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Irresistible

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When Mia gets a job in a posh health/country club during her gap year, she is strikes up a friendship with the laconic and funny Dan. Dan is also working in the club and keeps Mia amused. However, she soon finds herself drawn to the wealthy bad boy, Jamie. Jamie is the beautiful and privileged Cleo’s boyfriend. Mia knows that her relationship with Jamie is wrong, but there’s something so dangerously exciting about Jamie that she just can’t stop.

213 pages, Paperback

First published December 6, 2012

8 people are currently reading
520 people want to read

About the author

Liz Bankes

19 books57 followers
Liz Bankes grew up in Sevenoaks (or One-oak as it should be called since six of the oaks fell down).

As a child she was passionate about books, the Beano and Ryan Giggs.

She has been writing since she was little, drawing plenty of cartoons and comic strips, giving them to her family to read and then waiting patiently (staring at them intensely) until they laughed. In year 6 she co-wrote, with a friend, The Sealyham Story (like the Iliad, but in Wales), which was scandalously ignored by all the major literary prizes. Then at secondary school she wrote a story about a woman who killed people and turned them into pies. Instead of a referral to a psychologist the school gave her a creative writing prize and sent her on her way.

Since then she’s been writing book reviews and blog posts (find out more on her blog site) and, secretly, more stories.

Irresistible is Liz Bankes' first published book.

Source : http://www.piccadillypress.co.uk/teen...

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews
Profile Image for Mary  BookHounds .
1,303 reviews1,965 followers
February 14, 2013
MY THOUGHTS
LOVED IT

Mia is waiting on the results for her test scores to see which college she will be able to attend. In the meantime, she takes a job as a waitress in a swanky resort located in a castle and owned by a very wealthy family in England. Of course, as Mia soon finds out, the rich play differently. Jamie, the son of the owner, Julia, has a boat load of entitlement issues. He and his friends love to cause problems for anyone who slights his group. Cleo, his exotic girlfriend, play cruel games with others going to far as to break up marriages, hack web pages, and generally smear the reputations of anyone who causes them perceived slight. At the restaurant, Mia is falling for Dan, who is assigned to kitchen as a busboy. Her BFF, Gabi, is constantly relaying gossip about Jamie and his group that appear online. As Mia gets drawn into Jamie's inner circle, she finds herself becoming very attracted to him and willing to go to great lengths to get his attention. The pair run hot and cold and Mia finds herself in quite a few compromising positions fueled by alcohol.

Dan always seems to be there for her, trying to pick her up when Jamie and his friends try to ruin her formerly good life by hacking her Facebook page. It quickly dawns of Mia that these people are truly evil but she is so consumed by lust for Jamie that all of her reasoning and logic seems to fly out the window. Her step-father, Jeff, tries to reason with her about her erratic behavior and of course, she shuts him down and blames everything on him since he is not her "real father". Jeff patiently waits for her to come to her senses and is there for her when her world falls apart. Gabi and Dan also try to help her through this awful period where Jamie and his friend viciously attack her online.

If you think this plot seems a bit familiar, it is a take on Dangerous Liaisons. This is not my normal cup of tea and when I first started, I thought I would just put it down after a few pages. I did put it down, four hours later when I finished it. Yes, it was that compelling and full of delicious twists and turns. This was just a bunch of evil fun and I noticed on Amazon that it looks like there may be a follow up in August called Seduced, which I will definitely check out. Parents: this is best suited for older teens and please note that this takes place in England where the drinking age is eighteen and teens can drink with an adult at meals.
Profile Image for Lauren.
1,030 reviews100 followers
August 5, 2017
At first glance, I didn't expect much from Liz Bankes' Irresistible. I had heard mixed things about it, and honestly, it looked like just another summer romance read. Surprisingly enough, I was captivated by Irresistible. Similar to the cult classic Cruel Intentions, Irresistible introduces a main character you can't help but love and a frustrating yet utterly addictive romantic triangle.

Mia is conflicted about her future. One part of her knows that she should go back to school and get an education, but another part of her so desperately craves a gap year filled with travel, romance, and adventure. Mia decides the perfect place to figure out what she wants to do while earning some money is Raleigh's Great Hall Restaurant, an incredibly popular country club in her town. Raleigh's Great Hall is the place where the wealthy and famous frequently dine so Mia expects it to be more than the typical summer job, but what she doesn't expect is just how life changing it will be. Thrown into the complicated world within the country club's walls, Mia is torn between two potential relationships - one with the reliable, trustworthy Dan and one with the reckless, mysterious Jamie.

Mia is a complicated character. She's irrational and prone to risky decisions. She makes her life much harder than it needs to be, especially regarding boys. She's sometimes horrible to the people who love her the most. Truthfully, she's the kind of character who really should drive me insane.

