What do you think?
Rate this book
Code of Shadows #1
Mr. Real
He finds the girl of his dreams…with the secret agent of his nightmares.
Alix Gordon is a woman who doesn’t take life too seriously. What’s the fun in that? So when she stumbles across occult software that can bring any computer image to life, she conjures up lots of awesome outfits and accessories. And then, on one drunken, horny night, she conjures up Sir Kendall, the sexy TV ad spy . . . who looks exactly like Paul Reinhardt, the super-sexy martial arts teacher who kicked her out of class three years ago.
Fighter Paul Reinhardt has good reason to hate Sir Kendall, the character he brought to life to land a part in a TV ad; he’d do anything to forget him. A cross country road trip seems just the thing . . . until Paul finds himself inexplicably drawn to Minnesota and is shocked to discover Sir Kendall - in the flesh - with the girl he’d once loved from afar. He barges into Alix and Sir Kendall’s love nest, determined to stop the madness - somehow.
But is superspy Sir Kendall transforming into something more dangerous anyone can imagine? And what will Sir Kendall do when Paul and Alix finally give into their mad lust for each other?
Alix Gordon is a woman who doesn’t take life too seriously. What’s the fun in that? So when she stumbles across occult software that can bring any computer image to life, she conjures up lots of awesome outfits and accessories. And then, on one drunken, horny night, she conjures up Sir Kendall, the sexy TV ad spy . . . who looks exactly like Paul Reinhardt, the super-sexy martial arts teacher who kicked her out of class three years ago.
Fighter Paul Reinhardt has good reason to hate Sir Kendall, the character he brought to life to land a part in a TV ad; he’d do anything to forget him. A cross country road trip seems just the thing . . . until Paul finds himself inexplicably drawn to Minnesota and is shocked to discover Sir Kendall - in the flesh - with the girl he’d once loved from afar. He barges into Alix and Sir Kendall’s love nest, determined to stop the madness - somehow.
But is superspy Sir Kendall transforming into something more dangerous anyone can imagine? And what will Sir Kendall do when Paul and Alix finally give into their mad lust for each other?
328 pages, Paperback
First published October 30, 2012
3 people are currently reading
1401 people want to read
About the author
Carolyn Crane
25 books1,162 followersAfter spending her youth thoroughly obsessed with Nancy Drew and Harriet the Spy and convinced that her suburban neighborhood was awash in dangerous secrets, Carolyn Crane grew up to become a RITA-nominated author of romantic suspense, urban fantasy, and other tales of adventure and love; she also writes erotic romance about bank robbers as Annika Martin.
Her books have been published by Random House and Samhain; these days, this perfectionistic control-freak of an author likes to indie publish. She lives in Minneapolis with her husband and two cats and works a straight job as a freelance marketing writer. During rare moments when she’s not at her computer, she can be found reading in bed, running, or helping animals.
Her books have been published by Random House and Samhain; these days, this perfectionistic control-freak of an author likes to indie publish. She lives in Minneapolis with her husband and two cats and works a straight job as a freelance marketing writer. During rare moments when she’s not at her computer, she can be found reading in bed, running, or helping animals.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 119 reviews
November 3, 2012
I absolutely loved this book. PNRish type books (and this is not quite PNR) are hit or miss for me. This book, was a complete hit. Well developed and likable characters, charming setting, laughable but scary villain and a nice surprise at the ending. Oh and it is a sweet romance (with steam!).
This book is good. It is really good. I am always worried about a new series by an author that I am already a fan of, particularly when it is a genre switch. But I shouldn’t have been worried. Carolyn Crane wrote an amazing story. Mr. Real is fun from the beginning to the end. It is unique, a completely different take on romance, suspense, spy, mystery and the paranormal. But I feel like I am not capturing the true interesting quality. Let me start with the lead, Alix. When we meet Alix she is contemplating a quick hook up, fixing up an old Victorian, and feeling kind of left behind in life. She is not afraid of her sexuality, she is not an innocent (thank goodness, I hate that storyline ….) but she uses her sexuality to reinforce her self-esteem. Alix is fun, slightly unconventional but sensitive.
The setting of the story is a small town in Minnesota where everyone seems to know everyone else and in an old Victorian formerly inhabited by an alleged witch. Through some crazy but interesting black magic, Alix is able to bring to life anything she wishes by clicking on an image on her bewitched computer. So what does she conjure? Jewelry, clothes … and a commercial character played by a man she used to be interested in.
At first, Alix is thrilled but soon she realizes that she is not in control of everything she has conjured and things begin to spin out of control for her. Beginning with the fictional character come to life having his own plans, the arrival of the actor (her former love interest) who plays the fictional character and some other fun but unexpected stuff. During the unwinding of the tale, Crane slowly builds her characters and develops them for her readers. There are some books that I close and walk away from never to think of the characters again — even if I enjoyed the story. While Mr. Real is a fun and light story, the characters felt real to me. They seem to have a life off of the pages, I can see Alix drinking beer and taking care of her B&B — basically just living her life. That was the gift of this story, the characters.
Another gift of this story is the humor. There are so many quotable and laugh out loud sections. Even if this story didn’t have a unique storyline and memorable characters (which it does), it would be worth reading just because of the humor:
Mr. Real does not involve a murder mystery or a theft. There are no vamps on the loose or rogue weres to track down. Not that I am knocking that sort of paranormal, but it is really nice to read something new. This is paranormal in a completely new manner. If you have read Crane’s Disillusionist series, then you already know that Crane approaches fantasy from a perspective other authors are not. If you have not read her Disillusionist series, well I am not sure what else to say except - read it!
I cannot wait to read the next installment in this series. (I say this with love and appreciation …… ) Hurry up Ms. Crane!
This book is good. It is really good. I am always worried about a new series by an author that I am already a fan of, particularly when it is a genre switch. But I shouldn’t have been worried. Carolyn Crane wrote an amazing story. Mr. Real is fun from the beginning to the end. It is unique, a completely different take on romance, suspense, spy, mystery and the paranormal. But I feel like I am not capturing the true interesting quality. Let me start with the lead, Alix. When we meet Alix she is contemplating a quick hook up, fixing up an old Victorian, and feeling kind of left behind in life. She is not afraid of her sexuality, she is not an innocent (thank goodness, I hate that storyline ….) but she uses her sexuality to reinforce her self-esteem. Alix is fun, slightly unconventional but sensitive.
The setting of the story is a small town in Minnesota where everyone seems to know everyone else and in an old Victorian formerly inhabited by an alleged witch. Through some crazy but interesting black magic, Alix is able to bring to life anything she wishes by clicking on an image on her bewitched computer. So what does she conjure? Jewelry, clothes … and a commercial character played by a man she used to be interested in.
“Lucky this powerful magic didn’t fall into the hands of somebody who would use it merely for her own self-gratification.”
At first, Alix is thrilled but soon she realizes that she is not in control of everything she has conjured and things begin to spin out of control for her. Beginning with the fictional character come to life having his own plans, the arrival of the actor (her former love interest) who plays the fictional character and some other fun but unexpected stuff. During the unwinding of the tale, Crane slowly builds her characters and develops them for her readers. There are some books that I close and walk away from never to think of the characters again — even if I enjoyed the story. While Mr. Real is a fun and light story, the characters felt real to me. They seem to have a life off of the pages, I can see Alix drinking beer and taking care of her B&B — basically just living her life. That was the gift of this story, the characters.
Another gift of this story is the humor. There are so many quotable and laugh out loud sections. Even if this story didn’t have a unique storyline and memorable characters (which it does), it would be worth reading just because of the humor:
“Apparently a fictional, two-dimensional man makes the ideal party guest.”
“Go for it! Yay! Fuck him! A little voice inside her yelled.”
Mr. Real does not involve a murder mystery or a theft. There are no vamps on the loose or rogue weres to track down. Not that I am knocking that sort of paranormal, but it is really nice to read something new. This is paranormal in a completely new manner. If you have read Crane’s Disillusionist series, then you already know that Crane approaches fantasy from a perspective other authors are not. If you have not read her Disillusionist series, well I am not sure what else to say except - read it!
I cannot wait to read the next installment in this series. (I say this with love and appreciation …… ) Hurry up Ms. Crane!
November 26, 2012
4.5 stars - Witty, original, fun, entertaining.
Mr. Real has got to be one of the more entertaining and fun books I've read this year. And one of the most original. So original, I'm not exactly sure if it qualifies as a paranormal romance or a romantic suspense book. It doesn't really matter. Read Mr. Real, it's good.
Mr. Real takes the idea of things just being a mouse click away and expands on it. What if you could click on an image, save it to desktop and presto! the item mysteriously appears on your front doorstep. Neat, huh? Now what if it were a person? Not a real person, but an actor you've been fancying, an actor from a famous television commercial? Poof! Sir Kendall appears. Sir Kendall is an international man of mystery, a spy, and a connaisseur of a fruity liqueur. Sounds too good to be true, right? What if the actor who portrayed Sir Kendall then showed up at your door?
This is truly an amazing book and so much fun to read. This is my first Carolyn Crane book and it certainly won't be my last.
Mr. Real has got to be one of the more entertaining and fun books I've read this year. And one of the most original. So original, I'm not exactly sure if it qualifies as a paranormal romance or a romantic suspense book. It doesn't really matter. Read Mr. Real, it's good.
Mr. Real takes the idea of things just being a mouse click away and expands on it. What if you could click on an image, save it to desktop and presto! the item mysteriously appears on your front doorstep. Neat, huh? Now what if it were a person? Not a real person, but an actor you've been fancying, an actor from a famous television commercial? Poof! Sir Kendall appears. Sir Kendall is an international man of mystery, a spy, and a connaisseur of a fruity liqueur. Sounds too good to be true, right? What if the actor who portrayed Sir Kendall then showed up at your door?
This is truly an amazing book and so much fun to read. This is my first Carolyn Crane book and it certainly won't be my last.
November 7, 2012
Everyone knows that Alix is a good time gal who just wants to have fun and doesn't take anything seriously, so when loads an occult computer programme on to laptop that materialises anything you click on in 24 hours time, she decides to do a little shopping....a nice new necklace, a new outfit and a new man! Sir Kendall, a super spy from a liquer advert is just what she needs, someone to take charge and bonk her brains out and who just happens to look like the man she has a huge crush on. Paul Reinhardt has the sudden urge to go on a road trip to Minnesota, however, when he gets there he sees the woman he loves with the character he despises: Sir Kendall, his childhood tormentor. But what has Alix unleashed? Eachday Sir Kendall seems to get stronger and more dangerous and has plans for Paul and Alix....
WARNING!! This book gives you FALSE expectations! I have been clicking and clicking on pictures of Captain Mal Reynolds aka the sexy Nathan Fillion, and what do I have NOTHING but a slighty achy index finger, a bucket load of horny and a bumper pack of condoms (safe sex people!)....
*clicks picture of Cap'n Reynolds...you never know*
But despite my ruthlessly smashed hopes of sexual bliss I loved this book! it was funny, touching, full of complex characters and an interesting storyline. It was also such a medley of genres, suspense, paranormal, romance, spy, thriller that it felt fresh and completely unique.
What Ms Crane seems to do best is create characters that you wouldn't normally expect; Alix at the beginning of the book, although likable and fun, was also a bit ditsy and used sex to reinforce her self esteem but throughout Mr Real she grew into something so much more and Sir Kendall, who was a two dimensional, cheesy super spy from an advert became interesting and dangerous, and it is sad but fascinating to watch him questioning his own existence as he realises something isn't quite right.
