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WORK TITLE: Size Matters
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WEBSITE: http://www.authoralisonbliss.com/
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RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Married; children: two sons.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
Alison Bliss is a writer of romance novels. She has written stand-alone novels, as well as books in the “Perfect Fit” series and the “Tangled in Texas” series.
Playing with Fire
Bliss collaborated with Luxie Ryder to write Playing with Fire, a book in the “Tangled in Texas” series. This volume focuses on the unlikely relationship between buttoned-up librarian Anna Weber and a bad boy fireman called Cowboy. Anna is new in town, and she resists making any commitments. However, Cowboy is determined to be with her, despite their personality differences. Writing on the Ramblings from This Chick Web site, a critic described the book’s plot as “just really standard contemporary romance without a lot of creativity or variation.” The same critic concluded: “This is not a bad book. The author is a good writer and the mystery does help to move the plot forward. There is a twist in the plot which … saved this book from being a total loss.”
However, contributor to the Booklovers for Life Web site commented: “The romance is so sweet. … There’s a little bit of suspense thrown in too, with someone setting things on fire in town. Overall, Playing with Fire is a great read with tons of laugh-out-loud moments and an opposites-attract romance.”
Size Matters and On the Plus Side
Bliss’s “Perfect Fit” series features plus-sized female protagonists. The first volume in the series, Size Matters, tells the story of Leah Martin, a curvy bakery owner. Sam Cooper, a handsome local contractor, frequents her shop and develops a crush on Leah. Leah is self-critical and unhappy with her body, mostly due to her mother’s constant comments about her weight. However, Sam believes she is beautiful. One day, Sam stands up to Leah’s mother and blurts out that he has asked Leah to marry him. Leah is shocked, but eventually she and Sam develop a legitimate relationship. “Leah and Sam are appealing in their fumbles and assumptions on the path toward together-forever,” asserted Amy Alessio in Booklist. A critic in Publishers Weekly remarked: “Two well-matched characters finding love without too much angst makes for a fun read.” Kristen Donnelly, a reviewer on the All about Romance Web site, commented: “Leah is a delightful and well-drawn heroine.” Discussing the book’s plot on the Reading Reality Web site, Marlene Harris suggested: “The fake engagement trope is always a fun one to play with. This time was a bit different. Yes, the fake fiancés turn the fake into real, as expected. But before the end, Leah was the one who stood with her head held high, and Sam was the one who had to seriously grovel to make up for his many, many shortcomings. There are too many romances where the hero is forgiven everything with very little effort on his part. Sam grovels both sufficiently and well. As he should.”
In On the Plus Side, Valerie Carmichael has had a longtime unrequited crush on Logan Mathis, her brother’s close friend. The two become reacquainted when Logan moves back to their small town to open a bar. When Valerie begins working at the bar, the two become close, and their relationship finally becomes romantic. A Publishers Weekly reviewer described On the Plus Side as “passable.” The same reviewer suggested that it “will satisfy readers looking for an easy read featuring a relatable larger woman.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, November 1, 2016, Amy Alessio, review of Size Matters, p. 36.
Publishers Weekly, October 31, 2016, review of Size Matters, p. 59; May 15, 2017, review of On the Plus Side, p. 44.
ONLINE
Alison Bliss Home Page, http://www.authoralisonbliss.com (August 1, 2017).
All about Romance, http://allaboutromance.com/ (November 29, 2016), Kristen Donnelly, review of Size Matters.
Booklovers for Life, https://bookloversforlife.com/ (October 26, 2015), review of Playing with Fire.
Ramblings from This Chick, http://ramblingsfromthischick.blogspot.com/ (November 17, 2015), review of Playing With Fire.
Reading Reality, https://www.readingreality.net/ (December 2, 2016), Marlene Harris, review of Size Matters.
Sonya Weiss Web log, http://sonyaweiss.com/ (August 1, 2017), author interview.
YA Reads, http://www.yareads.com/ (December 27, 2015), review of Playing with Fire.*
Series
Tangled in Texas
1. Rules of Protection (2014)
2. Playing With Fire (2015) (with Luxie Ryder)
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Perfect Fit
1. Size Matters (2016) (with Luxie Ryder)
2. On the Plus Side (2017) (with Luxie Ryder)
3. More to Love (2018)
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Novels
Foolish Expectations (2016)
QUOTED: "I don’t know that I ever made a conscious decision to write romantic suspense. I was two chapters in on a contemporary novel when this crazy storyline for Rules of Protection popped into my head and took over my thoughts. I couldn’t think of anything else, so I pushed aside the story I was working on and wrote ROP instead. I’m so happy that I did."
Interview with Alison Bliss
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Today, I’m talking with Alison Bliss about her recent release, Rules of Protection.
Rules of Protection by Alison Bliss1. Jake is a hot hero. What’s your secret to writing sexy men?
