Review: Yours to Keep

Title: Yours to Keep
Genre: Contemporary
Author: Shannon Stacey
Pub: June 6, 2011 by Carina Press

Sean Kowalski no sooner leaves the army than he’s recruited by Emma Shaw to be her fake fiancé. Emma needs to produce a husband-to-be for her grandmother’s upcoming visit, and, though Sean doesn’t like the deception, he could use the landscaping job Emma’s offering while he decides what to do with his civilian life. And, despite his attraction to Emma, there’s no chance he’ll fall for a woman with deep roots in a town he’s not planning to call home.

Emma’s not interested in a real relationship either; not with a man whose idea of home is wherever he drops his duffel bag. No matter how amazing his “pretend” kisses are…

Making the Grade: A

For My Thoughts

I marked this one as one of my favorites for the year before I was even half-way finished.

Let me get this out of the way first - I loved this book so much that I started writing my review on sticky notes. Naaa I’m just kidding, but the sticky notes played such a cute, make me smile part in Yours to Keep, I had to mention them right off the top.

The pretend, fake fiancé storyline is certainly not a new concept and in Yours to Keep it could have been cheesy and cliché but Shannon Stacey tells a fun, sexy, heartfelt story with real and likeable characters in Sean and Emma and let's us revisit with all the old Kowalski favorites.

Emma is strong, independent and she’s not afraid of hard work or getting her hands a little dirty...which is a good thing since she owns her own landscaping business. She loves her grandmother to bits and wants her to be happy in her retirement to Florida but Grandma Cat worries about Emma managing her business and living in the big family home with all the responsibility all alone. So who’s gonna be hurt by a little white lie of a fiancé if it helps Grandma sleep easier at night and not worry about Emma? It was a good plan...until Grandma Cat decided she was coming home for a month to visit and meet “the man” her grandbaby was going to marry. Oooops!

Sean Kowalski’s at loose ends for the next month after just serving in the Army for the past 12 years. He’s gonna rest, relax and chill, maybe pound a few nails and eats lots of Aunt Mary’s lasagna. Ahhhh the best laid plans...until...who’s that knocking at his door? That’s exactly what Sean’s asking himself when he discovers it’s his fake fiancée come a-calling to break the news of their engagement. She’s hot, tall and just a little batshit crazy. 2 outta 3 ain’t bad - right? Emma seemed perfectly sane, were his Kowalski cousins setting him up? Where were the hidden cameras?

I believed the set-up. I believed in Emma’s motivation for engaging in such an elaborate scam to convince her Grandma she was engaged and why Sean finally agreed to play his part. Now to convince the rest of the Kowalski’s to play along because family loyalty will only get you so far.

The Kowalski siblings, their respective wives and children were up to their old tricks again...making bets, holding their tournaments of Doom and razzing the crap out of their cousin Sean. They are one of the most enjoyable families to read about. Shannon Stacey brings them to life on the page and makes them seem like one big happy family anyone would be lucky to be a part of. I wouldn’t mind a piece of Aunt Mary’s lasagna, but keep the wooden spoon outta her reach!

*posts pink sticky note* I heart Kowalski’s.

Sean was a real trooper. Funny, charming, loyal and sexy. Emma and Sean had supposedly been living together for a year when in fact they barely knew each other which only added to the drama and laughs as they tried to pull the wool over Grandma Cat’s eyes. Sean choking down the broccoli during dinner when he detested the green vegetable was LOL funny and showed just how far he was prepared to go to play his part.

And now for the sticky notes. I loved how Sean used them to communicate his likes and dislikes on the bathroom mirror. And the final pink sticky note - broke my heart, got that lump in the back of my throat growing and made my eyes well up.

Yours to Keep…it’s wicked good!

The Perfect Holiday Stocking Stuffer for Your E-Reader

Elliptical E-Reading

Time 1hr 23mins

Cal 1342

Pages 196KB

Making the Grade: B+

For My Thoughts

Looking for a little holiday read to get you in the Christmas spirit? Well then look no further than Holiday Sparks from Carina Press by Shannon Stacey.

I’ve read three books by Shannon Stacey this year and each one has delivered on the laughs, making me smile from ear to ear, great banter between the main characters and always a great, feel good story. My first Shannon Stacey read, Exclusively Yours is one of my favorite reads of 2010.

I felt a real connection...in the electrical emergency sense anyway to Chloe Burke. Turn on the microwave and blow a fuse...yes that has happened to me. I have a fuse panel that I really should get changed over to a breaker system...mmmm I wonder if I call an electrician now I might end up with my very own version of a Scott Quinn? Probably not. With my luck, the hunchback of Notre Dame is likely to arrive.