*clicks again and peeks out window*
As well as great characters this book also drew you in with its humour and the sweet 'n sexy romance going on between Alix and Paul. Paul was so adorable and I loved that everything that Sir Kendall thought was horrid about Alix Paul seemed to love, the way she dressed, the way she joked it really came through that everything about Alix made Paul love her more and more and brought him happiness, even if he didn't want it to.
*clicks frantically on PDF of Mal accidently knocking the condoms on the floor*
This was a great book with a winning combination of romance, fun and great storytelling, Carolyn Crane has once again come up with a quirky and strangely moving series and I can't wait to see what the next book brings.
*ARGH! Damn you Carolyn Crane *shakes first*....wait what was that noise....*
WARNING!! This book gives you FALSE expectations! I have been clicking and clicking on pictures of Captain Mal Reynolds aka the sexy Nathan Fillion, and what do I have NOTHING but a slighty achy index finger, a bucket load of horny and a bumper pack of condoms (safe sex people!)....
*clicks picture of Cap'n Reynolds...you never know*
But despite my ruthlessly smashed hopes of sexual bliss I loved this book! it was funny, touching, full of complex characters and an interesting storyline. It was also such a medley of genres, suspense, paranormal, romance, spy, thriller that it felt fresh and completely unique.
What Ms Crane seems to do best is create characters that you wouldn't normally expect; Alix at the beginning of the book, although likable and fun, was also a bit ditsy and used sex to reinforce her self esteem but throughout Mr Real she grew into something so much more and Sir Kendall, who was a two dimensional, cheesy super spy from an advert became interesting and dangerous, and it is sad but fascinating to watch him questioning his own existence as he realises something isn't quite right.
*clicks again and peeks out window*
As well as great characters this book also drew you in with its humour and the sweet 'n sexy romance going on between Alix and Paul. Paul was so adorable and I loved that everything that Sir Kendall thought was horrid about Alix Paul seemed to love, the way she dressed, the way she joked it really came through that everything about Alix made Paul love her more and more and brought him happiness, even if he didn't want it to.
*clicks frantically on PDF of Mal accidently knocking the condoms on the floor*
This was a great book with a winning combination of romance, fun and great storytelling, Carolyn Crane has once again come up with a quirky and strangely moving series and I can't wait to see what the next book brings.
*ARGH! Damn you Carolyn Crane *shakes first*....wait what was that noise....*
March 4, 2013
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
November 24, 2012Dear world:
How did I not know this book had come out by the super awesome wonder Crane?
WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?
Tell me next time, Kay?
Kat
How did I not know this book had come out by the super awesome wonder Crane?
WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?
Tell me next time, Kay?
Kat
November 4, 2012
My Rating: ★★★
Book Description:
He finds the girl of his dreams…with the secret agent of his nightmares.
Alix Gordon is a woman who doesn’t take life too seriously. What’s the fun in that? So when she stumbles across occult software that can bring any computer image to life, she conjures up lots of awesome outfits and accessories. And then, on one drunken, horny night, she conjures up Sir Kendall, the sexy TV ad spy . . . who looks exactly like Paul Reinhardt, the super-sexy martial arts teacher who kicked her out of class three years ago.
Fighter Paul Reinhardt has good reason to hate Sir Kendall, the character he brought to life to land a part in a TV ad; he’d do anything to forget him. A cross country road trip seems just the thing . . . until Paul finds himself inexplicably drawn to Minnesota and is shocked to discover Sir Kendall - in the flesh - with the girl he’d once loved from afar. He barges into Alix and Sir Kendall’s love nest, determined to stop the madness - somehow.
But is superspy Sir Kendall transforming into something more dangerous anyone can imagine? And what will Sir Kendall do when Paul and Alix finally give into their mad lust for each other?
Primary Characters:
Secondary Characters:
I'm a bit conflicted about this book. I wanted to love the story but unfortunately I had to force myself to read it to the end. The premise was so unique that I thought the book would hold my rapt attention but the characters and their motivations were so chaotic at times that I had a hard time staying engaged in the story.
Alix is what many people would regard as flighty. She has no drive...not motivation...and flits from one thing to the next without having a real direction in life. On a complete whim, she and her best friend, Karen, join a jiu jitsu class because Alix found the instructor, Paul, to be extremely handsome. She thought that her time in the class would give her an opportunity to get closer to him so that she could eventually "do him" (not my words...but literally this is how Alix referred to sex in the beginning of the story).
Alix pretty much becomes the bane of Paul's existence because she challenged him at every turn. But secretly, he loved the lightness that she brought to his world. But, as a mixed martial arts champion, focus was key to staying on top of his game and Alix was a major impediment to that focus. And one day, in a moment of frustration with himself in how he allowed Alix to distract him, he accused her of regarding everything as a game and kicked her out of class. Alix was hurt and dejected and disappointed with yet another person thinking of her as unfocused -- first her family, then her friends, and now Paul.
In an unexpected turn of events, Alix was bequeathed a beautiful home and a sum of money from her deceased aunt Veronica who was estranged from the family because of her occult practices. Receiving the home and money was a great boon for Alix because she had recently become jobless and homeless because of antics she used to save her best friend from a humiliating personal revelation at the hands of someone else. Alix moves into the home and begins to settle it and clean it in preparation for it to become a bed and breakfast. While cleaning, Alix uncovers several computers and floppy disks from her aunt. Curious to learn about her aunt, she tries to discover what was on the floppy disks.
The disks turn Alix's computer into a "magical computer" that was capable of granting her her desires just by pointing and clicking on a computer image. In a drunken haze, Alix conjures up a three-dimensional but completely fictional doppelganger of her true love. The story follows with the fallout that surrounds that action.
Mr. Real is about when fiction and reality meet and what happens next. Alix's world is turned on it's end and catapulted onto a rollercoaster ride of sexy spies, villainous villains, and finding her true love.
The premise was great; however, I found the execution somewhat problematic. And sadly, I can't say what "one thing" kept me from loving the story. I think it was a combination of several things. I understand that Alix was flighty for a reason but I found her just too flighty. She seemed kind, sweet, and caring but she also felt a bit immature...almost childlike in a lot of respects. Sir Kendall was aloof and remote and his haughtiness grew tiresome ("old chap" and "I daresay" almost drove me into an angry rage so I understand what it did to Paul). I liked Paul; however, his feelings on Sir Kendall seemed a bit excessive. I know that childhood can leave an indelible mark on people but I didn't understand, even after reading the story, why the mention of "Sir Kendall" caused fits of rage or apoplexy. It was almost over the top and unbelievable. When the story first began, I thought that Sir Kendall might have been an adult who abused Paul but the fact that he was purely...purely fictional made his rage feel far-fetched.
I also would have liked more explanation on why Veronica selected Alix as the new owner of the house. Veronica had been estranged from the family so it wasn't like she knew how Alix fit, or rather misfit, within the family.
I think the author had a wonderful idea in this story and it may be that she needs to find her stride since is the first in this series. I definitely wish her the best of luck in that endeavor.
The book provided as a Net Galley review copy for an honest review.
Reading Time: 6.5 hours
Book Description:
He finds the girl of his dreams…with the secret agent of his nightmares.
Alix Gordon is a woman who doesn’t take life too seriously. What’s the fun in that? So when she stumbles across occult software that can bring any computer image to life, she conjures up lots of awesome outfits and accessories. And then, on one drunken, horny night, she conjures up Sir Kendall, the sexy TV ad spy . . . who looks exactly like Paul Reinhardt, the super-sexy martial arts teacher who kicked her out of class three years ago.
Fighter Paul Reinhardt has good reason to hate Sir Kendall, the character he brought to life to land a part in a TV ad; he’d do anything to forget him. A cross country road trip seems just the thing . . . until Paul finds himself inexplicably drawn to Minnesota and is shocked to discover Sir Kendall - in the flesh - with the girl he’d once loved from afar. He barges into Alix and Sir Kendall’s love nest, determined to stop the madness - somehow.
But is superspy Sir Kendall transforming into something more dangerous anyone can imagine? And what will Sir Kendall do when Paul and Alix finally give into their mad lust for each other?
Primary Characters:
Alix - female protagonist
Sir Kendall - doppleganger and male protagonist
Paul - original version and male protagonist
Secondary Characters:
Karen - Alix's best friendMy Thoughts:
Tonio - Paul's mentee and friend
Hyko - Sir Kendall's archnemesis
I'm a bit conflicted about this book. I wanted to love the story but unfortunately I had to force myself to read it to the end. The premise was so unique that I thought the book would hold my rapt attention but the characters and their motivations were so chaotic at times that I had a hard time staying engaged in the story.
Alix is what many people would regard as flighty. She has no drive...not motivation...and flits from one thing to the next without having a real direction in life. On a complete whim, she and her best friend, Karen, join a jiu jitsu class because Alix found the instructor, Paul, to be extremely handsome. She thought that her time in the class would give her an opportunity to get closer to him so that she could eventually "do him" (not my words...but literally this is how Alix referred to sex in the beginning of the story).
Alix pretty much becomes the bane of Paul's existence because she challenged him at every turn. But secretly, he loved the lightness that she brought to his world. But, as a mixed martial arts champion, focus was key to staying on top of his game and Alix was a major impediment to that focus. And one day, in a moment of frustration with himself in how he allowed Alix to distract him, he accused her of regarding everything as a game and kicked her out of class. Alix was hurt and dejected and disappointed with yet another person thinking of her as unfocused -- first her family, then her friends, and now Paul.
In an unexpected turn of events, Alix was bequeathed a beautiful home and a sum of money from her deceased aunt Veronica who was estranged from the family because of her occult practices. Receiving the home and money was a great boon for Alix because she had recently become jobless and homeless because of antics she used to save her best friend from a humiliating personal revelation at the hands of someone else. Alix moves into the home and begins to settle it and clean it in preparation for it to become a bed and breakfast. While cleaning, Alix uncovers several computers and floppy disks from her aunt. Curious to learn about her aunt, she tries to discover what was on the floppy disks.
The disks turn Alix's computer into a "magical computer" that was capable of granting her her desires just by pointing and clicking on a computer image. In a drunken haze, Alix conjures up a three-dimensional but completely fictional doppelganger of her true love. The story follows with the fallout that surrounds that action.
Mr. Real is about when fiction and reality meet and what happens next. Alix's world is turned on it's end and catapulted onto a rollercoaster ride of sexy spies, villainous villains, and finding her true love.
The premise was great; however, I found the execution somewhat problematic. And sadly, I can't say what "one thing" kept me from loving the story. I think it was a combination of several things. I understand that Alix was flighty for a reason but I found her just too flighty. She seemed kind, sweet, and caring but she also felt a bit immature...almost childlike in a lot of respects. Sir Kendall was aloof and remote and his haughtiness grew tiresome ("old chap" and "I daresay" almost drove me into an angry rage so I understand what it did to Paul). I liked Paul; however, his feelings on Sir Kendall seemed a bit excessive. I know that childhood can leave an indelible mark on people but I didn't understand, even after reading the story, why the mention of "Sir Kendall" caused fits of rage or apoplexy. It was almost over the top and unbelievable. When the story first began, I thought that Sir Kendall might have been an adult who abused Paul but the fact that he was purely...purely fictional made his rage feel far-fetched.
