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Chick Flick Clique Romantic Comedy #1
Pride and Precipitation
Breezy Jones is crazy about the weather, rain or shine, which makes her job as the local television station’s meteorologist perfect. She’s even hoping the new buyers of her Aspen Grove station will make some positive changes.
That’s before she meets the attractive new general manager, Noah Drake, who is determined to repackage everything—including Breezy’s down-home delivery and casual, girl-next-door appearance that seems too Pollyanna for him. He replaces her with a high-powered diva weathercaster and makes Breezy her off-screen assistant.
With a flood of angry emails from the community, plummeting ratings, and incessant demands from the diva, it doesn’t take long for Noah to see which way the wind is blowing.
Will the station survive the competitive clash between pride and precipitation?
More importantly, can their blossoming attraction survive?
This is a novella of about 170 pages. The paperback version will be available soon.
That’s before she meets the attractive new general manager, Noah Drake, who is determined to repackage everything—including Breezy’s down-home delivery and casual, girl-next-door appearance that seems too Pollyanna for him. He replaces her with a high-powered diva weathercaster and makes Breezy her off-screen assistant.
With a flood of angry emails from the community, plummeting ratings, and incessant demands from the diva, it doesn’t take long for Noah to see which way the wind is blowing.
Will the station survive the competitive clash between pride and precipitation?
More importantly, can their blossoming attraction survive?
This is a novella of about 170 pages. The paperback version will be available soon.
199 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 11, 2012
765 people are currently reading
906 people want to read
About the author
Heather Horrocks
101 books244 followersI’m an author who had a somewhat unorthodox upbringing. I was raised in South America and the Middle East, and wrote my first stories as a teenager in Kuwait, where my sister and I proved it really is hot enough to fry an egg on the sidewalk. I wrote my first novel in three months on a typewriter when I was 21, I used every romance cliché possible (including amnesia — need I say more?), and never rewrote anything, which is why it’s so much fun to pull it out occasionally when I need a good laugh. I wrote sporadically until my youngest child (who is now 18) was two, when I decided it was time to either actually start writing, or to stop saying I was a writer. So I took a class and started doing the scary things that writing requires. Now I’ve written about twelve novels and several children’s books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 207 reviews
January 2, 2018
Breezy (Breanne) Jones is a 28-year-old meteorologist who is the weathergirl for he news team at KWAC TV in Aspen Grove, California. She's literally grown up in the newsroom there, as the previous weathercaster was her father. The community loves her sweet, girl-next-door style of delivering the news and she loves the community back, with no desire to ever live elsewhere. She already has her dream job here.
Noah Drake becomes the new station manager when KWAC is sold. He and his assistant general manager, Gabe Weston, have a reputation that has earned them the nickname "The Firing Squad." Breezy, the eternal optimist, is determined to remain positive... until she overhears him referring to her as "Pollyanna" in the most negative sense of the term.
The Pride and Prejudice parallels are obvious, especially when the sexy Pamela Gladstone (Hurricane Pamela) shows up with a very Caroline Bingley-like attitude toward the "peasants" she works with, aside from Noah. Breezy's mother is quite Mrs. Bennet-like in her desire to see her daughter married. However, this book also deviates significantly from P&P, so there's no predicting exactly how things will play out.
There are a couple of homonym-type misspellings (born/borne and another one or two others I can't specifically recall), but otherwise the writing is quite good. Ms. Horrocks does a nice job of creating a hometown feeling in Aspen Grove; the reader gets a Bedford Falls (It's A Wonderful Life) sense about the place.
She introduces a number of characters who will obviously continue throughout this series of books. Unfortunately, many of them don't figure much into this plot, and there are too many to remember if you're reading this as a stand-alone.
Among the stand-out supporting players here: Andrew North is a surfer-dude who's Breezy's ex-boyfriend. Candy Kane(!!) is proprietor of Candy's Cafe hosting Chick Flick Clique movie nights every Wednesday with Breezy and her friends.
I really like the dynamics between Noah and Breezy. There's a nice spark between them, both in their conversations and physically. She's immediately attracted to him and often struggles to maintain her dislike for him personally despite her abhorrence for what he's doing to her beloved news office. Meanwhile, Noah quickly recognizes that he underestimated Breezy and that he'd REALLY like to go out with her. He hates having Pamela around poisoning the work atmosphere at the station, but his hands are tied by the firm directives of the station owner, Mr. Bentley.
I do find it hard to believe that Noah would interview any of his employees, and surely not an on-air personality, without thoroughly reviewing their HR files. Instead, Breezy's qualifications surprise him, which is ridiculous. The author could achieve the same effect sticking to Breezy's much-younger-than-her-age appearance and her unsophisticated approach to delivering the news.
Onerall, this book has a very pleasant, wholesome quality. Content is clean and Biblical-type morals are demonstrated, yet there are glimpses of the darker side of humanity in the real world. Despite its flaws, I really liked it.
Noah Drake becomes the new station manager when KWAC is sold. He and his assistant general manager, Gabe Weston, have a reputation that has earned them the nickname "The Firing Squad." Breezy, the eternal optimist, is determined to remain positive... until she overhears him referring to her as "Pollyanna" in the most negative sense of the term.
The Pride and Prejudice parallels are obvious, especially when the sexy Pamela Gladstone (Hurricane Pamela) shows up with a very Caroline Bingley-like attitude toward the "peasants" she works with, aside from Noah. Breezy's mother is quite Mrs. Bennet-like in her desire to see her daughter married. However, this book also deviates significantly from P&P, so there's no predicting exactly how things will play out.
There are a couple of homonym-type misspellings (born/borne and another one or two others I can't specifically recall), but otherwise the writing is quite good. Ms. Horrocks does a nice job of creating a hometown feeling in Aspen Grove; the reader gets a Bedford Falls (It's A Wonderful Life) sense about the place.
