Review: Searching for Perfect (Searching For #2) by Jennifer Probst

Series: Searching For #2

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Publisher: Gallery

Publication Date: 4/29/14

Format: Paperback

Pages: 352

Source: Publisher

Rating: 5 stars

The up-and-coming matchmaking agency Kinnections is the hottest thing to hit Verily, New York—just like Kennedy Ashe, social director for the service she owns with her two best girlfriends. A coach, consultant, and cheerleader rolled into one super-sizzling package, Kennedy creates dream dates, encourages singles to shine, and never refuses a challenge—not even Nate Ellison Raymond Dunkle, rocket scientist, nerd extraordinaire, and Kennedy’s newest client.

Kennedy vows to work her magic and transform this hot mess in a lab coat with a disastrous relationship track record into the most wanted man on the Verily dating scene. If only she could turn the wand on herself . . .

Though she radiates confidence and sex appeal, Kennedy harbors deep-seated insecurities from a tormented past and lifelong struggle with weight issues. When she realizes she and Nate are cut from the same cloth and might be perfect together, can Kennedy learn to let her heart lead the way? Or will her fears sentence her to the sidelines as Nate finds love—with someone else?

Searching for Someday was a surprise for me. A delicious, sexy surprise. I honestly loved everything about that book, and was so anxious for more. Kate's friend and colleague Kennedy seemed like the perfect woman, though there were hints that behind the beautiful exterior, there was a woman with a painful past. Something about Kennedy promised that her story would be powerful and engaging. Searching for Perfect was most definitely that.

Kennedy has severe, long-term issues with body and self-esteem. I think that no matter how old we are, we never forget the cruel words, shame. When Nate looks at her, he sees a gorgeous, successful woman. And that is the image Kennedy strives to project. But on the inside she still sees herself as the fat girl who was taunted and abused by classmates. Whose own parents were ashamed. She's punished herself for years, determined to be the beautiful and sexy woman who can maintain power. She slips up, reverts to her old punishing ways. Nate helps Kennedy see herself for the dynamic, lovely force she is. Moments like that always win me over.

Nate Dunkle is delightfully nerdy. A real mess. He's abrupt and totally says all the wrong things. I don't what that says about me, but I kind of love that in a guy. Just the fact that he's a wreck makes me want to fix him. And, what's so great about the guys who have a hidden potential is that you feel like you're in on a great secret. Call me a reverse sexist or whatever, but Nate's makeover is hilarious.

  Kennedy swallowed a giggle and spoke up. "Benny needs to clean up your brows."

  "They're eyebrows, for God's sakes. What can you do to them?"

  Benny pressed the fabric down. And ripped it off.

  "Shit!"

  "Stop being a baby. Women handle hard-core pain on a daily basis. Now hold still, I'm not finished."

  "You ripped my hair off my face. I'm a guy."

  "A hairy guy. You will need to wax regularly."

  "Fuck you."

Truthfully, though, I do sometimes struggle with makeover books, especially those that attempt to completely overhaul a person, inside and out. It really bothers me when it's a teen girl, and the effort extends to making her more "palatable" to the bonehead guys in school. What makes Searching for Perfect work for me is that Nate was the one seeking help. Kennedy doesn't want to change Nate's personality, just enhance the window dressing. Oh, and help him talk to women. She sees the gorgeous, smart guy behind the rough exterior, and she wants to help him shine.

The chemistry between Nate and Kennedy was just delicious. Nate is obviously attracted to the gorgeous Kennedy, and she returns those feelings. Much to her own surprise. His intensity promises he will be devoted to her happiness, in every way. But in order to remain professional, Kennedy continually pushes Nate away. Meanwhile, I'm sitting there shouting "He's your perfect man! Don't mess this up, dummy!" It's just so apparent that the two are suited and destined for each other. Watching Kennedy push Nate to his perfect match huuuuurt so bad. I believe in these two together, and believed in their ending.

Btw...Wolfe shows up and I loved it! Cannot wait to see what's in store for him in the next book.

The Searching For series has become a favorite of mine, and one that I find myself highly recommending to fellow romance readers who ask for a suggestion. It's sexy, funny, and always leaves me 100% satisfied.

Favorite Quotes


  "You're both. Smart and beautiful. On the inside and outside. You don't have to choose one over the other anymore. You can just be exactly who you were meant to be. And I think that's damn perfect."


