Heart Smart

d'Emma Lee Jayne (2021) - Smartypants Romance

Résumé : Dr. Maximillian Ramsey has a problem…

I’m a jerk. Everyone I know or have ever worked with agrees. “Misanthropic asshole” is the term I hear most often. I don’t care what other people think as long as they leave me alone to focus on my research on soil microbiology. Plus, I walk with a cane thanks to a childhood accident. I have scars on my face. And if that isn’t enough to scare people off, my bad attitude and general grumpiness seal the deal. Which is just the way I like it. Except, I’ve been short listed for one of the most prestigious academic fellowships around. To win it, I’ll have to give a series of speeches. On a stage. With an audience. While being filmed.
Yeah. None of that is going to happen. Unfortunately, my boss has a plan. He brings in one of the communications lecturers to give me a “make over,” help me write the speeches, and manage my social media. But the last thing I need is some nosy, bossy, gorgeous woman meddling in my life.

And Holly is the solution…

I’m a mere communications lecturer at a prestigious research university. I’m used to being outclassed and under-educated compared to the PhDs who surround me. But I’m good at what I do. Brilliant, actually. When Max’s boss (who happens to be my ex-husband) begs me to help transform this beast of a man into someone worthy of the fellowship, I have my work cut out for me. It’ll take a lot of badgering, blatant manipulation, and some outright thievery to get Max to cooperate. All of which I handle with the enough professionalism and restraint that should earn me a fancy grant. What I can’t handle is how unexpectedly attractive I find the stubborn and brilliant man. This is a battle of wills and wits, and neither is prepared to admit defeat …


2e roman préféré sur le lot printemps 2021 des Smartypants Romance ♥

J'ai dévoré ce livre en 2 jours, j'avais simplement pas envie de le poser dès que je m'y mettais. Le couple de héros est parfait, leur histoire est très belle et le roman est bien écrit. Il y a juste ce qu'il faut d'humour, de sérieux, de challenge et d'émotion. J'avais envie de relire dès que je l'ai fini xD. C'est difficile d'écrire une review pour vous donner envie de lire, sans trop vous spoiler en vous racontant toute l'histoire.

Max est un docteur super ronchon doit préparer plusieurs présentations orales sur ses recherches afin d'obtenir un prix prestigieux, malheureusement il manque cruellement de compétences en communication et en socialisation. Il n'est pas surnommé le "connard" pour rien, entre terroriser ses étudiants et concrètement, tout les gens qu'il croise, cet exercice va être une mission impossible pour Holly, professeure en communication.

Holly est peut-être missionnée par l'université pour coacher Max, et leurs premiers échanges ont peut-être ressembler à des joutes, elle sent que Max vaut le coup et qu'il ne se résume pas à son caractère de merde. C'est le petit chat qui va venir titiller le gros grizzli et faire sortir la peluche enfermée dedans, mais attention, un chat ça aussi des griffes ;)

L'auteure est arrivée à nous peindre ses personnages, leur histoire, leur forces et faiblesses, leurs espoirs... avec justesse et je me suis toute de suite attachée à eux. Je ne peux que vous recommandé de plonger dans ce bouquin ♥

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This is my 2nd favorite novel on the Spring 2021 set of Smartypants Romance ♥

I devoured this book in 2 days, I just didn't want to put it down as soon as I started reading it. The couple is perfect, their story is very beautiful and the novel is well written. There is just the right amount of humor, seriousness, challenge and emotion. I wanted to re-read as soon as I finished it xD. It's hard to write a review to make you want to read it, without spoiling you too much by telling you the whole story.

Max is a super grumpy doctor who has to prepare several oral presentations on his research in order to obtain a prestigious award, unfortunately he is sorely lacking in communication and socialization skills. He is not nicknamed "asshole" for no reason, between terrorizing his students and basically, all the people he meets, this exercise will be an impossible mission for Holly, professor of communication.

Holly may be commissioned by the University to coach Max, and their first exchanges may have looked like jousting, she senses Max is worth it and he's more than his shit character. It is the little kitty who will titillate the big grizzly bear and bring out the stuffed animal locked inside, but be careful, a cat also has claws ;)

The author managed to paint us her characters, their history, their strengths and weaknesses, their hopes ... with accuracy and I immediately became attached to them. I can only recommend you to dive into this book ♥

-Read as ARC-

Street Smart

d'Aly Stiles (2021) - Smartypants Romance

Résumé : What could go wrong—four words MBA student Marcos Oliveira ignored when he accepted a prestigious internship at Reedweather Media, a subsidiary of the legendary Sandeke Telecom empire.