She introduces a number of characters who will obviously continue throughout this series of books. Unfortunately, many of them don't figure much into this plot, and there are too many to remember if you're reading this as a stand-alone.
Among the stand-out supporting players here: Andrew North is a surfer-dude who's Breezy's ex-boyfriend. Candy Kane(!!) is proprietor of Candy's Cafe hosting Chick Flick Clique movie nights every Wednesday with Breezy and her friends.
I really like the dynamics between Noah and Breezy. There's a nice spark between them, both in their conversations and physically. She's immediately attracted to him and often struggles to maintain her dislike for him personally despite her abhorrence for what he's doing to her beloved news office. Meanwhile, Noah quickly recognizes that he underestimated Breezy and that he'd REALLY like to go out with her. He hates having Pamela around poisoning the work atmosphere at the station, but his hands are tied by the firm directives of the station owner, Mr. Bentley.
I do find it hard to believe that Noah would interview any of his employees, and surely not an on-air personality, without thoroughly reviewing their HR files. Instead, Breezy's qualifications surprise him, which is ridiculous. The author could achieve the same effect sticking to Breezy's much-younger-than-her-age appearance and her unsophisticated approach to delivering the news.
Onerall, this book has a very pleasant, wholesome quality. Content is clean and Biblical-type morals are demonstrated, yet there are glimpses of the darker side of humanity in the real world. Despite its flaws, I really liked it.
December 21, 2017
“Weather forecast for tonight: dark.” George Carlin
Breanne “Breezy” Jones is a meteorologist with several degrees and a masters under her belt. She is the local weather girl for KWAC. She is following in the footsteps of her father [Arthur] who did the weather for 30-years in the small community of Aspen Grove, California.
This was a cute short story that can be read in one sitting. It was clean and had that small town feel with friends that Breezy went to school with and had remained friends even after school. She is in her late 20s and has a good relationship with her parents. Her mother [Emily] is a Mrs. Bennet type of ditzy with her father hiding behind his paper in his retirement. She has a younger sister that drives her crazy but we don’t have to deal with her.
The parent company sends a new general manager, Noah Drake [our Darcy type], to change up the station in hopes of raising the ratings. Throughout the networks, Drake and his team are known as the Firing Squad.
The owner wants Drake to create a new look for his station. Specifically, one Pamela Gladstone [a Caroline Bingley clone] who is a sexy, bombshell weathercaster chosen to replace the wholesome Breezy on the air. Pamela knows nothing about forecasting. She just reads what is on the teleprompter. When Breezy is demoted to Pamela’s assistant and slated to do the forecasting for her… things start going downhill.
“Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine.” Anthony J. D’Angelo
We have our snide remark that Breezy overhears. Drake finds out later that she heard his remark and the morale situation at the station becomes strained at best. Breezy’s bright and sunny disposition is missed by her loyal fans and when the negative fan mail arrives and the ratings start falling… Pamela starts making demands of her own. Get rid of Breezy.
This was a free offer through Amazon.
“Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather.” John Ruskin
Breanne “Breezy” Jones is a meteorologist with several degrees and a masters under her belt. She is the local weather girl for KWAC. She is following in the footsteps of her father [Arthur] who did the weather for 30-years in the small community of Aspen Grove, California.
This was a cute short story that can be read in one sitting. It was clean and had that small town feel with friends that Breezy went to school with and had remained friends even after school. She is in her late 20s and has a good relationship with her parents. Her mother [Emily] is a Mrs. Bennet type of ditzy with her father hiding behind his paper in his retirement. She has a younger sister that drives her crazy but we don’t have to deal with her.
The parent company sends a new general manager, Noah Drake [our Darcy type], to change up the station in hopes of raising the ratings. Throughout the networks, Drake and his team are known as the Firing Squad.
The owner wants Drake to create a new look for his station. Specifically, one Pamela Gladstone [a Caroline Bingley clone] who is a sexy, bombshell weathercaster chosen to replace the wholesome Breezy on the air. Pamela knows nothing about forecasting. She just reads what is on the teleprompter. When Breezy is demoted to Pamela’s assistant and slated to do the forecasting for her… things start going downhill.
“Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine.” Anthony J. D’Angelo
We have our snide remark that Breezy overhears. Drake finds out later that she heard his remark and the morale situation at the station becomes strained at best. Breezy’s bright and sunny disposition is missed by her loyal fans and when the negative fan mail arrives and the ratings start falling… Pamela starts making demands of her own. Get rid of Breezy.
This was a free offer through Amazon.
“Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather.” John Ruskin
July 29, 2018
An utterly blah romantic comedy with a literal Mary-Sue main character, a hero with very little personality of his own, and some insta-attraction. It was clean, fluffy, and nothing to write home about. I mean, the main character's name is Breezy. And she works in weather. Get it.
That said, not a bad book. It kept it clean and sweet. This would be a solid two star but I'm bumping it up to 3 stars because I have read so many Pride and Prejudice retellings gone wrong that it was refreshing to find one gone right. The author doesn't force characters or plot points into the story because they mirror the original. In fact, this book stands on its own and pays only light homage to Austen. I found it an unlooked for plus.
That said, not a bad book. It kept it clean and sweet. This would be a solid two star but I'm bumping it up to 3 stars because I have read so many Pride and Prejudice retellings gone wrong that it was refreshing to find one gone right. The author doesn't force characters or plot points into the story because they mirror the original. In fact, this book stands on its own and pays only light homage to Austen. I found it an unlooked for plus.
May 5, 2019
Contemporary romance, influenced by Pride and Prejudice.
Sweet, romantic and hilariously funny!
A light and airy read that I heartily enjoyed.
Rated: Chaste
Breezy was the weather girl at the local news station. The station was sold and the new manager was handsome and the attraction was instant, at least until he called her "Polyanna" which Mr Google informed was a happy-go-lucky girl from children books. Being deemed a little too "the girl next door", did not sit well with Breezy. Noah Drake fell further in her estimation when she was replaced on the screen by the sassy Pamela. Reduced to handing her forecasts over to the unpalatable lady while being at her back and call made for an even less desirable situation. The alternative being leaving Aspen Grove and her wonderful friends behind, in search for another job was the only thing less desirable...
This was a fun and heart-warming book, that left me thoroughly entertained. Heartily recommend!
Sweet, romantic and hilariously funny!
A light and airy read that I heartily enjoyed.
Rated: Chaste
Breezy was the weather girl at the local news station. The station was sold and the new manager was handsome and the attraction was instant, at least until he called her "Polyanna" which Mr Google informed was a happy-go-lucky girl from children books. Being deemed a little too "the girl next door", did not sit well with Breezy. Noah Drake fell further in her estimation when she was replaced on the screen by the sassy Pamela. Reduced to handing her forecasts over to the unpalatable lady while being at her back and call made for an even less desirable situation. The alternative being leaving Aspen Grove and her wonderful friends behind, in search for another job was the only thing less desirable...
This was a fun and heart-warming book, that left me thoroughly entertained. Heartily recommend!
December 19, 2017
It is a piece of fluff, but for a lazy summer afternoon with nothing much on my mind - it kept my attention. Clean with a nod to Pride and Prejudice as the local girls' club chooses P&P with Colin Firth for their regular movie night get together.
Breezy, our local weather girl (with Master's degree in her field) is "goody-two-shoes" as far as the new TV station manager is concerned until she starts to "unbutton" and gains his attention. Then there are all those e-mails and voices from the hall saying how "hot" she is!
But her rule is don't mix business with pleasure. Can he convince her to break that rule? And can he prevent "Hurricane Pamela" from raining on his parade?
Breezy, our local weather girl (with Master's degree in her field) is "goody-two-shoes" as far as the new TV station manager is concerned until she starts to "unbutton" and gains his attention. Then there are all those e-mails and voices from the hall saying how "hot" she is!
But her rule is don't mix business with pleasure. Can he convince her to break that rule? And can he prevent "Hurricane Pamela" from raining on his parade?
March 28, 2020
Pride and Precipitation isn’t so much a Pride and Prejudice modernization but a P&P inspired story as both the characters and the storyline are quite different from Austen’s novel. There are some similarities for sure, but it certainly cannot be considered a modernization of the story.
In this chick flick novel the main character is Breezy Jones, a meteorologist who is the weathergirl for the news team at KWAC TV in Aspen Grove. She is kind, funny and everyone in town loves her but her life changes when Noah Drake, the new station manager, removes her from her position as weathergirl to have Pamela Gladstone, a sexier hollywodesque version replace her on that position.
Their relationship deteriorates even more after she hears him call her Pollyanna, a clear reference to the Meryton Assembly remark, and just like in Pride and Prejudice these two characters will have to get to know each other better, to leave the prejudice behind, and find true happiness. The road to happiness is long but less bumpier than Pride and Prejudice, especially because this is the epitome of a romcom novel.
It is a light entertaining read, with several movie references, that may be even more appealing to American readers, who may be able to identify with the characters lifestyle and habits.
I enjoyed the small town feel, the events and places we visited throughout the book, the girlish talk between Breezy and her friends and her parents personalities which resembled Mr. and Mrs. Bennet, but I wasn’t captivated by the main characters, especially Breezy, and because of that the book didn’t stand out for me.
It is a fun, sweet romance that readers may enjoy, especially if they are into chick flick lit. I would only recommend it to readers if this is a genre they love though, if not, I believe it will not meet the expectations.
In this chick flick novel the main character is Breezy Jones, a meteorologist who is the weathergirl for the news team at KWAC TV in Aspen Grove. She is kind, funny and everyone in town loves her but her life changes when Noah Drake, the new station manager, removes her from her position as weathergirl to have Pamela Gladstone, a sexier hollywodesque version replace her on that position.
Their relationship deteriorates even more after she hears him call her Pollyanna, a clear reference to the Meryton Assembly remark, and just like in Pride and Prejudice these two characters will have to get to know each other better, to leave the prejudice behind, and find true happiness. The road to happiness is long but less bumpier than Pride and Prejudice, especially because this is the epitome of a romcom novel.
It is a light entertaining read, with several movie references, that may be even more appealing to American readers, who may be able to identify with the characters lifestyle and habits.
I enjoyed the small town feel, the events and places we visited throughout the book, the girlish talk between Breezy and her friends and her parents personalities which resembled Mr. and Mrs. Bennet, but I wasn’t captivated by the main characters, especially Breezy, and because of that the book didn’t stand out for me.
It is a fun, sweet romance that readers may enjoy, especially if they are into chick flick lit. I would only recommend it to readers if this is a genre they love though, if not, I believe it will not meet the expectations.
February 3, 2014
This was an OK read. It's supposed to be book one in a series about a quirky group of friends, but the friends added little to the story. It felt like their characters were there just so she could write other stories about them later. My other pet peeve was that they kept talking about how the main character wasn't "sexy" and the love interest wasn't into her until he saw her as such. I'm not a fan if that word and it's connotation that a woman's primary value is in her sex appeal. That's just me though:-)
February 7, 2019
Cute, cheesy and enjoyable. The characters are fluffy but likeable and the plot was engaging and sunny. Great chick-lit.