I also would have liked more explanation on why Veronica selected Alix as the new owner of the house. Veronica had been estranged from the family so it wasn't like she knew how Alix fit, or rather misfit, within the family.
I think the author had a wonderful idea in this story and it may be that she needs to find her stride since is the first in this series. I definitely wish her the best of luck in that endeavor.
The book provided as a Net Galley review copy for an honest review.
Reading Time: 6.5 hours
November 4, 2012
Not to beat a dead horse, I've said this before, but it's hard to write an original novel. Want to write about vampires? Pft, take a number. Werewolves? Zombies? Witches? Mermaids or ghosts? Done, done and done.
Maybe you make your vampires resistant to sunlight or part of some religious sect. Maybe your zombies will be upstanding citizens with more common sense and brains than your regular human. Or, maybe, you go for something really original and novel and give your MC the ability to create..wooden ducks.(Clearly, I'm never going to be a writer)
But that'd be stupid, right? Unless you're Carolyn Crane. She's got such a fantastic and creative imagination, she can make any crazy idea work.
Alix Gordon lives with her dog in the middle of the woods, in a house her great-aunt left her, a person she never got to know.
She's a bit of a wild card, and the black sheep of the family.
I didn't mind her characterization up to a point, flirty ways and everything. Justine is a bit of a wandering butterfly with her men, too, and she's an awesome, loveable character.
One day, when coming back from her walk in the woods, she finds a necklace on her porch, one she was admiring on the internet. Doesn't take her long to realize what's happening and how. Eventually, despite her friends protests and against a better judgement, she conjures up Sir Kendall, a spy from a commercial, played by her ex martial arts trainer, Paul.
The novel's a third person narrative, written from three points of view: Alix, Sir Kendall and Paul. This time, I actually think it was a genius move. You get to see each characters view of the messed up situation they are in and it's pretty fun to compare and contrast them.
Plus, Sir Kendall is awesome, the perfect spy.
From Alix's POV, he's weird and oblivious, as a fictional character in the real world would be, sweet, attentive and the perfect gentleman. From his own POV, he's the perfect spy, adaptable to any situation, a ruthless killer playing a part to be able to asses situation and get more information.
Sir Kendall is my favorite character.
Alis is just so frustrating, all throughout the book. She's insecure to the point she needs validation from a fictional man, she does one stupid thing after the other with no regards whatsoever for the consequences, she runs laps between the two men and enjoys when they humiliate each other, she never, ever trusts her friends. I just couldn't like her, no matter how hard I tried. Which, in the end, took a great deal out of my enjoyment. If I can't sympathize or relate to the MC, that's a problem, no matter how good the novel is otherwise.
Paul starts out all badass, calm, cool and collected. However, his behavior toward and relationship with Alix is, yet again, something I didn't like. For example:
No? Seriously? What's wrong with taking responsibility for your MAJOR fuck ups? Nothing, that's what's wrong.
You know, some situations do call for a "wake the f*ck up, woman" and not oh, it's all a-okay platitudes. I'm just saying.
In the end, all's well that ends well, but I still can't make myself rate Mr. Real more than 3 stars, for those reasons.
*I received an ARC from the publisher through NetGalley. No money or favors were exchanged.
*This was an uncorrected proof. I will compare the quotes with the finished book.
Read this review, and others, here:
EDIT NO.2: Reading now. <3
EDIT: Oh, my! I must be living in a cave if I didn't notice this came out already.
Also, it's up on Netgalley and I just noticed?
I fail.
This sounds crazy enough to work!
Maybe you make your vampires resistant to sunlight or part of some religious sect. Maybe your zombies will be upstanding citizens with more common sense and brains than your regular human. Or, maybe, you go for something really original and novel and give your MC the ability to create..wooden ducks.(Clearly, I'm never going to be a writer)
But that'd be stupid, right? Unless you're Carolyn Crane. She's got such a fantastic and creative imagination, she can make any crazy idea work.
Alix Gordon lives with her dog in the middle of the woods, in a house her great-aunt left her, a person she never got to know.
She's a bit of a wild card, and the black sheep of the family.
I didn't mind her characterization up to a point, flirty ways and everything. Justine is a bit of a wandering butterfly with her men, too, and she's an awesome, loveable character.
One day, when coming back from her walk in the woods, she finds a necklace on her porch, one she was admiring on the internet. Doesn't take her long to realize what's happening and how. Eventually, despite her friends protests and against a better judgement, she conjures up Sir Kendall, a spy from a commercial, played by her ex martial arts trainer, Paul.
The novel's a third person narrative, written from three points of view: Alix, Sir Kendall and Paul. This time, I actually think it was a genius move. You get to see each characters view of the messed up situation they are in and it's pretty fun to compare and contrast them.
Plus, Sir Kendall is awesome, the perfect spy.
From Alix's POV, he's weird and oblivious, as a fictional character in the real world would be, sweet, attentive and the perfect gentleman. From his own POV, he's the perfect spy, adaptable to any situation, a ruthless killer playing a part to be able to asses situation and get more information.
Sir Kendall is my favorite character.
Alis is just so frustrating, all throughout the book. She's insecure to the point she needs validation from a fictional man, she does one stupid thing after the other with no regards whatsoever for the consequences, she runs laps between the two men and enjoys when they humiliate each other, she never, ever trusts her friends. I just couldn't like her, no matter how hard I tried. Which, in the end, took a great deal out of my enjoyment. If I can't sympathize or relate to the MC, that's a problem, no matter how good the novel is otherwise.
Paul starts out all badass, calm, cool and collected. However, his behavior toward and relationship with Alix is, yet again, something I didn't like. For example:
Paul:“Too dangerous.”
Alix:“Because I brought a murderous lunatic to life.”
“Not intentionally.”
“None of my disasters are intentional.”
“Stop it. Listen.”
“It was impulsive. Seriously, from now on, I’m going to think things through and take responsibility. And be different.”
“No, Alix, I love the way you are.
No? Seriously? What's wrong with taking responsibility for your MAJOR fuck ups? Nothing, that's what's wrong.
You know, some situations do call for a "wake the f*ck up, woman" and not oh, it's all a-okay platitudes. I'm just saying.
In the end, all's well that ends well, but I still can't make myself rate Mr. Real more than 3 stars, for those reasons.
*I received an ARC from the publisher through NetGalley. No money or favors were exchanged.
*This was an uncorrected proof. I will compare the quotes with the finished book.
Read this review, and others, here:
EDIT NO.2: Reading now. <3
EDIT: Oh, my! I must be living in a cave if I didn't notice this came out already.
Also, it's up on Netgalley and I just noticed?
I fail.
This sounds crazy enough to work!
September 10, 2018
Imagine if you were able to create the items you wanted on your computer simply with a click and it would appear on your doorstep. Imagine having a crush on a man for years only to have him think you were a joke and took nothing seriously.
Alix Gordon does take a few things seriously but she likes to live life in the moment too. When she realizes that her computer can create the man of her dreams, Paul Reirnhardt, not him literally but his TV ad persona Sir Kendall, Alix presses the button that puts him on her doorstep. Of course Alix thought about the moment not the what would happen once he was there. Now she has Paul showing up and a danger that was supposed to be pretend arriving squarely at her doorstep.
Very creative story. I thought this was a lot of fun and just unusual. Reminded me of some of the old serial movies where the had a spy caper. Great read, curious about the next book.
Alix Gordon does take a few things seriously but she likes to live life in the moment too. When she realizes that her computer can create the man of her dreams, Paul Reirnhardt, not him literally but his TV ad persona Sir Kendall, Alix presses the button that puts him on her doorstep. Of course Alix thought about the moment not the what would happen once he was there. Now she has Paul showing up and a danger that was supposed to be pretend arriving squarely at her doorstep.
Very creative story. I thought this was a lot of fun and just unusual. Reminded me of some of the old serial movies where the had a spy caper. Great read, curious about the next book.
November 5, 2012
I'll admit that with the seemingly mad-cap plot that was described for this book by its blurb, it was going to have to work hard to impress me - but luckily my faith in Carolyn Crane was well-founded! I really had some doubts at the outset... magical computer programs? A fake super spy from a liqueur commercial? Um... er... yeah. But she pulled it off, reasonably well.
I was struck quite a bit at first by how the plotting seemed an awful lot like a Gwyn Cready novel - right down to the heroine prone to serious hijinks, duplicative heroes (who really are the same person), and a dire time warpy/magical plot device to raise the stakes. So this unfortunately started me off on the wrong foot, because I feel like Gwyn Cready does an excellent job with that particular brand of craziness, and it's not what I expect from Crane (who has her own brand of craziness! - or so I thought!). Ultimately I think the plotting fell a little short of a Cready novel (for an excellent example, see: Seducing Mr. Darcy). It didn't sparkle quite as much, it was not quite as hilarious. But what this book did have, if we're keeping to this comparison, is a depth of characterization well beyond anything in Cready's books. And I'm left feeling that this fact should not have surprised me - her characters are one of the best things about Ms Crane's books, for me.
So on to the actual story - Alix is a pretty directionless, all-fun-all-the-time kind of girl, who has inherited a Victorian mansion in the styx of Minnesota from her mysterious great aunt she never knew about. She really has no idea what she is doing, but she wants to turn the house into a B&B. We don't get off on the right foot with Alix - or rather, I didn't get off on the right foot with her. She comes off as totally flighty and promiscuous at the outset. It takes a little while to start to see Alix's redeeming qualities: her loyalty, her humor, her warmth, and the fact that she is more than a little lost.
Not to synopsize too much, because with a book like this I could spend all my time going on and on about the plot because it's a twisty thing! The other main characters are Paul ("Hardass Paul" - yeah!) and Sir Kendall. I found them a good bit more interesting than Alix, actually. Paul was my favorite character, because although he was conflicted, he knew what he wanted. I could never really stop pitying Sir Kendall, he was such a cardboard cutout. I thought the choice Crane made of writing Sir Kendall's viewpoint into a fair amount of the narration was a bold one - not really because it was necessary to move the plot along (which it was in some spots), but it was a bold choice because of how completely she had to construct this character. Who is to say what goes on in the mind of a spoofy secret agent who drinks peach liqueur and only exists in commercials? Well, Carolyn Crane is, obviously!
I would recommend this book. I think if you already like Crane's work (the Disillusionists series), you will like this. And, maybe even if you didn't like that - you might still like this, it is a few things that that series is not:
Ultimately - for me, these are the things which made this a 4-star instead of a 5-star read. Because I loved Crane's Disillusionists books SO MUCH, and because there are just not that many authors who can grab onto me and move me so profoundly as she did with those books, this just fell a little bit short for me. I wanted that originality, the insanely visionary world-building, the intense psychological drama, the plot driven so much by love but not only by love. I wanted to be on the edge of my seat, I wanted to soar! So I could not help but feel this book was a bit fluffy- a totally great, zany, fun, still psychological (but perhaps psychological-lite) read, but just a bit fluffy for my taste! So with that full disclosure in mind, I definitely recommend this book. I will keep reading anything Crane writes... but I will keep hoping for something amazing like the Disillusionists from her!