Hmm…I don’t know that I have a secret to writing sexy men. More or less, I write what I think is hot and sexy and hope other women agree with me. I do have a strong preference for alpha men and southern gentlemen, though. So maybe those classify as my secret ingredients?
2. What’s been the most exciting moment of your writing career? The hardest?
Releasing my debut book, Rules of Protection, was definitely my most exciting moment of my career, though having three agents offer me representation (pre-publishing) probably came in as a close second. And you may find this hard to believe, but the hardest moment of my career is actually the same answer.
I don’t know that any debut author will ever be prepared for the onslaught of emails, mentions, notifications, promotions, etc… My to-do list was mind-boggling and only got longer closer to release day. Don’t get me wrong, I had a blast.
But can you ever really be prepared if you’ve never experienced something for yourself? So many authors told me to prepare for the crazy, so I did. Or I thought I did, anyway. But I was clueless as to how crazy it would really get.
3. What’s next for your Tangled in Texas series?
So many readers have asked me to write another story featuring Jake and Emily, but my series was never heading that direction. I have always had this certain idea for my Tangled in Texas series that involved three different women telling their own stories in first person POV.
Each book is connected by the characters from the previous book, though, so you will see Emily and Jake in each of the coming stories. They won’t be the main characters, but they will fulfill a need in each of the subsequent books.
4. What made you decide to write romantic suspense?
I don’t know that I ever made a conscious decision to write romantic suspense. I was two chapters in on a contemporary novel when this crazy storyline for Rules of Protection popped into my head and took over my thoughts. I couldn’t think of anything else, so I pushed aside the story I was working on and wrote ROP instead. I’m so happy that I did.
5. What advice would you give to other writers?
My advice is to think for yourself and trust your gut. Only you know what you should be writing. Don’t let trends tell you what to write or watch the market too closely. It changes constantly and you’ll never be able to keep up with it. So just write what your heart is telling you. Chances are, you’ll write the story that you were meant to.
6. What are you currently working on?
I’m currently working on the second book in the series, which will feature a secondary character from Rules of Protection. He was a fan favorite, so I’m pretty sure my female readers will be pleased by what’s coming next. After that, I’ll finish out the series with my third book. I’ve considered writing a supplemental novella, but I haven’t cemented that into the plans at this time.
About Alison Bliss
Alison BlissAlison Bliss grew up in Small Town, Texas, but currently resides in the Midwest with her husband and two sons. With so much testosterone in her home, it’s no wonder she writes “girl books.”
She believes the best way to know if someone is your soul mate is by canoeing with them because if you both make it back alive, it’s obviously meant to be. Alison pens the type of books she loves to read most: fun, steamy love stories with heart, heat, laughter, and usually a cowboy or two. As she calls it, “Romance…with a sense of humor.”
To learn more about Alison Bliss, visit her website at http://authoralisonbliss.com, where you can sign up for her newsletter to keep up with her latest book news. You can also email her at authoralisonbliss@hotmail.com or connect with her on social media.
Facebook: http://facebook.com/AuthorAlisonBliss
Twitter: http://twitter.com/AlisonBliss2
Goodreads: http://goodreads.com/AlisonBliss
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/AlisonBliss2
As the youngest of five sisters, I have never turned down a challenge...or been called by the right name. My writing career may have started out as a dare by one of my sisters, but I haven't put my pen down since.
I grew up on a small island off the Texas Gulf Coast, where most of my childhood vacations consisted of camping or hunting trips to the deer lease. Although I'll always be a Texan at heart, I currently reside in the Midwest with my Iowa farm-boy husband and our two sons. With so much testosterone in my home, it's no wonder I write "girl books."
I am an animal lover, a closet video game enthusiast, and believe the way to know if someone is your soul mate is by canoeing with them because if you both make it back alive, it's obviously meant to be. I am an avid romance reader who enjoys penning the type of books I love to read most: fun, steamy love stories with heart, heat, laughter, and usually a cowboy or two. As I call it, "Romance...with a sense of humor."
To hear more about my latest book news, follow me on my Website or sign up for my Newsletter. You can also connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Google+, or Pinterest. Or you can always drop me an email at authoralisonbliss (at) hotmail (dot) com. I'd love to hear from you!
I am represented by Andrea Somberg at Harvey Klinger, Inc.
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QUOTED: "passable."
"will satisfy readers looking for an easy read featuring a relatable larger woman."