June 25, 2020
(In case you were wondering, this book contains innuendos, pop culture references, instalove, and vomit-inducing "romance")
I found this on my shelf because I guess I'd downloaded it at some point. It must have been free because I refuse to spend money on books I haven't read, and after reading it, I'm not surprised Amazon was giving it away. I mean, when a book summary starts out with, "PG-RATED FUN that's been professionally edited," you're not exactly expecting quality. I knew not to have high hopes for this, but I thought it'd be a cute, somewhat corny retelling that might help pass a lazy quarantine day. Spoiler alert: it wasn't.
It started out fairly promising with allusions to Mrs. Bennett's nerves (complaints that people are going to give her a heart attack) and an overheard insult...and then it all went downhill from there. It's hard to find similarities between Pride and Prejudice and whatever this was. Breezy started out as a cutesy, cheery protagonist who read more like some weird Mary Sue than any reincarnation of Elizabeth Bennett. I think the problem was that Horrocks treated Pride and Prejudice as a simple love-hate relationship, so we ended up with some weird generic chick-flick-like story instead of anything resembling the supposed source material. The book is filled with instalove, a Cinderella makeover from schoolgirl to sexy (yes, that's how she's described), and cringe-worthy writing and romance (see examples in my status updates below).
I'm guessing Heather Horrocks is a "USA Today Bestselling Author" because her books are free, so it "sells" a lot. I'm all for taking advantage of freebies, but do yourself a favor and give this one a hard pass. As much as I love finishing terrible book series, I won't be keeping up with the Chick Flick Clique.
I found this on my shelf because I guess I'd downloaded it at some point. It must have been free because I refuse to spend money on books I haven't read, and after reading it, I'm not surprised Amazon was giving it away. I mean, when a book summary starts out with, "PG-RATED FUN that's been professionally edited," you're not exactly expecting quality. I knew not to have high hopes for this, but I thought it'd be a cute, somewhat corny retelling that might help pass a lazy quarantine day. Spoiler alert: it wasn't.
It started out fairly promising with allusions to Mrs. Bennett's nerves (complaints that people are going to give her a heart attack) and an overheard insult...and then it all went downhill from there. It's hard to find similarities between Pride and Prejudice and whatever this was. Breezy started out as a cutesy, cheery protagonist who read more like some weird Mary Sue than any reincarnation of Elizabeth Bennett. I think the problem was that Horrocks treated Pride and Prejudice as a simple love-hate relationship, so we ended up with some weird generic chick-flick-like story instead of anything resembling the supposed source material. The book is filled with instalove, a Cinderella makeover from schoolgirl to sexy (yes, that's how she's described), and cringe-worthy writing and romance (see examples in my status updates below).
I'm guessing Heather Horrocks is a "USA Today Bestselling Author" because her books are free, so it "sells" a lot. I'm all for taking advantage of freebies, but do yourself a favor and give this one a hard pass. As much as I love finishing terrible book series, I won't be keeping up with the Chick Flick Clique.
March 10, 2021
Meh
Not a fun light hearted modern take on a great classic. There was zero character development, a flimsy plot and an anaemic romance. Half the book was spent introducing the other characters who are doubtless featured in the sequels. The dialogue when the large group of women got together was often stilted, lacking the natural flow of real conversations. Finally, when Breezy and Noah 'realise' that they had fallen in love, it came as a complete surprise to me. They'd had only a handful of conversations alone, and most were in the context of work. I legitimately hadn't realised I was at the end of the book. I thought more was going to happen to develop the actual romance. Disappointing.
Not a fun light hearted modern take on a great classic. There was zero character development, a flimsy plot and an anaemic romance. Half the book was spent introducing the other characters who are doubtless featured in the sequels. The dialogue when the large group of women got together was often stilted, lacking the natural flow of real conversations. Finally, when Breezy and Noah 'realise' that they had fallen in love, it came as a complete surprise to me. They'd had only a handful of conversations alone, and most were in the context of work. I legitimately hadn't realised I was at the end of the book. I thought more was going to happen to develop the actual romance. Disappointing.
February 5, 2015
Not my favorite Heather Horrocks book
It was a sweet story up until about 61 percent (in the kindle book). Then the word "sexy" was so over used that it became a badly written story. I also wasn't impressed with the lead male who only seemed to be focused on her "sexuality". It was very distracting, and while it seemed that the author was trying to change Breezy's "Pollyanna" image into something grown up and "sexy", I didn't find it believable or a good read.
It was a sweet story up until about 61 percent (in the kindle book). Then the word "sexy" was so over used that it became a badly written story. I also wasn't impressed with the lead male who only seemed to be focused on her "sexuality". It was very distracting, and while it seemed that the author was trying to change Breezy's "Pollyanna" image into something grown up and "sexy", I didn't find it believable or a good read.
March 20, 2022
Cute and lite!
August 29, 2018
To be frankly honest, while I appreciated the cute romance, and I thought the retelling aspect was well-executed....this book had some issues. This is marketed as PG, but it really shouldn't be, rather, it's more like PG-13. I had hoped that this would be a nice light read, but finished the book in a rather foul mood. I somehow made it to the end, but I was really close to dropping it.
You'll see why in a minute:
RW Ratings:
Language: 4 stars. At least 3-5 instances of the word "hell", as in "workplace is hell".
Abuse: 5 stars.
Lust: 2 1/2 stars. Undoing buttons, and multiple mentions of having buttons undone, one character dresses grossly immodestly, a rampant theme of ditching modesty for sexiness, one character (female) attempts to seduce another character (male), harrasses him, and makes innumendos. While this last point is portrayed as bad, the rest is more positive. There is also talk of possession, revealing of sexual charms, etc.
What I liked:
1. Again, the P&P retelling was well-executed. I could easily pick up all the references to the original, but they were given a really great fresh twist.
2. The Chick Flick Clique. I love it, and wish I was part of a group like that. Horrocks did a wonderful job of portraying great female friend relationships.