However, there was something about her I just couldn't help but love - so much so that I easily forgave her for indiscretions, because when it comes down to it she's the prime example of any girls who has been torn between two guys - the one who's good, sweet as sugar and spice and the one who's no good yet irresistible. I feel that anyone, teen or adult, will be able to relate to her in some way, because really who hasn't been there before? Over the duration of the story, we see her experience a surplus of ups and downs, and while my heart broke for at some of those especially bad downs, it was still an incredible worthwhile transformation to witness.

Besides Mia, I also enjoyed seeing the other characters in this develop. I loved Dan. He's the prime example of the boy-next-door. His corny jokes kept me laughing, and I especially loved how sweet he was to Mia. Jamie, on the other hand, I was conflicted about. At some times, he could be charming - I could easily see how Mia was so wrapped up into his world - but other time he was just so horrible, so horrible it could make my blood boil to a point.

The plot in this mainly revolves around Mia's romantic triangle that arises, as you probably could've guessed by this point. While I'm usually not a huge fan of romantic triangles, I was hooked by this one. Even more so, I was torn between really who Mia should pick, especially given the series of grad romantic gestures that occurs. Additionally, I liked how this book also was a coming-of-age tale overall. At its heart, Irresistible really is about the decisions that may break or make you, but what you do with those decisions is how you move on and survive.

I also really enjoyed the ending - it was very open ended but I felt that it fit the story perfectly.

Basically, Irresistible is for every girl who knew a boy was bad news but couldn't resist. Will Irresistible change your life? No. But will you enjoy every minute of it? Yes (hopefully!)!

Grade: A
Profile Image for Michelle ♥♥♥♥.
217 reviews8 followers
March 3, 2013
SPOILERS ALERT!

I'm giving this book a 2 and that's being generous! I just kept reading hoping something would happen...

Really was happy when things happened with Mia and Jamie, only for it to turn out the way it did... Tragic really especially for a presummed first time... Just one hurtful and disappointing thing after another! It was good that Mia became stronger and didn't end tragically like in some girls lives when they get bullied!!!

I would have given more had it not ended the way it did. If there is a sequel I may read it only because it left questions unanswered for me. By the other reviews it did the same for others.

I don't get how people are giving this 4 stars.... Was I reading the same book. The characters and their personalities were fine in some places. But the lying and betrayals and bullying of not only teens but adults too that took place left a bad taste for me!

All in all, I wouldn't recommend it and I can NEVER get that time back that was spent reading it! Sadly!
276 reviews
February 25, 2013
Even though I was screaming at the main character 99% of the time "make better choices!!", I was still enjoying this.

HOWEVER,

the overall story, is lacking an ending, there's also no point in the story which is elevated. This novels feels like the first 3rd of a unfinished book. Its annoying. In fact if this novel was to go on for 5 more pages, Thats where the climax would be, and then we'd still have to get through the resolution - and even i remember this from year 5 writing classes.

So yeah. Was enjoying it. Then realised i was never going to find out what was going to happen. Got angry. Annoyed = This review.

Profile Image for Kristin Campbell.
Author 8 books180 followers
February 26, 2013
I saw an advertisement for this book and succumbed. It was totally worth it! This book is like a cross of Bridget Jone's Diary and Cruel Intentions. Really wicked and hilariously funny, at times. It was full of British humor and some twisted, bored, pretentious brats with a side that they are afraid to share with the world.
Profile Image for Asheley T..
1,588 reviews123 followers
February 18, 2013
See my my entire Three-Things Review here: http://www.intothehallofbooks.com/201...

Irresistible opens with this:

"Jamie Elliot-Fox is toxic."

I wrote that in my diary in the middle of last summary. To warn myself. In case I got sucked in. In case I let myself fall for it. In case I unleashed a whole load of trouble. But I still did.*


*********************************************************

The first thing you need to know is this:
Mia Johnson gets a job as a waitress
at the prestigious Radleigh Castle Restaurant.
There are two boys that catch Mia's eye.

Mia Joseph is hired to work as a waitress at Radleigh Castle by Julia Elliot-Fox, a no-nonsense woman who can be a bit awful at times. Before she is even hired - in the interview - Mia is introduced to Julia's son Jamie right away as she witnesses some of his bad-boy behavior through a window. He holds her eyes the entire time, willing her to watch what he's doing. (It is from the beginning of the book that I realized Jamie Elliot-Fox is going to be a very interesting player in this story.)

Fast forward - Dan David begins work on the same day as Mia. He'll be working with her in the restaurant kitchen. Mia and Dan are soon cracking jokes comfortably around each other and there is witty banter and tons of smiles. The two form an easy friendship that progresses to warm feelings and hand-holding. Dan walks Mia home at night and the conversations are always non-stop and fun. Mia begins to wonder if they are boyfriend/girlfriend, and she hopes that they are. She really likes Dan.

