Friday, December 27, 2013

SEXY SATURDAYS WITH ANDREA AND AUTUMN: THE VALENTINE'S ARRANGEMENT by KELSIE LEVERICH


Sexy Saturdays with Andrea and Autumn is a weekly meme created to spread the word about spicy reads. 

Participating blogs:
The Bookish Babe
 

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The Valentine's Arrangement (Hard Feelings, #1)Series: Hard Feelings #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Intermix
Publication Date: 12/31/13
Format: eARC
Pages: 194
Source: Publisher
Rating:  4 stars


Tattoo artist Ronnie Clark is counting the days until Valentine’s Day is over. Ronnie doesn’t do romance. She doesn’t do flowers or dates, and she sure as hell doesn’t do love—not anymore.  Love leads to heartbreak, and she’s vowed never to let herself get hurt again.

Sergeant First Class Kale Emerson is home on his midtour leave from Iraq, but he only has one thing on his mind—returning to his soldiers to finish leading their mission. He’s dedicated to his men and to his country, and he’s not interested in getting wrapped up in a distracting relationship…but casual sex, that’s a different story. From the moment he sees Ronnie, he wants her. And he agrees to her terms: no romance, no fluff—just passion.

But as their sexual chemistry ignites, the lines of their arrangement get blurry, and Ronnie starts to push Kale away. And when Kale realizes he’s found his match in this gorgeous razor-tongued woman who is hell-bent against love, winning her heart could be the toughest battle he has ever fought.

  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17693096-the-valentine-s-arrangement


First Impression ....I love a good novella. And I wish I had that chick's eyebrows.

The Story... Home on leave, Kale Emerson wants a tattoo to honor his fallen comrades. Well, he gets that tattoo, alright, created by the badass bombshell Ronnie Clark. Kale wants to make a connection with Ronnie while he's home, Ronnie is interested but intent on avoiding commitment. A short-term arrangement-no feelings involved-is what they set out to experience, but will the fire keep burning when their time is up?

The Characters ... The Valentine's Arrangement only had two characters with significant presence. Ronnie was completely rude, abrupt, and a little vicious. I loved that. I can see how a lot of readers might not connect with or enjoy her, but I did, a lot. She was hard core, a true badass who was quick to hand out a verbal beat down if the notion struck. Ronnie had her reasons for the tough exterior, but even if she hadn't, I still would have liked her.

Kale Emerson was perfect. A dedicated soldier who's job means everything to him, Kale has never been in love or had a significant relationship. I liked that the author allowed him to be a decidedly commitment-free guy without making him a jerk. Kale doesn't dick women around or recklessly break hearts. He just is who he is.

The two characters together were sexy and practically combustible. Ronnie is a compulsive ball-buster, but instead of being annoyed or intimidated, Kale gets off on it. Her fiery temperament amuses him. And turns him on. I liked seeing these two go into their situation believing they can control their feelings, but quickly realizing logic will not trump love.

The Writing .... was really good. I appreciate dual point-of-view in my romances, allowing me to know both characters thoughts and motivations, which reduces my book rage moments significantly.

Novellas are so hard to get just right. We need enough detail to form a strong connection, but too much can drag it down. Leverich found the perfect balance in my opinion.

The only nit-picky item for me was the "bad guy" who comes looking for trouble with Kale and Ronnie. Maybe I'm naive, but I just didn't get why he went through so much effort. But, he was arrogant and stupid, so it probably does make sense. Stupid dudes...I'll never understand them.

The Heat ... The Valentine's Arrangement was sexy, but not consumed in the only in physical act. That's not to say that Ronnie and Kale didn't get down. They did, and they did it well. But the chemistry and anticipation between them was just as hot. The foreplay, the intense build-up, was so hot and totally worth the wait.

Could I Put The Valentine's Arrangement Down? ... Throughout the first half, yeah, I could. I was really enjoying it, but not overwhelmed. The second half, specifically the last twenty-five percent, really grabbed me hard. With Kale pushing Ronnie for me as he was heading back to Iraq, and what happens next, I was definitely consumed. I basically sat in the middle of Red Lobster and ignored my family so I could finish. Any story that can make me miss out on Garlic-Cheddar Biscuits is worth a read.

In the End ... The Valentine's Arrangement was a very good novella. I would recommend it to fans of very well-developed novellas, such as Laura Kaye's Hearts in Darkness.


Favorite Quotes:

  She turned around, her impassive expression turning irritated. "All right, soldier, you just gonna stand there and waste my time or do you want to get some ink?"
  Kale put his head down and smirked as he started after her. He couldn't help liking her bad attitude. It was refreshing. She was feisty and quite possibly going to be a huge pain in the ass, but it turned him on. Oh, yes, this was going to be fun.   ~eARC, 6%


  She froze, letting every nerve ending fire to life as Kale's fingers traced over the lines of her tattoo. The softness of his touch was so light, so careful, it was if she was feeling the light pressure of a needle pressing ink into her skin. It was like he was tattooing her body all over again with the tip of his finger, and the feeling was addictive. She wanted more, and she wanted it everywhere.   ~eARC, 53%
 
 
 
The Hard Feelings Series
The Valentine's Arrangement (Hard Feelings, #1)  Feel the Rush (Hard Feelings, #2)  Pretending She's His (Hard Feelings, #2.5)  A Beautiful Distraction (Hard Feelings, #3)
 
 
 



About the author
Kelsie LeverichKelsie Leverich grew up in the small town of St. Joseph Illinois before getting married and following her husband from one Army post to another. After eight years, they finally settled down in Avon, Indiana with two adorable knuckleheads that are better known as her kids. Kelsie's life revolves around her family (to include two dogs and a cat) and most of the time, actually all of the time, it’s a crazy mess—but that’s the way she loves it! When Kelsie’s not writing, you can usually find her snuggling on the couch with her kids and a good book or out on the lake with family and friends. Kelsie is not a morning person, has a soft spot for animals, loves musicals, hates seafood, and thinks laundry is the source of all evil.


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12 comments:

  1. "Any story that can make me miss out on Garlic-Cheddar Biscuits is worth a read."

    I was already interested in this one from that cover but this quote sold me! Poor SSH!

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  2. Really nice review. I like that the physical part of the story wasn't too overwhelming and that there are dual povs. Love those. Also, the covers in the series are really nice. Thanks for sharing.

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  3. I'm so impressed with the quality of novellas this year! Sounds like another good one :-)

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  4. I love that the build and sexual tension was hot and made the wait worth it. Nice review this looks like a quickie I would enjoy!

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  5. *jumps up and down* I have this! I'm totally in a reading rut. I did read Drew + Fable Forever last night and loved it but maybe this one should jump to the head of the line. I need good books to read on my break! I love dual POV and I think I might like the feisty Ronnie. AND her eyebrows are to die for! Hehe

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  6. I've had this one on my kindle forever...guess I better move it up in priority. A heroine who's rude and a little vicious but who you'd love even if she didn't have reasons for being so? And a hero who's perfect and doesn't dick women around? Sign me up!

    I'm really loving your new format, Andrea! And I hope you're having a wonderful break! :)

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  7. Yay, glad you liked this one. I read book 2 first then this one. I've also read novella 2.5. My favorite is book 2, Feel the Rush. So excited for the next book!

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  8. I have this! I am so excited to read it now after reading your review, and it's not terribly long either.

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  9. Hmmm.... this one does sound pretty good. I like he's not a jerk even though he's not big on commitment. The whole jerk act can get annoying. I might consider picking this one up.

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  10. I'm so glad you loved this one, it makes me even more excited to read it! I love strong female characters, and I think it's awesome that Kale wasn't a jerk! These two characters sound well developed and very likable. I love Ronnie's eyebrows and Red Lobster's biscuits too! LOL Excellent Review!!!

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  11. I've read Valentine's Arrangement this year and really enjoyed it. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who likes romances

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  12. I got this one last January. I should really get to it! LOL

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