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Take What You Want
Don’t miss this RITA® Award Finalist for Best Romance Novella and one of Library Journal’s Best Romance E-books of the Year…
Ellen Price thought she knew what she wanted. Intent on getting into medical school, she’s spent all her time studying and working. But when she’s left all alone for spring break, she’s forced to confront the emptiness in her life. For just one week, she decides to shed her worries and her good girl image to become the kind of woman she’s always secretly wished she could be. The kind who takes what she want, starting with the hot guy at the bar.
At first, Josh Markley isn’t sure what to think when the quiet, beautiful woman from his classes approaches him for a night of casual sex. He’s even more mystified when she acts as if she doesn’t know who he is, but he goes along with her assumptions and takes what she offers. Their passionate night together is a welcome respite from the stressful decisions he’s been grappling with, but afterward, he can’t let her go. He wants more—from her, from life and from himself.
They may have started out pretending to be other people, but that won’t stop them from helping each other discover who they really are.
Ellen Price thought she knew what she wanted. Intent on getting into medical school, she’s spent all her time studying and working. But when she’s left all alone for spring break, she’s forced to confront the emptiness in her life. For just one week, she decides to shed her worries and her good girl image to become the kind of woman she’s always secretly wished she could be. The kind who takes what she want, starting with the hot guy at the bar.
At first, Josh Markley isn’t sure what to think when the quiet, beautiful woman from his classes approaches him for a night of casual sex. He’s even more mystified when she acts as if she doesn’t know who he is, but he goes along with her assumptions and takes what she offers. Their passionate night together is a welcome respite from the stressful decisions he’s been grappling with, but afterward, he can’t let her go. He wants more—from her, from life and from himself.
They may have started out pretending to be other people, but that won’t stop them from helping each other discover who they really are.
144 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 12, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 131 reviews
April 9, 2013
4 Shining Stars
Wow! I fell head-over-heels in love with this fairly unique short story!
It was the perfect smorgasbord of new adult, adult contemporary, coming of age, and steamy erotica. I really enjoyed this one!
Wow! I fell head-over-heels in love with this fairly unique short story!
It was the perfect smorgasbord of new adult, adult contemporary, coming of age, and steamy erotica. I really enjoyed this one!
December 17, 2018
Estuvo eeeh pasable
Está cortito , podría haberse desarrollando mejor la historia
Te entretiene un rato y ya.
FIN.
Está cortito , podría haberse desarrollando mejor la historia
Te entretiene un rato y ya.
FIN.
March 16, 2013
4.5 stars
This book had basically everything I look for in a good, hot read. A likeable heroine, a hot hero (who rides a Harley and wears black rimmed glasses and dirty talks just enough to be hot...HUZZAH), a contemporary setting, and a plot. I like sex as much as the next girl, but I need something holding everything together in between those romps. I loved reading the growth both Ellen and Josh took, and I liked that it didn't just revolve around their relationship, but outside factors, as well.
The bonus? I got my favorite age range. This was set in college, so I got my New Adult fill, but the sex was steeeeeeeeamy, so I got my Romance fill. Win/win in my book.
The perfect read for Spring Break. Or, you know, a Tuesday.
This book had basically everything I look for in a good, hot read. A likeable heroine, a hot hero (who rides a Harley and wears black rimmed glasses and dirty talks just enough to be hot...HUZZAH), a contemporary setting, and a plot. I like sex as much as the next girl, but I need something holding everything together in between those romps. I loved reading the growth both Ellen and Josh took, and I liked that it didn't just revolve around their relationship, but outside factors, as well.
The bonus? I got my favorite age range. This was set in college, so I got my New Adult fill, but the sex was steeeeeeeeamy, so I got my Romance fill. Win/win in my book.
The perfect read for Spring Break. Or, you know, a Tuesday.
March 27, 2013
I'm so damn glad I picked this up.
You guys know me by now... I'm picky about my romance and becoming pickier and picker about my new adult stuff. This story will renew your faith in the 'new adult' genre (assuming your like me and had lost your faith).
In Take What You Want, we meet Ellen Price. She's spent the last years studying hard to get into med school and working to pay her way. When her friends take off for the beach over Spring Break and all Ellen has to look forward to is an empty apartment she decides to take matters into her own hands and spread her wings, doing things she wouldn't have done as her 'normal' self.
This, she decides, includes approaching the hot guy she sees at the local bar and propositioning him.
Josh wasn't expecting his classmate to approach him in the bar... Ellen is normally quiet and reserved. He should know, he's quietly watched her from the first day of their Freshman year. (not in a creepy way I promise!) Ellen's proposal of casual sex has Josh excited, but it quickly becomes clear that she has no clue who he really is... and he doesn't tell her.
What is meant to be a one-night stand turns into much more in this wonderfully told story.
Let me tell you something that should not be a secret. Jeanette Grey can write some citrus... holy crap. The chemistry between these two couldn't be hotter. My copy of Take What You Want just may be highlighted to death. *whistles innocently*
I actually really loved Ellen - I've had some luck lately with heroines in the romance genre. Normally they make me want to gouge my eyes out, but here we have a smart, beautiful girl who wants to push her own boundaries and when things come to a head does she act like a moron? NO... she acts like an adult would... willing to discuss and work out any issues that arise. I LOVE THAT. I get so tired of drama for drama's sake and thankfully you will find NONE of that here!!
Josh... this boy/man holy swoons! Let me just say... french toast, smart, sexy, motorcycle ...
"I'll be so good to you," ... "I'll make you feel so good, Ellen. Trust me."
At only 113 pages this is a quick read. Which makes it even more amazing that I connected with Ellen and Josh so well. I have Jeanette to thank for that - she develops these characters so well, I was completely invested in their story by the last page.
If you're looking for something quick and light with lots of wonderful chemistry and steam you definitely need to pick up Take What You Want!
This review can be found on my blog, Fic Fare:
You guys know me by now... I'm picky about my romance and becoming pickier and picker about my new adult stuff. This story will renew your faith in the 'new adult' genre (assuming your like me and had lost your faith).
In Take What You Want, we meet Ellen Price. She's spent the last years studying hard to get into med school and working to pay her way. When her friends take off for the beach over Spring Break and all Ellen has to look forward to is an empty apartment she decides to take matters into her own hands and spread her wings, doing things she wouldn't have done as her 'normal' self.
This, she decides, includes approaching the hot guy she sees at the local bar and propositioning him.
Josh wasn't expecting his classmate to approach him in the bar... Ellen is normally quiet and reserved. He should know, he's quietly watched her from the first day of their Freshman year. (not in a creepy way I promise!) Ellen's proposal of casual sex has Josh excited, but it quickly becomes clear that she has no clue who he really is... and he doesn't tell her.
What is meant to be a one-night stand turns into much more in this wonderfully told story.
Let me tell you something that should not be a secret. Jeanette Grey can write some citrus... holy crap. The chemistry between these two couldn't be hotter. My copy of Take What You Want just may be highlighted to death. *whistles innocently*
I actually really loved Ellen - I've had some luck lately with heroines in the romance genre. Normally they make me want to gouge my eyes out, but here we have a smart, beautiful girl who wants to push her own boundaries and when things come to a head does she act like a moron? NO... she acts like an adult would... willing to discuss and work out any issues that arise. I LOVE THAT. I get so tired of drama for drama's sake and thankfully you will find NONE of that here!!
Josh... this boy/man holy swoons! Let me just say... french toast, smart, sexy, motorcycle ...
"I'll be so good to you," ... "I'll make you feel so good, Ellen. Trust me."
At only 113 pages this is a quick read. Which makes it even more amazing that I connected with Ellen and Josh so well. I have Jeanette to thank for that - she develops these characters so well, I was completely invested in their story by the last page.
If you're looking for something quick and light with lots of wonderful chemistry and steam you definitely need to pick up Take What You Want!
