Project and content management for Contemporary Authors volumes
WORK TITLE: Sweet Southern Trouble
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE: 1960
WEBSITE: https://www.michelesummers.com/
CITY:
STATE:
COUNTRY:
NATIONALITY:
RESEARCHER NOTES:
| LC control no.: | no2014142508 |
|---|---|
| LCCN Permalink: | https://lccn.loc.gov/no2014142508 |
| HEADING: | Summers, Michele, 1960- |
| 000 | 00507nz a2200169n 450 |
| 001 | 9694964 |
| 005 | 20141029073612.0 |
| 008 | 141028n| azannaabn |n aaa c |
| 010 | __ |a no2014142508 |
| 035 | __ |a (OCoLC)oca10000197 |
| 040 | __ |a NcU |b eng |e rda |c NcU |
| 046 | __ |f 1960 |
| 100 | 1_ |a Summers, Michele, |d 1960- |
| 375 | __ |a female |
| 377 | __ |a eng |
| 670 | __ |a Find my way home, 2014: |b title page (Michele Summers) |
| 670 | __ |a Email from author, 27 October 2014 |b (birth year is 1960; Michele Summers is my pen name) |
PERSONAL
Born 1960; children: one son, one daughter.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer and interior designer.
MEMBER:Romance Writers of America, Heart of Carolina Romance Writers, Florida Romance Writers.
Awards from Beacon Contest, Dixie First Chapter Contest, Golden Palm Contest, Fool For Love Contest, Rebecca Contest, and Fabulous Five Contest.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
Michele Summers writes romance novels with a small-town Southern setting and, often, a generous helping of humor. On her website, she described her books as “smart romances with spunky heroines, hunky heroes and wacky characters, with sigh-worthy emotion and a satisfying happily ever after.”
Find My Way Home
This novel initiated Summers’s “Harmony Homecomings” series. Retired tennis star and single father Keith Morgan decides to settle down in the small community of Harmony, North Carolina, to provide a stable environment for his young daughter, Maddie. He has an aunt in town, Franny, who hires interior designer Bertie Anderson to decorate the old home Keith has bought, and who also demands that Keith marry within three months. Many local women are attracted to Keith, as he is handsome and wealthy, but against his better judgment, he becomes interested in Bertie, even though she is rather eccentric and is determined to leave Harmony for a larger city as soon as she finishes the job. She is drawn to him as well, but they try to resist each other.
Some critics found this a satisfying read. “Find My Way Home is a wonderfully entertaining romance that warmed my heart!” related a contributor to the Harlequin Junkie Website. “Bertie and Keith are both strong characters, and Michele writes the dual point of view well.” A Publishers Weekly reviewer, however, thought the story, set in the 21st century, marked by “1950s stereotypes” and overly familiar tropes, while allowing that “the basic requirements of an amusing beach read are fulfilled” by the novel. Cyndy Aleo, writing online at RT Book Reviews, remarked that Find My Way Home is “uneven” but “shows a lot of promise.” The Harlequin Junkie commentator offered a wholly positive summation, saying: “I’d recommend Find My Way Home to any romance reader, especially if you like small towns and laughter!”
Sweet Southern Bad Boy
The third entry in the “Harmony Homecomings” series, Sweet Southern Bad Boy finds Vance Kerner, a best-selling author, trying to finish a book while caring for his brother and sister-in-law’s three active children, as his brother is on a military assignment and his sister-in-law is recovering from injuries suffered in an accident. One day a young woman shows up at the family home in Harmony; she is Katie McKnight, scouting locations for a miniseries her father’s film studio is producing. She decides Vance’s home would be perfect. He is reluctant to allow filming there, but finally agrees as long as Katie will help with the kids. A romance develops between the two, but they have obstacles to overcome, including Katie’s insecurity–her parents have controlled her whole life, and she feels the need to prove she can be successful in her own right.
Some reviewers deemed Sweet Southern Bad Boy entertaining and humorous. “The chemistry between Vance and Katie is sexy as hell, and I enjoyed their nicknames for one another and the way they quickly complemented each other’s lives,” observed Kristen Donnelly, writing online at All About Romance. She found some of the supporting characters rather cliched, but she praised Katie’s character development and the overall story, saying: “I think anyone who loves vibrant small town romances will find a lot to love in Sweet Southern Bad Boy.” Another online critic, at My Trending Stories, summed up the novel as “a fantastic funny, hot, and heartfelt story” and “a blast to read.” A commentator at the Edgy Reviews Web site added: “Sweet Southern Bad Boy was a fun, light and sweet romance with crazy kids, an even crazier town filled with busybodies and steamy sexiness and I had a great time reading it.”
