Best Friends With the Billionaire by Coleen Kwan – a review

Best Friends With the Billionaire by Coleen Kwan – a review

 

Best Friends With the BillionaireAmazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / BAM

Description:
Cassie Cooper has never been the kind of girl noticed for her looks. But around billionaire Kirk Rochester, her best friend from college, Cassie wishes she could turn just one head—his. So when Kirk asks her to be his pretend girlfriend to thwart another woman’s unwanted advances, Cassie embraces the opportunity to prove to him that she does have a feminine side.

Disillusioned by a rough marriage that had an even rougher end, Kirk values friendship more than romance. He’s always had a good thing going with Cassie. But he can’t ignore how sexy she is now playing the role of his girlfriend, and soon he’s fighting a dangerous attraction to her. Even though their time between the sheets is scorching hot, he refuses to take it beyond “friends with benefits.” He’s learned the hard way that loving someone is the first step to destroying his heart, and he won’t risk losing the best person in his life by falling in love with her.

 

Review:

If your looking for a fun read, then Best Friends With the Billionaire by Coleen Kwan is the book to download ?

Friends with benefits ….. Not really a phrase I like, but it’s better than the other phrase ?

Kirk has a love them and leave attitude, it’s suited him after a bitter ending marriage.  He has known Cassie a long time, as they use to be best friends, at college. But their lives took them in different directions. 

Cassie has always loved Kirk, and now the geeky college kid has filled out rather nicely, Cassie can’t stop his face from starring in all her dreams. But she knows he will never see her as more than an old college friend. She is a comfortable friend, where as Cassie would like Kirk to see her as a sexy girlfriend. 

After saving him from an sticky situation with a persistent old flame, (she pretends to be his new girlfriend), Kirk hits on a plan to ask Cassie to be his pretend girlfriend, which would be great for functions and parties, and in the evening they can chill out and watch movies. Kirk thinks this is a win/win situation. 

Kirk’s life is thrown in chaos when Cassie moves in, yes it’s fun to have his best friend back, sharing movies, thoughts and dinner, but there is more.  Kirk is aware of her as a woman and not just a friend, and he’s not sure how to process that. He doesn’t want to lose his best friend, but when they get between the sheets, Kirk will have to choose, friend, or potentially the love of his life.

Their friendship grows into a friends with benefits, but both are hiding what they truly feel about each other. So who will take the plunge first and admit their feelings for one another, and if they do, will it be as friends or lovers ? 

Cassie’s family are a pain!  They are all about the status, and poor Cassie doesn’t fit! You have to feel sorry for her, she is definitely the under dog in this story. Will Kirk be able to help Cassie and her confidence ? Will he make her family are Cassie as an asset and not a liability? I suggest you read this book to find out.

Reviewed by Julie B.

Copy provided by Publisher

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Unexpectedly Yours by Coleen Kwan – a Review

Unexpectedly Yours by Coleen Kwan – a Review

Unexpectedly YoursAmazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / BAM

Description:
He wasn’t what she was expecting…

Derek Carmichael has harbored a secret crush on his best friend’s older sister for years, but she’s always been out of his reach. Now that Hannah is back in their hometown and newly single, suddenly the five-year age gap doesn’t seem so huge. But convincing her to see him as more than just the kid she used to know is another story.

Hannah Willmett can’t believe how grown-up Derek Carmichael has become. The troubled kid from her youth has turned into a sexy, successful TV celebrity, but Hannah’s wary of his player past and the rampant rumors connecting him to beautiful socialites. Still, she can’t help but give in when their attraction reaches a boiling point.

Trying to keep their fling a secret from her overprotective brother is one thing, but when Hannah finds herself unexpectedly expecting, her life is thrown upside down. She and Derek may be becoming parents together, but that’s no basis for a happily-ever-after.

Review:

Unexpectedly Yours by Coleen Kwan is a standalone novel.  A cougar and her boy toy 😉 

So I was pleasantly surprised to find the lady in question, wasn’t that much older than her young man 😉  The age gap was mostly in her head, she thought people would point and laugh, or make comments about the age. 

Hannah has always known Derek, he was her baby brothers best friend, she mothered the pair of them, but now he has all grown up, and the last thing, Hannah wants to do to Derek, is mother him 😉 

Hannah is recovering from a broken heart ….. And when the flirting gets out of hand, they give in and have a night of passion. Hannah knows that is just for tonight, and In fact she makes it clear to Derek, that this is a one time deal. 

Derek has always had a crush on his best friend’s sister, and after bumping into her in their old town, his crush hasn’t died, in fact he feels more strongly about her 

Derek needed to get away from the town he grew up in, family life was never much fun, so off he went and made a new life for himself. His love of carpentry gave him a purpose and a job, and now a small career on TV. 

