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bookish_kristina's review against another edition
2.0
Now I remember why I don’t read Harlequins anymore.
The cheese factor was so high on this one I needed a lactaid. Lots of cringey sex and a contrived conflict that was pure negative motivation. They liked each other so much but couldn’t be together because of reasons they made up in their heads. Cue third act break up because of miscommunication and voila, every single plot for every harlequin I’ve ever read.
The narration in this was also terrible. I’ve heard this narrator before and he was bad then as well. His voices for women characters were cartoonish and so terrible. This is part of a two book audio bundle and the second book is narrated by his wife, he should have asked her to come in and record the female voices. I’m looking forward to her narration as she’s a pretty well known Canadian actress you’ve probably never heard of. But this guy was bad.
Overall not worth the listen, I was lured in because of my addiction to Marines and Neal Seal heroes… I have a problem, I admit.
The cheese factor was so high on this one I needed a lactaid. Lots of cringey sex and a contrived conflict that was pure negative motivation. They liked each other so much but couldn’t be together because of reasons they made up in their heads. Cue third act break up because of miscommunication and voila, every single plot for every harlequin I’ve ever read.
The narration in this was also terrible. I’ve heard this narrator before and he was bad then as well. His voices for women characters were cartoonish and so terrible. This is part of a two book audio bundle and the second book is narrated by his wife, he should have asked her to come in and record the female voices. I’m looking forward to her narration as she’s a pretty well known Canadian actress you’ve probably never heard of. But this guy was bad.
Overall not worth the listen, I was lured in because of my addiction to Marines and Neal Seal heroes… I have a problem, I admit.
scoutmomskf's review against another edition
5.0
Terrific story. I loved the way it started out and how Ben and Ainsley met. Ben lost a bet with his friends, which left him doing the Christmas shopping for his unit's Toys for Tots donations and the local retirement homes. He was in way over his head as he stood in the Barbie aisle at the toy store. I loved seeing him talking to himself and all but pulling his hair out. Luckily for him, a fellow shopper came to his rescue. Ainsley is a professional shopper, and Ben's situation tugs at her heart. I loved seeing her step in and walk him through it all.
Both Ben and Ainsley are career-focused, with no plans for any serious relationships in their immediate futures. But they can't deny the attraction that flares between them. They also suffer from over-zealous friends and family who keep throwing potential dates and mates at them. They form a quick friendship and mutual support team, as they promise to be each other's "plus one" during the holidays. I loved seeing them get to know each other and discover just how much they had in common. Both are hard workers who have plans for their futures. Both of them are big into helping other people. Their conversations are fun and flirty, and they really seem to understand each other. But each of them has a hot-button issue. Ben is a little bit insecure about his background. He grew up poor and joined the Marines right out of high school as a way to take care of his mom and sister. He's a little bit intimidated by the wealth that Ainsley comes from. Ainsley's problem is that of trying to prove and maintain her independence, especially against her father's machinations. She tends to get pretty huffy with anyone who wants to "take care of her."
There were some terrific scenes of Ben and Ainsley together. I especially enjoyed the night of the bachelor auction and watching Ben go all out to help Ainsley make her goal. I liked seeing Ainsley with Ben's friends and how well she fit in with them. But I could also see that there was trouble brewing as the night of her family's Christmas party drew nearer. I ached for Ben, whose insecurities got quite a workout when he saw her parents' house. I liked how Ainsley did her best to put him at ease. I was furious at her father's interference and the terrible things he said to Ben. Ben might have gotten through that okay, but he then had to listen to some pretentious jerk putting the moves on Ainsley. His insecurities collided with his jealousy, and he said some really boneheaded and hurtful things to her. I ached for Ainsley who was blindsided by his words and actions.
I liked seeing how both of them dealt with what had happened. I cheered when Ainsley had it out with her dad, and loved the support she got from her sister. I also liked seeing her brain start to work again, and how she thought about the things said and what may have driven them. I laughed at Ben's arrival home and how his mom and sister pried the story of what happened out of him. I especially enjoyed the insight of his seventeen-year-old sister. That same sister had a very effective way of getting Ben and Ainsley back together. I loved their big moment at the end and seeing the calm and cool Ainsley totally lose it. The epilogue was a terrific wrap up to the story.
I liked Ainsley's friend Bebe and Ben's friend Jake. I especially enjoyed Bebe's unexpected arrival the evening Ben and Ainsley were "cooking" in the kitchen. Her unflappable reaction was hilarious. I liked the close friendship between Jake and Ben. It was great fun to see Jake tease Ben about how much he was into Ainsley.
