. Reid comes off as being open but is he really? I don’t think so…but maybe that’s me.
This book was actually pretty good. I didn’t get enough of the actual romance but other than that I really liked it. I am going to be picking up the next one in the series. Any author that can stump me deserves that much!
July 11, 2014
** Tara's 4 Star Review **
Liza Winter is trying to live a life where her past never existed. After finding her mother murdered in her family home. Liza just wants to forget the past and move on. The nightmares and people from her past however have other plans.
While working for a Literary Agent house, Liza is assigned to the Romance department finding new talent, but that is not where she wants to be. When The owners nephew Reid Harder walks into her life, everything she is running from comes crashing down on her.
When someone from Liza’s past starts harassing her, can she trust and turn to Reid?
He traces his fingers over my lips and gently presses his mouth against mine.
Reid is a no nonsense, tough as nails kinda guy. He is used to having a different girl on his arm every night of the week, never really interested into taking things further. When he meets Liza, his world is turned upside down.
“I’ll be honest. I really did think of women as only an accessory.” “What changed?” I ask softly. “I met you.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is not your typical boy meets girl, girl falls for boy type of romance novel. It is an intertwined plot full of twists and turns, suspense and romance. There are two story lines that come together in a well written way. To be honest, the first 40% I really couldn’t wrap my head around what was going on, I could not figure out how the two story lines were going to come together, or where things were going. Then something flipped and it all came together and the book picked up for me. On more then a few occasions I found myself gasping wondering what was going to happen next.
If you are looking for a quick read filled with lots of suspense this book is for you.
**received a complimentary copy by the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review**
Liza Winter is trying to live a life where her past never existed. After finding her mother murdered in her family home. Liza just wants to forget the past and move on. The nightmares and people from her past however have other plans.
While working for a Literary Agent house, Liza is assigned to the Romance department finding new talent, but that is not where she wants to be. When The owners nephew Reid Harder walks into her life, everything she is running from comes crashing down on her.
When someone from Liza’s past starts harassing her, can she trust and turn to Reid?
He traces his fingers over my lips and gently presses his mouth against mine.
Reid is a no nonsense, tough as nails kinda guy. He is used to having a different girl on his arm every night of the week, never really interested into taking things further. When he meets Liza, his world is turned upside down.
“I’ll be honest. I really did think of women as only an accessory.” “What changed?” I ask softly. “I met you.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is not your typical boy meets girl, girl falls for boy type of romance novel. It is an intertwined plot full of twists and turns, suspense and romance. There are two story lines that come together in a well written way. To be honest, the first 40% I really couldn’t wrap my head around what was going on, I could not figure out how the two story lines were going to come together, or where things were going. Then something flipped and it all came together and the book picked up for me. On more then a few occasions I found myself gasping wondering what was going to happen next.
If you are looking for a quick read filled with lots of suspense this book is for you.
**received a complimentary copy by the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review**
July 23, 2014
Our reviewer Kathy Smith received a free copy of If I Say Yes in exchange for an honest review. Here’s what she said:
If I Say Yes is the classic “girl with troubled past who has written off men, falls in love with Mr. Stud” romance – with a suspense/thriller twist.
I found the book generally well written and the prologue kept me intrigued enough to read the whole thing. I am generally not a romance reader, and found parts of it very unbelievable, but that being said I did read the whole thing, waiting for what originally pulled me in.
I found myself wishing that the writer had just focused on the suspense thriller part of the book and less on the romance. I felt that if that level of romance was necessary, it needed to be built more, because that part of it left me feeling like the heroine was weak - she fell off her “I’ve written off men” pedestal way too quickly- and the hero’s immediate intensity for her came off kinda creepy.
I would love to see more character development; I really wanted to like them.
The twist in the book came out a little confusing because there was not enough background, too many characters were quickly introduced without a past and it could have worked, but I felt it did not.
The general idea for the book was fantastic, but I really felt it needed more storyline and character development in order to pull the reader through and leave them wanting to read the second book. Unfortunately I did not feel that connection to the characters. I really did like the story idea and the writing, but I felt so much more could have been done.
If I Say Yes is the classic “girl with troubled past who has written off men, falls in love with Mr. Stud” romance – with a suspense/thriller twist.
I found the book generally well written and the prologue kept me intrigued enough to read the whole thing. I am generally not a romance reader, and found parts of it very unbelievable, but that being said I did read the whole thing, waiting for what originally pulled me in.
I found myself wishing that the writer had just focused on the suspense thriller part of the book and less on the romance. I felt that if that level of romance was necessary, it needed to be built more, because that part of it left me feeling like the heroine was weak - she fell off her “I’ve written off men” pedestal way too quickly- and the hero’s immediate intensity for her came off kinda creepy.
I would love to see more character development; I really wanted to like them.
The twist in the book came out a little confusing because there was not enough background, too many characters were quickly introduced without a past and it could have worked, but I felt it did not.
The general idea for the book was fantastic, but I really felt it needed more storyline and character development in order to pull the reader through and leave them wanting to read the second book. Unfortunately I did not feel that connection to the characters. I really did like the story idea and the writing, but I felt so much more could have been done.
March 20, 2015
Starting the book we see Elizabeth finding her mother's cold,bloody lifeless body in her parents bedroom, as she tries to somehow wake her up her father appears holding the knife he used and coldly admits to the murder he says it was "for us".
Fast forward six years and Liza as she now goes by due to the fact she completely changed her identity works in the Romance department of Hardee's Literary Agent House, even though this isn't the department she wants to work in she feels she would be more suited to the Horror/Thriller genre.
One day she goes to meet with the CEO Mr Holder to discuss a possible move to the Horror/Thriller department but instead meets Reid Harder the CEO's nephew.
Instant attraction flows through Liza's veins but Reid also sparks irritation, she soon learns that Reid had just become the head of the Romance department so now her new boss.
As their attraction to each other grows and develops so does the fact that her secret may be revealed as she is receiving threatening emails by someone close by.
Who is threatening her?
Will Reid up and leave once he knows the truth?
I loved this book, its a romantic suspense, it had me on the edge in my seat, couldn't put it down so read it in one sitting, characters were good, plot was really good and flowed right, can't wait for book two.
Fast forward six years and Liza as she now goes by due to the fact she completely changed her identity works in the Romance department of Hardee's Literary Agent House, even though this isn't the department she wants to work in she feels she would be more suited to the Horror/Thriller genre.
One day she goes to meet with the CEO Mr Holder to discuss a possible move to the Horror/Thriller department but instead meets Reid Harder the CEO's nephew.
Instant attraction flows through Liza's veins but Reid also sparks irritation, she soon learns that Reid had just become the head of the Romance department so now her new boss.
As their attraction to each other grows and develops so does the fact that her secret may be revealed as she is receiving threatening emails by someone close by.
Who is threatening her?
Will Reid up and leave once he knows the truth?
