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Hands On
Want to make Fate laugh? Try telling her who’s in charge.
Talented, down-on-her-luck puppeteer Ginnie Anderson’s life seems destined to fall down around her ears. Much like the rented bungalow that’s just collapsed in a heavy rainstorm, endangering her precious collection of marionettes.
Her livelihood in need of protection and repair, she can’t refuse her landlord’s offer of temporary shelter in his magnificent home. Under his roof, though, she finds her hard-won grasp on her independence slipping—and herself falling into his arms.
The hallmark of Harry Barrett’s business success: he never makes the same mistake twice, particularly when it comes to manipulative women. So why is Ginnie, who pulls strings for a living, like a siren’s song in his blood? It’s best to put temptation as far out of reach as possible.
Yet when Ginnie’s past threatens to destroy the life she’s built for herself, Harry must decide which is more important. Holding tight to his sense of self preservation, or letting go to capture Ginnie’s fragile heart—before it breaks into a thousand pieces.
Talented, down-on-her-luck puppeteer Ginnie Anderson’s life seems destined to fall down around her ears. Much like the rented bungalow that’s just collapsed in a heavy rainstorm, endangering her precious collection of marionettes.
Her livelihood in need of protection and repair, she can’t refuse her landlord’s offer of temporary shelter in his magnificent home. Under his roof, though, she finds her hard-won grasp on her independence slipping—and herself falling into his arms.
The hallmark of Harry Barrett’s business success: he never makes the same mistake twice, particularly when it comes to manipulative women. So why is Ginnie, who pulls strings for a living, like a siren’s song in his blood? It’s best to put temptation as far out of reach as possible.
Yet when Ginnie’s past threatens to destroy the life she’s built for herself, Harry must decide which is more important. Holding tight to his sense of self preservation, or letting go to capture Ginnie’s fragile heart—before it breaks into a thousand pieces.
200 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2010
18 people want to read
About the author
Christina Crooks
9 books43 followersChristina Crooks is a romance author with books for sale in print, electronic and audio editions. Her novels have been published by Kensington, Samhain, Five Star/Cengage, and Books in Motion Audiobooks.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
November 16, 2010
Attention romance addicts! Your quest for the fairytale-ending romance with contemporary realism, a realistic heroine, and a hero you want nothing more than to lick and tackle to the ground fall in love with, is over! Christina Crooks delivers that and more in her newest release, Hands On!
After ending a bad relationship, Ginnie Anderson has moved away from her life, ex-fiance, and mother (who's also horrible towards Ginnie), to a small bungalow nestled away in an affluent area. Too bad the bungalow wasn't as well put together as the other houses on the block, because after a nasty storm, the house literally collapses. Much to Ginnie's surprise, her unbeknown landlord becomes her hero to the rescue.
Harry lives in self-induced seclusion, playing boss and business owner to many, but only a few know the real Harry and what his horrible past entails. When he becomes Ginnie's rescuer, he only wants to make sure she's okay and won't look to sue him. But, the undeniable attraction has him allowing her to seek refuge under his roof.
The two can only deny each other physically for a matter of hours *grins*, but when days turn in to weeks, and emotions become heightened, both Ginnie and Harry are tested with just how much each would be willing to risk for the other. And the use of the marionettes to bring out the romance puts this book in to a whole new level of uniqueness and fun as far as I'm concerned! Just the fact that Ms. Crooks created such a unique career for a character completely adds points for me.
Because this is such a character-centric book -- my ultimate love when reading romance-- I feel an overwhelming need to start my review here. The bottom line is, I can't praise Christina enough for the development of the characters in this character-driven book! They're realistic, they're filled with depth and layers, and you simply can envision that somewhere out there lives a non-fictional Ginnie and Harry. They're a hero and heroine so different, yet so alike, changed and driven by events in their pasts, which ultimately leads them to one another.
Ginnie is the absolute ideal heroine for me: Down-to-earth, a little stubborn with control issues, has an unique and very uncommon career that she's absolutely passionate about, a go-getter attitude, and has a realistic view on real life events and situations. She has a bad past with an ex-fiance that doesn't seem to understand the meaning behind 'it's over'. And a new man in her life whom she wants to be in a relationship with. But he has his own issues that don't bode well for her getting the answer she wants. With all this going on, she tends to take it all in stride, managing to carry on with her goal of starting and running her own marionette company. Her attitude made me like her even more.
