Short Review: Holiday Seduction by Jaci Burton & Lauren Dane
Thursday, December 17, 2009
UNWRAPPED by Jaci Burton
Amy Parkers kind of fantasies wouldn't cut it in the straight-laced law firm where she's fought her way to partnership. And she refuses to let a younger man use her to advance in the firm. Justin Garrett might be brilliant, gorgeous and sexy, but he's firmly implanted in the look-but-don't-touch realm. Until a corporate acquisition in Hawaii over Christmas gives Justin the opportunity to show Amy he's interested in her as a woman, not as a way to advance his career. And he has the ideal plan to help unwrap the perfect Christmas gift for Amy.
TO DO LIST by Lauren Dane
Since she could pick up a pencil, Belle Taylor has used lists to map out her life. But now, just steps away from her highest career goal, she realizes the life she thought she wanted exacts too high a price. Exhausted, she heads home for Christmas to make a new to-do list. She didn't factor in Rafe Bettencourt, her brothers best friend kissing her under the mistletoe! Suddenly, Belle finds herself with a whole new set of goals to balance with what she thought she always wanted. Because Rafe's plan is to seduce Belle back home where she belongs. (blurb)
Review:
Technically this is the first book in this series but with me being me I read Holiday Heat first. That was also the reason I bought this book cuz I really loved it and noticed that it was book 2 after finishing it. So I searched amazon and found this beauty and had to buy it immediately.
And let me tell you this book didn't disappoint.
UNWRAPPED
by Jaci Burton
This story is about a workaholic on forced vacation and with no way to escape the offered R & R. And Amy really struggles with what she finds on the island. She's too focused on work to have a private life. I enjoyed the way Ms. Burton played with the biased view most people have of a business woman. At the beginning Amy is really inhibited and all business but she has this weak moment on the plane(a really naughty weak moment) and that gives Justin the last clue he needs to really pursuit her.
He already accidentally(yeah, sure!!!) discovered her little erotic fantasy and now his plan is to fulfill it! He is focused on work too, but he knows how to sweeten up his free time and plans to do exactly that with Amy.
Okay I will say it the way it is: this story is hot and I mean it. I just say:
"Hawaii, 2 men and a woman." A perfect way to celebrate Xmas.
The characters are very likable and OMG the men are hot! So happy that Mitch(man #2) got his own HEA in Holiday Heat cuz he is a fine specimen, athletic surfer and all.
It's a nice story and very fast read! I so had to buy a Jaci Burton book after finishing that one!
TO DO LIST by Lauren Dane
First thing I noticed in this book is "OMG Brian please go away!". I so hate people ruining a perfect situation. I really wanted to slap him silly.
That said back to the review: Belle is very focused on her goals and determined to reach them. She realizes that perhaps she pays a too high prize to accomplish that.
She's thinking her whole life over and tries to find out what her real priorities are.
Rafe is such a funny and lovely character. He realizes what a great woman he has in front of him and how much he missed her. So he plans to win her heart with all means. He stole MY heart at the beginning and with every thing he did he got an even stronger hold on it!
The relationship between these two develops at a nice pace. They get to know each other again and discover how good they really match(every pun intended).
It's a really hot read but I didn't expect anything else from Lauren. We've got a bit of Dirty Talk in this book and I always notice that I'm not such a fan of it! Strange huh? Give me smexy scene to read and I'm in but let them talk about it and I'm not so happy with that. A little pet peeve of mine, I know!
The wonderful community of the small town it's set in warmed my heart and all the love you can see in these families made this story an even more wonderful Xmas read.
A very good book for the season and I will definitely read it again next year. 
To learn more about Jaci Burton visit her website here and you can look at Lauren Dane's website here.
Holiday Series:
1. Holiday Seduction: reviews @goodreads, buy @amazon
1. Holiday Heat: reviews @goodreads, buy @amazon
Review of Holiday Heat will be up tomorrow!
9 comments:
Great review! I have all these stories in ebook format burt they are still on the reading list. Looking forward to them!!
Funny: I love what you consider a pet peeve: dirty talk! I am a real sucker for the talk, as long as it's accompanied or followed by equally dirty action :)
@Pearl Thanks hon. I know that is really strange. Perhaps I just haven't read enough stories with it.
I hadn't heard of either of these but now I want to rush out and get them - nice review!
oh i hear you on the Dirty talk! not that i don't like it, just that i'm not used to it and it still feels weird to read it. But hey i'm trying to get past that lol
Great review Susi, of course i have to go bleach my brain so i forget about it and NOT go add the book to my TBR list!
It's gonna be hard to resist the call of Lauren Dane's work! *g*
@Patti I loved this book and the second Holiday heat was even better. Review for that one will be up tomorrow!
@Pattepoilue Whew, thought I would be the only one. Yep, I can't resist that call either.lol
Susi I've been reading some other Lauren Dane books on EC, I didn't care for them as much as Laid Bare. Was this the same for you?
@Smokinhotbooks Hmm, I liked Undercover but that one was from Berkley. Enforcer is from EC and it was okay. Not as good as LB or this one IMO. Giving Chase was better but that's Samhain. Haven't read more of her books. But Laid Bare was so great. Definitely the best I read from her!
Great review, this one also goes on the wishlist!
@Marissa Thanks and you will love that one!
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