I loved this book, its a romantic suspense, it had me on the edge in my seat, couldn't put it down so read it in one sitting, characters were good, plot was really good and flowed right, can't wait for book two.
May 29, 2014
Great Romance suspense mystery read.
The story opens with Elizabeth discovering her mother body and her father admitting to her murder. The story then forwards six years and Elizabeth is living with a different identity as Liza who works for a publishers in the romance department where she would really like in the horror department. The CEO’s nephew Reid had recently taken up the head of romance department position. Upon meeting the pair at war however there is an attraction between the pair . The more the pair get to know each other, the more the pair are both endangered. Will Liza’s secret past/ life be kept a secret ?
I loved the plot it was brilliant, I was hooked throughout. There were lots of twists and turns and I was kept guessing what was happening. Just when I thought I had things sussed something would happen that changed my mind. I loved Reid and Liza. They had great chemistry and banter. What I loved about this one was the suspense aspect. I really enjoyed it and kept me guessing who was the bad guy.
This is part of a series but I won’t class the ending as a cliff-hanger, the story wraps up nicely and it more sets the scene for next book. I can’t wait to read this and get to know Reid more. Overall a great romance suspense story which I really enjoyed.
The story opens with Elizabeth discovering her mother body and her father admitting to her murder. The story then forwards six years and Elizabeth is living with a different identity as Liza who works for a publishers in the romance department where she would really like in the horror department. The CEO’s nephew Reid had recently taken up the head of romance department position. Upon meeting the pair at war however there is an attraction between the pair . The more the pair get to know each other, the more the pair are both endangered. Will Liza’s secret past/ life be kept a secret ?
I loved the plot it was brilliant, I was hooked throughout. There were lots of twists and turns and I was kept guessing what was happening. Just when I thought I had things sussed something would happen that changed my mind. I loved Reid and Liza. They had great chemistry and banter. What I loved about this one was the suspense aspect. I really enjoyed it and kept me guessing who was the bad guy.
This is part of a series but I won’t class the ending as a cliff-hanger, the story wraps up nicely and it more sets the scene for next book. I can’t wait to read this and get to know Reid more. Overall a great romance suspense story which I really enjoyed.
May 19, 2014
Well that was a wild ride!
After watching her father kill her mother 6 years ago, Elizabeth "Liza" has changed her name and left that old life behind.
She's working as a literary agent in the Romance department, something she loathes, and moving on with her life.
Someone, though, hasn't forgotten who she is. Someone has an axe to grind. Someone is threatening her and those close to her.
When she meets Reid, the nephew of the owner of the company she works for, and her new boss, the walls that she's put up for so long start to seem rather flimsy.
He's working his way under her skin quickly, no matter how hard she tries to keep him away.
Will she be able to keep her secret from him? Will he find out and run?
Or will the person who has been sending her threatening emails beat them all?
This was a great read! I had forgotten how much I love a good romantic suspense story but this reminded me! The suspense mixed with the build up of passion between Liza and Reid will leave you breathless as you wait to see just what will happen next!
I'm glad I read this when I did, I don't have to wait too long for book 2!
After watching her father kill her mother 6 years ago, Elizabeth "Liza" has changed her name and left that old life behind.
She's working as a literary agent in the Romance department, something she loathes, and moving on with her life.
Someone, though, hasn't forgotten who she is. Someone has an axe to grind. Someone is threatening her and those close to her.
When she meets Reid, the nephew of the owner of the company she works for, and her new boss, the walls that she's put up for so long start to seem rather flimsy.
He's working his way under her skin quickly, no matter how hard she tries to keep him away.
Will she be able to keep her secret from him? Will he find out and run?
Or will the person who has been sending her threatening emails beat them all?
This was a great read! I had forgotten how much I love a good romantic suspense story but this reminded me! The suspense mixed with the build up of passion between Liza and Reid will leave you breathless as you wait to see just what will happen next!
I'm glad I read this when I did, I don't have to wait too long for book 2!
Read
April 22, 2015 If I say By :Brandy_Jellum
Life is about having choices and see where they can take you. Some regard small, trivial details. But others can bring you to a different path, or end it altogether.Mia Hall is a 17 year old whose life revolves around music.Her boyfriend Adam who singer and guitarist in his own band that he played every day .
Mia thinks it's a hated decision to make her lifetime .
Mia broke a bone and now she is in a hospital bed.Mia best friends and her grandparents vista her a lot.Mia realizes that life is not death is not up to God or the doctors,it is in her hands only.
Mia has to make the impossible drying with my family and wake up orphan. You will have it for the rest of your life, I hope you hired join the book.
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Life is about having choices and see where they can take you. Some regard small, trivial details. But others can bring you to a different path, or end it altogether.Mia Hall is a 17 year old whose life revolves around music.Her boyfriend Adam who singer and guitarist in his own band that he played every day .
Mia thinks it's a hated decision to make her lifetime .
Mia broke a bone and now she is in a hospital bed.Mia best friends and her grandparents vista her a lot.Mia realizes that life is not death is not up to God or the doctors,it is in her hands only.
Mia has to make the impossible drying with my family and wake up orphan. You will have it for the rest of your life, I hope you hired join the book.
Click here to Reply or Forward
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May 26, 2014
Actually giving 4 1/2 stars. I normally read nothing but erotica, but took a chance on this debut novel by Brandy Jellum. The mix of romance and suspense was balanced in a way that made the story flow nicely. Looking forward to the next volume in this series.
November 25, 2019
This book is like a C-movie: the plot is bad, the characters are preposterous but you feel compelled to see it through because you need to know how much worse it can get. Well, in this case, it gets worse and worse still.
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April 7, 2023🎁 FREE on Amazon today (4/7/2023)! 🎁
June 30, 2014
Liza Winter being employed as a literary agent in the Romance department of Harder’s Literary Agent House wants nothing more but to return to her previous station in the Horror and Thriller genre department. When Liza is denied her request to return to the Horror and Thriller department, she learns that her new boss will be Reid Harder Junior whom she detests but cannot stop thinking about his smile. Reid asks Liza out for drinks after work to discuss adjusting to the Romance genre department and refuses the invitation causing Reid to demand Liza have three potential authors ready to sign with Harder’s Literary Agent House by three o’clock or he will speak to his uncle about her departure. Before three o’clock Liza remits her resignation to Reid and he refuses to accept allowing her another opportunity to meet for drinks at the club Gravity to discuss strategy for her position regarding the romance genre department. Liza apprehensively accepts the invitation because of past memories that resurface resulting in her running from the club in tears over a distressing incident six years ago. Meeting Reid at Gravity becomes the nightmare Liza tried to avert from occurring and flees from the club out the rear entrance down the alley to her home without any explanation to Reid. Reid’s sudden appearance everywhere Liza travels has an unnerving emotional impact about the situation when he divulges to Liza the heartfelt affections he has concerning her.