  "I'm an ass. I told you I loved you the wrong way, but I'm always doing things like this, and if we're together, that's not gonna change. I wear my food on my clothes, mutter physics equations under my breath, and am OCD when it comes to germs in public restaurants. I say stupid shit, I'm obsessed with golf, and I fucking love you. I just love you."

 The Searching For Series

 

(covers lead to GoodReads page)

Searching for Someday Review

Purchase Links

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About the author

Teaser Tuesday: Searching for Perfect by Jennifer Probst

 

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along, just do as following: 

·Grab your current read 

·Open to a random page 

·Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page 
·Be careful not to include any spoilers so as not to ruin the book for others.

Make sure to share the title and the author so other TT participants can add the book to their TBR piles.

Series: Searching For #2
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Gallery
Publication Date: 4/29/14

The up-and-coming matchmaking agency Kinnections is the hottest thing to hit Verily, New York—just like Kennedy Ashe, social director for the service she owns with her two best girlfriends. A coach, consultant, and cheerleader rolled into one super-sizzling package, Kennedy creates dream dates, encourages singles to shine, and never refuses a challenge—not even Nate Ellison Raymond Dunkle, rocket scientist, nerd extraordinaire, and Kennedy’s newest client.

Kennedy vows to work her magic and transform this hot mess in a lab coat with a disastrous relationship track record into the most wanted man on the Verily dating scene. If only she could turn the wand on herself . . .

Though she radiates confidence and sex appeal, Kennedy harbors deep-seated insecurities from a tormented past and lifelong struggle with weight issues. When she realizes she and Nate are cut from the same cloth and might be perfect together, can Kennedy learn to let her heart lead the way? Or will her fears sentence her to the sidelines as Nate finds love—with someone else?

 

 

 

 

My Teaser ~

  He pushed down the strange mix of emotions that tore through him. "I'm just the nerdy guy behind the notepad."
  "Nate?"
  He pulled into the main area and parked. "Yeah?"
  "Nerds are underrated."
 

I looooooved this book! My review posts on Thursday.

WAITING ON WEDNESDAY: SEARCHING FOR PERFECT by JENNIFER PROBST

 

 

 

Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine,that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.


This week's WoW selection is...

 

 

Series: Searching For #2

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Publisher: Gallery Books

Publication Date: 4/29/14

 

The up-and-coming matchmaking agency Kinnections is the hottest thing to hit Verily, New York—just like Kennedy Ashe, social director for the service she owns with her two best girlfriends. A coach, consultant, and cheerleader rolled into one super-sizzling package, Kennedy creates dream dates, encourages singles to shine, and never refuses a challenge—not even Nate Ellison Raymond Dunkle, rocket scientist, nerd extraordinaire, and Kennedy’s newest client.

Kennedy vows to work her magic and transform this hot mess in a lab coat with a disastrous relationship track record into the most wanted man on the Verily dating scene. If only she could turn the wand on herself . . .

Though she radiates confidence and sex appeal, Kennedy harbors deep-seated insecurities from a tormented past and lifelong struggle with weight issues. When she realizes she and Nate are cut from the same cloth and might be perfect together, can Kennedy learn to let her heart lead the way? Or will her fears sentence her to the sidelines as Nate finds love—with someone else?

 

 

Why I'm Waiting .... 

 

I adored Searching for Someday! Kennedy was a really cool character and I can't wait to read her story!

 

 

Be sure to let me know what you think of my pick, and I will come check yours out!

 

REVIEW: SEARCHING FOR SOMEDAY by JENNIFER PROBST

Series: Searching For #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Gallery Books
Publication Date: 11/24/13
Format: Paperback
Pages: 384
Source: Publisher
Rating: 4 stars

Kate has given up on love—at least for herself. She is both blessed and cursed with the ability to sense a romantic connection between two people—a gift that her family passed down for generations. When Kate launches her own matchmaking company, Kinnection, with her two best friends in a cozy New York town, she has to put aside her own romantic disasters to make her business a success.

But when a furious man stalks into her office and accuses her business of being a scam, Kate is given the ultimate challenge to prove herself. Slade puts himself in her hands and asks Kate to find him love. Enraged at his arrogance but stubbornly eager to prove herself, Kate agrees, dedicating herself to the journey of finding him love...only to find herself falling for him along the way.

 

First Impression .... Gorgeous cover. I'm curious about the heroine's "magic touch". Will she use it for good or for evil. Hmmmm....

The Story... Searching for Someday is a spin-off of the Marriage to a Billionaire series. I've only read one book from that series, and was hoping I could easily read this without the backstory, and I did. 

