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Cause and Affection
What happens when a chance encounter turns out to be anything but?
Kara Wexler has only a few days to decide whether to accept the nomination of Chief Executive Officer and remain under her father’s hand. Should she say enough is enough and resign from the family company completely? Her siblings desperately want her to take the top job and use her innovative ideas to turn the company around. But Kara is tired of fighting with her father at every turn.
Kara’s siblings aren’t willing to let the decision go to chance. Worried that Kara no longer has the fight necessary to lead the company, they concoct a scheme to get Kara back on track. Surely deceiving Kara for the short-term is worth the long-term gain.
Madeleine Jessepp’s career has hit an all-time low. Her dream of becoming an actress isn’t going to happen and she doesn’t even have the money to return home to Minnesota. At first she scoffs at the offer to play the “Love at First Sight Role,” and spend a week as a fantasy date. But after some convincing she agrees to do it. After all, she is an actress.
Thrown together by Kara’s well-intentioned siblings, Madeleine and Kara both get more than they bargained for. What will happen when Kara discovers she’s been deceived by everyone—especially by Madeleine?
Genre: Romance
Editor: Katherine V. Forrest
Cover Designer: Judith Fellows
81,000 words
Kara Wexler has only a few days to decide whether to accept the nomination of Chief Executive Officer and remain under her father’s hand. Should she say enough is enough and resign from the family company completely? Her siblings desperately want her to take the top job and use her innovative ideas to turn the company around. But Kara is tired of fighting with her father at every turn.
Kara’s siblings aren’t willing to let the decision go to chance. Worried that Kara no longer has the fight necessary to lead the company, they concoct a scheme to get Kara back on track. Surely deceiving Kara for the short-term is worth the long-term gain.
Madeleine Jessepp’s career has hit an all-time low. Her dream of becoming an actress isn’t going to happen and she doesn’t even have the money to return home to Minnesota. At first she scoffs at the offer to play the “Love at First Sight Role,” and spend a week as a fantasy date. But after some convincing she agrees to do it. After all, she is an actress.
Thrown together by Kara’s well-intentioned siblings, Madeleine and Kara both get more than they bargained for. What will happen when Kara discovers she’s been deceived by everyone—especially by Madeleine?
Genre: Romance
Editor: Katherine V. Forrest
Cover Designer: Judith Fellows
81,000 words
252 pages, Paperback
Published June 15, 2019
8 people are currently reading
64 people want to read
About the author
Sheryl Wright
14 books42 followersSheryl Wright is an aboriginal Faith Keeper in the Longhouse tradition, and author of several nonfiction books. A native of Toronto, she is a graduate of academies in Canada and the USA. Her flight experience includes Canadian Airlines, Bearskin Airlines, and Her Majesty’s Canadian Armed Forces, in which she served as both a member and an officer. Today she lives in Whitby, Ontario with her partner, their rescued Rottweiler, and a six-toed cat who dreams of space (and squirrels).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
June 2, 2019
'ARC provided by both NetGalley and The Publisher in exchange for a honest review'
**'Some writers do a great deal of research.They don't want readers to say, 'That could not have happened.' It maybe fiction but it has to be true...A story is nothing but a cube of hot, smoking conscience..'
'CAUSE AND AFFECTION' is an interesting and revelatory Love story that explores the many complex relationships between Kara and her mom, her father, her two siblings and even Madeleine -- also the quest to discover if she really cared about Madeleine --- that a romance can prevail even through all their circumstances.
Their romance started as a faux pas relationship that was set up by Kara's siblings and in-laws -- and not before both got heavily involved showing genuine feelings of Love, then the ice broke and the true nature of this set up was revealed causing immediate angst from Kara -- towards everyone even Madeleine. During the entire time that Madeleine was performing her fake affections, she did become remorseful because of her indepth back & forth thoughts dealing with her subconsciousness and even questioning her uncertainty about her lifestyle. The variety of both their personalities and situation did mimic a lot of their struggles with how they felt and their uneven appearance.
Besides the Love story, there was an added side story where readers saw the intricacies of the strategic methods in which Kara was able to take over as CEO of her family's company with the aide of others. Even though a few of the board members along with her father showed that they were not ready for a woman to be in an executive position or be open with her sexuality -- what she had was integrity, brains, good leadership & management skills, strong work ethic and was resilient over her father.
Also in the midst of all this commotion, Ms.Wright showed that both their mothers' sense of social awareness were expressed on an assortment of relatable societal issues whether in Canada or the U.S. -- with the same concerns namely racism, LGBT discrimination & Rights, poverty and gender discrimination etc.
Overall, in some ways this story did allow for many instances of a poignant touch of resilience, friendships, family, dreams and Love that translates across borders to an unpredictable effect.
**'Some writers do a great deal of research.They don't want readers to say, 'That could not have happened.' It maybe fiction but it has to be true...A story is nothing but a cube of hot, smoking conscience..'
'CAUSE AND AFFECTION' is an interesting and revelatory Love story that explores the many complex relationships between Kara and her mom, her father, her two siblings and even Madeleine -- also the quest to discover if she really cared about Madeleine --- that a romance can prevail even through all their circumstances.
Their romance started as a faux pas relationship that was set up by Kara's siblings and in-laws -- and not before both got heavily involved showing genuine feelings of Love, then the ice broke and the true nature of this set up was revealed causing immediate angst from Kara -- towards everyone even Madeleine. During the entire time that Madeleine was performing her fake affections, she did become remorseful because of her indepth back & forth thoughts dealing with her subconsciousness and even questioning her uncertainty about her lifestyle. The variety of both their personalities and situation did mimic a lot of their struggles with how they felt and their uneven appearance.
Besides the Love story, there was an added side story where readers saw the intricacies of the strategic methods in which Kara was able to take over as CEO of her family's company with the aide of others. Even though a few of the board members along with her father showed that they were not ready for a woman to be in an executive position or be open with her sexuality -- what she had was integrity, brains, good leadership & management skills, strong work ethic and was resilient over her father.
Also in the midst of all this commotion, Ms.Wright showed that both their mothers' sense of social awareness were expressed on an assortment of relatable societal issues whether in Canada or the U.S. -- with the same concerns namely racism, LGBT discrimination & Rights, poverty and gender discrimination etc.
Overall, in some ways this story did allow for many instances of a poignant touch of resilience, friendships, family, dreams and Love that translates across borders to an unpredictable effect.
June 12, 2019
3.25 Stars. I was in a really great mood after watching the Women’s World Cup USA footy game, so that could explain partly why I liked this book. But I do have to be honest that I could easily see the issues that were pointed out in the early reviews. Parts of this book really clicked for me, others parts unfortunately just didn’t work.
