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Loving You #1
Loving You Is Easy
She's a survivor of the front lines of politics. He's a wounded soldier returning home from the battlefield. Can they place their trust in the power of love?
Nobody plays the role of perfect politician's daughter better than quiet, respectable math teacher Brooke Ellstein. But she won't be caught swimming with the sharks again, not after the son of a wealthy donor sinks his teeth into her and gets away with it. Still, political connections have their perks, such as heading up the governor's "Support Our Troops" pen-pal initiative--and getting first dibs on the smoking-hot sergeant whose picture shakes her right down to her goody-two-shoes.
When corresponding with sweet, classy Brooke, Shane Develen instinctively hides his commando tattoos and blue-collar roots--and he can tell that she's hiding something, too. But Shane knows he's gained her trust when Brooke gives him a blisteringly sexy photo. Then he's injured in an ambush and a fellow soldier posts the snapshot online. Overnight, Brooke's reputation turns to ashes. Even though he's totally wrong for her, Shane shows up on Brooke's doorstep, determined to set things right--and discovers that right or wrong has nothing on the chemistry they share.
Advance praise for Loving You Is Easy
"A fresh story, memorable characters, and breathtaking romance. . .You must read this book!"--New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Probst
"Wendy S. Marcus writes believable characters and tons of emotion."--USA Today bestselling author Sarah Morgan
"A unique story with emotional twists and turns on the road to happily ever after."--New York Times bestselling author Carly Phillips
Praise for Wendy S. Marcus
"Wendy S. Marcus is quickly becoming one of my favorite contemporary romance authors. Her books have the perfect amount of story and romance that has me speeding through them and wanting to run and kiss my husband."--So Many Reads
Includes a special message from the editor, as well as an excerpt from another Loveswept title.
Nobody plays the role of perfect politician's daughter better than quiet, respectable math teacher Brooke Ellstein. But she won't be caught swimming with the sharks again, not after the son of a wealthy donor sinks his teeth into her and gets away with it. Still, political connections have their perks, such as heading up the governor's "Support Our Troops" pen-pal initiative--and getting first dibs on the smoking-hot sergeant whose picture shakes her right down to her goody-two-shoes.
When corresponding with sweet, classy Brooke, Shane Develen instinctively hides his commando tattoos and blue-collar roots--and he can tell that she's hiding something, too. But Shane knows he's gained her trust when Brooke gives him a blisteringly sexy photo. Then he's injured in an ambush and a fellow soldier posts the snapshot online. Overnight, Brooke's reputation turns to ashes. Even though he's totally wrong for her, Shane shows up on Brooke's doorstep, determined to set things right--and discovers that right or wrong has nothing on the chemistry they share.
Advance praise for Loving You Is Easy
"A fresh story, memorable characters, and breathtaking romance. . .You must read this book!"--New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Probst
"Wendy S. Marcus writes believable characters and tons of emotion."--USA Today bestselling author Sarah Morgan
"A unique story with emotional twists and turns on the road to happily ever after."--New York Times bestselling author Carly Phillips
Praise for Wendy S. Marcus
"Wendy S. Marcus is quickly becoming one of my favorite contemporary romance authors. Her books have the perfect amount of story and romance that has me speeding through them and wanting to run and kiss my husband."--So Many Reads
Includes a special message from the editor, as well as an excerpt from another Loveswept title.
252 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 9, 2014
23 people are currently reading
896 people want to read
About the author
Wendy S. Marcus
68 books262 followersWendy S. Marcus is an award-winning author of contemporary romance who lives in the beautiful Hudson Valley region of New York...where she spends way too much time indoors on her computer. Writing. Really! Okay, more like…where she spends way too much time on Twitter and Facebook! To learn more about Wendy and the books she’s managed to write, in spite of her social media addiction, visit http://WendySMarcus.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 173 reviews
September 20, 2014
3.5 Stars
Brooke is the daughter of a wealthy politician and elementary school teacher, she is the definition of wholesome. Shane is a solider in the Army and has spent the last 8 years in the military, he is the definition of rough around the edges.
So when the two of them meet in a write a solider program through her elementary school, neither predicts they will hit it off. Shane immediately tells Brooke he isn’t interested in a relationship, and that is fine because she isn’t either. However, the more she gets to know Shane the more she can imagine a life with him.
When Shane comes home on leave for a few days they spend a night together. The plan to finally revisit their relationship status when he comes home from in three months, but fate has other plans. Months go by and she never hears from Shane again. Until the day she wakes up to an image of her lingerie all over Facebook. In the course of a few hours she has been humiliated and her good girl image is down the drain, but that isn’t the worst of it - now her students are coming forward with allegations of her sleeping with them.
This story is best described as a sugary sweet. The story starts off with letters to each other and I loved that, I wish there had been more letters exchanged in the book. The book does have dramatic situations, but they are all resolved fairly quickly, so you don’t have a huge amount of angst. Overall, I enjoyed this book it is a quick, sweet read. Perfect for days when you feel like an easy read with minimal drama.
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
For more Reviews, Free E-books and Giveaways
Brooke is the daughter of a wealthy politician and elementary school teacher, she is the definition of wholesome. Shane is a solider in the Army and has spent the last 8 years in the military, he is the definition of rough around the edges.
So when the two of them meet in a write a solider program through her elementary school, neither predicts they will hit it off. Shane immediately tells Brooke he isn’t interested in a relationship, and that is fine because she isn’t either. However, the more she gets to know Shane the more she can imagine a life with him.
When Shane comes home on leave for a few days they spend a night together. The plan to finally revisit their relationship status when he comes home from in three months, but fate has other plans. Months go by and she never hears from Shane again. Until the day she wakes up to an image of her lingerie all over Facebook. In the course of a few hours she has been humiliated and her good girl image is down the drain, but that isn’t the worst of it - now her students are coming forward with allegations of her sleeping with them.
This story is best described as a sugary sweet. The story starts off with letters to each other and I loved that, I wish there had been more letters exchanged in the book. The book does have dramatic situations, but they are all resolved fairly quickly, so you don’t have a huge amount of angst. Overall, I enjoyed this book it is a quick, sweet read. Perfect for days when you feel like an easy read with minimal drama.
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
For more Reviews, Free E-books and Giveaways
May 6, 2015
DNF @ 45%
Couldn't get into it. The premise is good but the execution just felt lame to me. I couldn't connect to the story or the characters.
The prologue opens with the with letters from Brooke and Shane establishing a connection through a pen-pal program. The next chapter, Shane and Brooke meet for the first time and bam, they were suddenly lovey-dovey even though Shane was adamant about not wanting a relationship.
I didn't buy any of it. It would have been believable had we seen the development of their relationship through their letters. We didn't. It all happened off-screen and we're supposed to believe it because the narrator said so.
Aside from that Brooke gave me whiplash, and Shane was just an ass. I've already reached my limit from those types of characters. So when they started acting TSTL, I was done.
An ARC was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Couldn't get into it. The premise is good but the execution just felt lame to me. I couldn't connect to the story or the characters.
The prologue opens with the with letters from Brooke and Shane establishing a connection through a pen-pal program. The next chapter, Shane and Brooke meet for the first time and bam, they were suddenly lovey-dovey even though Shane was adamant about not wanting a relationship.
I didn't buy any of it. It would have been believable had we seen the development of their relationship through their letters. We didn't. It all happened off-screen and we're supposed to believe it because the narrator said so.
Aside from that Brooke gave me whiplash, and Shane was just an ass. I've already reached my limit from those types of characters. So when they started acting TSTL, I was done.
An ARC was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
September 5, 2014
*ARC courtesy of Netgalley and Random House Publishing*
Well this book... I dont know How to rate this book as 3 or 4 :)
Lets start by saying that this book is one of those books which have got its own angst *__*
Lets start with what I liked about this book:
I liked the start where it started with letters exchanged between Brooke who is a teacher and Shane who is a soldire ( they are Pen Pals ^^ How sweet is that)
The next is where the Prologue starts and one can see Brooke for the 1st time meets Shane to welcome him back home ^^
Understand this, here the author beautifully portrays how one feels when their loved ones are back from war!!!
There is this awkward situation between them where Brooke does not know what to expect from Shane as he clearly states in his letters he does not believe in relationship.
So at this point both don't know where they stand in their relationship ^^ Now this meeting is very crucial and somethings are exchanged :D which forms the plot of the story.
What I liked is the author has put light to Cyber Bullying ^^ which is so crucial in this era :D
Shane comes to meet Brooke to sort out the misunderstanding and takes her to his place. And from there the rest of the story forms on its own.
The other thing is Shane is badly injured, so he becomes all annoying sometimes but also has lots of feelings for Brooke ^^
In all this story is sweet and lovely ^^
Now to what I didn't so Like:
This whole novel cover up their relationship in a weeks time... from the time Shane comes to Brooke to apologize to the Novel being done!!!
2nd thing is I would have liked if Shane had more to clearing Brooke's name in the media (You know like a saving Knight)
3rd thing maybe some more romance deep level where they could have that *OOPMPH* factor!!!
Its good and an easy read... if you like military stories here is one for you *__*
"While you're at it," he whispered in her ear, " Think about this. I never said I didn't want you. The truth is I want you so much I ache for you."
"All you have to do is love me. Loving me is enough"
Now there is a dance sequence here between Shane and Brooke, I felt a need to add this here cause it is one of the most beautiful moments in this book ^^
For me 4* Njoy!!!
Well this book... I dont know How to rate this book as 3 or 4 :)
Lets start by saying that this book is one of those books which have got its own angst *__*
Lets start with what I liked about this book:
I liked the start where it started with letters exchanged between Brooke who is a teacher and Shane who is a soldire ( they are Pen Pals ^^ How sweet is that)
The next is where the Prologue starts and one can see Brooke for the 1st time meets Shane to welcome him back home ^^
Understand this, here the author beautifully portrays how one feels when their loved ones are back from war!!!
There is this awkward situation between them where Brooke does not know what to expect from Shane as he clearly states in his letters he does not believe in relationship.
So at this point both don't know where they stand in their relationship ^^ Now this meeting is very crucial and somethings are exchanged :D which forms the plot of the story.
What I liked is the author has put light to Cyber Bullying ^^ which is so crucial in this era :D
Shane comes to meet Brooke to sort out the misunderstanding and takes her to his place. And from there the rest of the story forms on its own.