3. Breezy. I actually liked her a lot, and how charming and feminine she really was. The only thing I didn't like was that she was willing to sacrifice that for her "dream job". And when she scared the crap out of Nathan by undoing her buttons like she did.
What I didn't like:
1. We didn't see much of Gabe. I mean, I know he's the sidekick, but...I would have liked to see more of him.
2. Pamela. What a man-shark. *shudders*
3. Nathan. WHAT A CLASS A JERK. Literally, he came close to downright ruining that TV station, AND Breezy. I was SO ANGRY at his treatment of Breezy quite a few times. Granted, he did have some redeeming points...but STILL. The fact that he didn't believe her credentials really drove me nuts.
4. THAT THEME I MENTIONED ABOVE.
Okay - major rant coming. You have been forewarned.
This book seemed to really drive the message that "To be modest, is to be childish". Like you can't be a "grown-up" woman and be modest.
I'M SORRY BUT THAT'S A BOLD FACED LIE.
Okay, I understand that Breezy had a "problem" with looking young. I GET THAT. I'm in my mid-twenties myself and I constantly get told I'm young looking for my age.
If the supposed makeover had stayed to just changing the hairstyle and maybe the makeup, I wouldn't have been so mad. But the gradual change into more clingy clothing and slightly lower necklines made me upset.
This change that she went over from "modest schoolgirl" to "sexy woman"...really burned me up. It's teaching girls that as long as they aren't scanty-clad, they won't incite lust. Let me tell you, that's a lie too. There's even a time when Nathan really wishes that Breezy had hidden her barely-revealed sexual charms during the ball scene!
LOOKS AREN'T EVERYTHING. TEACH GIRLS REFINED, FEMININE MODESTY IS GOOD AND THE RIGHT GUYS WILL BE ATTRACTED TO THEM FOR THE RIGHT REASONS.
Mainly because of the content that I mentioned above, I would not recommend that girls read this book, nor will I be continuing this series.
I'm also becoming very suspicious of writers that are USA TODAY Bestsellers. I've been burned by quite a few of these now....until their standards get out of the gutter, I'll probably be avoiding them as well!
You'll see why in a minute:
RW Ratings:
Language: 4 stars. At least 3-5 instances of the word "hell", as in "workplace is hell".
Abuse: 5 stars.
Lust: 2 1/2 stars. Undoing buttons, and multiple mentions of having buttons undone, one character dresses grossly immodestly, a rampant theme of ditching modesty for sexiness, one character (female) attempts to seduce another character (male), harrasses him, and makes innumendos. While this last point is portrayed as bad, the rest is more positive. There is also talk of possession, revealing of sexual charms, etc.
What I liked:
1. Again, the P&P retelling was well-executed. I could easily pick up all the references to the original, but they were given a really great fresh twist.
2. The Chick Flick Clique. I love it, and wish I was part of a group like that. Horrocks did a wonderful job of portraying great female friend relationships.
3. Breezy. I actually liked her a lot, and how charming and feminine she really was. The only thing I didn't like was that she was willing to sacrifice that for her "dream job". And when she scared the crap out of Nathan by undoing her buttons like she did.
What I didn't like:
1. We didn't see much of Gabe. I mean, I know he's the sidekick, but...I would have liked to see more of him.
2. Pamela. What a man-shark. *shudders*
3. Nathan. WHAT A CLASS A JERK. Literally, he came close to downright ruining that TV station, AND Breezy. I was SO ANGRY at his treatment of Breezy quite a few times. Granted, he did have some redeeming points...but STILL. The fact that he didn't believe her credentials really drove me nuts.
4. THAT THEME I MENTIONED ABOVE.
Okay - major rant coming. You have been forewarned.
This book seemed to really drive the message that "To be modest, is to be childish". Like you can't be a "grown-up" woman and be modest.
I'M SORRY BUT THAT'S A BOLD FACED LIE.
Okay, I understand that Breezy had a "problem" with looking young. I GET THAT. I'm in my mid-twenties myself and I constantly get told I'm young looking for my age.
If the supposed makeover had stayed to just changing the hairstyle and maybe the makeup, I wouldn't have been so mad. But the gradual change into more clingy clothing and slightly lower necklines made me upset.
This change that she went over from "modest schoolgirl" to "sexy woman"...really burned me up. It's teaching girls that as long as they aren't scanty-clad, they won't incite lust. Let me tell you, that's a lie too. There's even a time when Nathan really wishes that Breezy had hidden her barely-revealed sexual charms during the ball scene!
LOOKS AREN'T EVERYTHING. TEACH GIRLS REFINED, FEMININE MODESTY IS GOOD AND THE RIGHT GUYS WILL BE ATTRACTED TO THEM FOR THE RIGHT REASONS.
Mainly because of the content that I mentioned above, I would not recommend that girls read this book, nor will I be continuing this series.
I'm also becoming very suspicious of writers that are USA TODAY Bestsellers. I've been burned by quite a few of these now....until their standards get out of the gutter, I'll probably be avoiding them as well!
January 13, 2020
Delightful characters in a seriously funny romance
I tried out this cozy romance, because it was offered for free on Amazon Kindle and I liked the cute cover art. I was blown away (pun intended) by how much I enjoyed the story.
Normally, I am not one who reads romance strictly for romance’s sake. I commonly refer to that fluff as “chick porn,” because it induces the same influence on women as girlie magazines do for men: It gives them an air-brushed image of what true love is like and makes them desire what they don’t have and will probably never find. However, this author brought so much more than warm fuzzy feelings to the table, I couldn’t help falling in love with her story—storm clouds, blustery winds and all!