Sweet Southern Trouble
Sweet Southern Trouble concerns a romance that starts as a ruse. Marabelle Fairchild is a temporary teacher’s aide and athletic coach at a private school, Trinity Academy. She takes on the planning of a fundraising event, hoping it will be successful enough to bring her an offer of a permanent teaching job, and she sets out to persuade pro football coach Nick Frasier to participate in a bachelor auction at the benefit. Nick, who has a reputation for wildness, agrees to be in the auction if Marabelle will pose as his fiancee, helping him project a more wholesome image. She goes along with the plot, but as the two spend time together, they discover they have genuine feelings for each other.
Again, some reviewers commended Summers’s work. “Sweet Southern Trouble was a funny, heartwarming, and really well done standalone romance novel,” remarked a contributor to the Book Briefs Web site. “I loved getting to know all of the characters, I was totally rooting for the main characters, and the secondary characters were a hoot and a half.” A Publishers Weekly critic did not care for the novel, citing its “untidy story line and characters who verge on caricature.” RT Book Reviews online commentator Carrie Townsend, however, called Sweet Southern Trouble “a fun, sweet and spicy romance” that will make readers “laugh and swoon.” The Book Briefs critic concluded: “If you are looking for a great romance, check out Sweet Southern Trouble.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Publishers Weekly, May 19, 2014, review of Find My Way Home, p. 55; April 10, 2017, review of Sweet Southern Trouble, p. 59.
ONLINE
All About Romance, https://allaboutromance.com/ (January 17, 2018), Kristen Donnelly, review of Sweet Southern Bad Boy.
Book Briefs, https://bookbriefs.net/ (May 9, 2017), review of Sweet Southern Trouble.
Edgy Reviews, https://edgyreviews.com/ (December 10, 2016), review of Sweet Southern Bad Boy.
Happy Ever After, http://happyeverafter.usatoday.com/ (May 3, 2017), Joyce Lamb, interview with Michele Summers.
Harlequin Junkie, https://harlequinjunkie.com/ (July 29, 2014), review of Find My Way Home.
Michele Summers Website, https://www.michelesummers.com (January 17, 2018).
My Trending Stories, https://mytrendingstories.com/ (December 6, 2016), review of Sweet Southern Bad Boy.
RT Book Reviews, https://www.rtbookreviews.com/ (January 17, 2018), Cyndy Aleo, review of Find My Way Home; Carrie Townsend, review of Sweet Southern Trouble.
Quoted in Sidelights: “smart romances with spunky heroines, hunky heroes and wacky characters, with sigh-worthy emotion and a satisfying happily ever after.”
Michele on Instagram
Follow
About
Visit Us On Our Blog
Michele Summers writes smart romances with spunky heroines, hunky heroes and wacky characters, with sigh-worthy emotion and a satisfying happily ever after. She never tires of creating fictional towns with lovable but flawed characters. When not writing, Michele loves her career as an interior designer and works with clients in NC and Miami where she lived for over 20 years. These days she stays busy herding her college freshman and high school sophomore and spends a lot of time watching them compete in tennis.
Presently she resides in NC where she grew up with her family, but still misses sunny South Florida, swaying palm trees and wearing open-toed shoes…everyday!
AWARDS:
Her work has won recognition from the following: Beacon Contest, Dixie First Chapter Contest, Golden Palm Contest, Fool For Love Contest, Rebecca Contest and Fabulous Five Contest.
MEMBERSHIPS:
Romance Writers of America
Heart of Carolina Romance Writers
Florida Romance Writers
Interview: Michele Summers, author of ‘Sweet Southern Trouble’
By: Joyce Lamb | May 3, 2017 12:00 am
Joyce: Welcome to HEA, Michele! Please tell us a bit about your new release, Sweet Southern Trouble.
Michele: What happens when a sassy kindergarten teacher stands up to the hottest bachelor to hit the Raleigh area in forever?
NFL head coach Nick Frasier needs to coach his young team to a championship and needs to downplay his playboy image. What he doesn’t need is a fairy girl with a smart mouth and a propensity for fighting dogging his every move. And he really doesn’t need to be the juiciest piece of meat up on the auction block.
Marabelle Fairchild has her work cut out for her in order to earn a permanent teaching position. Her future success depends on convincing the hunkalicious Nick Frasier to participate in the bachelor auction. Easy-peasy, right? Wrong.
How do two head-strong, independent people learn to live and love without killing each other in the process?