On the Plus Side
264.20 (May 15, 2017): p44.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2017 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
On the Plus Side
Alison Bliss. Forever, $7.99 mass market
(336p) ISBN 978-1-4555-6805-5
Bliss's passable second Perfect Fit contemporary (after Size Matters) will satisfy readers looking for an easy read featuring a relatable larger woman. Valerie Carmichael's never had a problem attracting men thanks to her outgoing personality and "banging" curves, but the one man she's really yearned for, her brother's best friend, Logan Mathis, never seemed interested. Now that he's back in Granite, Tex., and opening a new bar, Valerie is determined to get his undivided attention. Overcoming her obnoxiously overbearing and overprotective brother, who growls when men approach her, Valerie ends up working behind the bar for Logan, and it doesn't take long for their previously platonic relationship to heat up. Valerie and Logan's relationship offers few surprises and meets only minor barriers, including his inability to listen to her. Valerie is the best-drawn character and readers will respond to her bubbly personality, but some may wonder why a grown woman won't just tell her irritating brother to take a hike (and mean it). Agent: Andrea Somberg, Harvey Klinger Literary. (July)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"On the Plus Side." Publishers Weekly, 15 May 2017, p. 44. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA492435638&it=r&asid=c070f0f6ca80e0a73d4ec7ce376a9d5d. Accessed 6 July 2017.
QUOTED: "Leah and Sam are appealing in their fumbles and assumptions on the path toward together-forever."
Gale Document Number: GALE|A492435638
Size Matters
Amy Alessio
113.5 (Nov. 1, 2016): p36.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2016 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist_publications/booklist/booklist.cfm
Size Matters. By Alison Bliss. Nov. 2016. 368p. Forever, paper, $5.99 (9781455568024).
Romance novels with heroines who are not model thin are hard to find and valuable. Happily, Bliss has launched her Perfect Fit series. Leah owns a bakery and is subjected to constant comments from her mother about the need for her to lose weight. She likes Sam Cooper but feels that he is put off by her size. Then Sam tells her mother that they are engaged in an attempt to help after overhearing her mother say that Leah is undesirable, and the pair is stuck in a faux relationship and forced to struggle through a family weekend. In a series of humorous scenes, Sam tries to act obnoxious so her family won't like him, even as he realizes that he does actually want to be in a serious relationship with Leah, and not just because he can't stop eating the delicious desserts from her bakery. Leah's mother is over the top with her insults, but Leah and Sam are appealing in their fumbles and assumptions on the path toward together-forever. Fans of Jennifer Weiner will enjoy Bliss.--Amy Alessio
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Alessio, Amy. "Size Matters." Booklist, 1 Nov. 2016, p. 36. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA471142855&it=r&asid=cde56bfdb7f14904e4467c5c6c4b552e. Accessed 6 July 2017.
QUOTED: "Two well-matched characters finding love without too much angst makes for a fun read."
Gale Document Number: GALE|A471142855
Size Matters
263.44 (Oct. 31, 2016): p59.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2016 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Size Matters
Alison Bliss. Forever, $5.99 mass market (368p) ISBN 978-1-4555-6802-4
This mostly successful contemporary romance, set somewhere in the American South, piles on the appreciation for women of size. Sam Cooper, a gorgeous contractor with a sweet tooth, thinks bakery owner Leah Martin is delightfully curvy, but Leah keeps harping on her own weight, a habit she learned from her blithely critical mother, Nancy. To prove to Leah that she's desirable, Sam impulsively tells Nancy that they're engaged. Bliss's humorous writing extends to the title, a double entendre referring as much to Sam's rumored tiny package as Leah's weight. Readers will cheer when Sam goes after Nancy; he may have commitment issues, but he will not allow anyone to dis his fake fiancee. Some sour moments intrude: Bliss (Playing with Fire) definitely takes Leah's self-deprecation over the top, and an overused plot device sets the final romantic conflict in motion. Even so, two well-matched characters finding love without too much angst makes for a fun read. (Dec.)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Size Matters." Publishers Weekly, 31 Oct. 2016, p. 59. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA470462533&it=r&asid=c4154035e68669fc08b46c76b7c5418c. Accessed 6 July 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A470462533
QUOTED: "Leah is a delightful and well-drawn heroine."
Size Matters
Alison Bliss
Buy This Book
Leah Martin is a successful baker who also happens to be plus-sized. Sam Cooper has a weakness for both her body and the desserts she makes and in a bumbling attempt to help her defend herself against her sharp-tongued mother, tells said mother that he and Leah are engaged. The problem is that they only met the night before and Sam didn’t exactly endear himself to Leah during that interaction. Size Matters is the story of two folks who find love despite their baggage.
Leah’s exact size isn’t described in the book, but I’d guess she’s about a US 20 (UK 24). Her perception of her body isn’t positive. She uses words like “fat” and “gross” about herself and interprets comments Sam means as innocuous through her lens of self-loathing. She’s proud of her skills as a baker, and believes herself to be a good person, but her body is a point of shame. She comes by this honestly, in a way, since her mother is constantly making comments about Leah’s need to diet, her refusal to do so, etc. Her most recent ex-boyfriend made similar comments as well, and between the two of them, Leah believes she knows exactly how the world sees her.
Sam is a contractor who is much better with his hands than his mouth. Minds out of gutter, y’all, I just mean that he can build things a whole lot better than he can communicate. He’s handsome, charming, and kind, but he nearly has a seizure every time he has to communicate in an emotionally authentic way with Leah. They meet when he notices her/notices her cleavage at a local bar. Through various machinations, she ends up insulted by something he didn’t mean as insulting, and she ends up doing tequila shots as a reaction. He then defends her honor when she didn’t want him to, and she ends up sleeping off her hangover in his bed.