First, I loved the characters. Breanne, known by her friends as “Breezy,” is more than cute and perky; she knows her stuff about weather and cares deeply for her home town, friends and family. She’s the town and local TV station’s sweetheart and part of a close knit group of gals who share their lives and love of chick flicks every week. She had her heart broken once by a gorgeous and charming high school flame, so she’s cautious about misinterpreting the prevailing winds of romance brewing between herself and the handsome new boss at the station.
Noah Drake, sometimes called the “hatchet man” or “Drake the Snake,” is good at carrying out his boss’s orders and transforming new acquisitions to the broadcasting company to even more successful stations. He understands his own strengths and weaknesses well enough to rely on his assistant, Gabe, to help make the transitions go more smoothly. Nevertheless, he underestimates the depth of the weather girl’s character and finds himself sucked into a tempest, when he follows the boss’s orders to demote Breezy and replace her with a more sophisticated woman.
Second, the plot blows this way and that, with Breezy weighing the possibilities of sticking it out until the new gal leaves or finding a job away from the community and people she loves so she can continue her career as an award-winning meteorologist. She also wrestles with temptations to go back to her ex-boyfriend, Andrew, who’s back in town with his heart set on winning her back and proving he’s grown up, along with emotions that swirl every which way around Noah. Meanwhile, Noah keeps behaving with uncharacteristic magnanimity toward Breezy, but getting it all wrong—as her reactions and the dissatisfaction of the community attest. Rather than laying out everything about her characters and the story at the beginning, she lets them unfold naturally through the development of the plot.
Third, the author does a great job of weaving in details about weather forecasting, the broadcasting industry and other things that make the story interesting, educational and realistic.
Although this is part of a series, the author does a good job of wrapping up the elements pertaining to this story in a satisfying ending. It’s not cliche, nor entirely predictable. At the same time, she introduces the other gals in the series sufficiently that I am eager to see how she might handle their stories in their own books.
If you enjoy lighthearted romantic fiction that is not just fluff and stuff, you should give this book a try. The forecast is for fair skies and lots of sunshine if you do!
I tried out this cozy romance, because it was offered for free on Amazon Kindle and I liked the cute cover art. I was blown away (pun intended) by how much I enjoyed the story.
Normally, I am not one who reads romance strictly for romance’s sake. I commonly refer to that fluff as “chick porn,” because it induces the same influence on women as girlie magazines do for men: It gives them an air-brushed image of what true love is like and makes them desire what they don’t have and will probably never find. However, this author brought so much more than warm fuzzy feelings to the table, I couldn’t help falling in love with her story—storm clouds, blustery winds and all!
First, I loved the characters. Breanne, known by her friends as “Breezy,” is more than cute and perky; she knows her stuff about weather and cares deeply for her home town, friends and family. She’s the town and local TV station’s sweetheart and part of a close knit group of gals who share their lives and love of chick flicks every week. She had her heart broken once by a gorgeous and charming high school flame, so she’s cautious about misinterpreting the prevailing winds of romance brewing between herself and the handsome new boss at the station.
Noah Drake, sometimes called the “hatchet man” or “Drake the Snake,” is good at carrying out his boss’s orders and transforming new acquisitions to the broadcasting company to even more successful stations. He understands his own strengths and weaknesses well enough to rely on his assistant, Gabe, to help make the transitions go more smoothly. Nevertheless, he underestimates the depth of the weather girl’s character and finds himself sucked into a tempest, when he follows the boss’s orders to demote Breezy and replace her with a more sophisticated woman.
Second, the plot blows this way and that, with Breezy weighing the possibilities of sticking it out until the new gal leaves or finding a job away from the community and people she loves so she can continue her career as an award-winning meteorologist. She also wrestles with temptations to go back to her ex-boyfriend, Andrew, who’s back in town with his heart set on winning her back and proving he’s grown up, along with emotions that swirl every which way around Noah. Meanwhile, Noah keeps behaving with uncharacteristic magnanimity toward Breezy, but getting it all wrong—as her reactions and the dissatisfaction of the community attest. Rather than laying out everything about her characters and the story at the beginning, she lets them unfold naturally through the development of the plot.
Third, the author does a great job of weaving in details about weather forecasting, the broadcasting industry and other things that make the story interesting, educational and realistic.
Although this is part of a series, the author does a good job of wrapping up the elements pertaining to this story in a satisfying ending. It’s not cliche, nor entirely predictable. At the same time, she introduces the other gals in the series sufficiently that I am eager to see how she might handle their stories in their own books.
If you enjoy lighthearted romantic fiction that is not just fluff and stuff, you should give this book a try. The forecast is for fair skies and lots of sunshine if you do!
September 1, 2017
I'm a little conflicted about this book. I probably give it 2.5 stars. I enjoyed the light fluff read aspect. That was perfect since I had my Kindle on text to speech to listen to while I worked on another project. But I was annoyed that the guy was so focused on physical appearance. He wasn't impressed with Breezy until she looked "sexy". But she had a lot going for her with or without looks. So I feel like he was shallow and a bit sexist. I get that the world of TV is greatly focused on physical but I would have liked it better if he could have "loved" her before she saw her with her hair down. Make sexy have nothing to do with it. His physical attraction was more lust than love in my opinion. I really couldn't understand why she was attracted to him because he spent so much of his time being a jerk. Also he was pretty dense in understanding her focus/dream in weather.
Pollyanna is probably a good nickname for her because how many people would have taken the demotion and the public humiliation and kept a smile? And no way would I have been willing to take him soup after being demoted.
So I liked the idea of the story and that it was a light read but I would have liked it better if it hadn't been so sexualized.
Lots of references to cleavage, innuendo and some language.
Pollyanna is probably a good nickname for her because how many people would have taken the demotion and the public humiliation and kept a smile? And no way would I have been willing to take him soup after being demoted.
So I liked the idea of the story and that it was a light read but I would have liked it better if it hadn't been so sexualized.
