Review: Who's the Boss Now?

It's a blue ribbon day here at The Bat Cave when Wendy discovers a new category romance author. I really enjoyed Susannah Erwin's first two books with Harlequin Desire so when the third book in her Titans of Tech world, Who's the Boss Now?, landed on my Kindle, I was ready to dive right in.  Unfortunately, as much as I enjoyed the first two books in this series, this one floundered for me.

Marguerite Delacroix's family used to be in the wine-making business and it's all she has ever wanted, well besides resuming control of St. Isadore's, the Napa Valley vineyard that had been in the family for generations. Even though she begged her parents to hang on to the land so she could one day take over management, her parents sold it, took early retirement and uprooted to Arizona. After Marguerite got hosed at her last vineyard job (a former boyfriend took credit for all her great ideas and then proceeded to drag her name through the mud), she reaches out to St. Isadore's current owner. They have a handshake agreement (because apparently she learned NOTHING) where she's grossly underpaid, but takes a cut of the back-end and slowly buys the vineyard from him. Of course the old man dies before it's all finalized and the ledger that has the record of this handshake agreement has gone missing. So our girl, again apparently having learned nothing, decides to break into the winery to steal the test bottles she has stashed in the cellar. Time is of the essence given that the dead owner's great-nephews just sold the winery to a tech bro and word on the street is he's going to tear down the winery and develop the land in other ways.

Of course the tech bro in question, Evan Fletcher, is already in residence and of course he catches Marguerite in the act. What follows is a comedy of errors with them talking circles around each other (she's not really stealing you see - but will admit she technically is trespassing) and then the sheriff shows up not to arrest Marguerite (who he knows by the by....) but to return Evan's 21-year-old brother who was up to shenanigans, and then the power goes out because sure, why not?  Evan bought the winery as an investment property with the idea that his 21-year-old brother would run it someday and recognizes he needs to hire staff to pull the winery back from the brink - so sure, why not hire the woman he just caught BREAKING INTO HIS NEW HOME.

I love category romance. I've been around the Amnesiac Cowboy Sheikh Who Has A Secret Baby block a time or two. My credulity will strain pretty dang far. Heck, the set-up for Erwin's first book was pretty convoluted (hero needs to get married to save a business deal).  But this one?  I just couldn't go there. I get that the heroine got stonewalled by the great-nephews, but honestly breaking and entering? That's extreme even for me. And then there's the fact that she doesn't demand an agreement with the former owner IN WRITING with all the legal i's dotted and t's crossed. If I'm to believe the winery is THAT important to her the fact she's so lackadaisical about purchasing it just makes her look really, really stupid.

And while I'm on the subject of buying a Napa Valley vineyard - y'all realize how much property in Napa costs? Especially a winery sitting on several acres of land? Even a small operation is going to cost millions - and that's before you factor in labor costs and actually growing grapes, producing wine etc. St. Isadore's is in trouble. It's not a thriving operation. Distribution is a mess and the property needs repairs and equipment upgrades. So exactly how realistic is it that the heroine's handshake deal is making her enough money on the back-end for her to BUY AN ENTIRE WINERY IN THE NAPA REAL ESTATE MARKET?!  Especially when there's no mention of a bank loan. No, she apparently paid off the entire thing with the dead owner and he croaked before the paperwork could be done.  I just - who buys a Napa Valley winery IN CASH unless you're the hero who has made millions being a tech bro? 

Honestly, had this been my first read by the author I would have DNF'ed it after the first chapter. That's how much the breaking and entering "meet cute" and real estate shenanigans annoyed me. But I pushed through because, like I mentioned, I really did enjoy Erwin's first two books. Quite a bit.  The stuff with Evan's brother is good and the romance is steamy - although Evan spent too much time in San Fransisco for my liking.  It would have been fine in a longer book, but Desires are really short (200 pages), so I feel like the story would have been better served had the author parked him in Napa sooner.

I just couldn't go there with this book. It annoyed me from the jump with the set-up. And when the set-up annoys the reader?  It's kind of a lost cause at that point. I will certainly be in line for the author's next book, that's how much I liked the first two. Here's hoping that this one is an outlying blip on my reading radar.