Both Ben and Ainsley are career-focused, with no plans for any serious relationships in their immediate futures. But they can't deny the attraction that flares between them. They also suffer from over-zealous friends and family who keep throwing potential dates and mates at them. They form a quick friendship and mutual support team, as they promise to be each other's "plus one" during the holidays. I loved seeing them get to know each other and discover just how much they had in common. Both are hard workers who have plans for their futures. Both of them are big into helping other people. Their conversations are fun and flirty, and they really seem to understand each other. But each of them has a hot-button issue. Ben is a little bit insecure about his background. He grew up poor and joined the Marines right out of high school as a way to take care of his mom and sister. He's a little bit intimidated by the wealth that Ainsley comes from. Ainsley's problem is that of trying to prove and maintain her independence, especially against her father's machinations. She tends to get pretty huffy with anyone who wants to "take care of her."
There were some terrific scenes of Ben and Ainsley together. I especially enjoyed the night of the bachelor auction and watching Ben go all out to help Ainsley make her goal. I liked seeing Ainsley with Ben's friends and how well she fit in with them. But I could also see that there was trouble brewing as the night of her family's Christmas party drew nearer. I ached for Ben, whose insecurities got quite a workout when he saw her parents' house. I liked how Ainsley did her best to put him at ease. I was furious at her father's interference and the terrible things he said to Ben. Ben might have gotten through that okay, but he then had to listen to some pretentious jerk putting the moves on Ainsley. His insecurities collided with his jealousy, and he said some really boneheaded and hurtful things to her. I ached for Ainsley who was blindsided by his words and actions.
I liked seeing how both of them dealt with what had happened. I cheered when Ainsley had it out with her dad, and loved the support she got from her sister. I also liked seeing her brain start to work again, and how she thought about the things said and what may have driven them. I laughed at Ben's arrival home and how his mom and sister pried the story of what happened out of him. I especially enjoyed the insight of his seventeen-year-old sister. That same sister had a very effective way of getting Ben and Ainsley back together. I loved their big moment at the end and seeing the calm and cool Ainsley totally lose it. The epilogue was a terrific wrap up to the story.
I liked Ainsley's friend Bebe and Ben's friend Jake. I especially enjoyed Bebe's unexpected arrival the evening Ben and Ainsley were "cooking" in the kitchen. Her unflappable reaction was hilarious. I liked the close friendship between Jake and Ben. It was great fun to see Jake tease Ben about how much he was into Ainsley.
litloulou's review against another edition
2.0
Too much privilege I just didn't find them likable characters.
groovygirl858's review against another edition
2.0
I listened to the audio version of this story and the narrator was terrible. It was difficult to get pass the way the narrator performed the female characters, but this story was just ok. It wasn't very original and seemed hollow. I didn't feel the chemistry between the H and h and it seemed like the conflict came out of nowhere to me. Ben didn't seem like the type of guy to get hung up on money. Overall, if you want to give this story a try, just read it instead of listening to it. The narration adds nothing and probably negatively effected my enjoyment of this book.
all_time_mon's review
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
onthesamepa9e's review
2.0
Listened in audio bc it was packaged with Her Naughty Holiday by Tiffany Reisz. The writing was well executed, but there were some thematic things I really took issue with. There were just too many moments where I paused & was like “that just sounds too heavily influenced by patriarchy,” mostly in terms of how people interacted with the heroine. I think that *can* be done well if the author used it as a way to turn that on its head & give patriarchy the finger, but that’s not really what happened. I particularly had issue with the way Ainsley’s wealth was like a turn off for the hero-we don’t treat men in romance like that, why would we treat women like that?
joreadsromance's review
4.0
Take him home for Christmas
4 stars
Who doesn’t love a man in uniform? Especially at Christmas. That’s just what Ainsley gets in this story set at Christmas - a sort of opposites attract tale. Ben is a big softie Marine from a poor background while Ainsley is a successful business woman from one of the richest families in America. But they mesh well together and I liked their chemistry, banter and interactions with each other. Both were likeable characters and Ainsley was written especially well since sometimes rich heroines have to work extra hard for me to like them.
Fun supporting characters, too. I suspect that some of the other Marines have either had their stories told previously or will do in the future. A word of warning about the British best friend - generally alright but there are a couple of instances of her taking a ‘British’ word and dropping it randomly into a sentence. A bit cringe if I’m honest.
The sex scenes were enjoyable, too. Not too many to overwhelm the story and warm rather than blazing hot. They bordered on sweet rather than down-and-dirty sexy. Again - nothing wrong with that.
While this was a pleasant read - good characters, interesting situations and well written - it didn’t quite dazzle me or keep me hooked so that I couldn’t bear to stop reading. It was quite clear from the outset what the source of conflict was going to be so you’re just really waiting for when it was going to happen rather than wondering what might happen. That’s not necessarily a bad thing - it just gives a story that’s a little more sedate. Again, warm but not blazing hot.
With that said, this is still a good story with good characters in a Christmas setting. I would recommend it to fans of Blaze, Christmas and the Uniformly Hot! mini-series. 4 stars.
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