The Guy Next Door: Ready, Set, JettGail's Gone WildJust One Taste (Hqn)

Hm. With a title and lineup such as the one noted on the cover, you can almost bet you'll get a good time. As one might expect, each of the three stories in this anthology serve as a take on the "guy next door." But less obvious is that the stories all dealt with the idea of assumptions and misguided perceptions; often, there's a layer of truth that's skewed for one reason or another. I feel like the three stories struck the right balance in serving the overall theme yet coming across as unique in cast, setting and plot.

Ready, Set, Jett (3 of 5 stars)
This is a fairly insulated story; that is to say, for the vast majority of time, only these two characters are "on stage." It's also a prequel of sorts: though the couple's story is show more wrapped up, there are threads introduced that are intended to serve as the basis for a series. I enjoyed this book, but found myself at times frustrated with the "easily fixable miscommunication" theme. I guess I just don't do well with the stories in which the two main characters spend inordinate amounts of time making assumptions that could 1) be cleared up in seconds and 2) cause strife between the two. But I know that was sort of the point…the characters waste time by remaining afraid to express their feelings. The story has some intensely sweet moments; here, it's all about the mental sparring. ^_^

Gail's Gone Wild (4 of 5 stars)
Inspired by the author's trip to Key West, this story really does feel carefree and fun. It was such an easy, enjoyable read…one which I happily read in one sitting. It's clear that Donovan was not only there at one point but enjoyed herself, because she so lovingly portrays the island and its flavor. I adored both the hero and heroine. Their tale was novella-length but felt complete, fleshed-out and satisfying. For what it's worth, I'd say I enjoyed this story the most out of the three.

Just One Taste (4 of 5 stars)
The title of this story is apt in so many ways. We get a brief glimpse into the world of the Donovan siblings, who reside in Boulder, Colorado and run a brewery together. The three are vastly different yet intriguing; the glimpse given makes it clear that they will inspire wonderful full-length tales. This novella sets up the trilogy to follow, but works well enough on its own when keeping the following in mind: the tale is about letting loose and doing something a little bit crazy every once in a while. As freaking ALWAYS, Dahl's characters are absolutely magnetic and genuine.

All told, I'd easily recommend this anthology to contemporary romance lovers of all stripes. show less

This book would have carried Four Stars for Victoria Dahl's "Just One Taste" alone, but it helped that I also really enjoyed Lori Foster's "Ready, Set, Jett." Unfortunately, Dahl's story is just as advertised, a red-hot taste of a happily-ever-after yet to come, leaving me just about frantic for the Donovan series to hit the shelves. She is one author that just can't publish fast enough, luckily her books are so good I enjoy reading them over and over while I wait for more. With my introduction from this anthology, I'll also hunt down Lori Foster's back catalog to keep me occupied until Dahl's next full length comes out. Can't wait!

Re-read #2 (4/11/12): Back for Beth and Eric, I can't re-read REAL MEN WILL without starting here. Beth's show more hang ups seem less believable than Eric's (nothing like a name misunderstanding spun out of control to keep things interesting), but the chemistry is unbeatable. show less

I only read the Foster and Donovan entries in this collection. I'm putting the Dahl on hold for now.

Ready, Set, Jett by Lori Foster

Jett and his sexy neighbor Natalie have been having a no-strings-attached fling for months. Jett is ready to take it to the next level (much to his surprise) but Natalie shows no signs of feeling the same. So he does what any rational man would do when he finds himself falling in love with the woman who wants nothing more than sex from him - he ties her to the bed and forces here to talk to him. Then he invites himself on her spring break vacation.

This was a cute, sexy story laced with humor and depth. I really enjoyed both main characters, as well as their canine companion. That Jett was so confused over show more Natalie's lack of commitment was hilarious. I like that Natalie didn't dismiss out of hand Jett's offer to deepen their connection, even though she had baggage.

I do think a lot of their issues could have been cleared up with some good old fashioned communication, but I'm not going to hold that against them.

Gail's Gone Wild by Susan Donovan

When Gail's teenage daughter says she and her friend want to go to Key West for Spring Break, Gail says no-way, no-how. But after some consideration, she decides she needs a vacation and agrees they can go as long as she can go as chaperone. She plans to laze by the pool and visit some historical landmarks..until she meets their sexy new neighbor, Jesse. Then she decides it would be more fun to let her inner wild-child out and have a real Spring Break vacation. What's supposed to be a short fling turns into more as she gets to know Jesse. Only Jesse is keeping a big secret from Gail, one that could potentially ruin her trust in him for good.

This was another sexy read. I really enjoyed the budding romance between Jesse and Gail. They definitely had chemistry, but I liked that a lot of the story was dedicated to them getting to know one another. I do think the parts with Gail's daughter could have been a little more fleshed out. They were all about hitting the party scene hard, but nothing was ever said about it. Two teenage girls basically left to their own devices in Key West during spring break? I fully expected shenanigans.

