Scan barcode
joreadsromance's review against another edition
4.0
Enjoyable romantic anthology
4 stars
Madame Karma has a stall at the Valentine's Day Fair at the upscale Fairfax building complex. And she decides to impart some wisdom on those at the fair: if you run away from love, you'll be cursed!
Blame It On Karma - [a:Jacquie D'Alessandro|47598|Jacquie D'Alessandro|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/f_50x66-6a03a5c12233c941481992b82eea8d23.png]
Coffee shop owner Lacey Perkins is sceptical when a fortune teller tells her that she is going to fall in love with Evan Sawyer, her annoying, but very hot, property manager. She would rather face the wrath of karma - until she finds herself cursed with a rather large dose of lust.
Together Again? - [a:Jill Shalvis|22370|Jill Shalvis|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1532461001p2/22370.jpg]
Accountant Chloe Cooper doesn't believe in predictions - especially when she is told that the man of her dreams is about to walk into her life. But then she bumps into Ian McCall - her former, and first, lover. But this Ian is more dangerous, secretive and seductive than the one she remembers. But just as she starts to think the prediction could be true - she is cursed with a blackout, a case of fraud and some handcuffs!
Tall, Dark & Temporary - [a:Crystal Green|32522|Crystal Green|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1267652092p2/32522.jpg]
Erin Holland isn't convinced when she's told that Wes Ryan, the infamous playboy, is "the one". In fact, she only wants him as a quick fling on their weekend cruise. But she soon finds that if you mess with karma it will mess with you until you are forced to admit the truth.
This is an enjoyable set of stories which are linked by the mysterious Madame Karma and the predictions she makes about the character's love lives. Although set around Valentine's Day - the holiday doesn't dominate any of the storylines to any great depth.
[a:Jacquie D'Alessandro|47598|Jacquie D'Alessandro|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/f_50x66-6a03a5c12233c941481992b82eea8d23.png]'s story is fun, sexy and very enjoyable and I will be looking out for more of her work in the future.
[a:Jill Shalvis|22370|Jill Shalvis|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1532461001p2/22370.jpg] manages to incorporate some of her well-known excitement and danger into her enjoyable (but too short) story of lost loves. It was also refreshing to find a story of past lovers who didn't part on bad terms.
[a:Crystal Green|32522|Crystal Green|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1267652092p2/32522.jpg]'s story while being generally okay - didn't seem to fit with the other two stories in that it took place outside the complex and 2 weeks after Valentine's Day. Although a pleasant read - I felt it didn't have the sparkle of the first two stories.
All in all this is a very enjoyable anthology and one that I would recommend if you're a fan of any of these authors or if you're looking for some quick, sexy reads. 4 stars.
bryonie's review against another edition
3.0
So we've got a book here that is actually 3 novelettes with a common theme -- a street party at a business complex that features a fortune teller.
Blame It on Karma by Jacquie D'Alessandro
Rating: 2 stars
This story could have been a cute read if it wasn't for the business itself. Yes, this is a Harlequin Blaze book, so sexual undertones and innuendo reign supreme, but I felt it was a little over the top, especially in relation to the coffee shop theme (which I found was completely lacking in taste). I found Lacey to be pushy and stubborn, and completely with her head in the clouds as far as a business owner is concerned. There's a time to stand your ground, and a time to push back a little, and then there's a time to suck it up and listen to what people are telling you. Oh, and mannequins have come a long way these days, but to do the things as described in the book? Nope, don't buy it.
I had issues with how the fortune teller was portrayed, because they are NEVER that specific. Fortune tellers are evasive/vague for a reason. It would have been a much more compelling story if Lacey and Evan were told a cryptic fortune and they had to figure shit out on their own instead of being told their entire life story point blank in minute detail.
And the first sex scene in the coffee shop? Really? Let's just give the whole complex a peep show why don't you...
Together Again? by Jill Shalvis
Rating: 2 stars
This second novelette isn't much better than the first. First off, Ian is about the worst FBI agent ever. He's a bumbling idiot that should never have been given a desk job let alone a field one. And Chloe isn't much better, only she's running after Ian like a sex-starved puppy dog then blames him for it. Please.
Tall, Dark & Temporary by Crystal Green
Rating: 4 stars
My favorite of the three.
Blame It on Karma by Jacquie D'Alessandro
Rating: 2 stars
This story could have been a cute read if it wasn't for the business itself. Yes, this is a Harlequin Blaze book, so sexual undertones and innuendo reign supreme, but I felt it was a little over the top, especially in relation to the coffee shop theme (which I found was completely lacking in taste). I found Lacey to be pushy and stubborn, and completely with her head in the clouds as far as a business owner is concerned. There's a time to stand your ground, and a time to push back a little, and then there's a time to suck it up and listen to what people are telling you. Oh, and mannequins have come a long way these days, but to do the things as described in the book? Nope, don't buy it.
I had issues with how the fortune teller was portrayed, because they are NEVER that specific. Fortune tellers are evasive/vague for a reason. It would have been a much more compelling story if Lacey and Evan were told a cryptic fortune and they had to figure shit out on their own instead of being told their entire life story point blank in minute detail.
And the first sex scene in the coffee shop? Really? Let's just give the whole complex a peep show why don't you...
Together Again? by Jill Shalvis
Rating: 2 stars
This second novelette isn't much better than the first. First off, Ian is about the worst FBI agent ever. He's a bumbling idiot that should never have been given a desk job let alone a field one. And Chloe isn't much better, only she's running after Ian like a sex-starved puppy dog then blames him for it. Please.
Tall, Dark & Temporary by Crystal Green
Rating: 4 stars
My favorite of the three.
More...