C.L. ParkerBesprekingen

Delaine Talbot tiene un secreto. Cuando un asunto de vida o muerte amenaza con acabar con su familia, Delaine decide hacer un sacrificio muy especial. Se ofrece en puja en el club erótico más exclusivo de Chicago. Ahora, Delaine es propiedad de Noah Crawford, un acaudalado magnate que la introduce en un seductor festín para los sentidos, y despierta en ella deseos con los que ni siquiera se había atrevido a soñar. Noah ignora el motivo por el que Delaine se vendió por tanto dinero, pero para él es un negocio perfecto. Esa mujer bella e inexperimentada satisfará todas sus necesidades, pero jamás conseguirá siquiera rozar su corazón. Casi desde el principio la relación se vuelve más ardiente de lo que ambos habían supuesto. Cuando se pelean, no se dan cuartel. Cuando se aman, lo hacen sin piedad. Pero esta unión física tan intensa no tarda en dar un en convertirse en algo para lo que ninguno de los dos estaba preparado.

I've had such a long run of good books, I haven't given one star for awhile - I give this score when I don't take to a book and can't persist - disjointed, inconsistent tone - not sure what to say.

ARC REVIEW: PLAYING DIRTY BY C.L. PARKER  
Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/Playing-Dirty-Monkey-Business-Trio-ebook/dp/B00N6PEQQ0/
 
Barnes and Noble:  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/playing-dirty-c-l-parker/1120160214?
 
Google Play Books: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/C_L_Parker_Playing_Dirty?id=AymdBAAA...
 
Kobo:  https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/playing-dirty-13
 
My Review
 
Playing Dirty (Monkey Business Trio, #1) by C.L. ParkerMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Playing Dirty is a smart, tension filled, adrenaline charged, sensual read. I received an ARC for an honest review. From the very first you feel the heated sexual tension jump off the page. C.L. Parker does a exceptional job of drawing you in to this emotional tug of war between her two main characters. I also loved the first person narration and how it alternated between the two characters. Through the narration you were able to get the viewpoint straight from Shaw and Cassidy themselves. It added to the realism of the story. This was a very entertaining read that was well worth the time.(www.goodreads.com/review/list/25556913-isha-coleman)

I'm sad to see Shaw and Cass's journey end. It's like losing a friend. Having watched this couple go from enemies, to rivals, to lovers and now parents leaves me with a bittersweet feeling. Coming Clean is the powerful conclusion to a rocky and driven love story. Along the way Shaw has exposed more of his tragic past and become a little more open but his heartbreaking past is never far from his mind and remains a barrier to his future with Cass and his son. Falling in love was never the plan for Cass. Her fast paced career was well on it's way to the top when her emotions won out. She's sacrificed much and wants more than a distant lover and a brain full of what is. C.L. Parker, has written a story that is more mature than the others in the Monkey Business Trio series. Coming Clean is about setting priorities and discovering what's important before it's too late.

If Playing Dirty was Shaw's story, Getting Rough is Cassidy's through and through. Shaw and Cassidy are their own worst enemies. They thrive on being the best and although that is not a bad thing the way they go about achieving that title is. If each took a minute to really examine what drives them to succeed, the similarities would far outshine their different backgrounds. If the objective was to prove that a reader can fall in love with unlikable characters this author was a success. I received an ARC of Getting Rough in exchange for an honest review.

I don't know about you guys, but I have been waiting on this book feels like forever. Just a heads up, it is so definitely worth the wait. I hope you have been following Cassidy and Shaw's journey. If not, go get the first two. They are so wonderful. It is amusing as hell watching these two alpha personalities beating each other over the head. I like the fact that even though this book is fiction, it is based in reality. It's not your typical over the top plot to split them up. The only splitting them up is something any of us in committed relationships with children have experienced. PARENTHOOD. So go check out this read. Can they make it or will they give up?

I don't know about you guys, but I have been waiting on this book feels like forever. Just a heads up, it is so definitely worth the wait. I hope you have been following Cassidy and Shaw's journey. If not, go get the first two. They are so wonderful. It is amusing as hell watching these two alpha personalities beating each other over the head. I like the fact that even though this book is fiction, it is based in reality. It's not your typical over the top plot to split them up. The only splitting them up is something any of us in committed relationships with children have experienced. PARENTHOOD. So go check out this read. Can they make it or will they give up?

While kind of sexy, it is irritating to me that there always has to be some hugely extenuating circumstance to allow a woman to free her sexuality. That being said, fun little romp of a book. Horrible circumstance, virgin woman sells herself to highest bidder for two years (of course he is fabulously wealthy and handsome and damaged), woman and man fall in love, it will never work, he tells her to leave (because he doesn't want to hurt her)......

