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aduchene's review against another edition
4.0
Fast paced and deep
A quick read, that was emotionally charged with characters that were facing realistic and terrifying issues made this relatable and intense. A nice escape from one set of problems to the next.
A quick read, that was emotionally charged with characters that were facing realistic and terrifying issues made this relatable and intense. A nice escape from one set of problems to the next.
setaian's review against another edition
4.0
Two years earlier Cat chose another man over Hank. A man who turned out to be violent and abusive. Now she has kicked him to the kerb but fate once again throws her a curve-ball. In quick succession she learns that for a model 28 is over the hill, and adding to her problems she is diagnosed with early onset menopause and will not be able to have children.
Despite that she is determined to forge a new path, to land on her feet. When Hank delivers a hand-made end table to her best friend, Cat sees her chance. She sets out to convince him to partner with her in a business making exclusive hand-made furniture. But with an ailing mother and a younger sister he is putting through college, money is tight and he can't afford to risk what he has to follow his dreams.
Both have reasons why a relationship is impossible. Hank's family relies on him, and in Cat's mind her infertility dooms her to being the spinster aunt. For a relationship to have a chance, he will need to learn to follow his dreams and she will need to learn to open up.
Jamie Beck writes fairly typical contemporary romance. She follows the rules of the genre and honestly I can name a few books that share the same basic plot as Worth the Trouble. I would also say they don't do it as well as Jamie Beck.
The big names in Contemporary Romance, names like Jill Shalvis and Susan Elizabeth Phillips need to watch their backs. There is a new generation of writers who are making the genre their own, and Jamie Beck is one of them.
Many thanks to Montlake Romance and Netgalley for providing me with this ARC
Despite that she is determined to forge a new path, to land on her feet. When Hank delivers a hand-made end table to her best friend, Cat sees her chance. She sets out to convince him to partner with her in a business making exclusive hand-made furniture. But with an ailing mother and a younger sister he is putting through college, money is tight and he can't afford to risk what he has to follow his dreams.
Both have reasons why a relationship is impossible. Hank's family relies on him, and in Cat's mind her infertility dooms her to being the spinster aunt. For a relationship to have a chance, he will need to learn to follow his dreams and she will need to learn to open up.
Jamie Beck writes fairly typical contemporary romance. She follows the rules of the genre and honestly I can name a few books that share the same basic plot as Worth the Trouble. I would also say they don't do it as well as Jamie Beck.
The big names in Contemporary Romance, names like Jill Shalvis and Susan Elizabeth Phillips need to watch their backs. There is a new generation of writers who are making the genre their own, and Jamie Beck is one of them.
Many thanks to Montlake Romance and Netgalley for providing me with this ARC
bookanonjeff's review against another edition
5.0
Even Better Than The First. To me, this story was even better than the first book in this series, Worth the Wait - which was excellent in its own right. Cat and Hank's interactions seem just as real, and given what both are dealing with, even more personally impactful for me. Without going into detail on this review, suffice it to say that I am thankful that these types of issues are being explored in a romance novel, as often they are not. So very many kudos for that and for the excellent-as-usual story and writing. :)
taisie22's review against another edition
3.0
The second book in the St. James series features Cat, the supermodel sister. She's coming to the end of her career as a model and decides branding, using her name, to promote products is the way to go. She also receives some devastating news that makes her doubt settling down in a relationship and having a family. Meanwhile, Hank Mitchell, the carpenter and furniture-maker who works for Cat's brother, is still fascinated by her though she blew him off in the past.
I loved the first book but had some trouble with Cat and her attitude in that story. She's a little better here, but not by much. Hank was a sweetie and here he continues to be a guy any woman would love. Their relationship never seemed all that real to me. I never really got what they saw in the other that would lead to a long-term relationship. After a lot of angst between the two, the author never resolved that for me either. All of a sudden, everything is fine again without a lot of discussion about the issue that is the crux of Cat's problems.
Honestly, I'm more interested in Jackson's story, the next book. This was just okay for me.
I loved the first book but had some trouble with Cat and her attitude in that story. She's a little better here, but not by much. Hank was a sweetie and here he continues to be a guy any woman would love. Their relationship never seemed all that real to me. I never really got what they saw in the other that would lead to a long-term relationship. After a lot of angst between the two, the author never resolved that for me either. All of a sudden, everything is fine again without a lot of discussion about the issue that is the crux of Cat's problems.
