CONTEMPORARY
& HISTORICAL
| book reviews |
The Blog Affair
Alissa Baxter
Contemporary Sweet Romance
Heat Rating: 2
Twenty-something white South
African Emma Bradshaw has a
pattern of falling for unsuitable men
and starts a blog about these socalled “serial datists”. Her search for
new beginnings takes her to Cape Town, where she gets a
job working for sexy author, Nick Reynolds. Romance with
her boss is a no-no, but slowly, Nick works his way around
her defenses. Trust him, or not, especially with her awful track
record with men?
When an anonymous male reader of the blog challenges her
on her ideas about the male species, Emma realises she
must confront her past and find her true self before she can
move forward...and love can blossom again in her future.
REVIEW: Well-written and beautifully plotted, The Blog Affair
tells the story of how two individuals jaded by love learned to
face their short comings and fears and take a risk into loving
again. Alissa Baxter’s carefully thought-of characters colour
the page with their distinct personalities and unique speech.
Written in a serious, straight to the point tone, yet with a
scattering of humor that is well-placed, this novel contains
an equally serious female main character (Emma) who blogs
about the men she has met in her life and a jaded journalist
/ novelist who has had seen too much of the worst life has
to offer. It’s interesting to note the effect of each person’s
experiences in their attitudes and outlook in life.
A Cowboy of Her Own
Joann Baker and
Patricia Mason
Contemporary
Heat Rating: 3
Marty Samuels had been cursed with
plain looks and a curvy body. It didn’t
help that she had to work as hard as
any man to keep a roof over her head. But Marty was good
at protecting what she loved, including the strays she’d taken
in and made part of her little family. So why couldn’t she keep
her heart safe from the sexy cowboy next door?
Ethan Blackhawk had been blessed with good looks and an
abundance of charm. It didn’t hurt that his family was rich as
sin, either. He’d always been sure about what he wanted out
of life—until one bad dog forced him to take a second look at
the woman who could change his mind.
REVIEW: When Marty’s dog Elmo ends up on Ethan’s
property again, Ethan is not happy about it and tells Marty
how happy he is, in specific terms. Marty was definitely
not happy about that and tries her darnedest to keep her
wayward adventurous mutt on her property. Eventually they
end up on the same page and fall in love. It was a sweet
charming story and Marty was a likeable everyday woman
and Ethan her sexy cowboy, she didn’t know she wanted. It
was short, had humor and definitely worth reading if you get a
chance to read it.
| Reviewer: Cassandra Graham |
| Reviewer: Francine Alli |
December 2013 | 25