And nothing, that's it. That's where this book leaves it. I realize that there is a second book in the series, but I don't think I care enough to read it.½

Following Playing Dirty and Getting Rough, Coming Clean is the very fitting conclusion to C.L. Parker's brilliant Monkey Business trilogy. If you haven't read book 1 or 2 yet and plan to do so in the future, you may want to stop reading now.
This one is the story after the happy end. Continuing seven months after the end of Getting Rough and then jumping ahead three years, we catch up with Shaw and Cassidy as they go through the motions of a relationship that has lost its passion and has instead become firmly focused on being doting parents and busy providers of financial security. Everyday life has taken its toll. While more serious in nature than the first two books, there was still plenty of humor and steamy sex in this installment. C.L. Parker skillfully combined reality many readers will be able to identify with, with some rather unorthodox and fun therapy sessions resulting in a very entertaining and suitable conclusion to this series. I've become quite fond of Cassidy and Shaw, their family and circle of friends. The characters were well-drawn, relatable, and likable. While this one wasn't my favorite book out of the three, I have thoroughly enjoyed the entire series and look forward to reading more by Ms. Parker in the future.
I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Having completely hated the first book in this series, I was really surprised when I ended up liking this one. I DNF'd the first one mostly due to horrid writing and hating Shaw, but I was able to pick up on what happened at the end of that book so I didn't feel like I was really missing anything.

First off, the writing is so much better here. It's not as all over the place, while the super-cutsey sports metaphors are still present they aren't in every other paragraph, and the characters were hella more relatable and likable this time around. I don't like secondary couples, and there was definitely one here though you don't get into their pov until way late in the narrative, but that's a personal preference.

Overall, really liked this book and it redeemed the author for me. Not interested in the next book because I am so not into reading pregnancy drama-llamas, but I would be willing to pick up other books of hers.

Copy courtesy of Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

UGH. THIS. BOOK.

I just... Can't.

This writing is... I feel mean using the word "atrocious" but, honestly, that's the word that is coming to mind right now. There's worse out there, I know, but this was rough to get through as long as I did. It's overly prose laden and takes way too long to say anything of actual substance. I really don't need full pages of whining about any ONE thing, thanks. A good editor could really help with that, but I don't know, maybe some people like reading whine-rants. Totally plausible.

The other thing making me hate on this book are the awful characters. Well, Cassidy isn't so bad I suppose, but I couldn't ever really get a read on her as a person. She just kind of skipped all over the place in her mind and actions never seemed to totally sync up for me. Shaw was just a jackass, and no amount (or lack of) character development was going to help him dig out of the ditch that the author dug for him.

You just don't want this relationship to happen, in any way, because Shaw is such a truly awful twatwaffle.

Copy courtesy of Random House Publishing Group - Bantam Dell, via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Abandoned at 54%. I really tried to like this book. I was a college athlete, and have a sports law background (before I went to work for the GOV). So I thought this book would be right up my alley. I would describe it as Jerry Maguire meets Beautiful Bastard. The writing was not bad, but I absolutely hated the characters. I thought Cassidy was a huge beyotch - she treated Shaw like crap from the very first moment they met. And Shaw, while he could have been okay, lost points because of the repeated unemotional banging. Don't get me wrong, the sex scenes were hot - but it was ALL hate sex (at least through 54% and I didn't see an end in site). And this book made me realize that I do not like hate sex. After scrolling through the other reviews, I realize I am not going to like this book any better by the end, so I'm gonna stop now.

Because the writing was not bad, I would still recommend this book to people who like conflict, drama, and hate sex. Because it has all that in spades.

I read this book at a time when I had very little exposure to erotica, and was just dipping my toe in. Since reading this, I've determined I prefer straight romance, but I did in fact enjoy this one enough that I am tempted to read the others in the sequence. Shaw and Cassidy are co-workers who push each others buttons in multiple ways. On one hand, they are competitors who really don't like each other very much. But given the occasion they find they are very sexually compatible, and through a series of assignations, they discover maybe their mutual dislike is crumbling. The sex scenes are hot and the banter is often funny. As they discover that both of them may have hearts more tender than first believed, Shaw and Cassidy are challenged into thinking differently about each other and what may come next. This IS a series, so do expect a cliff hanger.

This was so much fun to read! Getting Rough follows on from Playing Dirty. Cassidy has gone home to support her parents after her mother's accident, and Shaw follows her. The feel of this one was totally different to the first book. First off, the setting is now a quaint fishing town in Maine. Cassidy's and Shaw's friends only play minor parts here, the emphasis is on family, Cassidy's Mum and Dad and then Casey, her ex-boyfriend, and his parents. I loved reading Shaw's point of view, especially his realization that family can mean something positive, too and his relationship with his "new" Mum. There was still plenty of humor and some scorching sex, but the book had a more serious feel to it as Shaw and Cassidy's relationship progressed from hate/sex/lust to love. My only criticism, I could have done without the additional sex scenes featuring Mia. While I understand that Mia, and obviously Casey, were an essential part of the plot, their sex didn't add anything to the story. Regardless of that criticism, this was still a solid 5 star read, and waiting till September for book 3 will be torture!
I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

We're carrying on from book one, and Shaw finally got the big deal, or so he thought. Yes, he has the contract but only because Cassidy handed it to him. He's mad, that's not how he wanted it to get it at all. Now she's ran off and he's going to catch her. There's a reckoning to be had between them, and he thinks he deserves it.