I was struck quite a bit at first by how the plotting seemed an awful lot like a Gwyn Cready novel - right down to the heroine prone to serious hijinks, duplicative heroes (who really are the same person), and a dire time warpy/magical plot device to raise the stakes. So this unfortunately started me off on the wrong foot, because I feel like Gwyn Cready does an excellent job with that particular brand of craziness, and it's not what I expect from Crane (who has her own brand of craziness! - or so I thought!). Ultimately I think the plotting fell a little short of a Cready novel (for an excellent example, see: Seducing Mr. Darcy). It didn't sparkle quite as much, it was not quite as hilarious. But what this book did have, if we're keeping to this comparison, is a depth of characterization well beyond anything in Cready's books. And I'm left feeling that this fact should not have surprised me - her characters are one of the best things about Ms Crane's books, for me.
So on to the actual story - Alix is a pretty directionless, all-fun-all-the-time kind of girl, who has inherited a Victorian mansion in the styx of Minnesota from her mysterious great aunt she never knew about. She really has no idea what she is doing, but she wants to turn the house into a B&B. We don't get off on the right foot with Alix - or rather, I didn't get off on the right foot with her. She comes off as totally flighty and promiscuous at the outset. It takes a little while to start to see Alix's redeeming qualities: her loyalty, her humor, her warmth, and the fact that she is more than a little lost.
Not to synopsize too much, because with a book like this I could spend all my time going on and on about the plot because it's a twisty thing! The other main characters are Paul ("Hardass Paul" - yeah!) and Sir Kendall. I found them a good bit more interesting than Alix, actually. Paul was my favorite character, because although he was conflicted, he knew what he wanted. I could never really stop pitying Sir Kendall, he was such a cardboard cutout. I thought the choice Crane made of writing Sir Kendall's viewpoint into a fair amount of the narration was a bold one - not really because it was necessary to move the plot along (which it was in some spots), but it was a bold choice because of how completely she had to construct this character. Who is to say what goes on in the mind of a spoofy secret agent who drinks peach liqueur and only exists in commercials? Well, Carolyn Crane is, obviously!
I would recommend this book. I think if you already like Crane's work (the Disillusionists series), you will like this. And, maybe even if you didn't like that - you might still like this, it is a few things that that series is not:
1. It's the first in a series but the plot is resolved in this book; ie, it stands alone
2. It has much more of a romance than a plot-driven feel
3. For me, it was much less dark and more farcical/humorous
Ultimately - for me, these are the things which made this a 4-star instead of a 5-star read. Because I loved Crane's Disillusionists books SO MUCH, and because there are just not that many authors who can grab onto me and move me so profoundly as she did with those books, this just fell a little bit short for me. I wanted that originality, the insanely visionary world-building, the intense psychological drama, the plot driven so much by love but not only by love. I wanted to be on the edge of my seat, I wanted to soar! So I could not help but feel this book was a bit fluffy- a totally great, zany, fun, still psychological (but perhaps psychological-lite) read, but just a bit fluffy for my taste! So with that full disclosure in mind, I definitely recommend this book. I will keep reading anything Crane writes... but I will keep hoping for something amazing like the Disillusionists from her!
October 23, 2012
Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy See site review for similar titles
There is nothing typical about the books Carolyn Crane writes. Without exception they are wildly imaginative, endlessly surprising, and utterly unique. That is no less true of her latest paranormal romance, MR. REAL, the first book in the new Code of Shadows series about a woman who inherits a magical computer capable of conjuring anything–or any one–to her doorstep.
If the premise didn’t tip you off, this is a wacky book. There are preposterous situations, bizarre outcomes, and more than a few head scratching scenes. Most of these are fun in the way only Carolyn Crane can create. Unfortunately, she tiptoed over the crazy fun to just plain crazy line a few too many times. A lot of that had to do with Alix. As a protagonist, I just didn’t like her very much. She’s kind of a slut, kind of immature, and kind of annoying. Her actions throughout MR. REAL made it very challenging to understand why a guy like Paul would tolerate her let alone fall for her. Not that Paul was perfect either. His dislike of the character Alix conjures is really heavy handed. When we find out why he hates Sir Kendall so much…it feels overly inflated and there are a few pretty obvious questions that never got answered–or even asked–about why Paul would ever portray Sir Kendall in the first place (the brief reason given was very flimsy).
It’s really hard to fall for a paranormal romance when the love story doesn’t click, and Alix and Paul never did for me. It didn’t help that they picked the absolute worst possible times to let their hormones take over, like right after finding out about a impending and hyper dangerous threat for one. They needed to run, not start tearing at each others clothes.
Carolyn Crane is a fantastic author and her Disillusionists Trilogy is one of my all time favorite urban fantasy series. MR. REAL, while still wacky, isn’t half as winning as her first series. It’s a little scattered and improbable in places. The concept is fun and there is plenty of promise for a better romantic pairing in the next book in the Code of Shadows series. There is no question that I’ll be back for more, I’ll just be hoping for a slightly more realistic Mr. Real next time.
Sexual Content:
A couple graphic sex scenes
There is nothing typical about the books Carolyn Crane writes. Without exception they are wildly imaginative, endlessly surprising, and utterly unique. That is no less true of her latest paranormal romance, MR. REAL, the first book in the new Code of Shadows series about a woman who inherits a magical computer capable of conjuring anything–or any one–to her doorstep.
If the premise didn’t tip you off, this is a wacky book. There are preposterous situations, bizarre outcomes, and more than a few head scratching scenes. Most of these are fun in the way only Carolyn Crane can create. Unfortunately, she tiptoed over the crazy fun to just plain crazy line a few too many times. A lot of that had to do with Alix. As a protagonist, I just didn’t like her very much. She’s kind of a slut, kind of immature, and kind of annoying. Her actions throughout MR. REAL made it very challenging to understand why a guy like Paul would tolerate her let alone fall for her. Not that Paul was perfect either. His dislike of the character Alix conjures is really heavy handed. When we find out why he hates Sir Kendall so much…it feels overly inflated and there are a few pretty obvious questions that never got answered–or even asked–about why Paul would ever portray Sir Kendall in the first place (the brief reason given was very flimsy).
It’s really hard to fall for a paranormal romance when the love story doesn’t click, and Alix and Paul never did for me. It didn’t help that they picked the absolute worst possible times to let their hormones take over, like right after finding out about a impending and hyper dangerous threat for one. They needed to run, not start tearing at each others clothes.
Carolyn Crane is a fantastic author and her Disillusionists Trilogy is one of my all time favorite urban fantasy series. MR. REAL, while still wacky, isn’t half as winning as her first series. It’s a little scattered and improbable in places. The concept is fun and there is plenty of promise for a better romantic pairing in the next book in the Code of Shadows series. There is no question that I’ll be back for more, I’ll just be hoping for a slightly more realistic Mr. Real next time.
Sexual Content:
A couple graphic sex scenes
November 4, 2012
"Mr. Real" is an improbable, yet entertaining read. The idea of converting spells into computer code, and using that code to conjure whatever you want...well, it's far-fetched to say the least, and hat's off to Ms. Crane for writing it so convincingly. In her hands, the unbelievable becomes believable. It's a neat trick and one not every writer can pull off.
The tone of the story is a well-balanced blend of humor and emotion, fluff and intrigue. There are moments that will make you laugh out loud, and others that will tug at your heart strings. The action is pretty limited, though, so if you're looking for a bunch of wild chase or fight scenes, you've picked up the wrong book. That's not to say "Mr. Real" is action-less, it's just the action takes a back seat to the characters.
Main gal Alix suffers from low self-esteem and at times takes things too personally, but at the same time, she's incredibly warm, funny, and forgiving. It's impossible to dislike her. She's just that sort of person.
Paul, on the other hand, didn't do much for me. I don't want to say he was awful, because he wasn't. He was just too "Wounded Warrior" for my taste. I can deal with a certain amount of angst in characters, but in Paul's case, I feel it was overdone. As was his whole "worship the ground Alix walks on" routine. It's sweet at first, but after a while, it gets old. He did redeem himself in the end, though.
For me, the real star of the show was Sir Kendall. He's mysterious, coldly calculating, potentially deadly, and yet he's so smooth, so James Bond-ish....well, YOU try resisting him. I sure couldn't! Of the three main characters, his journey was by far the most interesting, and I sincerely hope he gets his own book in the future. I'd read it in a heartbeat ;)
In the romance department, "Mr. Real" is sure to please. Lots of sizzle and burn. Better still, there's no love triangle! It seems like there will be, at first, but thankfully, we're spared that extra drama. I loved Alix all the more for that.
Overall, this is a good, fun, character-driven book. I'd recommend it.
3.5 Stars ★★★1/2
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
The tone of the story is a well-balanced blend of humor and emotion, fluff and intrigue. There are moments that will make you laugh out loud, and others that will tug at your heart strings. The action is pretty limited, though, so if you're looking for a bunch of wild chase or fight scenes, you've picked up the wrong book. That's not to say "Mr. Real" is action-less, it's just the action takes a back seat to the characters.
Main gal Alix suffers from low self-esteem and at times takes things too personally, but at the same time, she's incredibly warm, funny, and forgiving. It's impossible to dislike her. She's just that sort of person.
Paul, on the other hand, didn't do much for me. I don't want to say he was awful, because he wasn't. He was just too "Wounded Warrior" for my taste. I can deal with a certain amount of angst in characters, but in Paul's case, I feel it was overdone. As was his whole "worship the ground Alix walks on" routine. It's sweet at first, but after a while, it gets old. He did redeem himself in the end, though.
For me, the real star of the show was Sir Kendall. He's mysterious, coldly calculating, potentially deadly, and yet he's so smooth, so James Bond-ish....well, YOU try resisting him. I sure couldn't! Of the three main characters, his journey was by far the most interesting, and I sincerely hope he gets his own book in the future. I'd read it in a heartbeat ;)
In the romance department, "Mr. Real" is sure to please. Lots of sizzle and burn. Better still, there's no love triangle! It seems like there will be, at first, but thankfully, we're spared that extra drama. I loved Alix all the more for that.
Overall, this is a good, fun, character-driven book. I'd recommend it.
3.5 Stars ★★★1/2
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
October 31, 2012
I came to this book after absolutely loving the Disillusionists trilogy by the same author, and excited to see what she would do next.
I was expecting a heroine similar to the Disillusionist heroine Justine, and was pleasantly surprised to find that although Mr. Real's heroine Alix was completely different, she was just as rounded, well-developed and likeable as Justine had been.
Carolyn Crane shows remarkable insight into people and their psyche and this comes across with her characters, they are always very well written, well developed people with qualities, thoughts and observations I can relate to. They are so detailed and 'real', I imagine they must be based on real people, but they are always very different individuals and don't fall into the pitfall of every character being some version of the author.
Her books possess a level of characterisation scarcely seen in fantasy literature, let alone in fantasy romance.
Another thing I love about her, is that despite me being a steadfast lover of villains (not just the loveable rogue, or the antihero, the out-and-out villain) Carolyn always makes me love her heroes. I love them, I root for them, I think they're sexy and not boring, and I genuinely care about the lead romance. This is something else I can't say about any other PNR writer.
Mr. Real is just as quirky and original as Disillusionists was, despite having a completely different plot. I'd give it a 4.5 if I could, just because the genre isn't one that usually appeals to me, and 5 stars would put it next to the Disilluionist trilogy which I do prefer.
Despite that, it was gripping and intriguing and I'm thrilled for the rest of the trilogy, and for whatever Carolyn goes on to write next.
I was expecting a heroine similar to the Disillusionist heroine Justine, and was pleasantly surprised to find that although Mr. Real's heroine Alix was completely different, she was just as rounded, well-developed and likeable as Justine had been.
