Jennifer's FairyTales

Love Hacked is Penny Reid's third installment in her hilarious and refreshingly original Knitting in the City series. Fans have already seen two of the Knitting Club members (quirky Jane and sarcastic Elizabeth) get their HEA so now it is time to focus on one of my favorites, Sandra the child psychiatrist. I am impressed with how much Ms. Reid has grown as an author through this series since this is definitely my favorite so far.

As I mentioned above, Sandra is a psychiatrist who is on a mission to find someone to settle down with. Unfortunately, she has a tendency to be attract nice guys who bring out her "helpful" side and she ends up becoming their therapist, and later platonic female friend, rather than their lover. Her luck seems to change though when Alex the Waiter (who has been waiting on Sandra and her dates for two years) decides to throw his hat into the fray. But, Alex is much more than a simple restaurant worker and he wants something much more than a therapy session or a one-night stand.

I adored both of these characters. Sandra made me giggle so many times with her witty remarks and pop culture obsession. The way she used her quirky t-shirt collection to emphasize both her mood and the situation she was in was very creative on Ms. Reid's part. I am also obligated to love any heroine who is obsessed with the Star Wars franchise. And Alex is another sexy Reid hero though he is as different from Quinn (Neanderthal Seeks Human) and Nico (Friends Without Benefits) as he can be. I loved the mystery around him and found him to a great match for outgoing Sandra.

The plot of Love Hacked basically centers around the development of Sandra and Alex's relationship through their awkward (but hot) first meetings to their fun dates to their more serious conversations. Like the rest of the Knitting in the City series, there is plenty of humor to keep readers laughing late into the night. There is also a dash of suspense related to Alex and a Big Secret he is carrying around with him.

Besides Sandra and Alex's unique dates, some of my favorite scenes were the ones with the Knitting Club. This series is now three books old so fans are getting to know all the members really well. I love the friendship that these women (and single man) have with each other and how devoted they are. I believe that book-obsessed Ashley is next to take center stage and I can't wait to see how Ms. Reid matches with her.

Overall, I found Love Hacked to be an enjoyable and easy to read contemporary romance that really stands out in the genre. Ms. Reid is not afraid to push the envelope with her characters and I definitely applaud her for featuring a couple where the woman is a older than the man. I highly recommend this for readers who are looking for a funny, but thought-provoking romance. And it can definitely be read as a stand-alone though it is fun to see how the Knitting Club changes from book to book.

It was great to see Rey and Sam's story continuing in Acts of Faith. Seeing them adjust to such a change in their relationship with the arrival of Rey's daughter, Faith, really showed how awesome they are together. Both of them have issues they need to deal with, but they do with like adults and together. The major issue I had with this book was the character of David who was really interesting and just seemed to disappear in the later third of the story. I hope that A.M. Arthur continues this series and focuses on David soon.

I knew that I would enjoy How to Lose a Duke in Ten Days from the moment that the heroine (Edie) first appeared in When the Marquess Met His Match, the first book in the American Heiress in London series.  The entire situation that Edie was in fascinated me and I was excited to see her and her husband reunite.  But, I was shocked by how much I enjoyed this book and think it is definitely in the running when it comes to my favorite Laura Lee Guhrke historicals.

Edie, Duchess of Margrave, was an American heiress who snatched up the catch of the Season five years ago.  But, what nobody knew was that Edie had devised a way to prevent her Season from being a total disaster by proposing marriage to Stuart, Duke of Margrave which would benefit both of them.  Edie wouldn't be forced to return to New York City where an unfortunate scandal follows her everywhere and Stuart would have the funds to restore his estates.  But, the catch is that Stuart (who is known for his desire to live permanently in Africa) will leave England forever and Edie will take over management of the estates.  Things go pretty well for the estranged couple until a near-death experience inspires Stuart to return and try to establish a real relationship with his wife.

Edie is an intelligent woman who understands that she is not the most beautiful or the most socially adept.  She was ruined in New York after a handsome suitor took advantage of her and is, understandably, very skittish about physical interactions with men.  I admired her determination to stay in England and do everything in her power to insure her survival.  I also liked how Edie learned the finer details of estate management in her husband's absence.  She has most of the power in this relationship which I thought was an interesting twist and LLG did it in a fairly realistic fashion.

Stuart was just a great hero who was so sweet and understanding about Edie's fears.  He fully embraced his unique marriage when it was proposed to him, but figured out quickly how amazing his new wife was.  He also understood that his growing attraction to her would only end in disaster (on his side) so he had hightailed it out of England.  When Stuart is forced to return after nearly dying in Africa, he is determined to make his marriage work though he knows how skittish Edie is.  I loved how he never gave up on the marriage yet never tried to force Edie into anything.  Stuart is a great example of a beta hero who still has a backbone.

The plot of this book focused mostly on Edie and Stuart and their attempts to make their marriage a real one.  They spend time with each other (which I always love) and talk about everything from business to just basic everyday things.  I also appreciated the fact that Edie did not keep her secret from Stuart very long and that he was willing to do anything to help her.  But, it was nice to see that (while he kept his personal feelings about the situation to himself) he was determined to see justice done for her.

How to Lose a Duke in Ten Days is just an enjoyable story with two very likable main characters who finally figure out how perfect they are together.  Laura Lee Guhrke excels at bringing both of them to life and making the reader fall in love with them as the story goes along.