Liza Winter begins receiving threatening emails detailing her every move from an unknown person regarding her past life that she intricately safeguards with an unexpected disappearance changing her name from Elizabeth Lewis and physically changing her hair color since her father murdered her mother six years ago without leaving the city where she lives. The unknown person who knows her secret life as Elizabeth Lewis devises a blackmail plot to reveal her identity and harm to Reid unless she discontinues her rendezvous’ with the Literary Manager immediately. Liza continues her relationship with Reid against the warnings of her stalker regretting the decision after the stalker revealing themselves detains her, Reid, and her best friend Elias in the house where her father murdered her mother.
This romantic suspense novel has a very explosive story line yet it was seemingly difficult to connect emotionally with the main characters, which would have been superior with a slower development of character interactions. This book is well worth the read and I recommend this novel to avid readers of romantic suspense thriller fictional books who want a quick book to read on a lazy day of the weekend.
Liza Winter begins receiving threatening emails detailing her every move from an unknown person regarding her past life that she intricately safeguards with an unexpected disappearance changing her name from Elizabeth Lewis and physically changing her hair color since her father murdered her mother six years ago without leaving the city where she lives. The unknown person who knows her secret life as Elizabeth Lewis devises a blackmail plot to reveal her identity and harm to Reid unless she discontinues her rendezvous’ with the Literary Manager immediately. Liza continues her relationship with Reid against the warnings of her stalker regretting the decision after the stalker revealing themselves detains her, Reid, and her best friend Elias in the house where her father murdered her mother.
This romantic suspense novel has a very explosive story line yet it was seemingly difficult to connect emotionally with the main characters, which would have been superior with a slower development of character interactions. This book is well worth the read and I recommend this novel to avid readers of romantic suspense thriller fictional books who want a quick book to read on a lazy day of the weekend.
June 16, 2014
This debut novel is well written and tightly plotted. The characters are well defined and the back story is woven well into the current plot. The character of Liza is well developed, she is deeply scarred by her past, emotionally and physically. She was traumatized by the death of her mother, who really wasn't much of one; and equally devastated by her father, on many levels. Her past has made her reinvent herself. She lives now with a new name, a new life and a new career. The one constant in her life has been her friend Elias. He cares deeply for her and has always been there for her; before and after her life-changing trauma. Due to the circumstances of her mother's death, Liza has also given up on love. Her heart was shattered by her former fiancee, Jacob. Liza has been hiding in plain sight since her mother's death, altering her appearance and leaving the trust fund lifestyle behind. After completing college, she is hired on as a literary agent for a large publishing house. Her internship had been in the horror department but her job is now in the romance area; a poor fit at best for Liza. She tries desperately to change departments, but her new boss seems intent on keeping his eyes, and whatever else he can get, on her.
Her life is complicated by her new boss, Reid, the nephew of the owner of the company. He is everything Liza has tried to avoid since she reinvented herself. He is devastatingly handsome, very persuasive and in hot pursuit of the newest romance agent. He is all alpha, very stubborn but very goal oriented. Liza tries to ignore the passion he ignites, and true to form she cannot. While Reid has a playboy image, he is far different with Liza. She is surprised often by his actions and his word. The banter back and forth between Reid and Liza is realistic, and true to life, signals are often misread causing angst. Both Reid and Liza keep secrets from each other, further complicating the situation. Her life is further complicated by a mysterious person, threatening her and those she cares for at every turn. Ms. Jellum does an excellent job misdirecting the reader, when trying to solve the mystery. Things are tied up well and there are several surprises in the resolution of the story. The plot twists and turns on the way to HEA are often sharp and very near the edge. While the ending may not be a true cliff hanger, it is just a tiny step away from the edge of the precipice. I will definitely be waiting for the next book in the series, the ending leaves the reader wondering.
Her life is complicated by her new boss, Reid, the nephew of the owner of the company. He is everything Liza has tried to avoid since she reinvented herself. He is devastatingly handsome, very persuasive and in hot pursuit of the newest romance agent. He is all alpha, very stubborn but very goal oriented. Liza tries to ignore the passion he ignites, and true to form she cannot. While Reid has a playboy image, he is far different with Liza. She is surprised often by his actions and his word. The banter back and forth between Reid and Liza is realistic, and true to life, signals are often misread causing angst. Both Reid and Liza keep secrets from each other, further complicating the situation. Her life is further complicated by a mysterious person, threatening her and those she cares for at every turn. Ms. Jellum does an excellent job misdirecting the reader, when trying to solve the mystery. Things are tied up well and there are several surprises in the resolution of the story. The plot twists and turns on the way to HEA are often sharp and very near the edge. While the ending may not be a true cliff hanger, it is just a tiny step away from the edge of the precipice. I will definitely be waiting for the next book in the series, the ending leaves the reader wondering.
July 14, 2014
Are you looking for a thrilling romantic suspense tale to wile away a lazy summer day? Well then I found the book for you ... sit down, buckle up, and get ready to be captivated by the riveting debut novel, If I Say Yes by author Brandy Jellum.
Six years ago Hollywood socialite Elizabeth Lewis ran away from her traumatic past and reinvented her life. Now twenty-four, she goes under the name of Liza Winter, a literary agent in the Romantic genre at the prominent Harder's Literary Agent House. Liza has worked hard to keep her past behind her, but when she unexpectedly meets Reid Harder, the literary agency owner's nephew and her new boss, hidden secrets and painful old memories come to surface, threatening to turn her life upside down once again.
In If I Say Yes, the first book in the Say Something Series, author Brandy Jellum weaves an intriguing romantic suspense tale that captivates the reader's attention from the opening paragraph, and easily keeps them holding their breath and guessing what will happen next. You can't help but get drawn into this riveting story as it unfolds, the tangled web of haunting and painful memories and hidden secrets once again comes to the surface and threatens Liza's carefully reinvented life.
This fast-paced multi-layered and complex story has enough intriguing clues, suspense, and thrilling twists and turns that will keep the reader sitting on the edge of their seat. You can't help but want to keep turning the pages to see what will happen to Liza and Reid's developing romantic relationship when her traumatic past resurfaces with chilling threats and danger lurking around every corner.
I think the author did a great job of interweaving a nice balance of romance and suspense throughout the story, it kept my interest and made me want to figure out how the story would end ... but alas ... the author teases the reader with a breath-holding cliff-hanger of an ending that leaves the reader wanting more, only to have to wait for the release of the next book in the series.
If I Say Yes has everything that a true romantic suspense fan could ever want in a book, just take my word and read it, you can thank me later!
Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author / publisher in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by Chick Lit Plus Blog Tours.
http://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot...
Six years ago Hollywood socialite Elizabeth Lewis ran away from her traumatic past and reinvented her life. Now twenty-four, she goes under the name of Liza Winter, a literary agent in the Romantic genre at the prominent Harder's Literary Agent House. Liza has worked hard to keep her past behind her, but when she unexpectedly meets Reid Harder, the literary agency owner's nephew and her new boss, hidden secrets and painful old memories come to surface, threatening to turn her life upside down once again.
