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Precious Things
Success, wealth, respect are never enough. Until her. She sees a man, not his reputation or disability. Will she stay when even his name is a lie?
Benjamin Prescott Roth is his own man. Everything he has -- possessions, wealth, prestige, recognition for his accomplishments -- he earned. On his own. His deafness never defined him, but his father's rejection did.
"You'll never amount to anything..."
Every accomplishment has been to prove his father wrong. Then Jewell Kincaid is hired as his assistant and puts him in his place, and Benjamin Roth is a lost man. Jewell is breathtaking, feisty, intelligent, independent, and so much more than an assistant to him. She is everything Benjamin needs, but never knew he wanted.
She gets past his walls without even trying. She makes him happy. But the fantasy can only last so long.
When the foundation of his life crumbles, Jewell is there. Holding his hand. If his life is a lie, if every battle has been for nothing, if he can't accept who he really is, how can she? When the truth is a lie, what is there to offer her?
Benjamin Prescott Roth is his own man. Everything he has -- possessions, wealth, prestige, recognition for his accomplishments -- he earned. On his own. His deafness never defined him, but his father's rejection did.
"You'll never amount to anything..."
Every accomplishment has been to prove his father wrong. Then Jewell Kincaid is hired as his assistant and puts him in his place, and Benjamin Roth is a lost man. Jewell is breathtaking, feisty, intelligent, independent, and so much more than an assistant to him. She is everything Benjamin needs, but never knew he wanted.
She gets past his walls without even trying. She makes him happy. But the fantasy can only last so long.
When the foundation of his life crumbles, Jewell is there. Holding his hand. If his life is a lie, if every battle has been for nothing, if he can't accept who he really is, how can she? When the truth is a lie, what is there to offer her?
286 pages, Paperback
First published November 29, 2010
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651 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
March 3, 2015
I have always loved ASL and so I always enjoy the opportunity of reading a book featuring deaf chararacters. I was hungering for a light romance and stumbled upon this book, which was generally well reviewed and decided to give it a shot.
Partially because I'm writing my own romance novels now, I've been trying to read a lot more of the genre so I can learn the conventions and what is done well and what isn't done so well. So I've seen the good, the bad, and the ugly.
Precious Things, while not flawless and not quite five stars, is definitely one of the good. Even if you aren't attracted to the concept of ASL or a deaf hero, it's worth reading if you enjoy a clean romance.
The story is basically told from the two perspectives, in alternating third person, of Jewell and Benjamin. Jewell is a financial markets executive assistant (EA) and is interviewing for a slightly beneath her position at a Mutual Funds group because she deseprately needs more money now that her younger college-age sister is living with her. While waiting for her interview, she meets the jerk of the office--Benjamin Prescott Roth--a man who treats all his assistants and secretaries terribly and as a reputation for being an asshole. He's also completely deaf (even though he speaks well and lip reads), and Jewell, as a CODA (child of deaf adult) and fluent in ASL, calls him on his behavior instinctively.
Of course, she's convinced that because of her actions (in telling Ben he should say "please" etc) has cost her the job. She's surprised when she gets a call a week later telling her she didn't get the position she interviewed for, but instead, has been hired to be Mr. Roth's new EA. She's shocked, but especially since this job is more fitting of her qualifications AND pays even more than she expected, she accepts.
There's immediate chemistry between Benjamin and Jewell, and the inital part of the book is focused on the two of them trying to avoid the dreaded work romance while trying to steer clear of the office rumor mill. Of course, since this is a romance, Ben and Jewell can't stay away from each other long, and the majority of the book is largely about their relationship and Benjamin's demons resulting from his rather strained relationship with his parents.
What really struck me about this book was the writing - Gail Delaney obviously has a talent for writing a detailed scene - and these moments are particularly excellent when experiencing the book from Benjamin's perspective - what you can see, what you can smell, what you can feel in each scene is sketched out carefully so that each scene really comes to life. I also loved the way she captured ASL - such a visual and expressive language - in print.
ASL is a "foreign language" - it is NOT simply signed English - and so she elected to print the signed portions in italics (just as you would any other non-English language) - which I thought was a brilliaint choice. I also thought she did a great job of describing some of the key signs and HOW a person signed or the facial expression they used when they signed because that is such an important part of ASL. Just as in spoken English how you say something matters, so, to, does it in ASL.
Overall, the book was excellent. I did think the pacing was a bit off at times, and the twist at the end was pretty predictable, but I didn't mind so much because Benjamin was an interesting character. I think I may have preferred to have Jewell as a dynamic character as well, especially since half the story is told from her perspective, but it's a concession I'm willing to make.
One thing that is fairly minor but it just bugged me was the fact that Benjamin says he NEVER used an interpreter before Jewell. I understand his personality and that he worked really hard to become functional in the hearing world, but I find it hard to believe that he had NEVER even ONCE used an interpreter - especially since once he meets Jewell he not only uses her several times but also uses an official interprerter later in the book as well. I think it would have been more likely for him to say he rarely used one or had only used one a few times than to say he never did... but this was a minor grumble.