What did go wrong? Everything.

And when Marcos stumbles upon incriminating documents that signal corporate espionage against Sandeke’s son Martin, he suspects his strange intern wormhole has just exploded into chaos. When his alluring boss Eva draws him in to thwart the plot, he knows it.

After spending their lives overcoming adversity, can Marcos and Eva handle this latest threat? Even more perilous might be their losing battle against forbidden attraction.

His Ivy League education didn’t prepare him for spy games and illicit flames. Good thing he has the street smarts to work for it.


Ce roman m'a beaucoup fait penser à la série TV Chuck, il mélange plusieurs genres : de l'espionnage industriel, une romance entre collègues de boulot, et de la comédie WTF. On sent que l'auteur veut nous divertir sans trop se soucier de la crédibilité de son histoire et je pense qu'elle aurait pu se lâcher beaucoup plus à tous les plans.

Faut pas se leurrer, un stagiaire et sa boss qui décident de découvrir pourquoi leur patron possède des infos confidentielles sur leur concurrent et de rassembler assez de preuves pour le faire tomber, en montant des plans à la James Bond... c'est pas le truc le plus réaliste qui soit xD ... autant y aller à fond dans les trucs d'espion, en mettant nos héros dans des situations relativement dangereuses, histoire d'avoir un suspense, et en distillant des éléments comiques ici et là pour rendre le tout un peu absurde.

Cela dit, le roman est quand même bien et nous fait passer un bon moment. Eva et Marcos fonctionnement bien ensemble (tant sur le côté business/espionnage ^^ que sur côté romance), on a des personnages secondaires absolument merveilleux : Chad l'autre stagiaire et son powerpoint sur les noix en pole position xD.

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This novel reminded me a lot of the TV series Chuck, it mixes several genres : industrial espionage, a co-workers romance, and WTF comedy. We feel that the author wants to entertain us without worrying too much about the credibility of her story and I think she could have gone further at all levels.

Make no mistake, an intern and his boss who decide to find out why their boss has confidential information on their competitor and to gather enough evidence to bring him down, by setting up plans James Bond's style... it's not the most realistic thing xD ... the author might as well go deep into the spy stuff, putting our heroes in relatively dangerous situations, just to have some suspense, and distilling comic elements here and there to make it a little absurd.

That said, the novel is still good and gives us a good reading time. Eva and Marcos work well together (both on the business/espionage side ^^ as on the romance side), we have absolutely wonderful secondary characters : Chad the other intern and his powerpoint on nuts in pole position xD.

The One That I Want

de Piper Sheldon (2021) - Smartypants Romance

Résumé : There is no such thing as luck.

Roxy Kincaid isn’t a biker chick anymore. She’s made herself more than Jethro Winston’s castoff, and she’s never going back to her old life with the Iron Wraiths. But one summer night, a charming stranger threatens to sweep Roxy off her feet. Ignoring fate and their instant attraction, she has to get back to her real life in Green Valley. He couldn’t be the one that she wants when he’s exactly the thing that could ruin everything. If only she could stop thinking about him.

Luck is everything.

Sanders Olsson is going to fix his mistakes. He’s determined to show his best friend he’s a reliable business partner not the distracted flake he’s been lately. But he has to listen when the universe brings him a sign in the form of a guarded beauty he can’t keep his eyes off. Their instant connection is almost magical but she leaves without giving him even a last name. When fate gives Sanders a second chance in life and love, he sets out for Green Valley without a backward glance.

Their summer lovin’ happened so fast but what will it take to make it last ?


J'avais beaucoup aimé les deux premiers tomes de cette série, également écrit par Piper Sheldon, et donc celui-là ne déroge pas à la règle... En plus il réinterprète Grease, en changeant les rôles (Sandy=Sanders et Danny=Roxy), il manquerait que des numéros musicaux à ce roman ! Les deux héros sont très attachant, ils sont chacun des choses difficiles à surmonter mais on ne tombe jamais dans le trop plein dramatique.