In If I Say Yes, the first book in the Say Something Series, author Brandy Jellum weaves an intriguing romantic suspense tale that captivates the reader's attention from the opening paragraph, and easily keeps them holding their breath and guessing what will happen next. You can't help but get drawn into this riveting story as it unfolds, the tangled web of haunting and painful memories and hidden secrets once again comes to the surface and threatens Liza's carefully reinvented life.
This fast-paced multi-layered and complex story has enough intriguing clues, suspense, and thrilling twists and turns that will keep the reader sitting on the edge of their seat. You can't help but want to keep turning the pages to see what will happen to Liza and Reid's developing romantic relationship when her traumatic past resurfaces with chilling threats and danger lurking around every corner.
I think the author did a great job of interweaving a nice balance of romance and suspense throughout the story, it kept my interest and made me want to figure out how the story would end ... but alas ... the author teases the reader with a breath-holding cliff-hanger of an ending that leaves the reader wanting more, only to have to wait for the release of the next book in the series.
If I Say Yes has everything that a true romantic suspense fan could ever want in a book, just take my word and read it, you can thank me later!
Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author / publisher in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by Chick Lit Plus Blog Tours.
http://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot...
August 21, 2014
Elizabeth was traumatized by discovering her father standing over her mother's body and admitting to murdering her. We see her again six years later when she has changed her name and appearance - well her entire life, in order to distance herself from her father's crime and fame because of it. She walked away from everything she knew, including her friends. Except for one, Elias. He has stayed her best friend through the entire mess her life had become and helped her through it all. He is the only person she now trusts and can't bring herself to love anyone because of her lack of trust.
She got an internship for a large publishing house. Her internship had been in the horror department but later got a job as a literary agent. This job is in the romance department which she doesn't like and tries to change to the horror department but her new boss, Reid, the nephew of the owner of the company, didn't want her to go. There was an attraction between this couple right away but they both fought it for different reasons.
I loved the plot with so many twists to the story that I never knew what was going to happen next. The suspense was amazing and I was not expecting the "bad guy" to be who it was. Ms. Jellum did a remarkable job of keeping Liza's character believable. She took her from a spoiled socialite to self-sufficient woman who was handling her life pretty well. What I didn't like about Liza was that she cried so much. Even though her character was well developed, I didn't like her. She knew she had to tell Reid her secrets but didn't. I kept thinking "tell him, tell him". She was frustrating. Yes, she was traumatized by the events 6 years ago but I thought the author took the trama too far. I really liked Reid and felt sorry for him a bit. He was a much more sensitive man than most thought he was. I really felt sorry for Eli, especially at the end. I disliked Liza even more at that point.
I really don't like cliff hangers and I can't say that this really had one because the details were all tied up at the end but this definitely left us feeling like there was more to come. I am glad because I want to know more about Liza and Reid so now I will.
If you like romantic suspense, you should pick this one up. Please note, I received a complementary copy of If I Say Yes in exchange for an honest review.
She got an internship for a large publishing house. Her internship had been in the horror department but later got a job as a literary agent. This job is in the romance department which she doesn't like and tries to change to the horror department but her new boss, Reid, the nephew of the owner of the company, didn't want her to go. There was an attraction between this couple right away but they both fought it for different reasons.
I loved the plot with so many twists to the story that I never knew what was going to happen next. The suspense was amazing and I was not expecting the "bad guy" to be who it was. Ms. Jellum did a remarkable job of keeping Liza's character believable. She took her from a spoiled socialite to self-sufficient woman who was handling her life pretty well. What I didn't like about Liza was that she cried so much. Even though her character was well developed, I didn't like her. She knew she had to tell Reid her secrets but didn't. I kept thinking "tell him, tell him". She was frustrating. Yes, she was traumatized by the events 6 years ago but I thought the author took the trama too far. I really liked Reid and felt sorry for him a bit. He was a much more sensitive man than most thought he was. I really felt sorry for Eli, especially at the end. I disliked Liza even more at that point.
I really don't like cliff hangers and I can't say that this really had one because the details were all tied up at the end but this definitely left us feeling like there was more to come. I am glad because I want to know more about Liza and Reid so now I will.
If you like romantic suspense, you should pick this one up. Please note, I received a complementary copy of If I Say Yes in exchange for an honest review.
August 14, 2014
If I Say Yes By Brandy Jellum, what a thrill! I was hooked from the first line, the opening scene is intense and grabs you immediately and leaves you thinking what the hell just happened! I loved Liza, the leading lady, so flawed, so scarred and damaged but yet so strong and beautiful, as I always say a flawed heroine is always the best heroine.
The book is about the life of Liza how her father murdering her mother affects her in so many levels that she changes everything, her name, her life, her home, her car, nothing is the same but one thing she stays in her home town, she stays in the same city she grew up in, right under everybodies nose, there she is with dark hair hiding in the shadows of her lies.
There is one thing Liza can not plan for, their is one man that even though she tries, she can not stay away from. Even though her plans, her list, says no men, no relationship and she lives by the moto all men are the same Reid Harder is her poison of choice, intoxicating delicious and all kinds of wrong he brings out her feisty, unpredictable side and even though she fears that side of herself she simply can not help herself around him.
With Reid doing everything possible to demolish Liza's walls things get a little bit dangerous, I loved that even though If I Say Yes is a romance, its not just a romance, its full of suspense, Liza starts getting threatening emails, emails that know everything, and when the secrets she hides so well threaten not only her but the people she loves all hell breaks out!
The final chapter of If I Say Yes, has to be my favourite part of the book, its so shocking. I was really surprised by the turn of events, I won't give it away because as soon as I finished it, I was like holy hell when is book 2 out but what I will say is, everyone has secrets, and sometimes secrets and the past come back to haunt you and no one is safe!
If I Say Yes is romantic, intense and thrilling I thought Brandy Jellum brought us a fresh addictive book that really is something everyone needs to say YES to!
The book is about the life of Liza how her father murdering her mother affects her in so many levels that she changes everything, her name, her life, her home, her car, nothing is the same but one thing she stays in her home town, she stays in the same city she grew up in, right under everybodies nose, there she is with dark hair hiding in the shadows of her lies.
There is one thing Liza can not plan for, their is one man that even though she tries, she can not stay away from. Even though her plans, her list, says no men, no relationship and she lives by the moto all men are the same Reid Harder is her poison of choice, intoxicating delicious and all kinds of wrong he brings out her feisty, unpredictable side and even though she fears that side of herself she simply can not help herself around him.
With Reid doing everything possible to demolish Liza's walls things get a little bit dangerous, I loved that even though If I Say Yes is a romance, its not just a romance, its full of suspense, Liza starts getting threatening emails, emails that know everything, and when the secrets she hides so well threaten not only her but the people she loves all hell breaks out!
The final chapter of If I Say Yes, has to be my favourite part of the book, its so shocking. I was really surprised by the turn of events, I won't give it away because as soon as I finished it, I was like holy hell when is book 2 out but what I will say is, everyone has secrets, and sometimes secrets and the past come back to haunt you and no one is safe!