The other thing that struck me, and I could be ignorant on this part, was how much Ben and Jewell TALKED in the book. I would think that reading lips would be cognitively taxing (not to mention talking if you're completely deaf), and that the two of them would have communicated far more in ASL when they were together than they do. I realize that Ben had a lot of issues and part of it was a sense of pride in being able to function as well as he did in the hearing world, but it just seemed like they would have shifted to ASL a lot more than they do.
I also was disappointed by how "clean" the book is, lol, but that could be because I've been reading a lot more erotica or erotic romances lately. This book is a clean romance--they kiss and touch each other but it never goes beyond that. Even though the characters do ultimately have sex, we don't see it, and I found it a bit disarming how Benjamin never seems to have an erection. Call me weird, OK, or perverted if you want, but it was just one of those things I kept expecting the description (even if it was a suggestion) and it never really appeared. It just seemed a little two clean-cut for me. But that could come down to personal taste.
Overall, it was an enjoyable book and I was disappointed Ms Delaney doesn't have any other books like this one; I wouldn't mind seeing more deaf characters from her.
Partially because I'm writing my own romance novels now, I've been trying to read a lot more of the genre so I can learn the conventions and what is done well and what isn't done so well. So I've seen the good, the bad, and the ugly.
Precious Things, while not flawless and not quite five stars, is definitely one of the good. Even if you aren't attracted to the concept of ASL or a deaf hero, it's worth reading if you enjoy a clean romance.
The story is basically told from the two perspectives, in alternating third person, of Jewell and Benjamin. Jewell is a financial markets executive assistant (EA) and is interviewing for a slightly beneath her position at a Mutual Funds group because she deseprately needs more money now that her younger college-age sister is living with her. While waiting for her interview, she meets the jerk of the office--Benjamin Prescott Roth--a man who treats all his assistants and secretaries terribly and as a reputation for being an asshole. He's also completely deaf (even though he speaks well and lip reads), and Jewell, as a CODA (child of deaf adult) and fluent in ASL, calls him on his behavior instinctively.
Of course, she's convinced that because of her actions (in telling Ben he should say "please" etc) has cost her the job. She's surprised when she gets a call a week later telling her she didn't get the position she interviewed for, but instead, has been hired to be Mr. Roth's new EA. She's shocked, but especially since this job is more fitting of her qualifications AND pays even more than she expected, she accepts.
There's immediate chemistry between Benjamin and Jewell, and the inital part of the book is focused on the two of them trying to avoid the dreaded work romance while trying to steer clear of the office rumor mill. Of course, since this is a romance, Ben and Jewell can't stay away from each other long, and the majority of the book is largely about their relationship and Benjamin's demons resulting from his rather strained relationship with his parents.
What really struck me about this book was the writing - Gail Delaney obviously has a talent for writing a detailed scene - and these moments are particularly excellent when experiencing the book from Benjamin's perspective - what you can see, what you can smell, what you can feel in each scene is sketched out carefully so that each scene really comes to life. I also loved the way she captured ASL - such a visual and expressive language - in print.
ASL is a "foreign language" - it is NOT simply signed English - and so she elected to print the signed portions in italics (just as you would any other non-English language) - which I thought was a brilliaint choice. I also thought she did a great job of describing some of the key signs and HOW a person signed or the facial expression they used when they signed because that is such an important part of ASL. Just as in spoken English how you say something matters, so, to, does it in ASL.
Overall, the book was excellent. I did think the pacing was a bit off at times, and the twist at the end was pretty predictable, but I didn't mind so much because Benjamin was an interesting character. I think I may have preferred to have Jewell as a dynamic character as well, especially since half the story is told from her perspective, but it's a concession I'm willing to make.
One thing that is fairly minor but it just bugged me was the fact that Benjamin says he NEVER used an interpreter before Jewell. I understand his personality and that he worked really hard to become functional in the hearing world, but I find it hard to believe that he had NEVER even ONCE used an interpreter - especially since once he meets Jewell he not only uses her several times but also uses an official interprerter later in the book as well. I think it would have been more likely for him to say he rarely used one or had only used one a few times than to say he never did... but this was a minor grumble.
The other thing that struck me, and I could be ignorant on this part, was how much Ben and Jewell TALKED in the book. I would think that reading lips would be cognitively taxing (not to mention talking if you're completely deaf), and that the two of them would have communicated far more in ASL when they were together than they do. I realize that Ben had a lot of issues and part of it was a sense of pride in being able to function as well as he did in the hearing world, but it just seemed like they would have shifted to ASL a lot more than they do.
I also was disappointed by how "clean" the book is, lol, but that could be because I've been reading a lot more erotica or erotic romances lately. This book is a clean romance--they kiss and touch each other but it never goes beyond that. Even though the characters do ultimately have sex, we don't see it, and I found it a bit disarming how Benjamin never seems to have an erection. Call me weird, OK, or perverted if you want, but it was just one of those things I kept expecting the description (even if it was a suggestion) and it never really appeared. It just seemed a little two clean-cut for me. But that could come down to personal taste.
Overall, it was an enjoyable book and I was disappointed Ms Delaney doesn't have any other books like this one; I wouldn't mind seeing more deaf characters from her.
April 6, 2012
3.5/5 4 stars; B+
Based on the beautiful job this author did of portraying the life of a person who was deaf since birth, I would give this book 5 stars. In the forward to the book she tells of how the original book was rejected by editors because no one would go for a hero who was deaf. Were they ever wrong! Benjamin Roth was a fabulous hero and the fact that he was deaf was only another aspect of his character, not the main feature. He was an extremely tortured hero, for good cause. The love story between him and Jewell both highlighted his pain and highlighted his healing.