One of the many charming things about Holiday Sparks was that Chloe and Scott kind of knew each other in high school, but not really. I say kind of because she was the hot chick (and still is) while Scott was the guy in thick glasses and had the bowl haircut who liked her from afar. So while he recognizes Chloe immediately when he shows up on her parents front porch, she has no recollection of him. Seems he’s changed...a lot. Gorgeous, sexy as all get out with his low slung tool belt and some incredibly flat, rock-hard abs. Yummy! No more glasses and nasty haircut for this guy.

Holiday Sparks is a cute, short novella and surprisingly hot. Yes the sparks really do fly between Chloe and Scott but in a truly believable manner considering the course of this book takes place over the period of a couple of weeks. My holiday wish was that their story had been longer. Of course I feel that way about most story stories that I really like. They're over way too soon.

I would be remiss in my review if I did not mention the other character who totally stole my heart. Now this guy’s a bit hairy, but loyal and undeniably lovable (HEY - that could be the title of the next Shannon Stacey novel!) none the less. He’s a little attention hog, always on the lookout for a good belly rub and a quick pat on the head and he’s the best foot warmer evah! Yes I‘m talking about Kojak the German Shepherd, Scott’s 4-legged companion. I want my very own Kojak and well I wouldn’t turn down my very own Scott either (just saying).

Put aside the stress of the holidays and forget about all the baking and shopping and wrapping and cleaning you still have to do before Christmas and enjoy a little Holiday Sparks. It’ll be a lot easier to do all those things with a smile on your face which you can count on after reading this cute holiday novella.

From the Author's Website

House-sitting for her parents seemed like a good idea, until the microwave blew up and the lights went out.

Now Chloe Burke thinks upgrading the electrical system of her childhood home while they are away would make the perfect Christmas gift. Fortunately, there’s an electrician in town who can get the job done by the holidays.

Scott Quinn has wanted to get his hands on the Burkes’ wiring for almost as long as he’s wanted to get his hands on their daughter. Chloe didn’t notice Scott back in high school, but she’s noticing him now, and soon they’re indulging in a little festive fun: no strings, no expectations. After all, Chloe plans to get out of this goldfish bowl of a town and back to her real life in Boston by New Year’s.

But Chloe and Scott discover they enjoy each other’s company just as much out of bed. Could their holiday fling turn out to be the real thing

Workout Wednesday: Kowalski Family Chronicles Part 2

Disclaimer: Reading Undeniably Yours may make you long for a big, liberally iced slice of chocolate cake!

E-Pages read 417KB(anyone know how many pages that is?)
Riding/Elliptical Time A lot
Calories Burned A Lot
Distance Peddled A Lot

It's turned into mission impossible to get a book read in a week by just riding at the gym. So I had to pull out all the stops and read on the elliptical as well.

Making the Grade: B+

For My Thoughts

Kevin Kowalski and the entire fun-loving Kowalski clan are back in Undeniably Yours, the follow up to Exclusively Yours by Shannon Stacey.

For anyone who doesn’t already know it, Shannon Stacey is a big fan and supporter of all things Boston sports related and she makes no bones about where her allegiance lies when cheering for her teams. So it‘s no surprise that her characters are huge fans of all things Boston/New England. The many sports references in Undeniably Yours were often a source of comedic relief like when considering names for a new born baby (hello Carl Yastrzemski?? - I think not).

So I wasn’t on the second flip of the finger on my Itouch into this E-book and I already had a big grin on my face….Ms Stacey does have a way with words… you could go all the way. I love a feel good, make me smile like a Cheshire cat book ( I do wonder what people are thinking when they see grinning like a fool while I’m working out - probably that I’m a loon!).

Kevin Kowalski, former cop and current owner of sports bar Jasper’s Bar and Grill has been known to occasionally hit it out of the park with the ladies, but he didn’t expect to hit a customer coming to the rescue of a damsel in distress sitting at his bar. And Beth Hanson can’t believe it when the hot bartender decks her boss and in the process costs her her job as her jerk wad boss yells at her before stumbling out of the bar a la Donald Trump “Your Fired”!

Little did these two realize that the knockout punch delivered that night at the bar would start the ball rolling down a path that would change their lives forever.

What are the odds? A 2 lousy percent! Those are pretty good odds, except if you’re Kevin and Beth. Next up for this unlikely duo: Baby on Board.

I loved that Kevin was so supportive and over the moon excited about the impending birth of the baby. He was like a little kid on Christmas morning. Beth was a little harder for me to warm up to (she reminded me of the Grinch). Maybe that was because I didn’t feel she was giving Kevin a chance and her “neighbours only who are having a baby” rule once she was knocked up? Beth, Beth, Beth…that’s like closing the barn door after the horse has escaped. I felt as frustrated as poor Kevin (and his blue balls and I’m not talking about Patriots Blue footballs) with the cold shoulder treatment she was giving him. At that point - what was the point of denying him? I would have been all over him like white on rice…or like chocolate fudge icing slathered on a big, ole slice of sinfully delicious chocolate cake *wink wink*. I could have used a couple of extra slices of cake in Undeniably Yours.