Harry has his own devastating and heart-wrenching hell of a past, so much so that I gasped out loud and murmured 'holy s**t' to my computer. He's emotionally closed off, yet so vulnerable at the same time. A horrible event in his not-so-distant past has left him with little trust in people - particularly women. But he cannot deny the immediate attraction, and quickly developing feelings he starts to have for his so-called tenant.
Ms. Crooks has done a fabulous job at making you feel connected to these oddly-paired characters as they learn to find themselves again, and challenge one another, as well as themselves, to relinquish control.
The chemistry between the characters was fantastic! Right away, you can get a good sense their inner workings; their hang ups, issues, and desires. And they just fit well together. Even when they first became intimate, it happened quickly, but you couldn't help but think that it was meant to be, and certainly inevitable. *swoons* And let me just say that the smexin' is great. No overindulgence of graphic words -- including swear words -- are present, nor needed, to feel the yumminess!
The pace of the story was another fantastic plus! In fact, I was so engrossed in the story, that I honestly had no idea just how long I had been sitting down reading it; I finished it the same day I started. Crooks' writing style is a wonderful mix of emotion, innocence, steamy romance, and playfulness. It was a wonderful ride through a range of emotions.
The secondary characters completely enhanced the story, never stealing scenes away from the main characters. And because of Ms. Crooks' ability to create believable characters in such a short amount of time, you could easily understand the personalities of each side character, adding to the realness of relationships-- both good and bad.
~*~Final Thoughts~*~
Obviously, I loved this story. It exceeded my expectations, and I finished it wishing there were more! I highly recommend this book to all those romance addicts out there that wish they could be swept off their feet by some hot, dominant, wealthy man, with a hidden romantic side that is only brought out in your presence. Well, the majority of us have a greater chance of getting struck by lightening than finding that, but at least we can have it in Hands On! :)
You will enjoy the characters, feel their undeniable chemistry, adore the playful banter, and relish in the growth of the characters and development of their relationship. If you love your romance full of palpable emotion and sweetness between two great characters, with just enough smexiness to add some heat, then you definitely need to read this! This is a keeper for me, and I may even go back and read it again latter! :) Fantastic job, Ms. Crooks!
After ending a bad relationship, Ginnie Anderson has moved away from her life, ex-fiance, and mother (who's also horrible towards Ginnie), to a small bungalow nestled away in an affluent area. Too bad the bungalow wasn't as well put together as the other houses on the block, because after a nasty storm, the house literally collapses. Much to Ginnie's surprise, her unbeknown landlord becomes her hero to the rescue.
Harry lives in self-induced seclusion, playing boss and business owner to many, but only a few know the real Harry and what his horrible past entails. When he becomes Ginnie's rescuer, he only wants to make sure she's okay and won't look to sue him. But, the undeniable attraction has him allowing her to seek refuge under his roof.
The two can only deny each other physically for a matter of hours *grins*, but when days turn in to weeks, and emotions become heightened, both Ginnie and Harry are tested with just how much each would be willing to risk for the other. And the use of the marionettes to bring out the romance puts this book in to a whole new level of uniqueness and fun as far as I'm concerned! Just the fact that Ms. Crooks created such a unique career for a character completely adds points for me.
Because this is such a character-centric book -- my ultimate love when reading romance-- I feel an overwhelming need to start my review here. The bottom line is, I can't praise Christina enough for the development of the characters in this character-driven book! They're realistic, they're filled with depth and layers, and you simply can envision that somewhere out there lives a non-fictional Ginnie and Harry. They're a hero and heroine so different, yet so alike, changed and driven by events in their pasts, which ultimately leads them to one another.
Ginnie is the absolute ideal heroine for me: Down-to-earth, a little stubborn with control issues, has an unique and very uncommon career that she's absolutely passionate about, a go-getter attitude, and has a realistic view on real life events and situations. She has a bad past with an ex-fiance that doesn't seem to understand the meaning behind 'it's over'. And a new man in her life whom she wants to be in a relationship with. But he has his own issues that don't bode well for her getting the answer she wants. With all this going on, she tends to take it all in stride, managing to carry on with her goal of starting and running her own marionette company. Her attitude made me like her even more.