But Derek came back because his grandfather had a fall and needs help, (not that the grandfather will admit to it) but they don’t get along, and Derek is torn between staying and helping an ungrateful family member, or going back to his new life. And then there is Hannah to consider …… 

Then we have the brother as far as he is concerned, his sister is staying away from losers and players.  Derek had a feeling that includes him! 

And a baby ! What will the future hold for both Hannah and Derek ? Will Derek give up his new life? Yes he has always had feeling for Hannah, but if she won’t let him in, what’s a guy to do ?  Is Hannah ready for motherhood?  Is she ready to admit that Derek means more to her than  just her brother’s best friend !? What will her brother think of this situation ? 

Unexpectedly Yours by Coleen Kwan is a great afternoon read. One I’m happy to recommend 

Reviewed by Julie B

Copy provided by Publisher

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His Millionaire Maid by Coleen Kwan – a Review

His Millionaire Maid by Coleen Kwan – a Review

 

His Millionaire MaidAmazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / BAM

Description:
His new hire has a secret…

As far as Nina Beaumont is concerned, money ruins everything. Leave it to her wealthy family to screw up her professional life and her personal life. When she crashes and her car sinks, sending her identification and all her belongings spiraling into the watery abyss, Nina sees her chance to escape.

And stumbles into a job with the hottest man she’s ever met…as his maid.

Between running an inn, caring for his grandmother, and trying to keep the dirty-dealing Beaumont Corporation from stealing his land, Joe Farina’s plate is full. He doesn’t have time for romantic entanglements-especially not with the suspiciously bad maid he just hired, no matter how much he needs her…both in and out of his bed.

Screwing with her life is one thing, but Nina’s not about to let her family screw with Joe. That is, if she doesn’t lose him when he finds out who she really is.

 

Review:

His Millionaire Maid by Coleen Kwan is a fun sweet romance.

Joe Farina’s life is run at 100 miles an hour. He’s the dependable go-to guy for seemingly everyone in town. Not only does he not have time for romance, he is strongly opposed to it. His mantra is …. Never get entangled with the staff, it made for an uncomfortable workplace. So why is it that he is instantly intrigued with the new maid?

Nina Beaumont walks into Joe’s B&B looking for directions and instead finds a hot man standing there, and she is instantly attracted. Nina wants to show her family, that she can survive without the Beaumont millions. Being hired as the new maid for the inn, seems like the ideal solution. But she’s not sure about the new boss.

It’s not love at first sight between the two characters, I don’t think they even like each other at first, but there is definite interest. These two clash so many times, you wonder if they will ever get together. And the secret that Nina holds close to her chest, will it break the couple apart, once Joe finds out who his maid really is?

It was a fun read, and very well written. The characters were very likeable.  The incidents they get themselves into, did make me chuckle. I had a fun afternoon reading Nina and Joe’s story.

Reviewed by Julie B.

Copy provided by Publisher

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Undercover In The CEO’s Bed by Coleen Kwan-a review

Undercover In The CEO’s Bed by Coleen Kwan-a review

Undercover In The CEOs Bed

.99¢ ebook at the time of posting: Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk/ Barnes and Noble / KOBO /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date May 26, 2014

Billionaire Lex Rochester has a problem. Someone is trying to sabotage the family company, but the investigation needs to be highly discreet because Lex suspects it’s one of his own relatives. His solution—hire IT security specialist Jacinta Greene, who also happens to be his ex-girlfriend. With Jacinta posing as his newly reconciled girlfriend, the other Rochesters won’t suspect they’re being monitored.

The last thing Jacinta wants is to see Lex again. Their breakup still tortures her, but she’ll do just about anything to help her kid brother, even pretend to reunite with Lex. But the more time she spends with Lex, the more she realizes she’s never gotten over him. Which is bad news, because she and Lex are fatally incompatible.

The fire that still burns between them is as hot and irresistible as ever. Can Jacinta remember what’s real and what’s fake, or will she be hurt by Lex all over again?

••••••••••••••••••••

REVIEW: UNDERCOVER IN THE CEO’S BED is a stand alone, contemporary, adult storyline from author Coleen Kwan. The premise is a second chance at love for two people whose relationship had collapsed ten months earlier when betrayal turned to heartbreak, harsh words were exchanged and bitter memories ensued.

The focus of the storyline is billionaire Lex Rochester’s need to uncover the person(s) responsible for leaking private information about his family’s company to the media. His first thought is to search out his ex girlfriend-IT specialist Jacinta Greene-who would be the perfect foil to hunt for the person responsible. Lex suspects a family member but Jacinta isn’t so sure.

