Review: Futures and Frosting

 

 Title: Futures and Frosting
Author: Tara Sivec
Publication Date: September 2012
Source: Bought
Summary (from Goodreads)
Carter, Claire and Gavin have formed the perfect little family. Their friends are getting married and everyone is growing up, maturing and ready to face the future. Or are they?

From bachelorette party hell, porn addictions, dinner roll baseball and botched wedding proposals to finding out everyone's extended family is chock full of crazy, Carter and Claire begin to question the strength of the ties that bind them. Unfortunately, these ties have nothing to do with fuzzy handcuffs and everything to do with the mounting differences between them.

Will their friends make a mess of things with their inappropriate comments and need to know everything, or will they convince the couple that happily-ever-after sometimes really can start with beer pong?

Oh where to start?

The first novel in this series I found humorous. There were parts I laughed so hard I couldn’t breathe. I loved Drew and Gavin because he reminded me a friend’s little boy. Reading the other reviews of Futures and Frosting I expected much of the same comedic style. And I wasn’t wrong. However, this time I found the humour in the book more annoying than enjoyable.

I liked Claire the first time around. I could identify with her as a mother who didn’t want children and then suddenly bam! we have kids. How the author described her and her interactions with Gavin I thought she was a great mother. This time though, her mothering skills went down the toilet. She always seemed to be getting sloshed and eating pot cookies—which I know, wasn’t her fault really. I just think her character was way too immature this time around to be taken seriously as a 25 year old mother. But then I guess the whole point of the book isn’t all that serious, is it?

I have no real feelings towards Carter. Sure he seems like the greatest guy in the world and he’s someone every girl wants to trap and bring home to their parents. He had a few good one liners—but then all of them did—and that’s as far as it went for me.

Now Gavin. Dear God Gavin. This kid went from, “OMG this kid is outrageously hilarious” to “OMG this kid needs a good old fashioned spanking”. Sivec pushed it too far with this little guy, in my opinion, with what parents would let their children away with. Even the child I know that I compared him too doesn’t go as far as Gavin does. Why? Because his parents DISCIPLINE him! Why wasn’t anyone disciplining this child? Every once in a while Claire or Carter would tell him not to say something, but if you’re laughing while you’re “scolding” it doesn’t say much, does it?

The only thing that I actually enjoyed about this one was the way Carter proposed to Claire. And Drew. Because I could never get enough Drew. But am I the only one who thought of Friends where Mike was trying to propose to Phoebe and it just kept screwing up? Because that’s all I could think about. But in the end, I really did love how Carter decided to do it.

But this book still fell flat and just didn’t do it for me. Honestly, the best part of the whole book would probably be the cover. I do love the cover. It's a toss-up between 1.5 and 2 quills for me.

In the Spotlight #3

It's Thursday! Today's blogger in the spotlight is Christine from Rainy Day Reads. Head on over and check out her great blog--I love the blue on blue theme she has going!

About the blog

Tell us about your blog.

 I like all kinds of genres however right now I am in absolute love with Young Adult and Paranormal books.  There are some amazing books out there that I never knew existed.  Therefore right now my reviews are tending to be not just newly released books but maybe some older books or series because I am only just discovering them.  I am in the process of setting up my own Book Blogger Spotlight but other than that I have no regular features as of yet, I am sure these will soon grow.

How did you come up with your blog name?

Picking a name for my blog took me ages. I think it took me a week of thinking up names, checking to see if that name was available, etc… before I finally decided on Rainy Day Reads. I had checked first to make sure the domain was available, Facebook Page, Twitter and everything else.  I wanted to make sure I would be able to have everything in the same name.  I am very happy that Rainy Day Reads worked out because it really does fit me perfectly.  I love the rain and the perfect day for me is for it to be a lovely overcast rainy day, cup of hot tea of coffee at my side and a good book.

How long have you been blogging?

I started my blog on August 12^th 2012, so not very long at all.  I have been fortunate enough to gain a large number of followers already and I am over the moon about that. I have had so many kind words about my blog and being told my reviews are fun to read.  This all just pushes me harder to do everything I can to make Rainy Day Reads the best book blog it can be.

What made you want to review books?

I have always tried to write a review after reading a book because I feel the author has put so much time and effort into creating the story that it would be rude not to share the emotions and thoughts that I had while reading it.  Usually I only had Amazon where I could post my review but then I discovered Goodreads and now of course I have my book blog.