I love fauxmances, they are my favorite lesfic romances to read. I feel authors have to work extra hard to make the romance believable since there is no love at first sight. This fauxmance had an interesting twist where only one character didn’t realize the romance was real. I like that Wright took a chance at something different, but I do have to say that I don’t think it worked quite as well as the regular fauxmance theme. While I liked the main characters together and felt a connection forming, I didn’t get that intense chemistry I normally feel in fauxmances.
When it came to the setting of Vegas and Toronto, and the inner workings of Kara’s company, that is where I thought the book shined. Even with Kara’s relationship with her father being dysfunctional, her other familiar relationships were the best parts of the book. I was wrapped up in the boardroom scenes, the scenes with Kara’s siblings, and even the contentious scenes with her father. All the Wexler family scenes worked well and kept me turning the pages.
There were a few places sprinkled throughout that I had trouble with Wrights writing or choices. There was a few times I was not sure who was speaking or whose POV I was in. It was odd because the story was flowing well, than something would happen to kick me out that groove, and I had to backtrack since I was confused. I’m not a speed reader, but I like to go at good pace and anything that stops that flow can be jarring. There were also a few choices that I didn’t understand. For instance Wright skipped the first kiss. It caught me so off guard that I was completely confused. They kiss, and then Wright is explaining that they had kissed already that night. I still am unsure if that first kiss I saw was the second or third actual kiss. It was just a really odd choice and again jolted me out of the flow of the story.
When it came to the actual romance, I thought it was about average. Missing the first kiss didn’t help me. I did believe the connection but at the point I wanted more, the characters would separate for jobs or whatever, and the romance seemed to just stop for that period. I don’t really like romances when the characters are apart. It wasn’t for too long in this book, but it affected me enough that I started caring more what was going on in Kara’s company than the actual romance.
And while I thought Wright could have really pumped the romance back up towards the end, (she did try) there was not enough time left. The ending was too quick and a major storyline was left open ended. You have an idea what might happen, but I’m not sure and to not see the ending play out was disappointing for me.
This one is a little tough for me. Parts like Kara’s family and company where really fun to read. I was completely hooked into certain storylines and was enjoying myself. But the romance itself didn’t grab me like I was hoping for. I would still recommend this book, I was entertained, but just be prepared for some bumps. If you are new to Wright I would recommend her book Don't Let Go over this one. The romance with Georgie and Tyler was really sweet.
An ARC was given to me for a honest review.
I love fauxmances, they are my favorite lesfic romances to read. I feel authors have to work extra hard to make the romance believable since there is no love at first sight. This fauxmance had an interesting twist where only one character didn’t realize the romance was real. I like that Wright took a chance at something different, but I do have to say that I don’t think it worked quite as well as the regular fauxmance theme. While I liked the main characters together and felt a connection forming, I didn’t get that intense chemistry I normally feel in fauxmances.
When it came to the setting of Vegas and Toronto, and the inner workings of Kara’s company, that is where I thought the book shined. Even with Kara’s relationship with her father being dysfunctional, her other familiar relationships were the best parts of the book. I was wrapped up in the boardroom scenes, the scenes with Kara’s siblings, and even the contentious scenes with her father. All the Wexler family scenes worked well and kept me turning the pages.
There were a few places sprinkled throughout that I had trouble with Wrights writing or choices. There was a few times I was not sure who was speaking or whose POV I was in. It was odd because the story was flowing well, than something would happen to kick me out that groove, and I had to backtrack since I was confused. I’m not a speed reader, but I like to go at good pace and anything that stops that flow can be jarring. There were also a few choices that I didn’t understand. For instance Wright skipped the first kiss. It caught me so off guard that I was completely confused. They kiss, and then Wright is explaining that they had kissed already that night. I still am unsure if that first kiss I saw was the second or third actual kiss. It was just a really odd choice and again jolted me out of the flow of the story.
When it came to the actual romance, I thought it was about average. Missing the first kiss didn’t help me. I did believe the connection but at the point I wanted more, the characters would separate for jobs or whatever, and the romance seemed to just stop for that period. I don’t really like romances when the characters are apart. It wasn’t for too long in this book, but it affected me enough that I started caring more what was going on in Kara’s company than the actual romance.
And while I thought Wright could have really pumped the romance back up towards the end, (she did try) there was not enough time left. The ending was too quick and a major storyline was left open ended. You have an idea what might happen, but I’m not sure and to not see the ending play out was disappointing for me.
This one is a little tough for me. Parts like Kara’s family and company where really fun to read. I was completely hooked into certain storylines and was enjoying myself. But the romance itself didn’t grab me like I was hoping for. I would still recommend this book, I was entertained, but just be prepared for some bumps. If you are new to Wright I would recommend her book Don't Let Go over this one. The romance with Georgie and Tyler was really sweet.
An ARC was given to me for a honest review.
June 8, 2019
So the idea of this book was very interesting because it’s wasn’t pure fauxmance, but rather with a twist of one member not being part of the deal.. i really liked one of the MCs, and I think that’s what made me forget about some frustrations I had with the book. Kara was such a gentlewoman and those characters are rare to find now in the world :)
Ok so there’s no denying as well that Sheryl Wright is a seasoned author and the book itself was written quite nicely.
The only issue I faced was the fact that I felt the storyline was not clear. It’s like a mix between a fauxmance, a celebrity in the making, and a ruthless businesswoman in the advertising world. And the consequence of that mix was we didn’t end up getting the full story of the MC making it in the entertainment world, we also didn’t get the full story of the other MC and her struggles in the advertising world and most importantly the romance got lost in the middle. There was just so much stuff happening that was irrelevant to the whole idea of the book, which made me somehow lost.
I did like the Supporting characters though, especially the sister.
Overall I can’t say I got bored, but I also can’t say I fell in love with the book. It was OK :)
I received an ARC copy for an honest review.
Ok so there’s no denying as well that Sheryl Wright is a seasoned author and the book itself was written quite nicely.
The only issue I faced was the fact that I felt the storyline was not clear. It’s like a mix between a fauxmance, a celebrity in the making, and a ruthless businesswoman in the advertising world. And the consequence of that mix was we didn’t end up getting the full story of the MC making it in the entertainment world, we also didn’t get the full story of the other MC and her struggles in the advertising world and most importantly the romance got lost in the middle. There was just so much stuff happening that was irrelevant to the whole idea of the book, which made me somehow lost.
I did like the Supporting characters though, especially the sister.
Overall I can’t say I got bored, but I also can’t say I fell in love with the book. It was OK :)
I received an ARC copy for an honest review.