The fake-engagement plot kicks off when Sam overhears Leah’s mother insulting her. He introduces himself as her fiancé without really thinking about any consequences, and that action is a perfect summary of Sam’s character; good intentions with limited consideration of the follow-through of those choices. Leah’s mother is surprised but delighted and invites Sam on an upcoming weekend with Leah’s family at her grandparents’ shorehouse.
Leah is mortified, especially as she’s still under the impression that Sam finds her physically repulsive – but he promises her that he’ll make her family hate him and they’ll break the engagement and all will go back to normal.
You can imagine how well that plan goes.
As they fumble their way to the happily ever after, Leah and Sam continue in their complete failure to communicate. While their eventual sex is incredible, their emotional intimacy doesn’t click quite as quickly. This may be understandable considering some of their personal baggage, but it makes for an annoying reading experience. I kept muttering “just say what you mean, for crying out loud!” There was also a very abrupt turnaround on the part of Leah’s mother, plus some of the secondary characters are not quite as fully realized as I wish they had been.
I’m completely appreciative of a heroine who is never described as “athletic” or “willowy”. I like seeing characters shaped more like me in the books I read, and there are so many parts of Leah’s internal monologues that I have been known to recite. My husband has had to have some of the same conversations with me that Sam and Leah have and so there are parts of her that feel so real it’s almost painful. The shenanigans of their romance – their communication skills, Leah’s family, the farce of the fake fiancé – those are the bits that don’t work quite so well.
I’d tentatively recommend Size Matters. Leah is a delightful and well-drawn heroine, and I think some readers will find a lot to like about her story. I’m going to keep my eye on Ms. Bliss’ next releases, and hope that the next one will hit more of my sweet spots.
Reviewer : Kristen Donnelly
QUOTED: "The fake engagement trope is always a fun one to play with. This time was a bit different. Yes, the fake fiances turn the fake into real, as expected. But before the end, Leah was the one who stood with her head held high, and Sam was the one who had to seriously grovel to make up for his many, many shortcomings. There are too many romances where the hero is forgiven everything with very little effort on his part. Sam grovels both sufficiently and well. As he should."
Review: Size Matters by Alison Bliss + Giveaway
Posted on December 2, 2016 by Marlene Harris
Review: Size Matters by Alison Bliss + GiveawaySize Matters (A Perfect Fit #1) by Alison Bliss
Format: eARC
Source: publisher via NetGalley
Formats available: paperback, ebook, audiobook
Genres: contemporary romance
Series: Perfect Fit #1
Pages: 336
Published by Forever on November 29th 2016
Purchasing Info: Author's Website, Publisher's Website, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Book Depository
Goodreads
The rules of (fake) engagement . . .Leah Martin has spent her life trying to avoid temptation. But she's sick of low-fat snacks, counting calories, and her hyper-critical mom. Fortunately, her popular new bakery keeps her good and distracted. But there aren't enough éclairs in the world to distract Leah from the hotness that is Sam Cooper - or the fact that he just told her mother that they're engaged . . . which is a big, fat lie.
Sam sometime speaks before he thinks. So what started out as defending Leah's date-ability to her judgmental mother soon turned into having a fiancee! Now the plan is to keep up the fake engagement, stay "just friends," and make Leah's family loathe him enough to just call the whole thing off . But Sam has an insatiable sweet tooth, not only for Leah's decadent desserts but her decadent curves. Her full lips. Her bright green eyes. Yep, things aren't going quite according to plan. Now Sam has to convince Leah that he's for real . . . before their little lie turns into one big, sweet disaster.
My Review:
This story may be the longest misunderstandammit ever. But it works. Mostly.
Sam and Leah spend most of this story talking past each other, and even past the best parts of their own selves. And they are stuck in a situation where just asking for what the other person meant just isn’t gonna happen.
It’s not exactly a meet cute. Sam and his friend Max meet Leah and her friend Valerie at one of the local dives. Max wants to hit on Valerie, and asks Sam to keep Leah occupied while he dances with her friend and tries to talk her into a whole lot more.
But Max and Valerie are not the couple who end up going home together. Just not in the way that anyone expected.
Leah is not exactly a size 2. She’s may be bigger than average, which in the US these days is more like a size 14 or 16 than anywhere near a size 2. She never actually says what size she wears, and that’s really not the point. The point is that Leah has absolutely terrible body-image problems. It’s not just that society keeps pushing the stick-thin model as the ideal, but that Leah’s conventional and uptight mother picks at Leah about her weight every single minute every time she’s with her family. Oh, and her ex-fiance broke up with her in favor of a Barbie-doll Leah calls Miss Anorexia.
Her mother’s harping and carping would be enough to give ANYONE a complex of one kind or another.
