Review for The Wedding Fling by Meg Maguire

The Wedding Fling by Meg Maguire


I forgot how seductive Meg Maguire's writing can be.

As soon as I started reading this, I got sucked back in to the Meg Maguire Black Hole and I couldn't get out.

And I didn't want to.

Once again, Meg takes a seemingly simple premise (run-away bride off to Barbados, and conflicted pilot with a dream and an ailing father), and she makes it sing. Like an opera at the Met.

There is something about her writing. I can't quite put my finger on it. It's simple and straight-forward, and yet it has a richness to it. She has the perfect balance of deep POV and external plot. And the relationships that develop between the hero and heroine always feel organic, real and believable.

This book is no exception. Leigh is by far Maguire's most appealing heroine. She is a down-to-earth starlet and her sweetness and practicality are very appealing. The hero is sexy and complex. A rugged island pilot who falls unexpectedly in love with this woman. She shoots all of his preconceptions about Hollywood gals right out the door. His awful secret and guilt builds throughout the novel and makes a wonderful, suspenseful story arc.

I also liked the resolution. There are no big fireworks, just two troubled characters willing to take a risk after heart-ache. The end was very romantic. I would have liked an epilogue, such as the one we got with The Reluctant Nude. It was such a fine ending for that story.

Another one of Maguire's strengths is her development of setting. And believe me when I tell you, you'll be ready to jump on a plane to Barbados and bask in the setting sun with a frosty cold beer.

Maguire elevates the standard Harlequin into something special. This is a lovely and romantic contemporary, not quite as sexy as some of her other novels, but definitely emotionally satisfying.

Grade: A-

Happy Reading,
Penelope

ARC Review of The Reluctant Nude by Meg Maguire

The Reluctant Nude by Meg Maguire





I have been seduced by a most alluring book.

It didn't seduce with flash or bling.

It had no pissing werewolves. No shapeshifting Orca whales. No explosions in outer space.

It had bread and cheese and coffee and wine. Alluring characters who were prickly and real and layered and lovely, seductive in a most charming and subtle way. It had a hero who was French, and sexy, but also quirky and odd and delicious. It had a heroine who was impatient and short-tempered and insecure and vulnerable. Their love developed slowly, as the artist chips away at his model's stony exterior, as she finally opens herself up to be loved. Slowly, seductively, wonderfully real.

I actually felt as though I were falling in love as I read this book. That has never happened to me before. I wasn't merely reading about these characters. I was falling in love just as they were--anxious, uncertain, joyful and happy.

There are not many authors who can capture the simple moments. Mary Balogh can. She can take a simple gesture, a moment, a scene, and transform it into something incredibly powerful, emotional and lovely. Which is why her books are so very romantic and satisfying.

Meg Maguire has this magic, too. She has the uncanny ability to transport the reader into her literary world, seduce us with her story, and make us feel the power of a loving connection. She takes simple moments and imbues them with incredible romantic intensity.

Her hero, Max, is extraordinary. One of the best heroes I've seen in romance. He is not your typical character. He is slightly odd but so charming and endearing, I fell hopelessly in love with him. Her heroine, Fallon, is less appealing. She is a prickly hedgehog. But the way Max coaxes her into opening up for him--in every way--is so wonderful, you are cheering for their happy ending. And worried about what will, or will not transpire, at the end of this book.

The plot is not really important here. It's the characters and their blossoming love that make this story sing. The storyline gets somewhat ridiculous at the end of the book, and unneccessary in my opinion. Max's heroic nature doesn't need to be revealed by any grand gesture. It's revealed in the smallest detail, in the way he loves Fallon.

I am just amazed by Maguire's talent, and by the lusciousness of this story. The ending is superb. I cried with the beauty and balance and perfection of it.

Although I have professed my dislike of contemporary romance repeatedly, I think this author might be swaying me over to the dark side. Her books are addictive, seductive, and powerful. I just can't get enough!

I fell in love with this book. It's going on my Top 10 Favorites List. And Max is definitely going on my Favorite Hero List.

Grade: A+

P.S. This book will be released on April 5!