June 8, 2019
Cause and Affection is a nice, very well researched, but uneven story. Uneven in the way that bothers me the most. The first part was really good in pacing, characters, plot... After that, everything slowly went downhill -- pacing, forced conflict, characters started to act rather strange... And at the end, a personal pet peeve of mine -- a rushed ending. Too bad for the missed opportunity after such a good start, an interesting premise and characters.
Nonetheless, the book is a pleasant read and not a bad way to spend a couple of hours, so three stars for that.
3 stars
June 8, 2019
*A review copy of this book was provided by the publisher.*
Nonetheless, the book is a pleasant read and not a bad way to spend a couple of hours, so three stars for that.
3 stars
June 8, 2019
*A review copy of this book was provided by the publisher.*
June 5, 2019
This is a bit of a mixed bag of things I enjoyed and things that frustrated me. Kara Wexler and her siblings are in Vegas for a board meeting of their advertising company. Their father is holding onto the reins as CEO even though the company needs a change of direction to take advantage of alternative media and advertising platforms. Kara has had enough of the constant battle and the stress and she’s written up her resignation. Her siblings, however, have hired a woman to wine and dine Kara in order to boost her confidence which is constantly battered by her father.
Madeleine has spent years in Las Vegas trying to make a name for herself as a choreographer, singer and dancer but she’s finally decided that after this job she’s returning to Minnesota. It pays well enough that she won’t go home empty handed. The only issue is that she’s straight and not entirely sure she’ll work out flirting with a lesbian in a believable way.
What I did like about the story is that it runs from before the two main characters meet to well into the challenges of a relationship. It makes their connection seem more plausible, especially seeing as Madeleine is straight. There is also lots of time for their characters to develop. We get both Kara and Madeleine’s point of view in third person and it’s nice to be in both of their heads.
On the negative side though, there wasn’t enough dialogue between them to satisfy me. Admittedly I am a dialogue junkie but it seemed as though there was more direct conversation between Kara and her mother than there was between her and Madeleine. I like seeing who characters are by what comes out of their mouths rather than being told they had a conversation about their childhood, for example.
From the above point of view, I found it was a little slower to read and not as engaging as it could have been. While I liked the ease with which Madeleine found herself attracted to Kara, I didn’t like the constant comparisons of women and men. There was also a little too much repetition which further slowed the pace. Kara’s development and renovation project was described earlier in the novel and then repeated later. It was an interesting enough anecdote the first time that I hadn’t forgotten it by the time it was repeated.
On the whole, it is a novel I enjoyed reading even though it had some detractors.
Book received from Netgalley and Bella Books for an honest review.
Madeleine has spent years in Las Vegas trying to make a name for herself as a choreographer, singer and dancer but she’s finally decided that after this job she’s returning to Minnesota. It pays well enough that she won’t go home empty handed. The only issue is that she’s straight and not entirely sure she’ll work out flirting with a lesbian in a believable way.
What I did like about the story is that it runs from before the two main characters meet to well into the challenges of a relationship. It makes their connection seem more plausible, especially seeing as Madeleine is straight. There is also lots of time for their characters to develop. We get both Kara and Madeleine’s point of view in third person and it’s nice to be in both of their heads.
On the negative side though, there wasn’t enough dialogue between them to satisfy me. Admittedly I am a dialogue junkie but it seemed as though there was more direct conversation between Kara and her mother than there was between her and Madeleine. I like seeing who characters are by what comes out of their mouths rather than being told they had a conversation about their childhood, for example.
From the above point of view, I found it was a little slower to read and not as engaging as it could have been. While I liked the ease with which Madeleine found herself attracted to Kara, I didn’t like the constant comparisons of women and men. There was also a little too much repetition which further slowed the pace. Kara’s development and renovation project was described earlier in the novel and then repeated later. It was an interesting enough anecdote the first time that I hadn’t forgotten it by the time it was repeated.
On the whole, it is a novel I enjoyed reading even though it had some detractors.
Book received from Netgalley and Bella Books for an honest review.
June 7, 2019
A unique spin on fauxmance.
Kara finds herself going to Vegas for the family company conference despite giving her resignation because she has had enough of her father's treatment and mismanagement of the business. Her brothers and sisters have another plan in mind. Hire a fantasy date to wine and dine Kara to set her up with the confidence to deliver a phenomenal pivot speech that will gain the support of the employees and give her the passion to stay on.
I liked the fresh take on a fake romance. It's an interesting idea to have only one person know that things aren't real. And to explore the ramifications of things developing beyond fiction.
But while the overall plot was intriguing, the book suffered in spots. There were several things that made it difficult for me to finish. The use of 'honey' was overused. At times, there were full blocks (pages) of dialogue that felt unnatural. The author would explain, in detail, things that just didn't matter in the grand scheme of things. And that created significant pacing issues with the story. Then toward the end, there was some unnecessary drama that made Kara so insecure it seemed out of character.
After completing the book, I can look back and appreciate the overall plot and characters. But it was tough getting there.
You may like this if you are interested in an unconventional fake romance, Vegas, Toronto, advertising, building restoration, and Labrador Tea.
I received an ARC from the publisher for an honest review.
Kara finds herself going to Vegas for the family company conference despite giving her resignation because she has had enough of her father's treatment and mismanagement of the business. Her brothers and sisters have another plan in mind. Hire a fantasy date to wine and dine Kara to set her up with the confidence to deliver a phenomenal pivot speech that will gain the support of the employees and give her the passion to stay on.
I liked the fresh take on a fake romance. It's an interesting idea to have only one person know that things aren't real. And to explore the ramifications of things developing beyond fiction.
But while the overall plot was intriguing, the book suffered in spots. There were several things that made it difficult for me to finish. The use of 'honey' was overused. At times, there were full blocks (pages) of dialogue that felt unnatural. The author would explain, in detail, things that just didn't matter in the grand scheme of things. And that created significant pacing issues with the story. Then toward the end, there was some unnecessary drama that made Kara so insecure it seemed out of character.
After completing the book, I can look back and appreciate the overall plot and characters. But it was tough getting there.
You may like this if you are interested in an unconventional fake romance, Vegas, Toronto, advertising, building restoration, and Labrador Tea.
I received an ARC from the publisher for an honest review.
June 5, 2019
Kara Wexler is so fed up with the way her father treats her, both professionally and personally, that she’s ready to quit her job altogether, even if it means leaving her sister and brother to fend for themselves. Not wanting her to go, her siblings devise a plan to get her to relax and overthrow their father as the company’s CEO. That’s how Madeleine Jessepp, a down-on-her-luck actress, finds herself acting as Kara’s « fantasy date ».