There were a some rough transitions in the story and 'stock' characterizations and situations which knocked it down on my rating scale but, at its heart, this was a very sweet romance and I liked it.
Based on the beautiful job this author did of portraying the life of a person who was deaf since birth, I would give this book 5 stars. In the forward to the book she tells of how the original book was rejected by editors because no one would go for a hero who was deaf. Were they ever wrong! Benjamin Roth was a fabulous hero and the fact that he was deaf was only another aspect of his character, not the main feature. He was an extremely tortured hero, for good cause. The love story between him and Jewell both highlighted his pain and highlighted his healing.
There were a some rough transitions in the story and 'stock' characterizations and situations which knocked it down on my rating scale but, at its heart, this was a very sweet romance and I liked it.
June 9, 2014
Well, it took "Herculean" effort, but I managed to finish this book lol. Wow, where do I begin, ok, so this book was basically a melodramatic soap opera, fully equipped with the typical "girl dies by pushing lover out of the way of a gunshot", "guy lets lover drive away and then chases the car to tell her he needs her" and the piece de resistance, paternity secrets revealed!! I'm not into this soap opera style writing where on top of all these traumatic events, the chapters just ended and picked up as if the reader was watching an actual show. I didn't like that the author didn't elaborate on all the special moments, but just spoke about them after the fact in the following chapter i.e. when Benjamin said all those rude things to Jewell in his office and then she sauntered in afterwards and said if you want it come and get it and she walked off and he eventually followed. The next scene was of them eating masala chicken at a restaurant...wtf, I wanted to know what he said to her in her office and how he apologized.
There was always something happening which took away from the romance. It was too insta-love for my taste and I hated the fact that characters kept telling Jewell about Benjamin's hard life because Benjamin should have been telling Jewell himself. Oh, can I just say that I was really annoyed with Jewell and Greg at the end because, hello! Benjamin was grieving and going through some shit, why isn't he allowed to just get away and regroup? Yes I know he should have called and whatever but give the guy a break! Oh and the pregnancy thing was beyond unnecessary. The book ended with unanswered questions...that's not cool, what happened with the case??!
I'm disappointed that there was barely any signing in a book about a deaf guy. I mean c'mon, I didn't download this book to read about how well a deaf man could speak and read lips. While I'm not great at using ASL, I find this topic interesting and it's an alternative to all the generic romance books I read. I'm glad this book portrayed a very successful man who was deaf and even though the book did not flow and some characters were useless, it was still entertaining enough to give it 2 stars.
There was always something happening which took away from the romance. It was too insta-love for my taste and I hated the fact that characters kept telling Jewell about Benjamin's hard life because Benjamin should have been telling Jewell himself. Oh, can I just say that I was really annoyed with Jewell and Greg at the end because, hello! Benjamin was grieving and going through some shit, why isn't he allowed to just get away and regroup? Yes I know he should have called and whatever but give the guy a break! Oh and the pregnancy thing was beyond unnecessary. The book ended with unanswered questions...that's not cool, what happened with the case??!
I'm disappointed that there was barely any signing in a book about a deaf guy. I mean c'mon, I didn't download this book to read about how well a deaf man could speak and read lips. While I'm not great at using ASL, I find this topic interesting and it's an alternative to all the generic romance books I read. I'm glad this book portrayed a very successful man who was deaf and even though the book did not flow and some characters were useless, it was still entertaining enough to give it 2 stars.
December 18, 2010
A mainstream romance in the vein of Barbara Delinsky.
The hero is deaf from birth, but blends perfectly into hearing society. He is tall, handsome, super-smart, semi-tortured, and extremely successful. She is tall, beautiful, dainty and feminine, smart, and super-loving. They start this workplace romance. They are then swept up by his dysfunctional family's drama. Did I mention she was super supportive? And loving? And comes from the requisite super-loving, warm, and accepting family, while his was everything super-extremely the opposite?
So yes, the characters are stock, the set up is stock, and the drama lacking nuance and depth. This is a novel designed to push some easily pushed, and well-pushed by similar novels of its kind, pre-existing buttons, while intending to leave you with the warm fuzzies and joy in human kind. It is fairly well-written, and the characters have enough details to maintain interest. There is a large market for this kind of book. Its readers will like it.
NB: I liked the way the hero's deafness is woven into the story -- not a defect or flaw, just an interesting feature, as though ASL is simply another language (which it is) and the hero merely bilingual. For this, I give it an extra star.
The hero is deaf from birth, but blends perfectly into hearing society. He is tall, handsome, super-smart, semi-tortured, and extremely successful. She is tall, beautiful, dainty and feminine, smart, and super-loving. They start this workplace romance. They are then swept up by his dysfunctional family's drama. Did I mention she was super supportive? And loving? And comes from the requisite super-loving, warm, and accepting family, while his was everything super-extremely the opposite?
So yes, the characters are stock, the set up is stock, and the drama lacking nuance and depth. This is a novel designed to push some easily pushed, and well-pushed by similar novels of its kind, pre-existing buttons, while intending to leave you with the warm fuzzies and joy in human kind. It is fairly well-written, and the characters have enough details to maintain interest. There is a large market for this kind of book. Its readers will like it.
