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kle105's review against another edition
2.0
This book just didn’t work for me. I am not a fan of overly rude and horrible character’s especially since she didn’t even redeem herself in the end. I started to skip over her chapters.
Reese is an Olympic swimmer and part of a reality show in a fake relationship with Bellini. Bellini is the entitled brat of some pizza shop owner. Paisley is hired as an assistant for Bellini after a hot mic moment makes her unable to find another job in her field.
I liked their chemistry and I wish the book featured more of their story and less with Bellini.
Reese is an Olympic swimmer and part of a reality show in a fake relationship with Bellini. Bellini is the entitled brat of some pizza shop owner. Paisley is hired as an assistant for Bellini after a hot mic moment makes her unable to find another job in her field.
I liked their chemistry and I wish the book featured more of their story and less with Bellini.
alex_in_wonderland's review against another edition
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
wewillc23's review
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
heavenlyi's review against another edition
5.0
***4.5 Stars***
I had never picked up a Meghan Quinn book before Stroked, but I’m definitely a fan now. I can’t wait to read her other works. This book was steamy, fun, and filled with quirky characters that kept me entertained.
“I made one mistake, and it caused the demise of my career, washed away three years of hard work making a name for myself in the industry-two and a half of those being a long-earned internship.”
Paisley’s career is in free fall. She has one last chance of making a comeback by taking a job as the assistant to reality TV stars, Bellini and her co-star Reese. She’s willing to do whatever it takes to earn her reputation back, but then she meets Reese, and things get a whole lot more complicated.
“I can be the fastest swimmer in the world but without a steady mental game, I can throw it all away.”
Reese is getting ready to compete in his last Olympic games. This is his last chance to prove that he can earn a gold medal, having always come in second. Agreeing to be a part of a TV reality show is his desperate attempt of securing a future beyond swimming. Crossing paths with Paisley has him rethinking everything that he wants.
“The woman is driving me absolutely nuts, to the point that when my head is buried under water, staring down at the black tiled line at the bottom of the pool, all I can envision is her wavy dark hair floating beneath me.”
This book is told from three points of view, Paisley, Reese, and Bellini. Bellini’s POV was completely over the top, but it works for her character. She’s narcissistic, completely ridiculous, and provides the comedic entertainment throughout. She’s one of the major roadblocks between Paisley and Reese, and it soon becomes apparent, not all is as it seems.
Reese is full-on alpha male. I loved his pursuit of Paisley, he’s persistent even when she doesn’t make it easy on him. Paisley is fierce. She’s going to do whatever it takes to make her dream a reality. I loved her awkwardness around Reese. These two have loads in common and tons of chemistry; it’s only a matter of time before they start crossing lines.
“Finding your soulmate is never easy, Paisley. The luckiest people have to work at it, because once you find that true match, you will be that much more grateful for the journey you took to find them.”
The side characters had me intrigued, and I’m anxious to see how their stories play out in the rest of the books in the series.
I had never picked up a Meghan Quinn book before Stroked, but I’m definitely a fan now. I can’t wait to read her other works. This book was steamy, fun, and filled with quirky characters that kept me entertained.
“I made one mistake, and it caused the demise of my career, washed away three years of hard work making a name for myself in the industry-two and a half of those being a long-earned internship.”
Paisley’s career is in free fall. She has one last chance of making a comeback by taking a job as the assistant to reality TV stars, Bellini and her co-star Reese. She’s willing to do whatever it takes to earn her reputation back, but then she meets Reese, and things get a whole lot more complicated.
“I can be the fastest swimmer in the world but without a steady mental game, I can throw it all away.”
Reese is getting ready to compete in his last Olympic games. This is his last chance to prove that he can earn a gold medal, having always come in second. Agreeing to be a part of a TV reality show is his desperate attempt of securing a future beyond swimming. Crossing paths with Paisley has him rethinking everything that he wants.
“The woman is driving me absolutely nuts, to the point that when my head is buried under water, staring down at the black tiled line at the bottom of the pool, all I can envision is her wavy dark hair floating beneath me.”
This book is told from three points of view, Paisley, Reese, and Bellini. Bellini’s POV was completely over the top, but it works for her character. She’s narcissistic, completely ridiculous, and provides the comedic entertainment throughout. She’s one of the major roadblocks between Paisley and Reese, and it soon becomes apparent, not all is as it seems.
Reese is full-on alpha male. I loved his pursuit of Paisley, he’s persistent even when she doesn’t make it easy on him. Paisley is fierce. She’s going to do whatever it takes to make her dream a reality. I loved her awkwardness around Reese. These two have loads in common and tons of chemistry; it’s only a matter of time before they start crossing lines.
“Finding your soulmate is never easy, Paisley. The luckiest people have to work at it, because once you find that true match, you will be that much more grateful for the journey you took to find them.”