The relationship between Lex and Jacinta is tense. Lex wants Jacinta to pose as his girlfriend but Jacinta wants something in exchange. From business meetings, to late night affairs and finally a family reunion, Jacinta and Lex must keep the truth about their fake relationship a secret while Jacinta searches for the person sabotaging the company from within. But a lack of trust and their inability to let go of the past has our couple continually fighting with one another-getting no where fast.

The secondary characters include an eclectic mixture of the Rochester family; friends and co-workers; and Jacinta’s younger brother. We are introduced to the family matriarch who is ready for her grandson to finally settle down and an assortment of cousins who are all too willing to reveal private information to Jacinta about the man with whom she is still in love.

The world building focuses on family, business and the past. We are privy to both Jacinta’s and Lex’s prior history as well as their own dysfunctional family secrets. The skeleton’s run deep in the Rochester family closet and perhaps one has come back to even the score.

Coleen Kwan pulls the reader into a story of trust and betrayal; family and friends; finding love and letting go. If you like a romantic story with a bit of mystery and a happily ever after, UNDERCOVER IN THE CEO’s BED is a quick read for a lazy afternoon.

Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley.

Reviewed by Sandy

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Stranded with a Hero (Anthology) – a Review

Stranded with a Hero (Anthology) – a Review

 

Stranded with a Hero (Anthology)
Authors:Karen Erickson, Coleen Kwan, Cindi Madsen, Roxanne Snopek
Release Date: November 11, 2013
Stranded with a HeroLinks to order Stranded with a Hero:
Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo

Description:
“Getting snowed in never felt so good as boundaries are crossed, opposites attract, and friends discovering more, promise a Christmas no one will ever forget.”


Reviews;

This was a very nice anthology of short and sweet romance stories.  It’s the kind of book you can take and make a nice Sunday afternoon out of, while snuggled up by a roaring fire and glass of wine in hand.  I enjoyed all four stories, all were short, fun reads.  All the characters are easy to like and make you want to see them wind up with their HEA in the end.  Each and every story has it’s own flare and flavour to it, and had me getting more and more into the holiday mood, and made me want to bake up a batch of gingerbread cookies myself, and trim my tree all over again.  For anyone who’s looking for quick, fun reads, with sweet holiday romances thrown in, then this anthology is definitely for you.

Here’s a little recap on all four stories. 

Loving Mindy, By Karen Erickson
“Mindy can’t believe she’s stuck with her ex–best friend—and the man whose heart she broke years ago—for the holidays, though the tension between them is more than enough to keep them warm. Josh Powers never forgot Mindy, but he can’t risk his heart a second time.”

This is a short, sweet, and endearing read.  It’s about two friends who had grown apart over the years, loosing their special friendship, only to finally find love during the year’s worst snowstorm.  The story picks up a number of years later and Josh is still hung up on Mindy, but now Mindy’s divorced and raising her kids.  Josh has tried to keep away from Mindy as much as possible since returning home, but thanks to Mindy’s wandering cat, poor Josh winds up crashing his truck into a snowbank outside Mindy’s house. Thanks to Mother Nature, the weather is so bad he can’t get a tow truck.  Josh and Mindy wind up getting snowed in for a few days, and over the course of those days, rekindle their friendship and realize there’s more then meets the eye in regards to the two of them.  It’s fun to see them reunite, become friends again and realize they do have real feelings for each other and that they were meant to be.  Their scenes together are fun and flirty and having it take place around the holidays is just the perfect touch.  Both characters are likeable and their conversations are heartfelt and warm. The emotion in this one hits all the high spots and had me grinning along and wishing I were stranded in a snowstorm with Mr. Right.  

White-Hot Holiday, By Coleen Kwan
“Naomi’s sworn off men like Aaron—rich, cocky, and dismissive of holiday traditions. Aaron decided to spend Christmas in sunny Australia to avoid snowy New York, not to fall for the woman his best friend warned him away from. But when a volcano grounds him, Aaron and Naomi’s relationship becomes eruptive.”

This is another short, fun and flirty read.  Being a Northern Canadian, and being used to being surrounded by snow at least 5 months out of the year had me wondering what it would be like to be someplace like Australia at Christmas time with no snow.  I found myself sympathizing with Aaron whenever he’d be missing the snow and cold from back home.  Who knew it would take being halfway around the world and in balmy Australia for our hero Aaron to realize just what he has back home during the holidays.  It was fun to see his interactions with Naomi, and watch him go from a Ba-Humbug as she calls him, to Jolly ol’ St. Nick over a matter of days. I really liked this story, and enjoyed Naomi and Aaron. I felt they were well suited for each other and the sparks between flew from their first scene.  Their interations and conversations are real and charming and watching him do things he otherwise would never have considered doing before were quite fun.  The scene where they went to find a new Christmas tree, and then when he actually went and helped her at work(selling Christmas gifts) were priceless, yet charming. Oh the things a man will do to impress the girl he’s attracted to. Aaron is definitely a keeper and Naomi realizes this, but can she let go of her past breakup and take the plunge once again.  Thankfully Aaron is very persuasive, and in the end they both get what they are looking for in their HEA.