Harry has his own devastating and heart-wrenching hell of a past, so much so that I gasped out loud and murmured 'holy s**t' to my computer. He's emotionally closed off, yet so vulnerable at the same time. A horrible event in his not-so-distant past has left him with little trust in people - particularly women. But he cannot deny the immediate attraction, and quickly developing feelings he starts to have for his so-called tenant.
Ms. Crooks has done a fabulous job at making you feel connected to these oddly-paired characters as they learn to find themselves again, and challenge one another, as well as themselves, to relinquish control.
The chemistry between the characters was fantastic! Right away, you can get a good sense their inner workings; their hang ups, issues, and desires. And they just fit well together. Even when they first became intimate, it happened quickly, but you couldn't help but think that it was meant to be, and certainly inevitable. *swoons* And let me just say that the smexin' is great. No overindulgence of graphic words -- including swear words -- are present, nor needed, to feel the yumminess!
The pace of the story was another fantastic plus! In fact, I was so engrossed in the story, that I honestly had no idea just how long I had been sitting down reading it; I finished it the same day I started. Crooks' writing style is a wonderful mix of emotion, innocence, steamy romance, and playfulness. It was a wonderful ride through a range of emotions.
The secondary characters completely enhanced the story, never stealing scenes away from the main characters. And because of Ms. Crooks' ability to create believable characters in such a short amount of time, you could easily understand the personalities of each side character, adding to the realness of relationships-- both good and bad.
~*~Final Thoughts~*~
Obviously, I loved this story. It exceeded my expectations, and I finished it wishing there were more! I highly recommend this book to all those romance addicts out there that wish they could be swept off their feet by some hot, dominant, wealthy man, with a hidden romantic side that is only brought out in your presence. Well, the majority of us have a greater chance of getting struck by lightening than finding that, but at least we can have it in Hands On! :)
You will enjoy the characters, feel their undeniable chemistry, adore the playful banter, and relish in the growth of the characters and development of their relationship. If you love your romance full of palpable emotion and sweetness between two great characters, with just enough smexiness to add some heat, then you definitely need to read this! This is a keeper for me, and I may even go back and read it again latter! :) Fantastic job, Ms. Crooks!
November 24, 2010
Christina Crooks was nice enough to provide me with a review copy and I’m so glad she did!
Ginnie, a puppeteer, lives in a dilapidated bungalow that quickly begins to literally fall down around her. Her landlord, Harry, happens by and rescues her, and from there we are launched into a tale of the complicated lives and histories of the two main characters. The characters are very deep, with unforgiven past hurts, both gun shy from former relationships yet undeniably attracted to each other.
Choosing the occupation of a puppeteer for Ginnie added a unique twist of the book. I got the sense that Crooks really did her homework. It was easy to buy-in to Ginnie’s passion for her work and realize the skill needed to perform it. Harry is a rich businessman still reeling from the effects of a break up with a vindictive ex. He has a big chip on his shoulder about money-hungry women, and questions if those are Ginnie’s motives as well.
The two characters are thrust together in unfortunate circumstances, and their attraction is soon undeniable. The bigger challenge they face is trusting each other and not allowing their past hurts to ruin their current relationship. The characters are multidimensional and believable, the writing and pacing is excellent. I was also happy to see that the sex scenes were erotic while still staying true to the characters’ emotions.
The only criticism I have is that I found the opening scene to be a bit too fast-paced and confusing for the amount of info I was supposed to absorb, but that’s a minor complaint. Crooks is truly a gifted storyteller. I liked this even better than Thrill of the Chase and look forward to her next book. I give this a 4.5, rounded up to 5 stars.
Ginnie, a puppeteer, lives in a dilapidated bungalow that quickly begins to literally fall down around her. Her landlord, Harry, happens by and rescues her, and from there we are launched into a tale of the complicated lives and histories of the two main characters. The characters are very deep, with unforgiven past hurts, both gun shy from former relationships yet undeniably attracted to each other.
Choosing the occupation of a puppeteer for Ginnie added a unique twist of the book. I got the sense that Crooks really did her homework. It was easy to buy-in to Ginnie’s passion for her work and realize the skill needed to perform it. Harry is a rich businessman still reeling from the effects of a break up with a vindictive ex. He has a big chip on his shoulder about money-hungry women, and questions if those are Ginnie’s motives as well.