NB: I liked the way the hero's deafness is woven into the story -- not a defect or flaw, just an interesting feature, as though ASL is simply another language (which it is) and the hero merely bilingual. For this, I give it an extra star.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 5, 2011
Sweet, romantic story about a deaf boss and his executive assistant. The workplace romance is kind of skimmed over but that may be my California paranoia of potential lawsuits. I am old enough, however, that when I began working as a secretary affairs between married and unmarried co-workers were very common (as was people smoking at their desks, inappropriate comments from bosses that they think is banter and I thought was dirty old men talk, and people drinking lots at lunch and after work - crazy days!). But this one, they kind of touch on it in the beginning and then drop it. I don't know if this is because it was edited out by the author. She did mention this is the new and improved version. The story about Benjamen's horrible childhood is very sad and compelling. Good book.
March 25, 2011
How would you cope if you were deaf from birth? Benjamin Roth, our hero, shows us how. He lived up to the saying ‘what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger’. And in Precious Things Benjamin is a strong hero. He has more than his deafness to deal with and with the arrival of Jewell Kincaid on the scene he meets some one who will not only stand up to him, but understand him.
In less skilful hands both Ms. Delaney’s hero and heroine may have become stereotyped, larger than life characters who overcome a plethora of setbacks and obstacles. But to me they became people I rooted for because of Jewell’s belief in family values and the power of love.
I found the office scenes powerful and realistic as the writer insinuated many of the inter rivalries that abound in the workplace.
The juxtaposition of family backgrounds and how circumstances influenced the adult actions of her main characters is well depicted, as are the awful consequences of Benjamin’s unhappy childhood. An irreversible consequence Benjamin and Jewell will have to live with for the rest of their lives if only she can teach him to believe they have a future.
There are many secondary characters but all have there place in the story. Ms. Delaney expands her players without creating any confusion for such a large cast.
This book is tightly written, packed with layer upon layer of interwoven goals, motivation and conflict that will keep the reader turning the pages.
Oh! And the Author’s Note at the beginning should encourage authors to believe that ‘if at first they don’t succeed, to try and try again’.
Originally posted at http://longandshortreviews.blogspot.c...
In less skilful hands both Ms. Delaney’s hero and heroine may have become stereotyped, larger than life characters who overcome a plethora of setbacks and obstacles. But to me they became people I rooted for because of Jewell’s belief in family values and the power of love.
I found the office scenes powerful and realistic as the writer insinuated many of the inter rivalries that abound in the workplace.
The juxtaposition of family backgrounds and how circumstances influenced the adult actions of her main characters is well depicted, as are the awful consequences of Benjamin’s unhappy childhood. An irreversible consequence Benjamin and Jewell will have to live with for the rest of their lives if only she can teach him to believe they have a future.
There are many secondary characters but all have there place in the story. Ms. Delaney expands her players without creating any confusion for such a large cast.
This book is tightly written, packed with layer upon layer of interwoven goals, motivation and conflict that will keep the reader turning the pages.
Oh! And the Author’s Note at the beginning should encourage authors to believe that ‘if at first they don’t succeed, to try and try again’.
Originally posted at http://longandshortreviews.blogspot.c...
April 26, 2014
I absolutely loved this book. The chemistry between Jewell and Benjamin was fantastic. They were two people who just really worked well together and their connection was a great thing to read. Seeing them slowly fall in love was nice. I also loved Jewell's family, she had such an amazing upbringing and home life. I felt so bad for Ben, his father was horrible and it made me so sad to see the way Ben and his sister were treated. The one thing I didn't quite care for was the fact that the ending just felt really rushed to me. Almost like the author was in a rush to finish this story, but all in all i really did truly love this story. A definite re-read :)
no-thank-you
May 16, 2018I really wanted to like this, because yay d/Deaf hero, but I really have to stop reading boss-employee romances! I just couldn't handle the whining about how the characters weren't doing anything wrong in the misconstrued incident that's become grist for the rumor mill - while in separate incidents they ARE making out in his office and falling asleep together on her couch.
I also felt like Jewell was basically just floating along in the plot, and I was already 1/3 of the way through the book, and Roth was borderline abusive to the rest of the staff and considered it their fault, so I didn't have enough invested in them to read past my irritation with the self-delusion there.
Overall based on what I read, it's a shame Delaney couldn't place this with a publishing house, because I think a developmental editor and a proofreader could have brought this up to high quality. (Proofreading for things like adventure capitalists, a pedantic hairstyle, and a heroine addict.)
What I'm most disappointed by is how few romances there are with d/Deaf characters, so that if I don't like one, there aren't a lot more for me to choose from!
I also felt like Jewell was basically just floating along in the plot, and I was already 1/3 of the way through the book, and Roth was borderline abusive to the rest of the staff and considered it their fault, so I didn't have enough invested in them to read past my irritation with the self-delusion there.
Overall based on what I read, it's a shame Delaney couldn't place this with a publishing house, because I think a developmental editor and a proofreader could have brought this up to high quality. (Proofreading for things like adventure capitalists, a pedantic hairstyle, and a heroine addict.)
