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jackiehorne's review against another edition
4.0
I'm usually not a big fan of heroines who are too lacking in introspection to understand their own feelings, but in a comedy (which this surely is), I'm open to giving characters more leeway. After some early twenty-something rebellion (a year in France painting), Viv Franklin returns home to follow in the footsteps of her father and four elder brothers, establishing her own successful software company. But when her great aunt leaves her a beach house in Mendocino, Viv decides to check it out herself before she decides to sell it out of hand. And of course Viv falls in love—with the town, with the house, and, so she believes, with the hunky cowboy Hank, who's been hired to take care of the house's two horses. It's destiny, a plot right out of one of her favorite romance novel, she believes. All she has to do is make the rather oblivious Hank notice her...
While Viv waits. though, she has to content with town librarian and historical preservation society director Clark, who takes issue not only with Viv's brash personality, but with her on-the-fly plans to renovate her historically significant house. Will secret rebel Viv bend the surly cowboy to her will? Perhaps, if she can stop fighting with nerdy Clark...
A lighthearted comic romp, with an appealingly beta hero. Though sexy times don't ensue until far into the book, when they do, they are suitably Clayton-worthy.
While Viv waits. though, she has to content with town librarian and historical preservation society director Clark, who takes issue not only with Viv's brash personality, but with her on-the-fly plans to renovate her historically significant house. Will secret rebel Viv bend the surly cowboy to her will? Perhaps, if she can stop fighting with nerdy Clark...
A lighthearted comic romp, with an appealingly beta hero. Though sexy times don't ensue until far into the book, when they do, they are suitably Clayton-worthy.
garnettobs's review against another edition
2.0
i want nothing more than to inherit a lovely beach house and do nothing for the rest of my life
mom2triplets04's review against another edition
3.0
3 1/2 stars. It was a bit slow in beginning. I expected to read more about caroline and Simon but this book introduced all new characters where c and s showed up from time to time. Great ending to this one. Love Alice claytons writing style. Love how she adds humor to the story making realistic characters you grow to love and want to read more. But I do tell you I loved wallbanger the most.
bookloverchelle's review against another edition
4.0
Jumped in to the middle of the series with new to me author Alice Clayton. Even though I hadn't read the first two books in the Cocktail series I had absolutely no problem enjoying Screwdrivered. Viv is an extremely smart woman, building her own computer programs, with a very artsy and romantic heart. She's waiting to find a romance that rivals the books she loves and when the chance to move to California comes her way she's ready to jump in feet first. What she doesn't expect is sexy cowboy Hank or infuriating librarian Clark. As she slowly unravels the clutter that is the home she has inherited, she also has to unravel the expectations she thought she had for love to find true happiness. Great story that I felt could be read as a stand-alone easily. Great characters with lots of humor and I'm excited to try more from Ms. Clayton.
tashas_books's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars
I think this might be my favorite of the whole series.
I think this might be my favorite of the whole series.
anasatticbookblog's review against another edition
4.0
Screwdrivered by Alice Clayton
Narrated by Heather Smith
Romantic Comedy. Standalone in a series.
Alice Clayton has always been a favorite of mine since I began this blog, and I have had Screwdrivered on my Kindle and on my bookshelf waiting for a rainy day. 5 years later the rainy day came in the form of the audiobook. I was so excited, it’s been so long since I read her and she was one of the 3 authors that inspired my love for rom-com.
I love books about romance readers! Strangely I just read a book that is releasing this month that was very similar, but not as good, so it’s good to know that it held up to time well. Viv, a software engineer, was in a rut at home when she inherited her great aunt’s beachfront home in California. An avid romance reader, Viv longed for a relationship like the ones she read about.
"Like a junkie, I was jonesing for a romance novel coupling. I needed a pulsing pillar of passion, a mammoth mail member, a cocky cobra ready to tangle with my vaginal mongoose.
I also needed to think about upgrading my reading. My imagery was actually starting to bother me."
When she gets to the house she sees there is a LOT of renovations to be done, but lucky for her, a hunky cowboy has been taking care of the horses. What a perfect romance novel Viv thinks she’s in, even though she denies it.