Carolyn Crane shows remarkable insight into people and their psyche and this comes across with her characters, they are always very well written, well developed people with qualities, thoughts and observations I can relate to. They are so detailed and 'real', I imagine they must be based on real people, but they are always very different individuals and don't fall into the pitfall of every character being some version of the author.
Her books possess a level of characterisation scarcely seen in fantasy literature, let alone in fantasy romance.
Another thing I love about her, is that despite me being a steadfast lover of villains (not just the loveable rogue, or the antihero, the out-and-out villain) Carolyn always makes me love her heroes. I love them, I root for them, I think they're sexy and not boring, and I genuinely care about the lead romance. This is something else I can't say about any other PNR writer.
Mr. Real is just as quirky and original as Disillusionists was, despite having a completely different plot. I'd give it a 4.5 if I could, just because the genre isn't one that usually appeals to me, and 5 stars would put it next to the Disilluionist trilogy which I do prefer.
Despite that, it was gripping and intriguing and I'm thrilled for the rest of the trilogy, and for whatever Carolyn goes on to write next.
November 12, 2012
Alix is a woman who spends her life thinking of action and never consequences. She acts without thinking and barely accepts responsibility for those actions. She spends the other half of her life feeling sorry for herself and making jokes at the expense of the people who force her to accept responsibility. Alix has just come into inheritance of a house and a large amount of money from an aunt who was thought to be a witch. In hopes of learning more about the aunt who left her such a generous inheritance, Alix searches through her stuff and finds a floppy disk. The floppy disk holds a magical code that brings her anything she wants. So she does the logical thing and orders the alter ego to a man she knows.
Crane is a very interesting author. She's not the best writer in terms of prose, but she has very unique and creative stories. Her Disillusionist series is completely different and has a lot of heart. The plot of "Mr. Real," is ridiculous, but an interesting concept that really makes you think. What would you do if you were able to bring anything and anyone you wanted to your front door? Added to that, it is packed with action, sensual love scenes and a bruised hero in the form of one Paul Reinhardt.
The story progresses with a series of twists and turns that keeps you turning the page even as you are shaking your head at the absurd plot. We experience this book from the POVs of Alix,Paul and Sir. Kendall, which I really enjoyed. With Sir. Kendall, you get to experience what it might be like for a character from a book, movie, commercial, to experience reality. It was interesting his jumps from super spy, to staring at a leaf as if it's the most amazing creation.
What is more ridiculous than the plot of this book? The main character, Alix. I must admit, if I was given this code, I probably couldn't stop myself from ordering Colin Firth's Mr. Darcy or Chris Hemsworth's Thor. The issue with Alix is not what she does. It's her inability to realize the consequences. She has literally brought to life Paul's worst nightmare and is angry at him when he points out that Sir Kendall may be dangerous or stays in her house for the soul purpose of protecting her. She is irrational and stupid through out the entire book. Just irresponsible and clueless.
Paul, on the other hand, is smart, fearless and carries a deep dark secret. Sir. Kendall is a character he created as a boy to save himself from abuse. Later in life he recreated Sir. Kendall as a super spy for commercials only seen in Australia. When he stumbles on Sir. Kendall and Alix in a proverbial love nest it is his most nightmare brought to life. What makes Paul a great hero, is that he doesn't run and call Alix insane. No, Paul faces his fears and decides to stay and help Alix with her insane problem. Paul is great, so great in fact that you have to ask yourself what a man like him wants with a clueless girl like Alix.
The ending breaks this book for me, unfortunately. All of a sudden the characters are sentimental and the story tries to become this super spy book. It works, but I spent a lot of time rolling my eyes. The characters become sentimental, perform complete 360s in terms of their emotions and Alix some how comes out smelling like roses. It's all her fault and yet everyone comes to her defense and she's let off the hook.
I recommend this book for lovers of paranormal or sci-fi who is looking for something completely different than the normal vampire or time-travel story.
Crane is a very interesting author. She's not the best writer in terms of prose, but she has very unique and creative stories. Her Disillusionist series is completely different and has a lot of heart. The plot of "Mr. Real," is ridiculous, but an interesting concept that really makes you think. What would you do if you were able to bring anything and anyone you wanted to your front door? Added to that, it is packed with action, sensual love scenes and a bruised hero in the form of one Paul Reinhardt.
The story progresses with a series of twists and turns that keeps you turning the page even as you are shaking your head at the absurd plot. We experience this book from the POVs of Alix,Paul and Sir. Kendall, which I really enjoyed. With Sir. Kendall, you get to experience what it might be like for a character from a book, movie, commercial, to experience reality. It was interesting his jumps from super spy, to staring at a leaf as if it's the most amazing creation.
What is more ridiculous than the plot of this book? The main character, Alix. I must admit, if I was given this code, I probably couldn't stop myself from ordering Colin Firth's Mr. Darcy or Chris Hemsworth's Thor. The issue with Alix is not what she does. It's her inability to realize the consequences. She has literally brought to life Paul's worst nightmare and is angry at him when he points out that Sir Kendall may be dangerous or stays in her house for the soul purpose of protecting her. She is irrational and stupid through out the entire book. Just irresponsible and clueless.
Paul, on the other hand, is smart, fearless and carries a deep dark secret. Sir. Kendall is a character he created as a boy to save himself from abuse. Later in life he recreated Sir. Kendall as a super spy for commercials only seen in Australia. When he stumbles on Sir. Kendall and Alix in a proverbial love nest it is his most nightmare brought to life. What makes Paul a great hero, is that he doesn't run and call Alix insane. No, Paul faces his fears and decides to stay and help Alix with her insane problem. Paul is great, so great in fact that you have to ask yourself what a man like him wants with a clueless girl like Alix.
The ending breaks this book for me, unfortunately. All of a sudden the characters are sentimental and the story tries to become this super spy book. It works, but I spent a lot of time rolling my eyes. The characters become sentimental, perform complete 360s in terms of their emotions and Alix some how comes out smelling like roses. It's all her fault and yet everyone comes to her defense and she's let off the hook.
I recommend this book for lovers of paranormal or sci-fi who is looking for something completely different than the normal vampire or time-travel story.
November 5, 2012
I got this book to review from NetGalley. This was such a fun, wacky read. The idea behind the story is very original. Alix inherits her geeky witch aunt's house and discovers a computer program that could materialize anything you want, all you have to do is submit a picture. And Alix decides to order Sir Kendall, a James Bond-ish fictional TV commercial character who looks exactly like Paul, the real-life hardass she has a crush on. Sir Kendall shows up on her doorstep being all romance man and spy-ish and of course, the real-life Paul somehow discovers them together.
I was a bit creeped out at first. I just had this sense of foreboding that something bad was going to happen because Alix conjured up the fictional character. Half the time I was guessing if Sir Kendall was on the good side or not. It was fun to read about their thought processes too. Sir Kendall was a total spy in a completely fictional way. You'll get that he's really from a limited mindset where all he thinks of are plotting and scheming and drinking Denali. Alix wasn't that lovable a character. She was too fun loving in a happy go lucky way that she just doesn't think of the consequences of her actions. She's so impulsive that she just does what comes into mind without thinking first. Here she realizes what mayhem she's caused and tries to take responsibility for her actions. At the same time, she's nursing a long time crush on Paul, the martial arts teacher who kicked her out of class years ago. Now Paul, he's supposed to be a hottie. He is haunted by some demons and he tries to battle them away. Paul also carries a torch for Alix, but he pushed her away in order to stay focused on his career. I didn't like it much that his weaknesses were mostly borne out of fear. I guess it kind of made him less hot in my eyes. I also found the chemistry between Paul and Alix a bit lacking. I think it's the missing ingredient that would have made this a 5 star for me. I just didn't feel giddy happy to have them both in a scene. I was more interested in what would happen to Sir Kendall.
Overall, this is an enjoyable read. The plot is orginal, the pace is good, the tone is just light and fun even though there were some creepy aspects. The characters were realistic. If you're a fan of Carolyn Crane's Disillusionists Trilogy, then this might be something you would enjoy.
I was a bit creeped out at first. I just had this sense of foreboding that something bad was going to happen because Alix conjured up the fictional character. Half the time I was guessing if Sir Kendall was on the good side or not. It was fun to read about their thought processes too. Sir Kendall was a total spy in a completely fictional way. You'll get that he's really from a limited mindset where all he thinks of are plotting and scheming and drinking Denali. Alix wasn't that lovable a character. She was too fun loving in a happy go lucky way that she just doesn't think of the consequences of her actions. She's so impulsive that she just does what comes into mind without thinking first. Here she realizes what mayhem she's caused and tries to take responsibility for her actions. At the same time, she's nursing a long time crush on Paul, the martial arts teacher who kicked her out of class years ago. Now Paul, he's supposed to be a hottie. He is haunted by some demons and he tries to battle them away. Paul also carries a torch for Alix, but he pushed her away in order to stay focused on his career. I didn't like it much that his weaknesses were mostly borne out of fear. I guess it kind of made him less hot in my eyes. I also found the chemistry between Paul and Alix a bit lacking. I think it's the missing ingredient that would have made this a 5 star for me. I just didn't feel giddy happy to have them both in a scene. I was more interested in what would happen to Sir Kendall.
Overall, this is an enjoyable read. The plot is orginal, the pace is good, the tone is just light and fun even though there were some creepy aspects. The characters were realistic. If you're a fan of Carolyn Crane's Disillusionists Trilogy, then this might be something you would enjoy.
September 7, 2016
What an entertaining and fun story! As a huge fan of the authors 'Disillusionists' series, I've had high expectations for this book, but was also a little worried when I found out it would be more PNRish than the before mentioned series, because I haven't enjoyed those overly much lately. But I shouldn't have worried, as of course Crane gave 'Mr Real' her very own and unique touch and didn't just write a standard PNR, but meshed all sorts of other genres in there.
The story itself was set in a charming small town and brought alive by a cast of very likeable characters.
Alix just inherited an old Victorian house from her aunt, who was said to have dabbled in black magic. Alix is a fun young woman, who on the outside doesn't take anything too serious, but who feels very much not good enough compared to her family and friends. Not long after moving in, she realizes that she can click on any image on her computer and it will come to life on her doorstep. What else to conjure up than her favourite super-spy character from a liqueur commercial, Sir Kendall, who conveniently was played by her former crush Paul. Paul himself feels the sudden urge to travel to the small, rural town and gets quite a shock when he sees Sir Kendall, who he has deep-seated issues with, with his former flame. Sir Kendall seems to also have his own agenda and might be more dangerous than his sexy commercial makes him seem.
As to the characters, Alix developed nicely over the course of the story. She started out as a fun but slightly insecure young woman, who used sex to heighten her self esteem and didn't feel she deserved to be loved. By the end of the book she had changed into a strong woman who knows she's worth it.
Paul is a very loving character and it's so good to see how much he loves Alix and how he tries to always be there for her, despite his very deep issues with Sir Kendall. It's clear that he has to overcome those in whatever way, in order to heal and become whole again.
Sir Kendall, who is getting stronger, more dangerous and seems to have his own agenda also makes ones heart break a little when he starts to doubt himself and question his existence over the course of the book.
All up this was a great story and I'm already looking forward to the next instalment.
The story itself was set in a charming small town and brought alive by a cast of very likeable characters.
