Tiarra Simon comes from an impressive international family of diplomats. She now lives a comfortable and somewhat routine life as a soccer mom on the island of Maui. But that changes when she, and Reese Martinez, youth soccer coach, arrive to London for a meeting with Alexei Ibramovich, the powerful, intimidating, and rich owner of the Chelsea United Football Club.
Coming to secure an endowment and coaching assistance for soccer youth on Maui, she quickly realizes that much more is at play. Alexei is as mysterious and dark as his past seems to suggest. From the moment they meet, there is electricity in the air and they both feel the magnetism. Alexei is overwhelmed by Tiarra, but he doesn’t know what to do with his feelings for her or even with the woman herself.
Tiarra’s family is at the heart of everything she does. Her husband Sergio, who himself comes from an international and political family from Argentina, and her two boys. Thus, as her integrity, her values, and her relationships get tested, she attempts the impossible in London.
Tiarra Simon is a force of nature. Love her or hate her, she will get to you. As Tiarra sweeps through their lives, no one is the same.
Mimi is a Hawaii based author of two series — The Tiarra Series and The Blondie Trilogy. She writes about strong women put in impossible situations, women who may sometimes seem too perfect, too sexy, or too flirty. Ultimately the heroes in her books are the better versions of ourselves, who try to find love, respect their moral codes and their ever-present large families, and live lives full of meaning. Her books will read as large family sagas with a romantic twist, but also a deep sense of analysis of basic human desires and flaws. They typically take the readers on a journey across oceans and continents, with descriptions so credible that you’ll feel like you’re sitting right there, in Paris — Barcelona — or Prague.
Please note that Mimi’s books sometimes end on a cliffhanger. Unfortunately sometimes the story needs to be cut at some point; it will however continue in the next book. Also, these books may not be suitable for readers who object to a woman flirting with men while being married. Finally, Mimi’s books do not always necessarily have the classic happy ending. You have been warned! :-)
Join Mimi’s newsletter at www.mimimarten.com for updates on new upcoming books or giveaways. Connect with Mimi on her Facebook and Twitter accounts — please see her website for links to these platforms. Aloha from Maui, Hawaii!
I have never read a prologue like the one in My Name is Tiarra before; they usually start the story. Here, the author tells us exactly what Tiarra is like, and why she wrote her main character as an extremely determined, successful, and attractive, woman. Tiarra is the woman she, and many of her friends, would like to be.
I actually found Tiarra a bit OTT to be believable but the soccer storyline held my interest, which surprised me. Football is introduced with Russian, Alexei Ibramovich, a man to challenge Tiarra, though he is a bit the archetypal Russian, and then some.
If you like exceptionally strong heroines and lots of action, you will love this book.
"With that woman, nothing is predictable. It's not just the situations she gets herself into, but the way she swims in them. I would have drowned many times over." I'm so conflicted. There are moments of brilliance and elegance, but they sometimes get lost in issues regarding style and execution. Then again, this feeling could just be a result of my own personal opinions/preferences. Let me explain, this book is filled with original characters who are brimming with life, humor, and wit, yet a true human connection between them and readers seems to be missing. Personally, I think this is a result of POV/narration choice. The POV changes constantly, spending a few paragraphs with one character before moving to the next, and is sometimes hard to keep up with. Also, sometimes the switch is too subtle to pick up on and can lead to confusion. There's always something happening, which is great for keeping readers on their toes, but often the descriptions of these scenes are repetitive and use mainly a "tell" strategy instead of focusing on sensory details that would help readers to feel like they're part of the story. I suggest that readers pay close attention to the plot description as well, because it's a bit hard to follow right out of the gate if you don't. Tiarra Simon and her friend Reese Martinez are in London to approach Alexi Ibramovich, his company, and the associated soccer team about helping fund new facilities for their youth team back on Maui. Tiarra, raised as the daughter of an ambassador and knows how to get what she wants, clashes with Alexi, a cold businessman with suspected mob ties, in their first meeting and both are immediately intrigued by the other. Alexi is baffled by her stubborn fearlessness and want's to know why she brings out such a strong reaction in him, while Tiarra sees the damaged man behind the brutally flawless exterior. Tiarra's battle to get everyone on-board with her plan is an uphill battle, with many unplanned surprises that she manages to roll with, but she's determined to win. Tiarra herself is a force of nature. I wasn't sure if I liked her at first, and pretty much rolled my eyes at how nearly every guy she came across fell in love with her, but I did understand the pull by the end. She's completely unexpected. She's that person you could pass on the street and still be thinking about days after because she's just so full of life that it leeches into those around her, leaving them wanting to recreate it anyway they can. She's also known for giving exemplary speeches that inspire those around her with their beautiful, raw content. However, I would have loved to spend more time in her head and have a better understanding of what she's feeling and thinking throughout the story. Regardless, you have to read it for yourself to truly understand just what it means when this woman says My Name is Tiarra!
Check out my other reviews here and follow me please!