When I started reading, I was rather uncomfortable. Which is good in a way, one should be uncomfortable when reading about someone being conned into falling for another woman. I wasn’t too sure about the straight woman thing either. Madeleine’s initial lesbophobia made me cringe a few times. I know it was meant to illustrate her journey from clueless straight woman to whatever but I’ve had enough of that in real life, I’m not sure I want too much of it in my romance.
I’m aware I’m mostly writing about negative things, yet all in all this was a pretty nice read. And I actually really liked most of what happened after the whole charade thing.
There’s something old-fashioned about this book, it reminds me of the novels I used to read 20 years ago, when there wasn’t as much choice in lesfic as there is nowadays. There’s something comforting in that, like going back to simpler times.
I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
When I started reading, I was rather uncomfortable. Which is good in a way, one should be uncomfortable when reading about someone being conned into falling for another woman. I wasn’t too sure about the straight woman thing either. Madeleine’s initial lesbophobia made me cringe a few times. I know it was meant to illustrate her journey from clueless straight woman to whatever but I’ve had enough of that in real life, I’m not sure I want too much of it in my romance.
I’m aware I’m mostly writing about negative things, yet all in all this was a pretty nice read. And I actually really liked most of what happened after the whole charade thing.
There’s something old-fashioned about this book, it reminds me of the novels I used to read 20 years ago, when there wasn’t as much choice in lesfic as there is nowadays. There’s something comforting in that, like going back to simpler times.
I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
June 5, 2019
I know I’ve mentioned in other reviews that I believe the cover of a book is very important. It needs to catch the reader’s attention because it is the first thing that is seen. The cover for Cause and Affection by Sheryl Wright did just that for a couple of reasons. Not only is it elegant and pleasing to the eye in color and style, it has a picture of a skyline I’m very familiar with. It caught my attention and made me want to see what the book was about.
I enjoyed this story. It is well written, though it did lag in a few spots. The complex dynamics between Kara and the different members of her family made the story very interesting. I’m not usually interested in stories about fake relationships, especially ones where one of the main characters is not aware that it is fake. That’s what happened in this novel when Kara’s siblings hire Madeleine Jessepp to create a fantasy week for Kara when she travels to Las Vegas on a business trip. Of course the fantasy becomes real for the two characters which leads to a whole host of problems for everyone.
My favorite part of the novel is actually later in the book when they are in Toronto, the home base for Kara’s family business. This is the section where they to recover from the faked beginning. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the bits of Canadiana in this section. Tim Hortons is mentioned here, which is a very popular coffee shop you can find on almost every other street corner in most Canadian cities. Poutine is also mentioned. Poutine is a French/Canadian dish invented sometime in the 1950’s. It is basically a heart attack on a plate made from French fries mixed with fresh cheese curds and smothered in beef gravy. I know it sounds weird, but it is truly delicious even if it is artery clogging. The only thing better than poutine is Newfie fries where you take the poutine dish and mix in peas and stuffing. Now I’m hungry…
This is a lovely romance with a complex plot and great character dynamics. I am very glad I chose to read this book.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bella Books for an honest review.
Rainbow Reflections:
https://rainbowreflections.home.blog/
I enjoyed this story. It is well written, though it did lag in a few spots. The complex dynamics between Kara and the different members of her family made the story very interesting. I’m not usually interested in stories about fake relationships, especially ones where one of the main characters is not aware that it is fake. That’s what happened in this novel when Kara’s siblings hire Madeleine Jessepp to create a fantasy week for Kara when she travels to Las Vegas on a business trip. Of course the fantasy becomes real for the two characters which leads to a whole host of problems for everyone.
My favorite part of the novel is actually later in the book when they are in Toronto, the home base for Kara’s family business. This is the section where they to recover from the faked beginning. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the bits of Canadiana in this section. Tim Hortons is mentioned here, which is a very popular coffee shop you can find on almost every other street corner in most Canadian cities. Poutine is also mentioned. Poutine is a French/Canadian dish invented sometime in the 1950’s. It is basically a heart attack on a plate made from French fries mixed with fresh cheese curds and smothered in beef gravy. I know it sounds weird, but it is truly delicious even if it is artery clogging. The only thing better than poutine is Newfie fries where you take the poutine dish and mix in peas and stuffing. Now I’m hungry…
This is a lovely romance with a complex plot and great character dynamics. I am very glad I chose to read this book.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bella Books for an honest review.
Rainbow Reflections:
https://rainbowreflections.home.blog/
June 29, 2019
This was a fantastic story (at least at the beginning) that kept me reading into the wee hours just waiting for the other shoe to drop. Why then the 3-star rating? Blame it to those endings...
June 7, 2019
I must admit, after having had a highly enjoyable read of my first-ever Sheryl Wright book, "Don't Let Go" (cheers, K Aten, for rec-ing it on your recent Spec Tues post on TLR!), I was curious about her latest outing, "Cause and Affection," after reading its blurb. Whereas I was utterly captivated by the macro and micro details of how a huge marine engineering company operated and functioned in “Don’t Let Go”, which naturally perked up my nerd, I was even more intrigued by the assumption that I'd also be given an inside look into the inner workings of advertising in "Cause and Affection"! I was not wrong and was I gratifyingly delighted, indeed! Much obliged, Ms. Wright!
Wright seems to have similar themes in her stories - rich girl/poor girl, big families (or groups), accidental-love. This book checked all the boxes except that this time, the accidental-love theme had a fauxmance twist. Well, not the usual fauxmance in the conventional sense where both MCs are in on the "game." In this story, the "fauxmance" arrangement was between Kara's siblings (instead of Kara, the MC herself!) and the other MC, Madeleine, a down-and-out, cash-strapped actor/performer in Vegas enticed to accept one last highly paid acting job as someone's faux-date for a week (so she could afford to pay for her return to her hometown in Minnesota). Yes, Kara was the target of her siblings' bonkers "fauxmance" plot, which was concocted in the hopes of reviving their sister's mojo in taking over the family's legacy, the big, renowned advertising firm in Canada, from their hateful, bigoted, misogynistic father, in response to Kara's recent decision to resign from the company! Mad or what, eh? I must say, Wright crafted quite a creative plot for a tale of romance, especially given that I'd never come across anything like that in lesfic before. I applaud her ingenuity because it sure elevated the level of intrigue and thrills for me as a reader of Les-Rom! Naturally, I devoured the entire book faster than you can say, "Gersundheit!"
Obviously there were some surprises along the way, what with this outrageous plot and all!