What is the most enjoyable thing about blogging? The hardest?

The most enjoyable is getting the lovely feedback. It helps to remind me that I am not just talking to myself when I post my reviews. The hardest part right now is balancing my time between reading, reviewing and blogging.  As I am quite new to the process I am sure I will get a proper schedule together soon that will help me manage my time.

Who has been your favourite author to interview/guest post so far?

I have not yet had the pleasure to interview any authors or fellow bloggers but I have put some requests out there so hopefully I will be able to do this soon.

What advice would you give to others who are just starting out?

Get to know your fellow book bloggers!  Everybody has been so helpful while I have been getting Rainy Day Reads up and going.  I have already made some great friends and it has only been a few weeks.  This seems like a tight knit community and it is true what they say, great books bring great people together.

About the blogger

What is a normal day like for you? Take us through your usual routine.

Unfortunately as I am new to the blogging world I have not set up a proper routine yet.  I think it will take a good few months to get in the routine of reading, reviews, weekly blog features, etc...   But as of right now I work full time Monday through Friday so I spend my nights with blog related items, answering eMails, adding sections to the site and then the weekends are mostly focused on reading.  But once the site is where I want it to be then I will get more reading time during the week.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

Would it be too obvious if I said reading?  But this is mostly what I do when I am not at work.  When the new TV shows start back in the Autumn I will also need to find the time to fit a few of those in.  I am American but my husband and I live in England.  We both love Football/Soccer and we have season tickets to Everton FC. So on the weekends I am usually at a match or watching a match on TV.

Is there a certain book that has made a lasting impression on you?

Ooooh.... there are so many that leave little bits and pieces with me it would be far too difficult to pick one. 

Other than your own, what blog do you think totally rocks?

I was amazed at how many awesome book blogs there are out there when I first started researching the idea of starting my own.  But if I had to pick one it would have to be Cuddlebuggery Book Blog (http://cuddlebuggery.com/).  The three that run it are Kat, Stephanie and Archer. There is so much information given on their website and their reviews are simply great!

Is there a certain genre of book you will not read?

I would love to say no. I may be right now in love with my Young Adult and Paranormal books but in the past I have read all kinds of different books. I am a bit of a wimp when it comes to really scary things so maybe not a proper horror story. 

If you could choose one book to turn into a movie, what would it be and who would you cast?

This is easy. The Fever series by Karen Moning, so I would pick Darkfever in a heartbeat.   I think Scarlett Johansson would make a great MacKayla with Joe Manganiello as Barrons.  *swoon* 

If you were stranded on a desert island, what five things would you want to have with you?

My fully stocked Kindle... yes I know what you are thinking, the battery will eventually die. But my 2^nd item would be a solar powered charger in order to keep it going.  My 3^rd item would be a good sharp knife in order to get the fruit down off the trees.  My 4^th would be some flint so that I can start a fire and last but not least would be a change of clothes.  I could never go around in the same outfit every day all day.

Bonus Questions

Chocolate or potato chips?

Without a doubt chocolate!

Cuddling in front of a fire or under the stars?

In front of the fire, I am not a huge fan of the great outdoors.

Favourite book/pizza toppings/TV show

It would be far too difficult to name a favorite book but my favorite series is the Fever Series by Karen Moning.  I have been so excited for the first spin-off book (Iced is the first in the trilogy and will follow Dani) to come out in October 2012 but only recently I found out that Moning has agreed to write two more Fever books. The first is due out in 2015, therefore I am officially on countdown!  I have never been more excited for a new book and this means more Barrons.

Favorite pizza is pepperoni and mushroom and my favorite TV show right now is Supernatural.

Coffee or tea?

Can I have both?  If I had to pick though it would be tea I think.

Paperback or ebook?

eBook by far!  Ever since I bought my first Kindle I have not bought or read a ‘dead tree book’.

Thank you, Christine, for stopping by and being in the spotlight!

Deathless Love by Renee Rose

Title: Deathless Love
Author: Renee Rose
Publication Date: August 31, 2012
Source: Author
Summary (from Goodreads):

 Kate has always had a crush on Dominic, the handsome owner of the club where her band plays. When she finds out one night that he is a vampire, her interest only grows, and when he sniffs out her need for spanking and brings her deepest fantasies to reality, she falls head over heels. The trouble is, Dom is allergic to relationships, or so it seems.