The side characters had me intrigued, and I’m anxious to see how their stories play out in the rest of the books in the series.
beckyrendon's review against another edition
5.0
Let me just say that Meghan Quinn is all sorts of wrong, crazy, and off the wall ridiculous. I am not sure whether to shake her or congratulate her on her memorable characters.
Without a doubt I will never forget these people. From the insulting Prima Dona to the best friends, each character has something that endeara, skeeves, or makes them yours.
There are so many, many things I would live to share but I refuse to ruin the shock factor. This was hands down one of the funniest things I've ever witnessed.
p.s. The audio is beyond....just priceless. A certain someone makes your skin crawl and has the absolute perfect pitch and whine to nauseate.
Without a doubt I will never forget these people. From the insulting Prima Dona to the best friends, each character has something that endeara, skeeves, or makes them yours.
There are so many, many things I would live to share but I refuse to ruin the shock factor. This was hands down one of the funniest things I've ever witnessed.
p.s. The audio is beyond....just priceless. A certain someone makes your skin crawl and has the absolute perfect pitch and whine to nauseate.
readfrenzy's review against another edition
DNF @ 57%
I’m so disappointed. This book has all the makings of a fantastic story. It kind of reminds me of a cross between an Olympics-based romance and one of my favorites, The Devil Wears Prada—well, the movie version at least because I didn’t read the book. Don’t judge. It’s a shame that one character can ruin a good story.
The big problem is the antagonist, Bellini. It’s fine to have an unlikable villain, but she is one-dimensional and so over-the-top that it’s unrealistic. There are chapters written from her offensive, hateful, and spoiled point of view, and they held no interest for me because I didn’t want to know her thoughts. We get it. She’s a horrible person. The chapters are unnecessary and actually detract from the story instead of enhancing it.
Other parts of the story seem illogical to me. Reese is preparing for the Olympics. His career depends on him winning, and he says he says he needs to stay focused. So he agrees to be on Bellini’s reality TV show? A camera crew following them around isn’t going to distract him? Bellini isn’t going to be a distraction? On top of that, the humor feels forced.
I can tell Meghan Quinn is a creative storyteller, and I’m sure some readers will find the book charming and funny. For me, it was a cup of tea that was too difficult to swallow.
**ARC received in exchange for an honest review.**
I’m so disappointed. This book has all the makings of a fantastic story. It kind of reminds me of a cross between an Olympics-based romance and one of my favorites, The Devil Wears Prada—well, the movie version at least because I didn’t read the book. Don’t judge. It’s a shame that one character can ruin a good story.
The big problem is the antagonist, Bellini. It’s fine to have an unlikable villain, but she is one-dimensional and so over-the-top that it’s unrealistic. There are chapters written from her offensive, hateful, and spoiled point of view, and they held no interest for me because I didn’t want to know her thoughts. We get it. She’s a horrible person. The chapters are unnecessary and actually detract from the story instead of enhancing it.
Other parts of the story seem illogical to me. Reese is preparing for the Olympics. His career depends on him winning, and he says he says he needs to stay focused. So he agrees to be on Bellini’s reality TV show? A camera crew following them around isn’t going to distract him? Bellini isn’t going to be a distraction? On top of that, the humor feels forced.
I can tell Meghan Quinn is a creative storyteller, and I’m sure some readers will find the book charming and funny. For me, it was a cup of tea that was too difficult to swallow.
**ARC received in exchange for an honest review.**
wallflowerreader_l's review against another edition
2.0
It took me too much time to get into the story and as long to finish it.
It was ok but I felt there was too many unnecessary details (like Bellini's POV chapters... I seriously couldn't care).
Otherwise, it was...well, ok. I didn't get attached to any of the characters, nor the story. But I didn't hate it either.
It was ok but I felt there was too many unnecessary details (like Bellini's POV chapters... I seriously couldn't care).
Otherwise, it was...well, ok. I didn't get attached to any of the characters, nor the story. But I didn't hate it either.
sonja_ahrb's review against another edition
5.0
Reese King: an Olympic medalist with a body like a Greek God... excuse me while I drool now.
His only problem? Bellini Chambers... a spoiled, cracked-in-the-head heiress - I seriously wanted to knock that girl out.
Enter my fav girl... our leading lady, Paisley. She had a major crash and burn in her past and she is given the job as assistant to the nut job heiress. She is extremely attracted to Reese... not that I blame her... and sparks fly everytime they are around each other. But she can't mess this job up... this is her chance to get back into the life she wants.
And, of course, with this being a Meghan Quinn book I laughed during the whole story. I rooted for Reese and Paisley throughout the book and was left with a feel happy, warm feeling.
~ Lydia, 5 Stars
His only problem? Bellini Chambers... a spoiled, cracked-in-the-head heiress - I seriously wanted to knock that girl out.
Enter my fav girl... our leading lady, Paisley. She had a major crash and burn in her past and she is given the job as assistant to the nut job heiress. She is extremely attracted to Reese... not that I blame her... and sparks fly everytime they are around each other. But she can't mess this job up... this is her chance to get back into the life she wants.
And, of course, with this being a Meghan Quinn book I laughed during the whole story. I rooted for Reese and Paisley throughout the book and was left with a feel happy, warm feeling.
~ Lydia, 5 Stars
anasatticbookblog's review against another edition
4.0
Stroked by Meghan Quinn
Romantic Comedy. First in a Series of Related Standalones.
As soon as I finished Stroked by Meghan Quinn, I went right to Stroked Long. I am about 65% done with Stroked Long and I am absolutely in LOVE with it, so I want to clarify this review, because I don't know if my love for the second may have brought down my opinion of the first a little. Don't get me wrong, Stroked was fun, but Stroked Long is a top favorite already, and I'm not done.
Stroked was a bit of over-the-top ridiculousness, but it was a funny read for sure. There were three points of view, including one from the absolutely ridiculous villain, which was a unique way to tell a story.
Reese King is the "Silver Stroke". He is a champion swimmer (and underwear model) who wins almost every competition, but for the last three Olympics, he could only place silver. At 32, this is his last Olympics. The last chance to not be the "loser" who almost won. In an effort to get his persona out there after the Olympics, he agreed to a fake relationship, being the boyfriend on a newly rich heiress's reality show.
Bellini, the star of the show, is the most horrible human being on the face of the planet. Seriously, she is so obnoxious you have to giggle at the over-the-top evil little bitch who thinks her dog is an actual saint and only eats Tic-Tacs and drinks Fiji water.
"You're not eating here. You can feast on one of my Tic Tacs I spit out after sucking on it for a minute."
Bellini is basically a caricature of a society princess coddled by her daddy.
“It’s so hard being me. I’m so popular, everyone wants to be me, and do you know what? I don’t blame them. How can I? If I saw such a specimen walking down the streets of Rodeo Drive, I would strive to be just like me as well.”
Paisley is gorgeous, tatted and pierced. She has her master's in film production, but after a small mistake she is blacklisted in Hollywood. The only job she could get was as Bellini's and Reese's assistant on the show. Paisley (aka Mauve) and Reese have immediate chemistry, but he is in a fake relationship, and Paisley can't risk the only job she could get, especially when Bellini notices the chemistry between them.
“There are two types of girls in this world. Girls like me, who have men draped across their feet, wishing and hoping for one sniff from their very sought after lady-garden. And then there are girls like you. … Girls who flap their dilapidated garden gate open for any kind of attention doesn’t matter, man, woman, child, or dog. Bestiality isn’t beneath girls like you, nor is acting like a complete whore to any other women’s men...Newsflash, not everyone enjoys Taco Tuesday, so close it up, shut it down, and don’t look at my man like you want to dangle between his legs, dick in your mouth, with one task at hand… swallowing."~Bellini
See what I mean? Bellini is hateful. But the chemistry between Reese and Paisley was undeniable. They couldn't stay away from each other.
"Did she feel the same way I felt? The burning need to get to know each other, mentally and intimately? Did she feel the electricity starting to build between us as well? A spark so heavy, that if our lips connect, it will feel like the entire room will explode?”
And boy, when they connected, it was HOT!
Likes:
- •Reese was confident without being cocky, nor did he seem like a reformed man-whore.
- •Though I am not really a sports fan, I liked the parts about the swimming a lot.
- •I loved Bellini's dog. My dog's feet smell like corn chips too! (Though I wished the dog would scratch Bellini's eyes out)
- •Sneak peeks at Bodi & Ruby and Hollis & Melony's stories.
- •I loved Paisley. She was smart, cool and someone I'd totally want to hang with.
- •Fun and sexy banter.
- •The eye flicking and head bonking were some of my favorite parts, I love how Paisley reacts when she doesn't know what to do.
- •Characters you love to hate, like Bellini and Pocket (yet I felt bad for Pocket).
- •Reese was the perfect combo of super nice guy and alpha male.
- •Hot bedroom scenes.
Dislikes:
- •Too much Bellini. She was hysterically over the top, but I just didn't need to be in her head so much. Her POV was cute for a chapter, but it was too much, I wanted more romance, less bitch.
- •Paisley was kind of a tough girl, I thought, but she wussed out a little too much. I wish she stood up both for herself and to Bellini more.
The Down & Dirty:
Stroked was a fun, over-the-top book told in 3 points of view. From the main couple, as well as the villain of the story, Bellini. While Bellini was there for comic relief (she was so ridiculous it was funny) there was a little too much of her. I didn't want to be in her head that much at all. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the whole book, so much so that I immediately asked for the next. But I have to say, after reading 65% of Stroked Long (book 2), I realized how much better it can get! I loved Reese and Paisley together, their chemistry was undeniable, and I can't wait to see snippets of them in upcoming additions to the series, I just wish I saw more of them and less of Bellini in Stroked.
Rating: 4 stars, 4.25 Heat
Purchase Stroked by Meghan Quinn