The two characters are thrust together in unfortunate circumstances, and their attraction is soon undeniable. The bigger challenge they face is trusting each other and not allowing their past hurts to ruin their current relationship. The characters are multidimensional and believable, the writing and pacing is excellent. I was also happy to see that the sex scenes were erotic while still staying true to the characters’ emotions.
The only criticism I have is that I found the opening scene to be a bit too fast-paced and confusing for the amount of info I was supposed to absorb, but that’s a minor complaint. Crooks is truly a gifted storyteller. I liked this even better than Thrill of the Chase and look forward to her next book. I give this a 4.5, rounded up to 5 stars.
April 2, 2011
Ginny Anderson is determined to start her life over; she has left her controlling ex and rented a charming, little bungalow. She has a new job and wants to make a career as a puppeteer, then her charming yet desperate-in-need-of-repair bungalow collapses in a heavy rainstorm and she has no other choice than to accept the offer of her landlord, Harry, to move in with him temporary. She falls hard and fast for Harry even when he tells her he isn’t looking for a relationship, she is setting herself up for more heartache yet she can’t help herself.
Not so long ago Harry Barrett Sharpe was a well-known real estate tycoon, but after his manipulating ex-fiancée tried to ruin him and destroyed his reputation, he retired from the public eye and now lives a solitary-minded life. He lost all faith in women and vowed to never get involved with a woman again, and then fate throws Ginny in his life. Ginny is a puppeteer and literally pulls at strings for a living. She turns Harry’s life upside down and gets under his skin yet his self preservation won’t allow Ginny to capture his heart, now Harry has to make a choice.
Hands On is a short novella of 125 pages and I have said it before in other reviews of short stories; me and short stories are usually not a good combination, the reason why I wanted to read this story was the blurb, I found the fact that Ginny was a puppeteer intriguing and different. Unfortunately Hands On and I are not a good combination somehow; it did not work for me on various levels. I did not have a connection with the main characters and I did not buy into the story completely.
Ginny Anderson is a puppeteer who has left her controlling ex to start her life over again and make it on her own. Determined to be herself from now on instead of how others (her mother and ex) like her to be she has accepted a job elsewhere. The timid and meek girl is gone. I can understand that she feels free to be herself for the very first time in her life and to do whatever she wants but it takes Ginny only one afternoon to fall head over heels for Harry, she reminded me of a giggling teenager with a crush. The giggling teen act irritated me throughout the story; however I did like her devotion and passion for her work as a puppeteer. But I could not reconcile her actions with her past therefore I did not feel a connection with Ginny.
And I felt the same thing with Harry; I could not connect with him. He is a successful businessman and a recluse thanks to his ex-fiancée who destroyed his reputation. But he immediately offers Ginny to move in with him temporarily, mostly because he is her landlord and feels guilty but he had other options to act rightly. He is an honest, hard-working man but emotionally damaged by his past. Yet I could not reconcile his actions with his past either and therefore I never bought into this story completely.
The whole story centers on Harry and Ginny’s relationship. Hands On is a classic love story about two people finding true love, but it felt so rushed to me and therefore at times unbelievable. To me the story’s Achilles heel is that the characters were contradictive and therefore not well-balanced. Hands On fails to reach its full potential because it is only 125 pages and therefore it is not explored in depth enough.
But I loved the grand finale when Harry and Ginny finally get things right. Christina Crooks’ writing is witty, smooth and captivating, and in spite of its shortcomings, Hands On is still an enjoyable, fast read.
Not so long ago Harry Barrett Sharpe was a well-known real estate tycoon, but after his manipulating ex-fiancée tried to ruin him and destroyed his reputation, he retired from the public eye and now lives a solitary-minded life. He lost all faith in women and vowed to never get involved with a woman again, and then fate throws Ginny in his life. Ginny is a puppeteer and literally pulls at strings for a living. She turns Harry’s life upside down and gets under his skin yet his self preservation won’t allow Ginny to capture his heart, now Harry has to make a choice.
Hands On is a short novella of 125 pages and I have said it before in other reviews of short stories; me and short stories are usually not a good combination, the reason why I wanted to read this story was the blurb, I found the fact that Ginny was a puppeteer intriguing and different. Unfortunately Hands On and I are not a good combination somehow; it did not work for me on various levels. I did not have a connection with the main characters and I did not buy into the story completely.