Full commentary here... In Bugs' Own Words
**I was given, with much thanks and appreciation, an ARC copy by Bella via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
Wright seems to have similar themes in her stories - rich girl/poor girl, big families (or groups), accidental-love. This book checked all the boxes except that this time, the accidental-love theme had a fauxmance twist. Well, not the usual fauxmance in the conventional sense where both MCs are in on the "game." In this story, the "fauxmance" arrangement was between Kara's siblings (instead of Kara, the MC herself!) and the other MC, Madeleine, a down-and-out, cash-strapped actor/performer in Vegas enticed to accept one last highly paid acting job as someone's faux-date for a week (so she could afford to pay for her return to her hometown in Minnesota). Yes, Kara was the target of her siblings' bonkers "fauxmance" plot, which was concocted in the hopes of reviving their sister's mojo in taking over the family's legacy, the big, renowned advertising firm in Canada, from their hateful, bigoted, misogynistic father, in response to Kara's recent decision to resign from the company! Mad or what, eh? I must say, Wright crafted quite a creative plot for a tale of romance, especially given that I'd never come across anything like that in lesfic before. I applaud her ingenuity because it sure elevated the level of intrigue and thrills for me as a reader of Les-Rom! Naturally, I devoured the entire book faster than you can say, "Gersundheit!"
Obviously there were some surprises along the way, what with this outrageous plot and all!
Full commentary here... In Bugs' Own Words
**I was given, with much thanks and appreciation, an ARC copy by Bella via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
February 4, 2021
Going by the number of books based on it, fake relationships seem to be a super-favourite trope of authors and publishers. Is it the sheer fantasy aspect that makes it so popular? Toaster-oven is another fantasy. As the author says somewhere in this book (paraphrasing here) a straight woman is the kryptonite of a lesbian. Guess everyone wants to believe that who the person is and what they bring in to the relationship should and will conquer cultural heteronormative conditioning.
Read the full review @ https://bestlesficreviews.blogspot.co...
Read the full review @ https://bestlesficreviews.blogspot.co...
June 3, 2019
Madeleine Jessepp is hired to help bring Kara Wexler's mojo back by being a fantasy date. Kara's family has hired this fantasy date because they really need Kara to take over the family business because she really is the last hope. Madeleine really doesn't want the gig (she isn't a lesbian and doesn't like being a part of the fake fantasy), but the pay is excellent and it's her chance to help her flee Vegas and return home to Minnesota.
Okay enough about the plot because the blurb that comes with the story is good enough. Here is what I want to say. I do mostly like fauxmances. I really like how two characters come together out of convenience and end up falling for each other. This romance really is one sided because Kara doesn't know that Madeleine has been hired to go out on dates with her. They fall for each other, but once the facts come out, Kara doesn't know what to really believe. So of course I have a but. The first problem I had is that this one is too long. A few chapters should have been taken out. Next, I think there is too much inner dialogue. I really hate when a person stays in their head too long. Both characters tend to do this and all it does is make me skim that section. Next this one takes a weird turn at the end and it just didn't fit the story line for me. So what did I like? I actually liked both MC's and I like the supporting cast (except Kara's mother sort of got on my nerves with her going on and on). Overall the "romance" was cute and there was some chemistry (but the in-love part didn't seem to fit).
So I find this one hard to classify. I think it's more of a 2.75 for me, but I am good with rounding it 3 stars.
This ARC was provided for a honest review.
Okay enough about the plot because the blurb that comes with the story is good enough. Here is what I want to say. I do mostly like fauxmances. I really like how two characters come together out of convenience and end up falling for each other. This romance really is one sided because Kara doesn't know that Madeleine has been hired to go out on dates with her. They fall for each other, but once the facts come out, Kara doesn't know what to really believe. So of course I have a but. The first problem I had is that this one is too long. A few chapters should have been taken out. Next, I think there is too much inner dialogue. I really hate when a person stays in their head too long. Both characters tend to do this and all it does is make me skim that section. Next this one takes a weird turn at the end and it just didn't fit the story line for me. So what did I like? I actually liked both MC's and I like the supporting cast (except Kara's mother sort of got on my nerves with her going on and on). Overall the "romance" was cute and there was some chemistry (but the in-love part didn't seem to fit).
So I find this one hard to classify. I think it's more of a 2.75 for me, but I am good with rounding it 3 stars.
This ARC was provided for a honest review.
December 28, 2019
A very nice surprise. A very pleasant reading, really.
Having never read a book by this author, I am particularly impressed and curious to read other books by Ms Wright.
The scenario is not new, this type of subterfuge between two women, used both for a purpose, here, to preserve the integrity of a company, and for a benevolent mission. This is not new in lesfics, but it did not matter to me, as the characters, Kara and Madeleine, are not only well described, but moving and with real and entire personalities. Kara is particularly interesting, because of her integrity, her idealism and her naivety. As for Madeleine, because of her mission, she is full of doubts, which honors her. Two very kind and strong women.
The cover is simple, very beautiful, with its different shades of blue.
In short, a very beautiful romance, to read absolutely.
Having never read a book by this author, I am particularly impressed and curious to read other books by Ms Wright.
The scenario is not new, this type of subterfuge between two women, used both for a purpose, here, to preserve the integrity of a company, and for a benevolent mission. This is not new in lesfics, but it did not matter to me, as the characters, Kara and Madeleine, are not only well described, but moving and with real and entire personalities. Kara is particularly interesting, because of her integrity, her idealism and her naivety. As for Madeleine, because of her mission, she is full of doubts, which honors her. Two very kind and strong women.
The cover is simple, very beautiful, with its different shades of blue.
In short, a very beautiful romance, to read absolutely.
June 7, 2019
I'm not normally enthused by 'fake-romance' stories, but honestly, what got me to give this one a chance was the cover. It reached out and grabbed me right away. Not only does it depict a city I am very familiar with and have fond memories of, but it is a gorgeous cover!
Through skilled storytelling, you get to know all the characters fairly well, with only a couple of exceptions. These are very minor characters, so it's easy to understand. There are so many bits of Toronto in here that any reader familiar with the city will recognize them, but not so many that it will put off readers not familiar with the city. (I was especially thrilled to see Tim Hortons and poutine make an appearance!)
The author has given us not only well-drawn characters but two very determined main characters. One is a little more sure of what she wants than the other, but their dynamic is so real, that their determination carries the plot through the slower parts. It's not all roses and unicorns though. There is pettiness, jealousy, courage, understanding, ambition and greed here. There is an undercurrent of society-induced hesitation about a business leader being a lesbian, but trust me, it works out better than you expect in the end.
I was almost as fascinated by the author's notes at the end of the book. They added another dimension of enjoyment that was quite unexpected and refreshing.
This is absolutely, definitely, without question going on my 'READ THIS AGAIN' pile!
Thanks to Bella and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thanks also to Sheryl Wright for an absorbing and entertaining novel.