Honestly, I'm more interested in Jackson's story, the next book. This was just okay for me.
labalkana's review against another edition
4.0
Cat ist als Model international erfolgreich aber mit 28 ist ihre beste Zeit bereits vorbei. Und dann bestätigt ihr Arzt das auch noch... Bei der Hochzeit ihres Bruders ertrinkt sie ihre Unsicherheit und ausgerechnet Hank kümmert sich um sie, der Angestellte ihres anderen Bruders, den sie für ihren gewalttätigen Ex sitzen lassen hat.
Hank arbeitet bei Jackson, nachdem er alle seine Träume aufgegeben hat um seine vier Schwestern aufs College zu schicken und jetzt muss er auch seine Mutter pflegen, deren Alzheimer die Situation immer schwieriger macht.
Ein gemeinsames Business ist für Cat die große Chance, für Hank aber das große Risiko. Und Arbeit und Vergnügen zu mischen gibt erst Recht Schwierigkeiten. Vor allem weil das die Chance für Hank ist, Cat aber nicht riskieren will, dass er sich auch für sie opfert...
Über Hank lässt sich nicht Schlechtes sagen, außer dass er wirklich zu gut und aufopfernd ist. Und wie das mit den Guten so ist, wird auch er ausgenutzt. Eine Situation mit seiner Schwester hat mich stellvertretend für ihn wirklich wütend gemacht und auch Jackson, der mir sonst wirklich sympathisch war, hat ihm viel abverlangt.
Cat war mir sympathisch, oft aber auch zu stur. Dafür war ihr Enthusiasmus und ihre ambitionierte Art beeindruckend.
Beide verbringen viel Zeit damit abwechselnd an sich und an dem anderen zu zweifeln und zu verzweifeln. Aber trotz der ganzen Negativität hat mir die Geschichte um die beiden gut gefallen. Und dank der emotionalen Darstellung der jeweiligen Gedanken, Monologen und Auseinandersetzung werden beide nachvollziehbar.
Es ist typisch Contemporary, natürlich ist das Ende vorhersehbar aber der Weg dahin hat mich gut unterhalten. Und auch wenn der Plot nichts absolut Neues ist, war wenigstens der Verlauf ein wenig anders. Auch wenn Einiges an Kitsch dabei ist.
Ich mag die St. James und nachdem mich bei dem ersten Buch noch Vieles gestört hat, hat mir das schon besser gefallen. Und die Andeutungen zu Jackson’s Problem und der Interventionen bin ich gespannt wie es mit ihm weitergeht.
Hank arbeitet bei Jackson, nachdem er alle seine Träume aufgegeben hat um seine vier Schwestern aufs College zu schicken und jetzt muss er auch seine Mutter pflegen, deren Alzheimer die Situation immer schwieriger macht.
Ein gemeinsames Business ist für Cat die große Chance, für Hank aber das große Risiko. Und Arbeit und Vergnügen zu mischen gibt erst Recht Schwierigkeiten. Vor allem weil das die Chance für Hank ist, Cat aber nicht riskieren will, dass er sich auch für sie opfert...
Über Hank lässt sich nicht Schlechtes sagen, außer dass er wirklich zu gut und aufopfernd ist. Und wie das mit den Guten so ist, wird auch er ausgenutzt. Eine Situation mit seiner Schwester hat mich stellvertretend für ihn wirklich wütend gemacht und auch Jackson, der mir sonst wirklich sympathisch war, hat ihm viel abverlangt.
Cat war mir sympathisch, oft aber auch zu stur. Dafür war ihr Enthusiasmus und ihre ambitionierte Art beeindruckend.
Beide verbringen viel Zeit damit abwechselnd an sich und an dem anderen zu zweifeln und zu verzweifeln. Aber trotz der ganzen Negativität hat mir die Geschichte um die beiden gut gefallen. Und dank der emotionalen Darstellung der jeweiligen Gedanken, Monologen und Auseinandersetzung werden beide nachvollziehbar.
Es ist typisch Contemporary, natürlich ist das Ende vorhersehbar aber der Weg dahin hat mich gut unterhalten. Und auch wenn der Plot nichts absolut Neues ist, war wenigstens der Verlauf ein wenig anders. Auch wenn Einiges an Kitsch dabei ist.