What I'm most disappointed by is how few romances there are with d/Deaf characters, so that if I don't like one, there aren't a lot more for me to choose from!
January 23, 2013
Love it!! A hero is deaf, but very independent! Successful at his own company. Jewell is hearing, but can sign ASL very well. I love the author's writing style. Benjamin's character is very strong. He can speak and read the lips, but he prefers ASL when he needs to be quiet or feels comfortable. I'm deaf as well, I could feel related to him due to experiences like too many people would speak to him same time and I would be lost. I don't speak, but I can read the lips and I rather ASL over reading the lips. Good job, Gail!! I wish there is a book, not ebook so I can put it on my favorite bookshelve!
July 1, 2020
2.5 Stars
What did I just read? The story started off as interesting enough with a deaf hero and a heroine who comes from a family with a deaf member. They hit it off in a classic workplace romance and you get small glimpses of the assholes in the hero's side of the family. However, about 2/3 of the way through, the story takes a drastic turn into melodrama galore.
Spoiler:
Victoria (Hero's sister) getting shot and then Hero not being the biological son is just absurd soap opera level plot. I usually read these books in 3-4 hours, but had to force myself to finish this. It was ridiculous. Would NOT recommend.
What did I just read? The story started off as interesting enough with a deaf hero and a heroine who comes from a family with a deaf member. They hit it off in a classic workplace romance and you get small glimpses of the assholes in the hero's side of the family. However, about 2/3 of the way through, the story takes a drastic turn into melodrama galore.
Spoiler:
Victoria (Hero's sister) getting shot and then Hero not being the biological son is just absurd soap opera level plot. I usually read these books in 3-4 hours, but had to force myself to finish this. It was ridiculous. Would NOT recommend.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 10, 2016
Well.. it was incredible.. the chemistry between the two was hot and, Ben was everything we want from a tortured hero... until about 20% of the book.. and then nothing. There was not much of romance from there. There is no Jewell anymore, and it becomes all about Ben's family mess-up. Until the end, there is no intimate moment, no development in the relationship.
I am thoroughly disappointment.
I am thoroughly disappointment.
December 20, 2014
it was a good book, what Benjamin went through must of been so hard though. It was a nice romance, really liked Jewel
January 11, 2018
Precious Things is told from two alternating perspectives. The first is Jewell Kincaid, a financial markets executive assistant, and the other is Benjamin Roth, a mutual funds manager. At the beginning of the story Jewell is interviewing for a position at a mutual funds office. While she is waiting for her interview she first meets Benjamin Roth and he comes across as an arrogant jerk that treats his employees harshly. Jewell realizes that Benjamin is deaf and she starts signing to him and puts him in his place. Soon, Benjamin offers Jewell a position working for him and she accepts. The story takes off from there and we learn a lot about both main characters and what it was like for them growing up. Something very devastating happens to Benjamin and he discovers things from his past that turn his world upside down.
I thought this book was very entertaining and kept me hooked. I really liked the chemistry between Jewell and Benjamin and thought they were great characters. Jewell was very intelligent, independent and she wasn't afraid to stand up to people that were being rude. Benjamin was a hard working guy that we learned had a hard childhood. We learn that his father thought Benjamin would never amount to anything because he was deaf. Obviously, Benjamin proved him wrong because he is a successful fund manager. I really liked the representation of a deaf character in this book, although I am not deaf so I don't know how accurate it was. I don't think the fact that he could read everyone's lips was believable because I don't think it's possible to understand everything someone says just by reading lips, although I could be wrong. I enjoyed the book but I didn't love it. Sometimes I felt that the story dragged on a bit too much. Also I feel like Jewell was a great character but she cried a lot at small things and I just don't think it fits her character. Overall, I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to anyone interested in picking this book up.
I thought this book was very entertaining and kept me hooked. I really liked the chemistry between Jewell and Benjamin and thought they were great characters. Jewell was very intelligent, independent and she wasn't afraid to stand up to people that were being rude. Benjamin was a hard working guy that we learned had a hard childhood. We learn that his father thought Benjamin would never amount to anything because he was deaf. Obviously, Benjamin proved him wrong because he is a successful fund manager. I really liked the representation of a deaf character in this book, although I am not deaf so I don't know how accurate it was. I don't think the fact that he could read everyone's lips was believable because I don't think it's possible to understand everything someone says just by reading lips, although I could be wrong. I enjoyed the book but I didn't love it. Sometimes I felt that the story dragged on a bit too much. Also I feel like Jewell was a great character but she cried a lot at small things and I just don't think it fits her character. Overall, I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to anyone interested in picking this book up.
July 20, 2020
A bit insta for my taste, but -
still surprisingly decent for a 'clean,' low-angst level read. I would have liked a little less insta-feels and a bit more conflict between the leads, I won't lie. Most of the conflict in the story centered round Benjamin's uber f-ed up family. His deafness wasn't really the focus either, not the way one would expect when one of the leads has a disability, anyway. I saw a remark posted on either this story or another with a non-hearing H that he had 'magical' perfect speech and lip-reading abilities and if the post was for this particular book it was a false statement. I've seen in other stories where the character's deafness was but a token because there was no impairment of ability whatsoever. Not the case here.