Kate Seymour has the magic touch, one that determines true love. She uses that touch at her matchmaking company, Kinnections. When Slade Montgomery learns his once fragile sister is seeking Kinnections help to find a love connection, he is livid. A divorce lawyer, he is determined to prove Kate, and her partners, as fraud. But...turns out that Kate's touch indicates these two are soul mates. Spade doesn't believe in enduring love. Kate wants it all. Will she convince him? Does she even want to try? And what happens when you try to deny magic?

The Characters ... The two main characters, Kate and Slade, were so well-written. It was a really fine line Probst walked with these two.Spade was a very sexy man, but he was also grumpy and condescending. But, he never truly veered into jerk territory. I was happy Probst managed to always keep me in mind that Slade was misguided, very much so, but not an awful person who didn't deserve Kate.

Kate, on the other hand, was a charming and lovely heroine. With a lifelong stuttering problem that led to self-esteem issues, Kate has worked hard to become the success she is. She has dedicated her life to helping others find true love, with the help of her gift. I love how Probst developed this part of the storyline, and here's why: Kate's gift, a gift all the women in her family shares, reminded me of an all-time favorite, Practical Magic. This story was more magical realism and less fantasy, but with its strong  sisterhood and belief in the power of love, it shared a similar vibe.

The Writing .... Searching for Someday had a quick pace with a great flow that had me flying through the nearly four hundred pages. With it being quite long, I expected it to be overly long or with too much dragging or subplots. Wrong on all counts. The story did justice to Kate and Slade and the issues they face. The story never seemed to drag or frustrated  with indecision or hesitation. The various subplots all worked to enhance the story and promise more to come. What really excited me was the inclusion of Wolfe from The Marriage Merger. That man is going to have a DELICIOUS story to tell. Yay!

The Heat ... Was nice and steamy. I knew that Probst could bring the sexy, and boy did she! I love a man with a dirty mouth, and Slade seemed more than willing to fulfill. The story wasn't all sex, though. They had a nice build-up, with plenty of anticipation. The physical aspects of the relationship didn't override the emotional, but fit within the natural progression.

Could I Put Searching for Someday Down? .... Searching for Someday isn't a book that grabbed my lady bits and refuse to be let go, but it was a story that I didn't want to put down. I did find myself thinking about it when I couldn't read and I will definitely be recommending it to friends.

In the End... With its charm and Practical Magic-esque vibe, I'm very happy Searching for Someday came my way. If it hadn't shown up unexpectedly on my doorstep, I probably wouldn't have picked it up for ages. And now, having enjoyed this book and knowing I have Kennedy's book, Searching for Perfect, to look forward to, I have a new series to anxiously await. Best Reader Feeling Ever. 

Favorite Quotes:

  A violent rush of possessiveness claimed him, making him want to give this woman excruciating pleasure, to give her a memory she'd never forget, to demand her complete surrender of everything she was, good and bad, light and dark, inside and outside until there was nothing left he didn't own.   ~pg. 249


  Her scent still haunted him, and Slade swore he'd never be able to go to a carnival again without remembering her heady sugary scent, like spun cotton candy in his mouth when he tasted her. Instead, he did the right thing. Tucked the blanket carefully around her legs, smoothed back her tumbled hair, and pressed a kiss to her forehead. She smiled in her sleep, and if he had a heart left to give, it would've broken right there.  ~pg. 299

The Searching For Series
 

(covers lead to GoodReads)

Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble

About the author
Jennifer Probst wrote her first book at twelve years old. She bound it in a folder, read it to her classmates, and hasn’t stopped writing since. She took a short hiatus to get married, get pregnant, buy a house, get pregnant again, pursue a master’s in English Literature, and rescue two shelter dogs. Now she is writing again.

She is the NYT and USA Today bestselling author of The Marriage Bargain. She is published both erotic and sexy contemporary romance with Entangled, Decadent, Red Sage and TWRP. She has also written a children's book, Buffy and the Carrot, co-written with her twelve year old niece, along with a short story, "A Life Worth Living." Visit her website for more info!

Website  |  Twitter  |  Facebook  |  GoodReads

FRISKY FALL SATURDAYS: THE MARRIAGE MERGER by JENNIFER PROBST + GIVEAWAY

Summer is over, but just because the temperature is dropping, doesn't mean we have to stop reading scorching hot books! Frisky Fall Saturdays is a weekly post dedicated to steamy books. . Feel free to join in. (let us know so we can add a link to your post) As those leaves start piling up in the yard, ignore them and pick up a sexy book!