This review can be found on my blog, Fic Fare:
March 15, 2013
She is the shy and smart one who just wants one memorable spring break before heading to medical school. For once in her life Ellen Price was going to take what she wants...starting with the very hot guy at the bar. Josh Markley wondered what game the girl he'd been admiring from his pre-med classes was playing at when she didn't recognize him at the bar. She wants a one night stand with him, and he surely isn't about to pass that up. One intense night leads to one week of passion, each telling the other half truths. What will happen to them after the week is over?
Oh my, oh my!!! If you're a fan of college romances with lots of heat, don't hesitate to pick this one up! It may be a quick read, but Jeanette Grey has managed to create an emotion-filled novella that is so very satisfying. I just adored Ellen and Josh right from the start. I loved how Ellen was willing to be bold and step out of her comfort zone. Josh may have played along with her little game, but I don't really blame him for trying not to scare her away. Josh...le sigh...glasses, Harley and all! All I have to say is where was Josh Markley when I was in college?
If you've never read anything from Jeanette Grey, then you're in for a real treat! She's awesome at writing highly erotic stories with lots of heart. I love how she combines words to make them flow to make you feel like you're reading something truly special. This story falls into the New Adult category. Grey really does capture the uncertainty and fears of college seniors who are just planning out their lives. In Take What You Want the steamy scenes are well placed, and yet there is a whole lot of story and genuine romance, as well. I really enjoy quick, satisfying reads, and this one did not disappoint. Loved, loved, loved!
***I received a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review***
Oh my, oh my!!! If you're a fan of college romances with lots of heat, don't hesitate to pick this one up! It may be a quick read, but Jeanette Grey has managed to create an emotion-filled novella that is so very satisfying. I just adored Ellen and Josh right from the start. I loved how Ellen was willing to be bold and step out of her comfort zone. Josh may have played along with her little game, but I don't really blame him for trying not to scare her away. Josh...le sigh...glasses, Harley and all! All I have to say is where was Josh Markley when I was in college?
If you've never read anything from Jeanette Grey, then you're in for a real treat! She's awesome at writing highly erotic stories with lots of heart. I love how she combines words to make them flow to make you feel like you're reading something truly special. This story falls into the New Adult category. Grey really does capture the uncertainty and fears of college seniors who are just planning out their lives. In Take What You Want the steamy scenes are well placed, and yet there is a whole lot of story and genuine romance, as well. I really enjoy quick, satisfying reads, and this one did not disappoint. Loved, loved, loved!
***I received a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review***
May 30, 2020
2,5 Sterne (= mit wenigen negativen Aspekten)
Eine leicht schnarchige Geschichte darüber , wie Ellen und Josh eine Woche lang eine lockere körperliche Beziehung miteinander haben, währenddessen nicht wirklich aufrichtig miteinander sprechen und am Ende doch "in love" sind. Aber nicht ununterhaltsam.
Eine leicht schnarchige Geschichte darüber , wie Ellen und Josh eine Woche lang eine lockere körperliche Beziehung miteinander haben, währenddessen nicht wirklich aufrichtig miteinander sprechen und am Ende doch "in love" sind. Aber nicht ununterhaltsam.
March 24, 2013
Originally published at Reading Reality
Can you change who you are? Can you pretend to be someone else?
Take What You Want by Jeanette Grey is sex-into-love story about the power of positive thinking, or maybe that's the power of turning lemons into very wicked lemonade.
Ellen Price has always been a good girl. Not in the sense of being a goody-two-shoes, but in the sense of being responsible. She's a pre-med student and she's barely making ends meet between financial aid and waiting tables.
She's envious and pretty bummed when all her much-better-heeled friends (literally as well as figuratively) run off for senior year Spring Break to the Bahamas. Ellen can't afford the trip.
So instead of moping around her apartment, she hatches a very cool plan. She takes Spring Break from herself. For one week, instead of being shy, retiring, studious Ellen in her fade-into-the-background clothes, she'll be glamorous, sexy, take-charge Ellen in a new wardrobe. Bought on sale, of course.
New Ellen won't be a student, she'll just be a waitress. New Ellen goes to a bar, empty of students, and picks up the hottest guy in the place.
She doesn't recognize Josh Markley without his trademark glasses. But Josh recognizes her. He's been fascinated with Ellen since the first time he saw her, freshman year.
He thinks she's playing a game. and he doesn't care. He's just fine with the idea of casual sex with the hottest girl he's ever seen.
Until the next morning, when he wakes up and realizes that he wants more than just sex. And he can't figure out how to stop the game they're playing. Or whether Ellen wants to stop playing and reach for something real.
Escape Rating A-: This story just works! I could see Ellen just deciding that she wasn't going to take it any more, and try to be different from her usual self. Her self-talk as she experimented made her experience much more plausible. It was hard for her but she kept trying, even as she got in deeper and deeper with Josh.
It also made the story richer seeing things from Josh's point of view. At first it was just sex, but then he figured out that he wanted more and started to date Ellen instead of just going back to her place. It was difficult for him to switch from casual sex to a real relationship. That's not an easy transition in real life.
These two had fantastic chemistry from the very first page! I expected my iPad to start sending out smoke signals, which would be very bad. But Ellen and Josh were on fire for each other, and stayed that way throughout the book. They were lucky, and Ms. Grey's handling of their story was so well done, that instead of burning out, they lit something that could last.
Can you change who you are? Can you pretend to be someone else?
Take What You Want by Jeanette Grey is sex-into-love story about the power of positive thinking, or maybe that's the power of turning lemons into very wicked lemonade.
Ellen Price has always been a good girl. Not in the sense of being a goody-two-shoes, but in the sense of being responsible. She's a pre-med student and she's barely making ends meet between financial aid and waiting tables.
She's envious and pretty bummed when all her much-better-heeled friends (literally as well as figuratively) run off for senior year Spring Break to the Bahamas. Ellen can't afford the trip.
So instead of moping around her apartment, she hatches a very cool plan. She takes Spring Break from herself. For one week, instead of being shy, retiring, studious Ellen in her fade-into-the-background clothes, she'll be glamorous, sexy, take-charge Ellen in a new wardrobe. Bought on sale, of course.
New Ellen won't be a student, she'll just be a waitress. New Ellen goes to a bar, empty of students, and picks up the hottest guy in the place.
She doesn't recognize Josh Markley without his trademark glasses. But Josh recognizes her. He's been fascinated with Ellen since the first time he saw her, freshman year.
He thinks she's playing a game. and he doesn't care. He's just fine with the idea of casual sex with the hottest girl he's ever seen.
Until the next morning, when he wakes up and realizes that he wants more than just sex. And he can't figure out how to stop the game they're playing. Or whether Ellen wants to stop playing and reach for something real.
Escape Rating A-: This story just works! I could see Ellen just deciding that she wasn't going to take it any more, and try to be different from her usual self. Her self-talk as she experimented made her experience much more plausible. It was hard for her but she kept trying, even as she got in deeper and deeper with Josh.
It also made the story richer seeing things from Josh's point of view. At first it was just sex, but then he figured out that he wanted more and started to date Ellen instead of just going back to her place. It was difficult for him to switch from casual sex to a real relationship. That's not an easy transition in real life.
These two had fantastic chemistry from the very first page! I expected my iPad to start sending out smoke signals, which would be very bad. But Ellen and Josh were on fire for each other, and stayed that way throughout the book. They were lucky, and Ms. Grey's handling of their story was so well done, that instead of burning out, they lit something that could last.
June 19, 2015
Hot and sweet read about a h who's coming out of her chrysalis and claiming herself and a wonderful guy who's had a crush on her for a while! I loved that both MCs had their very own character arc too! 4 stars.
July 20, 2013
3.5 Stars
Have you ever wanted to forget your life for one day and just…be somebody else? Come on, who hasn’t? That’s exactly what Ellen Price sets out to do. Her friends are off on an extravagant vacation she can’t afford, and instead of wallowing in self-pity, she’s decided to be somebody else. To take what she wants. In the form of that hot guy sitting at the bar…
What begins as one steamy night quickly turns into a week full of panty-melting romance and seduction with her new stranger, Josh.
