Scored By The Boss by Maureen Child

From the author's website: no copy.

From Goodreads: "Shipping tycoon Jefferson Lyon wasn't a man who took no for an answer—from anybody. So when his "faithful" secretary finally had enough of his difficult, demanding ways and quit, he followed her to the tropical resort where she was vacationing. There'd be no relaxing for Jefferson…he was playing at seduction in order to get Caitlyn back to work.


But his ex-assistant was turning out to be more determined, and more desirable, than the arrogant millionaire had ever realized."


Why do I do this to myself?  I go to a library sale, see a pile of Silhouette or Harlequins.  I think to myself, "I shouldn't."  Then I remember the five or six good series romances I've read and look, just in case.  Invariably, I end up with a series romance that takes me an hour to read and a day to dislike enough to get it out of my system.

Jefferson's plan to get his secretary to come back to work for him?  Let me spell it out for you.  He's going to seduce her, then act so horribly that she'll dump him, and then she'll feel bad about dumping him and take her job back.  Supposedly this guy is a genius, and, yet, this is the dumbest plan on Earth. Let's look at its possible points of failure:  (1)  His attempts to seduce will fail, (2) She will not dump him when he treats her badly, (3) she'll feel good about dumping him, and (4) she'll feel bad, but not that bad.

Honestly, I'll give him number one since she's been looking lustfully at him.  But, two?  I've known any number of women to put up with any random amount of shit from guys they love or like and to still keep dating them.  This includes petty theft, cheating, and emotional abuse.  What was he planning to do to make the dumping work?  And then there is me.  I've dumped people.  Here's how sad I am about it.  :D  That's right.  I'm not.  I wasn't at the time.  When I dump people it is to make my life better.  Why should I feel shitty about it?  Why should Caitlyn?

I honestly didn't mind Caitlyn.  She was a little too good and efficient, but I've read many a series romance and that barely phases me.  I did like her realization about why she got engaged to the man she was engaged with prior to the start of the novel.  It made sense and it made me think she could be intelligent and resist Jefferson's attempts at seductions.

I never actually felt like Jefferson fell in love with Caitlyn though.  I felt he was upset that she didn't fall at his feet with joy right away and I'd snicker every time he noticed lovingly she wasn't a gold digger, but really? That was all it took?

I think I would have to give Maureen Child another read to see if it was the book that was the problem or if she's simply an author that is incompatible with me.

Verdict:  3.  I am literally throwing this book out which is a rarity for me.  But I don't need to keep books I've bought cheap and which bring me little joy.

Thoughts:  My husband looked at the back copy of this book and said, "What an asshole."  I explained to him that is true, but it's a Silhouette Desire book.  The males are almost always assholes.  You just got to hope that this will be the one of the books where the heroine truly shoves him down into the mud and makes him realize that and grovel for forgiveness.

Also, rather oddly, the majority of the novel took place in a tropical getaway location that was clearly super thought out, but rather generically described.  I guess I just never felt like any part of this novel really came together for me.  Yet, to keep Caitlyn's friends in the novel, she kept making phone calls to them.

Evernight by Claudia Gray

From the author's website:  "When the story begins in Evernight, Bianca has just left the small town where she's spent her whole life. She's a new student at Evernight Academy, a creepily Gothic boarding school where her classmates are somehow too perfect: smart, sleek and almost predatory. Bianca knows she doesn't fit in.

Then she meets Lucas, another loner, who seems fiercely determined not to be the "Evernight type." There's a connection between Bianca and Lucas that can't be denied. She would risk anything to be with him—but dark secrets are fated to tear them apart... and to make Bianca question everything she's ever believed to be true."

Spoilers ahead. Be warned.

Another day, another book about supernaturals at a private high school academy. I'm a horrible bitch for writing that line, but I kind of feel it is true. It's a shame, because I bet when the author wrote the book, the theme wasn't so prevalent, and now when she's publishing it, it's just out there. You can't avoid vampires in high school, if you wanted to! And, unfortunately, it's not the best high school vampire book out there. Neither is Twilight.

The problems with the book starts from the very beginning. The author tiptoes around the fact that the main character is at a school full of vampires. It's hinted, but mostly not. You're reading a story of a girl who doesn't fit in at her school. Only, you know the title, I know the title, and we both know that somehow vampires are involved due to that title. Unfortunately, then you have to ask why Bianca and Lucas are so cavalier about the oddness of the student body, which leads to obvious answers. When vampires are finally introduced to the book, it is as if there is a great reveal. Only, the author's writing is not enough to allow us to forget that we are reading a vampire story. Perhaps the premise behind the book would have been more successful if the cover and summary did not scream vampire. I know that the author cannot alter a publisher's plans, so I have no idea if she knew this would happen. The follow up book, Stargazer, uses a title with more leeway in it, and I think that this would have been more fitting for the first book.

As the book progresses, it becomes clear that the most interesting characters are those shunted to the side of the story. Who are Patrice and Balthazar? What is Bianca's parents' story? Why are vampires going to school with humans, their edible despised classmates? Why does Bianca always shot gun react to things when she is so shy and quiet?

I found Bianca's character inconsistent, Lucas dull, and the story overwhelmed by the stupidity of the a romance between the two. In the background lurks a story I'd like to know, but I'm not sure I'll be bothered to read the sequels.

Verdict: 3. Not a horribly written book, but not great either and with lots of inconsistent plotting.

Thoughts: I was so excited to read this due to the Book Smuggler's review. I feel almost horrible that I didn't agree with them.

Also, if, God forbid, I'm ever turned into a vampire, or become some kind of vampire hunter, I plan on not screwing or falling in love with a member of the opposing team. It simply seems unwise. Buffy has taught me a lesson.