Final Grade = C-

Reading Year In Review 2020

Well, that wasn't very much fun. I think most of us are ready to put 2020 firmly in the rearview mirror and move forward into 2021 hoping for better.  Dear Lord, please be better.  2020 was a challenging year for many of you, for a variety of big and small reasons, and I'm no different.  My reading challenge every year is always to get through 100 books. I'm a slow reader by Romancelandia and blogging standards - so hitting 100 books is a pretty big deal for me. Yeah, 2020 saw me getting through 74.  Not great, especially when you consider I count DNFs, novellas, audiobooks - I count everything y'all, my challenge my rules. Here's how the number broke down:

5 Stars (A grade): 4
4 Stars (B grade): 21
3 Stars (C grade ; low B-): 28
2 Stars (D grade): 11
1 Star (F grade): 3
DNF (Did Not Finish): 7
Audiobooks: 13

These numbers are all in my usual ballpark, but 2020 saw more 3-Star reads than 4-Star reads and I always find that depressing.  Here's hoping that ship gets righted for 2021.  

Now, on to the fun part - the actual books. As a reminder, and for those of you new here, my "best of year" list is the best books I READ during said year. It's not specific to books published in that year.  There's older titles featured - mainly because I am always perpetually behind in my reading.  Now, on to the books:

The Romance (in no particular order):

The Lady's Companion by Carla Kelly (Traditional Regency, 1996) - This was my best romance read of the year and the fact it was published in 1996 isn't exactly lost on me. Gentry spinster heroine whose Daddy has ruined them financially decides to take her destiny in her own hands and accepts a job as a lady's companion to a cantankerous widow. She finds an ally and friend in the widow's bailiff. Compelling conflict, emotionally gut-wrenching, and tightly plotted. It's amazing, it's available digitally. Just read it.

To Dream Again by Laura Lee Guhrke (Historical romance, 1995) - This was a reread for me and the title link will take you to my original blog review from 2005. Second son comes home to England with the dream of making children's toys and buys the heroine's factory after the bank calls in her loan after her husband dies. Never mind she's the one keeping the business afloat while her husband chased one get rich quick scheme after another. A prickly heroine written in a time when those weren't the norm who is all out of f*cks when it comes to men. That said, parts of the story have not aged well which I detail a more in my GoodReads review. At one point the self-published digital edition was widely available but at the time of this post it's available via Kindle Unlimited.

Slow Dance with the Best Man by Sophie Pembroke (Harlequin Romance, 2017) - The Harlequin Romance line is one of my favorites because the books feel like warm hugs. Typecast Hollywood actor falls for the heroine, who is gunning for a managerial position at her hometown's Gothic manor that's been converted to a posh hotel. A fluffy concoction with the pleasing Hollywood star falls for A Nobody fantasy. I'm glad I have more Pembroke in my TBR.

Redemption of the Maverick Millionaire by Michelle Douglas (Harlequin Romance, 2020) - A hero who did the heroine dirty swoops into her adopted hometown looking to make amends, only to end up making a muck of things.  Basically this book is one long grovel, because boy howdy did the hero screw up.  Also, it's a small town romance where the author doesn't completely sweep the challenges of small town living under the rug.

Cinderella Unmasked by Susannah Erwin (Harlequin Desire, 2020) - Erwin wrote a book featuring a hero running for political office and I ended up really enjoying it. That's some kind of miracle for 2020. Heroine whose family was done wrong by hero's family ends up falling head over feet. A smitten hero in pursuit who is genuinely a nice guy (not a brooding, angsty playboy!), compelling family conflict, and a Cinderella trope that avoids heavy-handed rescue fantasy. After just two books Erwin is my newest autobuy.

Not Romance, Still Great (in no particular order):

Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland by Patrick Radden Keefe (Nonfiction, 2018) - I read this based off Miss Bates' recommendation and this was easily the book of the year for me. At the end of 1972, Jean McConville, mother of 10, was dragged from her Northern Ireland home by the IRA, never to be seen again. It's a story of violence, of politics, where there are no heroes, and it was by far the most riveting book I had read in a dog's age. I cannot recommend it enough. I made all the incoherent great book noises during and after I finished it.

Get Well Soon: History's Worst Plagues and the Heroes Who Fought Them by Jennifer Wright (Nonfiction, 2017) - I've got Sasha Devlin to thank for this recommendation and this was a great listen on audio. Kind of weird to read a book about plagues that was written pre-COVID, and frustrating in that humans have this uncanny knack for repeating the same mistakes over and over again. Engaging, written with the layperson in mind, with a touch of gallows' humor. I really enjoyed this and even learned some stuff.

