Review: The Proposition (The Proposition #1) by Katie Ashley

The Proposition (The Proposition #1) by Katie Ashley 

Published December 9th 2012 by CreateSpace 

With her thirtieth birthday looming, Emma Harrison finds her biological clock clanging and the elusive knight in shining armor yet to appear. She’s running out of options, especially after her gay best friend backs out from being her sperm donor. Of course, there’s always a sperm bank, but Emma fears a donor mix-up might impregnate her with the spawn of Satan.

Resident company womanizer, Aidan Fitzgerald, is used to always getting what he wants, especially in the bedroom. When Emma spurns his advances at the company Christmas party, he's determined to have her no matter what it takes. After Aidan learns of Emma's predicament, he is quick to offer a proposition that will benefit them both. He will father Emma's child, but she must conceive it with him naturally. Not one for hook-ups or casual sex, Emma is reluctant to take him up on his offer, but his charm, coupled with her intense desire for motherhood, wins out.

Soon their baby-making sessions become more than just physical. Aidan can't seem to walk away from her while Emma begins to wonder if Aidan could be the one. But can Aidan leave his past behind to become the man Emma needs him to be?

My Thoughts

The Proposition caught my eye a long time ago, but I kept putting it on the back-burner. After the long wait to dive into this story, it wasn’t quite what I thought it would be.

Emma realizes her biological clock is ticking. After a few years of heart-ache where she lost both her fiancé and mother, she wants to have a child regardless of not being in a relationship. When her back-up plan is no longer an option, she takes an offer from Aidan who she previously refused to have a one-night stand with at a work party. When Aidan and Emma iron out the details of this baby making arrangement, they are both satisfied with the proposition of Emma mothering the child and Aidan not having to play a father role. However, as predictable as some romances are, after she gets pregnant they both start to have feelings for each other and begin to re-evaluate how this baby situation will really pan out.

I feel I had a hard time connecting with the characters because it was told in the third person. Maybe if I got to know Emma more and heard directly from her when her feelings began to change, I would have probably had more tolerance for her decisions and feelings. It ultimately boiled down to simply not connecting with this character.

Aidan was neither here nor there for me. I didn’t find him swoon-worthy, but I did appreciate the role he played in this story. He was clearly attracted to Emma and it seemed like he was willing to roll with Emma’s feelings as they shifted and formed.

Overall, I found the storyline slightly predictable with somewhat awkward dialog. Not quite what I hoped for, but not a complete bust. Just okay…

3 Suns

Review: Music of the Heart by Katie Ashley

 

 

Music of the Heart by Katie Ashley

Published: March 24th 2013 by Smashwords

Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

 

About the book: For Abby Renard, the plan was supposed to be simple—join her brothers’ band on the last leg of their summer tour and decide if she’s finally ready for the limelight by becoming its fourth member. Of course, she never imagined stumbling onto the wrong tour bus at Rock Nation would accidentally land her in the bed of Jake Slater, the notorious womanizing lead singer of Runaway Train. When he mistakes her for one of his groupie’s, Abby quickly lets him know she sure as hell isn't in his bed on purpose.

Jake Slater never imagined the angel who fell into his bed would resist his charms by promptly kneeing him in the balls. Of course, the fact she seems like a prissy choir girl makes her anything but his type. So he is more than surprised when after betting Abby she wouldn’t last a week on their tour bus, she is more than willing to prove him wrong. But as Jake’s personal life begins to implode around him, he finds an unlikely ally in Abby. He’s never met a woman he can talk to, joke with, or most importantly make music with.

As the week starts comes to a close, neither Abby nor Jake is ready to let go. Can a sweetheart Country songstress and a bad boy of Rock N Roll actually have a future together?

My Thoughts:
I have been waiting in eager anticipation for Music of the Heart ever since I laid eyes on that delicious cover (just look at it!! *drools*)and read the description.  This was such a fun and intense read, full of emotion and ups and downs. 

Abby is about to join up with her brothers’ rock band on their tour as their new lead singer.  When a miscommunication lands her on the wrong tour bus and in the bed of Jake Slater, the lead singer of the famous band Runaway Train, Abby is shocked out her mind.   This leads to a fun bet in which Abby stays on the bus for one week.  I know, convenient, right?  But suspend reality for a bit and have some fun. 