But what Ellen doesn’t know is that Josh has a secret, too. He’s not nearly as oblivious to the secret she’s keeping as he’s led her to believe. Why? Because he’s been pining after her since their freshman year in college. So when Ellen approaches him in the bar, he decides it’s time to take what he wants, too.
Told in alternate points of view, we get to see inside both of these characters’ heads. And I loved them both. Josh was sweet and adorable—and hello, he rides a Harley—and Ellen was shy and cute. But when they got into the bedroom? MY GOODNESS. Jeanette Grey didn’t disappoint at all with her ability to create a great story and some hot, steamy scenes that will leave you breathing a little heavy and wishing there was more!
Have you ever wanted to forget your life for one day and just…be somebody else? Come on, who hasn’t? That’s exactly what Ellen Price sets out to do. Her friends are off on an extravagant vacation she can’t afford, and instead of wallowing in self-pity, she’s decided to be somebody else. To take what she wants. In the form of that hot guy sitting at the bar…
What begins as one steamy night quickly turns into a week full of panty-melting romance and seduction with her new stranger, Josh.
But what Ellen doesn’t know is that Josh has a secret, too. He’s not nearly as oblivious to the secret she’s keeping as he’s led her to believe. Why? Because he’s been pining after her since their freshman year in college. So when Ellen approaches him in the bar, he decides it’s time to take what he wants, too.
Told in alternate points of view, we get to see inside both of these characters’ heads. And I loved them both. Josh was sweet and adorable—and hello, he rides a Harley—and Ellen was shy and cute. But when they got into the bedroom? MY GOODNESS. Jeanette Grey didn’t disappoint at all with her ability to create a great story and some hot, steamy scenes that will leave you breathing a little heavy and wishing there was more!
March 14, 2013
4.5 Stars
Jeanette has a wonderful way of weaving complex characters and plot, even within the confines of a novella. It's not easy to give the readers enough back story, current story, conflict and resolution to make for a satisfying read, but she does it and she does it well.
And you know what else she does well? The sex. Not only is it steamy (because, whoa baby, it is), but it's emotional and plot driven--two of my very favorite (and necessary to me) things in Erotic Romance.
Ellen and Josh are two lovable, fun-to-read characters, and this book is set during one of my favorite times to read about: college. And did I mention that Josh wears black framed glasses, rides a Harley (that he built), and has just the right amount of dirty talker in him to get me squirmy?
With wonderful, complex characters, sharp dialogue, and steamy sex scenes, this is the perfect Saturday afternoon read.
Jeanette has a wonderful way of weaving complex characters and plot, even within the confines of a novella. It's not easy to give the readers enough back story, current story, conflict and resolution to make for a satisfying read, but she does it and she does it well.
And you know what else she does well? The sex. Not only is it steamy (because, whoa baby, it is), but it's emotional and plot driven--two of my very favorite (and necessary to me) things in Erotic Romance.
Ellen and Josh are two lovable, fun-to-read characters, and this book is set during one of my favorite times to read about: college. And did I mention that Josh wears black framed glasses, rides a Harley (that he built), and has just the right amount of dirty talker in him to get me squirmy?
With wonderful, complex characters, sharp dialogue, and steamy sex scenes, this is the perfect Saturday afternoon read.
March 16, 2013
As per the usual, Jeanette Grey is a fabulous storyteller. In Take What You Want, she crafted an easy to read, completely compelling story about two people who are well matched and braced to take what they want. Josh is swoony mcswoonerson, and Ellen is adorable and real in a way that I think many women can relate to. Lovely, steamy read that'll keep you turning the page.
March 10, 2022
3.5 Stars
Grade=B-
Grade=B-
January 7, 2019
Spanish:
Estuvo Ok y nada mas. Demasiado escueto, sin entrar mucho en la vida de los personajes, el libro en si se centra en una semana, pero podría haber añadido mas cosas y hacer un libro largo y hubiera gustado mas.
⚜Rate :★★★✩✩
English:
It was Ok and nothing more. Too brief, without entering much into the character's lives, the book itself focuses on a week, but she could have added more things and make a longer book and I would like more.
⚜Rate :★★★✩✩
Estuvo Ok y nada mas. Demasiado escueto, sin entrar mucho en la vida de los personajes, el libro en si se centra en una semana, pero podría haber añadido mas cosas y hacer un libro largo y hubiera gustado mas.
⚜Rate :★★★✩✩
English:
It was Ok and nothing more. Too brief, without entering much into the character's lives, the book itself focuses on a week, but she could have added more things and make a longer book and I would like more.
⚜Rate :★★★✩✩
June 21, 2019
What a lovely, sexy, short book! Two college students meet during spring break. Sounds so ordinary, but this book is much more. It's two young people figuring out who they are and what they want. I don't know what else to say but grab this terrific story and ENJOY!
March 12, 2013
Recently I have been enjoying new adult contemporary romances and jumped at the chance to review Take What You Want by Jeanette Grey. She offered a delightful tale about anonymity. A chance to be the brave, confident person you have always dreamed you were and the result that happens. This was a fast paced, smexy read that I consumed on a cold Sunday afternoon and one I would recommend.
The tale begins when we meet Ellen Price a pre-med student in her senior year. All of her friends have gone off somewhere warm and tropical for spring break, but between her rent, waitress job and studies Ellie just cannot afford it. She instead decides to give herself a week to dress, and act the way she secretly wishes too. From clothes to picking up a hot guy at a bar she intends to do it all. At the end of the week she will go back to being plain old Ellen. She decides on a rugged, motorcycle hottie she spies sitting at the bar. Josh Markley can barely believe it when sweet Ellen from class walks up looking like a hot goddess and propositions him. He is mystified that she does not seem to recognize him but decides to play along. The tale that unfolds was sweet, funny, smexy and filled with promise.
The characters in this tale where nicely fleshed out and I loved the situations that arose from their role playing. It’s nice seeing two good, grounded and thoughtful people grow and develop feelings for one another. The author shares both of their backgrounds and problems with us and I developed a real sense of who they were. While the physical part of their relationship started out hot and heavy, the romantic aspect moved more slowly and felt genuine. Josh’s parents were present and I liked how they dealt with him.
As the two characters grow closer and the week is almost over they are faced with confessing who they really are, and the author revealed all of it in such a wonderful way. This is not only a love story; it offers direction and acceptance of who you are and what you want. While the tale itself was relatively short and predictable, it was well done and did not feel rushed.
ARC provided in exchange for unbiased review
See more of my reviews @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer
The tale begins when we meet Ellen Price a pre-med student in her senior year. All of her friends have gone off somewhere warm and tropical for spring break, but between her rent, waitress job and studies Ellie just cannot afford it. She instead decides to give herself a week to dress, and act the way she secretly wishes too. From clothes to picking up a hot guy at a bar she intends to do it all. At the end of the week she will go back to being plain old Ellen. She decides on a rugged, motorcycle hottie she spies sitting at the bar. Josh Markley can barely believe it when sweet Ellen from class walks up looking like a hot goddess and propositions him. He is mystified that she does not seem to recognize him but decides to play along. The tale that unfolds was sweet, funny, smexy and filled with promise.
The characters in this tale where nicely fleshed out and I loved the situations that arose from their role playing. It’s nice seeing two good, grounded and thoughtful people grow and develop feelings for one another. The author shares both of their backgrounds and problems with us and I developed a real sense of who they were. While the physical part of their relationship started out hot and heavy, the romantic aspect moved more slowly and felt genuine. Josh’s parents were present and I liked how they dealt with him.
As the two characters grow closer and the week is almost over they are faced with confessing who they really are, and the author revealed all of it in such a wonderful way. This is not only a love story; it offers direction and acceptance of who you are and what you want. While the tale itself was relatively short and predictable, it was well done and did not feel rushed.
