Summer at my house means endless hours at the pool. Unfortunately (for me) I’m not an outdoorsy type person. I’d rather read about trolls galavanting through the woods, or hot t-shirtless men comparing abs around a pool, than actually take part in it. (Ok, maybe not the abs one.) So my rules for finding summer (pool) reading are simple.
1. They need to be short enough to read in a couple of hours. (1-200 pages. When I finally decide to drag my crinkly fingered children back into the house, that book better be done.)
2. They can’t be overly complicated. (Sorry George R.R. Martin, but it’s hard to concentrate on your 70 different story lines when I have a 4 year old trying to Houdini her water wings.)
3. They must have endings. (My neighbors already think I’m a lunatic, no need to prove them right by acting like Bobby Knight -in public- because some sadistic author decided to end their book in a cliffhanger.)
You’d think this would be easy. But with trilogies basically ruling the roost these days, quick reads are pretty hard to come by. (Unless of course I want to cruise the Harlequin aisle. Then it’s like diving into an ocean of insta-love with a side of saddle soreness.)
Which brings me to WHY I decided to read and review Nicolette Day’s (who just happens to be Tara Fuller’s wicked alter ego – for those of you that read YA) mini-ebook “No Strings Attached.”
To start…it’s only 62 pages. (Winner winner chicken dinner) but that’s not what really sold me. It was the premise on TOP of the 62 pages. If Day could solidly convince me (in so few pages) that her characters had a real connection, sported a solid background, AND believable emotions, I would vow to add her to my “solid author” summer reader summer list. The verdict…success.
But, first….let’s hear what it’s all about.
Hayden Summers just landed the job of a lifetime taking pictures for Time magazine, but she’s determined to leave with no regrets. The first thing on her list? Erase the memory of her cheating ex with a wild night of anonymous sex. The second? Figure out why her best friend, sexy bar owner Jace Jennings, stopped speaking to her the night she told him about the job. Jace has a problem. Hayden isn’t just leaving the country, she’s risking her life—just when he’s realized he’s in love with her. When fate traps them in the storage room of his bar together, barely contained desire simmers to surface. In one last attempt to keep her, Jace offers Hayden the one thing she wants: a night of hot sex, no strings attached. But when the night is over, will Jace be able to let her go? And will Hayden leave with her heart intact?
Now, before I tell you what I liked and didn’t like about this STORY, I want to talk a little about one of the lead characters (and yes, I did mean “1 of” – because this is written in companion narration.) names. This is probably as petty as I am ever going to get (so let me apologize in advance) but I was only 3 pages in before I had to mentally change one of the characters names. (Not Jace…though my love for Jace in the Mortal Instruments made that one a little awkward as well) It was Hayden. Hayden is a girl. A very lovely, very talented (obviously dense, or blind) girl. But for some completely mucked-up reason I had a HUGE problem gluing the name Hayden and the concept of her having boobs together. Maybe it’s because I have a MALE friend named Hayden. Maybe because when I see the beginning of it (hay) it reminds me of a farm, and cows, and boys on that farm milking the cows. I don’t know. But whatever the case…I couldn’t digest the name Hayden. (Because I suck.) So it became Haven. Problem averted.
Despite the fact that I apparently lack the brain power to oversee personal nuances in this book, I will happily admit that it held my attention. Not only were the characters very well written (Both came with very vivid, clear, and intriguingly intertwined backstories) but there wasn’t a single moment when I thought the chemistry between the two felt forced. It landed much more on the “inevitable loveliness” side of the fence than the “wholly crap monkeys..that was a little fast” side. Making the issue of “insta-love” disappear completely. (*throws confetti*)
As for the story itself? What can I say….
Though predictable in the most dramatic part, it was still a wildly engaging story. The journey was not about whether they would “get together” (that was more obvious than HOW they did) it was about what they would say to each-other ONCE they did. If they would allow themselves freedom with their emotions, stop hiding and be real.
The fact that Day was able to pull of such a successful story with very little space says quite a bit about her ability to form, and execute necessities. She realized that to make the story believable, she must show the HEART of the story, not the places and things around it. Because of this…”No Strings Attached” made for a genuinely perfect (flirty) summer read.
Happy Reading my fellow Kindle-ites and remember: Sometimes it’s ok to just lay it all out there.
| Rating Report | |
|---|---|
| Plot | |
| Characters | |
| Writing | |
| Pacing | |
| Overall: | 4 |
Find “Not Strings Attached” Here: Goodreads/Amazon/Barnes & Noble/ Kobo/ iBooks
A mom by day and a romance writer by night, Nicolette Day harbors a weakness for black and white mochas and books that steam up her Kindle screen. She grew up in a one-stoplight town in Oklahoma where, once upon a time, she only dreamed of becoming a writer.
Nicolette now lives with her family in North Carolina in a town that has at least three stoplights. If you love young adult romance, check out Nicolette’s alter ego, Tara Fuller!
Hello NIcolette! You sound like grew up in a town like I did and still live in a town like I do! My question for you is: now that you are older and know that there are bigger towns out there to live in, do you miss having the city conveniences? I did and do.
Hi Melinda! I always wanted to move to NYC when I was growing up. While I do love the quiet that the country provides when writing, I can’t help but think there would be so much inspiration in the city!
Nicolette, do you write on the go like on your iPad or do you stick to a computer at home?
Hi Tammy! I do all of my writing on my laptop and it goes everywhere with me. I do most of my work while at home or at the coffee shop near my house.
See…I admire people that can write at home. I get distracted by chores. I have to perch somewhere with my laptop & my coffee.
Will definitely add this to my to be read pile. I could use a short and engaging story in my future.
Sounds like a good book.and Thankfully I have no issues with the name Hayden for a girl. lol
I honestly have no idea why it drove me so crazy. Maybe I’ve officially lost all of my marbles. 🙂 Hope you enjoy it.
Interesting premise for the book
Ooo… this looks good! Love that cover, too ; ) I always wonder how much power they have over the direction of the design of their book cover. My brother just got into designing book covers and would like to know what he should expect! Thanks for sharing with us and Thanks for the giveaway!
mestith at gmail dot com