If I Say Yes is romantic, intense and thrilling I thought Brandy Jellum brought us a fresh addictive book that really is something everyone needs to say YES to!
June 26, 2014
*growls in frustration*
Why did it have to be a cliffhanger? Why, why, why? *sigh* Ignore my whine, lol.
All in all, Yes is a wonderfully written suspense romance. Liza is damaged–physically, mentally, and emotionally–by a past she’s tried so hard to forget. She’s not trying to move on; she’s simply existing in a world that she built that is familiar and safe. But safe doesn’t keep the nightmares at bay, nor does it bring the closure she needs. Even after becoming involved with Reid, there was a huge wall blocking her from experiencing true happiness with him and it wouldn’t come until she reconciled her past completely.
Reid is an enigma. He’s patient but not, caring but jealous, all before he actually solidifies his place in Liza’s life. He pursues Liza relentlessly, never giving up even when she attempts to stonewall his efforts to get to know her. For that, I give him a loud round of applause. See, she wasn’t a challenge to him. She was everything to him, and he knew it after just a short period of time.
Ms. Jellum built a world so dark, so filled with secrets, it was impossible to guess what was coming. The identity of Liza’s stalker was unexpected, as was the agonizing pain Liza, Reid, and Liza’s best friend Eli endured toward the end. What was even more surprising was a secret Reid hadn’t revealed to Liza. Now that he has, I wonder what’s to come for this couple. They survived one near death experience just to be thrust into another.
It seems that, aside from books, Reid and Liza have one other blaring thing in common: they both come from psychotic families.
So what is going to happen next? I don’t know, but I can’t wait to find out in Book 2:If I Say No.
***Received from Tasty Book Tours for an honest review***
Why did it have to be a cliffhanger? Why, why, why? *sigh* Ignore my whine, lol.
All in all, Yes is a wonderfully written suspense romance. Liza is damaged–physically, mentally, and emotionally–by a past she’s tried so hard to forget. She’s not trying to move on; she’s simply existing in a world that she built that is familiar and safe. But safe doesn’t keep the nightmares at bay, nor does it bring the closure she needs. Even after becoming involved with Reid, there was a huge wall blocking her from experiencing true happiness with him and it wouldn’t come until she reconciled her past completely.
Reid is an enigma. He’s patient but not, caring but jealous, all before he actually solidifies his place in Liza’s life. He pursues Liza relentlessly, never giving up even when she attempts to stonewall his efforts to get to know her. For that, I give him a loud round of applause. See, she wasn’t a challenge to him. She was everything to him, and he knew it after just a short period of time.
Ms. Jellum built a world so dark, so filled with secrets, it was impossible to guess what was coming. The identity of Liza’s stalker was unexpected, as was the agonizing pain Liza, Reid, and Liza’s best friend Eli endured toward the end. What was even more surprising was a secret Reid hadn’t revealed to Liza. Now that he has, I wonder what’s to come for this couple. They survived one near death experience just to be thrust into another.
It seems that, aside from books, Reid and Liza have one other blaring thing in common: they both come from psychotic families.
So what is going to happen next? I don’t know, but I can’t wait to find out in Book 2:If I Say No.
***Received from Tasty Book Tours for an honest review***
July 24, 2014
Six years ago, Elizabeth Lewis came home to witness a horrible scene - her mother stabbed to death by her father and his words she never forgot "I did this for us". Now six years later, she has re-invented herself and strayed far away from everything that made her Elizabeth Lewis and she is now Liza Winters - an agent for the publishing company HLAH. The thing is though, she is stuck in the Romance department and Liza detests romance with all her heart and soul and longs to move into the Horror section as she loves the thrill of the novel and not knowing who it is till the very last page. This may not come fast enough for her though as she gets a new boss - the nephew of the owner of HLAH - Reid Harder and it seems that he has his eyes set on Liza. When he asks her out, she says no - knowing that if she does go out with him, she may have to start facing her past life. What will happen though when she starts to receive email threats from someone that knows all about her past life and what her father did ? Is Liza safe or does someone want to finish what her father started and believes that she was her father's next victim or at least the guys involved in and around her life ? If that wasn't bad or deadly enough , Reid her new boss is being his own version of Katy Perry's song Hot/Cold. I loved the character of Liza Winters and her best friend Elias aka Eli but personally I hated Reid as guys who won't say what they want or mean and that act Hot one minute and Cold the next frustrate me and I felt like screaming at Reid to grow up and stop being such a prick one minute and then the nicest guy the next especially when Liza had other things on her plate.
If you love romantic suspense and books - publishing then this is the read for you and I loved the little Pretty Little Liars twist with the Anonymous notes signed by "A".
If you love romantic suspense and books - publishing then this is the read for you and I loved the little Pretty Little Liars twist with the Anonymous notes signed by "A".
January 12, 2016
**FULL REVIEW NOW POSTED**
4
My first book by Brandy & I believe it was a debut novel and it was pretty well written. There was suspense, romance, everything you could ask for in a book.
Elizabeth Lewis was a Hollywood golden child. But that was all ruined when her dad killed her mom & came after her. Now she goes by Liza and works a job that she doesn't want. She hates romance and wants to work for horror.
That all changes when the boss' nephew Reid comes into the company and becomes her boss. There is instant chemistry between them & he does whatever he could to get her go out with her and like him.
But she's hiding so many secrets and she isn't sure that when she tells him everything that he will stay & love her still.
"I can't lose you. I can't explain it, but you make me feel complete. Even standing in the same room as you I feel whole, like I can't breathe without you." He kisses my lips softly.
"Reid, you deserve someone who can share all of themselves with you."
"No. My heart, my body, and my soul want you and only you..."
This book does leave in somewhat of a cliffhanger but not a huge one. I can't wait to read the second book because there are still a lot of answers left unanswered. Overall, I recommend everyone to read the book who love a little suspense and a little romance at the same time!
✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽
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4
My first book by Brandy & I believe it was a debut novel and it was pretty well written. There was suspense, romance, everything you could ask for in a book.
Elizabeth Lewis was a Hollywood golden child. But that was all ruined when her dad killed her mom & came after her. Now she goes by Liza and works a job that she doesn't want. She hates romance and wants to work for horror.
That all changes when the boss' nephew Reid comes into the company and becomes her boss. There is instant chemistry between them & he does whatever he could to get her go out with her and like him.
But she's hiding so many secrets and she isn't sure that when she tells him everything that he will stay & love her still.
"I can't lose you. I can't explain it, but you make me feel complete. Even standing in the same room as you I feel whole, like I can't breathe without you." He kisses my lips softly.
"Reid, you deserve someone who can share all of themselves with you."
"No. My heart, my body, and my soul want you and only you..."