So when Sam starts dancing with her at the bar, and then blows hot and cold in turns, Leah is just sure it’s all about her size. Sam, on the other hand, finds her curvy body incredibly hot. But he’s decided to take a break from relationships after his last girlfriend got more than a bit psycho.
It really isn’t her, it’s him. But he’s such a complete doofus about it that Leah easily slips into her go-to response, that the problem is all her. That there’s just too much of her. So she tries to drink away her pain and Sam ends up taking her home.
The problem is that Sam really likes Leah, and also seriously has the hots for her. He just keeps telling himself that he doesn’t and that he shouldn’t. But his inner conflict means that every time they run into each other, he puts both his feet in his mouth up to the knees, and gets both of them further and further into hot water.
And that’s how their fake engagement comes about. He keeps saying he’ll help Leah find a halfway graceful way to end it, but every time he thinks he’s going to try, he just lands them both deeper in the soup. And he keeps hurting Leah over and over, which is the last thing he wants to do.
It takes a big man to admit he’s made a terrible mistake. Especially when he keeps making it over and over. And over. It’s time for Sam to finally tell his head to STFU, and listen to his heart. Before he breaks Leah’s.
Escape Rating B: Misunderstandammits don’t normally work for me. This one pretty much did, because it’s not so much about the heroine and hero not listening to each other as the hero and heroine (particularly the hero) not listening to themselves. It’s difficult to be upfront with another person when you’re that messed up inside.
I liked Sam, but I felt for Leah. Those messages that a woman can never be too thin (or too rich) are very hard for all of us to ignore. We’ve all told ourselves the same terrible self-talk messages that often spout out of Leah’s mother, or in her own head. But the way that her mother constantly cut her down, not just in private but also in public, made my blood boil. When Leah finally tells her to stuff it, I wanted to stand up and cheer for her. Even if the book didn’t end in a romantic HEA, that scene made the story for me. By that point I was beyond sick and tired of her mother’s crap, and it needed to end. As much as I felt for Leah in this regard, the vicious backbiting went on far too long.
The fake engagement trope is always a fun one to play with. This time was a bit different. Yes, the fake fiances turn the fake into real, as expected. But before the end, Leah was the one who stood with her head held high, and Sam was the one who had to seriously grovel to make up for his many, many shortcomings. There are too many romances where the hero is forgiven everything with very little effort on his part. Sam grovels both sufficiently and well. As he should.
QUOTED: "a laugh-out-loud romantic comedy with a dash of suspense mixed in."
"anyone looking for a witty, well-written romance with great banter and loads of sexual tension that is guaranteed to make you smile."
Book Review — Rules of Protection by Alison Bliss
September 19, 2014 by Aestas · 16 Comments
“Honey, you may have the face of an angel, but that halo of yours is awfully crooked.”
Buy RULES OF PROTECTION (Kindle)
Buy RULES OF PROTECTION (Paperback)
Oh my gosh, guys!! This book was SO MUCH FUN!!! I was in the mood for something light-hearted and this totally hit the spot — a laugh-out-loud romantic comedy with a dash of suspense mixed in!
The story focuses on a romance between a seriously sassy heroine who unluckily witnesses a mob crime one night and is placed in Witness Protection, and the badass Special Agent assigned to protect her.
The hilarious banter started right from the start! When she first meets Jake at the bar, she has no idea who he is but the sparks immediately start to fly…
“You think I turn heads?”
“Sweetheart, a man would have to be blind or stupid not to look.” He smiled again… “Definitely a looker, but that makes you trouble. I don’t need the unwanted attention you crave.”
“I’d swear there’s an insult somewhere in there.”
But when he rescues her from the murder scene she witnessed, he expects someone a little more grateful, but instead she fights him tooth and nail every step of the way. This was no damsel in distress! However, when he fully impresses upon her the danger of her situation, she begrudgingly decides to accept his help.
“We can give you a new identity and put you in a safe house.”
“You mean the Witness Protection Program?”
“That’s the one.”
“Nuh-uh! No freaking way!”
His steely gaze fixed on me, and his jaw tightened…. “Three other witnesses have died in the past year. You want to be number four?”
“Should’ve put them in the program.”
“We did.”
She may have accepted his help, but ohhh my, this girl gave him soooooo much trouble every single step of the way!!! The way their personalities bounced off each other kept a permanent smile on my face!!!
“I want to see your badge.”
“What?”
“You heard me. How do I know you are who you say you are?”
… He held it up for me to get a closer look.
“Could be a fake,” I told him with a shrug.
… a vein popped out of Jake’s temple.
And it aaaaaaall gets even more complicated when the location to their safe house is compromised prompting Jake to take matters into his own hands and take her way off grid, into the forest, to hide…
“Hold on, I’m lost…”
“I could tell you where to go.”
I swear, these two couldn’t go even five minutes without bickering. Emily literally had a snappy comeback for everything (much to Jake’s intense frustration) and when she wasn’t sassing him out loud, her inner monologue kept me smiling and laughing non-stop!! Jake certainly had his hands full!