Still, I appreciated Donovan's no-nonsense approach with Gail and her romance to let it go. show less

Bought for Myself
Overall Anthology Rating 4.0

NOTE: I am going to do mini-reviews for these 3 stories since they were short. I will admit I am usually not a fan of the novella but I really liked all 3 stories. These authors aren't familiar to me (new to contemporary romance) but I will be checking them all out in the future!

Ready, Set, Jett by Lori Foster: 4.25 Rating

Can I have some Jett next door to me please? I actually read When You Dare before reading this so I already really liked Jett/Natalie together. That being said, I really liked their romance. Do I wish the story was longer? You betcha! Do I think Lori managed to do their romance justice in just a few pages? Yep! This is my favorite of the 3 stories in the show more anthology.

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Gail's Gone Wild by Susan Donovan: 3.75 Rating

Gail has gone wild and she did it just the right way. I have to say this story made me grin because it gave hope to all us over 35+ single crowd out there. I loved her and Jesse's whirlwind romance probably even more because of her daughter's reaction to the whole thing. Mom got her groove back in a big way and it was fun to read!

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Just One Taste by Victoria Dahl: 4.00 Rating

I think this is part of a series that I am going to have to pick up now! Eric is the kind of guy we all dream of hoping to catch the eye of. Though he works a little to hard, his life gets altered by just the right gal: Beth. This was the funniest of the 3 stories. This one does not have an HEA though so just be aware!

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Overall I recommend this anthology to any Contemporary Romance reader especially if you are reading Lori Foster's series. I am sure that is true about Victoria Dahl's series too! show less

Three novellas about neighbors getting together, whether they are near each other due to where they live, where they vacation or even booths at a business convention. Two of the stories will have an incomplete feel to them unless you’ve read other books in the series.

Ready, Set, Jett by Lori Foster is the reason I picked up this anthology from the library. You meet Jett and Natalie in this story which takes place during When You Dare. Without reading that other book, you are going to feel cut off as drama is taking place in the full length book and at this point all Natalie knows is that something is wrong involving her sister. But the characters are interesting, as is Natalie’s situation with wanting to remain friends with show more benefits, but Jett has other ideas. Got to love both Jett and his family. 4 stars

Gail’s Gone Wild by Susan Donovan appears to be a stand alone story about a woman who takes her high school senior daughter and the girl’s best friend to Key West for spring break. Gail seriously needs to let loose and Jesse, the guy next door sees someone both sexy and interesting. Love story that starts out with sexual tension. I wanted to smack her upside the head at one point, but it’s fun to see her be the person she was meant to be. Enjoyable. 4 stars

Just One Taste by Victoria Dahl appears to be the beginning of a series involving the Donovan family. Eric and Beth meet at a business convention, 2 booths apart. She runs an erotica boutique and his family owns a brewery and both have images to maintain. She thinks he’s Jaime, Eric’s younger brother who is more well known with the ladies. To me this story was less satisfying, partly due to the rather abrupt ending. Perhaps if I’d read the series I’d have a better appreciation for this story that has a great deal of sexual tension and takes a long time to get anywhere. 2.5 stars show less

Ready, Set, Jett by Lori Foster
This novella is a prequel to a new series, The Men Who Walk the Edge of Honor. I wasn't aware of this at the time and wondered why Natalie's sister's disappearance was such a big deal. Jett and Natalie were luke-warm characters for me. I didn't feel any attraction between them even though we are supposed to believe that they have this amazing sexual chemistry. The story begins with them already deep in a sex only affair so we weren't privy to the build of attraction that led to said affair. I found Natalie annoying at times and her skittishness was too over the top. I liked Jett's character and hope we see more of him in the upcoming series.
Rating: 2.5/5

Gail Gone Wild by Susan Donovan
A great story show more about a single mom trying to get her groove back. While in Key West on Spring Break with her daughter, Holly and friend Hannah, Gail decides to step outside her comfort zone and have some fun for herself. It helps that the person who's going to help her do this is her sexy neighbor, Jesse. I loved Gail's character. She is not a seductress, doesn't know the rules of the dating ritual. She is truly a newbie and fumbles her way through her rendezvous with Jesse. This story had humor and romance and sex. I loved both characters. I thought the relationship between Jesse and Gail was believable and genuine.
Rating: 3.5/5

Just One Taste by Victoria Dahl
I am a huge fan of Dahl's contemporary romances so I was surprised to be a little disappointed with her novella. Eric and Beth's story is the set-up for a new series, The Donovan Brothers Brewery. I did not know this going in. So I was a little startled when the story ends with no resolution. This really didn't take away from the story too much. They meet each other, each one wearing a facade. Both are staid, responsible people who pretend to be someone they are not. There are some super hot sexy times between Eric and Beth one involving some under the table action. I really wanted to know more about Beth and why she has certain hang-ups. I guess we'll find out more when the series is released. All in all, an good read with interesting side characters (Eric's brother, Jaime and sister Tessa). I look forward to reading the series.
Rating: 3/5 show less