This book does leave in somewhat of a cliffhanger but not a huge one. I can't wait to read the second book because there are still a lot of answers left unanswered. Overall, I recommend everyone to read the book who love a little suspense and a little romance at the same time!
✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽
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April 20, 2015
Check out my full review on Bookaholics Not-So-Anonymous.
Note: This ebook was provided by Good Tales Book Tours in exchange for an honest review.
If I Say Yes is the first book in the Say Something series by Brandy Jellum and is a romantic suspense novel about a young woman hiding from her past but its a past that doesn't want to remain hidden. The premise of the story itself is interesting and one that had me clicking "Request" on NetGalley. The book certainly had promising potential, potential which was showcased in glimpses in the text, but there were moments that the storytelling felt disjointed and there were texts that were unnecessary and prolonged.
As far as the characters were concerned, I didn't feel there was an actual connection between Liza and Reid until the last third of the book. I was getting whiplash from both of them, especially Reid with his extreme shifts in mood, affecting my own personal connection. It was difficult for me to feel empathy for her and he had this pushy, creepy vibe going. I mean, hello, he was her boss and he was being overly insistent about her going out with him and even threatened her position in the agency because she had refused him.
There were certainly some good things about the book, especially when it came to the twists, though I did figure out who was stalking Liza early on and thought signing the threatening notes as "A" felt too Pretty Little Liars-esque to me. I also liked Liza's best friend Elias "Eli" Caraway because he was the one guy who seemed to make sense and wasn't too exaggerated. I think with more editing, If I Say Yes would have been a much better read, though the cliffhanger at the end definitely got my attention. This gets 3.5 stars, rounded off to four stars for Goodreads. ♥
Note: This ebook was provided by Good Tales Book Tours in exchange for an honest review.
If I Say Yes is the first book in the Say Something series by Brandy Jellum and is a romantic suspense novel about a young woman hiding from her past but its a past that doesn't want to remain hidden. The premise of the story itself is interesting and one that had me clicking "Request" on NetGalley. The book certainly had promising potential, potential which was showcased in glimpses in the text, but there were moments that the storytelling felt disjointed and there were texts that were unnecessary and prolonged.
As far as the characters were concerned, I didn't feel there was an actual connection between Liza and Reid until the last third of the book. I was getting whiplash from both of them, especially Reid with his extreme shifts in mood, affecting my own personal connection. It was difficult for me to feel empathy for her and he had this pushy, creepy vibe going. I mean, hello, he was her boss and he was being overly insistent about her going out with him and even threatened her position in the agency because she had refused him.
There were certainly some good things about the book, especially when it came to the twists, though I did figure out who was stalking Liza early on and thought signing the threatening notes as "A" felt too Pretty Little Liars-esque to me. I also liked Liza's best friend Elias "Eli" Caraway because he was the one guy who seemed to make sense and wasn't too exaggerated. I think with more editing, If I Say Yes would have been a much better read, though the cliffhanger at the end definitely got my attention. This gets 3.5 stars, rounded off to four stars for Goodreads. ♥
April 18, 2015
Could not put it down!
She was no longer Elizabeth Lewis. Liza is doing everything she can to distance herself from her violence-ridden past. She has a home of her own and a job doing what she has always wanted. Who cared that her home was in a terrible neighborhood and her job was so in the wrong department. Keeping herself distant from everyone but her best friend has been easy up until now when everything seems to be happening at once. Faced with Reid Harder, the boss’s nephew and her now boss, Liza is doing everything she can to maintain her hard-won distance but Reid may be the one to break through all her defenses. Fighting her attraction to him, struggling with violent-laden dreams and an escalating stalker may finally prove too much for Liza’s safety as well as her sanity.
Whew! This was incredibly fast-paced and emotional story. With so much violence and drama in her life I don’t know how Liza kept it all together. So much in her past has caused her to withdraw from everything and everyone she knew growing up that having Reid in her life has thrown her for a loop. He manages to sneak under all her carefully erected barriers though she fights it tooth and nail. Despite all the drama and threats and turmoil that she is dealing with she refuses to drag either Reid or her best friend into it. So many times I was urging Liza to “call the police”, nudge, nudge. I loved Liza and her friend Eli was one I want to snatch up for my own. Reid I’m not quite sure about yet – he remained an aloof character to me but I’m looking forward to what may come yet in the series for him. A great story with a refreshing plot and characters that were anything but superficial. I expected a cliffhanger but not THAT cliffhanger! I am ready for the next book now!
April 27, 2014
If I Say Yes by Brandy Jellum is an interesting mix of Romance and Suspense that will keep you guessing from beginning to end. Generally, I don't gravitate toward Romantic Suspense stories, but I did enjoy this one! It does keep you on your toes.
Elizabeth Lewis is a broken woman dealing with a dark and tragic past while trying to juggle a normal life in the world. It was easy to feel sympathetic for Liza. Her childhood is probably one of the most traumatic things someone could go through. From the beginning of the book she's reserved and closed off from men and anyone from the past, with the exception of Eli. Her reserve towards Harder is believable but it was still fun to watch her walls slowly come down as she fell in love.
I did have a hard time getting into Reid's character. He was sort of a blank canvas for me. I wanted to like him (not that I didn't like him), but I just didn't feel drawn to him. At times, I thought he was too sweet. It wasn't until the end that I got a clearer picture of Reid and his troubled past with his family. For me, that's when his character felt more fleshed out.
My favorite thing about this story is the twists and misleading clues that the author gives you throughout the book. It keeps you guessing and re-evaluating the motives of everyone. I don't want to give too much away, but I do wish Ms. Jellum would've done a little more with Viola and some of the other characters. I think it would've added to the suspense and just amped it up a little more.
Overall, I think If I Say Yes is a nice balance of Romance and Suspense. I look forward to reading the next installment and I do hope we see a little more from Reid's POV.
My thanks goes out to the author for giving me the chance to review book 1 in the Say Something Series.
Elizabeth Lewis is a broken woman dealing with a dark and tragic past while trying to juggle a normal life in the world. It was easy to feel sympathetic for Liza. Her childhood is probably one of the most traumatic things someone could go through. From the beginning of the book she's reserved and closed off from men and anyone from the past, with the exception of Eli. Her reserve towards Harder is believable but it was still fun to watch her walls slowly come down as she fell in love.
I did have a hard time getting into Reid's character. He was sort of a blank canvas for me. I wanted to like him (not that I didn't like him), but I just didn't feel drawn to him. At times, I thought he was too sweet. It wasn't until the end that I got a clearer picture of Reid and his troubled past with his family. For me, that's when his character felt more fleshed out.
My favorite thing about this story is the twists and misleading clues that the author gives you throughout the book. It keeps you guessing and re-evaluating the motives of everyone. I don't want to give too much away, but I do wish Ms. Jellum would've done a little more with Viola and some of the other characters. I think it would've added to the suspense and just amped it up a little more.
Overall, I think If I Say Yes is a nice balance of Romance and Suspense. I look forward to reading the next installment and I do hope we see a little more from Reid's POV.