Ginny Anderson is a puppeteer who has left her controlling ex to start her life over again and make it on her own. Determined to be herself from now on instead of how others (her mother and ex) like her to be she has accepted a job elsewhere. The timid and meek girl is gone. I can understand that she feels free to be herself for the very first time in her life and to do whatever she wants but it takes Ginny only one afternoon to fall head over heels for Harry, she reminded me of a giggling teenager with a crush. The giggling teen act irritated me throughout the story; however I did like her devotion and passion for her work as a puppeteer. But I could not reconcile her actions with her past therefore I did not feel a connection with Ginny.
And I felt the same thing with Harry; I could not connect with him. He is a successful businessman and a recluse thanks to his ex-fiancée who destroyed his reputation. But he immediately offers Ginny to move in with him temporarily, mostly because he is her landlord and feels guilty but he had other options to act rightly. He is an honest, hard-working man but emotionally damaged by his past. Yet I could not reconcile his actions with his past either and therefore I never bought into this story completely.
The whole story centers on Harry and Ginny’s relationship. Hands On is a classic love story about two people finding true love, but it felt so rushed to me and therefore at times unbelievable. To me the story’s Achilles heel is that the characters were contradictive and therefore not well-balanced. Hands On fails to reach its full potential because it is only 125 pages and therefore it is not explored in depth enough.
But I loved the grand finale when Harry and Ginny finally get things right. Christina Crooks’ writing is witty, smooth and captivating, and in spite of its shortcomings, Hands On is still an enjoyable, fast read.
November 17, 2010
Originally posted at http://www.smexybooks.com/2010/11/rev...
Favorite Quote:”He’d like to warm her with a hug. A big naked hug.”
Ginnie Anderson, a down on her luck puppeteer, is convinced that her life is falling down around her-literally. When her home collapses in a heavy rainstorm, she is put out by having to accept her sexy landlord’s offer of temporary shelter and her attraction to him.
Harry Barrett is a multi millionaire who’s success is largely based on his motto of never making the same mistake twice. When he comes to the aid of Ginnie Andersen he is shocked to finds himself wanting to make the same mistake over and over-preferably with her.
Ginnie has left her controlling abusive boyfriend and has come to Oregon to start a new life. But fate has other plans when she loses her job due to lack of funding and her house collapses on her. Ginnie is sweet, humorous, somewhat flaky, puppeteer who’s life has always been controlled by someone. When she breaks free to live her life on her terms, she develops some controlling issues of her own. When Harry, her landlord, arrives to save the day and offers her a place to stay, Ginnie is amazed by the intense attraction she feels for him.
Harry Barrett is a gorgeous multi millionaire who went into seclusion when a past affair almost ruined his life. He is determined to never allow emotion to cloud his judgment again. When the property manager he hires rents out an unstable home he races to get the tenant out. Almost too late, he arrives just in time and much to his surprise...he wants Ginnie. Now. So he invites her to his home to recuperate and one thing leads to another. But Harry isn’t ready for anything long term and tells this to Ginnie from day one.
For a short novella-125 pages-Ms. Crooks produces an engaging and sweet romance. In a fairy tale-esque setting we given a light erotic read featuring two controlling people who’s pasts have tainted their prospective on life and love. The very beginning read somewhat forced and awkward for me. As we get to know Ginnie and Harry I found their story to be sweet though a bit underdeveloped in places.
Ginnie and Harry are both enjoyable in their personalities and Ms. Crooks fleshes them out nicely-though I felt more of a connection with Harry then Ginnie. Both are set on controlling their own lives but Harry comes across more believable while Ginnie seems lost one moment then really pushy the next. As we read into their backgrounds you are able to understand why they are the way they are and it makes more sense and I began to enjoy Ginnie more.
The love scenes between them are short but steamy and insightful.
The secondary characters add depth and help move the story along at a smooth pace.
Harry’s obeisance and paranoia became an issue with me towards the end. While I understand his reasons, he exhibits some cruel and callous behavior that hurts Ginnie a lot and it seemed rather unnecessary. My heart hurt for her. I’m not sure I would have been as forgiving as her; but the emotions you feel coming from him when he realizes just what he’s done are pretty intense. He does make it up to her and the ending is sweet and fulfilling.