The other thing is Shane is badly injured, so he becomes all annoying sometimes but also has lots of feelings for Brooke ^^
In all this story is sweet and lovely ^^
Now to what I didn't so Like:
This whole novel cover up their relationship in a weeks time... from the time Shane comes to Brooke to apologize to the Novel being done!!!
2nd thing is I would have liked if Shane had more to clearing Brooke's name in the media (You know like a saving Knight)
3rd thing maybe some more romance deep level where they could have that *OOPMPH* factor!!!
Its good and an easy read... if you like military stories here is one for you *__*
"While you're at it," he whispered in her ear, " Think about this. I never said I didn't want you. The truth is I want you so much I ache for you."
"All you have to do is love me. Loving me is enough"
Now there is a dance sequence here between Shane and Brooke, I felt a need to add this here cause it is one of the most beautiful moments in this book ^^
For me 4* Njoy!!!
December 4, 2014
Brooke's father is running for governor of New York. She's a teacher and loves her job, loves helping kids. As a class project, she gets involved in a pen pal program writing to soldiers. Brooke starts exchanging letters with Shane. Shane is stationed in Afghanistan and they exchange letters for year. There is so much to this story that I really enjoyed. The story was interesting, I liked the characters (even with how moody Shane could be), I liked how strong Brooke was even though she wasn't strong all the time. This book was a little angsty and focused a lot on Shane being an injured vet. I really liked this book and I hope the author has plans to write Neve's book because there is obviously a story there! The only thing I didn't like about this book is that I wish there would have been more of the letters between Brooke and Shane. Overall, I really like this one and recommend it to anyone who loves a sweet romance!
**ARC provided in exchange for an honest review**
**ARC provided in exchange for an honest review**
December 2, 2014
3.5 stars
****Full Review****
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review
Through a mix-up, elementary school teacher Brooke has become the pen pal of from the wrong side of the tracks American soldier Shane. Brooke comes from wealth and privilege but not exactly a happy home giving her a sweetly naïve guarded outlook on life. Shane's experience has a more real world quality, he spent most of his high school years working, just managed to get his GED, has been a soldier since he turned eighteen, and is on his fourth tour of duty. Shane is tired, a little cynical, and prone to crabby angry outbursts. Through letter writing, emails, and skype Brook and Shane have established a solid friendship but even though Shane warned her not to, Brook wants more. When Shane gets injured and Brooke's life is falling apart around her, their relationship is tested and they both struggle to figure out just what they really mean to each other.
There were two sides to this book; one was a sugary sweetness which emanated from Brooke providing the lighter rainbows, puppies, and it will work out ok because of love. Everything is fine and dandy when Brooke and Shane are tenderly bantering and just want to make kissy noises but things get tense when real life issues come into play. This brings about the other side of the book a gritty and uneasy look at what four tours of duty in a warzone can do to a person brought on by Shane. These two sides clash as Brooke obstinately makes moves to help Shane when he expresses a strong desire for her not to, this in turn makes Shane resent and act out (not physically) towards Brooke hurting her with his words. There are generally times when Brooke seems to blindly act and take her Mother Theresa persona too far giving a faint feeling of distaste and leaving the reader to wonder if these two really are worlds apart. Shane is clearly dealing with PTSD issues and I actually appreciated how the author depicted the normalness of this, no big one time moments of flashbacks that everyone sees and the hero gets immediate help but small everyday occurrences that people brush off. I do wish since the author made this a big part of the story that Brooke and Shane would have talked about it and he would have agreed to seek counseling.
The story thread that lead to Brooke and Shane being forced together, a sexy picture she took for Shane ended up being put on Facebook then snowballed to a student saying his brother had sexual relations with Brooke, worked for the most part. It was a realistic circumstance but the author got a bit preachy at times about cyberbullying and the whole thing was wrapped up in such a way that it felt rushed and anticlimactic. It is also mentioned quite a lot that Brooke loves watching soldiers returning home videos on Youtube and the feelings it gives her, it all made me wonder if she truly is in love with Shane or with the idea of loving a soldier. The mixtures of secondary characters were supportive and engaging, Shane's sister Charlotte had a few over the top moments but Brooke's friend Neve and her relationship with Shane's friend Rory has me intrigued.
Largely this is a nice story about two people dealing with life issues and coming together, it's an easy read that is not too terribly emotionally investing. Is Brooke and Shane's relationship completely believable? Not sure, but this is fiction and we're here for the happy ending which Loving You Easy graciously provides.
****Full Review****
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review
Through a mix-up, elementary school teacher Brooke has become the pen pal of from the wrong side of the tracks American soldier Shane. Brooke comes from wealth and privilege but not exactly a happy home giving her a sweetly naïve guarded outlook on life. Shane's experience has a more real world quality, he spent most of his high school years working, just managed to get his GED, has been a soldier since he turned eighteen, and is on his fourth tour of duty. Shane is tired, a little cynical, and prone to crabby angry outbursts. Through letter writing, emails, and skype Brook and Shane have established a solid friendship but even though Shane warned her not to, Brook wants more. When Shane gets injured and Brooke's life is falling apart around her, their relationship is tested and they both struggle to figure out just what they really mean to each other.
There were two sides to this book; one was a sugary sweetness which emanated from Brooke providing the lighter rainbows, puppies, and it will work out ok because of love. Everything is fine and dandy when Brooke and Shane are tenderly bantering and just want to make kissy noises but things get tense when real life issues come into play. This brings about the other side of the book a gritty and uneasy look at what four tours of duty in a warzone can do to a person brought on by Shane. These two sides clash as Brooke obstinately makes moves to help Shane when he expresses a strong desire for her not to, this in turn makes Shane resent and act out (not physically) towards Brooke hurting her with his words. There are generally times when Brooke seems to blindly act and take her Mother Theresa persona too far giving a faint feeling of distaste and leaving the reader to wonder if these two really are worlds apart. Shane is clearly dealing with PTSD issues and I actually appreciated how the author depicted the normalness of this, no big one time moments of flashbacks that everyone sees and the hero gets immediate help but small everyday occurrences that people brush off. I do wish since the author made this a big part of the story that Brooke and Shane would have talked about it and he would have agreed to seek counseling.
The story thread that lead to Brooke and Shane being forced together, a sexy picture she took for Shane ended up being put on Facebook then snowballed to a student saying his brother had sexual relations with Brooke, worked for the most part. It was a realistic circumstance but the author got a bit preachy at times about cyberbullying and the whole thing was wrapped up in such a way that it felt rushed and anticlimactic. It is also mentioned quite a lot that Brooke loves watching soldiers returning home videos on Youtube and the feelings it gives her, it all made me wonder if she truly is in love with Shane or with the idea of loving a soldier. The mixtures of secondary characters were supportive and engaging, Shane's sister Charlotte had a few over the top moments but Brooke's friend Neve and her relationship with Shane's friend Rory has me intrigued.
Largely this is a nice story about two people dealing with life issues and coming together, it's an easy read that is not too terribly emotionally investing. Is Brooke and Shane's relationship completely believable? Not sure, but this is fiction and we're here for the happy ending which Loving You Easy graciously provides.
November 18, 2014
Loving You Is Easy drew me in on the first page and held me until the last. A great read and hard to put down.
July 22, 2014
I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this book and loved every word. A great love story with a strong heroine, a broken hero, and their rocky journey toward happy ever after. Highly recommended!
September 21, 2014
Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley.
I have one question: where the hell has Wendy S Marcus been my whole life? Holy crap, I loved this book. I mean, it was better than great. It was stupid good. No. It was stoopid good!! It was so good that it made me stupid! Where's the button for 6 stars? 7 stars? While I look for it, read on to find out what made this book so good that I felt like I'd been hit in the head with a phone book...in a good way. There is a good way to get hit with a phone book, right? Oh never mind. Just keep reading!
First, there's Brooke. I really liked her. She's the daughter of a prominent politician...sigh. I guess I have to say that Brooke felt very familiar: her father is distracted and busy with his political career, her mom is a total judgmental asshole and she was sexually assaulted as a teenager. I don't want to sound mean or heartless; I really DID like Brooke. I'm just saying that I've seen this type of character before and I don't mean that as a bad thing. I loved Brooke's quiet strength. Sure, she didn't have a lot of choice in becoming strong but she's still one hell of a broad! ;) I think she's a great match for an angry, damaged soldier. She doesn't get her feelings hurt very easily and she's much tougher than she looks. She may look like a privileged socialite but she can literally kick ass. I don't want to say anything more about that because I don't want to ruin any part of this book for anyone. Point is, I liked Brooke. She's patient and she wants to help Shane and isn't sure how. So she's muddling through, trying to balance his needs with his pride and I thought she was doing great.
Then there's Shane. My goodness, he was described as being so hot and sexy and strong and dominating. Definitely an alpha male. I loved how pushy he was when we first meet him. And he's so confident! Yummy yummy! But he comes back from Afghanistan a damaged man, physically and emotionally. Like many veterans, he's seen things over there that can't be unseen. And he re-sees lots of it every time he closes his eyes at night. He also lost an eye and gained a limp. But he retains all of his sexiness and masculinity. Unfortunately, he doesn't see this. He doesn't want to be seen as less than a man but his self esteem is in the gutter. He may need help but he won't accept help. He suffers from some pretty crazy mood swings too. So Shane may not be a super likable hero all the time but I loved everything about him and everything he was going through.
I think that Brooke and Shane had decent chemistry. Sure, it wasn't always obvious due to his poor coping mechanisms but I think that patience will be rewarded in these two. I really liked how Brooke saw that Shane needed help but didn't know how to help him or what to do. She knew that he still needed to be a man but it was obvious when he was in pain or when he was tired. And damn, he made it tough for her to help him sometimes! All the time, actually! But I couldn't get mad at him because I could understand where he was coming from! I loved the emotional journey these two went on together. There were definitely times that I wanted Brooke to leave him alone and stop trying to help. And there were times when I wanted Brooke to leave his grumpy ass. But that doesn't happen and this story is so much sweeter for it.