Upright Women Wanted by Sarah Gailey (Dystopian, 2020) - A dystopian western that's queer and feminist AF.  Fleeing an arranged marriage when her best friend (and lover) is murdered, the heroine hooks up with a subversive band of traveling librarians. It's a slim book (category romance length) so the world building isn't terribly intricate, but I loved the feminist themes of the story and got sucked into the western world like whoa.  Not a typical read for yours truly, and one that I'm hoping will become a series.

Prairie Lotus by Linda Sue Park (Historical children's fiction, 2020) - After her mother dies, 14-year-old half-Chinese heroine moves with her white father to the Dakota territory. The author grew up loving the Little House series, while recognizing all the inherent problems with that series.  There are a lot of heavy themes in this story (racism, injustice, and the heroine is assaulted at one point - not raped) but it never feels like a heavy book. It's hopeful, with a lovely sense of place and history.  

When I started thinking about this blog post my impression was that I had a pretty dire reading year - but as I looked back I realized that there were gems - it's just said gems were buried in between mediocrity and books I'd rather forget. So long 2020. Please do let the door smack you on the way out.

Review: Cinderella Unmasked

Janelle "Nelle" Lassen is back in the Bay Area to lick her wounds after her finance job on the east coast flamed out in spectacular fashion. She's landed a job at a non-profit thanks to a friend vouching for her, but the executive director lets it be known that Nelle is on a very short leash.  That's why she's at a swank masked ball at San Francisco's historic Ferry Building. A lot of wealthy folks will be there and the non-profit needs donors to survive.  Sure, Grayson Monk being honored at the gala that night is less than ideal, but what are the odds she'll run in to the man who ruined her family?

Grayson Monk is a hedge fund wunderkind who is worth a bazillion dollars (so basically a Harlequin Desire hero).  Anyway, he decides that tonight is the night to drop the bomb - he's turning over the hedge fund to his partners and stepping down.  What he isn't ready to announce yet?  His father, a long time member of the House of Representatives is stepping down due to health issues, which will trigger a special election.  Grayson plans to run for his father's seat, thereby continuing the family political dynasty.

Thanks to an errant glass of red wine, Grayson finds himself changing out of his tuxedo into a borrowed costume.  Annoyed at first, he soon realizes that it might be great fun to mingle among the guests completely in disguise.  That's when he meets Nelle.  Sparks fly, a midnight kiss that could peel wallpaper is shared and then the masks come off.  Nelle is horrified to realize that she was climbing a Monk like a jungle gym and takes off - Grayson never getting her name.

Of course Nelle still has a job to do and her boss knows that she knows Grayson Monk (remember: donors, money, non-profit).  Also the Cinderella-like kiss ends up getting splashed all over the local society pages and Interwebs thanks to paparazzi.  Nelle is still freaked about keeping her job - so yes, it's an impromptu visit to Grayson's soon to be former office to talk turkey with the man.  

I really enjoyed Erwin's debut novel and this, her second book, populates the same universe but stands alone well.  I have a low tolerance for family feud conflict in contemporaries - but Erwin tweaks it here.  Nelle is all set for push-back from Grayson when he finds out what her last name is - but both he and his half-sister are like "Who?! What?! Huh?!"  Which leads to Nelle wondering how much her father spun "The Monk Family Done Us Dirty" shtick to make himself the hero of his own story.  This conflict eventually picks up steam in the later chapters, but for the majority of the book it's about Nelle making contacts, bringing in donations, to keep her job and Grayson pushing back on his sister, his campaign manager, who wants to milk the Cinderella story as much as she can for his campaign.

This book never goes in the direction you think it will, and frankly that's what makes it so good.  I was thinking, "oh sure, the hero will protest, and he'll spend time with Nelle and they'll fall in love and then Nelle will overhear half-sister talk about the Cinderella campaign, she'll be hurt and run off and that will be the black moment."  Um, no.  Nelle does overhear that conversation but doesn't fly off the handle, mainly because Grayson keeps trying to put his sister in her place.  But inevitably Nelle does agree to help the campaign because she likes Grayson, he likes her, and why not see where this attraction takes them?

While I have a low tolerance for politicians and political backdrops in fiction in the best of times, Erwin counteracts this by making Grayson a decent man.  Tired of reading about heroes who change bed partners like they change their socks?  Early on in this book Grayson lets it be known that he's not a one-night, casual-sex kind of guy.  He's not wired that way.  He's smitten with Nelle right from the start and legitimately wants to get to know her, spend time with her, and explore the chemistry that's shooting off sparks all around them.  He's not one of those, "Let's burn up the sheets and just get it out of our system" sorts.  