ARC provided in exchange for unbiased review
See more of my reviews @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer
March 13, 2013
Shey‘s review posted on Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews
4.5 Stars
Although for me this was a short read but this new author to me Jeanette Grey’s writing style was brilliant. Ms. Grey was able to tell the story of two college students out for spring break seeking to find themselves and instead they find each other and love.
Ellen Price had always been a shy stay in the background women and when her friends leave for spring break and she isn’t able to go with them she decides to take a break from herself and become the women she’s always wanted to be, outgoing, brave and sexy not afraid to take what she wants.
Josh Markley has a big decision to make about his future and always doing what is expected of him he doesn’t want to let his parents down. He is in the top percent as pre-med and for once just wants to relax over spring break. When Ellen approaches him as if she’s never seen him before he decides to play her little game. Over the week they both give in to their wants and desire both learning a lot about themselves and each other. All the while Josh hoping Ellen would open up and the whole time Josh is keeping secrets himself.
I have to give it to Ms. Grey really knows how to write some smoking hot sex and Ellen and Josh definitely set the sheets on fire.
Especially when Josh showed Ellen there was more than one way to achieve that magical O!! Josh is the Hottie nerd, with the brains, the glasses and the motorcycle, and just Alpha enough to get this gals motor running!
I really enjoyed this read, there were times I so wanted Josh to speak up but I felt that Ellen really needed this time to get the confidence she had been lacking. They really complimented each other and personally I though brought the best out in one another.
However, as the week comes to an end and as with all secrets and lies the truth always comes out but in this game is there a winner in the end or will it matter anymore?
Review copy provided for an honest review.
4.5 Stars
Although for me this was a short read but this new author to me Jeanette Grey’s writing style was brilliant. Ms. Grey was able to tell the story of two college students out for spring break seeking to find themselves and instead they find each other and love.
Ellen Price had always been a shy stay in the background women and when her friends leave for spring break and she isn’t able to go with them she decides to take a break from herself and become the women she’s always wanted to be, outgoing, brave and sexy not afraid to take what she wants.
Josh Markley has a big decision to make about his future and always doing what is expected of him he doesn’t want to let his parents down. He is in the top percent as pre-med and for once just wants to relax over spring break. When Ellen approaches him as if she’s never seen him before he decides to play her little game. Over the week they both give in to their wants and desire both learning a lot about themselves and each other. All the while Josh hoping Ellen would open up and the whole time Josh is keeping secrets himself.
I have to give it to Ms. Grey really knows how to write some smoking hot sex and Ellen and Josh definitely set the sheets on fire.
Especially when Josh showed Ellen there was more than one way to achieve that magical O!! Josh is the Hottie nerd, with the brains, the glasses and the motorcycle, and just Alpha enough to get this gals motor running!
I really enjoyed this read, there were times I so wanted Josh to speak up but I felt that Ellen really needed this time to get the confidence she had been lacking. They really complimented each other and personally I though brought the best out in one another.
However, as the week comes to an end and as with all secrets and lies the truth always comes out but in this game is there a winner in the end or will it matter anymore?
Review copy provided for an honest review.
January 30, 2013
Reviewed @ Enticed by Books
Going into this book I thought it would be a sweet romantic story, but I was surprised with how hot & steamy it turned out to be. No complaining there. Take What You Want is a very realistic story about two college seniors who stayed in for their spring break, played a game of pretending for a week, and ended up falling in love for real. There wasn't any major drama or conflict in the story besides both the character not revealing their true selfs, which was handled very subtly in the end, and overall, I loved their story.
Ellen is a very shy, in-the-books kind of a girl. She is a hardworking pre-med student who has never done anything daring or adventurous in her life, so when her friends go to the Caribbeans for spring break, she decides to be someone else just for a week. Someone who wears sexy clothes and is not afraid to pick up guys at a bar. I liked Ellen, she had a very girl-next-door vibe, but for some reason, I instantly connected with Josh. Whether it was him wearing glasses or him being focused on his studies, not relationships or him being very involved with his family or just him being a very nice guy, I clicked with Josh and fell in love with him. Ellen & Josh were very much alike in many aspects, and it was different seeing them as a couple for the right reason, and not for some opposites-attract stuff.
Take What You Want takes place in a span of a week with alternating POV's, and I lloved that within such short time, the author made Ellen & Josh's romance very genuine. I felt it, especially during the ending where we get a new beginning feel of their relationship. I highly recommend Take What You Want to readers who love new adult genre, it's my favorite right now. I thought the beginning was a little too steamy for an NA, but I ended up loving the book even more ;)
A Copy was provided by the author for review (Thank You!)
Going into this book I thought it would be a sweet romantic story, but I was surprised with how hot & steamy it turned out to be. No complaining there. Take What You Want is a very realistic story about two college seniors who stayed in for their spring break, played a game of pretending for a week, and ended up falling in love for real. There wasn't any major drama or conflict in the story besides both the character not revealing their true selfs, which was handled very subtly in the end, and overall, I loved their story.
Ellen is a very shy, in-the-books kind of a girl. She is a hardworking pre-med student who has never done anything daring or adventurous in her life, so when her friends go to the Caribbeans for spring break, she decides to be someone else just for a week. Someone who wears sexy clothes and is not afraid to pick up guys at a bar. I liked Ellen, she had a very girl-next-door vibe, but for some reason, I instantly connected with Josh. Whether it was him wearing glasses or him being focused on his studies, not relationships or him being very involved with his family or just him being a very nice guy, I clicked with Josh and fell in love with him. Ellen & Josh were very much alike in many aspects, and it was different seeing them as a couple for the right reason, and not for some opposites-attract stuff.
Take What You Want takes place in a span of a week with alternating POV's, and I lloved that within such short time, the author made Ellen & Josh's romance very genuine. I felt it, especially during the ending where we get a new beginning feel of their relationship. I highly recommend Take What You Want to readers who love new adult genre, it's my favorite right now. I thought the beginning was a little too steamy for an NA, but I ended up loving the book even more ;)
A Copy was provided by the author for review (Thank You!)
February 5, 2015
This book reminded me quite a bit of the
Sweet Dreams
YA romances I read growing up - except much steamier. So, what do I mean by that? Well, the YA romances I'm referring to would often have a set-up that was very much a teen/coming of age dilemma, often at least a little bit contrived. For instance, the story might revolve around popularity at school, deciding where or even if to go to college, etc...
And so it is here. We have a coming of age dilemma in the form of a heroine who wants to use her spring break to try on a different identity. Instead of being shy and studious, Ellen Price sets out to pick up a hot guy at a bar for a fling. Naturally, all is not as it seems and it turns out that Ellen has unknowingly reeled in a classmate from college. Not only that, but he's a fellow pre-med student. Josh Markley knows something is up, but he's willing to play along at first and the two start off hooking up but it quickly turns into something more.
There are plenty of "hookup turns into HEA" stories out there, but this is one the few I could actually believe. Ellen and Josh aren't immature all around, but each has some hard decisions to make about what they want to do with their lives and who they want to be. And we get to see them pushing each other on toward figuring these things out. There were a few points at which I felt like there was more sex than plot going on, but most of the time, this book really worked for me because the struggles these characters had were some of the ones I've seen many, many people go through in college.
And so it is here. We have a coming of age dilemma in the form of a heroine who wants to use her spring break to try on a different identity. Instead of being shy and studious, Ellen Price sets out to pick up a hot guy at a bar for a fling. Naturally, all is not as it seems and it turns out that Ellen has unknowingly reeled in a classmate from college. Not only that, but he's a fellow pre-med student. Josh Markley knows something is up, but he's willing to play along at first and the two start off hooking up but it quickly turns into something more.
There are plenty of "hookup turns into HEA" stories out there, but this is one the few I could actually believe. Ellen and Josh aren't immature all around, but each has some hard decisions to make about what they want to do with their lives and who they want to be. And we get to see them pushing each other on toward figuring these things out. There were a few points at which I felt like there was more sex than plot going on, but most of the time, this book really worked for me because the struggles these characters had were some of the ones I've seen many, many people go through in college.