Jamie Elliot-Fox is a very rich, snobby, and bored boy that lives in the castle's pool house. He loiters around the grounds all day/every day, causing tons of trouble for anyone that he chooses. Every night, he throws parties at his pool house. Jamie has a beautiful, exotic girlfriend named Cleo that also is summer resident of Radleigh Castle. (Cleo is nothing but trouble. TROUBLE.) Mia wants to despise Jamie for his behavior but as much as she tries, she is captivated by this boy and finds herself drawn to him. He's very handsome - he makes her feel butterflies in her stomach and he makes her knees weak. If she likes Dan so much, then why do her thoughts linger on Jamie all the time?

This cannot be good. It cannot be good.

The second thing you need to know is this:
Mia finds herself juggling both boys.
This cannot end well.

It isn't long before Mia ends up spending her days with Dan - either working in the restaurant with him or hanging out with him outside of work - and spending her nights with Jamie. Mia either goes to Jamie's pool parties after work and stays over, or she sneaks to his place late at night. When Mia is with Dan, she always has fun, but her thoughts always turn to Jamie.

When she is with Jamie, Mia feels guilty and thinks of Dan. To be honest, she never stops liking him. He's a great guy. But he just isn't Jamie. The thing is - Jamie is a spoiled, rich brat with terrible behavior. He does some pretty awful things to people in the name of pranking and joking around. Mia still isn't sure she wants to get tangled up with someone who behaves that way, but she needs to make a decision before people get hurt.

The third thing you need to know is this:
A THING HAPPENS.

It was inevitable. Mia knew something would happen. She even told herself at the very beginning not to get tangled with Jamie. But she did, and stuff happened, and MAN OH MAN.

*********************************************************

Irresistible by Liz Bankes had me from the quote I mentioned above, which precedes even the first chapter. THIS is how I met Jamie Elliot-Fox. I knew he was trouble right away, before I even met him. No, he was toxic. Oh, this intrigued me so much! What on earth did he do to make Mia put this in her journal? THAT question, coupled with the cover of the book, made me pretty excited to read this book.

Irresistible is a fun, fun book. These characters are in their summer - between school sessions - and it seems like they're trying to work and have a good time, just like most young people. They joke around with one another and goof off, and they get into plenty of trouble. The thing about these folks is that with wealth and privilege comes the ability to not get caught much of the time. Jamie Elliot-Fox is one of the most fun "bad-boy" type characters I've read about in a long time. I just loved him. He was such a jerk to most people - he did such terrible things, but he justified his behavior in claiming that his victims deserved it. It was sort of funny. His girlfriend Cleo - that gal was trouble. I could see it a mile away - I just knew. But maybe think Jamie did too, and perhaps that is why he kept her close? He certainly didn't act like he liked her very much.

When Jamie sees Mia through the window during her interview, he keeps her stare. She isn't sure what to do. She can see that his behavior is deplorable, and there are repercussions that are disastrous for another person. Mia knows that the truth can help the other person, but her intrigue and pull toward Jamie keep her from saying anything. This was one of the first clues to me that Mia would be a bit of a weakling...and she kept up behavior like that throughout the book. Mia was weak at times, and largely unable to make decisions for herself. She pretty much did whatever anyone told her to do - which is how she ended up with a double life to begin with and ultimately how she ended up the center of a big mess when everything blew up. (Blew up big time!) I would like to say that it would be nice for Mia to have been a bit stronger and more decisive - but honestly, if she would have been different, the book wouldn't have been as humorous and the story wouldn't have been as charming. So this time - this time - I'm going to say that I liked Mia's character the way that she was, flawed as she could be. This is not my norm but I think Liz Bankes nailed Mia in this case because the story worked with an indecisive Mia Joseph.

The drawback to an indecisive Mia is that she was two-timing Dan. Oh, poor Dan! Dan is a great guy, and that is obvious from the beginning. I liked him immediately. He was very charming and funny. And he took Mia on picnics! The two talked about plans to backpack through Europe together, and Dan walked her home in the evenings after work so she wouldn't have to walk home. He was such a great guy that I genuinely felt bad for him because I felt like I was keeping a secret from him too.

Back to Jamie - once Mia begins secretly seeing Jamie and thus leading her double life of seeing two boys - Jamie changes quite a bit. The Jamie that everyone else knows during the day is not the Jamie that Mia sees at night. Jamie-at-night is thoughtful and kind, and smiles all the way up to his eyes instead of throwing off smirks left and right. Jamie-at-night makes small talk that turns into conversations instead of maintaining an intimidating silence most of the time. It isn't that Mia notices these things about him because she is spending more time with him, but he actually makes changes to himself and opens himself up to her. THIS is why I like Jamie so much - because the bad boy actually has a heart and a mind - he just doesn't like to show it to anyone. I loved Jamie. Toxic Jamie.