My thanks goes out to the author for giving me the chance to review book 1 in the Say Something Series.
March 27, 2015
Reid and Liza have such a story to tell you! Action packed, totally edge of your seat story. Only Liza does not want to see him, date him or otherwise... he is still her boss, technically.
Liza is actually Elizabeth Lewis heir to a fortune she has no desire to touch. Her parents disgusted her and lived a whole other life. The man she believes to be her father kills her mother, and comes after her. It really is no wonder she changes her name and tries to make a new life for herself.
Only now that Reid is at her office, she is getting threats by way of letters, flowers, and phone calls. Can she leave the past behind her? What secrets does he have that he won't share either?
Reid Harder is a guy with a past. Everyone has a past. His haunts him too. Then he comes to a new job, new city and meets an amazing woman - Liza! He cannot take no for an answer if he is to have a chance at a future with her. Will he push too hard?
Then there are other things that get in the way. The job, her best friend, the threats, her past, and more! Can they meet in the middle? So many surprises are in store for the reader I am not sure what to tell ...
The characters are a lot a like in many ways with how they need one another for a future. The past tends to rule their hearts and cloud their minds. Such a suspenseful story with a lot of twists. I enjoyed reading this start to the Say Something series. Read more about it here at Goodreads. I give this book 5/5 Kitty's Paws UP! Read more about it at my blog: 2kasmom.Booklikes.com.
***This ARC was given FREE for purpose of reviewing. My honest and humble opinion does not reflect the publisher, nor the tour leaders at GTBT.
Liza is actually Elizabeth Lewis heir to a fortune she has no desire to touch. Her parents disgusted her and lived a whole other life. The man she believes to be her father kills her mother, and comes after her. It really is no wonder she changes her name and tries to make a new life for herself.
Only now that Reid is at her office, she is getting threats by way of letters, flowers, and phone calls. Can she leave the past behind her? What secrets does he have that he won't share either?
Reid Harder is a guy with a past. Everyone has a past. His haunts him too. Then he comes to a new job, new city and meets an amazing woman - Liza! He cannot take no for an answer if he is to have a chance at a future with her. Will he push too hard?
Then there are other things that get in the way. The job, her best friend, the threats, her past, and more! Can they meet in the middle? So many surprises are in store for the reader I am not sure what to tell ...
The characters are a lot a like in many ways with how they need one another for a future. The past tends to rule their hearts and cloud their minds. Such a suspenseful story with a lot of twists. I enjoyed reading this start to the Say Something series. Read more about it here at Goodreads. I give this book 5/5 Kitty's Paws UP! Read more about it at my blog: 2kasmom.Booklikes.com.
***This ARC was given FREE for purpose of reviewing. My honest and humble opinion does not reflect the publisher, nor the tour leaders at GTBT.
June 24, 2015
Could not put it down!
She was no longer Elizabeth Lewis. Liza is doing everything she can to distance herself from her violence-ridden past. She has a home of her own and a job doing what she has always wanted. Who cared that her home was in a terrible neighborhood and her job was so in the wrong department. Keeping herself distant from everyone but her best friend has been easy up until now when everything seems to be happening at once. Faced with Reid Harder, the boss’s nephew and her now boss, Liza is doing everything she can to maintain her hard-won distance but Reid may be the one to break through all her defenses. Fighting her attraction to him, struggling with violent-laden dreams and an escalating stalker may finally prove too much for Liza’s safety as well as her sanity.
Whew! This was incredibly fast-paced and emotional story. With so much violence and drama in her life I don’t know how Liza kept it all together. So much in her past has caused her to withdraw from everything and everyone she knew growing up that having Reid in her life has thrown her for a loop. He manages to sneak under all her carefully erected barriers though she fights it tooth and nail. Despite all the drama and threats and turmoil that she is dealing with she refuses to drag either Reid or her best friend into it. So many times I was urging Liza to “call the police”, nudge, nudge. I loved Liza and her friend Eli was one I want to snatch up for my own. Reid I’m not quite sure about yet – he remained an aloof character to me but I’m looking forward to what may come yet in the series for him. A great story with a refreshing plot and characters that were anything but superficial. I expected a cliffhanger but not THAT cliffhanger! I am ready for the next book now!
~Diane
She was no longer Elizabeth Lewis. Liza is doing everything she can to distance herself from her violence-ridden past. She has a home of her own and a job doing what she has always wanted. Who cared that her home was in a terrible neighborhood and her job was so in the wrong department. Keeping herself distant from everyone but her best friend has been easy up until now when everything seems to be happening at once. Faced with Reid Harder, the boss’s nephew and her now boss, Liza is doing everything she can to maintain her hard-won distance but Reid may be the one to break through all her defenses. Fighting her attraction to him, struggling with violent-laden dreams and an escalating stalker may finally prove too much for Liza’s safety as well as her sanity.
Whew! This was incredibly fast-paced and emotional story. With so much violence and drama in her life I don’t know how Liza kept it all together. So much in her past has caused her to withdraw from everything and everyone she knew growing up that having Reid in her life has thrown her for a loop. He manages to sneak under all her carefully erected barriers though she fights it tooth and nail. Despite all the drama and threats and turmoil that she is dealing with she refuses to drag either Reid or her best friend into it. So many times I was urging Liza to “call the police”, nudge, nudge. I loved Liza and her friend Eli was one I want to snatch up for my own. Reid I’m not quite sure about yet – he remained an aloof character to me but I’m looking forward to what may come yet in the series for him. A great story with a refreshing plot and characters that were anything but superficial. I expected a cliffhanger but not THAT cliffhanger! I am ready for the next book now!
~Diane
February 13, 2015
Story Idea: 3.5 stars
Writing: 2.5 stars
I received an e-copy of this book in exchange for my honest review, which follows. Since this is the author's debut story, I feel she has a lot of writing potential and her story showed a lot of promise.
I think the character of Reid needs to have been drawn a bit more carefully in the beginning of the story; he was a bit creepy to come on to Liza so early and not to get the hint from her. How and when did he come to know so much about her history? This may be part of the mystery & suspense, but even a few sentences here or there would have made him more three dimensional.
One of the unresolved questions I have concerns the outcome of Liza's former fiance's story. Perhaps I missed something here, or perhaps it will be revealed in the sequel. The almost cliff-hanger ending lets the reader know that Reid did not practice transparency with Liza any more than she did with him. I do plan to read the second book in this series, and how that changes my mind with respect to the author's decisions in her story crafting will decide for me whether I continue with this series.
One thing I'd surely recommend to Brandy Jellum is that she get a serious proofreader on board, one who can find the several missing words and other grammar/word choices/typos. For me, too many of these kinds of mistakes can be a deal breaker when I am reading. I truly hope I can give a more positive review for the next book, which I plan to read soon. I do think the author has some interesting ideas and I wish her every success with her future books.