Rating: C
Favorite Quote:”He’d like to warm her with a hug. A big naked hug.”
Ginnie Anderson, a down on her luck puppeteer, is convinced that her life is falling down around her-literally. When her home collapses in a heavy rainstorm, she is put out by having to accept her sexy landlord’s offer of temporary shelter and her attraction to him.
Harry Barrett is a multi millionaire who’s success is largely based on his motto of never making the same mistake twice. When he comes to the aid of Ginnie Andersen he is shocked to finds himself wanting to make the same mistake over and over-preferably with her.
Ginnie has left her controlling abusive boyfriend and has come to Oregon to start a new life. But fate has other plans when she loses her job due to lack of funding and her house collapses on her. Ginnie is sweet, humorous, somewhat flaky, puppeteer who’s life has always been controlled by someone. When she breaks free to live her life on her terms, she develops some controlling issues of her own. When Harry, her landlord, arrives to save the day and offers her a place to stay, Ginnie is amazed by the intense attraction she feels for him.
Harry Barrett is a gorgeous multi millionaire who went into seclusion when a past affair almost ruined his life. He is determined to never allow emotion to cloud his judgment again. When the property manager he hires rents out an unstable home he races to get the tenant out. Almost too late, he arrives just in time and much to his surprise...he wants Ginnie. Now. So he invites her to his home to recuperate and one thing leads to another. But Harry isn’t ready for anything long term and tells this to Ginnie from day one.
For a short novella-125 pages-Ms. Crooks produces an engaging and sweet romance. In a fairy tale-esque setting we given a light erotic read featuring two controlling people who’s pasts have tainted their prospective on life and love. The very beginning read somewhat forced and awkward for me. As we get to know Ginnie and Harry I found their story to be sweet though a bit underdeveloped in places.
Ginnie and Harry are both enjoyable in their personalities and Ms. Crooks fleshes them out nicely-though I felt more of a connection with Harry then Ginnie. Both are set on controlling their own lives but Harry comes across more believable while Ginnie seems lost one moment then really pushy the next. As we read into their backgrounds you are able to understand why they are the way they are and it makes more sense and I began to enjoy Ginnie more.
The love scenes between them are short but steamy and insightful.
The secondary characters add depth and help move the story along at a smooth pace.
Harry’s obeisance and paranoia became an issue with me towards the end. While I understand his reasons, he exhibits some cruel and callous behavior that hurts Ginnie a lot and it seemed rather unnecessary. My heart hurt for her. I’m not sure I would have been as forgiving as her; but the emotions you feel coming from him when he realizes just what he’s done are pretty intense. He does make it up to her and the ending is sweet and fulfilling.
Rating: C
November 18, 2010
Publisher: Samhain
Publish Date:
How I got this book: Author requested review
Crooks creates a short romantic story featuring a hero scared to trust a woman, and a woman who wants nothing more than a commitment from the man who just can’t give it to her. The book starts with poor Ginnie, trying to pick up the pieces of her shattered life, who rents a house that takes all of five minutes and a strong windstorm to collapse in on her. When a stranger shows up and pulls her out at the last minute, she finds herself taken under his wing.
Harry is a reclusive business man, upset by a recent betrayal by the woman he thought he loved. His business took a hit, as did his personal self esteem. When he realizes that one of his rental properties is a run down POS, he runs in and rescues the odd girl living in the home. Harry’s attraction to Ginnie is instantaneous, and although he wants absolutely nothing to do with her, he can’t seem to pull away from her.
As Ginnie’s world continues to crash around her, Harry is there to help pick up the pieces, but will he be able to put his own heart on the line to save hers?
While I had some trouble getting into the story at first, it did pick up as it went on. Ginnie seemed somewhat helpless at the beginning of the story. There was just something about the character that made me think of her as a helpless little kitten: absolutely adorable but somewhat needy. I did think though, that throughout the story, Ginnie did do a little growing up. She seemed more willing to stick up to herself after a little boost and help from Harry.
Harry also didn’t click with me as a character, at all. While I felt bad for him for what he had to deal with in regards to his ex-fiance, he never really became real to me. I didn’t like that although he was drawn to Ginnie, and seemed to do right by her half the time, the other half of the time he was being a jerk, thinking like a jerk, and just unsure of himself.