Joyce: What do you do when you get stuck?
Michele: Getting stuck is sooooooo frustrating and can really suck the life out of any progress you think you’ve made. And it happens to everyone. All. The. Time. For me, I tend to do busy work like clean my desk, convincing myself I write so much better when all the paperclips are sorted by color, highlighters and pens are properly separated and my computer has been dusted and wiped down until it shines. If that doesn’t work (which it never does), then I usually do laundry or start making dinner, sometimes experimenting with a new recipe in hopes of inspiration that rarely occurs. But the best thing I do when stuck is walk away … literally. Many times I’ll go for a long walk, listen to music, or even take a nap to clear my head and I find that once refreshed I’m either no longer stuck or I’ve come up with a solution and can get back to work.
Any clever ideas on ways to get unstuck? I’d love to hear them.
Joyce: What distracts you the most when you’re trying to write?
Michele: Family. Plain and simple. At this point, my kids are old enough to not need me every second of the day, but I’m a mother … I worry. Even though my phone is set to silent when I’m writing, it lights up when there’s a text from my son or daughter. And since communication via speaking face-to-face is almost as extinct at the Dodo bird, I try to respond, knowing it could be days or weeks before I hear from my kids again. And my daughter still lives under my roof! I’m sure many of you can relate to what I’m saying. When my son bothers to text me from college, it’s usually for a very good reason like: He needs money, or another pair of tennis shoes, or he got a speeding ticket (Ahem …) or he needs money. See where I’m going with this? These text conversations are never long, and I’ve become an expert at decoding their abbreviations, but they are a distraction nonetheless. Case in point, just this very minute, my son sent me a video via text of students celebrating UNC’s basketball victory on the road to the Final Four and since his cousin (my nephew) was featured, I’m required to watch and respond. (BTW, the video was so cute!) Obviously, I haven’t perfected turning off “mother-mode” while writing. Any suggestions are most welcome … just text me!
Joyce: Is there a TV show that you’ve recently binge-watched?
Michele: Funny you should ask, because I’m presently binge-watching Blue Bloods with Tom Selleck and Donnie Wahlberg. I know … I’m late to the party as usual, but regardless, I’m happy that I showed up, because this show is awesome! Partly because of Tom Selleck, who I’ve crushed on ever since he starred as Monica’s boyfriend on Friends … that man absolutely gets better with age. And partly because the show focuses on this Irish-American Catholic family of cops. Being from a large Catholic family, I can relate to family dinners where all nine of us kids would have to contribute something to the conversation about our day or recite something we’d read or learned, for my dad’s benefit. We didn’t discuss crime like the Reagans, but we did discuss our faith, our work and our studies. Growing up at our dinner table, you didn’t want to be caught with nothing to impart, or you’d find yourself with a dreaded copy of Moby Dick or War and Peace or something equally snooze-worthy with instructions to be ready to discuss by the next meal. When unprepared, we’d secretly pray that our youngest sister would spill her milk, swallow a loose tooth or get a bloody nose … anything to cause a distraction. I can remember reading articles or passages right before dinner just in case it was my turn in the hot seat. To this day, when my dad sits with us, or any of his 24 grandkids, he will still say, “Teach me something.” And by that, he means he wants you to tell him something he doesn’t already know. Considering his age, this is very hard to do! Anyway, for me, watching Blue Bloods manages to entertain and bring back great family memories of living all together under one roof.
Joyce: What’s your ideal scenery while you’re writing?
Michele: I’m probably not very original in this answer, but I’d have to say any scenic view with green grass and blooming flowers. Of course, I could be inspired with a gorgeous water view at the beach with crashing waves on the sand or a spectacular mountain view, especially with changing leaves in the fall. But I do most of my writing at home and I’m always more motivated during springtime when the weather is pleasant and sunny. Usually I sit on my deck and enjoy the blooming cherry blossoms or my potted plants with pretty pink peonies. The white noise of birds chirping and traffic in the distance actually works in my favor. It allows me to block out everything else and simply concentrate on writing, putting me in a happy place for those happily ever after endings!
Joyce: What are you working on now?
Michele: I’m working on a new series about a family of brothers, all professional athletes in different sports, all strong-willed, stubborn and damaged in some way by the sins of their father. And all coming up against their biggest challenge: protecting their hearts from the women who butt heads and lock lips with them and who keep tempting them to fall hopelessly in love. Look for the Silver Starrs series in late 2017.
Joyce: Thanks, Michele!