Writing: 2.5 stars
I received an e-copy of this book in exchange for my honest review, which follows. Since this is the author's debut story, I feel she has a lot of writing potential and her story showed a lot of promise.
I think the character of Reid needs to have been drawn a bit more carefully in the beginning of the story; he was a bit creepy to come on to Liza so early and not to get the hint from her. How and when did he come to know so much about her history? This may be part of the mystery & suspense, but even a few sentences here or there would have made him more three dimensional.
One of the unresolved questions I have concerns the outcome of Liza's former fiance's story. Perhaps I missed something here, or perhaps it will be revealed in the sequel. The almost cliff-hanger ending lets the reader know that Reid did not practice transparency with Liza any more than she did with him. I do plan to read the second book in this series, and how that changes my mind with respect to the author's decisions in her story crafting will decide for me whether I continue with this series.
One thing I'd surely recommend to Brandy Jellum is that she get a serious proofreader on board, one who can find the several missing words and other grammar/word choices/typos. For me, too many of these kinds of mistakes can be a deal breaker when I am reading. I truly hope I can give a more positive review for the next book, which I plan to read soon. I do think the author has some interesting ideas and I wish her every success with her future books.
May 17, 2014
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Liza Winters is a normal woman working as a literary agent for a huge publishing company. That’s what she wants everyone to think. Underneath the false name and fake black hair, she’s the daughter of a man who murdered his wife in cold blood. Hiding behind her past is the only thing she has known, so when Reid Harder comes into her life she is overwhelmed with feelings of guilt and nightmares.
Reid is the nephew of her company’s president and now her new boss. Beautiful and arrogant, she has a tough time letting her guard down. Until he melts her heart with sweet nothings and tells her she is the only one he wants to be with. Whether it’s the fact that she won’t give in to his charms or that she flat out refuses to be in a relationship, Liza struggles to let him into her life and her past.
After receiving horrifying anonymous emails and random things such as creepy notes and childhood pictures, Liza questions who it is that knows about her past. Who is trying to ruin her new found relationship?
This novel is suspenseful and romantic. There were times I was confused, since you don’t find out much of Liza’s past until the middle of the story. I felt there wasn’t much to like about her – I struggled to connect. However, the story line picks up in the end and leaves you completely hanging, wanting more.
Liza Winters is a normal woman working as a literary agent for a huge publishing company. That’s what she wants everyone to think. Underneath the false name and fake black hair, she’s the daughter of a man who murdered his wife in cold blood. Hiding behind her past is the only thing she has known, so when Reid Harder comes into her life she is overwhelmed with feelings of guilt and nightmares.
Reid is the nephew of her company’s president and now her new boss. Beautiful and arrogant, she has a tough time letting her guard down. Until he melts her heart with sweet nothings and tells her she is the only one he wants to be with. Whether it’s the fact that she won’t give in to his charms or that she flat out refuses to be in a relationship, Liza struggles to let him into her life and her past.
After receiving horrifying anonymous emails and random things such as creepy notes and childhood pictures, Liza questions who it is that knows about her past. Who is trying to ruin her new found relationship?
This novel is suspenseful and romantic. There were times I was confused, since you don’t find out much of Liza’s past until the middle of the story. I felt there wasn’t much to like about her – I struggled to connect. However, the story line picks up in the end and leaves you completely hanging, wanting more.
May 13, 2014
Cue the horror and excruciating pain of a murder! Elizabeth finds her mother dead in her parents' bedroom and bears witness to her father's admittance of guilt. There may not have been any love lost between their family members, but death is death. It's final and forever. Elizabeth wouldn't have wished that on anyone. Nightmares and survivor's guilt tears at her sanity as well as her ability to be the girl she was before. Taking on a new name and address, Elizabeth "Liza" loves all things horror and is hired as a publishing agent at a literary house. She is planted in the Romance department where she meets Reid.
Instantly Reid grasps the attraction he feels for Liza and is completely mystified by her reaction to him. He's determined to make something of their connection, but Liza doesn't give him much of a chance. He is aware that something is up. She's evasive, terrified, and can't fight their physical pull any more than he can. It becomes a battle of wills until he discovers just how much he's willing to defend her.
I loved the witty banter between Liza and Reid. I was as confused as either character in the story and knew not much more than they did. It captivates you and keeps you at the edge of your seat. Definitely a riveting romantic suspense. I can't wait for the next book, IF I SAY NO. After Liza's secrets, I wonder what Reid is hiding. Well done, Brandy, for creating a book I couldn't set aside until it was finished!
Instantly Reid grasps the attraction he feels for Liza and is completely mystified by her reaction to him. He's determined to make something of their connection, but Liza doesn't give him much of a chance. He is aware that something is up. She's evasive, terrified, and can't fight their physical pull any more than he can. It becomes a battle of wills until he discovers just how much he's willing to defend her.
I loved the witty banter between Liza and Reid. I was as confused as either character in the story and knew not much more than they did. It captivates you and keeps you at the edge of your seat. Definitely a riveting romantic suspense. I can't wait for the next book, IF I SAY NO. After Liza's secrets, I wonder what Reid is hiding. Well done, Brandy, for creating a book I couldn't set aside until it was finished!
July 5, 2014
This book got some really good reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, but for me it was just middle of the road - Didn't love it, didn't hate it. It definitely grew on me as I turned the pages. For me it was like those TV shows that no one admits to watching and everyone makes fun of but you watch them anyway (like Big Brother, and The Bachelor). Even though I did not love this book I could not stop reading it. It was very addictive.
The character development was good enough, I just didn't really like any of them! LOL I guess they just weren't "my kind of people". In fact I really disliked Reid, one of the main characters, even to the very end. Some people might fall in love with these characters, but they just didn't win my heart.
I also wasn't buying into the whole romance. Liza hated Reid (the player), but yet she was so hot for him. She did like Eli and he was a really nice guy, but she didn't want a relationship with him - I just didn't get her.
You know I keep saying that I don't mind if it its predictable as long as it ends they way I want it to.
Well this was NOT predictable at all, but it didn't end the way I would have liked.
So even though this was just an OK read for me it might be just the thing you are looking for. It did hold my interest through the book, but not enough to want to read the rest of the series.
Thank you Book Trope Publishing for sending me this e-book for my honest review.
The character development was good enough, I just didn't really like any of them! LOL I guess they just weren't "my kind of people". In fact I really disliked Reid, one of the main characters, even to the very end. Some people might fall in love with these characters, but they just didn't win my heart.
I also wasn't buying into the whole romance. Liza hated Reid (the player), but yet she was so hot for him. She did like Eli and he was a really nice guy, but she didn't want a relationship with him - I just didn't get her.
You know I keep saying that I don't mind if it its predictable as long as it ends they way I want it to.
Well this was NOT predictable at all, but it didn't end the way I would have liked.
So even though this was just an OK read for me it might be just the thing you are looking for. It did hold my interest through the book, but not enough to want to read the rest of the series.
Thank you Book Trope Publishing for sending me this e-book for my honest review.
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