This was a light easy read. The story is about Tiarra who is on a mission. She goes to London from Maui to get the Chelsea football team to donate money and time to the kids of Maui. The owner of the team is a Russian mobster, to whom she feels quite an attraction. I like women portrayed as strong, as Tiarra is,but I like to feel that the portrayal is real-Tiarra felt too good to be true to me. Maybe I've never been fortunate enough to meet a dynamo like her-who knows? I loved the setting of the book- London and Maui, especially as I had just been to London. I loved some of the themes- working hard for what you want; being kind to people. Overall, it read like a fairy tale, so it didn't totally work for me.
Spoiler FREE** Tiarra Simon is nothing but fearless in her quest. So many things were thrown at here, so many situations that I was biting my nails to see how she was going to get out of it, and she did. Everytime! Fearlessly so. Yes, it’s true that she bats an eye and the man around her seem to go a little bit stupid, but this book had that quality empowered a woman’s essence more that it did lower male dominance. Alexi was anything but a coy man himself that’s for sure. Tiarra was eloquent and at times had dialogues that left me thinking about it hours after I read the words. This woman reminded me how all women have that fire in them and that we can bend even the icest of sculptures to our will. ( Alexi is one cold fish ) This book is action packed and if you love a strong leading lady ( which I love ) then this book is definitely for you!
If I could add a half star to the review I would so that it reads as 3.5 stars. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review via the Making Connections group on Goodreads. My Name Is Tiarra is really chicklit writ large and I can appreciate the fact that it's a book that takes me out of my normal reading zone. Tiarra is a no-holds barred character full of chutzpah who benefits the most from Mimi's unmistakable and much appreciated sense of humour which is all over the book. There are some great tension building scenes (at first with Reese and then especially with Alexei and Illya) and some lovely themes about positivity, hard work and the dedication behind Tiarra's thinking . You might find like I did that Tiarra as a character is a bit too perfect at the expense of many of the other characters, but if you're looking for a bit of escapism and a hint at how the other half lives, there are a lot of enjoyable moments and dialogues in this book to make up for it.
In the beginning I wasn't really sure whether I liked this story or not, but the more I got sucked into it, the harder it became to put it down.
The scenes are described very well and it gives you the feeling that you are really there, which is absolutely amazing. The characters grown on me and I began to really care for them, something that's very important when I am reading a book.
Also the information given about wines and other things is very interesting. Some people might think it doesn't fit in this kind of story but I really liked that detail.
There were two things that kind of bothered me. First of all the fact that it sometimes wasn't clear that there had been a jump in time or a change of place and secondly because all the characters got their own moves and thoughts it wasn't always clear who did what sometimes.
Overall I really enjoyed it and would recommend it to someone who wants to sit and relax with a light read.
Tiarra blows into people's lives like a storm and they can't seem to look away. She has a certain charm that mesmerizes both men and women alike. She's just a self-proclaimed "Soccer mom", but really you can imagine her dominating any boardroom. Along with a young man, Reece, Tiarra travels to London to secure funding for their soccer team back in Hawaii. It's a long shot. They both know that, but she can't be underestimated. The man they are to beg is the owner of a professional football team and also a Russia mobster. He's intimidating and has quite the temper, but even he is no match for Tiarra. Before long, he finds himself completely enthralled just like everyone else Tiarra has met in London. She's even able to charm his rough footballers into giving donations of both time and money.
I was thoroughly entertained throughout the book even though I wasn't sure what I always thought of Tiarra. She's a master manipulator and seems to bask in the attention of men, despite her status as a married woman. Even so, I also found myself respecting her confidence and ability to hold her own among men who would intimidate her. Reese was my favorite part of the book. He didn't seem to know what to make of his travelling companion and had a very hard time being around her when she was going about her "European ways" - which by American standards is quite risque.
All in all, this is a fantastically written book, if a bit slow at times, that will leave you wondering why there aren't more people like Tiarra in this world.
I really enjoyed this book! Ithadan intriguing plot, as the main character attempts to bring soccer (football) to Hawai'i. There is a lot of humor, likeable characters, good plot twists and I look forward to the second book in this series.
(...) "I felt that this story should be real! The willing of this woman to help children is praiseworthy and I think she made a great choice by speaking to the rich people of Football. Those who have millions should help the ones that have less but still admire them. The world would be so much better!" (...) The way it ends invites us to read the next two books. I confess that I'm interested! (...)
Wow, what a strong woman Tiarra is and a little off the charts in many ways. She's a soccer mom in Hawaii and she and the coach Reese travel to London to raise $$ for the soccer team. There they meet with one who is actually an intimidating Russian mobster who become awed by Tiarra. Although she is married, she is manipulative and knows how to prance your body around to sway the odds. Quite an entertaining read. I received an an arc copy of this book and voluntarily chose to review it because it was that good.
Fans of Jackie Collins will love this book. Tiarra is a multi-faceted character readers will alternately love and hate, but she definitely isn't boring! I enjoyed the writer's humor and fast-paced dialogue. An enjoyable story.
Another DNF I really dont get the purpose. Rhe book starts off like its missing a few chapters and we get in when Tiarra is traveling with an imbecile to ask in person to sponsor a soccer team. Why do I care? I don't
So wordy and both characters make no sense just like the plot.