Dr. Stephanie Grant has carefully planned out her life. After accepting a position at Prower University she quickly learns that life doesn't follow a plan. After meeting Alex Kendell she begins to question if she has ever been happy. Suddenly her well planned life is spiraling out of control.
Mavis Applewater, a Massachusetts native and Salem State Theatre graduate, began writing while working as a bartender in Cambridge. She is the author of seven novels, including The Brass Ring, Whispering Pines (a Goldie winner), and The Plaza, as well as four short story collections such as the Goldie Finalist Home For The Holidays. Her work blends romance, mystery, and erotica. Applewater lives in Massachusetts with her longtime partner, continuing to write novels, novellas, and thrillers with a devoted fanbase.
was an incredible read,good chemistry,something i always go back and reread because of the source and topic..was worth it..hope others will take a look also its a great read
Very good read. I loved the banter between Stephanie and Alex. The only issue I had with the book was the drawn out "breaking up". While humorous at times, it dragged on a bit too long and made the last half of the book feel a little rushed.
Very cleaver story telling. The best Mavis Applewater book I have read so far. My only criticisms; it took too long for the Stephanie and Peter relationship to conclude. That got tiresome. Also, the extreme amount of errors in this book was frustrating. I probably should have lowered the rating, but I just loved the story so much.
This is the third or fourth read and it is definitely in my top 10 all time favourites. It has everything I love...excellent character depth, a natural and believable love story with enough other elements and twists that it keeps you hooked from beginning to end.
First off, I love 1st person povs! Which is why I like LT Smith so much. Now I can add Mavis Applewater as a great 1st person writer. I loved the humor,all the characters(except Caroline), and the storyline as a whole. Will definitely re-read this :-)
There are so many good humorous interactions in this book but they get buried in repetitive misconceptions/miscommunications that, used sparingly, could have made for effective conflict. Honestly I think if this book had cut 75 or more pages nothing would have changed in the plot, and would have made it a much more balanced, streamlined narrative. Instead this is a very angst-heavy story, which was all easily resolvable with a simple conversation. This might not bother angst lovers (I'm usually an angst lover, myself) but it bothered me quite a bit. Which is unfortunate as the dialogue could be downright adorable at times, and the relationships in the book were enjoyable, particularly in the Kendall family. It's just missing balance I think. Subplots that could have been better developed include the journal entries/book development. This I found to be the most interesting aspect of the book, but it was left to be a footnote to the overwhelming "almost togetherness" of the leads.
The mains themselves I quite liked at the beginning, but by the time I waded through a long line of nearly identical "will they/won't they" scenarios my fuzzy feelings were greatly reduced, and that's something I couldn't come back from. These scenes in particular (make-out-interuptus) worked well the first three or four times they were employed, but anything past that just made me roll my eyes. Overall it had a lot of things that would make a great book (humor, flashes of an intriguing historical relationship) but it needed a content editor armed with a machete instead of a fine-toothed comb.
The painstakingly constructed life by Stephanie crumbles around her when a woman was constantly in her thoughts. She had carefully planned her whole future but life does not follow a plan. The development of their relationship was sometimes frustrating but also amazing and hot. A huge bonus were the story of the diaries, a story in a story. An excellent piece of history that I will not soon forget. Alex, Stephanie, Nicole and Maureen were each great personalities. I specially enjoyed Nicole very much. Her comments and actions were to laugh. I absolutely loved the Kendell family and their family dynamics but not so much their grandmother, what a bitch. This book gripped me and I didn't want to let it go. It was a delight to read and yes, I want a sequel (please!!!).
This was a bit of a mixed bag. There were elements I liked, in that the leads spend a lot of time together and get to know each other over an extended period. Alex's family was also a highlight, and pretty much any scene with Nicole or Chris was amusing. The story was let down by the ridiculously drawn out boyfriend saga, which just made Stephanie look selfish and weak, frankly Alex should have just walked away until it was resolved once and for all. There was also way too much one step forward, two steps back over the relationship itself, although once it really gets going its sticks.
Mavis Applewater stories are ussually deep, complex, and full of pasion. In this book, Mavis does not disappoint in providing excellent characters (specially secondary characters) and mixing 2 love stories in one. However, I expected a little bit more coherence in the characterisation of Stephanie, her comming out story is a bit naïve, and the love story needed a bit more development to be credible enough.
Is a good read though. Much better than the average FF Romance books available.
I hope there is a follow-up to this on because not only do I want know more from the main characters. The supporting were great and gave a great balance to the story.
Brilliant writing, wonderful characters. Lots of tension mixed with what felt like very realistic emotions. I enjoyed the full length, allowed for exceptional character development. Highly recommend.
This is my first Mavis Applewater book. I am hooked. Her writing is addictive. I have not been able to put this book down. The story that unfolds between Alex and Stephanie is both frustrating and beautiful (trust me on this). The rest of the story has such detail that makes me crave the reading!!! You can tell the details in this story are well researched. I very much appreciate well thought out timelines and characters. I dont want to forget to mention that Ms Applewater is one hell of a story teller. Read this book NOW !!! It's just that good.
So many stories woven seamlessly together that you will not be able to stop reading. From the tension as you yearn for Stephanie and Alex to find one another to the true ride on the Kendall family roller coaster this story contains all emotions in a truly inspired combination. You will laugh, cry, love more and maybe have to take a few cold showers of your own.