Dom loves knowing how to turn Kate on and taking her in hand comes naturally to him. But he believes he likes Kate much more than is good for either of them. In his mind, he can never be the man she needs, and the best thing he can do for her is to stay far away. But when a powerful vampire targets Dom, Kate gets tangled in the dangerous web and Dom finds himself prepared to sacrifice his own life to save hers. Can he get her back alive? If so, will they find a way to be together?

This book contains some sexual scenes along with consensual spankings.

                                  Review

Deathless Love has everything a fan of erotic paranormal romance would want. Hot vampire, hot spankings, hot vampire, well written plot, did I mention the hot vampire?

Kate is the shy, self-conscious human who sings in a band at Dom’s (that hot vampire I may have mentioned) club. Dom doesn’t do mortals anymore—until Kate practically falls into his lap begging to be disciplined. And thus begins a sexy adventure.

Like I said, the book is well written for an erotic romance, and there’s even a little suspense thrown in for good measure. And I’m all for a little spanking. The thing that kind of turned me off (just a little) was Kate never said she wanted to be his sub, just that she was into the whole spank me to climax scene. So when Dom did his thing and dominated her and she was telling him no, I really think he should have listened. Yes, he explains why he doesn’t, but they didn’t really have a D/s relationship—she just liked the kinky side of slapping one on her ass every now and then. That was really the only thing that bugged me. The rest of the book was a fun, flirty, sexy read.

Renee Rose definitely knows how to get a reader hot and bothered by the spank. Would I read a book by this author again? Hell yeah! Would I recommend this book to other kinky paranormal readers looking for a bit of slap and tickle play? Abso-fucking-lutely! 

 

Seduction and Snacks by Tara Sivec

Title: Seduction and Snacks
Author: Tara Sivec
Publication Date: June 11, 2012
Source: Bought
Summary (from Goodreads):
 Claire is a twenty-something, single mom that grudgingly helps her best friend sell sex toys while she attempts to make enough money to start her own business to give her foul-mouthed, but extremely loveable (when he's asleep) toddler a better life.

When Carter, the one-night-stand from her past that changed her life forever, shows up in her hometown bar without any recollection of her besides her unique chocolate scent, Claire will make it a point that he remembers her this time.

With Carter's undisguised shock at suddenly finding out he has a four-year-old son and Claire's panic that her stretch marks and slim to none bedroom experience will send the man of her dreams heading for the hills, the pair will do whatever they can to get their happily ever after.

                               Review

Everyone and their mother is raving about Futures and Frosting, the sequel to Seduction and Snacks, going on about how awesome and hilarious these books are. So I decided to pick up both books and see for myself what all the fuss was about.

The verdict? It’s good—but I wouldn’t call it great. There were definitely some moments where I laughed until my sides hurt and I could barely breathe, but after a while all those one liners kind of got old and I just felt the author was eventually trying too hard to make the reader piss their pants laughing.

My biggest gripe is that all the characters kind of sounded the same when it came to their humour. Okay, all the characters except for Drew because his humour was on the immature level—which I totally thought was great. Go figure.

The story in itself was great. I liked the idea of a one night stand turning into motherhood and randomly finding the one night hook up again after five years.  The book’s plot definitely had promise, I just wish it hadn’t been told like it was a wanna be comedian writing it. And then I find out it was originally fan fiction and, yeah, it all started to make sense to me. *big dramatic sigh*

Can I just talk about Gavin for a minute? Someone told me that they thought this little guy was way over the top and no kid would really behave as badly as he does all the time. I actually laughed my ass off at that comment harder than any of the book because if I didn’t know better I would say that Sivec was using one of my friend’s son as her muse. They are so identical (in age and everything) that it was almost spooky reading about Gavin’s actions and the things he said because all I could picture was my friend’s kid. For me, Gavin was the highlight of the book.

And I could totally identify with Claire at the start of the book where she stated she never wanted kids. Everything she said was exactly how I felt until—surprise!—that little stick turned pink…several times. And I’m still not too fond of other people’s children (sorry family and friends!)

All in all, Seduction and Snacks was an okay read for me. Do I think it’s as fabulous as people are saying? Eh, not so much. Will I read the sequel? For sure.

 

.5