Jake flashed a grin. “I love the sound you make when you’re silent.”
Now, throw in loads of sexual tension and a forbidden romance (because remember, as a Special Agent, he’s not allowed to fall for his witness) and you have the recipe for a seriously fun love-hate relationship!!
“You’re prolonging this because afraid of being *that* guy.”
“Which guy?”
“You know, the one who falls for the witness who gets killed.”
“Damn it, Emily. I’m responsible for your safety.”
“Then wear a condom!”
“Jesus,” he said, breathing out hard. “I was right before. You definitely have multiple personalities.”
My eyes narrowed. “Yeah, well maybe I do, and none of them like you!”
All in all, this book was awesome!! I’d say the first 60% was more “pure, HILARIOUS fun” (honestly, the funniest stuff I’ve read since Wallbanger) and the last 40% was a little more “drama-focused” (there’s trouble with an ex-girlfriend, a wild boar, a few other things, and of course the bad guys). In an ideal world, I’d have preferred that the book had been “funny” the whole way through but I still loved it.
There are some things that are absolutely more than a little over-the-top but they totally didn’t bother me because this is meant to be light-hearted, entertaining fiction!! Like, yes suuuure in real life, a woman who was literally hiding to save her life would probably not have given the guy protecting her that much trouble. But this wouldn’t have been a fun book if she just sat there and did what she was told. And let me tell you, some of her antics had me in stitches. I was laughing SO hard that I’d have to take a breather before going back. Then I’d start reading again and burst out laughing two lines later. Like I said, FUN!!
If you like any of the quotes I’ve posted, then definitely give this book a try because those are just a tiny fraction of the hilarity in this story!! I’d highly recommend this for anyone looking for a witty, well-written romance with great banter and loads of sexual tension that is guaranteed to make you smile 😀
Rating: 4.5 stars. Standalone, with epilogue.
QUOTED: "It was a fun read.The story is long, but it’s faced paced."
"The dialogue was great; it’s quick and sharp."
Review for Rules of Protection by Alison Bliss
August 26, 2014 by Chloe 1 Comment
Review for Rules of Protection by Alison BlissRules of Protection (A Tangled in Texas Novel) by Alison Bliss
Published by Macmillan on 2014-08-26
Genres: Contemporary, Fiction, General, Romance
Pages: 250
Format: eBook
Buy the Book • Goodreads
four-stars
It’s rule breaker Emily Foster's birthday, and like everyone at The Jungle Room, she just wants to get some action. Unfortunately, she stumbles on the wrong kind, witnessing a mob hit. To protect her, she’s entered into the Witness Protection Program with by-the-book Special Agent Jake Ward as her chaperone. When the location of their safe house is compromised, Jake stashes Emily deep in the Texas backwoods. The city-girl might be safe from the Mafia, but she has to contend with a psychotic rooster, a narcoleptic dog, crazy cowboys, and the danger of losing her heart to the one man she can’t have. Jake's as hot as he is infuriating, and she can't help but push all his buttons to loosen him up. Their mutual, sizzling sexual attraction poses a dilemma: Jake’s determined to keep her safe and out of the wrong hands; she’s determined to get into the right ones—his.
A friend recommended Alison Bliss’ s debut novel to me and I’m so glad she did. It was a fun read.The story is long, but it’s faced paced. After the first chapter I was roped in and anxious to find out what happens. The plot involves Emily and Jake, they meet at a bar and she witnesses a mob hit. As a witness, she’s their next target. Guess who the FBI agent protecting her is? Yep, agent hottie himself is the guy from the bar. He ends up taking her to his family farm in Texas. It’s a great story line… law enforcement/fish out of water are two of my favorite romance tropes.
I had a love/hate relationship with Emily. I thought she was fun and crass in a good way, but I also felt she was ungrateful at times and too defensive. If you witnessed a mob hit, knew you were next to be whacked, you might say THANK YOU to the person helping you and be appreciative that they saved your life! You also might be freaking out a little more than she does and have some sense of self preservation. She redeemed herself a little at the end.
Jake has the patience of a saint. He’s hot and protective but he’s also a gentleman.
The dialogue was great, it’s quick and sharp, I laughed throughout and thought Emily was funny. The girl has no filter- at all. She says whatever pops into her head and it was like conversing with a friend. I loved her interactions with Junior, they were touching. The egg gathering scene was hilarious!
Sexy times…there is a lot of will they/won’t they and I like that. I would have liked a little more lead up to them falling in love…stolen glances, racing hearts, tender moments and more description during sex. But hey, that’s me, I like the dirty details!
My favorite part of the book was the supporting characters. Bliss knows country living because she described the landscape and people wonderfully, they added so much to the story they came alive on the page. I felt like I was at the kitchen table eating eggs and cornbread right next to them. Two that I especially liked are Mary Jo and Cowboy; it would be fun to find what happens to them. She may think of him as a brother, but maybe something will make her look at him differently? Friends to lovers is another favorite of mine!