Irresistible seems like a cheating book, and I suppose it is - some readers will be put off by that and not want to pick it up at all. But what I took away from Irresistible is that it was the experience of a girl that fell in love and made a huge, huge mistake. Some things happened after all of that that I really enjoyed because things started looking up for Mia again. The characters are great - even the toxic/not-really-toxic Jamie Elliot-Fox, who is the star of this book, in my opinion.

I do want to note that this book has a lot of alcohol in it for people that are under twenty-one BUT the legal drinking age is eighteen in England, which is where this story takes place. (Someone correct me on that if I am wrong. I am in the US.) I would also like to note that Irresistible is pretty steamy - steamy enough that I would recommend it for older young adult readers or adult YA-loving readers. I actually think this is more along the lines of a New Adult book rather than a Young Adult book even though I am not quite familiar with the schooling terms used in the book.

I really liked Irresistible. It was a fun, quick read that satisfied my craving for a fun, delicious story with a fun, delicious character. I found this in the story's toxic bad-boy, Jamie. Some readers may be put-off by the double life that Mia led, but if you are able to see that the story is about an indecisive girl that fell in love and made some mistakes, you just might enjoy this one. I'll definitely be keeping this on my re-read shelf.
Profile Image for Misty.
339 reviews51 followers
April 27, 2018
Argh...this book annoyed me. Not really so much the book I guess because it was well written and kept my attention but the characters annoyed me. Mia is niave and gullible to the point of stupidity. Whatever happened to fool me once shame on l you, fool me twice... Learn from your mistakes! Don't keep falling for the same stupid crap. Not to mention, have some self respect! Do not fall for a guy who has a girlfriend and has shown you first hand that he doesn't respect women. That is just asking for heart break. Secondly...Dan was great. Wth! He adored her and he was great. And if she didn't feel that way about him then tell him that. Don't string him along just because you can. Argh! And don't even get me started on Jamie. He is the epitome of everything I fear for my teenaged daughter finding in a boyfriend. No!
Profile Image for Lyndsey O'Halloran.
432 reviews65 followers
January 17, 2013
Protagonist Mia has just finished her GCSEs and needs a job for the summer. She manages to score herself an interview at a really posh hotel nearby owned by a super rich family. When she somehow manages to get the job, she is well aware of Jamie, the son, after she sees him drinking and pressed up against a window with some girl. To begin with, I quite liked Mia. She had good reasons for wanting the job, she came across as a nice enough girl and had a great thing going with her best friend.

Soon after Mia starts work at the hotel, she hits it off with a boy working in the kitchen named Dan, who was sweet and lovely and nothing but nice. The two begin to have some kind of a relationship and it appears that things are going well between the two… until Jamie happens. This is where me liking Mia began to go downhill. Jamie has a reputation for being a bad boy and a bit of a heartbreaker, although he has a girlfriend. Cleo, his girlfriend, was a lovely character and was quick to befriend Mia and invite her into their circle. Then Mia stabs her in the back. Lovely.

Jamie is one of those boys who has money and seems to think he can do whatever he wants because of that and thinks he will get away with it. It is quite clear early on that he enjoys ruining other people’s lives and it is pretty much a sport to him. He’s arrogant and full of himself. To begin with, he just teases Mia a little and flirts with her but nothing else. However, when Cleo goes away on holiday, things escalate. Mia and Jamie begin to spend a lot of time together, with her sneaking out at night to see him – meaning she is also doing things behind Dan’s back.

As for the story, there is little more to Irresistible than the romance. I say romance but it really isn’t that at all. Nothing really happens in this book save for the constant lying of Mia to other people. Not only does she lie to Dan, she lies to her best friend and her family. Also, as Jamie is part of a family with a lot of money, quite a lot in this book comes across as superficial and shallow. Because of this, it was hard to like some of the characters even a little bit because they had little more to them than the money of their parents.

However, strangely I loved the ending of this book. Characters appear to have changed quite quickly and the tone of the book also changes. The things I hated about the rest of the book aren’t there at the end which makes this part feel like it was written by someone else completely. If there is going to be a sequel, considering how the book was left, I may read it and I may not. It won’t be a book I’d be dying to get my hands on.
Profile Image for Millie.
54 reviews2 followers
February 26, 2013
Another 2.5 star rating for me (I feel like I've been handing out this rating for the past month)...

I liked the story, which kept my interest, but the protagonist was naive, selfish, and persuaded way too easily. And that left me frustrated and annoyed with her and the choices she made throughout the book. Why mess with a good thing? Why string people along? Why go looking for drama?!?

And don't get me started on Jamie...he is a douche with a capital D!!! It was clear from the beginning, he's crude, manipulative and used everyone like a tool for his amusement. How you can be attracted to this type of person is beyond me (looks only go so far). And yeah, they shared a few seconds of vulnerability, but that doesn't make up for all the shit he caused for so many people.

I do have to say though, I did enjoy Dan. All sweet, considerate and just...easy. No hidden agendas with him. He makes you laugh and always has your back. And Mia and Dan really seemed to have alot in common...so...?

Anyway, the ending felt incomplete. I thought there would be at least a few more sentences or an epilogue, but nothing. Unless the author plans to write a continuation of the story, I felt a bit cheated at the end.

*sigh* I need to get out of my book funk...
89 reviews1 follower
March 4, 2013
Wow left with questions.....not sure how to feel about the abrupt ending.
Profile Image for Megan Houde.
1,062 reviews5 followers
May 28, 2019
Another quick little read that I’ve had sitting on my shelf. Definitely meant for a teen because there’s a lot of teenage immaturity in it. I predicted what was going to happen, which isn’t hard when it’s a 200 page book 🤷🏼‍♀️
Profile Image for Maria Camella.
45 reviews
January 28, 2022
I thought its going to be a spicy book but glad it wasn’t!!! ❤️🙏🏻 I laughed to all the jokes on ths book! Loved that there’s 2 different guys with different personalities and the ending was such a cliff hanger but i still liked it!
Profile Image for Sabrina.
41 reviews9 followers
January 7, 2023
I wanted so much more! I was not expecting the love triangle and I felt bad for everyone involved. I wanted to love Jamie but I felt his character needed more, something deeper. Dan was a sweetheart who deserved better
Profile Image for Emily.
29 reviews1 follower
March 17, 2023
Each chapter is only 4 pages, the story basically says cheating is ok, and the ending is such a vague happy ending its dissappointing
Profile Image for Joanne.
1,026 reviews172 followers
January 30, 2013
Originally posted on Once Upon a Bookcase.

Because of all the buzz around Irresistible, I was really looking forward to reading it - even more so as it's home grown new adult. So I picked it up eagerly, and I'm happy to say I enjoyed it.

When Mia gets a summer job at Radleigh Castle, she meets two boys; cute, sweet Dan, fellow employee, and dangerously sexy Jamie, son of her employer. Mia is attracted to both boys, but although Dan is lovely, funny and obviously really likes her, there's something about Jamie that she just can't resist. Is it his good looks? His constant flirting and innuendo? Or the fact that he has a reputation, a girlfriend, and is out of bounds? One thing's for sure, Mia is playing with fire, and someone's going to get burned.

I enjoyed Irresistible, but there was one thing that annoyed me a little about it; how young some of the characters seemed, especially Gabi and Dan. Gabi is overly loud and in some ways quite shallow, a character I wouldn't like generally, but she also comes across as being so much younger than her 16 years. She is an awesome friend to Mia, but sometimes I just wanted to throttle her. And Dan... he was just too nice and sweet. Unbelievably nice and sweet. For 18, it was just hard to believe that's who he was. There are nice guys in the world, sure, but not that sugarcoated. And as I couldn't believe his character, I wasn't really rooting for him, unfortunately. And even Mia had her moments of being seriously naive, and seemingly too naive for her age.

Saying that, Irresistible is a fun book! Full of sexual tension between Mia and Jamie - who was so hot, and such a bad boy! He's not your usual bad boy, where a guy looks a certain way, has a certain attitude, but underneath it all has a heart of gold. No, Jamie is bad. Bad for your heart. He's hot and he knows it, women throw themselves at him, and he takes what he wants from them and then walks away. His girlfriend, Cleo, knows all of this, yet for some reason, just lets it happen. And now he's got his sights set on Mia. And, strangely, while reading it I was all for something happening between them. Maybe because I wasn't so keen on Dan, maybe because all the sexual tension and idea of the forbidden to Mia was exciting and so was pretty damn sexy to read. There scenes were pretty damn awesome, and I was reading thinking, "Oh my god, will you just kiss him already!" I would have preferred there to be more scenes between them during the  late night swimming sessions, to see more development between the two of them; the conversations they had, and how things lead to where they went. I don't really see why those scenes, which I think would have been quite important for the development of their relationship, were mentioned but not really seen - I think we saw two? - when the book is only 213 pages long. It's not like the book was getting too long. But as I said, I really enjoyed the sexual tension and seeing them together. However, as I said above, Jamie is bad, and oh my god, I got so bloody angry at various points in the book! As much as I loved him, I also hated him.

There's something I want to discuss that has me confused. This has no bearing on how good the book is, so not down to Liz Bankes, but I feel I was slightly misled. Irresistible is marketed as a "steamy". There has been a number of articles in the press regarding Irresistible and about the sexual content when it's a book for teens. You only really have to look at the cover, read those articles, here it's a "steamy", have a "15" warning label like certificates on films on the proof to think it's a book chock full of sex. It's really not. I'm not going to really talk about the sex scenes specifically, because I think that would be too spoilery, but I have read YA novels with more sex scenes that are much more graphic, and no-one's batted an eyelid. Irresistible is more sexual tension than actual sex, and quite tame in comparison to other books I've read. It's a sexy book, sure, but it's not all that bad. I don't really see why there has been such a focus on sex when talking about this book, when really, it's more about Mia and her relationships with people. It just doesn't make sense to me.