As was the case in Exclusively Yours, the charm and appeal of Undeniably Yours is more about the sum of the parts rather than just the main focus on the H/h. There is something very heart-warming about the Kowalski family. As I was writing this review it came to me that this family reminded me a family drama on TV - ABC’s Brothers and Sisters. Also the secondary story featuring Paulie and Sam was just as engaging and I looked forward to their time in the spotlight when Kevin and Beth were taking a breather (and that doesn’t always happen where the secondary storyline enhances rather than detracts from the main couple).

You wanna laugh? You wanna feel good? Then pony up to the bar at Jasper’s and enjoy the E-Book.

Ohh and one last think - don’t leave your calling card on one of the napkins at the bar. Kevin Kowalski is no longer accepting resumes to fill a vacancy. That position has been filled by the one woman with all the right qualifications.

Available from Carina Press
Read an Excerpt here

Workout Wednesday: Exclusively Yours

I want my own cuppa Joe *cries*. And I'm not talking about coffee! He'd be the perfect pick-me-up after a hard workout...at the gym (you pervs!).




An Ebook again this week?
2...2...2 weeks in a row?!?!
(ok so took me 3 weeks, who's counting?)

♥♥♥♥♥
Pages read approx 300
Riding Time 3hours 18minutes
Calories Burned 1206
Distance Peddled 56.31




For My Thoughts

I've been wanting to read Exclusively Yours by Shannon Stacey for awhile now, but just haven't gotten around to it because of the e-book format (me = old school, likes paperback format). Since my 1st experience last week was so satisfying, I knew I had to move this one up the TBR pile.

Kari Daniels to her high school boyfriend and then love of her life Joe Kowalski shortly after graduation: “Good-bye Joe. Me gotta go. Mee-oh-my-oh! See ya later cuz I'm California bound!” ( I took some poetic license with the wording).

Almost 20 years later and celebrity magazine writer Keri Daniels needs to get the biggest scoop of her life after her shark-eating boss Tina finds out she once locked lips with the now famous, but reclusive best-selling author Joe Kowalski. Threatened with losing a job she loves and a career she's worked hard for if she doesn't get the goods and deliver a kick-ass, juicy tell-all article - a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do...go camping for 2 weeks on a Kowalski family vacation?

Me thinks someone’s got some serious groveling to do.

I have 3 fabulous words to describe Exclusively Yours: funny, flirty and family! In case you’re still in doubt about my feelings - I loved it. It’s a sexy, fun character driven story. No murder, mystery or mayhem (unless you count a bunch of rambunctious boys) in sight and yet it truly kept me entertained and engrossed in not only the outcome of the H/h but the entire Kowalski family and they are quite a crew.

The characters in Exclusive Yours are what definitely sold me. Normally for me, I like my secondary characters in small doses, basically page filler, so when you find a book that you actually care about the supporting cast, well it’s definitely an added bonus.

Stacey writes the Kowalski family including the ‘Rents, Joe’s twin sister Terry, sister Lisa and brother Mike and their assorted spouses and a gaggle of kids so unbelievably fun and so real. I almost felt like taking a week’s vacation in the great outdoors, tent and mosquito repellent in hand, rustic bathroom facilities and eyes that glow in the dark be damned, just so I could hang with the Kowalski clan …cue *record scratching sound*...who am I kidding? I don’t like ANY of those things! But that I was even considering it tells you what a terrific job Stacey does in creating and developing this family and story.

Exclusively Yours is more than just Keri and Joe‘s story. It’s the sum of the parts that make this book a keeper. I laughed, I got choked up and I’m sure there were even a couple of ahhhh’s murmured over the course of the read.

Finally, I think if I ever go ATV’ing, there is one particular maneuvre I would like to practice over and over again on that little 3-wheeler…involving mud and a throttle ( I know which scene y’all went to and it wasn‘t the same one as me LOL! ).

If you’re looking for an unforgettable read, then download this book NOW.



Available from Carina Press

From the Author's Website

When Keri Daniels’ editor finds out she has previous carnal knowledge of reclusive bestselling author Joe Kowalski, she gives Keri a choice: get an interview or get a new job.

Joe’s never forgotten the first girl to break his heart, so he’s intrigued to hear Keri’s back in town—and looking for him. Despite his intense need for privacy, he’ll grant Keri an interview if it means a chance to finish what they started in high school.

He proposes an outrageous plan—for every day she survives with his family on their annual camping and four-wheeling trip, Keri can ask one question. Keri agrees; she’s worked too hard to walk away from her career.

But the chemistry between them is still as potent as the bug spray, Joe’s sister is out to avenge his broken heart and Keri hasn’t ridden an ATV since she was ten. Who knew a little blackmail, a whole lot of family and some sizzling romantic interludes could make Keri reconsider the old dream of Keri & Joe 2gether 4ever.