Alix just inherited an old Victorian house from her aunt, who was said to have dabbled in black magic. Alix is a fun young woman, who on the outside doesn't take anything too serious, but who feels very much not good enough compared to her family and friends. Not long after moving in, she realizes that she can click on any image on her computer and it will come to life on her doorstep. What else to conjure up than her favourite super-spy character from a liqueur commercial, Sir Kendall, who conveniently was played by her former crush Paul. Paul himself feels the sudden urge to travel to the small, rural town and gets quite a shock when he sees Sir Kendall, who he has deep-seated issues with, with his former flame. Sir Kendall seems to also have his own agenda and might be more dangerous than his sexy commercial makes him seem.
As to the characters, Alix developed nicely over the course of the story. She started out as a fun but slightly insecure young woman, who used sex to heighten her self esteem and didn't feel she deserved to be loved. By the end of the book she had changed into a strong woman who knows she's worth it.
Paul is a very loving character and it's so good to see how much he loves Alix and how he tries to always be there for her, despite his very deep issues with Sir Kendall. It's clear that he has to overcome those in whatever way, in order to heal and become whole again.
Sir Kendall, who is getting stronger, more dangerous and seems to have his own agenda also makes ones heart break a little when he starts to doubt himself and question his existence over the course of the book.
All up this was a great story and I'm already looking forward to the next instalment.
November 5, 2012
Alix Gordon has recently inherited a former hotel from her great aunt who was by all accounts a witch and a computer guru. Up to this point Alix hasn't taken life too seriously she leaves that for her sisters, her friend Karen and Hardass Paul (the sexy martial arts instructor who kicked Alix out of class because she refused to be serious). Now she plans to turn the House into a B&B. She finds out accidentally that her aunt had created a computer program that combined science and magic. If you click on a computer image the software would bring it to life. Alix conjures an expensive necklace, some groovy duds and on one drunken (horny) evening she conjures up Sir Kendall, the sexy TV ad spy who looks exactly like Hardass Paul. Paul created the role of Sir Kendall from his nightmares to get the role of Sir Kendall to finance his UFL fighting career. He finds himself drawn to Alix's new home and finds himself face to face with Sir Kendall? How can this be? Sparks fly between Alix and Sir Kendall and Alix and Paul. Each comes with his own set of problems.
This is a fun, quirky, intelligent, a paranormal romance, a spy adventure, a romantic suspense. MR. REAL is wonderfully different. It had a Jasper Fforde bookworld feel.. There is a lot going on and you never know where the next thrill or chill is coming from. You have to love Alix and Paul. The characters grow and evolve and become worthy.
I really enjoyed this and look forward to further adventures in Ms. Crane’s world.
I would like to thank Ms. Crane and NetGalley for the opportunity to read thin in exchange for a fair and honest review.
This is a fun, quirky, intelligent, a paranormal romance, a spy adventure, a romantic suspense. MR. REAL is wonderfully different. It had a Jasper Fforde bookworld feel.. There is a lot going on and you never know where the next thrill or chill is coming from. You have to love Alix and Paul. The characters grow and evolve and become worthy.
I really enjoyed this and look forward to further adventures in Ms. Crane’s world.
I would like to thank Ms. Crane and NetGalley for the opportunity to read thin in exchange for a fair and honest review.
December 4, 2012
Paranormal Romance.
Alix has always lived her life in a care free way and with a laugh in the face of any obstacles, now she´s inherited her aunts old place, and living alone makes her think of what she misses. Like her old martial arts teacher Paul, who didn´t appreciated her fooling about. The sparks they shared is just as hard to forget.
When she stumbles upon some old code her aunt had saved, she finds that she can conjure anything she wants, money, clothes.. How about the perfect man? Like Sir Kendall, the super man in the ad for the schnaps, portrayed by Paul? Her friend tries to be the voice of sanity, but there´s no stoping Alix when she´s gotten the steam up.
PNR, magic and smutty fluff. The first half had me rushing towards the end, just to know how Carolyn Crane had planned to solve this, and the second half was just so captivating that i couldn´t stop reading.
Loved it and can´t wait to read more from this world.
Alix has always lived her life in a care free way and with a laugh in the face of any obstacles, now she´s inherited her aunts old place, and living alone makes her think of what she misses. Like her old martial arts teacher Paul, who didn´t appreciated her fooling about. The sparks they shared is just as hard to forget.
When she stumbles upon some old code her aunt had saved, she finds that she can conjure anything she wants, money, clothes.. How about the perfect man? Like Sir Kendall, the super man in the ad for the schnaps, portrayed by Paul? Her friend tries to be the voice of sanity, but there´s no stoping Alix when she´s gotten the steam up.
PNR, magic and smutty fluff. The first half had me rushing towards the end, just to know how Carolyn Crane had planned to solve this, and the second half was just so captivating that i couldn´t stop reading.
Loved it and can´t wait to read more from this world.
September 13, 2016
Nobody, and I mean nobody could have pulled off this premise except for Carolyn Crane, seriously.
I snagged this one on NetGalley because of the author's name, since I really enjoyed her Disillusionists Trilogy, and honestly didn't even read the synopsis at first.
So when I went to read it, and saw the blurb, at first I was all
But then I started reading and was all
And then I finished it (all in one sitting, might I add), and was all
Just brilliant. While there are a few tiny things that kind of stuck out in my mind as being a bit "meh", overall, I loved it, and can't wait for the rest of the series.
5/5 Stars, full review to follow.
I snagged this one on NetGalley because of the author's name, since I really enjoyed her Disillusionists Trilogy, and honestly didn't even read the synopsis at first.
So when I went to read it, and saw the blurb, at first I was all
But then I started reading and was all
And then I finished it (all in one sitting, might I add), and was all
Just brilliant. While there are a few tiny things that kind of stuck out in my mind as being a bit "meh", overall, I loved it, and can't wait for the rest of the series.
5/5 Stars, full review to follow.
January 3, 2013
Oh Ms. Crane, how I loved this silly weird book! Cheesey plot, silly heroine, beef cake hero. & *then* she gets sneaky! Dark twists & turns + this cheesey silly stuff = fanfuckingtastic book. Pls note, I also, Ms. Crane's use of Star Trek geekery in all her books. (Come on? An anti-hero named Packard?! HA! Love it!) Even tho I'm all about Star Wars. 10+ for nerds. Excited for the next. Although I'm not sure how the story is gonna carry on. She seems to wrap it up pretty tight. Hmmmmm....
abandoned-ship
December 31, 2017This started out intriguing enough but then I got bored. I got to about 45% and I could no longer deny that I didn't care about any of these characters. Alix is a ditzy idiot and for the life of me I cannot understand her sudden loyalty to and saviour complex over Sir Kendall who happens to be weird and stuck in some alternate reality that doesn't make a lick of sense. Paul meanwhile is just meh.
October 26, 2012
My Rating: 3.5 stars: Liked it - recommend (B+)
Full Review: http://www.twimom227.com/2012/10/revi...
Alix Gordon has inherited her crazy Great Aunt Veronica’s old home, one that her family believes is shrouded in dark magic. She and her BFF, Karen, realize that the old 5-1/4 inch floppy she discovered in the house and uploaded onto her computer contained magic code. One drunken and lonely night, in order to prove that the computer is in fact magic, Alix decides to “order” a man of her own from the image of the one guy she can’t forget, “Hardass Paul.” Paul, a martial arts instructor from Alix’s past, has a secret - he plays the character “Sir Kendall” in liquor commercials overseas. (I totally imagined a younger version of THE MOST INTERESTING MAN IN THE WORLD commercials.)
One of the things that I really enjoyed about Mr. Real is that the story is told from multiple points of view (POV). Each of the three main characters had such contrasting perceptions of what was happening, the multiple POVs made the story much richer. In addition, Ms. Crane did a marvelous job with details and descriptions. And one of my favorite things was how she constantly described that items from the computer were almost surreal and larger than life.
Alix is a bit flaky at times. It seems that she’s full of heart, but lousy on execution. So when she gets into this mess, I felt really bad for her. I liked that she did have a good head on her shoulders; however, she didn’t always use it. She is always trying to prove herself to her family, friends and those around her, but she uses sex, humor and her own oddity as shields.
At times throughout the story, I became a bit annoyed with Alix's refusal to listen to Paul or Karen and that she blatantly refuses to even consider something “wrong.” When viewed from Paul’s POV, Alix comes across as a jerk since she won’t consider the counsel of her REAL friends. Yet, when we get Alix’s POV, she comes across like a lost, hurt puppy dog. She’s been so wounded in her life, that she’ll blindly hold on to something she thinks will make things right.
Everything changes when Paul arrives. PauI and Alix do have something special. And through memories, we learn that Paul really did fall for Alix all those years ago. The more Paul is in the story, the more I like him. And after some convincing, it was good to have Paul know and believe the truth of the situation. I really enjoyed the pair, I just wish they didn’t take so long to break down their walls and confide in one another.
As the story grew to a climax, characters changed and grew. This is to be expected, but I have to say that the way in which the events played out threw me for a loop. I had it in my head that things would go down one way, so when they didn’t, I rebelled against the process and felt that they way in which situations were reconciled were inappropriate. However, once I finished reading the book and spent some time thinking about the entire picture, I realized that it all made perfect sense, and I ended up liking it much more than what I imagined. (It’s a really good thing Ms. Crane wrote this book and not me!)
In the end, Mr. Real is a fantastic start to what I hope to be a long lasting new series for Ms. Crane. The romance was light, but appropriate for the storyline. The geek in me wanted more explanations, but really, just like the characters brought to life, there isn't always a background, and I just have to except things as they are. The story has almost an urban fantasy feel to it, in that you don't know what will happen to our characters next. Oh, and there are still copies of that code out there! I look forward to finding out what stories lie ahead.
Full Review: http://www.twimom227.com/2012/10/revi...
Alix Gordon has inherited her crazy Great Aunt Veronica’s old home, one that her family believes is shrouded in dark magic. She and her BFF, Karen, realize that the old 5-1/4 inch floppy she discovered in the house and uploaded onto her computer contained magic code. One drunken and lonely night, in order to prove that the computer is in fact magic, Alix decides to “order” a man of her own from the image of the one guy she can’t forget, “Hardass Paul.” Paul, a martial arts instructor from Alix’s past, has a secret - he plays the character “Sir Kendall” in liquor commercials overseas. (I totally imagined a younger version of THE MOST INTERESTING MAN IN THE WORLD commercials.)
One of the things that I really enjoyed about Mr. Real is that the story is told from multiple points of view (POV). Each of the three main characters had such contrasting perceptions of what was happening, the multiple POVs made the story much richer. In addition, Ms. Crane did a marvelous job with details and descriptions. And one of my favorite things was how she constantly described that items from the computer were almost surreal and larger than life.
Alix is a bit flaky at times. It seems that she’s full of heart, but lousy on execution. So when she gets into this mess, I felt really bad for her. I liked that she did have a good head on her shoulders; however, she didn’t always use it. She is always trying to prove herself to her family, friends and those around her, but she uses sex, humor and her own oddity as shields.
At times throughout the story, I became a bit annoyed with Alix's refusal to listen to Paul or Karen and that she blatantly refuses to even consider something “wrong.” When viewed from Paul’s POV, Alix comes across as a jerk since she won’t consider the counsel of her REAL friends. Yet, when we get Alix’s POV, she comes across like a lost, hurt puppy dog. She’s been so wounded in her life, that she’ll blindly hold on to something she thinks will make things right.