March 13, 2013
Left behind by her friends on Spring Break, Ellen decides to cut loose and over come some of her shyness. She gets all dressed up and heads to a local bar in hopes for making a connection.
Josh is just enjoying a beer at the bar and avoiding spending time with his parents during Spring Break, when the good looking Ellen seats down next to him and offers to buy him a drink.
Ellen and Josh share an amazing night of sex together. Josh is left confused and Ellen can't believe what she has done.
Both are hiding things form the other but after spending a week with each other they are finding themselves falling in love.
I can't tell you much more than that about the story or I will spoil you but what I can tell you is that this is the 2nd book by Jeanette Grey I have read and I've added her to my auto read list. She knows how to write a book with heart and just enough heat leaving you coming satisfied. Her characters are believable and lovable. I like how she let us see the story unfold through both Ellen and Josh's POVs giving their story a nice rounded feel.
If you're looking for a contemporary romance that tuges a the heart strings and the panties then you need to give Jeanette Grey's Take What You Want a go. You won't be sorry.
Josh is just enjoying a beer at the bar and avoiding spending time with his parents during Spring Break, when the good looking Ellen seats down next to him and offers to buy him a drink.
Ellen and Josh share an amazing night of sex together. Josh is left confused and Ellen can't believe what she has done.
Both are hiding things form the other but after spending a week with each other they are finding themselves falling in love.
I can't tell you much more than that about the story or I will spoil you but what I can tell you is that this is the 2nd book by Jeanette Grey I have read and I've added her to my auto read list. She knows how to write a book with heart and just enough heat leaving you coming satisfied. Her characters are believable and lovable. I like how she let us see the story unfold through both Ellen and Josh's POVs giving their story a nice rounded feel.
If you're looking for a contemporary romance that tuges a the heart strings and the panties then you need to give Jeanette Grey's Take What You Want a go. You won't be sorry.
March 13, 2013
This was a quick little read.
Ellen is a hardworking college student. Never has the time or the money to do anything fun. When her friends head off to the beach for spring break she decides to do something totally OUT THERE.
She remakes herself to some extent as she buys a few new (hotter) clothes and heads out to a bar. She is going to have a spring break fling with a stranger, and there will be no commitments...just hot fun.
Josh is shocked when Ellen walks in. She looks different. He does too, to a small extent. He's wearing contacts instead of his glasses. Felt like a bit of a Superman/Clark Kent moment. He is surprised and confused when Ellen approaches him and acts like she's never seen him before. But he goes along with it because he's always been attracted to her, just been too shy to do anything about it.
The following scenes are hot and spicy.
The reader is left with wondering just when all the truth will come out.
The ending was quite satisfying and this made for an enjoyable steamy afternoon read.
Ellen is a hardworking college student. Never has the time or the money to do anything fun. When her friends head off to the beach for spring break she decides to do something totally OUT THERE.
She remakes herself to some extent as she buys a few new (hotter) clothes and heads out to a bar. She is going to have a spring break fling with a stranger, and there will be no commitments...just hot fun.
Josh is shocked when Ellen walks in. She looks different. He does too, to a small extent. He's wearing contacts instead of his glasses. Felt like a bit of a Superman/Clark Kent moment. He is surprised and confused when Ellen approaches him and acts like she's never seen him before. But he goes along with it because he's always been attracted to her, just been too shy to do anything about it.
The following scenes are hot and spicy.
The reader is left with wondering just when all the truth will come out.
The ending was quite satisfying and this made for an enjoyable steamy afternoon read.
May 28, 2014
Bueno..
El libro estuvo bien, pero la verdad es que no lo vi muy creible, en serio, ¿quien es tan despistada como para no darse cuenta de que tiene un bombon en clase y después lo ve en un bar y ni lo reconoce?
E N S E R I O.
Y bueno, fue bien, el libro fue absolutamente todo sobre ellos dos en la cama y blah, blah..
A ver, estuvo bien, ok, pero me aburrió bastante.. Y los personajes no me llegaron, no hubo casi ni drama, y el desarrollo de la historia fue.. le falto algo, idk.
Y bueno lo que sea, 2/5 estrellitas.
El libro estuvo bien, pero la verdad es que no lo vi muy creible, en serio, ¿quien es tan despistada como para no darse cuenta de que tiene un bombon en clase y después lo ve en un bar y ni lo reconoce?
E N S E R I O.
Y bueno, fue bien, el libro fue absolutamente todo sobre ellos dos en la cama y blah, blah..
A ver, estuvo bien, ok, pero me aburrió bastante.. Y los personajes no me llegaron, no hubo casi ni drama, y el desarrollo de la historia fue.. le falto algo, idk.
Y bueno lo que sea, 2/5 estrellitas.
March 21, 2013
4.5 stars
Firstly I must say thank my Twitter friends who raved about this book over the last few weeks as I wouldn't have come across this wonderful writer.
How could I have missed Jeanette Grey's work?
The chemistry/attraction between Ellen and Josh is instant and my god do they make the page sizzle!
This author knows how to write a sex/love scene. I'm not one who usually likes a lot of detail but Jeanette's writing is so tastefully done and because it's all plot driven I found myself drawn in and believing and loving every word :)
Thank you Jeanette Grey for writing and sharing your words with us.
Firstly I must say thank my Twitter friends who raved about this book over the last few weeks as I wouldn't have come across this wonderful writer.
How could I have missed Jeanette Grey's work?
The chemistry/attraction between Ellen and Josh is instant and my god do they make the page sizzle!
This author knows how to write a sex/love scene. I'm not one who usually likes a lot of detail but Jeanette's writing is so tastefully done and because it's all plot driven I found myself drawn in and believing and loving every word :)
Thank you Jeanette Grey for writing and sharing your words with us.
March 20, 2022
I am on a roll of great reads lately. Please don't let me jinx it. This is yet another book with a squishy, softer hero that I just love and can't get enough of (if I never have to read another alpha, it will be too soon). I loved the development of this relationship and both characters' backstories.
My only hand-wave is that they're both college seniors and I generally never buy HEAs for college students, but I'll make an exception here ;) They're good for each other!
My only hand-wave is that they're both college seniors and I generally never buy HEAs for college students, but I'll make an exception here ;) They're good for each other!
March 20, 2013
My only complaint is that I didn't want Josh and Ellen's story to end.
April 14, 2015
A very cute steamy story about two people discovering who they really are and finding the courage to grab hold of it.
November 18, 2013
this review was originally published at DearAuthor.com
Dear Ms. Grey:
Wow, do I like this book. Which surprises me because, prior to reading Take What You Want, your New Adult romance, I’d yet to encounter a NA that did much for me. I had thought I was either too old and cranky and/or too surrounded by actual New Adults to enjoy tales of their travails, but now, after reading Take What You Want, I realize I just hadn’t found the right one.
Ellen Price is a pre-med senior who keeps her head down in class, gets good grades, and pays for her apartment with a crappy waitressing job. She didn’t have the money to join her friends on a Spring Break trip to the Bahamas but, after dropping them off at the airport, she made a plan.
It had seemed simple, at the time. No, she couldn’t go to the Bahamas, or anywhere else for that matter. But she could still take a vacation of sorts—a vacation from herself.
She’d raided her petty cash jar and gone shopping at someplace other than Target for once. Standing in front of the dressing room mirror, dolled up in clothes she would never have been caught dead in normally, she’d seen a flash of fire in her own eyes. All the resentment and stress had boiled over, and with it, her resolve had been set in place.
For one week—one blessed week—she’d be someone else. With no one around to watch her flail or to remark on her strange behavior, she could do anything, be whoever she pleased. The confident woman who took what she wanted.
So Ellen walks into a bar, dressed in the sexiest outfit she’s ever donned, picks up a stranger, takes him home, and has the best sex of her life.