I would absolutely recommend this book. I think that the author MUST know someone who has come back from the war and dealt with these issues. It just seemed way too real for her to come up with this just out of her imagination. So the reality of this book was very attractive to me. I loved the difficult relationship that Brooke and Shane had. I totally laughed out loud, I got pissed and I cried. Like. A. Baby! Holy crap, have some tissues nearby when you read this, people!! Damn this was such a good and heartbreaking and funny and real book. I just.... I can't even. Give this book a chance. I doubt you'll regret it!
I have one question: where the hell has Wendy S Marcus been my whole life? Holy crap, I loved this book. I mean, it was better than great. It was stupid good. No. It was stoopid good!! It was so good that it made me stupid! Where's the button for 6 stars? 7 stars? While I look for it, read on to find out what made this book so good that I felt like I'd been hit in the head with a phone book...in a good way. There is a good way to get hit with a phone book, right? Oh never mind. Just keep reading!
First, there's Brooke. I really liked her. She's the daughter of a prominent politician...sigh. I guess I have to say that Brooke felt very familiar: her father is distracted and busy with his political career, her mom is a total judgmental asshole and she was sexually assaulted as a teenager. I don't want to sound mean or heartless; I really DID like Brooke. I'm just saying that I've seen this type of character before and I don't mean that as a bad thing. I loved Brooke's quiet strength. Sure, she didn't have a lot of choice in becoming strong but she's still one hell of a broad! ;) I think she's a great match for an angry, damaged soldier. She doesn't get her feelings hurt very easily and she's much tougher than she looks. She may look like a privileged socialite but she can literally kick ass. I don't want to say anything more about that because I don't want to ruin any part of this book for anyone. Point is, I liked Brooke. She's patient and she wants to help Shane and isn't sure how. So she's muddling through, trying to balance his needs with his pride and I thought she was doing great.
Then there's Shane. My goodness, he was described as being so hot and sexy and strong and dominating. Definitely an alpha male. I loved how pushy he was when we first meet him. And he's so confident! Yummy yummy! But he comes back from Afghanistan a damaged man, physically and emotionally. Like many veterans, he's seen things over there that can't be unseen. And he re-sees lots of it every time he closes his eyes at night. He also lost an eye and gained a limp. But he retains all of his sexiness and masculinity. Unfortunately, he doesn't see this. He doesn't want to be seen as less than a man but his self esteem is in the gutter. He may need help but he won't accept help. He suffers from some pretty crazy mood swings too. So Shane may not be a super likable hero all the time but I loved everything about him and everything he was going through.
I think that Brooke and Shane had decent chemistry. Sure, it wasn't always obvious due to his poor coping mechanisms but I think that patience will be rewarded in these two. I really liked how Brooke saw that Shane needed help but didn't know how to help him or what to do. She knew that he still needed to be a man but it was obvious when he was in pain or when he was tired. And damn, he made it tough for her to help him sometimes! All the time, actually! But I couldn't get mad at him because I could understand where he was coming from! I loved the emotional journey these two went on together. There were definitely times that I wanted Brooke to leave him alone and stop trying to help. And there were times when I wanted Brooke to leave his grumpy ass. But that doesn't happen and this story is so much sweeter for it.
I would absolutely recommend this book. I think that the author MUST know someone who has come back from the war and dealt with these issues. It just seemed way too real for her to come up with this just out of her imagination. So the reality of this book was very attractive to me. I loved the difficult relationship that Brooke and Shane had. I totally laughed out loud, I got pissed and I cried. Like. A. Baby! Holy crap, have some tissues nearby when you read this, people!! Damn this was such a good and heartbreaking and funny and real book. I just.... I can't even. Give this book a chance. I doubt you'll regret it!
September 14, 2014
The super talented Wendy S Marcus is back!!! And I could not be happier, I have been a huge fan of her work form her very first mesmerizing release and ever since I have devoured everything she has written so of course I squealed with pure delight when this new release landed in my very happy hands.
The read tells the story of Brooke Elstein,a politician's daughter and always quiet, in control and thus the perfect image of dutiful always do what makes dad look good gal. All that comes crashing down when a the son of a wealthy donor sinks his teeth into her and sadly also gets away with it. But Brook is no sissy and gets up and moves on as best she can.
One stroke of luck that allows her to easily get out there again is the perk of heading up the governor's " Support out Troops" pen-pal initiative, and thus she's able to get first pick on the smoking-hot sergeant , whose picture sends Brook's heart racing and shakes her right out of her always perfect shoes.
They correspond back and forth, but sexy Shane Develen instinctively hides his commando tattoos and blue collar roots, he knows Brooke is also hiding something, he's not too sure what but he knows there is definitely something there. None the less he knows he has gained her trust when she sends him a off the charts blisteringly sexy photo. But as fate will have it, Shane is injured in an ambush and a fellow solider posts the sexy shot online for all to see.
And so once again Brooke's perfect image turns to ashes in the blink of an eye. Then Shane turns up at her doorstep determined to set things right and discovers the that right or wrong for each other has gone nothing on the chemistry they share, but will Brooke believer him when he tells her the truth or will she again retreat to her always perfect shell in order to protect what little dignity she has left?
I have always been a huge fan or romance books, but when it comes to military related romance books I go absolutely gaga! As in I fall head over heals to dive right into the book, and with this author being one of my ultimate favorites I was in absolute heaven from the first page right through till the very end.
I adored Brooke's vulnerability , but what stood out was her strength among all the vulnerability. I of course could completely understand her being so very vulnerable after what happened to her in the past, but getting back up and fighting to overcome it, especially when you are in the public eye, now that takes a lot more guts! The author beautifully pained Brooke as a strong fighter heroine that just as us all only every now and then lets the armor drop.
Shane was so awesome! Hotter than the Iraqi sun and more lethal to any woman's peace of mind than a Glock 17! I adored this man from the start, yes he does withhold his true and completely honest identity but not in that " I am going to strangle this hero, lying jerk!" kind of manner but more in a knows this is not the time for it all to be revealed manner. In real life of course most woman would fly off the handle when the truth get's revealed but the author did such an amazing job at painting Shane as a true hero of hearts, that if the man was standing in front of me ( of course I would have to be blind folded , because believe me ladies this man is super hot, and yes the author's description is that good so no pictures needed), I would not even think of yelling at him for not telling me from the start who and what he really is.
So with a really hotter than hot remarkably sweet and kind hero and a strong always fight back slightly damaged heroine, one heck of a picture mix up and a off the charts chemistry that simply cannot be denied, all set within the military and political world, got one pretty dang awesome read!
The descriptions of surroundings and characters were absolutely perfect, I was right there with Brook for the hurt and the pain of betrayal, I felt Shane go down and blood drain from my veins when he is injured, I could taste the angst and smelt the passion burning up the sheets as these two get down and dirty, outstanding writing Wendy!
I am taking away a message of there is a way and reason for everyone to come together, in this case two smoking hot pictures intertwined two lives of two people who both had a little piece of their hearts missing and needed each other to be healed. The trick would be to be able to send the healer away when you mistakenly think him or her to be the enemy and then to run off back to your own special created camp of doom and glum telling yourself you're safe. Always stay two steps ahead, it's one of the hardest things in life to do, but in the long run you will walk out on the other side , definitely not in tact but with the knowledge that you gave it your all.
I highly recommend this read for all fans of romance, with drama, passion, intrigue and one of the most beautifully written endings I have read in a long time.
5/5 star review
" He aims for her heart and makes a direct hit, but will she trust him enough to give it to him forever?"
The read tells the story of Brooke Elstein,a politician's daughter and always quiet, in control and thus the perfect image of dutiful always do what makes dad look good gal. All that comes crashing down when a the son of a wealthy donor sinks his teeth into her and sadly also gets away with it. But Brook is no sissy and gets up and moves on as best she can.
One stroke of luck that allows her to easily get out there again is the perk of heading up the governor's " Support out Troops" pen-pal initiative, and thus she's able to get first pick on the smoking-hot sergeant , whose picture sends Brook's heart racing and shakes her right out of her always perfect shoes.
They correspond back and forth, but sexy Shane Develen instinctively hides his commando tattoos and blue collar roots, he knows Brooke is also hiding something, he's not too sure what but he knows there is definitely something there. None the less he knows he has gained her trust when she sends him a off the charts blisteringly sexy photo. But as fate will have it, Shane is injured in an ambush and a fellow solider posts the sexy shot online for all to see.
And so once again Brooke's perfect image turns to ashes in the blink of an eye. Then Shane turns up at her doorstep determined to set things right and discovers the that right or wrong for each other has gone nothing on the chemistry they share, but will Brooke believer him when he tells her the truth or will she again retreat to her always perfect shell in order to protect what little dignity she has left?
I have always been a huge fan or romance books, but when it comes to military related romance books I go absolutely gaga! As in I fall head over heals to dive right into the book, and with this author being one of my ultimate favorites I was in absolute heaven from the first page right through till the very end.
I adored Brooke's vulnerability , but what stood out was her strength among all the vulnerability. I of course could completely understand her being so very vulnerable after what happened to her in the past, but getting back up and fighting to overcome it, especially when you are in the public eye, now that takes a lot more guts! The author beautifully pained Brooke as a strong fighter heroine that just as us all only every now and then lets the armor drop.
Shane was so awesome! Hotter than the Iraqi sun and more lethal to any woman's peace of mind than a Glock 17! I adored this man from the start, yes he does withhold his true and completely honest identity but not in that " I am going to strangle this hero, lying jerk!" kind of manner but more in a knows this is not the time for it all to be revealed manner. In real life of course most woman would fly off the handle when the truth get's revealed but the author did such an amazing job at painting Shane as a true hero of hearts, that if the man was standing in front of me ( of course I would have to be blind folded , because believe me ladies this man is super hot, and yes the author's description is that good so no pictures needed), I would not even think of yelling at him for not telling me from the start who and what he really is.
So with a really hotter than hot remarkably sweet and kind hero and a strong always fight back slightly damaged heroine, one heck of a picture mix up and a off the charts chemistry that simply cannot be denied, all set within the military and political world, got one pretty dang awesome read!
The descriptions of surroundings and characters were absolutely perfect, I was right there with Brook for the hurt and the pain of betrayal, I felt Shane go down and blood drain from my veins when he is injured, I could taste the angst and smelt the passion burning up the sheets as these two get down and dirty, outstanding writing Wendy!