Jake is so full of passion but I would expect nothing less of a great performer. I think it takes someone full of intense emotion to be really good at entertaining, and it just pours out of Jake.  While he did a few things at first that I thought we’re brushed aside too easily, I was able to forgive him and move on.  I couldn’t help but fall for Jake even though he had some real highs and lows.  That boy was all over the place!!:

“Yeah, you.” I lunged forward causing her to take a step back. “It’s you with those sexy as hell cowboy boots that I want digging in my ass as I f&%k you until you scream my name. And those perfect tits…” I licked my lips at the mere thought of my mouth on them. But in that pause, my cloudy thoughts veered in a different, less perverted direction. “It’s the way the dimple comes out on your cheek when you smile really big and the way you blush when I tease you.”….”It was the way your sweet, soft hands wiped away my tears, and the way your body just curved into mine when you let me hold you.  It made me feel, for just an instant, that everything really was going to be all right. No one has ever comforted me like that…except my mom.”

 

Yes, that boy gave me some whiplash!

It took me a little bit to warm to Abby. I felt she was a little too self-righteous and naïve, and a little unbelievably so, but I ended up liking her as well. That’s not to say I didn’t roll my eyes more than a few times and the corny and unrealistic things that came out of her mouth at times, but I’m going to chalk that up to inexperience.  The fact that she didn’t hold grudges, and tried to see the big picture made me like the girl.  She was all about trying to see the good in people and forgiveness, very admirable IMO. 

This was a whirlwind romance with strong feelings on both sides right from the beginning:

I’d always scoffed at the notion of love at first sight. Stuff like that didn’t happen. Sure lust at first sight, but love? Never. But now as Jake stood before me, I wondered if it could be true.

I think this was more of a wild ride than a study in real life here, and usually stories that revolve around rockers are, but who can resist?  I know I certainly can’t, lol! Usually, I like my romance to be a slow build, but this seemed to work here.  Plus, their feelings came first before anything on the physical side happened.  On that front let me just tell you, Katie Ashley knows how to write some scorching scenes! Whoa!  

This was my first Katie Ashley but it won’t be my last.  She had a talent for writing chemistry filled scenes and wicked and flirty banter!   I’m excited for the next book in the series, Ensnare My Heart, which will give us AJ’s story.  He’s the band’s Latin Romeo and I fell hard for that boy!  Gotta love a man who can dance!

 

3.5 Suns

 

 

 

 



Waves of Sunday #12

Welcome to our weekly edition of Waves of Sunday where each Sunday we spotlight a book that has been making waves in the book scene or has simply caught our attention causing a riptide on our TBR.

Today we are spotlightling:

Music of the Heart by Katie Ashley

Expected Publication Date: March 15th 2013

About the book:

For Abby Renard, the plan was supposed to be simple—join her brothers’ band on the last leg of their summer tour and decide if she’s finally ready for the limelight by becoming its fourth member. Of course, she never imagined stumbling onto the wrong tour bus at Rock Nation would accidentally land her in the bed of Jake Slater, the notorious womanizing lead singer of Runaway Train. When he mistakes her for one of his groupie’s, Abby quickly lets him know she sure as hell isn't in his bed on purpose.

Jake Slater never imagined the angel who fell into his bed would resist his charms by promptly kneeing him in the balls. Of course, the fact she seems like a prissy choir girl makes her anything but his type. So he is more than surprised when after betting Abby she wouldn’t last a week on their tour bus, she is more than willing to prove him wrong. But as Jake’s personal life begins to implode around him, he finds an unlikely ally in Abby. He’s never met a woman he can talk to, joke with, or most importantly make music with.

As the week starts comes to a close, neither Abby nor Jake is ready to let go. Can a sweetheart Country songstress and a bad boy of Rock N Roll actually have a future together?

Rachel's Thoughts:
 I love the sound of this story.  I think Jake has met his match in Abby. I like the fact that Abby is in a band herself (or will be), so she'll be able to understand and relate to the same problems and issues that Jake faces.  That sets it apart from the usual rocker romance that I'm accustomed to reading.  Also, I love that Abby doens't fall for him like one of his easy groupies!  I can only imagine the sparks that will fly when she's stuck on his tour bus for a week! I can't wait to read this!

Arlene's Thoughts:
Rachel, what an awesome find!! This made a quick fast track to my TBR and from the sounds of it, I'm moving it straight to the top! I agree with you! I think Abby will not only be able to relate to Jake, but also show him she's not going to easily fall for him, which I bet he's grown accustomed to... being a rock star and all. I've recently become attracted to "Rock Stars Need Love Too" type stories, heck I even created a shelf specifically for them on GR and I think Music of the Heart will make a nice addition. Can't wait to read it either.