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3.62 AVERAGE
3.62 AVERAGE
One of the most hilarious and sweet book I had ever read.
Exclusively Yours is the first novel in the Kowalski Family series. It had all the elements I love in a contemporary romance and I quickly consumed this. If you are looking for a feel good, clean romance surrounding a fun, quirky, tight-knit family Shannon Stacey has just the series for you.
Keri Daniels and Joe Kowalski were highschool sweethearts and Joe thought they would be together forever. After graduations they parted ways as Keri went off to Los Angeles to pursue a career in journalism. When Keri’s boss discovers she dated the reclusive author she gives Keri an ultimatum. Get an exclusive interview or find another job. It took Joe a long time to get over Keri. When he discovers she is home and looking for him he’s determined to send her packing. When they meet he discovers the chemistry between them is still there. So he blackmails her instead. She has to go on the annual Kowalski camping trip, participate in all activities and in exchange she will get to ask one question a day. The tale that unfolds was positively delightful as we watch their romance develop and other relationships in the Kowalski family.
I adore the complex, fleshed out characters Stacey brings to us. The camping trip was the perfect venue for introducing the Kowalski’s and their significant others. Keri is strong, competent, and she thinks she has it all; that is until she sees exactly what has been missing. Joe is adorable, takes care of his family and still head over heels for Keri. The chemistry between them was delightful, full of sexual tension. Terry, Joe’s twin was a hoot, a bitch and I ended up liking her. She and Keri use to be best friends and it was interesting and funny watching them interact. Her marriage of thirteen years to Evan is on the rocks, and this was an enjoyable side story. Kevin is the only single brother in the mix, he is recently divorced and has changed careers. I cannot wait to learn more about him. Mike Kowalski and wife Lisa are struggling as their youngest son approaches the first grade. All of the romances were bittersweet, believable and heartwarming. I love how Stacey blended humor. Joe's' mom had her spoon in everything!
The family and history Stacey created in the Kowalski’s was wonderful. The characters were believable and I connected with them. Their interactions, humor and problems were portrayed in a realistic way, complete with sibling bickering. The author weaves a light, humorous, heartwarming tale around this family and I cannot wait to read more about them. While there is sexual tension and some hanky-panky, it was clean and mostly implied. I could easily talk to my daughters about this one without turning fifty shades of red. I am looking forward to reading the next book in this family series.
Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer
Keri Daniels and Joe Kowalski were highschool sweethearts and Joe thought they would be together forever. After graduations they parted ways as Keri went off to Los Angeles to pursue a career in journalism. When Keri’s boss discovers she dated the reclusive author she gives Keri an ultimatum. Get an exclusive interview or find another job. It took Joe a long time to get over Keri. When he discovers she is home and looking for him he’s determined to send her packing. When they meet he discovers the chemistry between them is still there. So he blackmails her instead. She has to go on the annual Kowalski camping trip, participate in all activities and in exchange she will get to ask one question a day. The tale that unfolds was positively delightful as we watch their romance develop and other relationships in the Kowalski family.
I adore the complex, fleshed out characters Stacey brings to us. The camping trip was the perfect venue for introducing the Kowalski’s and their significant others. Keri is strong, competent, and she thinks she has it all; that is until she sees exactly what has been missing. Joe is adorable, takes care of his family and still head over heels for Keri. The chemistry between them was delightful, full of sexual tension. Terry, Joe’s twin was a hoot, a bitch and I ended up liking her. She and Keri use to be best friends and it was interesting and funny watching them interact. Her marriage of thirteen years to Evan is on the rocks, and this was an enjoyable side story. Kevin is the only single brother in the mix, he is recently divorced and has changed careers. I cannot wait to learn more about him. Mike Kowalski and wife Lisa are struggling as their youngest son approaches the first grade. All of the romances were bittersweet, believable and heartwarming. I love how Stacey blended humor. Joe's' mom had her spoon in everything!
The family and history Stacey created in the Kowalski’s was wonderful. The characters were believable and I connected with them. Their interactions, humor and problems were portrayed in a realistic way, complete with sibling bickering. The author weaves a light, humorous, heartwarming tale around this family and I cannot wait to read more about them. While there is sexual tension and some hanky-panky, it was clean and mostly implied. I could easily talk to my daughters about this one without turning fifty shades of red. I am looking forward to reading the next book in this family series.
Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer
The book redeemed itself at the end but through the first 200+ pages I kept trying to figure out why someone didn't ask the protagonist what was so important about being a Hollywood gossip columnist. She was clinging to this job working for a horrible woman and did not seem to have any real connection to it. That was the most baffling thing for me through the whole story. If the author had provided some sort of context or back story to the main character's attachment to her job, I think it would have improved the story for me (i.e. she had hoovered gossip magazines as a child, loved the film industry, something!). As it was, I had a hard time warming to the character.
But towards the end, she seemed to have a realization.
But towards the end, she seemed to have a realization.
Kerri needs to get the scoop on the reclusive writer or she will be fired. So, if she goes on the annual camping trip, Joe will answer 1 question a day. The family had some drama (separation, divorce, arguing, secrets, bratty kids, annoying teenager) so it wasn’t a stress free time. Joe has an agenda and wants to make sure Kerri doesn’t walk out on him like she did 18 years ago. The story dragged a bit and ended with a HEA.
I couldn't get into the story. Not sure how much was the story or how much was the less than ideal narrator. *Sigh*
I really liked this one. This is the first of her books that I've read and picked it up because factors seemed to conspire to make me read it. It was recommended to me thru homesteads, amazon and I actually got an email asking if I had tried this author before.
being a stay at home mom with 4 kids myself, I related to a lot of the side characters that many seemed to hate. I enjoyed the play between the characters, and unlike another author I've read with the high school sweetheart theme, this one didn't have the childish high schooling drama.
being a stay at home mom with 4 kids myself, I related to a lot of the side characters that many seemed to hate. I enjoyed the play between the characters, and unlike another author I've read with the high school sweetheart theme, this one didn't have the childish high schooling drama.
This was my first Shannon Stacey experience. I chose this Carina Press book because I'd heard great things about the author. I wasn't disappointed.
Keri Daniels is all about her celebrity magazine career. She's never been married, doesn't have kids or pets, and her life is her work. But when her boss Tina finds out that Keri's high school sweetheart is bestselling reclusive author Joseph Kowalski, Keri gets orders to hightail it back to New Hampshire and get the story of the decade.
Joe made a great hero. He has money and fame and even some power, but what he really wants is to rekindle the flame with Keri. When she tracks him down for an interview, he agrees but with some rules. The first rule is Keri gets to ask him one question for every day of the next two weeks she survives with his family on vacation...at a campground. To say that Keri is not a campground kind of gal is putting it mildly.
I loves this story of high school sweethearts reuniting. With so much history between them, I felt as though I were immediately immersed in the story. And while the history also left a few gaps, I didn't mind because of the chemistry between the characters. Keri is likeable even though she's a bit snotty about her life expectations, and Joe has his own demons he'd rather remain buried.
Will Keri sell Joe out for a story? You'll have to read to find out, but you'll keep turning the pages until the end.
Keri Daniels is all about her celebrity magazine career. She's never been married, doesn't have kids or pets, and her life is her work. But when her boss Tina finds out that Keri's high school sweetheart is bestselling reclusive author Joseph Kowalski, Keri gets orders to hightail it back to New Hampshire and get the story of the decade.
Joe made a great hero. He has money and fame and even some power, but what he really wants is to rekindle the flame with Keri. When she tracks him down for an interview, he agrees but with some rules. The first rule is Keri gets to ask him one question for every day of the next two weeks she survives with his family on vacation...at a campground. To say that Keri is not a campground kind of gal is putting it mildly.
I loves this story of high school sweethearts reuniting. With so much history between them, I felt as though I were immediately immersed in the story. And while the history also left a few gaps, I didn't mind because of the chemistry between the characters. Keri is likeable even though she's a bit snotty about her life expectations, and Joe has his own demons he'd rather remain buried.
Will Keri sell Joe out for a story? You'll have to read to find out, but you'll keep turning the pages until the end.
Wow, I did not expect to like this book so much! It had two strikes against it from the beginning. First, I didn't think I would like contemporary romance, and I was a bit snobbish about a book that was only released in ebook format.
I really enjoyed this frothy bit of fun, and the secondary characters were surprisingly well fleshed out. I loved the whole Kowalski family, and I'm glad she's writing a series around this family. The emotions and dialog were very real. I couldn't wait to get home tonight and finish the story to see how things wrapped up.
I really enjoyed this frothy bit of fun, and the secondary characters were surprisingly well fleshed out. I loved the whole Kowalski family, and I'm glad she's writing a series around this family. The emotions and dialog were very real. I couldn't wait to get home tonight and finish the story to see how things wrapped up.