Except, he’s not a stranger. He’s a fellow pre-med student, Josh Markley, who not only knows who Ellen is, he’s had a crush on her for the past three years. When Ellen first comes on strong to Josh, he’s not sure what she’s up to. She’s got to recognize him, right? But, Ellen not only doesn’t seem to know who he is–she assumes he’s a student home for Spring Break–but, when he asks her what she does, she says she’s a waitress and mentions not a word about going to school there. Josh is a bit weirded out by sexy, seemingly untruthful Ellen but he’s wanted her since their freshman year and he’s not about to give up a chance to be with her.
Josh makes love to Ellen with every ounce of passion and skill he has the first night they meet. When he wakes up the next morning–he had to go home because he’d just started wearing contacts and was afraid to sleep in them–he’s determined to see her again.
The first time he’d seen Ellen, she’d been sitting on the edge of the fountain outside the lecture hall. It had been late spring, their freshman year. And she’d been so beautiful. So sexy and yet so removed from what was going on around her.
He’d hardly spoken a dozen words to her in the years since, but his first impressions had held true. She was serious and quiet, studious and demurring. Last night, though…last night she’d been a succubus in a short skirt, and with her brazenness, she’d brought out a side of him he barely recognized in himself. Just thinking about lifting her up onto her knees and taking her from behind like that…
….He found his contacts case exactly where he’d left it the night before, and with the same carefulness he’d used the first time, he got the clear circles into his eyes. He stared at himself again. His vision was sharper than it had ever been in glasses, but he still felt like he wasn’t really seeing himself—or the situation—clearly.
He still didn’t know what Ellen was doing.
All he knew was that he wanted to do it again. And again. And again.
Josh realizes he has less than a week to win Ellen and, at some point, tell her he knows her secret. He knows he makes her scream in bed but that’s not enough. He wants her to fall for him as he’s fallen for her, to trust him with her life, and to keep their relationship going when they are back in chem class together when Spring Break ends. Josh is smart, funny, sweet, sexy, and focused. Each hour he spends with Ellen, whether it’s in the shower, or on his Harley, or lying next to her on the roof staring at millions of stars, Josh listens to Ellen, trying to understand who she is. He’s not a manipulative guy, however. He also pushes her to give him what he needs.
Josh needs love and acceptance right now more than he ever has. He’s his physician father’s only child and, for as long as Josh can remember, his dad has pushed him hard to go to medical school. Josh though doesn’t want to be that kind of doctor. He wants to be the kind who has a PhD in chemistry. He’s been girding himself to tell his dad on their annual camping trip coming up this weekend and he’s dreading it. His marvelous mom tells him to have faith in his relationship with his dad, but it’s hard for Josh to feel as though he’s not going to crush his dad’s dreams.
Josh is a great hero. He’s that rare thing: a perfect guy who doesn’t seem fake, dull, or unbelievable. Here, after taking Ellen on a sexy ride on his motorcycle, he’s just turned down a third night of heating up the sheets with her and asked her out on an official date instead.
God, but she’d almost killed him, clinging to him the way she had. A hundred times on the way home, he’d cursed himself for not taking them to her apartment and carrying her upstairs, driving into her right there on her entryway floor. She’d cleaved to him so tightly, pressed those hot hands to his abdomen in a way that made his skin scream out for more, more, more.
But three times was a pattern, and he’d seen a future he didn’t like spread out before him. If he’d given in and just taken her again, without ceremony or discussion, it would have doomed them. And wanting more wasn’t just about wanting her body.
He wanted the seductress in the high heels and short skirts, all right, the one that oozed sex and confidence. But he wanted the girl in the plain sweaters with the loose waves that fell over her face, too. The one that hid in the last row of the lecture hall but who always knew the answers. The one that dissected a pig all by herself, looking kissable even in a rubber apron and goggles and gloves.
He wanted her to want more than a fuck from him. He wanted her to remember him. To know him.
And this was his chance—his chance to prove to her that he was worth more.
Ellen too is a wonderful character. As Jane points out, New Adult fiction showcases protagonists that are “on the cusp of discovering themselves, where they fit into life, what allowances they will make, and how they relate to others.” In Take What You Want, Ellen does just that in ways that are self-affirming and freeing. It’s a joy to watch her trust in her new-found sensuality and discover that her life can give her more, much more, than she’s previously demanded of it. As she spends time listening to Josh, she pushes him to take the same chances with his father that she is with him. By garnering strength from the care they show each other, Josh and Ellen both take what they want and the process is lovely to see. Josh and Ellen change in the lives they have outside of each other–Josh with his parents, Ellen at her waitressing job–in ways that compliment the relationship they build between themselves.
I also enjoyed the dialogue in this book. Each character has a strong separate voice and the discussions they have sound real.
He picked up his butter knife and seesawed it back and forth across his knuckles. “I majored in chemistry. It’s a good choice for pre-med anyway, and I just…like it. One of the professors kind of took me under his wing and stuff, and I’ve been working in his lab. It’s…nice. Less memorizing, more math. No patients or worrying about who you’re going to kill that day. More my speed, you know?”
“So why don’t you do that?”
And in that moment, he honestly didn’t know.
He forced the shutters back down, though, and gave a tight-lipped smile. “It’s complicated. Anyway.” Josh flipped the knife over to catch it in his palm. “That’s my what and my why. Why do you want to be a doctor?”
“I don’t know. I guess I’ve just always wanted to help people, and science always came easy for me. The money would be nice, too.”
The way her forehead crinkled, he guessed the money wasn’t a small part of the equation. Sticking to her story, he asked, “Is that why you’re at the diner? To save up for school?”
“Pretty much.”
I could go on and on. The sex scenes are lovely and hot. The college town is spot on. Even the “we fell in love in a week” works here. The writing is crisp and clear. And, oh, the last scene in the book is flat-out fabulous. In it, Ms. Grey takes all the strands of her novel and all the hopes and dreams Josh and Ellen have and creates pretty much the sweetest ending I’ve read in a romance in a long time.
I loved Take What You Want. It gets an A- from me.
Sincerely,
Dabney
May 7, 2013
Take What You Want was my first story by Jeanette Grey but definitely not the last! Her storytelling sucked me in and I gobbled it up in no time, closing my ereader with a happy and contented sigh.
Take What You Want was a wonderful surprise of a story! A flammable sexy story with some sweet and romantic moments that pulled at my heartstrings. My first Jeanette Grey story but definitely not the last! Jeanette Grey's writing is gripping and evocative, the first few lines will suck you in and you won't be able to put down the book until you have finished.
Ellen is a serious and dedicated pre-med student who can't afford to fly off with her friends for spring break so as to bring some holiday fun in the disappointment of having to stay home and work she decides to become a daring and fearless woman for a week and have all the fun she can as her alter-ego. Her first night she spies one of the most handsome and sexiest guy she has ever seen at the bar and goes over to pick him up. What she doesn't know is that the guy, Josh is her classmate and has been fascinated by her since the first day he glimpsed her in freshmen year. He can't believe Ellen doesn't recognize him, so he goes long with what he thinks is Ellen's role playing, but when he soon learns that she really has no idea who he is he gets tangled in his own web of deceit and pretend. And so starts a week of intense discovery both sexual and emotional for Ellen and Josh.
Ellen despite having such an ordinary name was anything but boring. I loved how such a serious and relatable young woman created this alter ego to live out her fantasies and experience things she only read/dreamed of. I found that exactly because she was such a girl next door she was a heroine the reader could identify with and feel as if her story could have happened to anyone. It was also moving to see that besides being a serious, dedicated and ambitious pre med-student there was an insecure, vulnerable side to Ellen.
Both Ellen and Josh were pretending to be someone else and both had some major things on their minds regarding their future. But it was interesting to see how they were exact opposites to each other in the sense that Josh was more confident and sure in his own feelings for Ellen and their relationship, he had to take decisions regarding his studies and future career; while Ellen was sure about her career and completely clueless and vulnerable about her private life and her relationship with Josh.