Through skilled storytelling, you get to know all the characters fairly well, with only a couple of exceptions. These are very minor characters, so it's easy to understand. There are so many bits of Toronto in here that any reader familiar with the city will recognize them, but not so many that it will put off readers not familiar with the city. (I was especially thrilled to see Tim Hortons and poutine make an appearance!)
The author has given us not only well-drawn characters but two very determined main characters. One is a little more sure of what she wants than the other, but their dynamic is so real, that their determination carries the plot through the slower parts. It's not all roses and unicorns though. There is pettiness, jealousy, courage, understanding, ambition and greed here. There is an undercurrent of society-induced hesitation about a business leader being a lesbian, but trust me, it works out better than you expect in the end.
I was almost as fascinated by the author's notes at the end of the book. They added another dimension of enjoyment that was quite unexpected and refreshing.
This is absolutely, definitely, without question going on my 'READ THIS AGAIN' pile!
Thanks to Bella and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thanks also to Sheryl Wright for an absorbing and entertaining novel.
June 15, 2022
3,5 stars
I strongly dislike the original setup Kara's siblings cooked up.
And to be clear I have no issues with Madeleine's role in it, it was a job. I'm mad at Kara's family members.
You just don't do this to people, especially not people with trust issues. And when someone says they're hurt (mentally, emotionally or physically) you don't just brush it off as them overreacting (yes, I'm talking mostly about Joanne's behaviour).
That being said, I liked both the MCs and considered them to be well matched.
Only other issue for me was the ending. I kinda got lost and I'm not sure what exactly happened on the last few pages.
All in all it was above average, but this author has written better books.
I strongly dislike the original setup Kara's siblings cooked up.
And to be clear I have no issues with Madeleine's role in it, it was a job. I'm mad at Kara's family members.
You just don't do this to people, especially not people with trust issues. And when someone says they're hurt (mentally, emotionally or physically) you don't just brush it off as them overreacting (yes, I'm talking mostly about Joanne's behaviour).
That being said, I liked both the MCs and considered them to be well matched.
Only other issue for me was the ending. I kinda got lost and I'm not sure what exactly happened on the last few pages.
All in all it was above average, but this author has written better books.
June 21, 2019
ARC received from Bella in exchange for an honest review.
I’ve not read Sheryl Wright and am not sure this was the right book for me to start with. This features MC Kara who is tired of fighting with her father over the path their business should go and is heading for the board meeting/conference in Las Vegas as the last thing she intends to do for the company. Her siblings and their spouse come up with an elaborate plan to give her a fake girlfriend to perk her up and get her back in the fighting spirit. Enter other MC Madeline, who needs the money to be able to start over again since her choreography career isn’t taking off as well as she’d like.
Usually I like fauxmances but this one didn’t hit the right chords for me. First, it’s different in that one of the MCs isn’t aware the romance is fake, which sets up the ‘wait til the other shoe drops’ thing, which is always a bit annoying because you have one eye on that until it happens. The whole premise was stupid too since the board thing didn’t even come down to a fight, her siblings could have just told her the plan for that and it still would have worked out that way.
Maddie and Kara had ok chemistry, at least in Las Vegas, but once the shoe is dropped both MCs spend more time (about the next third of the book) talking to their families (and in Maddie’s case Kara’s family as well) about what happened and not to each other. There’s also an injury injected just to reunite them and then for the last 1/5 of the book Maddie is waffling between Kara and some guy from New York, which was just tedious.
So, very uneven for me, when it worked, it was only in fits and starts. The two MCs needed to spend more time together, there needed to be way less time spent on the way the women in the story let men treat them badly and the family issues were also uneven. The writing was also a bit weird, lots of ‘my dear’ and it felt a bit antiquated.
Can’t say this grabbed me. 2.5 stars, but I’ve rounded down because this won’t be a re-read for me.
I’ve not read Sheryl Wright and am not sure this was the right book for me to start with. This features MC Kara who is tired of fighting with her father over the path their business should go and is heading for the board meeting/conference in Las Vegas as the last thing she intends to do for the company. Her siblings and their spouse come up with an elaborate plan to give her a fake girlfriend to perk her up and get her back in the fighting spirit. Enter other MC Madeline, who needs the money to be able to start over again since her choreography career isn’t taking off as well as she’d like.
Usually I like fauxmances but this one didn’t hit the right chords for me. First, it’s different in that one of the MCs isn’t aware the romance is fake, which sets up the ‘wait til the other shoe drops’ thing, which is always a bit annoying because you have one eye on that until it happens. The whole premise was stupid too since the board thing didn’t even come down to a fight, her siblings could have just told her the plan for that and it still would have worked out that way.
Maddie and Kara had ok chemistry, at least in Las Vegas, but once the shoe is dropped both MCs spend more time (about the next third of the book) talking to their families (and in Maddie’s case Kara’s family as well) about what happened and not to each other. There’s also an injury injected just to reunite them and then for the last 1/5 of the book Maddie is waffling between Kara and some guy from New York, which was just tedious.
So, very uneven for me, when it worked, it was only in fits and starts. The two MCs needed to spend more time together, there needed to be way less time spent on the way the women in the story let men treat them badly and the family issues were also uneven. The writing was also a bit weird, lots of ‘my dear’ and it felt a bit antiquated.
Can’t say this grabbed me. 2.5 stars, but I’ve rounded down because this won’t be a re-read for me.
June 21, 2019
This is the another entry on the typical lesfic fauxmance trope. In this particular flavor, a businesswoman's siblings arrange the "girlfriend experience" for their sister in order to...get back her mojo(?)...in order to convince the board of directors to displace her father as CEO of their firm. And here we go with issue number one that I had--in what world does this scheme sound like a good or reasonable idea? It was explained multiple times throughout the book, but I still don't understand how it was meant to work. Literally the explanation was to get "her mojo back" to take on the board, but she never actually has to do that. She shows up to the meeting, is silent, and there is a certain outcome. So essentially the driving factor of the book's setup has a zero factor. Next up let's talk about the romance aspect. Parts of that were working fine for me, but most of it didn't due to the author's bizarre style choice to tell and not show the MCs becoming emotionally (not to mention physically) closer but then reference their long, meaningful conversations in detail much later with secondary characters or skip over a first kiss and casually mention in later chapters previous make out sessions. All of this would have done wonders to help establish a growing relationship in "real time". Pacing was also a trouble for me--the fauxmance occurs and is completed within the first third of the book or so and then it turns to the irritating "soul searching" portion which seemed to drag and drag. Alone, these characters and their jobs just weren't interesting enough to care about. Even when they do rejoin, there aren't the same sparks or chemistry that existed in the earlier chapters. Two final gripes--there was a lot (and I mean A LOT) of emphasis on physical looks and beauty to the point of it being distracting and then an equally irritating amount of male deprecation. Almost every male character comes across as a piece of shit and the "straight" MC essentially decides she's a lesbian because she's not valued by men. It's a weird and discomfiting theme the author draws through the entire book for this character. In fact, the more I think about it, the more I dislike both MCs.