Lots of references to cleavage, innuendo and some language.
September 9, 2022
Breezy and Noah’s story
This short read started out with high hope for this reader. So let me critique it based on my point of view.
First, I did not write nor do I get paid for this Pride and Precipitation story.
Second, Breezy was a great character and the Pollyanna use of the word for Noah fit her perfectly. In fact, she’s a little too good.
Noah comes
in to take over the tv station and makes a mess out of it. He replaces Breezy with a buxomy bimbo type weather person who has zero knowledge of weather. Noah demote Breezy to help Pamela with the weather hoping to regain her spot, but ends up being her gofer instead.
Breezy quits the tv station for a while and Noah has to ask her back with a few changes to Breezy’s appearance.
Noah decides he loves her at the mayor’s gala.
Lastly, what a crappy and big let down for an ending! It’s like the author just stopped and thought - - - oh well, who cares!.
It needed at least one more chapter to wrap up the story so that Noah and breezy could finish their happily ever after.
I don’t know who does the proofreading for this author, but another on is needed if that person thought the ending was okay.
This short read started out with high hope for this reader. So let me critique it based on my point of view.
First, I did not write nor do I get paid for this Pride and Precipitation story.
Second, Breezy was a great character and the Pollyanna use of the word for Noah fit her perfectly. In fact, she’s a little too good.
Noah comes
in to take over the tv station and makes a mess out of it. He replaces Breezy with a buxomy bimbo type weather person who has zero knowledge of weather. Noah demote Breezy to help Pamela with the weather hoping to regain her spot, but ends up being her gofer instead.
Breezy quits the tv station for a while and Noah has to ask her back with a few changes to Breezy’s appearance.
Noah decides he loves her at the mayor’s gala.
Lastly, what a crappy and big let down for an ending! It’s like the author just stopped and thought - - - oh well, who cares!.
It needed at least one more chapter to wrap up the story so that Noah and breezy could finish their happily ever after.
I don’t know who does the proofreading for this author, but another on is needed if that person thought the ending was okay.
October 17, 2012
Pride and Precipitation is the first book in the Chick Flick Clique series (related romantic comedies, but not necessary to read in order). Breezy (Breann) loves weather. She's dreamed and worked toward being a meteorologist and is happily living the dream until the TV station is sold and under new management. Now, Noah Blake, the good looking new general manager is replacing her with a woman with more cleavage than brains. Can Breezy and Noah look past their professional problems and admit that they both like each other? Can Breezy survive working for "Hurricane Pamela"? Will Breezy be able to work her dream job again or will she have to leave the hometown she loves?
A small nod to Pride and Prejudice, but not a retelling. A small town setting where everyone knows your name :). It was one of those places where I just wanted to transplant myself into the story so I could be friends with these funny supportive women. A light, quick, and funny read. I can't wait for more!
A small nod to Pride and Prejudice, but not a retelling. A small town setting where everyone knows your name :). It was one of those places where I just wanted to transplant myself into the story so I could be friends with these funny supportive women. A light, quick, and funny read. I can't wait for more!
October 10, 2012
This was a cute story with some ties to that Austen classic which the title reminds us of. A fun, light trip through small-town news, this book pulled you into the story. With several fun side characters, the story left itself open for many other interlocked stories. With a fun plot and sweet characters, it's a refreshing bit of fun and sweet romance. This one made me smile and definitely made me laugh at several points. With a quick wit and some good conflict, the characters had me falling in love along with them. Definitely a good book to take on vacation or snuggle up on a cold winter night.
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December 11, 2019
The book was a nice light read that alluded to Pride and Prejudice in some ways but yet didn't try to mimic it. However it lost a star because she needed a makeover for Noah to be attracted to her and he only realised he wanted her when she became sexy. I'm certainly not a fan of the type of messages that sends. She was Pollyanna to him. He didn't like the girl next door type. But when she became sexy he suddenly realised he loved her being the girl next door. Um..no buddy. You love that the girl next door 'grew up' as he himself put it. Then he started to be jealous that other men were noticing her and wanted to 'hide her sexuality'. Not really a hit with me unfortunately.
February 19, 2014
I felt the relationship was shallow. I really didn't like how he suddenly decides he has to be with her because she wears her hair down and is suddenly "sexy". She has multiple degrees, lots going for her, is positive, everyone loves her, but he wants to be with her because of her looks? She deserves much better.
October 5, 2017
I grant you that this book was clean but it was also totally not realistic and I mean that not in a good way. Sometimes you can suspend reality for fantasy but this tried to stay based in reality. I’m not sure who would fall in love with the guy who destroyed dreams?
November 28, 2020
This book had too much background stuff going on that drew away from the main story and I also got bored. Plus his declaration of love was seriously lame. Nice characters, I just don’t enjoy the story.
August 18, 2017
Meteorologist, Breezy Jones has always loved the weather, the stormier, the better. She thought all was blue skies until a storm front named Noah Drake blew into town. Now with a “hurricane name Pamela Gladstone” threatening to destroy her hopes and dreams, Breezy must batten down the hatches or walk away before her heart gets broken, again. General Manager, Noah Drake took one look at “Miss Pollyanna, rainbow-brite” and knew he had to make some changes—starting with her. Hiring and firing, well that’s just water off a “drake’s back.” “He valued loyalty, efficiency, and the ability to stay centered…” The forecast calls for light and bright with silliness, humor, and a dash of good, old, girl time with her “Chick Flick Clique.” Lots of tongue in cheek humor, chicken soup, and forever friends, Breezy fights against stolen dreams and a change of heart. This fun story is light and entertaining with more movie references than a “Shrek” movie.