I loved Josh. *sighs* He was lovely and wonderful. A guy, who despite being described as sexy and handsome, what you remember about him is how tender and warm-hearted and funny he is. I loved how he was the “girl” in the relationship, that is, how he was the one who wanted much more than a meaningless fling right from the start.
"And wanting more wasn’t just about wanting her body. He wanted the seductress in the high heels and short skirts, all right, the one that oozed sex and confidence. But he wanted the girl in the plain sweaters with the loose waves that fell over her face, too. The one that hid in the last row of the lecture hall but who always knew the answers. The one that dissected a pig all by herself, looking kissable even in a rubber apron and goggles and gloves. He wanted her to want more than a fuck from him. He wanted her to remember him. To know him."
And I absolutely have to comment about the sexual attraction, chemistry between Ellen and Josh: it was off the charts! Their love scenes were incredibly hot, sexy and tender, emotional at the same time. You’ll need a fan with this story!
Verdict: I LOVED Take What You Want and Jeanette Grey became a must read author for me. Not only was Take What You Want a thought-provoking and emotional journey of self- and love discovery for the characters, it was a sensual, sexy and addictive story I couldn’t put down until the very end. At the beginning I was reluctant to read Take What You Want fearing that due to the characters being in college it would be hard to relate to their problems, but take it from me, that concern was for naught. Thanks to Jeanette Grey’s gripping writing I felt invested in Ellen and Josh's life and relationship and those two are characters as well as their story is one I will long remember.
And oh boy was their story sizzling! *fans herself*
So yes, I give Take What You Want by Jeanette Grey 5 scorching stars and urge you all to pick it up! :-D
Plot: 8/10
Characters: 9/10
Writing: 9/10
Ending: 9/10
Cover: 8/10 - suits the story perfectly
Take What You Want was a wonderful surprise of a story! A flammable sexy story with some sweet and romantic moments that pulled at my heartstrings. My first Jeanette Grey story but definitely not the last! Jeanette Grey's writing is gripping and evocative, the first few lines will suck you in and you won't be able to put down the book until you have finished.
Ellen is a serious and dedicated pre-med student who can't afford to fly off with her friends for spring break so as to bring some holiday fun in the disappointment of having to stay home and work she decides to become a daring and fearless woman for a week and have all the fun she can as her alter-ego. Her first night she spies one of the most handsome and sexiest guy she has ever seen at the bar and goes over to pick him up. What she doesn't know is that the guy, Josh is her classmate and has been fascinated by her since the first day he glimpsed her in freshmen year. He can't believe Ellen doesn't recognize him, so he goes long with what he thinks is Ellen's role playing, but when he soon learns that she really has no idea who he is he gets tangled in his own web of deceit and pretend. And so starts a week of intense discovery both sexual and emotional for Ellen and Josh.
Ellen despite having such an ordinary name was anything but boring. I loved how such a serious and relatable young woman created this alter ego to live out her fantasies and experience things she only read/dreamed of. I found that exactly because she was such a girl next door she was a heroine the reader could identify with and feel as if her story could have happened to anyone. It was also moving to see that besides being a serious, dedicated and ambitious pre med-student there was an insecure, vulnerable side to Ellen.
Both Ellen and Josh were pretending to be someone else and both had some major things on their minds regarding their future. But it was interesting to see how they were exact opposites to each other in the sense that Josh was more confident and sure in his own feelings for Ellen and their relationship, he had to take decisions regarding his studies and future career; while Ellen was sure about her career and completely clueless and vulnerable about her private life and her relationship with Josh.
I loved Josh. *sighs* He was lovely and wonderful. A guy, who despite being described as sexy and handsome, what you remember about him is how tender and warm-hearted and funny he is. I loved how he was the “girl” in the relationship, that is, how he was the one who wanted much more than a meaningless fling right from the start.
"And wanting more wasn’t just about wanting her body. He wanted the seductress in the high heels and short skirts, all right, the one that oozed sex and confidence. But he wanted the girl in the plain sweaters with the loose waves that fell over her face, too. The one that hid in the last row of the lecture hall but who always knew the answers. The one that dissected a pig all by herself, looking kissable even in a rubber apron and goggles and gloves. He wanted her to want more than a fuck from him. He wanted her to remember him. To know him."
And I absolutely have to comment about the sexual attraction, chemistry between Ellen and Josh: it was off the charts! Their love scenes were incredibly hot, sexy and tender, emotional at the same time. You’ll need a fan with this story!
Verdict: I LOVED Take What You Want and Jeanette Grey became a must read author for me. Not only was Take What You Want a thought-provoking and emotional journey of self- and love discovery for the characters, it was a sensual, sexy and addictive story I couldn’t put down until the very end. At the beginning I was reluctant to read Take What You Want fearing that due to the characters being in college it would be hard to relate to their problems, but take it from me, that concern was for naught. Thanks to Jeanette Grey’s gripping writing I felt invested in Ellen and Josh's life and relationship and those two are characters as well as their story is one I will long remember.
And oh boy was their story sizzling! *fans herself*
So yes, I give Take What You Want by Jeanette Grey 5 scorching stars and urge you all to pick it up! :-D
Plot: 8/10
Characters: 9/10
Writing: 9/10
Ending: 9/10
Cover: 8/10 - suits the story perfectly
September 5, 2013
Ellen Price is in her last year of college. She dreams of going to medical school after that, so she spends all her time and energy on study. And then comes spring break. Her friends are all going off on a holiday she can't afford, so she decides that, since she's staying home, what she'll do is take a holiday from her usual serious, responsible self.
Ellen's plan is simply to dress up in sexy clothes (her serious attitude extends to her clothing) and pick up a stranger in a bar. The thing is, the stranger she ends up going for isn't actually a stranger. Josh Markley is actually in her pre-med class, and he's had his eye on Ellen for a while. Ellen doesn't recognise him (in addition to her being really focused when she's in class, there's the Clark Kent device of Josh having just started to wear contact lenses), and Josh is confused when she tells him she's a waitress.
Josh assumes Ellen's just doing some sort of sexy role-playing, and doesn't correct her when she assumes he's a student somewhere else, home for spring break. But then, after an amazing night, Josh realises she really didn't recognise him. He definitely wants more than just the one night, but how does he convince her?
This was a cute story. Josh and Ellen are likeable characters, and I was rooting for them. Also, the trope of having the hero desperately feel that he must make the sex so, so good that the heroine will want more with him is one that (somewhat guiltily) really appeals to me. So I mostly enjoyed this, even while realising that it just wasn't particularly great.
Mainly, the thing was that the story was very low conflict. Josh and Ellen were angsting away, but basically, the whole thing boiled down to each thinking 'oh, I want more, but I don't if he/she does!'. There was no real reason why they wouldn't want to be together, since they got along fine, liked each other and found each other incredibly attractive, not to mention that career-wise, they were quite well suited. Of course you can never be certain, but the angst was beyond that. It felt a little contrived, to be honest, like a faux-conflict.
I thought the story had too many sex scenes for such a short book. After the first few, they felt gratuitous. I would have preferred it if some of them had been replaced by Josh and Ellen actually talking and getting to know each other out of the sack. There was a bit of that, and it did seem that they were a good fit, but not enough, definitely not enough to be exchanging 'I love you's at the end.
Also, Josh was lovely, but he felt a bit too good to be true and his character didn't make complete sense. He's handsome, nice, sensible, good career prospects, and even amazing in bed, although it's never really explained how he got that way. There's no reason given why he wouldn't have a regular, health self-esteem, and yet he's spent 3 years obsessing over Ellen, not approaching her even though there was absolutely no reason not to, even if just to say hello and pretend to ask her something about the class. It felt contrived.
I did like the conflict about Josh's career plans. His father is a doctor and his heart is set on Josh being one as well, but he has come to realise he doesn't want to do that. He's got other plans, and he's very nervous about broaching the subject, and about his father's reaction. The thing is, again, it felt like much angst about not much at all. He acts like he's about to drop out of college, but actually, what he wants to do is in no way controversial and only a completely unreasonable asshole (which his father clearly isn't) would have major issues with it.