Cassidy hasn't ran at all, she had some bad news from home and has had to make a visit to her old home town and her family, they need her now more than her job. Her trip brings back memories and contact with an old boyfriend, and when Shaw arrives the sexual tension is abound.

It's a 'who will she pick' story, and it's a very steamy read. The ends not a cliffhanger but it's left so book three can easily follow on in the trilogy, I can't wait for that one.

I started this book with a bit of trepidation - I had enjoyed the first in the series, but was somewhat burned out by the animosity between Cassidy and Shaw. I didn't know if I was up for another 300+ pages of them hating each other then jumping into bed. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the author had chosen to allow her characters to feel real feelings, and even confess those feelings to each other.

This book felt much more grown-up, more mature, and made for a more enjoyable read. I found the character development to be athentic, and the backstories for Cassidy and Shaw made them much more sympathetic. After reading this installment, I'm very excited for #3 to see how Cassidy and Shaw's story ends. Fun and sexy read!

(I received a copy of this book for review from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.)

OK, I think I'm calm enough to write this review now. I've retrieved my kindle after it hit the wall at the end of this book! I didn't realize it had a cliffhanger and the story continues in the next book so be warned. That said, overall I really enjoyed this very steamy and well crafted story. The writing was great although I did think it was slightly drawn out. Really loved the characters too. The secondary characters really help make the story. The quick and witty banter between Shaw and Cassidy was hilarious at times. It was laugh out loud funny at times and heart touching at others. Overall a really good read and I would definitely recommend it.

Super quick and fun - major issue being the chemistry between the two main characters. They clearly felt attracted to each other, but I never got the sense that they LIKED each other, AT ALL. And honestly, at some point I need to sense some sort of softening toward each other, or else the relationship just doesn't work for me. Would definitely read more by this author.

Received this book through LibraryThing early reviewers. It took me a short while to get into this book, but once i did I couldn't put it down. Yes, others have stated that they couldn't relate to the characters, but the development of the characters DID develop and as soon as I was finished with this book, I went searching for the next one! My only disapointment was when I found out the next book in this series doesn't come out for months! Very enjoyable! Thanks for the read!½

I just could not get into this book. I thought the premise sounded great (which is why I asked for the copy) but when it came down to it, I felt nothing for these people. They didn't seem to like each other at all, and I think that translated. If there was supposed to be some kind of I-hate-you-no-I-like-you tension, it wasn't there. And ending it with to be continued was annoying. I like series and trilogies as well as the next person, but each book should have an arc. This book was flat all the way through.

Cassidy and Shaw are sports agents and have to compete to sign quarterback Denver Rockford to their firm. Whoever succeeds gets the open partnership slot. Cassidy's boss, the remaining partner, privately tells her to do whatever it takes; he wants her to win. Predictably Cassidy and Shaw's competitive streaks quickly lead to hate-sex.

There's a mild twist at the end involving Denver; otherwise this is a predictable plot. The writing is competent but uninspired.

Was one of the few of this genre that was fairly well written with a decent story line. Having said that, I didn't connect with the characters or care about them until the last quarter of the book. The author then shares some character development and background. Maybe the next installment will be better, but I won't be reading it.

I really enjoyed this book. I like to read these type, which are a little like the 50 Shades series. The storyline is new and not tired. I liked the characters a lot. Very goog story!

If you're a fan of the Fifty Shades genre, this book is probably for you. It was "too dirty" for my taste. The storyline was good - workplace competition, sexual attraction, beautiful San Diego, but it could have been a more tame on the sexual side to be more favorable to me. I loved that the author placed such a cliffhanger ending that I actually wanted to read the next installment; however, I'll have to pass as I'm still trying to scrub my brain from this one! And, yes, I did finish this book although I felt I needed to skim and skip some parts...

The hate/love relationship between Shaw and Cassidy was fun. It was nice that there wasn't instant love; in fact, most of their feelings towards each other are antagonistic. Their snarky interactions were entertaining, and it was fun watching them go head to head to win a big client and the coveted partnership.

Their feelings towards each other seem to be based on misconceptions about each other, and as they got to know each other better, some of the hostility lessens, but never disappears.

Cassidy's friends were also an interesting cast of characters. My only issue was that when Cassidy goes to her hometown, she doesn't tell any of them where she was going or why. It just seemed strange that they were there for each other for all of their dramas, but then it seems like Cassidy, while willing to provide support, wasn't willing to accept it. It just seemed to go against the way their friendships had been described.

My other issue is the cliffhanger, which I'm not a fan of. It was handled better than most cliffhangers I've read recently, but many questions were still left unanswered. Since I enjoyed this book however, I'm willing to read the next one.

**A free copy was provided via LibraryThing in exchange for an honest review**