Everything changes when Paul arrives. PauI and Alix do have something special. And through memories, we learn that Paul really did fall for Alix all those years ago. The more Paul is in the story, the more I like him. And after some convincing, it was good to have Paul know and believe the truth of the situation. I really enjoyed the pair, I just wish they didn’t take so long to break down their walls and confide in one another.
As the story grew to a climax, characters changed and grew. This is to be expected, but I have to say that the way in which the events played out threw me for a loop. I had it in my head that things would go down one way, so when they didn’t, I rebelled against the process and felt that they way in which situations were reconciled were inappropriate. However, once I finished reading the book and spent some time thinking about the entire picture, I realized that it all made perfect sense, and I ended up liking it much more than what I imagined. (It’s a really good thing Ms. Crane wrote this book and not me!)
In the end, Mr. Real is a fantastic start to what I hope to be a long lasting new series for Ms. Crane. The romance was light, but appropriate for the storyline. The geek in me wanted more explanations, but really, just like the characters brought to life, there isn't always a background, and I just have to except things as they are. The story has almost an urban fantasy feel to it, in that you don't know what will happen to our characters next. Oh, and there are still copies of that code out there! I look forward to finding out what stories lie ahead.
October 31, 2012
What's a girl to do when she finds magical software that brings images to life? Alix Gordon decides to bring Sir Kendall, sexy commercial spy and ladies' man who resembles a certain hardass martial arts teacher, into the real world. Paul Reinhardt wishes he never played the part of Sir Kendall because he's a reminder of a terrible past. Drawn to a small town for reasons he can't explain, Paul is shocked and horrified to find Sir Kendall in the flesh with Alix, a woman he's never been able to forget. Working past the pain Sir Kendall causes, Paul attempts to convince Alix the fake spy is dangerous and find a way to send him back before someone gets hurt.
Alix is a very frustrating heroine. She finds occult symbols on a floppy disk and once they're loaded onto her computer, she can make any image appear. So she does what any responsible person would, orders a human from a TV ad that's physically identical to a man that rejected her. Alix has a good heart but makes terrible judgment calls. I feel bad when people look down on her but then she does things that would seem crazy to a normal person, like ordering a man who knows one reality and thinks she can train him to fit in another. I wanted to shake her and yell, "how does that make sense to you?!?" It got old very quickly.
When Alix orders Sir Kendall, Paul, who plays the character, is drawn to her. Three years before, Paul taught Alix martial arts but the two ended on bad terms and he's regretted it ever since. Sir Kendall represents everything horrible that happened to Paul growing up. Playing that character was supposed to be a quick (and secret) way to make money to support his fighting career but it ended up backfiring. To see Sir Kendall with the woman he cares for is like a blow to the stomach.
I liked Paul more and more as the story unfolded. A man who's first described by Alix as being a hardass, turned out to be a man with admirable qualities and a vulnerable side he tries to hide. It's a testament to his strength that he can be around a person that causes so much pain in order to keep Alix safe. By the end I was in love and think he's the best part of this book.
Sir Kendall was more than I expected him to be. For a character in a cheesy TV ad, there's a lot of depth to him. The transformation he makes from a fake spy who believes his current situation is a ploy by his nemeses to...well I won't give the ending away but I was surprised at how much I ended up liking him.
This book is as odd as you'd expect it to be. At times it was almost too much with the bizarre excuses given about who Sir Kendall was and the ideas that popped into his head. What saved it from crossing the line into being too weird to enjoy were the real problems Paul had to overcome and even Alix, when she wasn't grating my nerves, had relatable worries. The ending, as far-fetched as it was, was unexpected and had me glued until the last page. This book was an odd mix of a supernatural spy caper with a twist of drama and romance, mixed with a good dose of humor and hot sex. If you're looking for something different to read, this one may be for you.
- Stephanie
Alix is a very frustrating heroine. She finds occult symbols on a floppy disk and once they're loaded onto her computer, she can make any image appear. So she does what any responsible person would, orders a human from a TV ad that's physically identical to a man that rejected her. Alix has a good heart but makes terrible judgment calls. I feel bad when people look down on her but then she does things that would seem crazy to a normal person, like ordering a man who knows one reality and thinks she can train him to fit in another. I wanted to shake her and yell, "how does that make sense to you?!?" It got old very quickly.
When Alix orders Sir Kendall, Paul, who plays the character, is drawn to her. Three years before, Paul taught Alix martial arts but the two ended on bad terms and he's regretted it ever since. Sir Kendall represents everything horrible that happened to Paul growing up. Playing that character was supposed to be a quick (and secret) way to make money to support his fighting career but it ended up backfiring. To see Sir Kendall with the woman he cares for is like a blow to the stomach.
I liked Paul more and more as the story unfolded. A man who's first described by Alix as being a hardass, turned out to be a man with admirable qualities and a vulnerable side he tries to hide. It's a testament to his strength that he can be around a person that causes so much pain in order to keep Alix safe. By the end I was in love and think he's the best part of this book.
Sir Kendall was more than I expected him to be. For a character in a cheesy TV ad, there's a lot of depth to him. The transformation he makes from a fake spy who believes his current situation is a ploy by his nemeses to...well I won't give the ending away but I was surprised at how much I ended up liking him.
This book is as odd as you'd expect it to be. At times it was almost too much with the bizarre excuses given about who Sir Kendall was and the ideas that popped into his head. What saved it from crossing the line into being too weird to enjoy were the real problems Paul had to overcome and even Alix, when she wasn't grating my nerves, had relatable worries. The ending, as far-fetched as it was, was unexpected and had me glued until the last page. This book was an odd mix of a supernatural spy caper with a twist of drama and romance, mixed with a good dose of humor and hot sex. If you're looking for something different to read, this one may be for you.
- Stephanie
November 19, 2012
Pink haired Alix finds out that living in her spooky Victorian home (her aunt, a witch, bequeathed it to her) comes with perks. YA THINK? Real quick: So I have this thing about heroines with unnaturally colored hair in books, it just seems such a lazeballs way of projecting, “Wow! Look at her! She’s funky! She’s spunky! She’s different! She DA ONE!” Surprisingly, Crane Made It Work. Alix owned the hell out of her pink hair and tassled boots and skanky clothing. Go, Alix!
So it turns out if she saves a picture to her computer desktop and clicks on it enough? Shazam. It appears on her doorstep 24 hours later. Alix orders a necklace, some boots, a barrel (go with it) and some douchey James Bond wannabe character (Sir Kendall) from an Australian commercial who was played by a crush that was real mean to her one time but she can't stop thinking about him. Sir Kendall is all kinds of crazy. And then her crush Paul joins the party. Naturally, Paul is a LOT freaked out and his blend of vulnerability and strength (he's a fighter...swooooon) damn near killed me. Remember that scene when Alix opens the door and he’s standing on the porch all wild eyed?! Good Lord, the feelings.
Mr. Real kicked ass, ON THE REAL. Every time I read a paragraph or two I had to put my eReader down to laugh heartily. I really enjoyed it.
So it turns out if she saves a picture to her computer desktop and clicks on it enough? Shazam. It appears on her doorstep 24 hours later. Alix orders a necklace, some boots, a barrel (go with it) and some douchey James Bond wannabe character (Sir Kendall) from an Australian commercial who was played by a crush that was real mean to her one time but she can't stop thinking about him. Sir Kendall is all kinds of crazy. And then her crush Paul joins the party. Naturally, Paul is a LOT freaked out and his blend of vulnerability and strength (he's a fighter...swooooon) damn near killed me. Remember that scene when Alix opens the door and he’s standing on the porch all wild eyed?! Good Lord, the feelings.
Mr. Real kicked ass, ON THE REAL. Every time I read a paragraph or two I had to put my eReader down to laugh heartily. I really enjoyed it.
November 20, 2012
Read other book reviews at Book Junkie Joint.
A steamy romance with seriously lovable characters!
Mr. Real is a real treat for fans of the Paranormal Romance genre! It isn't too heavy and doesn't dwell too much on the mystery aspect of the story, but it makes everything worthwhile come full circle.
Personally, the best thing about this book is Paul Reinhardt. He's an accomplished athlete, a completely virile male and a rising star of professional mixed martial arts fights, but there's also that part of himself which he loathes to an unhealthy degree. It would be safe to say that the author has created a complex yet completely relatable character in Paul.
The heroine - Alix - on the other hand, is a completely different issue. She's stubborn, thick-headed and completely unreasonable. Within the first few chapters of the novel, I wanted to rip my hair off because of her. I mean, come on! If you have your closest friend and the rest of your family reminding you time and again of how much of a problem you are, then there's probably something wrong with you!
However, Alix is also pure-hearted. She is fiercely loyal to a fault and when push comes to shove, she could be counted on to do what's right. I guess, even if she is a little messed up and crazy, she's still a good girl. I admit that I didn't like her at the beginning, but as I read on, she just grew on me.
Oh, and worthy of mention is Sir Kendall, too! He's like James Bond on a completely different level of crazy. Plus, I really appreciated how the narrator allowed glimpses into how Sir Kendall's mind worked. In fact, throughout the story, the narrator gives glimpses of the different perspective of the main characters.
And just as I thought I've already figured how the story would end, a surprise twist involving a super villain is introduced into the storyline! It was awesome and definitely unique all on its own. While I understand that this story is predominantly a Paranormal Romance, the Mystery bit is such a pleasant surprise.
This is actually the first novel of Carolyn Crane that I've read, and I can't wait to read more of her works! I highly recommend this for readers who wish to read a Paranormal Romance novel that's unique and doesn't include the usual slew of paranormal characters (vampires, werewolves, witches, etc.).
A steamy romance with seriously lovable characters!
Mr. Real is a real treat for fans of the Paranormal Romance genre! It isn't too heavy and doesn't dwell too much on the mystery aspect of the story, but it makes everything worthwhile come full circle.
Personally, the best thing about this book is Paul Reinhardt. He's an accomplished athlete, a completely virile male and a rising star of professional mixed martial arts fights, but there's also that part of himself which he loathes to an unhealthy degree. It would be safe to say that the author has created a complex yet completely relatable character in Paul.
The heroine - Alix - on the other hand, is a completely different issue. She's stubborn, thick-headed and completely unreasonable. Within the first few chapters of the novel, I wanted to rip my hair off because of her. I mean, come on! If you have your closest friend and the rest of your family reminding you time and again of how much of a problem you are, then there's probably something wrong with you!
However, Alix is also pure-hearted. She is fiercely loyal to a fault and when push comes to shove, she could be counted on to do what's right. I guess, even if she is a little messed up and crazy, she's still a good girl. I admit that I didn't like her at the beginning, but as I read on, she just grew on me.
Oh, and worthy of mention is Sir Kendall, too! He's like James Bond on a completely different level of crazy. Plus, I really appreciated how the narrator allowed glimpses into how Sir Kendall's mind worked. In fact, throughout the story, the narrator gives glimpses of the different perspective of the main characters.
And just as I thought I've already figured how the story would end, a surprise twist involving a super villain is introduced into the storyline! It was awesome and definitely unique all on its own. While I understand that this story is predominantly a Paranormal Romance, the Mystery bit is such a pleasant surprise.
This is actually the first novel of Carolyn Crane that I've read, and I can't wait to read more of her works! I highly recommend this for readers who wish to read a Paranormal Romance novel that's unique and doesn't include the usual slew of paranormal characters (vampires, werewolves, witches, etc.).