Cover: 4, love the cover
Moisture: 3.5..more details please!
Story: 3.75
QUOTED: "The romance is so sweet. ... There’s a little bit of suspense thrown in too, with someone setting things on fire in town. Overall, Playing with Fire is a great read with tons of laugh-out-loud moments and an opposites-attract romance."
Release Day Review: Playing with Fire by Alison Bliss
Posted in 3.5 hearts, Reviews by Lacey
Playing with Fire by Alison Bliss
Playing with Fire by Alison Bliss
Series: Tangled in Texas #2 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: October 26th 2015
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Nothing ignites a fire like the perfect match…
Anna Weber is every inch the proper librarian–old-fashioned, conservatively dressed right down to her tightly clipped flaming red hair. She’s just moved to a small Texas town, and is determined to spend time with her friend before she has to disappear. Relationships aren’t easy for her. She knows too well what it means to be burned. And the last thing she ever wants to do is fall in love…
Especially not with a fireman who’s hot enough to set the entire state of Texas on fire.
Cowboy can’t resist the fiery little librarian, and he’s determined to make her his. Beneath that prim-and-proper exterior is a woman he very much wants to know–if she’d let him. She’ll test his patience. His control. Hell, his very sanity. And for the first time, Cowboy wonders if he’s found the one fire he can’t control…
This is actually my first Alison Bliss book, but as entertaining as her writing is, it won’t be my last. Playing with Fire is a hilarious, fun, wild read that I really enjoyed. I didn’t completely love it, since some parts of the book aggravated me, but it’s still an entertaining read nonetheless. If you’re a fan of humorous reads with a lovable characters and an intriguing storyline, I’d recommend this one.
The blurb first intrigued me, because the town manwhore falling for the shy librarian? Yes, please! I couldn’t WAIT to see how this librarian would bring the playboy to his knees. And ahhh, what a fun read this was. I really liked how Cowboy, fireman and most eligible bachelor, was so taken away by the sweet and quiet Anna. They are complete opposites and so not meant for each other, but their hot chemistry says otherwise. I loved how the author was able to incorporate both sexiness AND humor into Anna and Cowboy’s growing relationship.
I straightened my spine and took on a chastising tone. “Doesn’t matter. Someone has to teach you proper etiquette.”
“Oh, fuck me,” Cowboy groaned, shifting the bulge in his crotch and shaking his head. “I can’t believe I’m getting all hot and bothered for a woman who acts like an old-fashioned schoolmarm.”
I did get frustrated at how both Anna and Cowboy would always somehow get mad at each other and run away from their problems. Cowboy has the occasional mantrum, which took away from his alpha-ness, but I still liked him in the end. Anna is definitely my favorite of the two – she’s shy, awkward, self-conscious… she’s relatable. I was heartbroken over her tragic past, but she has a strength that she uses to go head-to-head with Cowboy. The two of them have such hilarious banter! I laughed so much while reading.
The romance is so sweet. I wanted to see Cowboy fight just a liiittle bit more for Anna, but the grand gesture at the end totally made up for everything. This former player definitely, to everyone’s amusement, falls head-over-heels for the town librarian, and I loved that once Cowboy saw Anna, there was no one else for him.
“Okay, so maybe I’ve come on a little strong. But when it comes to you, I can’t help myself. I’ve never met anyone like you. You challenge me in ways no other woman ever has.” He lessened the strength of his hold on me. “I want you to give this thing between us a chance.”
I really liked this book. It wasn’t perfect, but I was entertained the whole time I was reading. There’s a little bit of suspense thrown in too, with someone setting things on fire in town. Overall, Playing with Fire is a great read with tons of laugh-out-loud moments and an opposites-attract romance. I really hope that there will be more in the series!
3.5 hearts
lacey
Quotes are taken from the arc and are subject to change in the final version.
Book Review: Playing with Fire (Tangled in Texas #2) by Alison Bliss
By
Nichole -
December 27, 2015
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Playing with Fire
Playing with Fire by Alison Bliss
B&N (only $3.99!) http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/playing-with-fire-alison-bliss/1122680708
Amazon (only $3.99!) http://www.amazon.com/Playing-With-Fire-Tangled-Texas-ebook/dp/B015MQS1HK
Nothing ignites a fire like the perfect match…
Anna Weber is every inch the proper librarian–old-fashioned, conservatively dressed right down to her tightly clipped flaming red hair. She’s just moved to a small Texas town, and is determined to spend time with her friend before she has to disappear. Relationships aren’t easy for her. She knows too well what it means to be burned. And the last thing she ever wants to do is fall in love…
Especially not with a fireman who’s hot enough to set the entire state of Texas on fire.