“I knew that life couldn’t be like a romance novel, where someone could fall hopelessly in love with her soul mate the moment they met eyes across a crowded room. Preposterous. Or that you could be whisked off into a world of fantasy and excitement by a handsome stranger, instantly connect, and be in perfect sexual sync from the second his mammoth male member teased your delicate flower petals.”
She is actually sure she is living her own romance novel and Hank the cowboy is the hero. But there is this nerdy but hunky librarian who is fighting her about every single change she wants to make on the historic home. Sigh, nerdy day Clarke was hot, but nighttime Clarke? YUM. They are so busy arguing, and she is so focused on Hank the gorgeous cowboy being her storybook hero that she never noticed what is right in front of her.
“It doesn’t always have to be so hard. Sometimes falling in love just means turning around and seeing what’s right in front of you.”
Screwdrivered was kind of “Alice Clayton light” to me. It was missing that over-the top silliness that I love. Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoyed it but it was a much more subtle humor than I remember Wallbanger and Rusty Nailed being. Plus, it took almost the entire book for the couple to be together, then it ended.
"Why ride a cowboy when you can ride a librarian?"
Likes:
- •I love relatable books about romance novel lovers.
- •I smiled the whole time.
- •A visit with Simon and Caroline from the first two books.
- •A love triangle that was never really a triangle at all.
- •A hot nerd vs. a hot cowboy (I pick the nerd every time).
- •Still feels new and fresh.
Dislikes:
- •It was a really slow burn that led up to a really quick end.
- •I wanted to climb into the book and shake some sense into the heroine.
- •It wasn’t quite as funny as the previous in the series.
The Narration:
Heather Smith was perfect for the part and I think she enhanced the story. I would definitely look for more from her.
The Down & Dirty:
Though Screwdrivered was a little tamer in humor and sex than the previous books in the series, it was still a fun read. I love books about romance readers, they are so relatable! Her insistence that she was the star of her own romance novel did get a little frustrating after a while and I felt it took too long for her to wise up, leaving little together time for the main couple. Still, Screwdrivered did not disappoint and I will be finishing this series this summer.
Rating: 4 Stars, 3 Heat, 4.5 Narration
Purchase Screwdrivered by Alice Clayton
colorfulleo92's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars. 3rd book in the Wallbanger series but this time we follow another characters, Viv. This series is so much fun and Screwdriverd is no exception, by far one of my favorite romance series. Even if this book is having a slight triangle drama it was a good read, but not fully a 5 stars.
charlottenw1's review against another edition
4.0
Absolutely loved Viv and Clark so much.
Viv was such a good character. All she wanted was to be swooped away by the hero like in one of her romance novels and when the call came that she had been left her aunt's house after her death, she took this as a sign. Especially when there's a hunk of a handler in the yard.
Viv tries to force this romance but unbeknownst to her, even though, everyone else can see, she's forcing it with the wrong guy!!!!! Clark is an in-the-closet wanna-be-book boyfriend and when it comes to "daytime Clark" he bottles it unless he feels threatened which is super cute.
Screwdriver is definitely a slow burn but it is hilarious in every single way and I loved how these two grew together. Viv is an independent woman just trying to find her brooding alpha who wants to protect her. She never thought she would find it with Clark the town historian who tries to stop her at every hurdle while renovating her decrepit barn.
Viv was such a good character. All she wanted was to be swooped away by the hero like in one of her romance novels and when the call came that she had been left her aunt's house after her death, she took this as a sign. Especially when there's a hunk of a handler in the yard.
Viv tries to force this romance but unbeknownst to her, even though, everyone else can see, she's forcing it with the wrong guy!!!!! Clark is an in-the-closet wanna-be-book boyfriend and when it comes to "daytime Clark" he bottles it unless he feels threatened which is super cute.
Screwdriver is definitely a slow burn but it is hilarious in every single way and I loved how these two grew together. Viv is an independent woman just trying to find her brooding alpha who wants to protect her. She never thought she would find it with Clark the town historian who tries to stop her at every hurdle while renovating her decrepit barn.