The Autumn Review
Globug and Hootie Need a Book
Insightful Minds Reviews


**The books featured on FRISKY FALL SATURDAYS are for adults. If you are under 18 years of age, or do not like smexy books, please stop here. **



Series: Marriage to a Billionaire #4
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Gallery Books
Publication Date: 7/30/13
Format: Paperback
Source: Received from publisher for review.
Rating: 3 stars

Her sisters have found wedded bliss with their wealthy, wonderful dream men, but not Julietta Conte. She’s stayed on terra firma as top executive of the family’s corporation, La Dolce Famiglia bakery. Work is her passion, and her trendy Milan apartment her sanctuary . . . until Sawyer Wells, a masculine masterpiece in a suit, lures her out of hiding with an irresistible offer: an exclusive partnership with his international chain of boutique hotels.

Julietta’s been burned before—and trusting her brother-in-law’s friend, whose powerful gaze alone has her rethinking the best use of a conference room, is the riskiest proposition. But with a once-in-a- career chance to take the bakery global, will she mix stone-cold business with red-hot seduction?

 

The Marriage to a Billionaire series is one I've meant to pick up since I first heard about it. A lot of my friends have good things to say about the books and Probst's writing. So when a bright and shiny copy showed up on my doorstep, I put The Marriage Merger on my short list.

And now I've read The Marriage Merger, and I'm a bit conflicted. I liked it, but something about the story just didn't connect with me. It's possible that this is a case of "It's me, not you", because I enjoyed the writing and I mostly liked the characters. I think my issue is, I'm over the "damaged millionaire who must dominate the woman who is born to be submissive, only she doesn't realize it yet" trope. I'm just...I've read too many of them, and quite honestly, it seems that I'm just not into dominant, damaged businessmen. That's not to say that I don't like Alpha men, 'cos I totally do. A lot. I think I'm just at a place in which I like my book men to be slightly more down to earth.

Okay, so now my personal thoughts are out of the way. Other than my lack of enthusiasm for this type of leading man, I enjoyed The Marriage Merger, at least once I reached the halfway mark. The story got off to a fairly slow start for me. I would explain why it felt slow, but I truly don't remember much of it, even though I read it this morning. I felt like I was on autopilot. I can say that once Sawyer and Julietta started connecting on a true personal level, my heart joined the party.

The second half of The Marriage Merger was enjoyable and I flew through it. I liked seeing Julietta and Sawyer really get to know one another, and quietly fall in love, though the both deny it. Sawyer's (tragic) and Julietta's (loving but pressuring) backgrounds are explored and do explain their hang-ups. From there on out, the story took an easy to predict path, but was still enjoyable.

Now for the steam. I've read a few reviews that mention The Marriage Merger having "too much sex". Um....what?!? I didn't think it was too much, in fact I could have handled a lot more! Too each his own, I guess. I personally found the intimate scenes between the two to be very, very hot and well-written.  Believe me, there were some moments that definitely left me flushed and fanning myself. I give The Marriage Merger two enthusiastic thumbs up for the steam.

The Marriage Merger was a book that I did struggle with initially, but wound up enjoying. I've notice several readers who've mentioned that the other books in this series are stronger. I truly believe those who are into this type of hero, the tortured, dominant millionaire, will find what they're looking for.


Favorite Quote:

  "I love you, Sawyer. This is more than sex. More than business or companionship or something on paper. This is about how I feel when I look at you. About the way you protect Wolfe, and how you respect me, and how you make me a better person. A whole person. It's about the man I see every day. I believe he has everything to give; he's just afraid to take it. I'm not going to be afraid anymore. I'm going to be brave enough for both of us."  ~pg. 341
 
 

The Marriage to a Billionaire Series

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Purchase The Marriage Merger

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About the author
Jennifer Probst wrote her first book at twelve years old. She bound it in a folder, read it to her classmates, and hasn’t stopped writing since. She took a short hiatus to get married, get pregnant, buy a house, get pregnant again, pursue a master’s in English Literature, and rescue two shelter dogs. Now she is writing again.

She is the NYT and USA Today bestselling author of The Marriage Bargain. She is published both erotic and sexy contemporary romance with Entangled, Decadent, Red Sage and TWRP. She has also written a children's book, Buffy and the Carrot, co-written with her twelve year old niece, along with a short story, "A Life Worth Living." Visit her website for more info!

Website  |  Twitter  |  Facebook  |  GoodReads