The pace if fairly leisurely for most of the story and Grayson and Nelle are nice people who share some sizzle.  Also, the author keeps the reader guessing for a while as to the nature of the "family feud" and the question of how much there really is to it.  And the ending?  It's grand gesture territory and so darn dreamy I nearly swooned.  

To be honest the Cinderella trope is not usually one of my favorites in romance, because it's too much Rescue Fantasy for my tastes - but while Nelle is at a low ebb to start this book she's working to claw her way out of it.  Grayson doesn't rescue her so much as give her the opportunity to rescue herself.  And Grayson, despite the silver spoon upbringing and running for office, is a genuinely nice guy.  Not a jerk.  Not a playboy.  A nice guy.  Someone pass me my smelling salts.

This story felt like a warm hug with sexy times thrown in the mix.  I really enjoyed it, and Erwin lays groundwork to write more books in this world.  Frankly Desire needs to give her another contract because if I don't get a romance featuring Grayson's sister I'm going to burn everything to the ground.  

Final Grade = B

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Review: Wanted: Billionaire's Wife

I picked up Wanted: Billionaire's Wife by Susannah Erwin mainly because, once upon a time, she was a local author for me.  I've seen her kicking around at various conferences and when I heard she sold her debut to the Desire line?  I was all in.  I love reading debut authors, especially in category.  It was only after finishing this book that I realized she also won the 2017 Golden Heart for best unpublished manuscript in Contemporary Romance: Short...for this very book.  Which goes a long way in explaining why I enjoyed it so much.  Folks, this is a good one.

Danica Novak is an assistant at a small boutique executive recruitment firm in Silicon Valley. She's just returned from a trip home to visit her brother, who had a freak accident while playing football.  Doctors are recommending an experimental treatment for him, one that insurance isn't going to cover and her parents cannot afford.  So needless to say Danica is distracted when she literally runs into Luke Dallas, the latest tech CEO wunderkind, devastatingly gorgeous and looking for her boss.  They're both in a for a shock however, because the boss?  Yeah, has literally emptied out the office and left a Dear Danica "got an amazing offer sorry to light out while you've been dealing with family stuff for the past 2 weeks" letter.

This is not great news for Luke either.  His company needs an influx of cash to expand and he thought he found the perfect partner in the Stavros Group.  But just as he's about the sign the papers they pull the rug out from under him and things go sideways.  How sideways?  He's at the recruiting firm to convince his old college friend (Danica's dearly departed boss) to take on a new job...find him a wife.  A wife will, for reasons eventually explained, solve the issue with the business deal gone south.  Well, in for a penny, in for a pound - he convinces Danica to take the wife finding job by throwing a fair amount of money her way and, what he doesn't know?  She needs that money for medical bills so says yes.  Never mind she wants to lick Luke like an ice cream cone on a hot summer's day.

I read across most category romance lines but I'll be blunt: I don't necessarily read Harlequin Presents or Harlequin Desire (at least today's Desire...) for realism.  Some of the plots can get patently absurd and this one strains the seams.  I mean, anytime you get the ol' "have to marry for XYZ reason" trope you know that as the reader you just need to roll with it.  It boils down to how well the author sells the absurdity, and Erwin sells it well.

It helps that I felt like she knew northern California.  That she had at least some passing familiarity with the tech industry and with the field of executive recruitment.  I can't say with certainty that it's 100% authentic (not everything is in fiction - which is why they call it "fiction") - but she gets the feel of it right and I appreciated that.

I also liked that while Luke is a bit of a cold fish, thanks to his parents because OF COURSE!, he's not a complete jackhole and honestly?  His parents really are a piece of work.  By contrast Danica had the best example of a happy-ever-after in her parents - eastern European refugees who fled with nothing but their love for each other and scraped together a new life in the United States.  Danica is hopeful to Luke's cynical and it's a nice contrast.

Of course the thing standing in the way of Danica's mission to find Luke a wife is their attraction to each other.  Besides their different temperaments, Luke is a man raised in privilege (dysfunctional, but privileged) while Danica is a woman who has learned the hard way that trusting anyone outside the family unit can get you burned.  This past is reinforced when circumstances end up altering their original agreement.

This is a strong debut and a well-done category romance.  I enjoyed it a lot and inhaled it in a couple of sittings.  I'm definitely going to pick up Erwin's next book which, hopefully, Harlequin will have the brains to publish.

Final Grade = B