I was extremely impressed with the amount of knowledge Crooks gave us about the world of puppeteering. I can only imagine the amount of research was involved, and I loved that Ginnie had an interesting hobby/career choice. It was obvious to me that Crooks must either really love, or have a strong dedication to showing the wonderful world of puppets, because that shown through the pages to me.
Although the characters lacked at times, I loved that the main focus of the story was Harry and Ginnie’s relationship. The ending was great as well, and I did find myself liking Harry when he finally allowed himself to fall for Ginnie, and how he went about proving it to her.
All in all, I give Hands On 3 out of 5 marionettes.
Publish Date:
How I got this book: Author requested review
Crooks creates a short romantic story featuring a hero scared to trust a woman, and a woman who wants nothing more than a commitment from the man who just can’t give it to her. The book starts with poor Ginnie, trying to pick up the pieces of her shattered life, who rents a house that takes all of five minutes and a strong windstorm to collapse in on her. When a stranger shows up and pulls her out at the last minute, she finds herself taken under his wing.
Harry is a reclusive business man, upset by a recent betrayal by the woman he thought he loved. His business took a hit, as did his personal self esteem. When he realizes that one of his rental properties is a run down POS, he runs in and rescues the odd girl living in the home. Harry’s attraction to Ginnie is instantaneous, and although he wants absolutely nothing to do with her, he can’t seem to pull away from her.
As Ginnie’s world continues to crash around her, Harry is there to help pick up the pieces, but will he be able to put his own heart on the line to save hers?
While I had some trouble getting into the story at first, it did pick up as it went on. Ginnie seemed somewhat helpless at the beginning of the story. There was just something about the character that made me think of her as a helpless little kitten: absolutely adorable but somewhat needy. I did think though, that throughout the story, Ginnie did do a little growing up. She seemed more willing to stick up to herself after a little boost and help from Harry.
Harry also didn’t click with me as a character, at all. While I felt bad for him for what he had to deal with in regards to his ex-fiance, he never really became real to me. I didn’t like that although he was drawn to Ginnie, and seemed to do right by her half the time, the other half of the time he was being a jerk, thinking like a jerk, and just unsure of himself.
I was extremely impressed with the amount of knowledge Crooks gave us about the world of puppeteering. I can only imagine the amount of research was involved, and I loved that Ginnie had an interesting hobby/career choice. It was obvious to me that Crooks must either really love, or have a strong dedication to showing the wonderful world of puppets, because that shown through the pages to me.
Although the characters lacked at times, I loved that the main focus of the story was Harry and Ginnie’s relationship. The ending was great as well, and I did find myself liking Harry when he finally allowed himself to fall for Ginnie, and how he went about proving it to her.
All in all, I give Hands On 3 out of 5 marionettes.
December 1, 2010
Hands On by Christina Crooks
Contemporary Romance – Nov. 16th, 2010
4 stars
Hands On is a quick erotic read that fans looking for a light ‘fix’ will enjoy.
This story is starts with a somewhat fairy tale like premise. Ginnie is smart misunderstood and good hearted but her choices in life have led her to move away from a toxic mother and boyfriend. When the rundown cottage she rents literally breaks apart she is rescued by a handsome and wealthy man who ‘happens’ to come by at the right time. Ginnie instantly is attracted to him. And he unexpectedly invits her to stay with him until she can find a place. Ginnie is at first reluctant but without any ready cash she is out of options.
Harry is fabulously wealthy and when he finds out that one of his incompetent agents rented an unsafe cottage he goes to find the occupant before disaster strikes in the form of a hefty lawsuit. But what he finds is the charmingly disheveled and charming Ginnie. Unexpected captivated by her this normally cold hearted man finds himself asking her to stay with him. The mutual attraction grows but a panicked Harry who has been burned by a gold digger in his past is scared. He is reluctant to pursue a relationship with Ginnine even if he soon finds himself miserable.