November 12, 2012
Mr. Real is exactly what I would expect from a Carolyn Crane novel. It's unique, fun, and sexy with an imperfect protagonist, a damaged hero, and eccentric secondary characters.
The story revolves around Alix, a character full of flaws and known for her poor decision making skills. It's apparent that she has become resentful of her role as the carefree, irresponsible friend/sibling/daughter and we're shown that many of her actions are a mask for her insecurities.
I love this type of broken, complex character. If Alix had been a more practical, capable protagonist, then she wouldn't have made most of the decisions that created such a crazy and exciting story line.
When Alix discovers that she's able to bring computer images to life, thanks to her late aunt's interests in dark magic, she brings Sir Kendall Nicholas III to her doorstep, the sexy spy from the Denali liqueur ads.
I immensely enjoyed experiencing the story from Sir Kendall's point of view. His thoughts and interactions with others were interesting simply because of how clueless he was to the entire situation. He was pulled from his reality into another and believes that Alix is a double agent working for his enemy. As a result, he's suspicious of every move Alix makes, every facial expression, every phone call, and every word that she says. It became quite comical at times.
And then there is Paul Reinhardt, the sexy fighter that was formally Alix's martial arts teacher. He's also the man that plays the part of Sir Kendall on TV, a regrettable decision that is negatively affecting his life.
When he discovers that Alix is staying with a man that believes himself to be Sir Kendall, he tries to warn her that he could be dangerous and is determined to keep her safe. But that proves difficult for him to do when he's fighting his own demons and simply hearing Sir Kendall's voice unravels him, provokes his temper, and stirs up painful memories from his past.
Overall, I thought Crane did a fantastic job of creating an imaginative, well-paced story in a series that I very much look forward to continuing. And if you haven't already, I suggest you check out her Disillusionists Trilogy, starting with Mind Games.
http://www.addicted2heroines.com/2012...
The story revolves around Alix, a character full of flaws and known for her poor decision making skills. It's apparent that she has become resentful of her role as the carefree, irresponsible friend/sibling/daughter and we're shown that many of her actions are a mask for her insecurities.
I love this type of broken, complex character. If Alix had been a more practical, capable protagonist, then she wouldn't have made most of the decisions that created such a crazy and exciting story line.
When Alix discovers that she's able to bring computer images to life, thanks to her late aunt's interests in dark magic, she brings Sir Kendall Nicholas III to her doorstep, the sexy spy from the Denali liqueur ads.
I immensely enjoyed experiencing the story from Sir Kendall's point of view. His thoughts and interactions with others were interesting simply because of how clueless he was to the entire situation. He was pulled from his reality into another and believes that Alix is a double agent working for his enemy. As a result, he's suspicious of every move Alix makes, every facial expression, every phone call, and every word that she says. It became quite comical at times.
And then there is Paul Reinhardt, the sexy fighter that was formally Alix's martial arts teacher. He's also the man that plays the part of Sir Kendall on TV, a regrettable decision that is negatively affecting his life.
When he discovers that Alix is staying with a man that believes himself to be Sir Kendall, he tries to warn her that he could be dangerous and is determined to keep her safe. But that proves difficult for him to do when he's fighting his own demons and simply hearing Sir Kendall's voice unravels him, provokes his temper, and stirs up painful memories from his past.
Overall, I thought Crane did a fantastic job of creating an imaginative, well-paced story in a series that I very much look forward to continuing. And if you haven't already, I suggest you check out her Disillusionists Trilogy, starting with Mind Games.
http://www.addicted2heroines.com/2012...
October 26, 2012
4.5 stars
Mr. Real is a paranormal-romance-superspy-mashup that defies a strict category and was just so much fun to read. When Carolyn's characters mess up, they do not do it half-assed. In fact, the first lesson I gleaned from this book was to never screw with an occult computer program after the 5th beer. Definitely want the beer goggles off for that kind of decision.
I did like Alix. She of course did stupid things, but she tried so hard to do right and build herself up after years of feeling inferior. Paul, yeah, good stuff right there. He is tormented but he tries to work through it and I liked him a lot. And Sir Kendall was exactly how all of my Bond fantasies play out. Sure he's a suave, charismatic figure, but get involved with him and you'll be screwed over (and not in a happy-fun-times-way). I really liked that we got to get into all 3 of their heads. Especially Sir Kendall. Also really happy with how Paul & Alix balance each other. I do like when the couple have a prior history.
This is just book 1 and I can't wait to see what Crane cooks up for us next.
[I received an ARC to review.]
There is an interview with Carolyn Crane over at my blog: http://kabookpile.blogspot.com/2012/1...
Mr. Real is a paranormal-romance-superspy-mashup that defies a strict category and was just so much fun to read. When Carolyn's characters mess up, they do not do it half-assed. In fact, the first lesson I gleaned from this book was to never screw with an occult computer program after the 5th beer. Definitely want the beer goggles off for that kind of decision.
I did like Alix. She of course did stupid things, but she tried so hard to do right and build herself up after years of feeling inferior. Paul, yeah, good stuff right there. He is tormented but he tries to work through it and I liked him a lot. And Sir Kendall was exactly how all of my Bond fantasies play out. Sure he's a suave, charismatic figure, but get involved with him and you'll be screwed over (and not in a happy-fun-times-way). I really liked that we got to get into all 3 of their heads. Especially Sir Kendall. Also really happy with how Paul & Alix balance each other. I do like when the couple have a prior history.
This is just book 1 and I can't wait to see what Crane cooks up for us next.
[I received an ARC to review.]
There is an interview with Carolyn Crane over at my blog: http://kabookpile.blogspot.com/2012/1...
May 26, 2014
Things to love about this book:
It's as unique as they come! I love how original the concept is. Magic computer programs + spies + romance you will find nowhere else!!
The female lead, Alix, is a TSTL character done VERY well! I've seen some reviews complaining about Alix's intelligence and let me just say, she's not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but if she were, we wouldn't have the story. She's not pretending to be some super genius and everyone in her life knows she isn't as well, but there's still plenty to like about her. Sure, she can be frustrating at times, but I'd be more annoyed if she were one of those perfect heroine who had all the answers. Paul, the hero, does a very good job at showing us that even with her shortcomings, there's still a lot to love and admire about her.
Paul has a lot to like about him as well. He's a bit of a tortured hero, but isn't too down on himself or his life. He's hit a low point and ironically getting caught up in the mess Alix created with her magic computer program snaps him out of it. He's a good guy and easy to route for.
Sir Kendall adds great humor and suspense to the story. He teeters between the role of a hero and a villain, likeable and unlikeable and adds a unique perspective to the story.
It's as unique as they come! I love how original the concept is. Magic computer programs + spies + romance you will find nowhere else!!
The female lead, Alix, is a TSTL character done VERY well! I've seen some reviews complaining about Alix's intelligence and let me just say, she's not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but if she were, we wouldn't have the story. She's not pretending to be some super genius and everyone in her life knows she isn't as well, but there's still plenty to like about her. Sure, she can be frustrating at times, but I'd be more annoyed if she were one of those perfect heroine who had all the answers. Paul, the hero, does a very good job at showing us that even with her shortcomings, there's still a lot to love and admire about her.
Paul has a lot to like about him as well. He's a bit of a tortured hero, but isn't too down on himself or his life. He's hit a low point and ironically getting caught up in the mess Alix created with her magic computer program snaps him out of it. He's a good guy and easy to route for.
Sir Kendall adds great humor and suspense to the story. He teeters between the role of a hero and a villain, likeable and unlikeable and adds a unique perspective to the story.
January 13, 2013
I love Carolyn Crane. She’s one of my must read authors and so when she announced Mr. Real, I was more than just merely excited. I loved her Disillusionist series so much and I knew that I would love this series just as much. And while in the end, I did love this book, the beginning was a little weird for me. I had a hard time getting into the book and really getting into Alix. I understood who she was, but not why she did what she did. Then when we were introduced to Sir Kendall and then to Paul Reinhardt, I had a difficult time understanding them too. Especially when it came down to Paul and Alix’s relationship…
Eventually, things came together for me and I was able to overlook the little things that bothered me. Although I wish Alix would have done more to rectify the situation that she had created, I understood her reluctance. I look forward to seeing what comes next in this series. I love the craziness that Crane weaves into her books and I can’t wait to visit that craziness in the next book she writes.
Got a copy of this book to review from Netgalley the day after I bought it for myself.
Eventually, things came together for me and I was able to overlook the little things that bothered me. Although I wish Alix would have done more to rectify the situation that she had created, I understood her reluctance. I look forward to seeing what comes next in this series. I love the craziness that Crane weaves into her books and I can’t wait to visit that craziness in the next book she writes.
Got a copy of this book to review from Netgalley the day after I bought it for myself.
October 31, 2012
This is an amazingly fun read!
I absolutely love Crane's Disillusionists trilogy, so when I got the offer to read and review her self-published book Mr. Real I jumped at the chance.
I love it!
Alix is such a great heroine. I fell in love with her from the start and could perfectly understand why she does the things that get her in trouble. And then there's Paul and Sir Kendall. I loved both of them and at times I was wondering which one of them I should root for. I also really wanted to drink Denali, the drink that was featured in the ad where Sir Kendall is from.
I like how Crane manages to write a humorous story, but still make it really suspenseful as well. I was snickering one moment and holding my breath the next. Crane's writing is fun, funny and intense. Once I got reading I couldn't put this book down.
I can advice this book to anyone who likes an original and quirky paranormal romance that's fast paced and funny. I myself will be trying to get my trotters on a print version of this book and will reread it often. I also hope Crane will write many more books in this series
I absolutely love Crane's Disillusionists trilogy, so when I got the offer to read and review her self-published book Mr. Real I jumped at the chance.
I love it!
Alix is such a great heroine. I fell in love with her from the start and could perfectly understand why she does the things that get her in trouble. And then there's Paul and Sir Kendall. I loved both of them and at times I was wondering which one of them I should root for. I also really wanted to drink Denali, the drink that was featured in the ad where Sir Kendall is from.
I like how Crane manages to write a humorous story, but still make it really suspenseful as well. I was snickering one moment and holding my breath the next. Crane's writing is fun, funny and intense. Once I got reading I couldn't put this book down.
I can advice this book to anyone who likes an original and quirky paranormal romance that's fast paced and funny. I myself will be trying to get my trotters on a print version of this book and will reread it often. I also hope Crane will write many more books in this series
November 6, 2012
As a fan of the Disillusionist series, it pains me to give this book a so-so review, but I just couldn't get into the main character. Anyone who's read Carolyn Crane's earlier series knows she has an amazing ability to create unusual, semi-tortured characters. In this book, Paul was a great example of this, and Sir Kendall was an interesting character as well. Unfortunately, Alix just wasn't very compelling to me. I kept waiting to find out circumstances from her youth that worked considering her age (for me, the idea that she was a bit different from the rest of her family doesn't explain this for a character past 30) or some other explanation for her more problematic personality flaws, but in the end she just seemed narcissistic and irresponsible. There were still things to enjoy - Paul's character, for instance - but so much of the plot was wrapped up in Alix that it was hard to move past that.
I'll keep reading this series, but I'm definitely crossing my fingers that CC hits her stride again with main characters.
I'll keep reading this series, but I'm definitely crossing my fingers that CC hits her stride again with main characters.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 119 reviews