ARC provided by NetGalley
ARC provided by NetGalley
June 26, 2019
Kara is set to take over the board of her family's advertising company, but she'd tired of dealing with her Father, who stuck in the past. She wants to resign, but her siblings convince her to go on one last business trip, and meet with the board at the end of the trip. If she still hates it, her siblings are willing to let her resign. But without Kara's knowledge, her siblings hire an entertainer, Madeline, to kick Kara out of her funk and make her happy so that she might stay at the company. The two women grow closer, but when the week is over Madeline's contract says she can't contact Kara again. But was their relationship ever real? Will the two women ever reconnect to find out just hw real it could have been?
I really loved both characters. Kara's evolution was lovely to witness, how she became the woman she was meant to be, and how she came to realize she was deserving or love. The supporting characters were all really engaging was well. The romance was just adorable, so cute. The first half of the book was very engaging and entertaining while Kara and Madeline interacted. However, the second half of the book was a lot more introspective and slow and the ending dragged a lot. In this part the paragraphs were super long, with lots of introspective but not enough balance with dialogue and no conversations I got a little bogged down and wanted to skim.
I did love the little hometown Canada tie!
I received an ARC from BSB in exchange for an honest review.
I really loved both characters. Kara's evolution was lovely to witness, how she became the woman she was meant to be, and how she came to realize she was deserving or love. The supporting characters were all really engaging was well. The romance was just adorable, so cute. The first half of the book was very engaging and entertaining while Kara and Madeline interacted. However, the second half of the book was a lot more introspective and slow and the ending dragged a lot. In this part the paragraphs were super long, with lots of introspective but not enough balance with dialogue and no conversations I got a little bogged down and wanted to skim.
I did love the little hometown Canada tie!
I received an ARC from BSB in exchange for an honest review.
June 30, 2019
1.5 Stars. This book was all over the place. This book is about Kara Wexler, an executive at her father's company in Toronto. She has to decide if she wants to be the CEO in a few days while attending a conference in Vegas. In Vegas, she meets Madeleine Jessepp, a woman hired to meet and spend time with her. Madeline is hired by Kara's siblings since they think Kara needs to relax and enjoy her time in Vegas. Madeline is doing this job before moving back to the Midwest. Madeline is straight and has never dated a woman before. Madeline and Kara start to go out and Madeline sees Kara as something special.
I thought this book was all over the place. I thought Madeline and Kara's interactions ramped up too quickly. They went from barely knowing each other to being in love in a very short period of time. The beginning of the book stressed that Madeline was straight and it never really felt like she was or that it made a difference. This book did not have good ramp up between the two characters. It was muddled and confusing and I did not like the story line at all, it dragged a lot. Madeline and Kara spent a lot of time apart and it did not make a lot of sense. The distance made them unsure about their relationship, but it seemed unnecessary in the context of the book. Madeline seemed to fall for Kara so quickly and within a couple days of barely spending time together, I do not recommend this book at all. It was not good.
I thought this book was all over the place. I thought Madeline and Kara's interactions ramped up too quickly. They went from barely knowing each other to being in love in a very short period of time. The beginning of the book stressed that Madeline was straight and it never really felt like she was or that it made a difference. This book did not have good ramp up between the two characters. It was muddled and confusing and I did not like the story line at all, it dragged a lot. Madeline and Kara spent a lot of time apart and it did not make a lot of sense. The distance made them unsure about their relationship, but it seemed unnecessary in the context of the book. Madeline seemed to fall for Kara so quickly and within a couple days of barely spending time together, I do not recommend this book at all. It was not good.
July 14, 2019
2.5. Cause and Affection is the story of Kara, who is on the verge of quitting her family's advertising company because of her father's backward leadership, and Madeleine, an actress whose ten years in Las Vegas haven't lived up to her expectations. As a final job, she agrees to pretend to be interested in Kara. It's the company's annual conference, and Kara's siblings and their spouses have cooked up a plan to give her more confidence (through gaining Madeleine's affection) in order to keep her from quitting and instead push her toward taking over the company. Even though Madeleine is straight, she finds herself drawn to Kara beyond the script she's been given to work with.
I requested this because I like fake romance stories, but that ended up not being the biggest draw for me. I really enjoyed the business scenes because they gave us more insight into Kara. They also incorporated Kara's family, whom I liked, although Joanne confused me a little. She's the baby of the family and their dad's favorite, so she doesn't often stick up for Kara, which I found to be frustrating. And her husband's character is portrayed as kind of dumb and sycophantic toward his father-in-law, but he's never truly fleshed out.
The biggest problem for me was a lot happened off the page, even Kara and Madeleine's first kiss, which felt like an odd choice. Their relationship progressed much too fast and then they were split up and brought back together through an event that stretched my belief. It seemed like Wright wanted to pack a lot into the book, but it ended up being too much and topics couldn't be delved into deeply, which made for an uneven read. Overall, I'm lukewarm on this one, but I wouldn't say no to reading more by Wright.
I requested this because I like fake romance stories, but that ended up not being the biggest draw for me. I really enjoyed the business scenes because they gave us more insight into Kara. They also incorporated Kara's family, whom I liked, although Joanne confused me a little. She's the baby of the family and their dad's favorite, so she doesn't often stick up for Kara, which I found to be frustrating. And her husband's character is portrayed as kind of dumb and sycophantic toward his father-in-law, but he's never truly fleshed out.
The biggest problem for me was a lot happened off the page, even Kara and Madeleine's first kiss, which felt like an odd choice. Their relationship progressed much too fast and then they were split up and brought back together through an event that stretched my belief. It seemed like Wright wanted to pack a lot into the book, but it ended up being too much and topics couldn't be delved into deeply, which made for an uneven read. Overall, I'm lukewarm on this one, but I wouldn't say no to reading more by Wright.
June 30, 2019
I couldn’t bring myself to give this book only two stars. I give it two and a half, but rounded it up to three.
The overall story is okay and the characters mostly likable. I had issues with the writing and editing (I hope the editing errors like using the word edition instead of addition were corrected in the final book).
What really bothered me is the ending. Things just trailed off in different directions and never finished some major storylines.
When they went shopping for her dress they were going to do something and never did. Then it jumped to an office meeting that seemed so out of place and was never resolved.
If this was a paperback, I would have felt as if someone had ripped out a couple of chapters from the book. Where’d they go?
