The funny and talented Vicki Rocho over at Rambles and Randomness has a bloghop going on today, with prizes! All we have to do is finish this sentence.
thought I'd be reading romances on a Kindle. But I am, so there.
Which leads right into...
Talli Roland's new book BUILD A MAN.
About the book:
Slave to the rich, rude and deluded, cosmetic surgery receptionist Serenity Holland longs for the day she's a high-flying tabloid reporter. Unfortunately, every pitch she sends out disappears like her clients' liposuctioned fat, never to be seen again. Then she meets Jeremy Ritchie -- the hang-dog man determined to be
With London's biggest tabloid on board and her very own column tracking Jeremy's progress from dud to dude, Serenity is determined to be a success, even going undercover to gain intimate access to Jeremy's life. But when Jeremy's surgery goes drastically wrong and Serenity is ordered to cover all the car-crash goriness, she must decide how far she really will go for her dream job.
In a way this book is timely, what with Rupert Murdock and the British tabloid being under fire for the extreme tactics they have used to get a juicy story. After all, this is about a young woman who so wants to be a tabloid writer she makes some extreme decisions that prick at her conscious and make her moral compass spin. But that's were the similarity ends.
With the first sentence, If I see another set of boobs I'm going to lose it. I knew I was in for ride. I do enjoy Talli's humor. If fact I asked her if she was as funny in real life as she is on the written page. She said she isn't, but somehow I have a hard time believing that. (Perhaps a little wine therapy would help?) Just take a look at some of these descriptions:
Prancing over to the leather chairs, she crosses her PVC-covered legs and grabs a magazine...
Or, My hair is plastered to my head, mascara and kohl have seeped down my eye sockets like Alice Cooper gone wrong.
Or, I'm more Darth Vader than the female equivalent of Dr. Phil.
Or, Thoughts swim around my head like caffeinated goldfish. (What an image! I can so see/feel this.)
Yet within the humor is a sweet story. At first Serenity bothered me. I wasn't sure I liked her. How could someone apparently so smart be so ignorant and make sure terrible choices? But as she got more and more tangled up in the threads of her bad decisions I began to feel a bit sorry for her and to wonder, "How is she going to get out this mess?" That, and liking Jeremy (I definitely wanted to know what happened to him!) kept pulling me along.
What I also very much enjoy about Talli's stories is that it's not all about sex. There is the occasional well placed adult expletive, there is sexual tension (or lack there-of) but there is no nudity and kissing is left for the appropriate moment. In this day and age when I often feel bombarded, it's a relief to read a light-hearted, humorous love story.
Nice job Talli!
And, to let you know just how much I enjoy your books, I've gone and bought Watching Willow Watts!
28 Random Comments:
Haha! It's fun isn't it! :) I've got about 15% to go on Build a Man. I've also read both her other books and they're much fun! :)
Oh, yay! Thank you so much, Bish - I'm so pleased you enjoyed it! And thanks loads of buying 'Willow', too.
I'm rubbish at writing sex scenes. In fact, I don't even try. I guess for me, I'd rather see what happens outside the bedroom and leave the rest for the imagination. That's even sexier, in my opinion.
Thanks again for taking the time to read and review my novel!
Fab interview. Well done, Talli. Laughter is great therapy. :) x
Talli has a fan in me. Her humour is fantastic. She converted me to chick-lit and I love reading her books.
Thanks for the great review. It's in the gueue on my Kindle. Just read her story in "Madness Under the Mistletoe." I'm already a huge fan.
What a great transition from blogfest to book review! I really enjoyed Hating Game, can't wait to read Talli's other two.
I enjoy her sense of humor, too. She's got to be funny in real life!
Great review for Talli's new book! And welcome to the world of eBooks. Isn't it awesome?
It is strange to think we can read books on hand-held devices. I can't image what my grandparents would say. As for Talli - genius!!
Rock On! I read and very much enjoyed Talli's first book, "The Hating Game," and I've got BOTH these on my Kindle just burnin up for me to read them.
Love your "I never." I guess I never thought that either! :D Good stuff! Thanks for the review, Bish~ :o) <3
Yikes! I've really got to get moving on Talli's books. My TBR list is almost as tall as I am -- thank heaven I'm short :o)
Mary
I love that your reading horizons are expanding now that you have an e-reader. And Talli's latest sounds like so much fun.
Wow! Kindle!! How awesome. I don't have one yet, but someday....
These books do sound awesome. I've been hearing about them. :)
Talli is something special indeed! Nice review!! :)
I absolutely loved Build A Man! I've read all of Talli's books and this has to be by far the one with the most heart. Her voice really shines through in her writing and her passion for her characters are proven in the way she develops her characters. With out giving too much away, I really fought for Serenity to dig deep in her moral soul and do what was ethically right for her life. Serenity shows that you can do a job you love and not compromise your moral compass. I also fell in love with her secondary characters and Serenity's best friend, Kristy. I love how Talli hit on the emotions of thinking the grass is greener. This is definitely a FVIE star plus novel!!
Well I never thought I would ever want to read by Kindle - or iphone - but now I try to travel with only carry on luggage, bringing six books on holiday is tricky.
Just popping by again to say thanks to everyone for all the lovely words! What a wonderful thing to come by here and read on a Friday afternoon. A massive thanks to Bish again.
Talli rocks my socks off!!! I just reviewed her book last night and had the same thoughts! She's a doll, the queen of chick lit. I devour everyone of her books. The humor is too much, and yet I can never seem to get enough!!!! It was perfect, just what I needed to keep me in a light hearted mood for this fabulous season!
Ah romance novels, it seems to be once you read one you can't stop! I may have to go check it out, it look very interesting.
Talli's a great writer! I really enjoyed Watching Willow Watts. Thanks for the review :)
Ha ha! I love you "well I never...!!" I think a lot of people are taken by surprise at how fabulous reading on a Kindle is! Glad you're enjoying yours!
Judy, South Africa
Yay Talli and Bish! Fantastic review. Her books are full of humor. That's one reason she is so successful. That and her writing wisdom. :-)
I love the thoughts swimming like caffeinated goldfish -- that's a great image. And good for Talli for pulling off a romance that isn't chock full of sex. There's nothing unsexier than a bombardment of predictable sex on every page.
I just downloaded Build a Man. I look forward to reading it.
I loved Watching Willow Watts.
Great book review, Bish. I love Talli's humor from The Hating Game. So I know I'd like Build a Man and Watching Willow Watts, too. Thanks for the heads up about the Amazon link for all those free books, Bish. No, I didn't know about that link.
Congrats to Talli on How to Build a Man!
Talli's books are wonderful! I have to catch up as I've only read her first one, but I loved it.
PS. Yea for reading romances on a Kindle.
I didn't realize Talli had a new book out. The premise for this one sounds great. I'll have to get it :)
I won a Kindle but I've found that the iPad is way better for reading in bed since the screen lights up. My husband can go to sleep and I don't have to worry about turning out the light when I'm done reading :)
Heh! Nice segue, Bish. I've never read romance on a Kindle either!
Thanks for the review! I read Talli's first book and gave it five star rating. Best wishes to Talli and Build A Man!
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