About Sweet Southern Trouble:
An ambitious Southern belle
Marabelle Fairchild knows she’s a gal who can get things done. Feeling unappreciated at the exclusive private school where she’s a kindergarten aide and varsity tennis coach, Marabelle determines to score with the next big fundraiser. What she doesn’t expect? A smokin’ hot football coach to throw her off her game…
A reclusive NFL bachelor…
NFL coach Nick Frasier is Raleigh’s most eligible bachelor, but he wants to focus on his career…not his playboy status. He doesn’t need a smart-mouthed, pint-sized kindergarten teacher pestering him. So he cuts Marabelle a deal—in exchange for Nick sponsoring a bachelor auction starring him and his gorgeous celebrity pals, Marabelle will pose as his fiancée to ward off unwanted advances.
What could possibly go wrong?
About Michele
Michele Summers writes about small-town life with a Southern flair, and has her own interior design business in Raleigh, North Carolina, and Miami, Florida. Both professions feed her creative appetite and provide a daily dose of humor.
Find out more at www.michelesummers.com.
Quoted in Sidelights: “untidy story line and characters who verge on caricature.”
Sweet Southern Trouble
Publishers Weekly.
264.15 (Apr. 10, 2017): p59. From Book Review Index Plus. COPYRIGHT 2017 PWxyz, LLC http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
Sweet Southern Trouble
Michele Summers. Sourcebooks Casablanca,
$7.99 mass market (416p) ISBN 978-1-40229364-1
An untidy story line and characters who verge on caricature hamper the disappointing fourth Harmony Homecomings contemporary (after Sweet Southern Bad Boy). Short, athletic kindergarten teacher Marabelle Fairchild is tasked with convincing hunky football coach Nick Frasier to persuade his team to offer themselves at a fund-raising auction. Marabelle, who has rebelled against her toxic wealthy parents, needs job security, and Nick needs a "wholesome" female companion to soothe the football-team owner's concerns. Convoluted logic leads to Nick and Marabelle's faux engagement, with conflicts including Nick's troubled romantic past and Marabelle's conviction that she's sexually incompetent. Surrounding this are incompletely realized subplots and an unfortunate number of supporting characters who are either unconvincingly quirky or cartoonish. Only Beau "Tinker Bell" Quinton, Nick's self-appointed matchmaker, really shines. Agent: Nicole Resciniti, Seymour Agency. (May)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Sweet Southern Trouble." Publishers Weekly, 10 Apr. 2017, p. 59. PowerSearch,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A490319280/GPS?u=schlager&sid=GPS& xid=fd292e8e. Accessed 21 Dec. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A490319280
1 of 2 12/20/17, 11:25 PM
Quoted in Sideights: “1950s stereotypes” and overly familiar tropes, while allowing that “the basic requirements of an amusing beach read are fulfilled”
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/marklist.do?actionCmd=GET_MA...
Find My Way Home
Publishers Weekly.
261.20 (May 19, 2014): p55. From Book Review Index Plus. COPYRIGHT 2014 PWxyz, LLC http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
Find My Way Home
Michele Summers. Sourcebooks Casablanca, $6.99 mass market (352p) ISBN 978-1-40229355-9
Summers's debut romance displays a full set of 1950s stereotypes despite an ostensibly present- day setting. The plot is a familiar take on familiar themes: rich, commitment-averse tennis star Keith Morgan moves to small-town in North Carolina for the sake of his daughter, Maddie, and experiences an unwilling surge of lust for the local "Betty Boop," interior designer ("decorator implied a bored housewife") Bertie Anderson, who's selected by Keith's elderly aunt to "make a comfortable, beautiful home for Maddie." Divergent goals, miscommunication, and lack of common interests notwithstanding, Keith and Bertie are overwhelmed by libido. The basic requirements of an amusing beach read are fulfilled, but a pervasive sense of having entered a time warp may leave readers wondering whether they've picked up a science fiction novel instead. Agent: Nicole Resciniti, Seymour Agency. (July)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Find My Way Home." Publishers Weekly, 19 May 2014, p. 55. PowerSearch,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A369462364/GPS?u=schlager&sid=GPS& xid=435b7c5a. Accessed 21 Dec. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A369462364
2 of 2 12/20/17, 11:25 PM
Quoted in Sidelights: “The chemistry between Vance and Katie is sexy as hell, and I enjoyed their nicknames for one another and the way they quickly complemented each other’s lives,”
“I think anyone who loves vibrant small town romances will find a lot to love in Sweet Southern Bad Boy.”