Blissfully happy and jonesing for a French coffee,
Penelope

Review of Caught On Camera by Meg Maguire

Caught On Camera by Meg Maguire




I don't like contemporary romance.

I don't like blonds.

I don't particularly like Harlequins (unless I'm reading a "Sheikh" book as a joke).

So, it was with quite a bit of trepidation that I accepted an ARC from Meg Maguire. It's a Harly. With a blond guy. And it's a contemporary romance.

And then I looked at the cover.

Now, most of the time, a cheesy cover is something that would make an author cringe. Not a good thing. But in this case, the cover made me smile. First of all, there is a hilarious sub-title on the front cover that says "This show is getting x-rated"...hee hee! Then, you notice the camera strategically placed over the dude's crotch. And finally, the hero himself...he looks so damned naughty, with his shirt hanging open and a very wicked look on his face. How I love this cover! I quickly changed my tune about reading this book and couldn't wait to dive in.

Well, what I didn't expect was how addictive a writer Meg Maguire is. I literally could not stop reading this book. I ignored my children as they pleaded with me to serve them food and beverages. I ignored my weenie dog who was whining to go outside to do her business. I refused to do the laundry, pay the bills, or answer the phone. I inhaled this book from cover to cover.

My conclusion: Harlequin is very, very lucky to have Meg Maguire as an author. She took a somewhat hum-drum concept (a wilderness survival guide and his sidekick PA stuck in the woods during a snowstorm) and transformed it into an addictive bit o' romance crack. I usually get pissed off when there's too much deep POV from the characters, but Maguire gives the reader the perfect amount of POV...so we get to know the characters and their motivations. Both the hero (a sexy, scruffy Australian survival host) and the heroine (a Boston gal who has fled her past and relocated to California) are fully-formed, intriguing characters. The sexual tension in this book is fabulous. The love scenes are just the way I like them....intense, very sexy, and emotional. The pacing is absolute perfection, which is why the book was so addictive. As the story escalates, and the romance escalates, the reader gets sucked deeper and deeper into the narrative. Most excellent!

What I usually don't like about contemporary romance is that it's just too close to real life. I read romance for escape, not to be reminded of things like financial anxiety, job stress, or sucky relatives. But Caught On Camera included topics like survival guilt and family neglect with just the right touch. Maguire shows us what makes her characters tick, but doesn't overdo it. And best of all, she shows us how the love, affection, trust and partnership between these two characters make them both better people. That's what romance is all about.

I really, really loved this damned book.

Grade: A

Looking forward to my next Meg Maguire fix,
Penelope

Monday Morning Update: Promo Fun, Wildernessy Reading, and Winter Vacation

It's winter vacation! (Hack, hack, cough, sneeze...oh joyful days stuck in the house while it's snowing outside and my kids are both sick as dogs).

Plan for the week: consume lots of OJ, log in many hours of Call of Duty, and schedule ear-piercing at the mall for my 8 year old daughter. (This is attempt #2 since she lost her nerve the first time).

Yesterday's talk at the NEC meeting was a blast. I had a great time chatting with all the wonderful members of the New England chapter about self-promotion. Unfortunately, I only got through half my material...whoops! I probably could have gone on and on for hours until everyone shrivelled up from dehydration and begged me to stop. Hee hee!

On the reading front: I am in the midst of a wildnerness reading frenzy. Not on purpose, it was just a coincidence. I finished Julia Rachel Barrett's newest book, Pushing Her Boundaries, and I loved it! (A- read). Review coming soon. It was inspired by Julia's camping trip from hell, and it has a very suspenseful storyline involving storms, and canoes, and cougars....wildernessy!

Also on the wildernessy front (do you like how I just made up a new word? heh heh).....I got an ARC at the meeting yesterday and decided to dive right into Meg Maguire's Caught on Camera. It's about a wilderness survival television star and his trusty PA. First of all, the cover is so hilarious, I can't believe it! "This show is getting x-rated" on the front cover. The camera strategically placed over the dude's crotch. And best of all, the male model's impish and naughty facial expression. In addition to all of this deliciousness, the book is excellent. My first read by this author, and I am loving it. Review to follow when I finish!

Hope everyone has a great week!
Penelope