Friday Mini Reviews #69: Roni Loren, J.D. Robb & Jenny Hale
Off The Clock by Roni Loren (Pleasure Principle #1)
bought
Synopsis from Goodreads
FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE LOVING ON THE EDGE NOVELS, THE FIRST IN A SENSUAL NEW SERIES
Overtime has never felt so good…
Marin Rush loves studying sex. Doing it? That’s another story. In the research lab, Marin’s lack of practical knowledge didn’t matter, but now that she’s landed a job at The Grove, a high-end, experimental sex therapy institute, she can’t ignore the fact that the person most in need of sexual healing may be her.
Dr. Donovan West, her new hotshot colleague, couldn’t agree more. Donovan knows that Marin’s clients are going to eat her alive unless she gets some hands-on experience. And if she fails at the job, he can say goodbye to a promotion, so he assigns her a list of R-rated tasks to prepare her for the wild clientele of The Grove’s X-wing.
But some of those tasks are built for two, and when he finds Marin searching for a candidate to help her check off her list, Donovan decides there’s only one man for the job—him. As long as they keep their erotic, off-the-clock activities strictly confidential and without strings, no one will get fired—or worse, get attached…
Overtime has never felt so good…
Marin Rush loves studying sex. Doing it? That’s another story. In the research lab, Marin’s lack of practical knowledge didn’t matter, but now that she’s landed a job at The Grove, a high-end, experimental sex therapy institute, she can’t ignore the fact that the person most in need of sexual healing may be her.
Dr. Donovan West, her new hotshot colleague, couldn’t agree more. Donovan knows that Marin’s clients are going to eat her alive unless she gets some hands-on experience. And if she fails at the job, he can say goodbye to a promotion, so he assigns her a list of R-rated tasks to prepare her for the wild clientele of The Grove’s X-wing.
But some of those tasks are built for two, and when he finds Marin searching for a candidate to help her check off her list, Donovan decides there’s only one man for the job—him. As long as they keep their erotic, off-the-clock activities strictly confidential and without strings, no one will get fired—or worse, get attached…
Amazon US/UK | Amazon kindle US/UK | The Book Depository
9/10
Absolutely fabulous book! Clever, full of steamy attraction and at times heart-breaking. Honestly, Roni Loren is a very talented author who writes beautifully and whose characters are impossible not to love. It's not simple or easy. Nothing is clear cut, but there is a deep feeling of satisfaction in the end, plus so many interesting characters... Highly recommended!
* * *
Шикарнейшая книга! Умная, полная пламенного влечения, и время от времени трогательная. Если честно, Рони Лорен - очень талантливый автор, который пишет красивую прозу с характерами, которых невозможно не полюбить. Здесь нет ничего простого и прямолинейного, однако читатель закрывает книгу с глубоким чувством удовлетворения. Очень советую!
Divided in Death by J.D. Robb (In Death #18)
bought
Synopsis from Goodreads
Reva Ewing, a former member of the Secret Service and a security specialist for Roarke Enterprises, is a prime suspect in a double homicide. She had every reason to want to kill her husband, the renowned artist Blair Bissel. Not only was he having an affair, he was having it with her best friend.
But Lieutenant Eve Dallas, who's on the case, believes Reva is innocent. Eve's instincts tell her that the murder scene looks too perfectly staged, the apparent answers too obvious. And when she digs for more, she discovers that at nearly the exact time a kitchen knife was jammed into the victim's ribs, the passcode to his art studio was changed - and all of the data on his computer deliberately corrupted.
To Roarke, it's the computer attack that poses the real threat. Signs show that this is the nightmare his company has secretly been preparing for. He and Reva have been under a code-red government contract to develop a program that would shield against a new breed of hackers, the Doomsday Group. These techno-terrorists with brilliant minds and plenty of financial backing hack into systems, steal data, and corrupt computer units on a large scale - and kill anyone who gets too close.
Eve and Roarke must infiltrate an extraordinarily secretive government agency to expose the corruption at its core, before the virus spreads from one office to a corporation to the entire country.
Audible US/UK | Amazon US/UK | Amazon kindle US/UK | The Book Depository
8.5/10
Really strong book! There are two main plotlines, and the one with Roarke struggling with some major decisions is the one I loved the most. Also, all governments suck and for the greater good is a horrendous concept. Just saying. Fantastic read, as usual!
* * *
Очень сильная книга! Здесь две важные сюжетные линии: само расследование, и Роарк, борющийся со сложными решениями и яростью из-за бессилия изменить что-то в прошлом Ив. Вот именно она резанула меня по сердцу. Классная история, как обычно у Норы Робертс.
bought
Synopsis from Goodreads
Christmas is a time for family - isn't it?
Allie Richfield loves Christmas, so when she lands a job as House Manager for the amazing Ashford Estate—which includes organizing the Marley family festivities—she is in her element. With a budget bigger than her life savings and a team of staff, how hard can it be?
As one-by-one she meets the Marleys, she’s about to find out…
Allie’s new boss, Robert, might be gorgeous, but he’s also colder than the snow outside and refuses to come home for Christmas. Robert’s playboy brother, Kip, flirts with her relentlessly; and his sister, Sloane, arrives home with baggage—both the divorce-kind and the Louis Vuitton kind. Their ninety-two year old grandmother, Pippa, spends her day grumbling at everybody from her mobility scooter.
With Robert intending to sell Ashford, it’s the Marley’s last chance to create some happy memories in their family home—and Allie is determined to make it happen… even if it takes a little Christmas magic! With the festive spirit in full swing, she might even discover a little happiness of her own…
3/10
Yuck. This is a case of one truly insufferable goody-two-shoes heroine, whom I wanted to smack repeatedly during the course of the narration. She basically barges in as a hired help and starts bossing the whole family around without knowing anything about their situation. I think it was supposed to be adorable, but I found her infuriating. Read at your own peril.
* * *
Пипец просто, а не героиня! Указывающая всем как жить, в то же время не знающая ничего об обстоятельствах семьи, с которой она работает... Мне просто хотелось вмазать Алли по лицу. И всё это по идее должно было заставить читателя умиляться и желать героине счастья, однако кроме раздражения она у меня ничего не вызывала. Читать на свой страх и риск.