Sweet Southern Bad Boy
Michelle Summers
Buy This Book
In Michelle Summers’ Sweet Southern Bad Boy, Vance Kerner is suffering from a bad case of writer’s block. The block is not helped by the fact that he’s currently babysitting his two nephews and young niece – who put the ‘ram’ in ‘rambunctious’ – while his brother is deployed and his sister-in-law is recovering from an accident. Katie McKnight is suffering from a serious case of helicopter parent when she knocks on Vance’s door, hoping to use his house as a location shoot for an upcoming miniseries being made by her father’s movie studio. She’ll do anything to get Vance to agree, including riding herd on the kiddos so he can write. Seems straightforward, but combined with their instant chemistry and the inhabitants of Harmony, North Carolina, their lives become anything but. The book is a witty and warm look at the meaning of family, adulthood, and believing in yourself that is sure to entertain fans of small-town contemporary romance.
When we meet Katie, she’s on her fourth job within her father’s movie studio system. The current one is location scout for an upcoming adolescent zombie miniseries and she is determined to show her father that she can get this one done, because, in her PoV, she tells us that maybe then he’ll be proud of her. My antenna went up immediately, wondering what kind of dude he was and how Katie was going to interact with him throughout the book. More on that later.
She knocks bravely on Vance’s door and is greeted by a howling cabal of kid energy. Vance, desperate to get to a meeting, mistakes Katie for a nanny and welcomes her inside with instructions on childcare. Luckily for him, Katie holds a degree in elementary education and is far more suited to childcare than location scouting. Striking a deal with him that she’ll watch the kids if he’ll listen to her proposal, Vance leaves for his meeting and Katie sets to work Mary Poppins-ing their lives.
Eventually, Vance and Katie negotiate a deal – that she’ll be a live-in nanny for the next month. If she gives him the space to finish his book, then he’ll sign her contract and she can have her zombie location. His PoV tells us he has no real intention of doing so, but is more interested in keeping Katie around to explore his growing attraction to her. Plus, he’s all thumbs when it comes to childcare, so the help is legitimately appreciated.
Vance’s closest friends quickly become key to the story, and they inform us that Vance is more of a one-and-done kind of dude and so they’re all a little excited that he seems so taken with Katie. They get involved in that meddling way that some readers find endearing and others find horrifying, but that in my experience, tends to really happen in tight knit groups of friends. My guess is that these particular couples were stars of the previous books in the series, so faithful readers will probably enjoy this time spent with familiar faces.
Speaking of endearing versus horrifying, though, I want to talk about the inhabitants of Harmony. Y’all, they are a lot. Not just in number, but in levels of both twee and Southern stereotypes. We have the folks who could be in Duck Dynasty, we have the powerful gossip mill powered by grandmas, and we have the varied assortment of eccentrics that tend to populate small towns, both in popular culture and in real life. The treatment of the town borders on something just a little too bright and fanciful, but is tempered by the fact that Vance clearly hates the baggage that small town life brings. The culture of nosiness is a character in itself, and I know some readers will find that cloying. If you’re one of them, count yourself warned.
The chemistry between Vance and Katie is sexy as hell, and I enjoyed their nicknames for one another and the way they quickly complemented each other’s lives. When the big conflict happened, I really loved how Katie handles it. She doesn’t demonize anyone, doesn’t wallow in her pain. Instead, she empathetically assesses the situation and then makes changes in her own life to ensure she will never feel that sort of pain again. This makes the eventual happily ever after even more satisfying
In regard to Katie, I want to return to talking about her dad. Holy cats, y’all, her parents take ‘helicopter parenting’ to a whole new level. They even went so far as to select a career for her and enroll her in classes without her consent! The whole of Katie’s character arc has more to do with her relationship with them than her one with Vance and that’s a nice journey to witness. Katie is easily my favorite character in the book and I was so thrilled her happily ever after was as holistic as it was.
I really enjoyed my time in this world, despite some of its more frustrating residents; Katie’s ex-boyfriend and his mustache-twirling level of villainy was a particular low for me. I think anyone who loves vibrant small town romances will find a lot to love in Sweet Southern Bad Boy as well.
Book Details
Reviewer : Kristen Donnelly
Grade : B
Sensuality : Warm
Book Type : Contemporary Romance
Review Tags : Harmony Homecomings series
Quoted in Sidelights: “a fantastic funny, hot, and heartfelt story” and “a blast to read.”