I am taking away a message of there is a way and reason for everyone to come together, in this case two smoking hot pictures intertwined two lives of two people who both had a little piece of their hearts missing and needed each other to be healed. The trick would be to be able to send the healer away when you mistakenly think him or her to be the enemy and then to run off back to your own special created camp of doom and glum telling yourself you're safe. Always stay two steps ahead, it's one of the hardest things in life to do, but in the long run you will walk out on the other side , definitely not in tact but with the knowledge that you gave it your all.
I highly recommend this read for all fans of romance, with drama, passion, intrigue and one of the most beautifully written endings I have read in a long time.
5/5 star review
" He aims for her heart and makes a direct hit, but will she trust him enough to give it to him forever?"
September 7, 2017
ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Oy vey! What a train wreck!
This book had a couple redeeming moments, but overall it was a mess! Things it had going for it:
1. It knows it's cheesy so it's easier to accept it.
2. The first half of the book was somewhat entertaining.
3. The funeral scene actually made me cry.
4. I didn't have to put it on my "stupid character names" shelf.
5. I didn't have to put it on my "more gray eyes" shelf.
6. See 4 and 5. THANK JESUS.
But other than that, it's off the rails ridiculous:
The book just launches into it with no buildup. We read 2 letters between Shane and Brooke before Brooke is full on in love with him and imagining all kind of crazy, stalkerish scenarios. She's suddenly in love with him and they know each other SO well, but we don't see any of this happen. The book skips over all of the get to know you. I think this was a really bad decision on the author's part. I don't believe in these two at all. In fact, they are LITERALLY the worst couple I have ever read about. I have never, ever read about two people who are more wrong for each other than these two, but I'll get to that later. If we'd been privy to their developing relationship, I might have been able to get on board.
Shane immediately rubbed me the wrong way when he takes Brooke to his hotel room and immediately starts to feel her up. This is after she tells him she doesn't want to get physical. He puts so much pressure on her that she ends up doing THAT for him. It was really off putting. No means no, unless you can convince her to do it anyway? Kind of rape-y. I should mention that this is all taking place in the fracking prologue.
Shane and Brooke are the worst couple in the history of literature. They are the most wrong for each other that two people can possibly be. Not because of their families, or where they live, or socioeconomic statuses, but because they both suck.
Brooke is one of the most annoying heroines ever. She nags and nags and nags and wants to help, help, help. If roles were reversed and a MAN did the things Brooke does to Shane, it would be despicable and sexist, but since Brooke is a female, it's okay for her to do when he says don't and help when he says he doesn't need it. Seriously, back off, Brooke. Sometimes people need to do things for themselves. They don't need your help and "don't know it" or are "too stubborn to accept it." People want to be independent. Brooke is ridiculously annoying and disrespectful to Shane throughout this entire book.
Shane is an asshole. There's no other way to put it. You were injured at war and you have PTSD, I get it, but you don't get to treat people like trash because you're sad. Shane gave me whiplash. One second he's nice, the next he's being a total dick. He was awful to Brooke. She should have left his ass over and over again, but she didn't because she's a doormat. He would get angry at Brooke and tell her how he was going to take her "rough against a wall" or whatever and I think it was meant to be sexy, but it was really predatory and gross. When this happened, instead of calling a cab and leaving his ass, Brooke would excuse it by saying something like He's grieving the loss of his friend [...] he's in pain and obviously still recovering from severe traumatic injuries. NO. THIS DOES NOT MAKE IT OKAY FOR HIM TO EMOTIONALLY ABUSE YOU.
The book was also kind of preachy. In chapter 3 Brooke launches into this long diatribe about the responsible internet use and cyber-bulling. I felt like I was talking to a school principal.
Some of the language the author uses to describe things that were supposed to be sexy made me want to die of second hand embarrassment. "Let me feel your pleasure" and Brooke's "mons?" NO. I mean seriously, WTF is "mons?" I know you guys are all googling it right now.
I'm not sure where this title came from (Or maybe I am? Doesn't Lucas say that to Jacqueline in Easy?), but this book was angst x infinity. Nothing about their love was easy and I wish it was harder and they'd moved to opposite poles and never spoken again.
This review is also posted on my blog: Crazy Something Maybe
Oy vey! What a train wreck!
This book had a couple redeeming moments, but overall it was a mess! Things it had going for it:
1. It knows it's cheesy so it's easier to accept it.
2. The first half of the book was somewhat entertaining.
3. The funeral scene actually made me cry.
4. I didn't have to put it on my "stupid character names" shelf.
5. I didn't have to put it on my "more gray eyes" shelf.
6. See 4 and 5. THANK JESUS.
But other than that, it's off the rails ridiculous:
The book just launches into it with no buildup. We read 2 letters between Shane and Brooke before Brooke is full on in love with him and imagining all kind of crazy, stalkerish scenarios. She's suddenly in love with him and they know each other SO well, but we don't see any of this happen. The book skips over all of the get to know you. I think this was a really bad decision on the author's part. I don't believe in these two at all. In fact, they are LITERALLY the worst couple I have ever read about. I have never, ever read about two people who are more wrong for each other than these two, but I'll get to that later. If we'd been privy to their developing relationship, I might have been able to get on board.
Shane immediately rubbed me the wrong way when he takes Brooke to his hotel room and immediately starts to feel her up. This is after she tells him she doesn't want to get physical. He puts so much pressure on her that she ends up doing THAT for him. It was really off putting. No means no, unless you can convince her to do it anyway? Kind of rape-y. I should mention that this is all taking place in the fracking prologue.
Shane and Brooke are the worst couple in the history of literature. They are the most wrong for each other that two people can possibly be. Not because of their families, or where they live, or socioeconomic statuses, but because they both suck.
Brooke is one of the most annoying heroines ever. She nags and nags and nags and wants to help, help, help. If roles were reversed and a MAN did the things Brooke does to Shane, it would be despicable and sexist, but since Brooke is a female, it's okay for her to do when he says don't and help when he says he doesn't need it. Seriously, back off, Brooke. Sometimes people need to do things for themselves. They don't need your help and "don't know it" or are "too stubborn to accept it." People want to be independent. Brooke is ridiculously annoying and disrespectful to Shane throughout this entire book.
Shane is an asshole. There's no other way to put it. You were injured at war and you have PTSD, I get it, but you don't get to treat people like trash because you're sad. Shane gave me whiplash. One second he's nice, the next he's being a total dick. He was awful to Brooke. She should have left his ass over and over again, but she didn't because she's a doormat. He would get angry at Brooke and tell her how he was going to take her "rough against a wall" or whatever and I think it was meant to be sexy, but it was really predatory and gross. When this happened, instead of calling a cab and leaving his ass, Brooke would excuse it by saying something like He's grieving the loss of his friend [...] he's in pain and obviously still recovering from severe traumatic injuries. NO. THIS DOES NOT MAKE IT OKAY FOR HIM TO EMOTIONALLY ABUSE YOU.
The book was also kind of preachy. In chapter 3 Brooke launches into this long diatribe about the responsible internet use and cyber-bulling. I felt like I was talking to a school principal.
Some of the language the author uses to describe things that were supposed to be sexy made me want to die of second hand embarrassment. "Let me feel your pleasure" and Brooke's "mons?" NO. I mean seriously, WTF is "mons?" I know you guys are all googling it right now.
I'm not sure where this title came from (Or maybe I am? Doesn't Lucas say that to Jacqueline in Easy?), but this book was angst x infinity. Nothing about their love was easy and I wish it was harder and they'd moved to opposite poles and never spoken again.
This review is also posted on my blog: Crazy Something Maybe
March 6, 2015
The story happens because of one of Brooke's sexy pictures that supposed to be for her soldier "friend", Shane, is in his soldier friend Facebook's wall. And since she is a teacher and is also a politician's daughter, it attracts more attention and makes her reputation at bay.
I, for one, questioning Brooke's sanity, what did she think giving a guy she hardly knows her sexy pictures? Yes she's attracted to him but she only met him once for less than 24 hours! Yes she's communicating with him for months before they met, but he can be a liar or least of all an irresponsible person for all she knows. And yes he's a soldier but it doesn't mean she can trust him with something private before she really knows him, if you ask my opinion. Well...maybe it's just me being a cynical person and Brooke is so sweet and kind person if she didn't do it, there won't be this story. But well.....
To be honest, I liked the way the story begins, with a letter from Brooke to Shane and vice versa. I thought I'll get more letters to come, to know Brooke and Shane relationship development. But the story is straight fast forward to 8 months since they start writing each other. And after that first letters I read, Brooke already says that she's falling in love with Shane, while I was like "what?" I hardly know the main characters, let alone feel their relationship and then suddenly I have to believe that she's in love with him? And he's actually in love with her too, despite his constant word that their world is so different they don't belong to each other? I.did.not.buy.it!
And then there are also subplots that make everything seems happen at the same time, but it doesn't describe well. It's just like touching the surface. I think Shane's PTSD can be a good subplot if I can get more about it. Unfortunately I only get his mood swing and his injured eye and left leg. I want more than that. And then there are also problems with Brooke relationship with Shane's sister, Brooke's bestfriend's problem with Shane's bestfriend soldier, Brooke's relationship with her family. Not to mention Brooke's past. All of them can intertwine each other nicely if it goes deeper that what already has.
I don't know whether this is it's-me-not-you kind of book but it looks like I'm in minority here. And I still haven't found a very good NA contemporary romance I want. Apparently it's time for me to sing an Adele song again "should I give up or should I just keep chasing pavement, even if it leads no where"
I, for one, questioning Brooke's sanity, what did she think giving a guy she hardly knows her sexy pictures? Yes she's attracted to him but she only met him once for less than 24 hours! Yes she's communicating with him for months before they met, but he can be a liar or least of all an irresponsible person for all she knows. And yes he's a soldier but it doesn't mean she can trust him with something private before she really knows him, if you ask my opinion. Well...maybe it's just me being a cynical person and Brooke is so sweet and kind person if she didn't do it, there won't be this story. But well.....
To be honest, I liked the way the story begins, with a letter from Brooke to Shane and vice versa. I thought I'll get more letters to come, to know Brooke and Shane relationship development. But the story is straight fast forward to 8 months since they start writing each other. And after that first letters I read, Brooke already says that she's falling in love with Shane, while I was like "what?" I hardly know the main characters, let alone feel their relationship and then suddenly I have to believe that she's in love with him? And he's actually in love with her too, despite his constant word that their world is so different they don't belong to each other? I.did.not.buy.it!
