Short-Take Reviews: Getting Schooled and Gentleman Sinner


GETTING SCHOOLED
Emma Chase
Publication date: June 26, 2018
Genres: Adult, Contemporary Romance
Format: Kindle
Source: OverDrive app

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GOODREADS  *  AMAZON








S Y N O P S I S

Garrett Daniels has this whole life thing figured out.
The cocky, charismatic former high school star quarterback is an idolized football coach and "cool" teacher in the hometown where he's not just a golden boy—he's platinum. He has good friends, a great house on the lake, and the best damn sidekick a man could ask for: Snoopy, the albino beagle.

Then...Callie Carpenter comes home.
And knocks him right on his tight end zone.

Callie has a pretty sweet life herself...on the other side of the country. But circumstances—that she'd prefer to never speak of again—have brought her back home, helping out her parents and substitute teaching at her old high school.

Now she's facing bickering, raging hormones, constant gossip, awkward weirdness, and drama galore...and that's just the teachers.

When Garrett offers to show his former high school sweetheart the secrets of his winning teacher ways, Callie jumps at the chance—and then has to stop herself from jumping him.

Good friends are all they can ever be.
Or...these teachers just might end up getting schooled—hard—by love.


M Y   T H O U G H T S

Sometimes I want a romance without all the drama and all the angst. And that’s what Emma Chase delivers.  Garrett and Callie were the real deal in high school – young but very much in love. Circumstances had them parting ways while attending college across the country from one another, but when Callie returned home to help care for her parents it was obvious from the start that all the old feelings were still there. I loved so many aspects of this story: Callie and Garrett were incredibly likable, the humor was so on point that I was literally laughing out loud, the second-chance romance aspect was spot-on, and I loved the way both Garrett and Callie were so committed to their teaching careers and their students. There were a few unexpected emotional moments that were woven into the story perfectly but for the most part this was 100% feel-good romance.
4/5 STARS


GENTLEMAN SINNER
Jodi Ellen Malpas
Publication date: February 5, 2019 
Genres: Adult, Contemporary Romance
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Source: Library Loan

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S Y N O P S I S

Izzy White knows of the darkness in this world. After all, she escaped it long ago. Determined not to let her past beat her, Izzy has a secure, stable life with a job she loves in nursing. But one act of kindness will completely upend everything she's so carefully built-putting her right back in the crosshairs of danger she's been so desperate to avoid.

When Theo Kane shows up like a knight in shining armor, Izzy can't help thinking she's been saved from one threat and exposed to another. His imposing physique, the harsh lines of his face, and the wariness of everyone who comes close are just a few clues to Theo Kane's notorious reputation. The man is positively terrifying. But with Izzy, he's tender and a complete gentleman, and her fascination with the mysterious beast of a man becomes too powerful for her to walk away.

As Theo's demons come to light, running becomes even more impossible. And yet staying together could doom them both.


M Y   T H O U G H T S

This was one of those okay reads that was entertaining enough while I was reading it but ultimately not anything particularly new or memorable. Theo saves Izzy from an attack and then proceeds to hardcore pursue her. An intense relationship develops but Izzy has a past she won’t reveal and Theo has secrets he won’t discuss. Oooh, drama! Then there are all the Fifty Shades similarities. Theo is a damaged anti-hero that cannot stand to be touched, he’s uber-rich and has a driver/bodyguard, he’s all stalkery and even showed up at Izzy’s girls getaway (from London to Las Vegas) to keep tabs on her after only knowing her for a matter of days, the relationship got intense quickly, etcetera, etcetera. Even so, the over the top drama kept the story moving and the craziness was entertaining. All in all, it felt like a story that’s been told many times before so I’m not sure I’ll be picking up more from Malpas. 
3/5 STARS


HAVE YOU READ EITHER OF THESE BOOKS? 




21 comments

  1. I have read neither, but I like Emma Chase's books, and ooooh! Second chance romance. A definite reason for me to pick that one up at some point.

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    1. Getting Schooled was so worth reading, Sam. Chase always seems to keep me smiling but then throws in something emotional that has me tearing up.

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  2. Yess, I had the same thoughts on Getting Schooled. Great reviews, Tanya!

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    1. Thanks, lady! I’m definitely going to start reading Chase’s backlist, I’ve loved everything I’ve read from her so far.

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  3. Getting Schooled sounds like my kind of romance, low on angsty and something that'll make me laugh. I'll pass on Gentleman Sinner. Fab reviews, Tanya! :)

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    1. Thanks Rachel! I think you would really enjoy Getting Schooled. Both Garrett and Callie were such good people and it was so easy to pull for them. Their problems were real - not just drama for the sake of drama - and I loved how they dealt with them.

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  4. I'm barely reading anything these days but I'm starting to catch up on reviews and pick up new books (not that I've fallen way behind what I have already or anything ;-)) I do enjoy Chase's books.

    Karen @ For What It's Worth

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    1. Glad you’re finally starting to get some reading in, Karen! The more I read from Chase, the more I realize how much I enjoy her story telling.

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  5. I haven't read either of these books, but both sound like strong candidates for solid summer reading material. I can't believe it is already time to start thinking about what I'll read this summer. It seems like I was just having Christmas parties, and here we are a week out from Easter!

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    1. So true, Ethan! Crazy that it’s almost time for some serious beach reads! :)

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  6. I wish my teachers had looked like that LOL! Sorry about the second book you listed. I wouldn't like that hero, tbh.

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    1. LOL No kidding, Aleen! I would have drooled all through class! Ha!

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  7. I've seen good things about Getting Schooled so glad you enjoyed it. It's always good when you have an author delivering exactly what you're looking for in your romance. But wow Gentleman Sinner sounds... not for me. Like the stalker vibe was enough to put me off to be honest. I do enjoy an OTT crazy romance from time to time but it's so hard to make them sound like good reads to anyone else.

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    1. Sometimes OTT is fun and I’m all for it but Gentleman Sinner just wasn’t woking for me. Getting Schooled, though... total winner. Emma Chase is becoming such a go-to author!

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  8. I've only read one of Malpas's novellas and she seems to be very much in the uber alpha/BDSM space. *shrugs* If the mood hits, I'd read another but I'm not desperate to indulge in her back-catalogue.

    Emma Chase is an author I need to actually read! I have a few on my kindle, just no particular motivation.

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    2. Sometimes the whole broody alpha thing is fun but in this case it just didn’t do much for me. Emma Chase has been so dependable for me. I listened to the first three books of the Royally series on audio and they were so, so good. And Getting Schooled was wonderful. She’s really becoming a favorite!

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  9. I haven't read these but they sound like I would like them.

    Mary

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    1. The one by Malpas didn't wow me but Getting Schooled was wonderful!

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  10. I read the extended preview of Gentleman Sinner on Netgalley, and I am so on the fence about reading it. My curiosity will probably win and then you will be able to tell me, "told ya so!" LOL

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    1. Gentleman Sinner was my first experience with Malpas and it didn't take long for me to decide that her over the top drama and super alpha guys probably weren't for me. But now I'm hoping you *are* curious enough to go for it so I can laugh and say I told you so. LOL

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