Overall, a quick, fun, sexy read, that keeps you turning the pages! I will be keeping my eye out for more books by Bankes in the future.
Profile Image for Amélie.
8 reviews1 follower
May 1, 2018
I really enjoyed this book! I gave it a 3.5/5 because sometime Mia’s reactions were really upsetting me, I mean seriously just dump Dan if your gonna (almost) cheat on him.
I was disappointed by the ending, I wish we knew who she really picked, even if we can kinda guess..!
Read it in one day!
Profile Image for Annabelle.
136 reviews20 followers
December 31, 2012
Irresistible was a fast fun read about young love and growing up. I really enjoyed this book, it was a fresh read that was different from so many other contemporaries. I've read many in the past couple of months and Irresistible is like a breath of fresh air. I really enjoyed the light summery read that had many deeper lessons and truths at it's heart.


In the first few pages we join Mia during a job interview, and we see her all awkward and nervous in the presence of Julia Elliot-Fox the owner of the country club. Her interview is cut short when a very attractive boy begins kissing a girl up against the window. Mia gets slightly embarrassed but the Mrs Elliot-Fox just sighs at her sons behaviour. A while later Mia finds out she's gotten the job and begins straight away. Its there that she meets her fellow co-workers including the cool, laid-back Dan. Friendships blossom over the course of the summer but Mia is always looking for the mysterious Jamie Elliot-Fox, the boy from the window. He's always there and she soon realises she's falling for him but he's such a player, things can't possibly work out, especially as she begins seeing Dan officially. Mia has many choices to make over the summer and things to experience.


I loved Mia's character, she kept her calm head even when in the presence of Jamie who just oozes confidence. She was smart, calm and mature but she was a teenager at heart. We learn at the very beginning that a past experience with a boyfriend has left her very wary of new relationships and now she's more cautious than ever. Then Dan, the laid back and charming boy asks her out for a picnic like a true gentlemen. He was very funny and together they were hilarious but there was always a bit of Jamie lurking at the back of her mind. She knows she shouldn't lead Dan on but she's falling for him too. Mia soon realises that Life is a lot harder than it seems. There will never be a simple summer romance, other things will always come into play.


We then have Jamie, the rich, popular sexy boy who just happens to live at the country club. He took a liking to Mia straight away giving her the nickname Joesph, but that's all there was to begin with, I wouldn't even say they were friends. He was a casual annoyance that managed to get under Mia's skin. Then you have Cleo, the cold bitch that is Jamie's girlfriend. The thing is she let him sleep with others, it was so pathetic and annoying and she soon turned against everyone when things weren't going her way.


I loved the development of the story and the characters were all unique and interesting. The setting was well detailed too, you could just feel the history and the great walls of the country club around you. It really did have it's own atmosphere. Oh but the ending, it was just so so good. Yes it was heartbreaking and I really didn't expect it but it was rather sweet. I just wished there was an extra chapter giving us some more details on what happened next. Irresistible is a great light read all about young love and some difficult decisions teens have to make.
Profile Image for Sharon Goodwin.
869 reviews146 followers
December 16, 2012
n Irresistible we spend time with Mia throughout the summer, which is a time of transition. She has finished her GCSE’s and the plan is for her to return to 6th form … although her dreams would have her follow a different course. It is narrated in the first person.

The story opens with Mia’s interview with owner Julia Elliot-Fox. The reader is introduced to her son Jamie while Mia is sitting there. Straight away the scene we witness outside the window portrays his character. Knocking on the window, Julia only witnesses what Jamie wants her to see. This is Mia’s first moral dilemma, does she tell Julia what she knows?

While she is waiting to hear whether she has the waitressing job at Radleigh’s Great Hall, she spends time with best friend Gabi. We learn about their friendship and Gabi’s boyfriend Max. We also find out that Mia’s relationship with ex Kieran ended in humiliation for her but we don’t know what happened that has made her so unsure of herself.

At induction, a bond is formed with Dan (I loved the humour between them …) but on her shifts, Jamie is always there in the background. Befriended by Chloe, Mia is part of their group although still at times on the outside. She witnesses another scene where Jamie is instrumental in causing pain but despite this, is still drawn and intrigued by him. Their intimacy grows during Chloe’s two week holiday which leads to humiliation for Mia.

Bankes’ writing style is engaging and humorous. I loved Mia’s character! It was interesting watching her journey from a teen whose self-worth was low to beginning to find herself and doing things because she wanted to and not what she thought others wanted. I enjoyed spending time with all the characters. Although Jamie is the ‘bad boy’, underneath his boredom there are reasons why he causes pain to others so although that doesn’t excuse his behaviour, it didn’t mean I disliked him. There’s also a redemption of sorts at the end … which surprised me. I loved that!