And then there are also subplots that make everything seems happen at the same time, but it doesn't describe well. It's just like touching the surface. I think Shane's PTSD can be a good subplot if I can get more about it. Unfortunately I only get his mood swing and his injured eye and left leg. I want more than that. And then there are also problems with Brooke relationship with Shane's sister, Brooke's bestfriend's problem with Shane's bestfriend soldier, Brooke's relationship with her family. Not to mention Brooke's past. All of them can intertwine each other nicely if it goes deeper that what already has.
I don't know whether this is it's-me-not-you kind of book but it looks like I'm in minority here. And I still haven't found a very good NA contemporary romance I want. Apparently it's time for me to sing an Adele song again "should I give up or should I just keep chasing pavement, even if it leads no where"
December 10, 2014
Reviewed for Read Your Writes Book Reviews
by Kim
Prepare to lose yourself in Loving You is Easy. Wendy S. Marcus is a relatively new author to me. This story marks the second time I’ve read a book from her. As with the first book, this book had me from page one.
Loving You is Easy is the story of Brooke Ellstein and Shane Develen. Brooke is a twenty-five-year-old math teacher who happens to be the daughter of potentially the next governor of the state of New York. Shane is a twenty-six-year-old career Army soldier with blue collar roots from New Jersey. In a perfect world, these two would never have met. But the world isn’t perfect. For the past eight years, Shane has been overseas fighting for his country.
Brooke is overseeing the Support Our Troops pen pal initiative for the state of New York. The two start to communicate when an error is made adding Shane to the list although he isn’t a resident of the state. After months of communication, the two become really good friends. Things for these two are going really well until an ambush and RPG tear both of their lives apart.
I say this a lot, but Loving You is Easy was so much more than I anticipated it would be. I wasn’t prepared for the the feelings these two gain for each other without spending physical time together. I wasn’t prepared for the social messages in the book. And, I was definitely blindsided by some events in the story.
Wendy has written two characters who are each vulnerable and yet very, very strong in their own rights. The love and support that Brooke and Shane have for each other oozes through the pages. Wendy has succeeded in writing characters who are real with real issues. Not only has she managed to write a strong hero and heroine, the secondary characters are just as strong and some just as likeable.
The story leaves room for an additional story to be told on a couple of the secondary characters. All I can really say is that Loving You is Easy is the perfect title for this book. Brooke and Shane make it so easy to love each of them and their story. Loving You is Easy simply put is a captivating story of friendship, love and determination.
**Received a copy from Random House - Loveswept in exchange for an honest unbiased review.**
by Kim
Prepare to lose yourself in Loving You is Easy. Wendy S. Marcus is a relatively new author to me. This story marks the second time I’ve read a book from her. As with the first book, this book had me from page one.
Loving You is Easy is the story of Brooke Ellstein and Shane Develen. Brooke is a twenty-five-year-old math teacher who happens to be the daughter of potentially the next governor of the state of New York. Shane is a twenty-six-year-old career Army soldier with blue collar roots from New Jersey. In a perfect world, these two would never have met. But the world isn’t perfect. For the past eight years, Shane has been overseas fighting for his country.
Brooke is overseeing the Support Our Troops pen pal initiative for the state of New York. The two start to communicate when an error is made adding Shane to the list although he isn’t a resident of the state. After months of communication, the two become really good friends. Things for these two are going really well until an ambush and RPG tear both of their lives apart.
I say this a lot, but Loving You is Easy was so much more than I anticipated it would be. I wasn’t prepared for the the feelings these two gain for each other without spending physical time together. I wasn’t prepared for the social messages in the book. And, I was definitely blindsided by some events in the story.
Wendy has written two characters who are each vulnerable and yet very, very strong in their own rights. The love and support that Brooke and Shane have for each other oozes through the pages. Wendy has succeeded in writing characters who are real with real issues. Not only has she managed to write a strong hero and heroine, the secondary characters are just as strong and some just as likeable.
The story leaves room for an additional story to be told on a couple of the secondary characters. All I can really say is that Loving You is Easy is the perfect title for this book. Brooke and Shane make it so easy to love each of them and their story. Loving You is Easy simply put is a captivating story of friendship, love and determination.
**Received a copy from Random House - Loveswept in exchange for an honest unbiased review.**
September 5, 2014
3.5 - 4 Stars
This was a really good book!
Brooke is the daughter of a politician, always in the spotlight always in the media. It's her life. So when she pen pals with a solider, she can finally be herself. Let loose a bit. Over the course of a few month Brooke and her solider pen pal, Shane develop a pretty strong bond; so when he's home for a few days she surprises him, and gives him some pretty risky pictures -- especially for a politicians daughter not to mention a school teacher.
When said pictures end up on Facebook, Brooke's life turns upside down. Now facing legal issues due to doe students claiming false accessions, the last person she wants to see is Shane. However, he isn't the same as he was the last time she saw him.
Badly injured he's not the same guy he used to be. Shane's determined to make things right in Brooke's life. Offering her to come back to his parents house in New Jersey and lay low is the best option for Brooke.
But things don't go as planned, more accusations arise, secrets come out, and the looming end to their non relationship are only a fraction of what these two face
----
This was a pretty quick read!
I really loves Brookes personality, she wasn't afraid to tell you how it is and speak her mind.
And Shane all brooding about himself
The side characters were pretty funny i loved Shanes mother and Neve, I'm assuming she's getting her own story with Rory after this one …
The only thing is this book lasted like a weekend, and it was over the whole conflict solved. I feel like it would take a little longer for something like that to get resolved. But other than that it was a great book!
This was a really good book!
Brooke is the daughter of a politician, always in the spotlight always in the media. It's her life. So when she pen pals with a solider, she can finally be herself. Let loose a bit. Over the course of a few month Brooke and her solider pen pal, Shane develop a pretty strong bond; so when he's home for a few days she surprises him, and gives him some pretty risky pictures -- especially for a politicians daughter not to mention a school teacher.
When said pictures end up on Facebook, Brooke's life turns upside down. Now facing legal issues due to doe students claiming false accessions, the last person she wants to see is Shane. However, he isn't the same as he was the last time she saw him.
Badly injured he's not the same guy he used to be. Shane's determined to make things right in Brooke's life. Offering her to come back to his parents house in New Jersey and lay low is the best option for Brooke.
But things don't go as planned, more accusations arise, secrets come out, and the looming end to their non relationship are only a fraction of what these two face
----
This was a pretty quick read!
I really loves Brookes personality, she wasn't afraid to tell you how it is and speak her mind.
And Shane all brooding about himself
The side characters were pretty funny i loved Shanes mother and Neve, I'm assuming she's getting her own story with Rory after this one …
The only thing is this book lasted like a weekend, and it was over the whole conflict solved. I feel like it would take a little longer for something like that to get resolved. But other than that it was a great book!
June 19, 2015
Loving You Is Easy was a more intense read than I was expecting. One of my grumbles with many of the military romances I read is that they steer clear of life-altering injuries in favour of PTSD, which don't get me wrong is itself life-altering, but the hero is still perfect on the outside. Shane Develen isn't, and in many respects that is what made him so.
"Sometimes he felt so familiar, like she'd known him for years. Other times he felt like a total stranger, a man she had no interest in knowing."
Shane's inner torment, vulnerabilities, pain and mood swings bring the emotion to the story. He's struggling to adapt but when Brooke finds her life imploding, he's there and I loved him for that. They have a great chemistry but I have to be honest and say I was a little conflicted over how I felt about Brooke. She's likeable, yet she frustrated and I would've liked to see the fight and fire she brought in the later stages of the book sooner. But together they do bring some lovely touching moments and intimacy; their romance isn't a bed of roses and it was nice that we have two people with real issues who care deeply and support one another along the way.
Wendy S. Marcus is a new author to me, her writing style grabbed and flowed well and I'll without doubt be reading her work in the future. And with the wheels set in motion for Neve and Rory, I'm looking forward to discovering exactly what happened between them.
"Sometimes he felt so familiar, like she'd known him for years. Other times he felt like a total stranger, a man she had no interest in knowing."
Shane's inner torment, vulnerabilities, pain and mood swings bring the emotion to the story. He's struggling to adapt but when Brooke finds her life imploding, he's there and I loved him for that. They have a great chemistry but I have to be honest and say I was a little conflicted over how I felt about Brooke. She's likeable, yet she frustrated and I would've liked to see the fight and fire she brought in the later stages of the book sooner. But together they do bring some lovely touching moments and intimacy; their romance isn't a bed of roses and it was nice that we have two people with real issues who care deeply and support one another along the way.
Wendy S. Marcus is a new author to me, her writing style grabbed and flowed well and I'll without doubt be reading her work in the future. And with the wheels set in motion for Neve and Rory, I'm looking forward to discovering exactly what happened between them.
January 1, 2015
LOVING YOU IS EASY by author Wendy S. Marcus is a December 2014 release by Loveswept, Random House.
Brooke Elstein joined the pen-pal initiative and became Sergeant Shane Develen’s pen-pal. After long emails back and forth, she felt she knew him enough to hand deliver him some sexy photos of herself on his next leave home.
But these photos get into wrong hands when Shane gets injured on duty. Brooke’s life crumbled around her as one photo ended up on social media and her students started commenting on it. What would Brooke do now? Could she ever trust Shane again?
And how would Shane ‘make it right’? Could he now? And he was an injured soldier now; could he fit back into Brooke’s life?
LOVING YOU IS EASY is a fast, super sexy and enthralling story. The romance was tender and sigh-worthy. Author Wendy S. Marcus entices her readers into the world she creates and makes them glued to the book till the last page.
Highly recommended to all lovers of romance.
Brooke Elstein joined the pen-pal initiative and became Sergeant Shane Develen’s pen-pal. After long emails back and forth, she felt she knew him enough to hand deliver him some sexy photos of herself on his next leave home.
But these photos get into wrong hands when Shane gets injured on duty. Brooke’s life crumbled around her as one photo ended up on social media and her students started commenting on it. What would Brooke do now? Could she ever trust Shane again?
And how would Shane ‘make it right’? Could he now? And he was an injured soldier now; could he fit back into Brooke’s life?