Cowboy can’t resist the fiery little librarian, and he’s determined to make her his. Beneath that prim-and-proper exterior is a woman he very much wants to know–if she’d let him. She’ll test his patience. His control. Hell, his very sanity. And for the first time, Cowboy wonders if he’s found the one fire he can’t control…
My Review:
Holy. Hotness! Okay, so I’ve been on a massive adult and NA kick after reading the Revelation series by Randi Cooley Wilson. I’m not quite ready to switch over to YA books as of yet, because….well….I want some steaminess….. Can you blame me?! I’ve been having an issue finding NA recs, especially since I don’t overly loved the whole “girl is broken and needs fixed” same old theme. So, I went to my local library’s ebook website and stocked up on a whole bunch of goodies.
Playing with Fire is possibly the best book I’ve read in 2015. Ok….maybe not. I did read a Kelley Armstrong and Cinda Williams Chima book closer toward January, but you know what I mean! This was amazing! I loved every single minute of it! I can’t even begin to tell all of you how much you need to go buy and read this book RIGHT NOW! I’m even going to provide purchase links at the top of this post so it’s just one quick click away from you. Because you need this on your Kindle or Nook or phone NOW!
Cowboy was such a sexy character. I thought that I was going to have a bit of an issue with him, because his name is really stupid, but it didn’t bug me in the slightest. He was tough, hot, independent, sexy, considerate, and rough around the edges. He could act like a perfect gentlemen one moment and a rough, sexy…well..cowboy the next moment. I loved him. Seriously, this book is worth reading JUST for him.
The only slight downside to this book is that Anna can be kind of obnoxious at times. Not always, and I DID like her character, but there were a few moments that I just wanted to shake the stupid out of her. I did really enjoy, though, how independent she was. She really stood up for herself and didn’t take any crap from anyways. Yet, she still had the sweet, shy, innocent thing going on. It was really quite the mixture!
I didn’t figure out what was happening in this book until it was revealed at the end. I probably figured it out a couple of pages before then, but I was blindsided! I love that the author had so much going on in this book and could still shock me.
One thing that I didn’t like, and the thing that’s going to knock this book down a half of a star, is what the author did with Alison’s parents. I don’t want to give too much away, because I don’t want to ruin it for you, but I wasn’t impressed with that storyline. I felt that it was unnecessary and made it seem a little silly. Did it take away from the book? No, not at all. It was a separate thing that only has like a one minute plot, but I didn’t like it.
Go read this book NOW!
Pages: 250
Published on October 26th, 2015
Published by Entangled Publishing
Rating: [rating: 4.5]
QUOTED: "just really standard contemporary romance without a lot of creativity or variation."
"This is not a bad book. The author is a good writer and the mystery does help to move the plot forward. There is a twist in the plot which ... saved this book from being a total loss."
Tuesday, November 17, 2015
ARC Review: Playing With Fire by Alison Bliss
This book has potential but there are some things that are just really hard to get past.
This is the story of Anna and Cowboy. Let me just stop right here for a moment. At first the Cowboy thing was kind of cute I guess. And it might have remained that way if Cowboy was just a nickname or like a MC road name. The first time the whole Cowboy thing became a problem for me was when I realized our Hero actively worked to hide his real name...it was just too weird for me. Moving along. Anna is a librarian in the small town where Cowboy is the Chief of the fire department. From the beginning of the book you get that Anna has some bad ish in her past and a serious fear of fires. Through a series of unfortunate coincidences Anna lands on Cowboy's radar as kind of a pyromaniac suspect...it's a long story. As Cowboy investigates the mystery of his predecessor's death, he becomes more entangled with Anna and slowly a romance emerges between the two of them.
Let me just blunt, I really really didn't like Anna. She got on my very last shaky nerve. First of all, she is rude to Cowboy because she has a crush on him and the emotional intelligence of a Kindergarten. She spends most of the book, terrified, shaking and talking in a whisper. When she's not acting all PTSDish, she is being a bish and throwing what I can only describe as temper tantrums. By the time Anna and Cowboy hooked up, I was not here for it. I wasn't rooting for Anna as a character or her relationship with Cowboy.
As for Cowboy....this issue is not the fault of this author but seriously you guys, how many manwhores can we read about in these books? Don't you ever wonder how these dudes maintain working peens considering how much random action their genitals have seen? I feel like if I had been drinking while reading this book, I could have been more tolerant of this issue but I was stone cold sober and it just irritated me. There were just too many references to Cowboy's slutish ways for me to comfortably ignore it.
The rest of the story was just really standard contemporary romance without a lot of creativity or variation. There is Anna being determined not to get hurt and vowing to resist the panty whisperer. Then there is Cowboy who stares deep into Anna's eyes and mesmerizes her right out of her objections (and panties). We have the standard drama at the end of the book and a little mystery sprinkled in to give us something to look forward to. This is not a bad book. The author is a good writer and the mystery does help to move the plot forward. There is a twist in the plot which in my opinion saved this book from being a total loss. The problem was that I just personally could not stand these characters and didn't really want to see them together. If you like the blushing, stammering, almost virgin who hooks up with and reforms the manwhore, here you go, knock yourself out.
**ARC provided by Publisher**