Review: Breaking Up with Barrett by Katy Regnery

Breaking Up with Barrett 
by Katy Regnery
Released Date: July 22nd 2014 by Katharine Gilliam Regnery
Series: The English Brothers #1
Pages: 200
Genre: Romance, Contemporary, Chick Lit, Adult, Fiction
View/Purchase: Goodreads, Amazon, B&N, iBooks (FREE)
Author's Links: Goodreads, Website, Twitter, Facebook

Breaking Up with Barrett is the first of six books about the Philadelphia-based, wildly-handsome English brothers who are all on the look-out for love. 

(Except Alex. He's a womanizing manwhore. And maybe Stratton, because he's wicked hot, but super awkward around girls.)

Barrett English, aka "the Shark," is the fair-haired, first-born of the English brothers, and the CEO of the oldest, most prestigious investment banking firm in Philadelphia. He rules the boardroom with an iron fist, refusing to take no for an answer and always getting his way.

Emily Edwards, a first-year doctoral student at the University of Pennsylvania, grew up in the gatehouse on the outskirts of Barrett's childhood estate. The daughter of his family's gardener and housekeeper, she was always looking through the window of privilege, but forced to remember her place at the very periphery of the kingdom.

When business partners suggest that a fiancee might soften Barrett's image over business dinners, he approaches Emily for the "job" of fiancee. And while love wasn't necessarily on Barrett's radar, he begins to realize that Emily always has been. But will his take-no-prisoners boardroom tactics work on the heart of the woman he loves.
(Synopsis taken from Goodreads)

Review:

Breaking Up with Barrett is definitely one of those stories that brings out the cuteness that every romance novel needs to have, that you can't help yourself from keep reading it. This is my first time ever reading any book by Katy Regnery, and I wasn't disappointed at all. The characters have their own distinct personalities, yet there is the chemistry between them that it keeps one wondering what is going to happen next.

Being the first born and heir to a massive empire has put a lot of pressure on Barrett English, not only does he have to maintain a certain reputation within his circle, but he also has to conceal his feelings from his gardener’s daughter. At work, he is known as “the Shark,” he is ruthless, and pretty much gets whatever he wants, without accepting no for an answer. Wanting to appeal to more clients, he is willing to show his softer side, especially when he is interested in conquering a very profitable company soon. And the perfect candidate for this task is non other than, Emily Edwards, a grad student from U-Penn, and the one that he has been in love with ever since they were kids. All she has to do is attend any business parties, and dinners in exchange for a very generous amount of money. But can he suppress what he feels for her all to have her by his side?

Meanwhile, Emily Edwards has know Barrett her whole life, her family has been working for the English family for three generations now, and even though Barrett was eight-years old when he met Emily as a baby, she has always had a special place in her heart for him. She looked at him from afar, while he grew up, and went off to college, but it seems like the father they were apart, the more she develop feelings for him. When Barrett approached her to be his “fake fiancee,” she had no other choice but to accept. While attending grad school, and paying her rent, Emily needs the money. But she soon accepts the role, and the closer they got, the more she started questioning whether Barrett felt anything for her at all. With that in mind, she promises herself that she is going to earn enough money from this job, and break up Barrett once and for all. To her surprise, that was easier said than done. Now the sexual tension between them is growing, and it's not going anywhere any time soon. 

The thing that I liked most about the book was the fact that the main characters knew each other way back when they were kids. Barrett is a lot older than Emily in the story, and it is understandable the decisions that both characters made throughout the story. Emily is just a twenty-four-year old who has not a lot of experience romantically, whereas Barrett is a thirty-two-year old, that has seen so much more than her. It is evident from the start that their backgrounds are very different, Barrett comes from a very rich family, and Emily is the daughter of the help. The story itself might sound cliché, friends falling for each other, coming from different backgrounds...etc. But Katy Regnery brings such a loving story, that is easy to get passed that as soon as you read the book. The writing flowed perfectly, and the characters were thought out. Now I did have some trouble with how fast their problems were resolved at the end. It felt a bit rushed for my liking, nothing too major, since the very end was one of my favorite parts. I still enjoyed the story, and I highly recommend it. I will most certainly keep reading the rest of the series. :)

Rating: 

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Freebie Review: Those Nights in Montreal by Beverley Kendall

Those Nights in Montreal 
by Beverley Kendall
Released Date: Published May 6th 2013 by Season Publishing LLC
Series: Unforgettable You #1.5
Pages: Kindle Edition
View/Purchase: Goodreads, Amazon, B&N

An ex is an ex for a reason

To Rebecca Winters, it's not just a saying or the title to a catchy tune, it's a rule she staunchly lives by. Especially since the break up with her ex. What's the point in trying to fix the "unfixable"? Besides, only a girl hell-bent on more heartbreak would go back to the guy who bailed on her when she needed him most. But saying no to Scott is becoming more difficult than surviving the breakup itself. And unfortunately for her, the kind of pressure he's exerting is making her rule all too easy to break.

Scott Carver has given up trying to get over his ex. He's still in love with her and their year apart has done nothing to change that. Yeah, he knows he screwed up. Just how royally, he wasn't aware of until now. So when Becca agrees to give him a second chance, he grabs on to it with both hands. But it's clear the only way things will ever truly be right between them is if he comes clean...about everything. He can only pray the truth doesn't send her running--for good this time.
(Summary taken from goodreads)

My Review:

The novella centers around Rebecca and Scott's relationship. Having ended their relationship a year ago, both are struggling to move on with their lives while in College. For once Rebecca feels the need to move on with her life, she is done crying over the guy that broke her heart. But that doesn't work out because Scott is not ready to move on and he is going to try everything and anything to get her back. At the beginning of the story, Rebecca is angry and conflicted. She mentions having problems with her biological father as well as having problems moving on after ending her relationship with Scott. There are hints at the beginning of the story that tells what happened to them, but the full problem is not revealed until later on in the story. 

From my perspective, I thought that their need for closure is what brings them together. Not only do they have to share a room while spending their vacation in Montreal, but they also have to spend a lot of time together. As Scott works to get her to give him another chance, their friends also try to set them up. What I liked about the novella was how descriptive it was and how much the characters are very relatable. Both Rebecca and Scott have to go through all sorts of scenarios that tests their ability to trust one another and to be able to oversee their pasts in order to create a future. I found the story very compelling and realistic. I enjoyed reading their romantic scenes and the end. Although I know it's a novella, the ending felt too rushed for me. I would have loved to see if other problems got solved in the future. Other than that I'm very pleased with the story and I would recommend it to those that want a realistic yet steamy story. 

*This book can be read as a stand-alone book, it's not necessary to read the first book. 

My Rating: