Hi guys and gals!
Welcome back to another week here at Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.
Today, we're kicking things off with a Contemporary Romance title that is sure to please the reader in you. Now, I know what you're thinking...this isn't the season for Romance, it's time for reads that will scare you silly! Trust me, I've thought this through. It's not JUST another run of the mill love story for running deep within its inky veins MAGIC as old as time itself is lurking and it has powers you won't believe...but will REALLY REALLY want to because honestly, I don't care what Cat thinks, I'd SO love that power for at least a little while! *ahem* Anywho...on with the show! Today's book of choice proving the pen is mightier than the sword (unless wielded by cute computer science professors) is....
Matters of Love, Book 1
by
9780996317016
Locked on Love Publishing
About the book...
What would you do if you discovered the men you were dating were fictional characters you'd created long ago?
Thirty-five-year-old Catherine Schreiber has shelved love for good. Keeping her ailing bookstore afloat takes all her time, and she’s perfectly fine with that. So when several men ask her out in short order, she’s not sure what to do…especially since something about them seems eerily familiar.
A startling revelation - that these men are fictional characters she’d created and forgotten years ago - forces Cat to reevaluate her world and the people in it. Because these characters are alive. Here. Now. And most definitely in the flesh.
Her best friend, Eliza, a romance novel junkie craving her own Happily Ever After, is thrilled by the possibilities. The power to create Mr. Perfect - who could pass that up? But can a relationship be real if it’s fiction? Caught between fantasy and reality, Cat must decide which—or whom—she wants more.
Blending humor with unusual twists, including a magical manuscript, a computer scientist in shining armor, and even a Regency ball, A Man of Character tells a story not only of love, but also of the lengths we'll go for friendship, self-discovery, and second chances.
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Eeny, meany, miney, moe...
...which guy should Cat get to know?
Derrick, the high school all star,
Who knows his stats galore;
He just needs to pay attention,
To his DATE a little more.
Grayson, the grad student stud,
Has eyes only for her;
But could animal magnetism,
Turn into something more?
William, the steadfast rock,
Though charming through and through;
He's what every girl could want,
Money, good looks, and caring too.
Ben, the computer science professor,
He's quirky, cute, and fun;
Saving maidens from digital dragons,
He's a dependable one.
Which one is her Prince Charming?
Which one is Mr. Right?
Which one is Mr. Right?
You'll have to read to see, my friends,
If he's found by written word or sight.
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Was I intending to go all poetic on you when I started this review? No. I blame Grayson's influence...*ahem*...heck, I don't know many girls that WOULDN'T claim a like a poetry in his case. Me? I can take it or leave it, more often the latter, so if I was choosing, well...I know who I wouldn't be desiring to have and to hold for life (but the moments in-between...ummm...). Seriously though...
I decided from the start with whom I wished to see our dear gal Cat...with whom I identified with on many levels. She needed someone sweet and honorable but challenging in all the right ways that would love her til the end of days. Okay, so for the most part, that fits most of the potentials beaus but again, in my mind there was only one. I bet you can guess who, or at least those of you that know me by now can. Give up? Okay, okay...you rang it out of me. I was rooting for Ben! Surprised! Don't be. You'll see what I mean when you read it, but the million dollar question is does he come out on top? Now that's a secret I won't being exposing. My lips are sealed. Moving forward...
I really enjoyed the story from start to finish. It had me in tears at the start with the passing of a loved one, fits and giggles when Cat and Eliza were trying to figure out if what they thought might be real was (i.e. fiction come to life...come on, you KNOW you wish you had that power!), and cheering for the underdog as things began to unfold for better or worse. The chaps introduced all had their positive points (though I was really glad Derrick was pretty much a no go from the start) as well as their drawbacks, even if those seemed a bit hard to pinpoint. Eliza was a breath of fresh air and a grounding point for Cat. She may have been a religious reader of Romance novels but when it comes down to it, that very "knowledge" and insight helped our leading lady out in the end. Can't wait to find out more about her story despite her tragic beginning.
Overall, I'd say a grand success and a welcome introduction to a series I shall be following closely. Though there is a bit of a twist towards the end you won't be expecting, the author makes it work and once again proves that if you show enough care for your characters, your reading audience will follow suit. Recommended read for adult Contemporary Romance fans (for two "scenes" and some steaminess, though the rest is sweet) and those readers that always believed the pen was the mightiest weapon of all, next to the heart of course.
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About the author...
As a teen, Margaret Locke pledged to write romances when she grew up. Once an adult, however, she figured she ought to be doing grown-up things, not penning steamy love stories. Yeah, whatever. Turning forty cured her of that silly notion. Margaret is now happily ensconced back in the clutches of her first love, this time as an author as well as a reader. Margaret lives in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley in Virginia with her fantastic husband, two fab kids, and two fat cats. You can usually find her in front of some sort of screen (electronic or window; she’s come to terms with the fact that she’s not an outdoors person).
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Special thanks to author Margaret Locke for the signed copy for review. (THANKS!) For more information on this title, the author, the series, or the publisher, feel free to click through the links provided above. This title is available now in print and ebook formats, so be on the lookout for it at a virtual retailer near you. If you happen to be on GoodReads, there is a giveaway going on right now for a chance to win a copy of this very novel. Last but not least, be sure to mark your calendar because book 2 in the series, A Matter of Time, is set to release this November! (*adds to wish list*) I can't wait to find out what happened to Eliza when...oh. Umm, sorry...you'll have to wait for my ponderings lest I ruin book one for you. ^-^
Until next time...happy reading!
1 comment:
*falls over*. Oh my HEAVENS, what a glorious review! I am tickled pink, blue, and whatever other color comes to mind, not only by the fact that you loved my book (hooray), but that you wrote such an AMAZING review, complete with a kick-tushie POEM! Thank you so very, very much for your kind words. I think I need to hang that poem up near my writing desk. I love it!
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