An Officer and a Rebel, Cindi Madsen
“  The last person police officer Nate Walsh expected to discover in a snowstorm is his brother’s ex and former town rebel, Kelsey Cooper. She’s his complete opposite and totally off-limits, but as they wait out the storm together, all he can think is how he wishes she’d stay forever.”

To keep the flow of fun, flirty and quirky going in this anthology Ms. Madsen hits all the high spots in this one.  You can’t help but love Nate and Kelsey, two polar opposites pretty much, but there’s no denying the chemistry between the two of them. Even though Nate is trying to do the right thing and keep things light between the two of them because she used to date his brother Derek, Nate can’t help his feelings. I felt so bad for Nate, that at one point I started talking to my Kobo telling Nate;”to hell with your brother, go for it already”.  You see Nate was always the golden boy of his family, and town, you know the boy next door, never gets into trouble kinda guy.  So here he is trying to do the right thing till he talks to his brother, but Kelsey’s not having any of it. She’s attracted to Nate, and knows he’s attracted to her, plus he’s pretty much let the cat out of the bag by kissing her and flat out telling her he’s always had a thing for her since highschool. Oh Nate what a tangled web you’ve woven for yourself.  😉   Watching Nate deal with his feelings and with Kelsey is comical at times. I especially enjoyed their snowmobiling scene, poor Nate trying to keep his mind off his feelings for Kelsey while waiting for his brother to text him back, but Kelsey has other plans.  She’s holding on tight, pinching his butt, basically torturing him.  I was LOL at that scene and couldn’t have agreed more with her tactics.  This story had me LOL at times, and other times wanting to slap Nate silly for being the well behaved, good mannered boy next door. All in all, this was a quick, and quirky read. I really enjoyed both characters, and any man who would beg his friend to fly him in his helicopter on New Years Eve to get the woman he wants definitely has my vote for Mr. Right. 

Saving the Sheriff, By Roxanne Snopek
“Frankie Sylva was determined to free the reindeer cruelly held for a holiday roadshow, even if it meant risking her own life. Deputy Sheriff Red LeClair set out to save a stranger in a snowstorm, never expecting he’d be the one to be rescued.”

Once again we have another fun and quirky read with this one.  I found myself smiling and laughing most of the time thanks to Frankie and her sense of humour, antics and ability to just break out into song for almost anything. I’ve never before seen or heard of someone confessing to a crime by breaking out in song.  LOL!!  Well, maybe only in musicals 😉  Frankie is such a quirky character you can’t help but love her.  She is the perfect woman for Red, especially after the hand he’s been dealt by his ex.  Thanks to his ex, poor Red is miserable and pretty much sworn off women, so when he happens upon the whirl wind that his Francesca(Frankie) Slyva, his life gets expectantly turned upside down.  Since Red is currently divorced and not in a Christmas mood, he decides to play housekeeper for his friends and look after their Wild Mustang Santuary, and winds up meeting Frankie. She’s taken a trailer of Caribou and decided to rescue them from a meat packing plant and set them free on the Mustang Santuary property without anyone being the wiser.  However, as luck would have it, Mother Nature has other ideas.  Thanks to a nasty storm that’s moved in, the trailer gets stuck and she has nowhere to go, enter our Sheriff Red LeClair.  While they are waiting out the storm, Red finally learns the truth behind Frankie’s actions, and can’t blame her for what she did.  As they try and work out a plan, to help her, things begin to heat up between the two, and before you know it, they both realize they’ve fallen for the other.  It’s a rather sweet story, with some rather humourous moments, but at other times serious and endearing.  It’s a well balance story with well written characters who just compliment each other to a ‘t’.  I really enjoyed this one, it had me laughing and at other times had me swooning.  Frankie and Red are two wonderful characters who you can’t help but come to love and want to see make it to their HEA.  Along with Frankie and Red, we also meet some secondary characters who wind up adding a little more spice and fun to the story.  I really enjoyed these characters, and now want to go back and read their stories.

All in all this anthology is a winner in my books. I enjoyed each story.  They all had their own special moments and had me rooting for each couple.  Every single one of our hero’s is very swoon-worthy and makes me want to get stranded in a snowstorm and find my Mr. Right.  As for our heroine’s each one is different, but has her own quirks and fun little personalities that bring a nice balance to the relationship.  Like I said earlier, this anthology is perfect for a lazy Sunday afternoon curled up by the fire with a glass of wine. 

Until next time, Happy Reading everyone! 

Reviews by Marcie

Copy provided by Publisher

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