LOVING YOU IS EASY is a fast, super sexy and enthralling story. The romance was tender and sigh-worthy. Author Wendy S. Marcus entices her readers into the world she creates and makes them glued to the book till the last page.
Highly recommended to all lovers of romance.
September 9, 2015
I didn't realize what I was getting myself into with this one. It has all the irritatingly "classic" romance novel things. One, or both, of the main characters pretending they don't want to be in a relationship with the other for some reason (in this case, "She's too good for me!" Blech!) Falling in love fast and hard (via letters, and one - yep, I said one - evening together, where she obviously MUST do something sexual... but she doesn't believe in sex outside of a committed relationship... but, dang... he's hot... she just can't imagine leaving him and not making him blissfully happy... oh, fine... just a quick bj. WHAT???? Um, no, I don't believe that any woman just can't resist a bj... If that woman exists, I don't understand her, and therefor, I don't want to read about her...
I don't know... I just didn't feel the relationship, and there were these very explicit moments that I didn't think were necessary.
Not one I'd recommend.
I don't know... I just didn't feel the relationship, and there were these very explicit moments that I didn't think were necessary.
Not one I'd recommend.
November 5, 2014
This is a really good story emotional and sensual as Brooke and Shane have a journey to a HEA that is filled with twists and turns, Shane a soldier since leaving school is from working class New Jersey and Brooke a teacher in a private school from a political family well to do but not much love from her mother but Brooke is such a strong caring heroine and Shane also strong with the belief that he should be looking after Brooke. When they start writing to each other while Shane is fighting in Afghanistan their relationship grows but with photos released on social media casusing a lot of pain to them both and Shane injured this story will have you turning the pages and staying up late. I highly recommend this one.
December 8, 2014
I’ve long been a fan of Marcus’s medical romances. She has a talent for taking incredibly touchy subjects—hoarding, body image issues, and more—and crafting a beautiful love story around a backbone of pain. Although Loving You is Easy is a departure from the medical setting, Marcus brought her A-game when creating the premise—cyberbullying of an adult—and the backstory for her heroine and especially her hero, Shane. I found myself crying more than once because of Shane’s pain. If you like an angst-tinged love story wrapped around a real-world tough topic, you don’t want to miss Loving You is Easy.
December 16, 2014
Wonderful love story! Shane could have been easy to hate, if he wasn't so easy to love. At first we only see sweet Shane, but adjusting to life with his new disabilities makes him act like an jerk. Luckily for him, Brooke does not give up on him so easily. Brooke is stronger that she thinks, and with Shane's support, she finally stands up for herself and for the life she wants. I loved the letters in the beginning and would have liked to have seen more of them. I think it would have been a nice way to see their relationship develop. I really enjoyed the book and hope we get Neve and Rory's story next!
January 6, 2015
I was lucky enough to read an early copy of this and absolutely loved it! Wendy is so talented at writing about real life emotional issues into her fictional stories. If you are looking for a contemporary romance that will have your heart breaking but also warming before the book is over, I recommend Loving You Is Easy!
December 21, 2014
*** JOSIE'S 4 STAR REVIEW ***
LOVING YOU IS EASY is a delightful, heart felt story about inner strength and new beginnings. I am a mother of a Marine and I love to read novels having to do with service men. The author writes Brooke and Shane’s story in a way that as reader I felt every emotion they went through. I really love how the author starts their story off by introducing us to the main characters through their first letters to each other. I was an emotional mess in parts throughout the story. I laughed and cried while reading the soldiers journey’s to fit into a world after fighting a war. The open communication the characters had with one another while Shane was away was brilliant. I thought this is how they survive out there, by reading, finding hope and a purpose to come back from being out there because of a letter.
I absolutely loved Brooke’s character. She is the daughter of a politician and comes from a very well off family. She was completely kind hearted, selfless and loyal to all she loves. Being in the political spotlight and a teacher in school she always lives inside the box. Throughout her correspondence with Shane their bond began to grow strong. So much so that while he was on leave they decided to meet in person. Brooke never thought he would betray her but after she gives him a gift that is only meant for him things take a bad turn. She is under constant scrutiny and false accusations with the bulling that is going on all over social media. Despite the roller coaster and Shane’s mood swings, Brooke held firm in her belief that she deserved to be treated well and cherished.
“How could you let this happen? I trusted you, I’ve written to you several times a week for months. We’ve talked on the phone. I’ve sent you care packages, you betrayed me.”
“I don’t need you to take care of me. I’m here to take care of you. To do whatever I can to help, to explain what happened. To apologize. I am so sorry.”
Shane is a protective, kind hearted but quick to act out kind of character. His life was altered after his team were attacked while he was overseas Afghanistan. He never thought a fellow brother would betray him by using a gift that was only meant for him to publically humiliate the woman who gave a purpose to keep going. He has to make things right for Brooke. Needs to keep her safe until everything is cleared up but his PTSD and his insecurities turn out to be the real threat for Brooke. Instead of seeing what was right in front him, Shane constantly pushed Brooke away. I felt his inner turmoil. It was hard reading about his nightmares from that awful day in Afghanistan that took the lives of many.
“I want to bury myself inside of you over and over again until you’re all I can think about, all I can feel. And I won’t be gentle. I’ll take you hard and fast, I’ll pound myself inside you until I’m too spent too t continue, until I crash into a deep, sated sleep that will finish this shitty day.”
“I know you are hurting, let me help you. I’m not easily breakable. You don’t have to be gentle with me.”
There are so many strong side characters that played a part in making this book enjoyable. I really enjoyed meeting some of Brooke’s supporters. They all supported and offered her advice when needed. The author did an amazing job with dealing with the after effects of war, a relationship and finding a love that overlooks your defects.
LOVING YOU IS EASY is a delightful, heart felt story about inner strength and new beginnings. I am a mother of a Marine and I love to read novels having to do with service men. The author writes Brooke and Shane’s story in a way that as reader I felt every emotion they went through. I really love how the author starts their story off by introducing us to the main characters through their first letters to each other. I was an emotional mess in parts throughout the story. I laughed and cried while reading the soldiers journey’s to fit into a world after fighting a war. The open communication the characters had with one another while Shane was away was brilliant. I thought this is how they survive out there, by reading, finding hope and a purpose to come back from being out there because of a letter.
I absolutely loved Brooke’s character. She is the daughter of a politician and comes from a very well off family. She was completely kind hearted, selfless and loyal to all she loves. Being in the political spotlight and a teacher in school she always lives inside the box. Throughout her correspondence with Shane their bond began to grow strong. So much so that while he was on leave they decided to meet in person. Brooke never thought he would betray her but after she gives him a gift that is only meant for him things take a bad turn. She is under constant scrutiny and false accusations with the bulling that is going on all over social media. Despite the roller coaster and Shane’s mood swings, Brooke held firm in her belief that she deserved to be treated well and cherished.
“How could you let this happen? I trusted you, I’ve written to you several times a week for months. We’ve talked on the phone. I’ve sent you care packages, you betrayed me.”
“I don’t need you to take care of me. I’m here to take care of you. To do whatever I can to help, to explain what happened. To apologize. I am so sorry.”
Shane is a protective, kind hearted but quick to act out kind of character. His life was altered after his team were attacked while he was overseas Afghanistan. He never thought a fellow brother would betray him by using a gift that was only meant for him to publically humiliate the woman who gave a purpose to keep going. He has to make things right for Brooke. Needs to keep her safe until everything is cleared up but his PTSD and his insecurities turn out to be the real threat for Brooke. Instead of seeing what was right in front him, Shane constantly pushed Brooke away. I felt his inner turmoil. It was hard reading about his nightmares from that awful day in Afghanistan that took the lives of many.
“I want to bury myself inside of you over and over again until you’re all I can think about, all I can feel. And I won’t be gentle. I’ll take you hard and fast, I’ll pound myself inside you until I’m too spent too t continue, until I crash into a deep, sated sleep that will finish this shitty day.”
“I know you are hurting, let me help you. I’m not easily breakable. You don’t have to be gentle with me.”
There are so many strong side characters that played a part in making this book enjoyable. I really enjoyed meeting some of Brooke’s supporters. They all supported and offered her advice when needed. The author did an amazing job with dealing with the after effects of war, a relationship and finding a love that overlooks your defects.
December 5, 2014
Loving You is Easy is a book that starts off in an intriguing manner. November 2011, Brooke Ellstein, a 7th and 8th grade Math teacher who also happens to be the daughter of a prominent politician in New York starts corresponding with Sergeant Shane Develeen in the manner of pen pals. Fast forward to July of next year and these two meet for the first time, Brooke having fallen for Shane even with his warning that he is not looking for a girlfriend to mess with his head.
Devastation hits Brooke when a photograph in which she posed for Shane finds its way to the Internet. Feeling betrayed at the knowledge that Shane had been home for more than 2 months and never contacted her, Brooke feels like her entire life is falling apart until Shane walks up to her door, a man scarred from the war, with a gigantic chip on his shoulder that won’t quit. Shane’s only reason for showing up is to put things to right or so he tells himself.
From the start, Shane had believed that a classy woman like Brooke would have no place in her life for a man like him. After nearly losing his life on the job and with the scars to prove it, Shane is adamant and steadfast in his belief and need to keep Brooke at arms length and that she doesn’t expect something more to happen between them than just friendship. But then life and love has a way of breaking even the toughest of them and the more Shane learns about the woman that Brooke hides behind the facade of rigid control and discipline that has been her life, the more little shards of doubt begins to penetrate into Shane’s firmly held conviction that they aren’t meant to be.
Loving You is Easy is a book that is easy to read given that Wendy is an author who writes well and portrays a lot of emotions in her stories. Brooke’s past when revealed turned out to be a heartbreaking one, making one question exactly just how much families and their children suffer when either of the parents chooses to pursue a political career. Brooke’s emotional strength was an admirable trait, her closest friends the ones keeping her sane.
Shane is a bit of a grouch and a tad hard to like but given the circumstances he finds himself in, I guess a little bit of anger at the fates was called for. My disappointment with Shane stemmed from his lack of belief in Brooke, who gives him no reason to doubt her. If it had been just one instance, I could have brushed it off and thanked the stars for the angst that the misunderstanding had brought to the story. But more than once and especially under a situation where Brooke had needed his support, I just felt a bit letdown from all that. The saving grace was the fact that he seemed to pick up the pieces and get Brooke back. I would also have loved to see Shane’s issues related to his injuries and the resultant PTSD looked at with just a tad more detail. Judging from how the story had proceeded, I’d like to bet that Brooke’s best friend Neve is going to get her own story pretty soon!