I realise I've been moaning for the last few paragraphs, but all these things weren't major irritants, and certainly didn't ruin my enjoyment of the book completely, just dampened it.
MY GRADE: A B-.
Ellen's plan is simply to dress up in sexy clothes (her serious attitude extends to her clothing) and pick up a stranger in a bar. The thing is, the stranger she ends up going for isn't actually a stranger. Josh Markley is actually in her pre-med class, and he's had his eye on Ellen for a while. Ellen doesn't recognise him (in addition to her being really focused when she's in class, there's the Clark Kent device of Josh having just started to wear contact lenses), and Josh is confused when she tells him she's a waitress.
Josh assumes Ellen's just doing some sort of sexy role-playing, and doesn't correct her when she assumes he's a student somewhere else, home for spring break. But then, after an amazing night, Josh realises she really didn't recognise him. He definitely wants more than just the one night, but how does he convince her?
This was a cute story. Josh and Ellen are likeable characters, and I was rooting for them. Also, the trope of having the hero desperately feel that he must make the sex so, so good that the heroine will want more with him is one that (somewhat guiltily) really appeals to me. So I mostly enjoyed this, even while realising that it just wasn't particularly great.
Mainly, the thing was that the story was very low conflict. Josh and Ellen were angsting away, but basically, the whole thing boiled down to each thinking 'oh, I want more, but I don't if he/she does!'. There was no real reason why they wouldn't want to be together, since they got along fine, liked each other and found each other incredibly attractive, not to mention that career-wise, they were quite well suited. Of course you can never be certain, but the angst was beyond that. It felt a little contrived, to be honest, like a faux-conflict.
I thought the story had too many sex scenes for such a short book. After the first few, they felt gratuitous. I would have preferred it if some of them had been replaced by Josh and Ellen actually talking and getting to know each other out of the sack. There was a bit of that, and it did seem that they were a good fit, but not enough, definitely not enough to be exchanging 'I love you's at the end.
Also, Josh was lovely, but he felt a bit too good to be true and his character didn't make complete sense. He's handsome, nice, sensible, good career prospects, and even amazing in bed, although it's never really explained how he got that way. There's no reason given why he wouldn't have a regular, health self-esteem, and yet he's spent 3 years obsessing over Ellen, not approaching her even though there was absolutely no reason not to, even if just to say hello and pretend to ask her something about the class. It felt contrived.
I did like the conflict about Josh's career plans. His father is a doctor and his heart is set on Josh being one as well, but he has come to realise he doesn't want to do that. He's got other plans, and he's very nervous about broaching the subject, and about his father's reaction. The thing is, again, it felt like much angst about not much at all. He acts like he's about to drop out of college, but actually, what he wants to do is in no way controversial and only a completely unreasonable asshole (which his father clearly isn't) would have major issues with it.
I realise I've been moaning for the last few paragraphs, but all these things weren't major irritants, and certainly didn't ruin my enjoyment of the book completely, just dampened it.
MY GRADE: A B-.
April 18, 2013
I'm not going to waste time summarizing this book. Anyone can read the Goodreads summary that is provided above. What I am going to do is begin my rant about how much I loved reading this story. The story itself is only about 130+ pages long. Ordinarily this is where I'd tell you how I wish the book had been longer. I am not going to do that here. Why? This book was the perfect length for what the story was about and I want to give kudos to Jeanette Grey for not throwing in a bunch of extra fluff to build up this story or drag it out like some books will. There wasn't a lot of back story needed here. And yet, having said that, this wasn't just a story about two adults in college hooking up for a one night stand. Here Jeanette has given us two beautiful characters who are so caught up in their current lives that they don't leave a ton of time to explore what else life has to offer.
Ellen creates a false persona of herself to go after something just to see what will happen but it turns out to be exactly who she should have been all along. She becomes a new person, a more relaxed person almost overnight. Josh on the other hand knows who he is and what he wants but doesn't know how to express that to his father with all of his overbearing expectations for Josh's' future. Caught in a case of Clark Kent vs. Superman, Josh goes to a bar without his glasses one night and Ellen doesn't recognize him. She believes him to be just some local guy in town from school for the week to hang out with his parents. He doesn't bother to correct her, but he's been interested in Ellen for three years. He is definitely interested in the game she is playing and wondering just how far the game can go before all their secrets have to be revealed.
Deep down I think we have all been there at one point or another. Not everyone in college knows exactly who they are, where they are going or even what they will become after they have graduated. That is what made this story genuinely relatable and what made me fall in love with these two characters. This was such a beautiful, romantic and often a very steamy erotic novel for being so short. Jeanette Grey packed one hot romance into a very short book that I admittedly have already read twice and loved even more the second time around. If she can make me feel this much for a book that is less than 200 pages, I would love to see what she can do with something longer but I'd be just as content reading 100 more short novels if they are of the same caliber as this one.
Ellen creates a false persona of herself to go after something just to see what will happen but it turns out to be exactly who she should have been all along. She becomes a new person, a more relaxed person almost overnight. Josh on the other hand knows who he is and what he wants but doesn't know how to express that to his father with all of his overbearing expectations for Josh's' future. Caught in a case of Clark Kent vs. Superman, Josh goes to a bar without his glasses one night and Ellen doesn't recognize him. She believes him to be just some local guy in town from school for the week to hang out with his parents. He doesn't bother to correct her, but he's been interested in Ellen for three years. He is definitely interested in the game she is playing and wondering just how far the game can go before all their secrets have to be revealed.
Deep down I think we have all been there at one point or another. Not everyone in college knows exactly who they are, where they are going or even what they will become after they have graduated. That is what made this story genuinely relatable and what made me fall in love with these two characters. This was such a beautiful, romantic and often a very steamy erotic novel for being so short. Jeanette Grey packed one hot romance into a very short book that I admittedly have already read twice and loved even more the second time around. If she can make me feel this much for a book that is less than 200 pages, I would love to see what she can do with something longer but I'd be just as content reading 100 more short novels if they are of the same caliber as this one.
April 30, 2013
This story was totally sweet and totally adorable. Determined to turn her spring break and herself around, college senior Ellen Price spruces up her look and sets out for a sexual conquest. LOVE ENSUES!
Ellen was shy and nerdy, but thank god she was the one driving the story and the actions. She didn't wait for Josh to make all the moves or rely on him for her own sense of self-worth. Her growth came from within.
Josh was sweet and sexy and smart. His issues with his parents and his future were very easy to relate to and the amount of angst he struggled with was just right.
My only gripes are that some of the dialogue was one note and I guess standard. (they refer to each other as the perfect man or woman, etc.) For 22 years olds, there was no slang, no colloquial speech at all. And the physical descriptions were also brief and standard, considering the amount of sex. They with both brunettes with perfect bodies, but other than Josh's glasses, I wouldn't be able to pick either of them out of crowd. Same with Josh's family. The interactions were mostly from his POV, so you get no description of them. I like to be able to SEE the characters.
Another than that it was quite enjoyable. I will definitely check out more of Grey's work.
Ellen was shy and nerdy, but thank god she was the one driving the story and the actions. She didn't wait for Josh to make all the moves or rely on him for her own sense of self-worth. Her growth came from within.
Josh was sweet and sexy and smart. His issues with his parents and his future were very easy to relate to and the amount of angst he struggled with was just right.
My only gripes are that some of the dialogue was one note and I guess standard. (they refer to each other as the perfect man or woman, etc.) For 22 years olds, there was no slang, no colloquial speech at all. And the physical descriptions were also brief and standard, considering the amount of sex. They with both brunettes with perfect bodies, but other than Josh's glasses, I wouldn't be able to pick either of them out of crowd. Same with Josh's family. The interactions were mostly from his POV, so you get no description of them. I like to be able to SEE the characters.
Another than that it was quite enjoyable. I will definitely check out more of Grey's work.
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