I appreciate the ARC from the publisher, but my honest opinion is this book needed some serious editing and rewrites.
The overall story is okay and the characters mostly likable. I had issues with the writing and editing (I hope the editing errors like using the word edition instead of addition were corrected in the final book).
What really bothered me is the ending. Things just trailed off in different directions and never finished some major storylines.
When they went shopping for her dress they were going to do something and never did. Then it jumped to an office meeting that seemed so out of place and was never resolved.
If this was a paperback, I would have felt as if someone had ripped out a couple of chapters from the book. Where’d they go?
I appreciate the ARC from the publisher, but my honest opinion is this book needed some serious editing and rewrites.
June 21, 2019
An honest review thanks to NetGalley. This was a good read, I liked the idea of the arranged contract and it was a fun read as they started to fall for each other. Though once they both left Las Vegas I felt as if the story fell apart. I didn't believe that they were in love anymore and the constant insecurities and no communication caused irritation as a reader. I really did like the first half of the book, if the rest of the novel was as good as the first half this would have been an outstanding read.
June 2, 2019
The writing was good and you can see really that the author did research in some subjects mentioned in the book or had experience. The story was nice as well, but somehow I thought everything was easy, her family loved her and madeline. defended both. for god sake her own mother defended Madeleine ! it felt too fluffy for me. I also felt confused while reading. I had to read the same page over and over just to know who was taking or thinking.. not to mention I could not follow some of the flow in the story. it could be me thought.
I did skip parts at the end when it got too long.
thank you author and her team for giving me the opportunity to read this for free in exchange of my honest opinion.
I did skip parts at the end when it got too long.
thank you author and her team for giving me the opportunity to read this for free in exchange of my honest opinion.
June 3, 2019
I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.
Kara said she had enough and decide to resign from her family company because she tire of being under her father thumb and fighting him at every turn.
Her siblings Joanne and Doug are desperately trying stop her from quitting because they know she can turn their family company around and Doug doesn't have the desire to be CEO and that what their father wants.
So Joanne and Doug decide to concoct a plan to get Kara her groove back so while they are in Las Vegas they plan to give Kara a dream girlfriend experience to help her find the happiness she use to have and her prepare for a board meeting with their company.
Madeline moved to Las Vegas to become actress but after years of being in Vegas her career never took off so when her manger Franco talk her into being a fantasy dream girl she say yes because she needs the money to head back home to Minnesota.
I like Kara and Madeline their chemistry was great and organic not force love how Madeline kept going off script and Kara knew she was straight but like spending time with her and Madeline questioning her feelings because she never been attract to a woman before.
I love how Kara mother is blunt doesn't sugar-coated her words her father is,a trip and I was happy when Kara punches him because he really deserve it and how he do anything to not have Kara CEO of the company.
Kara said she had enough and decide to resign from her family company because she tire of being under her father thumb and fighting him at every turn.
Her siblings Joanne and Doug are desperately trying stop her from quitting because they know she can turn their family company around and Doug doesn't have the desire to be CEO and that what their father wants.
So Joanne and Doug decide to concoct a plan to get Kara her groove back so while they are in Las Vegas they plan to give Kara a dream girlfriend experience to help her find the happiness she use to have and her prepare for a board meeting with their company.
Madeline moved to Las Vegas to become actress but after years of being in Vegas her career never took off so when her manger Franco talk her into being a fantasy dream girl she say yes because she needs the money to head back home to Minnesota.
I like Kara and Madeline their chemistry was great and organic not force love how Madeline kept going off script and Kara knew she was straight but like spending time with her and Madeline questioning her feelings because she never been attract to a woman before.
I love how Kara mother is blunt doesn't sugar-coated her words her father is,a trip and I was happy when Kara punches him because he really deserve it and how he do anything to not have Kara CEO of the company.
June 18, 2019
I have come to expect intelligent, flawless writing from this author, and this latest book does not disappoint. As with her other books, this one is well-populated, but everyone has a role to play. No extraneous characters.
Kara Wexler is the daughter of a business executive and the time for her to breathe new life into her father's corporation has come. The trouble is, she is undecided as to whether she should continue with the corporation or branch out on her own, taking much of the talent in her father's corportation with her.
Madeleine Jessepp is an actor, singer and choreographer whose latest assignment is to befriend Kara and convince her to go for broke and chance an election to chairman and president of Wexler-Oglethorpe.
Kara and Madeleine meet in Las Vegas, the site of the annual stockholders' meeting and the election to decide who will head the corporation. The trouble starts when Madeleine, a heretofore straight woman, befriends Kara and falls for her, which was not in her plans at all. Kara, from Toronto and Madeleine from Minnesota have some serious decisions to make.
Kara's family figures prominently in the story, as do Madeleine's parents. Each of them have opinions and a stake in the decisions made by the two women.
This is so well-written and compelling that I wanted to both find out what would happen next and didn't want it to end!
I was given an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
June 12, 2019
My first time reading a Sheryl Wright book and if her other work is anything like Cause and Affection then this won't be my last.
Really loved the whole concept of this story, as soon as I read the synopsis I was excited and to be honest once I started the book I wasn't disappointed.
Kara and Madeleine who are both great characters, you can feel the chemistry between the two, which leads to some sexy scenes between the two.
The story is well written and enjoyable to read
Would I recommend this book ......Yes
Really loved the whole concept of this story, as soon as I read the synopsis I was excited and to be honest once I started the book I wasn't disappointed.
Kara and Madeleine who are both great characters, you can feel the chemistry between the two, which leads to some sexy scenes between the two.
The story is well written and enjoyable to read
Would I recommend this book ......Yes
January 17, 2020
This tale is an unusual take on the fake relationship genre. Given the subterfuge involved any path to a real relationship seems destined to be awkward. Fortunately that is not the case here. The story is engaging with a full set of interesting supporting characters. The trip is a bit tortuous in spots, but in the end Kara and Madeleine achieve their HEA in a (mostly) believable way.
July 22, 2019
Excellent!
I loved Cause and Affection. I loved the reality of the whole premise. I could actually imagine siblings doing something like this. Great story. Could we have a follow up or a sequel, please?
I loved Cause and Affection. I loved the reality of the whole premise. I could actually imagine siblings doing something like this. Great story. Could we have a follow up or a sequel, please?
September 10, 2020
I recommend this book
I really enjoyed this book. The characters are very likeable and well developed. The romance between two main characters is very sweet. I have read other books by this author and have enjoyed them all. Thanks for another winner.
I really enjoyed this book. The characters are very likeable and well developed. The romance between two main characters is very sweet. I have read other books by this author and have enjoyed them all. Thanks for another winner.
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