Recommended for fans of Wendy and fans of war torn heroes.
Rating = 3.75/5
For more reviews & quotes, visit www.maldivianbookreviewer.com
Devastation hits Brooke when a photograph in which she posed for Shane finds its way to the Internet. Feeling betrayed at the knowledge that Shane had been home for more than 2 months and never contacted her, Brooke feels like her entire life is falling apart until Shane walks up to her door, a man scarred from the war, with a gigantic chip on his shoulder that won’t quit. Shane’s only reason for showing up is to put things to right or so he tells himself.
From the start, Shane had believed that a classy woman like Brooke would have no place in her life for a man like him. After nearly losing his life on the job and with the scars to prove it, Shane is adamant and steadfast in his belief and need to keep Brooke at arms length and that she doesn’t expect something more to happen between them than just friendship. But then life and love has a way of breaking even the toughest of them and the more Shane learns about the woman that Brooke hides behind the facade of rigid control and discipline that has been her life, the more little shards of doubt begins to penetrate into Shane’s firmly held conviction that they aren’t meant to be.
Loving You is Easy is a book that is easy to read given that Wendy is an author who writes well and portrays a lot of emotions in her stories. Brooke’s past when revealed turned out to be a heartbreaking one, making one question exactly just how much families and their children suffer when either of the parents chooses to pursue a political career. Brooke’s emotional strength was an admirable trait, her closest friends the ones keeping her sane.
Shane is a bit of a grouch and a tad hard to like but given the circumstances he finds himself in, I guess a little bit of anger at the fates was called for. My disappointment with Shane stemmed from his lack of belief in Brooke, who gives him no reason to doubt her. If it had been just one instance, I could have brushed it off and thanked the stars for the angst that the misunderstanding had brought to the story. But more than once and especially under a situation where Brooke had needed his support, I just felt a bit letdown from all that. The saving grace was the fact that he seemed to pick up the pieces and get Brooke back. I would also have loved to see Shane’s issues related to his injuries and the resultant PTSD looked at with just a tad more detail. Judging from how the story had proceeded, I’d like to bet that Brooke’s best friend Neve is going to get her own story pretty soon!
Recommended for fans of Wendy and fans of war torn heroes.
Rating = 3.75/5
For more reviews & quotes, visit www.maldivianbookreviewer.com
January 11, 2015
4 ½ Stars
~I received a copy of the book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.~
Loving You Is Easy is a beautiful, heartfelt, and moving love story. I was hooked from the very first page. Brooke Ellstein is the beautiful daughter of a New York politician, but she has put some distance between herself and her family, especially her mother. However, she does try to continue to help her father in his political endeavors. She is the coordinator of a program that matches military members in the Middle East with pen pals in the New York area. She is reaches out to Shane Develen who comes from a tight, hard-working family in New Jersey. He enlisted right after high school. The two of them could not be more different, but they manage to become close friends, and they confess things to each other in their letters and emails that they haven’t told many others. However, Shane makes it clear he doesn’t want to be more than friends. But, that is easier said than done when Brooke surprises him at the airport when he comes home for a short leave. The chemistry is apparent between them. When he returns overseas, they agree to re-visit the status of their relationship when he comes home. However, those plans are blown to smithereens when he is hurt and sent home. He doesn’t contact Brooke because he feels like he has nothing to offer her. Shane does finally decide to contact her after her career as a teacher is threatened when sexy photos she sent to Shane make their way on to social media all over the Internet. As they are forced together until the scandal dies down, they will have to open up to each other about their pasts and work on their trust issues.
This was a steamy, sexy romance. There was a lot of lust between the two that gave me butterflies in my stomach (love when a book does that to me), but it was more than that! There was some angst and a lot of back and forth, especially on Shane’s part; however, I did find it realistic too! A great deal of the book delved into Shane’s recuperation after the war was over for him. He sustained life changing injuries, not just physical but mentally too. This was a man who had to fight everyday just to get up and put one foot in front of the other. He not only questioned himself because of his physical looks changing, but he questioned himself as a man. What could he offer Brooke now? No career? His mood swings? His PTSD? His ability to walk normally again? This book was different in that Marcus deeply explored those issues. She didn’t just gloss over them. While he fought to push Brooke away, she fought to bring him closer to her. I just love an obstinate, loyal woman! They are both characters that I won’t forget for a long time.
This is the first book I have read by Wendy S. Marcus, but it definitely won’t be my last. Try this one if you like some sexual tension with some sweetness mixed in. It is also very realistic and is very eye-opening in the battles that our women and men come home and face after being in a war. It’s evident that the war may be over for their loved ones but not always for them. GREAT READ!!!!
***Reviewed for Devilishly Delicious Books***
~I received a copy of the book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.~
Loving You Is Easy is a beautiful, heartfelt, and moving love story. I was hooked from the very first page. Brooke Ellstein is the beautiful daughter of a New York politician, but she has put some distance between herself and her family, especially her mother. However, she does try to continue to help her father in his political endeavors. She is the coordinator of a program that matches military members in the Middle East with pen pals in the New York area. She is reaches out to Shane Develen who comes from a tight, hard-working family in New Jersey. He enlisted right after high school. The two of them could not be more different, but they manage to become close friends, and they confess things to each other in their letters and emails that they haven’t told many others. However, Shane makes it clear he doesn’t want to be more than friends. But, that is easier said than done when Brooke surprises him at the airport when he comes home for a short leave. The chemistry is apparent between them. When he returns overseas, they agree to re-visit the status of their relationship when he comes home. However, those plans are blown to smithereens when he is hurt and sent home. He doesn’t contact Brooke because he feels like he has nothing to offer her. Shane does finally decide to contact her after her career as a teacher is threatened when sexy photos she sent to Shane make their way on to social media all over the Internet. As they are forced together until the scandal dies down, they will have to open up to each other about their pasts and work on their trust issues.
This was a steamy, sexy romance. There was a lot of lust between the two that gave me butterflies in my stomach (love when a book does that to me), but it was more than that! There was some angst and a lot of back and forth, especially on Shane’s part; however, I did find it realistic too! A great deal of the book delved into Shane’s recuperation after the war was over for him. He sustained life changing injuries, not just physical but mentally too. This was a man who had to fight everyday just to get up and put one foot in front of the other. He not only questioned himself because of his physical looks changing, but he questioned himself as a man. What could he offer Brooke now? No career? His mood swings? His PTSD? His ability to walk normally again? This book was different in that Marcus deeply explored those issues. She didn’t just gloss over them. While he fought to push Brooke away, she fought to bring him closer to her. I just love an obstinate, loyal woman! They are both characters that I won’t forget for a long time.
This is the first book I have read by Wendy S. Marcus, but it definitely won’t be my last. Try this one if you like some sexual tension with some sweetness mixed in. It is also very realistic and is very eye-opening in the battles that our women and men come home and face after being in a war. It’s evident that the war may be over for their loved ones but not always for them. GREAT READ!!!!
***Reviewed for Devilishly Delicious Books***
November 23, 2014
I was given a copy of LOVING YOU IS EASY in exchange for an honest review. Wendy S. Marcus and I are online pals, though we’ve never met in person.
LOVING YOU IS EASY is a wonderfully heartwarming story about inner strength and new beginnings. It’s about of a wounded war hero from a blue collar family and a strong, good-hearted teacher who prefers a quiet life outside the limelight cast by her father, a rising political star. This book made me smile, it made me cry, and it made me ache for our soldiers who are coming home from war having served our country well, but no longer sure of where they fit in their own world.
Shane was a lovably grumpy hero. There were times I wanted to shake him, to tell him to quit worrying over what he couldn’t give Brooke, because this is the 21st century and she could take care of herself. But I also understood his insecurities and feelings of vulnerability, not just because of the vast differences in their upbringings and families, but because he didn’t know how he would support himself given the extent of his injuries. It’s not just his body and mind that are injured. His pride is too.
Brooke was goodness personified. Ever the schoolteacher and politician’s daughter, she was well-practiced at keeping calm and managing Shane’s grumpy side, even in the midst of her own personal crisis. She was also strong enough to know she deserved to be treated well, and to stand up to Shane when he was overbearing and taking his frustrations out on her.
I adored the secondary characters. Shane’s mom was fantastic, and I loved the banter about all the ways to bake apple treats. I also loved Brooke’s friendship with Neve and Nate, and I adored that Brooke had a good relationship with her father’s head of security. Too often those characters can be wooden caricatures, but Wendy really brought them to life. The one exception was Brooke’s mom. The evil mother is one of those tropes that never quite works for me.
This was a solid, well-written book. I adore Wendy’s books, and I’m hoping for a sequel with Neve and Mic!
LOVING YOU IS EASY is a wonderfully heartwarming story about inner strength and new beginnings. It’s about of a wounded war hero from a blue collar family and a strong, good-hearted teacher who prefers a quiet life outside the limelight cast by her father, a rising political star. This book made me smile, it made me cry, and it made me ache for our soldiers who are coming home from war having served our country well, but no longer sure of where they fit in their own world.
Shane was a lovably grumpy hero. There were times I wanted to shake him, to tell him to quit worrying over what he couldn’t give Brooke, because this is the 21st century and she could take care of herself. But I also understood his insecurities and feelings of vulnerability, not just because of the vast differences in their upbringings and families, but because he didn’t know how he would support himself given the extent of his injuries. It’s not just his body and mind that are injured. His pride is too.
Brooke was goodness personified. Ever the schoolteacher and politician’s daughter, she was well-practiced at keeping calm and managing Shane’s grumpy side, even in the midst of her own personal crisis. She was also strong enough to know she deserved to be treated well, and to stand up to Shane when he was overbearing and taking his frustrations out on her.
I adored the secondary characters. Shane’s mom was fantastic, and I loved the banter about all the ways to bake apple treats. I also loved Brooke’s friendship with Neve and Nate, and I adored that Brooke had a good relationship with her father’s head of security. Too often those characters can be wooden caricatures, but Wendy really brought them to life. The one exception was Brooke’s mom. The evil mother is one of those tropes that never quite works for me.