This was a fun read. Ginnie is misunderstood. She has a soft heart that prefers charitable work and working with puppets. Not the serious and stable work that her mother and the rest of society seems to look down at her for. But she has decided on a fresh new start. When she begins to care for Harry I really felt how hurt she was when he initially rejects her. She is an extremely sympathetic character. The way the meet and are ‘forced together initially seemed a bit unrealistic and forced. The only section of the book I didn’t like was how stubborn Harry was. I understood his reasons for trying to stay aloof but when I really like the heroine I don’t enjoy it when she gets hurt as a consequence of the hero’s carelessness and even cold behavior (even if there are reasons for it). I only wish the hero had ‘smelled the coffee’ earlier and realized what a good thing Ginnie was much sooner!
Although the story does seem a bit contrived in the beginning but the charm of the heroine and the engaging story won me over!
Reviewed by Steph from the Bookaholics Romance Book Club
Contemporary Romance – Nov. 16th, 2010
4 stars
Hands On is a quick erotic read that fans looking for a light ‘fix’ will enjoy.
This story is starts with a somewhat fairy tale like premise. Ginnie is smart misunderstood and good hearted but her choices in life have led her to move away from a toxic mother and boyfriend. When the rundown cottage she rents literally breaks apart she is rescued by a handsome and wealthy man who ‘happens’ to come by at the right time. Ginnie instantly is attracted to him. And he unexpectedly invits her to stay with him until she can find a place. Ginnie is at first reluctant but without any ready cash she is out of options.
Harry is fabulously wealthy and when he finds out that one of his incompetent agents rented an unsafe cottage he goes to find the occupant before disaster strikes in the form of a hefty lawsuit. But what he finds is the charmingly disheveled and charming Ginnie. Unexpected captivated by her this normally cold hearted man finds himself asking her to stay with him. The mutual attraction grows but a panicked Harry who has been burned by a gold digger in his past is scared. He is reluctant to pursue a relationship with Ginnine even if he soon finds himself miserable.
This was a fun read. Ginnie is misunderstood. She has a soft heart that prefers charitable work and working with puppets. Not the serious and stable work that her mother and the rest of society seems to look down at her for. But she has decided on a fresh new start. When she begins to care for Harry I really felt how hurt she was when he initially rejects her. She is an extremely sympathetic character. The way the meet and are ‘forced together initially seemed a bit unrealistic and forced. The only section of the book I didn’t like was how stubborn Harry was. I understood his reasons for trying to stay aloof but when I really like the heroine I don’t enjoy it when she gets hurt as a consequence of the hero’s carelessness and even cold behavior (even if there are reasons for it). I only wish the hero had ‘smelled the coffee’ earlier and realized what a good thing Ginnie was much sooner!
Although the story does seem a bit contrived in the beginning but the charm of the heroine and the engaging story won me over!
Reviewed by Steph from the Bookaholics Romance Book Club
October 31, 2010
Clare's Review
This one was difficult to put down. One of the things that impressed me the most was the amount of research the author put into marionettes. My only real experience with puppets has been with horror movies. Ms. Crooks manages to bring the art of puppeteering to life in a way that tosses aside those kinds of stereotypes. She definitely helped me to see them in a different light.
As with any good story, the main characters, Ginnie and Harry both carry baggage from previous relationships. Ginnie is able to put her baggage aside faster than Harry, which makes for more conflict. They are both exactly the kind of person the other person needs. Harry finds himself inviting Ginnie further into his life even though he’s afraid of being hurt again.
The erotic scenes are warm, not steamy. They are used to further the plot and make us fall for the characters. It was a thoroughly enjoyable romantic novella. I look forward to reading more from this author.
4 Tea Cups!
November 16, 2011
A reread, because I liked this one so much as an eBook that I bought it in print as well. What's not to love about marionettes? Okay so some of the problems could have been solved more quickly by people opening up and talking to each other, but there were also some fun twists that played on the misconceptions and prejudices of secondary characters, A thoroughly engaging little story.
June 20, 2012
I really find the way a lot of these books end, as in "Hands On," totally ridiculous. I know it's fiction, but seriously. I can't help but roll my eyes. Like we used to say in the 80's, it's "gay." I would have given it 3 stars if it wasn't for the ending.
Read
January 12, 2016blegh...
Used for "A Book You Would Be Embarrassed to Read in Public" in 2015 Reading Bingo
Used for "A Book You Would Be Embarrassed to Read in Public" in 2015 Reading Bingo
November 12, 2010
Unfortunately not my kind of book.
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