Sweet Southern Bad Boy" by Michele Summers - Review
featured image
booksnuggle@gmail.com
Book Snuggle
Follow
Dec. 6, 2016, 11:24 a.m. in Entertainment
Views: 299
Like us on facebook
Sweet Southern Bad Boy
Sweet Southern Bad Boy
by Michele Summers
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
If you need a fun and steamy romance to escape for a little while, then "Sweet Southern Bad Boy" is for you. This book was so much fun! Katie and Vance are so great together. I was hooked from the beginning to the end.
"Sweet Southern Bad Boy" by Michele Summers is book number three in the "Harmony Homecomings" series. This is Katie McKnight and bestselling author Vance Kerner's story.
Vance is on a deadline to complete a novel and he has writer's block. Well, in his defense he has taken responsibility to care for his brother's three kids while deployed and their mother is recovering from an injury. Saying his brother's three kids are very energetic children is an understatement.
Katie is out to prove to her father that she is not a loser. She wants to find the perfect location for her dad's miniseries. Katie decides that Vance's home is the perfect spot for this miniseries but Vance is not on board.
Katie needs Vance to agree to using his home for her dad's mini series and Vance needs help with the kids so that he can attempt to meet the deadline on his novel. Not to mention that they both have family issues that are not resolved. Then to top it off the sexual tension between them is off the charts. So, how will they deal with this situation?
Vance and Katie's story was a blast to read. It was so much fun to read and a great stress reliever. A fantastic funny, hot, and heartfelt story.
FYI, includes mature content. I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
Follow me on My Trending Stories
https://mytrendingstories.com/en/profile/book-snuggle/
Like and check out my BookSnuggle Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/BookSnuggle/
Comments
Quoted in Sidelights: “Sweet Southern Bad Boy was a fun, light and sweet romance with crazy kids, an even crazier town filled with busybodies and steamy sexiness and I had a great time reading it.”
Sweet Southern Bad Boy by Michele Summers
December 10, 2016 Sparkles Book Review 1 ★★★½
Sweet Southern Bad Boy by Michele Summers three-half-stars
Sweet Southern Bad Boy by Michelle Summers
Series: Harmony Homecomings
Also in this series: Not So New In Town
Published by Sourcebooks Casablanca on December 6, 2016
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 384
Buy on Amazon
Buy on B&N
Buy on Kobo
Buy on Google Play
Goodreads
HE’S GOT SOMETHING SHE WANTS
When Katie McKnight gets lost location-scouting for her father’s TV studio, she stumbles upon the perfect setting for their angsty new teen vampire series—a remote barn house unfortunately occupied by a grouchy, disheveled, and incredibly sexy man who instantly mistakes her for the new nanny. Should Katie tell him the truth, or get her foot in the door?
SHE’S GOT EVERYTHING HE NEEDS
Bestselling author Vance Kerner doesn’t just have writer’s block—he’s been run ra...
more
This book may be unsuitable for people under 17 years of age due to its use of sexual content, drug and alcohol use, and/or violence.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
EDGy Review
Reviewed by SparklesVance is a best-selling author in trouble. Between a deadline looming, his three under-seven-years-old nephews living with him, and a case of writer’s block, he is drowning. When a pretty woman knocks on his door just as he needs to head into a meeting, he takes her for the expected nanny. Only Katie is not a nanny but a location scout for her father’s Hollywood studio. When Vance laughs in her face after hearing her reason for being on his property, she offers him a deal, she’ll help with his nephews so he can go to his meeting if he listens to her proposal.
Katie has been jumping from job to job in her father’s company. Since she was heavily encouraged to leave her teaching position and come work in the family’s enterprise, she hasn’t found the right fit. Now, being a location scout allows her to play with her photography, the other thing she enjoys besides her passion for teaching. Unfortunately, Katie needs to not suck at this job or she will disappoint her father. Again. So it’s paramount that Vance agrees to her proposal of using his house as a set for the studio’s next mini-series.
Vance doesn’t need another distraction, and Katie with all her sweetness and incredibly compelling natural charm is one big sexy distraction. He also desperately needs help with the kids if he ever wants to finish this book. So they strike a deal, Katie will move in and help him with his nephews whom she seems to have a natural way with, and he’ll consider the studio’s deal. Katie hasn’t had the most perfect childhood, she’s grown accustomed to being a disappointment to both her mother and father. Add a currently-on-a-break-until-she-can-prove-herself git of boyfriend and her self-esteem was practically non-existing.
Vance has never been more drawn to a woman as he is to Katie, but he can’t allow himself to go there. Well, he tries to keep his distance and fails. When things between them start to go well Vance’s choices could jeopardize everything they’ve built. I’m not fond of insecure, backbone-less heroines, so Katie’s lack of ability to stand up to her overbearing parents was not my favorite part of this story. Fortunately, she begins to make changes along the way which slowly turn her into a much more likable character for me. She’s sweet, caring and incredibly crafty with the kids.