April 2, 2018
A cute little rom com. A Pollyanna type of girl, Breezy Jones has her dream career as a meteorologist at for the same news station that her father had been at for almost all her life. She grew up learning about the weather, but when the new boss moves in and needs to make some changes to get better ratings, she gets bumped down. No more on camera action for her. Despite the downgrade, she still gives 110% to her job. Add to her frustrations at work, her mother keeps trying to set her up on blind dates, but she has no desire to date after her boyfriend left her to move on to a large city. But one man does catch her fancy... too bad he's also the man whom she hates because he took her job away.
The characters are fun. The story is light and breezy (pun intended.) The story flows smoothly. It's written with alternating POV's. It's a quick read. There is some repetition with the characters thoughts, that could have been left out. Clean and safe for most all ages.
The characters are fun. The story is light and breezy (pun intended.) The story flows smoothly. It's written with alternating POV's. It's a quick read. There is some repetition with the characters thoughts, that could have been left out. Clean and safe for most all ages.
October 28, 2022
Pride and Precipitation is a really fun, cute read about a sunny small-town meteorologist who has to fight for her job against her arch-nemsis, Drake The Snake (a/k/a Noah Drake).
This was seriously such a cute read and Noah and Breezy are absolutely adorable together. I loved watching them go from hated boss and disgruntled employee to mushy sweethearts! My one complaint, however, is that he said he was going to make a fool of himself for her but didn't really deliver on it. Otherwise their relationship was great!
The characters were all so relatable and diverse, I loved getting to read about all the different types of relationships. It was nice to see real relationship problems and how each person handled them, instead of the typical romance cliché of sweeping them all under the rug.
If you're looking for something fun and flirty that won't take a week to read, this should definitely be your pick! It's short, but it's so sweet and it'll for sure make you melt into a puddle!
This was seriously such a cute read and Noah and Breezy are absolutely adorable together. I loved watching them go from hated boss and disgruntled employee to mushy sweethearts! My one complaint, however, is that he said he was going to make a fool of himself for her but didn't really deliver on it. Otherwise their relationship was great!
The characters were all so relatable and diverse, I loved getting to read about all the different types of relationships. It was nice to see real relationship problems and how each person handled them, instead of the typical romance cliché of sweeping them all under the rug.
If you're looking for something fun and flirty that won't take a week to read, this should definitely be your pick! It's short, but it's so sweet and it'll for sure make you melt into a puddle!
August 5, 2018
I grabbed this book because of the title, thinking that it might be a JAFF - but I was sorely disappointed. It is a very clean romance that fell a bit flat for me. There were a couple of chuckles provided by the story and I loved the quotes at the beginning of each chapter - a couple of which were from our favorite Hippy Dippy Weatherman, George Carlin. (It's sad that I liked the quotes more than much of the story). Happy-go-lucky Breezy Jones loves doing the weather and always thinks the better of people - for the most part. But when things change at the news station where she works, and not for the better, Breezy continues to smile and plug along until it just gets to be too much. It was a very quick read and would love to see if the author decides to flesh out her characters a bit more to create a more endearing story.
July 28, 2017
Breezy is the Meteorologist but the station is bought out and she is demoted for a sexier weather person who does not have the schooling she does. The General Manager was talking to his assistant manager while he was waiting to talk to Breezy and she overhears Noah call her a Pollyanna and not in a complimentary way. She thought he was handsome too. He can not help himself and starts to find her attractive, same for her. While the not so nice replacement Pamela is trying to cause trouble. Moral is low at the station and people are sending letters and emails that they want Breezy back. Their attraction grows and Noah finally does something about it.
November 22, 2018
4.5 stars
Happiness is... finding an author who writes a satisfying romantic comedy. Especially since I just finished a romance that was good but emotionally draining - I desperately wanted something lighthearted to read & came across this just as I was beginning to despair and thinking I was going to have to settle for re-reading something.
I really enjoyed this book. Even though the plot is fairly predictable, it's well done enough not to matter. Most of the humor just made me smile, but there were a couple of points where I had to restrain laughing out loud (didn't want to make people stare).
I'm looking forward to reading this author's other books!
Happiness is... finding an author who writes a satisfying romantic comedy. Especially since I just finished a romance that was good but emotionally draining - I desperately wanted something lighthearted to read & came across this just as I was beginning to despair and thinking I was going to have to settle for re-reading something.
I really enjoyed this book. Even though the plot is fairly predictable, it's well done enough not to matter. Most of the humor just made me smile, but there were a couple of points where I had to restrain laughing out loud (didn't want to make people stare).
I'm looking forward to reading this author's other books!
March 10, 2018
Cute and Quirky
This book made an enjoyable evening of reading. The characters were all, well mostly all, very enjoyable friendly small town folks. I want to live someplace like this! Candy’s Cafe, a small local TV station, a local surf shop, the Mayor’s Gala, and best of all, Chick Flick evenings with your friends. And quite a few very handsome men to choose from! What’s not to love about Aspen Grove? Count me in! Oh yeah, I already have a handsome man! But he likes small town life too!
This book made an enjoyable evening of reading. The characters were all, well mostly all, very enjoyable friendly small town folks. I want to live someplace like this! Candy’s Cafe, a small local TV station, a local surf shop, the Mayor’s Gala, and best of all, Chick Flick evenings with your friends. And quite a few very handsome men to choose from! What’s not to love about Aspen Grove? Count me in! Oh yeah, I already have a handsome man! But he likes small town life too!
July 22, 2018
A nice clean light romantic read. As a fan of Pride and Prejudice, I enjoyed how the storyline unfolded at the TV station between Breezy and Noah. Small town life and the Chick Clique just made me smile. I think it was because of the realism in the small-town-life interactions and the support of a group of women all in different situations. If you want a lighthearted contemporary romantic story with fun banter and a AHE, this is a great book to read. Oh, and the weather related quotes at the start of each chapter were fun too!
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