The language is perfect for the targeted audience as is the use of social media.

I think whether you are a teen yourself or an adult you will identify easily with the strong emotions in Irresistible … and the uncertainty they bring with them. I remember this time in my life well – a taste of freedom all wrapped up with raging hormones! when life seems to test you and you may make choices that bring pain but you ultimately learn from them and gain experience. In this, Irresistible is true to life.

I have no hesitation in recommending you add Irresistible to your basket. Liz Bankes is a debut author worth watching.

I would like to thank the publishers for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Michelle (Fluttering Butterflies).
881 reviews298 followers
January 13, 2013
This review was originally published at Fluttering Butterflies
I really enjoyed Irresistible by Liz Bankes! I thought it was absolutely hilarious and within the first few chapters, I had already laughed out loud several times, much to the annoyance of my husband who was trying to watch a film next to me. I couldn't help it, there's some really funny stuff in this book.

I was a bit worried about the rest of the content though. My copy of the book has a 15 warning on the front cover and warns that this book 'contains scenes of a passionate nature.' I was thinking that perhaps the sexytimes within the book would end up taking over the story, but I needn't have worried. Liz Bankes writes some really great and chemistry-filled scenes between her characters, but it is in fitting with the story and is really quite tasteful.

I really liked the characters in Irresistible, especially the main character, Mia, who at the start of the story is being interviewed for a job at the restaurant of a fancy country club nearby. Despite Mia's doubts, she ends up with the job and in a very short space of time she is both attracted to the owner's son, bad boy Jamie Elliot-Fox and is also flirting with the cute and nice Dan, who works in the kitchen. Aside from Mia's romantic problems, I also really enjoyed Mia's complicated relationship with her step-father Jeff and also her friendship with her best friend.

Right from the start, I really liked Dan. I like how uncomplicated this relationship seems to be. There's no games or secrets in Dan's feelings for Mia and they seem to really get along. But I can also understand and sympathise with Mia's growing attraction to Jamie. He's not very nice and he seems to use the people around him for his own entertainment purposes. But oh, the sex appeal he emits! He certainly seems to be 'irresistible' both to Mia and to me as the reader and thankfully throughout the novel we can see some softer sides to him in his relationship with his little sister and also in some of the more private moments that he and Mia share. But we know right from the beginning that Jamie Elliot-Fox is toxic and I really worried what troubles Mia will get into, especially with her emerging friendship with Jamie's girlfriend, Cleo!

Irresistible was a quick read for me, I really flew through the pages wanting to know what happens next. I love the characters and the chemistry between Dan and Mia and Jamie. I look forward to reading what Liz Bankes will bring next!

Irresistible by Liz Bankes is currently available as an e-book and will be published in April by Piccadilly Press as a physical book. Look out for it!
Profile Image for Nadia.
53 reviews
November 30, 2013
This novel is short, simple and overall, a good read for days that you are stuck indoors.
Mia is a girl who gets a waitressing job at a hotel after finishing her exams. She meets handsome and sweet Dan and they get along pretty well. Then, there is Jamie who is rich and spoilt. However, there is a dark and mysterious side of him that Mia can't seem to resist. To add to that, they are both gorgeous.
Jamie was never a choice for Mia since he had a girlfriend but that didn't mean he was any less of a player.
So, while Dan happens to be the perfect boyfriend material, Jamie is the polar opposite. Of course, that doesn't stop Mia from falling for him...
No doubt, this story had twists and turns and at one point, I couldn't even decide who I would choose! If you had asked me my favourite character halfway through the book, it would have been Dan. I mean, he was everything anyone would need, right? Who wouldn't want a trip to Paris?
But then, he started to feel too boring..almost too stable. Whereas, Jamie was spontaneous and out-there. I think that a relationship with Dan would be predictable. He wouldn't be
the type of guy who broke your heart. With Jamie, you had to jump in with both feet and hope for the best.
However, none of the main characters seemed to be my favourite. In all of the chaos, I liked Mia's stepfather, Jeff the most. He seemed the adult in it all and I liked how he forgave Mia for messing up and saying nasty things to him.
More than any part of the book, I liked the ending. I liked how Mia gave her Paris tickets to her best friend, Gabi and her boyfriend Max and later joined them there for one day. Dan was heartbroken but didn't let that get in the way of him fulfilling his wish to tour Europe.
I liked how Dan and Mia became good friends at the end. I was boiling with rage when Jamie posted the picture on Facebook.
However, in the end, he really loved Mia and I loved the fact that he really went from hardcore Jamie to a softie with Mia.
I liked how he wrote an apology to her and said that he would do anything to get her back. But my absolute fave part? The way that Mia said at the end, "maybe I should flip a coin"
That just proves she is choosing for herself, being true to what she feels and what she believes in. I normally don't like books that have an ambiguous ending...I would have thought.. "Now I'll never know who she is going to choose!"
That didn't happen this time. It felt as if Mia was content with her life and if Jamie was meant to be a part of it, so be it.
I was mentally cheering for Mia at the end. You go girl! :)
Overall, a great book. It strongly portrays a theme. You'll never realise the good things in life until you experience the bad moments. And one more thing, individuality comes from experiences.
Profile Image for Clare O'Beara.
Author 25 books371 followers
December 6, 2014
Mia, aged sixteen and nervous, is interviewing for a summer job in a stately home hotel in Kent. She's not sure how to cope with distinguished guests (curtsey?) or cook anything but one spaghetti recipe, but how hard can cleaning work be? A distractingly good-looking young man is illicitly sipping vintage port with another girl, and she gets fired. He doesn't, but then, he lives at Radleigh Castle.

