DNF ( )

This novel is basically an extended joke about tropes. As a story, it is not engaging and I could not have cared less about any of these stock characters or the things they do. It’s a shame this isn’t funny cause I guess it’s meant to be?

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher for review so at least I didn’t pay money for this. ( )

I was lucky enough to win an advanced copy of this from the author herself, as I follow (read: stalk) her Facebook page on the regular.

It's clear that anyone who rated this lower than 4 stars, especially based on the writing style or comedic characters, has never read a book from MaryJanice Davidson before. She has the uncanny ability to create characters that I'd want to throttle if I knew them in person, but can't help but love and laugh at on the page.

This was a highly entertaining read, so much so, that I sped through it on a single afternoon. I was desperate to figure out the mystery of Rake's misfortune, Lillith's parentage, and Delaney's motivations. It was a slow, and hilarious, crawl to the burn between Rake and Delaney, and the payoff was sooo worth it. I loved their interactions, both between each other and little miss Lillith, and felt the story tumbled at a great pace before its grand reveal at the end.

Predicable? Absolutely. Loved every minute of it. But I also shamelessly binge her Alaskan Royals trilogy whenever I need the comfort of a good, clean and contented laugh. ( )

Rake Tarbell has a problem and it's a big one. Somehow he finds himself in Venice, hungover and broke. The broke part is really problematic as he is a millionaire. A good looking and single millionaire. After falling into a canal he meets the mysterious, and beautiful, Claire Delaney who introduces him to Lillith who may or may not be his daughter. What follows is a week packed with charity work (filling Easter baskets with Peeps) mystery, danger, unanswered questions and romance. Can he survive it?
This wonderfully told story is an absolute pleasure to read. It is witty, funny and populated with a marvelous cast of characters. The dialogue between Rake and his twin brother, Blake, is priceless. The narrative is well paced and engrossing. Filled with surprises and heart, this book is well worth reading. Highly recommended.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from St. Martin's and NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are my own..
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The Love Scam by MaryJanice Davidson

Contemporary romantic comedy. Danger series, book 2. Best read in order. I didn’t read book 1 and for the most part was ok, but I got the feeling, especially towards the end that I was missing a connection.
The writing style is humorous and very sarcastic. Every page, and every paragraph is heavily laced with internal character commentary or witty and snarky banter. At least through the first half of the book.

Around 60%, POV began altering between Rake and Delaney. Prior was from Rake’s POV.
Italian phrases or events or places were sometimes starred with an asterisk. The connecting definition was at the end of that specific chapter. A couple times it was to reference book 1. While nice to provide the translation or info, by the time I got to the end of the chapter, I had to figure out why I needed to know whatever it was.

Overall, a complicated and amusing situational romantic comedy. Often humor filled and silly. Sentimental in the end with family connections made all around.

Excerpt sample of writing style:
“Are you yelling at your inner voice again?”
“No,” he grumped.
“Your pants are on fire, you liar liar.” And God, it sounded affectionate. Like when a normal woman would say “You’re so cute!” Wait, did he want a normal woman? No, he wanted Delaney. Wait, what? Wait.
What?“
Excerpt from The Love Scam by MaryJanice Davidson

I received a copy of this from NetGalley. ( )