Benjamin was able to speak with minimal impediment because he had a lot to prove. He'd worked on his speech most of his life through therapy and rigorous coaching. He also relied on his awareness of his body and remaining senses to control his volume when he spoke. But the writer was clear in that he did not speak like a hearing person.
Neither did he lip-read flawlessly and in certain situations benefitted from an interpreter.
As stated, the book was clean. No cursing, fade-to-black sex. Loads of snogging and feeling one another up though, so not squeaky clean.
I did feel as though a loose thread was left with the issue between the jerk in the office talking trash about Jewell. That subject was dropped a bit too easily.
There were also several proofreading issues.
Still and all, I liked the book. There was no immature behaviour or unnecessary drama. Little was said about either character's past involvements other than Benjamin was strictly casual sexually. No OP melodrama. The story kept my interest and didn't piss me off and as I've said before, these days I count that as a win. I'd definitely read more from the writer.
still surprisingly decent for a 'clean,' low-angst level read. I would have liked a little less insta-feels and a bit more conflict between the leads, I won't lie. Most of the conflict in the story centered round Benjamin's uber f-ed up family. His deafness wasn't really the focus either, not the way one would expect when one of the leads has a disability, anyway. I saw a remark posted on either this story or another with a non-hearing H that he had 'magical' perfect speech and lip-reading abilities and if the post was for this particular book it was a false statement. I've seen in other stories where the character's deafness was but a token because there was no impairment of ability whatsoever. Not the case here.
Benjamin was able to speak with minimal impediment because he had a lot to prove. He'd worked on his speech most of his life through therapy and rigorous coaching. He also relied on his awareness of his body and remaining senses to control his volume when he spoke. But the writer was clear in that he did not speak like a hearing person.
Neither did he lip-read flawlessly and in certain situations benefitted from an interpreter.
As stated, the book was clean. No cursing, fade-to-black sex. Loads of snogging and feeling one another up though, so not squeaky clean.
I did feel as though a loose thread was left with the issue between the jerk in the office talking trash about Jewell. That subject was dropped a bit too easily.
There were also several proofreading issues.
Still and all, I liked the book. There was no immature behaviour or unnecessary drama. Little was said about either character's past involvements other than Benjamin was strictly casual sexually. No OP melodrama. The story kept my interest and didn't piss me off and as I've said before, these days I count that as a win. I'd definitely read more from the writer.
February 12, 2018
I really liked this book even though there was only one question on my mind which was, what did his father say to him and what did jewell say back. Benjamin couldn’t hear it or read the lips because jewell covered his eyes. I’m just glad she stuck up for him.
Just about every question I had about the story was answered within the book which made me happy. Some of the dramatic moments I kind of saw coming but the ending was beautiful and the execution was wonderful. If there will be a continuation or another book like this by this author I can’t wait to read it.
Just about every question I had about the story was answered within the book which made me happy. Some of the dramatic moments I kind of saw coming but the ending was beautiful and the execution was wonderful. If there will be a continuation or another book like this by this author I can’t wait to read it.
May 14, 2018
3.5 stars
I really like sign language and deaf Hs and hs in romance books.
This was a nice, sweet and romantic book about a deaf guy and his assistant. Some sexy moments, some dramatic moments, some very sweet moments. Even some angst by the end of the book. All in all it was a light read but I liked it :)
QUICK REVIEW
POV: dual
Enjoyment: 3/5
Writing style: 3/5
Storyline: 3/5
Hero: 4/5
Heroine: 4/5
Secondary characters: 3/5
Romance/chemistry: 3/5
Hotness/Sex scenes: 1/5
Angst: 1/5
Drama level: 3/5
Humor level: 1/5
Depth of the book: 3/5
Closure: HEA
I really like sign language and deaf Hs and hs in romance books.
This was a nice, sweet and romantic book about a deaf guy and his assistant. Some sexy moments, some dramatic moments, some very sweet moments. Even some angst by the end of the book. All in all it was a light read but I liked it :)
QUICK REVIEW
POV: dual
Enjoyment: 3/5
Writing style: 3/5
Storyline: 3/5
Hero: 4/5
Heroine: 4/5
Secondary characters: 3/5
Romance/chemistry: 3/5
Hotness/Sex scenes: 1/5
Angst: 1/5
Drama level: 3/5
Humor level: 1/5
Depth of the book: 3/5
Closure: HEA
June 14, 2020
After the cuteness of "Love in touch" this is a step downward. It took the typical troop of a lot of romance novels, and just like Susan Elizabeth Phillips, the male character was portrayed like an asshole, then he and the heroine start a sexual relationship, all is right, feelings begin to appear, the hero have issues with that, he pushes the heroine away, he leaves, then realizes his mistake, come back, has a big moment of declaration to the heroine and all is good.
The deafness takes a second seat even before the middle of the book.
So, yeah, not what I was hoping for.
The deafness takes a second seat even before the middle of the book.
So, yeah, not what I was hoping for.
July 9, 2023
4.75/5✨
Oh my lord, this was a wonderful novel. I flew through it so fast I had to double check that it was indeed almost 300 pages long. Except for a few typos along the way (particularly at the beginning) the story and characters were written beautifully. If typos are a pet peeve for you, I’d definitely recommend you turn a blind eye just this once. If you love romances with open communication, angst/hurt/comfort, spice but not full-on smut, and an office romance which is surprisingly not as cliché as it sounds, I’d definitely recommend this novel! :)
Oh my lord, this was a wonderful novel. I flew through it so fast I had to double check that it was indeed almost 300 pages long. Except for a few typos along the way (particularly at the beginning) the story and characters were written beautifully. If typos are a pet peeve for you, I’d definitely recommend you turn a blind eye just this once. If you love romances with open communication, angst/hurt/comfort, spice but not full-on smut, and an office romance which is surprisingly not as cliché as it sounds, I’d definitely recommend this novel! :)
May 18, 2024
Another wonderful piece of writing from Gail Delaney - plenty of romance and an excellent plot as well. I guessed the twist, but then I also guessed the twist in Sixth Sense in the first 10mins - so it’s hard to surprise me - haha.
The only thing I wish from GD is that she would describe the intimate scenes as well as she describes the rest of the story. I know she skips over it modestly, but her build up is so well done it leaves one “hanging”!
The only thing I wish from GD is that she would describe the intimate scenes as well as she describes the rest of the story. I know she skips over it modestly, but her build up is so well done it leaves one “hanging”!
May 11, 2019
I really enjoyed the first half of this book. But the second half seemed to drag on. It took a completely different turn than what I was expecting to come. I still enjoyed the book, it just got a bit slow and muddy for awhile.
Read
July 24, 2020It just did not have enough spunk in my opinion.
I was not a fan of her feisty attitude early on in the book. Such cliche when she fell in his lap... rolling my eyes.
It could be a great book for someone else... it was not for me though.
I was not a fan of her feisty attitude early on in the book. Such cliche when she fell in his lap... rolling my eyes.
It could be a great book for someone else... it was not for me though.
October 3, 2018
Amazing
This book was well written, very little filler.
It's a clean romance so I didn't have to filter through a lot of sexy time.
Thank you!
This book was well written, very little filler.
It's a clean romance so I didn't have to filter through a lot of sexy time.
Thank you!
February 24, 2015
I was excited to read this, having read that the author wanted to inject a little diversity into the romance genre in the form of a Deaf hero. I also read that she was told that this would not do. I'm interested to know when this was, because I feel like there's been at least a little bit more diversity of late, but still. She wrote it anyway. Gotta respect that.
So, it begins with Jewell Kincaid on a job interview. She's looking to make more money and it's established that her college aged sis is staying with her. So far so good.
She arrives at the interview and while she's waiting, sees a woman walk out of an office in tears. Said teary woman complains about her boss to a sympathetic co-worker.
Out stomps creepy boss and he's good looking, so his making one of his employees cry is suddenly not so bad.(/end sarcasm--sorry but this really bugged me.)
Benjamin Prescott Roth, aka Creepy Boss, comes out and barks some orders at his other assistant (the one who's not crying), and based on his speech Jewell realizes that he is Deaf, so Jewell (who knows ASL) signs to him, calling him out on his creephood.
Color him impressed. He wants to see her resume. Jewell's resume is awesome. He poaches her away from the guy who advertised for a new assistant. This marks the beginning of a cute and Mr. Darcy-ish facet of his personality, but we never know what happened to the woman he made cry--maybe she went to the other guy who was looking for an assistant? Was she given some hazard pay or some flowers at least? Who knows?
Anyhoo, cue the romance.
This leads me to problem number two, which has rightly been mentioned in some other reviews. Basically, many of us are familiar with policies on sexual harassment and while it doesn't seem like he is abusing his power in any way, I have trouble seeing how any of this would fly without there being a lot more static from HR than seems to actually materialize.
Problem number three and this is kind of a biggie: I never get much of a feel for these characters. Who are they really? There's backstory, (which I won't spoil) and we get a really good idea of what they look like, but we don't get to know them enough. They're smart and they work hard, and they're both bilingual, which is a nice start, but what do they do for fun (besides that one thing that is inevitable in a novel such as this)?
Problem number four (I can see I'm not alone in this one either based on at least one review): Benjamin is portrayed as an intelligent, capable Deaf man, which is so beyond awesome (and, really, why wouldn't he be?), but he's also shown to be a perfect lipreader who has little need for an interpreter, at least until Jewell, who is fluent in ASL but not a certified, trained interpreter, comes along. Based on what I've read/seen, I gotta wonder how that would work. He's a pretty well-established money earner for the firm, so doesn't he rate an interpreter, one that is actually required to be provided for him by law (if I understand the law correctly--your mileage may vary)? I mean, based on the way he's portrayed, he might have refused one, but still, does he really have so little trouble understanding people? I mean, there are two short but excellent scenes in which some chaos ensues (I won't spoil this either) and his confusion feels real there, but if the popular statistic is to be believed, most good lipreaders really get about a third of what's happening through the lipreading and the rest through context. Benjamin goes to meetings with Jewell, and she interprets for him, but what did he do before, especially in meetings where they were people talking all over the place and possibly even some with facial hair covering their mouths? So I found myself wondering about that and it's a pretty big unanswered question.
And for all of this the book held my attention. I wanted to know more. This had so much potential and I want to see more from this author, but I feel like I was promised a sundae and I am still waiting for the ice cream to freeze.
So, it begins with Jewell Kincaid on a job interview. She's looking to make more money and it's established that her college aged sis is staying with her. So far so good.