Vance was charming, funny and although it took him some time to acknowledge his feelings for Katie, he did redeem himself by the end.
All in all, Sweet Southern Bad Boy was a fun, light and sweet romance with crazy kids, an even crazier town filled with busybodies and steamy sexiness and I had a great time reading it.
Rating: 3.5 “Pirate man” Stars
Quoted in Sidelights: “Find My Way Home is a wonderfully entertaining romance that warmed my heart!” related a contributor to the Harlequin Junkie Web site. “Bertie and Keith are both strong characters, and Michele writes the dual point of view well.”
“I’d recommend Find My Way Home to any romance reader, especially if you like small towns and laughter!”
REVIEW: Find My Way Home by Michele Summers
Posted July 29th, 2014 by Sara @HarlequinJunkie in Blog, Contemporary Romance, HJ Recommends, Review / 4 comments
In Find My Way Home (Harmony Homecomings #1) by Michele Summers, Bertie is an interior designer determined to make a name for herself away from Harmony. She has plans and a job in the big city, as soon as she finishes this last job. Little does she know the hot FMWHguy she mistakes for someone else is going to turn her world upside down.
Keith is a former professional tennis player looking for a safe place to raise his daughter. He comes to Harmony where his Aunt is, and buys a beautiful old house. The same house Bertie has dreamed of decorating for as long as she can remember. When Keith’s aunt interferes, giving Keith an ultimatum and offering Bertie an enormous sum of money to stay and fix the old house up, neither one of them can say no. With a 3 month time frame to meet Aunt Franny’s demands, they both get to work. Keith is searching for the perfect wife and mother for his daughter. Bertie already knows what she will do with the money, and is still dreaming of leaving Harmony.
Bertie and Keith are fighting an instant attraction, a chemistry that sizzles between them. Nothing can come of it though. Keith thinks Bertie is everything he shouldn’t want, and Bertie has heard enough about Keith’s reputation to not want to be another conquest. Without meaning to, they are drawn into each others lives, and the inner battles to not become involved are getting harder and harder to resist. Bertie soon finds herself ready to risk it all with Keith, but he’s not. By the time Keith realizes what he’s letting go will it be too late?
Find My Way Home is a wonderfully entertaining romance that warmed my heart! Bertie and Keith are both strong characters, and Michele writes the dual point of view well. Bertie is a fun loving, big hearted woman with a lot on her plate in Harmony. She is intricately woven into small town Harmony, and I loved her interactions with everyone. I felt like I really got to know Bertie, outside of her struggle to stay away from Keith, and Michele managed to really endear Bertie to me. Bertie has a forgiving heart of gold, and at times I was amazed she still felt what she did for Keith. Keith is so determined that Bertie is not for him that she catches him saying some not very nice things about her. It took me longer to feel like I knew Keith, and even then Bertie had wormed her way into my heart way deeper. Keith wants to do what’s right, but past mistakes have him doubting himself and people around him. I really enjoyed seeing the growth his character went through in Find My Way Home. The chemistry between Keith and Bertie is palpable. I like how Michele writes this and doesn’t give explicit detail. How she’s done this works well in Find My Way Home.
Michele really manages to give a small town feel to Harmony with a host of secondary characters who help bring Harmony to life along with Bertie and Keith. They all play really well off each other, and complement the main characters in different ways. The relationships and feelings are all believe-able, especially with the romantic and inner conflicts that make Bertie and Keith relate-able.
Find My Way Home is well paced and an easy story to fall into. Sometimes what we need most is right in front of us if only we’d open our eyes! The infusion of humor throughout Find My Way Home made it all the more fun to read.
I’d recommend Find My Way Home to any romance reader, especially if you like small towns and laughter!
Book Info:
4SPublished July 1st 2014 by Sourcebooks Casablanca | (Harmony Homecomings #1)
Everyone knows that money can’t buy happiness. The promise of money is even worse. Especially for a small town designer with big dreams. Bertie Anderson is finding out anticipation only buys trouble. When the offer of $150,000 is dropped into her lap for designing one house, she dumps her dreams of leaving town and gets to work. If only she wasn’t so distracted by her hubbalicious client. Why would an ex-pro tennis player move to tiny Harmony, NC?
