Review: Hotshot by Julie Garwood

Publish Date: August 6, 2013
Kindle {p. 368}
Genre: Suspense
Source: Publisher
Peyton Lockhart, Finn McBain

Peyton Lockhart and her sisters have inherited Bishop’s Cove, a small, luxurious oceanfront resort, but it comes with a condition: The girls must run the resort for one year and show a profit—only then will they own it.

A graduate of a prestigious French culinary school, Peyton has just lost her job as a food critic. Out of work and in a bad place personally, a year doing something completely different sounds wonderful.

There are countless challenges and too many people who want to stop the sisters from succeeding. Among them are Peyton’s contentious cousins, who are outraged that they didn’t inherit the resort, as well as a powerful group of land developers who have been eyeing the coveted beachfront property.

It’s soon apparent to Peyton that their efforts are being sabotaged, but she refuses to let the threats scare her—until she’s nearly killed. She calls on her childhood friend and protector, Finn MacBain, now with the FBI, and asks for his help. He saved her life once; he can do it again. Julie’s previous two titles, The Ideal Man and Sweet Talk, both debuted at #2 on the New York Times bestseller list.

I loved Finn and Peyton from the very beginning. I thought they had a very sweet relationship when they were children, and I was eager to see how it progressed once they became adults. The relationship between Peyton and Finn was the major draw that kept me going with this one.

The overall romance side of the novel was it's shinning glory. I loved the interaction not only between Finn and Peyton, but that of her sister Lucy and Christopher. Although as a reader, I wish we could gotten to know Christopher a little better. The fight/arguing those two did the majority of the time they were together was fun to watch.

Now on the side of the suspense, it was all that suspenseful. It didn't really add anything to the story other than a need for Peyton to call on Finn. The whole situation with Peyton and her previous employer and that of her cousin Debi, just seemed ridiculous. Debi should have never been allowed anywhere near the business no matter how much of a tantrum she threw. And her ex-employer was just plan stupid.

I love Julie Garwood's contemporary novels, but this one wasn't one of my favorites. I loved it for Peyton and Finn, and they will rank among some of my favorite Garwood couples, but the suspense storyline feel short for me.

Review: Sweet Talk by Julie Garwood

Sweet Talk
Julie Garwood
Publisher: Penguin
Publish Date: August 7, 2012
Kindle {p.312}
Source: Publisher/NetGalley
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Olivia Mackenzie, Grayson Kincaid
Challenge: 100+
Buy the Book: Amazon

In the new contemporary romance from #1 New York Times bestselling author Julie Garwood, a detective and a lawyer are falling in love— and making a federal case out of it.

When FBI agent Grayson Kincaid first encounters Olivia MacKenzie, she makes quite an impression.

The beautiful, tough, young attorney has stumbled into the middle of an FBI sting operation and has reduced it to chaos. Months of surveillance and careful planning down the drain, Kincaid’s partner is furious and lets Olivia know that she’s ticked off the wrong guy. After all, he’s FBI.

Olivia isn’t intimidated by his partner’s bullying because she’s something even scarier . . . she’s IRS.

And working for the IRS isn’t for the faint of heart. She’s on the trail of an elaborate Ponzi scheme, one that threatens to ruin the lives of naive and unsuspecting victims, and one she has personal reasons to be angry about. But after she asks questions of the wrong people, her life is suddenly endangered. She’s accustomed to fighting for the underdog but being vulnerable herself is a very different story. Smart enough to know when to call for reinforcements, she contacts Grayson Kincaid.

Together they make an excellent team to fight corruption but Olivia is also fighting the immediate and intense attraction she feels for Agent Kincaid, and that may be a battle she is bound to lose.

Olivia and the Pips are highly entertaining from the start. The Pips are Olivia and her three best friends from childhood. Upon meeting them, I instantly fell in love and hope they get their own stories. There did seem to be an opening for that in the last few pages for Collins.

Olivia and Grayson take an instant like to one another when they meet at a job interview gone wrong. Both characters were able to stand on their own and were very likeable. Olivia’s family the on the other hand were absolutely horrible, unlikeable people. It was obvious very early own that they were all about money, and Olivia’s true family were the Pips.

One of the Pips, Jane, became really sick and no one could figure out why. I pretty much figured out that one from the start.

The romance between Olivia and Grayson kept me entertained, but the suspense storyline was a bit out there to me. But then again, when money is involved, I guess the lengths some go to aren't that far-fetched.

Another Julie Garwood to add to my keeper shelf.

Review: The Ideal Man by Julie Garwood

The Ideal Man
Julie Garwood
Publisher: Dutton
Publication Date: August 9, 2011
Kindle {p.340}
Source: Publisher/Net Galley
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Characters: Eleanor Sullivan, Max Daniels
Challenge: 100+, 50 States
My Rating:

Dr. Ellie Sullivan has just completed her residency at a large urban hospital. While jogging in a park nearby, she witnesses the shooting of an FBI agent in pursuit of wanted criminals, a couple identified as the Landrys. The only person to see the shooter’s face, Ellie is suddenly at the center of a criminal investigation.

Agent Max Daniels takes over the Landry case. A no-nonsense lawman, he’s definitely not the ideal man that Ellie has always imagined, yet she’s attracted to him in a way she can’t explain.

Ellie heads home to Winston Falls, South Carolina, to attend her sister’s wedding. Shortly after she arrives, though, she receives a surprise visitor: Max Daniels. The Landrys have been captured, and she’ll be called to testify. But they’ve been captured before, and each time the witnesses are scared into silence—or disappear before they can take the stand. Max vows to be Ellie’s shadow until the trial, and it isn’t long before sparks fly.

Julie Garwood delivers again! Her latest suspense was a thrill to behold.

Max and Ellie are thrown together when she witnesses a shooting of a federal agent while she was out for a jog. Although she finds Max rather rude, it doesn’t cool her intense attraction to him.

There was true chemistry between Max and Ellie. Their relationship took time to develop and progress in a manner that was believable and not rushed. Both Ellie and Max were great characters. You wanted Max in your bed and Ellie as your best friend.

I loved the two of them together. His need to protect her was so sweet and enduring. And when they weren’t disagreeing about something, they were laughing or loving.

The story offered the perfect mix of romance and suspense. It was more than enough to hold me enthralled to see how it all played out. The storyline flowed well, with enough action and laughs to keep me turning the pages.

The secondary characters as well were great. I loved Ellie’s dad and all of the shopping “deals” he loved to receive. However I didn’t like Ellie’s sister Ava, which Garwood did a great job in accomplishing that. I ended up liking the hitman more than I liked Ellie’s sister Ava.

The lead characters and secondary characters all were as believable as the family next door. Even the additional love story between Ellie’s other sister Annie and her Navy SEAL was delightful treat.

Another 5 star read by Julie Garwood!