She arrives at the interview and while she's waiting, sees a woman walk out of an office in tears. Said teary woman complains about her boss to a sympathetic co-worker.
Out stomps creepy boss and he's good looking, so his making one of his employees cry is suddenly not so bad.(/end sarcasm--sorry but this really bugged me.)
Benjamin Prescott Roth, aka Creepy Boss, comes out and barks some orders at his other assistant (the one who's not crying), and based on his speech Jewell realizes that he is Deaf, so Jewell (who knows ASL) signs to him, calling him out on his creephood.
Color him impressed. He wants to see her resume. Jewell's resume is awesome. He poaches her away from the guy who advertised for a new assistant. This marks the beginning of a cute and Mr. Darcy-ish facet of his personality, but we never know what happened to the woman he made cry--maybe she went to the other guy who was looking for an assistant? Was she given some hazard pay or some flowers at least? Who knows?
Anyhoo, cue the romance.
This leads me to problem number two, which has rightly been mentioned in some other reviews. Basically, many of us are familiar with policies on sexual harassment and while it doesn't seem like he is abusing his power in any way, I have trouble seeing how any of this would fly without there being a lot more static from HR than seems to actually materialize.
Problem number three and this is kind of a biggie: I never get much of a feel for these characters. Who are they really? There's backstory, (which I won't spoil) and we get a really good idea of what they look like, but we don't get to know them enough. They're smart and they work hard, and they're both bilingual, which is a nice start, but what do they do for fun (besides that one thing that is inevitable in a novel such as this)?
Problem number four (I can see I'm not alone in this one either based on at least one review): Benjamin is portrayed as an intelligent, capable Deaf man, which is so beyond awesome (and, really, why wouldn't he be?), but he's also shown to be a perfect lipreader who has little need for an interpreter, at least until Jewell, who is fluent in ASL but not a certified, trained interpreter, comes along. Based on what I've read/seen, I gotta wonder how that would work. He's a pretty well-established money earner for the firm, so doesn't he rate an interpreter, one that is actually required to be provided for him by law (if I understand the law correctly--your mileage may vary)? I mean, based on the way he's portrayed, he might have refused one, but still, does he really have so little trouble understanding people? I mean, there are two short but excellent scenes in which some chaos ensues (I won't spoil this either) and his confusion feels real there, but if the popular statistic is to be believed, most good lipreaders really get about a third of what's happening through the lipreading and the rest through context. Benjamin goes to meetings with Jewell, and she interprets for him, but what did he do before, especially in meetings where they were people talking all over the place and possibly even some with facial hair covering their mouths? So I found myself wondering about that and it's a pretty big unanswered question.
And for all of this the book held my attention. I wanted to know more. This had so much potential and I want to see more from this author, but I feel like I was promised a sundae and I am still waiting for the ice cream to freeze.
July 24, 2016
This was an okay read. I love stories with deaf or hard-of-hearing characters and I'm obsessed with sing language. I did a course myself this year in ISL (Irish Sign Language). So that aspect of the story immediately drew me in. Benjamin was an intriguing character with a tragic background, but Jewell was just too perfect. She was always crying and was so nice and so beautiful and so caring. Ugh! I just got sick of her. I do think the romantic element had some forced dramas (like Ben's decision towards the end) and by about 28% of the book Jewell was already thing "I love him", which was way too soon in my mind. The plot itself was okay, with the overly evil father, but I could guess what the big secret was from the blurb, let alone from the HUGE and obvious hints we're given throughout the book. I also think the writing wasn't the best. Just read the very first scene for an example of this; it was so confusing and messily written that I couldn't make out who the MC was and who was speaking. But I think the biggest flaw for me was the just joyless tone to the book. Of course the main plot was dramatic and sad, but even the romance lacked some happiness. The ending was nice though, and I would have liked some "one year later" epilogue.
January 4, 2013
Not a favorite for me. I was uncomfortable with the workplace romance even though it was obviously welcome to both participants, but it still came off as a little creepy to me. ALso the whole thing seemed to drag. I wound up skimming the last few chapters. I wanted to care about the characters more than I did. The parts about signing, lip reading etc were interesting but the rest just didn't do anything for me
July 12, 2014
48 pages in, and I didn't really want to continue on... I don't know what compelled me to stop, but I really was just rolling my eyes at the story and characters. Maybe it's because I've read better, but I'm most likely not gonna bother finishing this story. I loved the idea of the ASL going on between the two characters, however it was really boring and confusing to read. It's got pretty good reviews, and some people might enjoy it but it really didn't effect me. Sorry, just wasn't my type.
July 25, 2012
The first part focused on the budding relationship of Benjamin and Jewell. Benjamin was deaf but overcame his disability and became a successful fund manager while Jewell was his assistant. They tried to hide their attraction and romance since it was frowned upon at the workplace. The latter part of the book caught me by surprise with a crime and a "who done it" situation?
October 24, 2012
It’s rare to find a well written romance novel featuring a deaf hero; Ms. Delaney has created a deep, interesting character and her knowledge of ASL shows through in the text.
Read full review on my blog: http://chiealeman.com/?p=23
Read full review on my blog: http://chiealeman.com/?p=23
September 25, 2012
Not steamy enough for me....had potential, but lost points due to lack of steam.
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