Tout commence une soirée d'été, après un séminaire professionnel dans une autre ville, Roxy décide de passer sa dernière nuit à se détendre dans un bar. Alors qu'elle danse, son regard accroche celui de Sanders à travers la salle. S'ensuit une danse langoureuse, c'est le feux d'artifice entre eux, échange de baisers torrides. Mais ça ne va pas plus loin, Roxy préfère profiter de la nuit fraîche et de se promener tout en discutant avec Sanders, mais on aborde pas de sujets personnels. C'est la belle rencontre d'un soir entre 2 inconnus.

Un heureux concours de circonstance fait que Sanders apprend qui est Roxy. Leurs entreprises respectives se sont rencontrer à cette convention et souhaitent bosser ensemble. Sanders prend donc la place de son associé pour se rendre à Green Valley pour le business, mais bon c'est aussi pour revoir Roxy... Sauf que sa visite impromptue ne va pas forcément se passer comme il pensait...

Au premier abord, Sanders fait l'effet d'être un chiot golden retriever : tout mignon et adorable, qui court partout en couinant. Mais cet extérieur enthousiaste et extra positif cache évidemment une grande souffrance et, sans vouloir spoiler, sa façon de la gérer est tellement cohérente, c'est quelque chose qui pourrait arriver à n'importe qui, et cela rend son personnage si attachant.

Roxy, elle renvoit une image d'elle hyper sérieuse, j'irais pas jusqu'à dire austère mais dans son attitude elle reste assez dans sa bulle avec quelques exceptions de ses copines de la SWS qui connaissent son histoire. Son passé dans les Wraith la ronge et elle est déterminée à prouver qu'elle mérite son job et même l'amité des autres... Elle s'autorise très peu de lâcher prise, la dernière fois c'était avec le bel inconnu et encore, elle a failli retombée dans ses anciens comportements, intolérable ! Alors quand le bel inconnu débarque chez elle, tout son environnement bien contrôlé s'effondre petit à petit.

La romance entre ces deux là va doucement, même si on sent l'électricité passée entre eux, Piper Sheldon nous écrit deux héros à la vision très différente qui vont chacun se mettre face à leur conflit intérieur, mais surtout ne vont pas se servir de leur histoire d'amour pour se sauver (évidemment l'un va prendre la décision et l'autre va la "subir"), avant d'être heureux ensemble, chacun va apprendre à être heureux avec elle/lui-même.

I really liked the first two books of this series, also written by Piper Sheldon, and this one is no exception to the rule... In addition it's a Grease retell, reversing the roles (Sandy = Sanders and Danny = Roxy), the only thing missing are musical numbers ! The two heroes are very endearing, they have difficult things to overcome but we never fall into too much drama.

It all started one summer night, after a professional seminar in another city, Roxy decides to spend her last night relaxing in a bar. As she dances, her gaze catches Sanders' eyes across the room. A languid dance follows, it's electrifying between them, hot kisses happen. But it goes no further, Roxy prefers to enjoy the cool night and to walk around while chatting with Sanders, but no talk about personal matters. It is the beautiful meeting between 2 strangers.

A happy coincidence makes Sanders learn who Roxy is. Their respective companies met at this convention and wish to work together. Sanders therefore takes the place of his partner to go to Green Valley for business, but hey it's also to see Roxy again ... Except that his impromptu visit will not necessarily go as planned...

At first glance, Sanders looks like a golden retriever puppy : cute and adorable, running around squealing. But that enthusiastic, extra-positive exterior obviously hides a great pain and, without wanting to spoil it, his way of dealing with it is so consistent, it's something that could happen to anyone, and that makes his character so endearing.

Roxy sends back a very serious image of herself, I wouldn't go so far as to say austere, but in her attitude she stays in her bubble with a few exceptions of her friends from the SWS who know her story. Her past in the Wraith is eating her away and she is determined to prove that she deserves her job and even the friendship of others... She allows herself very little let go, the last time was with the handsome stranger and again, she almost fell back into her old habits, intolerable ! So when the handsome stranger arrives in her town, her whole well-controlled environment slowly collapses.

The romance between these two goes slowly, even if we feel the electricity between them, Piper Sheldon writes us two heroes with very different vision who show each other their internal conflict, but will not use their love story to save themselves (obviously one will make the decision and the other will "suffer" it), before being happy together, each will learn to be happy with himself / herself.

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