Ich mag die St. James und nachdem mich bei dem ersten Buch noch Vieles gestört hat, hat mir das schon besser gefallen. Und die Andeutungen zu Jackson’s Problem und der Interventionen bin ich gespannt wie es mit ihm weitergeht.
living2travel2's review against another edition
5.0
Hank is a dreamy guy!!! He is responsible, kind, and all kinds of handsome. Cat is a bit of a brat but she proved herself to be worthy of handsome Hank
louisawolt's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
allingoodtime's review against another edition
4.0
I adored Hank in the first book of this series, Worth the Wait. Trust me, you will fall head over heels in love with the guy in this one. Yes, he’s stubborn. Yes, he takes too much on himself. But also…yes, he’s a hotty. Yes, he’s a sweetheart. Yes, he has a huge heart.
As much as I wanted to get to know Hank more, in the first book I wasn’t too big of a fan of Cat. I know she was going through a lot, but I didn’t like the way she reacted to the news about her brother and best friend falling in love. She wasn’t being a very good sister or friend. It was great to read that she’s come around and she ended up quite a sympathetic character.
I’m happy to say that I was sucked into this story and felt all the feels just as much as I did with the first book. Sometimes I’m a bit timid reading another book by a new-to-me author that blew me away. I wonder if it was a fluke or if I could have really found another solid writer to add to my list. In this case, so far, I’d say Jamie Beck is being added to my list. She writes amazing chemistry. On top of that, I truly get that empty pit feeling in my stomach when her characters are going through hard times. She really knows how to weave her words together.
One of the things I enjoyed in this story was the relationship between Cat and her siblings. Now that they are all mending fences and David is back in the fold with his brother and sister, it was incredible to see them have each other’s backs. Especially touching was Jackson’s attention to Cat when she revealed her secret although he was obviously going through something of his own. Poor Jackson, I cannot wait to read his story.
Hank’s family, on the other hand, really ticked me off. It’s acknowledged by Hank and others that his family has somewhat taken him for granted. I am thankful that this was pointed out and that Hank was able to see that he’s done more than his share for his family. Of course, that doesn’t stop him from feeling obligated or having guilty feelings when he isn’t there for them. But at least it’s not glossed over. That his sisters could not see the sacrifices he made and was still making with no expectation from any of them really irked me. Some of the confrontations he had with his sisters and others regarding these issues were heart wrenching, but I loved them because they were so true and real.
As I said earlier, I’m looking forward to the next book in this series. I also need to figure out which of this author’s other stories I’d like to dive into because I know I want to read more from her.
This review can also be found on the book blog All In Good Time.
As much as I wanted to get to know Hank more, in the first book I wasn’t too big of a fan of Cat. I know she was going through a lot, but I didn’t like the way she reacted to the news about her brother and best friend falling in love. She wasn’t being a very good sister or friend. It was great to read that she’s come around and she ended up quite a sympathetic character.
I’m happy to say that I was sucked into this story and felt all the feels just as much as I did with the first book. Sometimes I’m a bit timid reading another book by a new-to-me author that blew me away. I wonder if it was a fluke or if I could have really found another solid writer to add to my list. In this case, so far, I’d say Jamie Beck is being added to my list. She writes amazing chemistry. On top of that, I truly get that empty pit feeling in my stomach when her characters are going through hard times. She really knows how to weave her words together.
One of the things I enjoyed in this story was the relationship between Cat and her siblings. Now that they are all mending fences and David is back in the fold with his brother and sister, it was incredible to see them have each other’s backs. Especially touching was Jackson’s attention to Cat when she revealed her secret although he was obviously going through something of his own. Poor Jackson, I cannot wait to read his story.
Hank’s family, on the other hand, really ticked me off. It’s acknowledged by Hank and others that his family has somewhat taken him for granted. I am thankful that this was pointed out and that Hank was able to see that he’s done more than his share for his family. Of course, that doesn’t stop him from feeling obligated or having guilty feelings when he isn’t there for them. But at least it’s not glossed over. That his sisters could not see the sacrifices he made and was still making with no expectation from any of them really irked me. Some of the confrontations he had with his sisters and others regarding these issues were heart wrenching, but I loved them because they were so true and real.
As I said earlier, I’m looking forward to the next book in this series. I also need to figure out which of this author’s other stories I’d like to dive into because I know I want to read more from her.
This review can also be found on the book blog All In Good Time.