This was a solid, well-written book. I adore Wendy’s books, and I’m hoping for a sequel with Neve and Mic!
March 3, 2015
Recibí este ARC de forma gratuita vía NetGalley, lo cual no afecta en absoluto mi honesta opinión.
Entrada completa en: http://soulbookblog.blogspot.mx/2014/...
Este libro se me hizo súper lindo y romántico. Me gustó la lucha de los personajes, el antes y después de lo que les pasó, nunca he conocido a personas que vengan de la guerra, pero siento que fue muy real como mostró a Shane, y Brooke muy difícil lo que le pasó, también siento que fue muy real como fue escrito los obstáculos de ambos, y como se apego a los personajes pero a la vez el crecimiento y entendimiento de ambos mientras pasaban por todo eso fue muy lindo.
Shane me frustró a veces pero como dije antes fue muy entendible su personaje y lo que estaba pasando, de verdad sentí su dolor y su frustración, el cómo tiene que lidiar con los nuevos cambios y aceptarlos. Lloré en ciertas partes y tuve el corazón apretado en otras. ¡La familia de Shane me encantó! se me hizo muy parecida a una típica familia mexicana aun cuando no son para nada latinos, solo se me hizo bello la semejanza, ¡su mamá un amor! y la familia de Brooke, bueno en especial su mamá que horrible persona, no la soporté cuando apareció.
Fue una historia bella, donde aparte de romance, hay lucha y aceptación tanto de quien eres como de las limitantes que tienes y como tienes que afrontarlo y salir adelante para encontrar tu felicidad, se las recomiendo mucho, no se van a arrepentir y a pesar de que no es un libro corto, se me hizo muy fácil de leer y ameno.
Entrada completa en: http://soulbookblog.blogspot.mx/2014/...
Este libro se me hizo súper lindo y romántico. Me gustó la lucha de los personajes, el antes y después de lo que les pasó, nunca he conocido a personas que vengan de la guerra, pero siento que fue muy real como mostró a Shane, y Brooke muy difícil lo que le pasó, también siento que fue muy real como fue escrito los obstáculos de ambos, y como se apego a los personajes pero a la vez el crecimiento y entendimiento de ambos mientras pasaban por todo eso fue muy lindo.
Shane me frustró a veces pero como dije antes fue muy entendible su personaje y lo que estaba pasando, de verdad sentí su dolor y su frustración, el cómo tiene que lidiar con los nuevos cambios y aceptarlos. Lloré en ciertas partes y tuve el corazón apretado en otras. ¡La familia de Shane me encantó! se me hizo muy parecida a una típica familia mexicana aun cuando no son para nada latinos, solo se me hizo bello la semejanza, ¡su mamá un amor! y la familia de Brooke, bueno en especial su mamá que horrible persona, no la soporté cuando apareció.
Fue una historia bella, donde aparte de romance, hay lucha y aceptación tanto de quien eres como de las limitantes que tienes y como tienes que afrontarlo y salir adelante para encontrar tu felicidad, se las recomiendo mucho, no se van a arrepentir y a pesar de que no es un libro corto, se me hizo muy fácil de leer y ameno.
September 29, 2014
Brooke has spent her whole life doing what's right, and a big part of that is keeping up the "perfect politician’s daughter" image. She knows better than to do anything that will land her or her parents in a scandal, and yet that's exactly where she ends up after sending Shane back to Afghanistan with a little something to remember her by; a little something he appears to have shared with his friends.
The scandal explodes over social media, leaving Brook humiliated, under police investigation, and feeling both furious and betrayed, especially when she learns Shane’s been home for weeks without letting her know. Shane will be the first to tell you he and Brooke don’t belong together, and I’ll be the first to tell you Shane’s wrong. Brooke’s a heck of a lot tougher than she might appear; she’s the yin to his yang, the Double Stuf to his Oreo, and she’s not one to give up easily.
Loving You is Easy is a super sexy yet incredibly tender love story that’ll leave you wishing for just a few more pages. . .and then a few more after that. And then you’ll be hoping Ms. Marcus pens Neve’s and Rory’s story next.
The scandal explodes over social media, leaving Brook humiliated, under police investigation, and feeling both furious and betrayed, especially when she learns Shane’s been home for weeks without letting her know. Shane will be the first to tell you he and Brooke don’t belong together, and I’ll be the first to tell you Shane’s wrong. Brooke’s a heck of a lot tougher than she might appear; she’s the yin to his yang, the Double Stuf to his Oreo, and she’s not one to give up easily.
Loving You is Easy is a super sexy yet incredibly tender love story that’ll leave you wishing for just a few more pages. . .and then a few more after that. And then you’ll be hoping Ms. Marcus pens Neve’s and Rory’s story next.
October 30, 2014
"Loving You is Easy" by: Wendy S. Marcus is one of those books that you don't want to put down. It makes you want to continue to read to find out what is going to happen.
Brooke Elstein is a politician's daughter. She's the sort of shy, quiet, girl who is in control of her life. That is until she meets Shane Develen through 'Support our troops pen-pal' and decides to meet him when he comes home from his tour of duty.
Sexy Shane Develen is blue collar but finds himself attracted to Brooke. He gets her to trust him and she sends a racy photo of herself. With the knowledge that it is for his eyes only. He technically doesn't betray that trust, but something happens and the photo falls into the hands of a fellow solider who posts the sexy shot online for all to see. What happens next is a story that is a must read.
I personally love romance books. The military romances were not high on my list, but when I read this book I couldn't put it down. You'll love it from start to finish. I enjoyed seeing the friendship, caring, and then romance between Brooke and Shane.
Brooke Elstein is a politician's daughter. She's the sort of shy, quiet, girl who is in control of her life. That is until she meets Shane Develen through 'Support our troops pen-pal' and decides to meet him when he comes home from his tour of duty.
Sexy Shane Develen is blue collar but finds himself attracted to Brooke. He gets her to trust him and she sends a racy photo of herself. With the knowledge that it is for his eyes only. He technically doesn't betray that trust, but something happens and the photo falls into the hands of a fellow solider who posts the sexy shot online for all to see. What happens next is a story that is a must read.
I personally love romance books. The military romances were not high on my list, but when I read this book I couldn't put it down. You'll love it from start to finish. I enjoyed seeing the friendship, caring, and then romance between Brooke and Shane.
December 22, 2014
This is a romance novel. No surprise there, right? But trust me, it's more than a simple run-of-the-mill love story. To start with, the hero is a disabled combat veteran with PTSD, which introduces a whole set of unique problems, which, by the way, I think the author portrayed quite well.
The heroine? She's a teacher who has problems of her own, problems initiated by an unfortunate Facebook post, and then made worse when some students post a bunch of lies, which are believed by some hysterical parents. If the story were just a cautionary tale of the pitfalls of social media carelessness, and the consequences of lying, this would be a great book for young people to read. The stuff of those After School TV specials. (If there is such a thing anymore.)
BUT then there's the (ahem) sex scenes. Definitely R-rated. Definitely worth a little face-fanning. Not for the younguns at all.
Bottom line, I enjoyed this book. It's a quick read, and doesn't gloss over how returning combat veterans behave. I should know. I'm married to one.
The heroine? She's a teacher who has problems of her own, problems initiated by an unfortunate Facebook post, and then made worse when some students post a bunch of lies, which are believed by some hysterical parents. If the story were just a cautionary tale of the pitfalls of social media carelessness, and the consequences of lying, this would be a great book for young people to read. The stuff of those After School TV specials. (If there is such a thing anymore.)
BUT then there's the (ahem) sex scenes. Definitely R-rated. Definitely worth a little face-fanning. Not for the younguns at all.
Bottom line, I enjoyed this book. It's a quick read, and doesn't gloss over how returning combat veterans behave. I should know. I'm married to one.
December 12, 2014
What a fantastic book that took me by surprise!
First of all must I say I'm a huge fan of military books and specially with broken heroes.
I really enjoyed how this book started. It was a completely different way for me to see the main couple interact and still made complete sense to the both characters and relationship development.
What also really interested me, specially in time like this, was the use and sort of little discussion about people judging other without any concrete evidence and how the social network plays a HUGE role in this.
It was great because in the mix of this great book that has a focus on the couple relationship we also get this plot that make us reflect.
I cant wait to see what this author does next and I really hope that is Rory and Neve's story! I'm really curious about them and also seems like another one of my favorite plots: second chance love.
First of all must I say I'm a huge fan of military books and specially with broken heroes.
I really enjoyed how this book started. It was a completely different way for me to see the main couple interact and still made complete sense to the both characters and relationship development.
What also really interested me, specially in time like this, was the use and sort of little discussion about people judging other without any concrete evidence and how the social network plays a HUGE role in this.
It was great because in the mix of this great book that has a focus on the couple relationship we also get this plot that make us reflect.
I cant wait to see what this author does next and I really hope that is Rory and Neve's story! I'm really curious about them and also seems like another one of my favorite plots: second chance love.
December 19, 2014
I should have DNFd it but I didn't.
The prologue starts with the MCs exchanging letters, the hero clearly states that he doesn't want a girlfriend, just a pen pal while he's in the army. Chapter 1 starts with her waiting for him (I don't even remember their names!) a few weeks later at the airport since his family couldn't be there. Yeah, that I didn't buy, no matter what the family emergency was, I did not buy for one second that they couldn't be there for him. Just no.
And this is where the weird starts. The hero is clearly horny as hell the dude is practically begging for it and she is not even playing hard to get, she even gives him an envelope with naked pictures! I mean come on, no matter what their letter exchange involved for them to connect this whole thing felt so freaking unreal I regret not DNFing it right away.
The prologue starts with the MCs exchanging letters, the hero clearly states that he doesn't want a girlfriend, just a pen pal while he's in the army. Chapter 1 starts with her waiting for him (I don't even remember their names!) a few weeks later at the airport since his family couldn't be there. Yeah, that I didn't buy, no matter what the family emergency was, I did not buy for one second that they couldn't be there for him. Just no.
And this is where the weird starts. The hero is clearly horny as hell the dude is practically begging for it and she is not even playing hard to get, she even gives him an envelope with naked pictures! I mean come on, no matter what their letter exchange involved for them to connect this whole thing felt so freaking unreal I regret not DNFing it right away.
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