Keith Morgan is wondering the same thing. Sure, he needs a safe place to raise his daughter, away from the party lifestyle of his past. But does it have to be in a crazy, little town where everyone knows his business? What’s worse is his aunt has given him an ultimatum: get married in three months or risk losing his little girl. Finding a woman is no problem. Parades of them show up at his house like the paparazzi. The problem is he only has eyes for Bertie, his quirky, curvy, maddening designer. And he couldn’t marry her, because this go round he needs to play it safe…and Bertie is anything but safe!
Quoted in Sidelights: “uneven” but “shows a lot of promise.”
FIND MY WAY HOME
Author(s): Michele Summers
This debut shows a lot of promise. Summers packs in a lot of emotion and off-the-charts sexual tension between Bertie and Keith. The setup stretches the imagination, however, and the pacing is uneven, often slowing the story down. Bertie is a little too over-the-top quirky, but the cast of characters is eccentric and readers will look forward to their appearance in future books.
Bertie Anderson is nearly out of her small town. She has one last interior design project to finish when she meets retired tennis star Keith Morgan, who wants her to fix up his house, the Victorian she’s dreamed about all her life. She takes the job and soon finds herself embroiled in a madcap scheme to finish in three months for an outrageous bonus, while he has to find a wife in the same amount of time. The problem is, the perfect mother he envisions for his daughter may not be the perfect wife for him. (SOURCEBOOKS, Jul., 352 pp., $6.99)
Reviewed by:
Cyndy Aleo
Quoted in Sidelights: “a fun, sweet and spicy romance” that will make readers “laugh and swoon.”
SWEET SOUTHERN TROUBLE
Author(s): Michele Summers
Get ready to laugh and swoon your way through this sassy and sexy southern romance! Marabelle makes a quirky and endearing heroine, and Nick’s reactions to her are both amusing and hot. The sexual tension between them sizzles, heightened by their mutual affection. Secondary characters add an extra dose of hilarity, but Nick and Marabelle are the clear MVPs. One character is a bit over-the-top nasty, erring toward a suspension of disbelief, but overall this is a fun, sweet and spicy romance.
Marabelle Fairchild is, reluctantly, in charge of Trinity Academy’s upcoming fundraiser gala. If she does well, she has the hope of getting a permanent teaching job there. She has a chance — if she can convince local NFL coach Nick Frasier to participate in the bachelor auction. Nick knows he needs to shape up his image and at least appear to leave his womanizing days behind. So he agrees to donate a large chunk of cash and to help with the auction if Marabelle poses as his fiancée. Now if only he could quit thinking about her… (SOURCEBOOKS, May, 416 pp., $7.99)
Reviewed by:
Carrie Townsend
Quoted in Sidelights" “Sweet Southern Trouble was a funny, heartwarming, and really well done standalone romance novel,” remarked a contributor to the Book Briefs Web site. “I loved getting to know all of the characters, I was totally rooting for the main characters, and the secondary characters were a hoot and a half.”
“If you are looking for a great romance, check out Sweet Southern Trouble.”
My Thoughts
Sweet Southern Trouble is an adult sports romance by author Michele Summers. This is the first book I have had the pleasure of reading by Mrs. Summers, but it certainly will not be the last. I loved Sweet Southern Trouble. It was the kind of book that allowed me to totally escape from the real world. I was very absorbed in this book late into the night and even in the morning before I drove to work. I just had to finish it! And I certainly cannot say that about all books I read. It doesn’t look like Sweet Southern Trouble is going to be a series, but I really really wish it would be. I got to know Q and so many of the other football players well enough. I want them to have their own stories! Please, make that happen!
Sweet Southern Trouble is a standalone romance novel told in dual narrative between Marabelle and Nick. Marabelle is like a force of nature. I loved watching her tenacity and pure spirited-ness knock Nick off balance more times than I can count. I loved that Nick was so enamored with her feisty nature. I loved how well rounded Marabelle was too. She is a great cook and a fierce tennis player. I loved that we got to explore so many different sides of Marabelle. She was a really interesting (in a great way!) character.
And Nick. Oh Nick. He is as loyal as they come. Even throughout the whole fake charade fiasco they had going on, Nick was as awesome as can be to Marabelle, or Tinker Bell as he called her. I loved seeing what a great guy he was. By the time I finished this book, I had a major crush on Nick. I want him all for myself.
Bottom line: Sweet Southern Trouble was a funny, heartwarming, and really well done standalone romance novel. I loved getting to know all of the characters, I was totally rooting for the main characters, and the secondary characters were a hoot and a half. I want all of the guys on the football team to get their own story. I just love them! if you are looking for a great romance, check out Sweet Southern Trouble.