Jamie Foxx is rich and Mia gets hired as a waitress but keeps meeting the underachieving lad, who has a fine opinion of himself. Dan, a new waiter, is pretty nice by contrast and has the same travel bug as Mia; he takes her for a picnic and tells her jokes. Jamie however likes wrecking people's lives, and his confident girlfriend Cleo doesn't spend much time with him. Cleo gives Mia champagne after her work one evening and brings her to chat with Jamie and their pals, most of whom find Jamie irresistible and a natural leader. But they're just drunken pranksters. If only Mia didn't feel so drawn to Jamie....

Remember sixteen, when you were nervous, easily made to feel a fool, scared of romance and breakups, learning fast about all the elements of life they don't teach in school? Mia's story shows it to a T. Her insecurity amid slightly older people with money and swagger, is resonant of 'Gatsby', or Kate Holmquist's 'The Glass Room'. "I want her to like me," Mia says. She has a caring mother and stepfather, dislikes deceiving them and her best pal and has further exams looming. And dreadfully, her one past boyfriend took a naked picture of her and circulated it.

Liz Bankes, from London, gives us a young adult book about glamour and embarrassment and trying to fit in with a crowd. Young people will learn and identify with Mia and her good friends; adults will recall their teens and wish they'd known then what they know now. In any catering or hospitality family though, the teenagers are made to take summer work in the business, to learn the trade and deal with customers. This would have done Jamie a lot of good. IRRESISTIBLE is the author's first book, with an assured style and fine descriptions, and I look forward to reading many more.
Profile Image for Mary-Megan.
290 reviews24 followers
May 14, 2014
Irresistible is a novel that explores the draws girls have for the “bad boy.” Mia is fortunate to get a waitressing job at the Radleigh Castle Restaurant during the summer. There she meets Dan, a co-worker whom she immediately hits it off with. However, she also meets Jaime, the attractive son of the owner of the estate. While Dan is a sweet, down-to-earth guy, Jaime is the “bad boy” who doesn’t shy away from ruining people’s reputations. When Jaime and his girlfriend Cleo meets Mia, they draws her into their world of questionable relationship statuses, late night swims, and parties in the pool house, all of which escalates when Cleo goes away on vacation. Mia is torn between the perfect guy Dan and the intriguing Jaime who is simply bored with nothing better to do with his time. Mia is unprepared for what happens when this double life is horribly exposed, risking everything she’s gained, including her friends.

While I understand the appeal of the “bad boy,” Jaime just seemed like a jerk. Near the end of the book, it says that he became a better person when he was around Mia, but I wish that was more prominent in the novel because he just seemed like a mean person. He seemed to show no remorse for toying with others. Aside from him being attractive and the allure of a rich guy, I didn’t understand what Mia’s draw was to him. Her constant association with him even turned her into a person with no regard for her family or friends. Come the end of the novel, while it is left open ended, Mia seems to end up getting her act in gear and realizing what’s genuinely important in the world, but I simply didn’t understand the draw to Jaime. I always thought that with a romance the reader would want the characters together - to have some sort of reader appeal with the “hero,” but I didn’t get that with this novel.

This novel is for older teens looking for a more complex/sophisticated relationship or “romance.” While I am all for romances, this one missed the mark for me.
Profile Image for Cheyenne Teska .
237 reviews72 followers
February 16, 2013
As Mia's summer begins to unfold, she finds herself falling for not one, but two guys. Dan is hardworking, loyal, sweet and obviously the guy she should start a relationship with. Jamie is rude, self-centered and surprisingly intoxicating. She knows she shouldn't, especially since he's the son of her boss and the boyfriend of her new friend. Following a few after-dark encounters, Mia finds that she can't resist.

I knew that I would enjoy this book from the moment I started it. The first chapter pulls you in, showing you how dangerous and seductive Jamie is, giving the reader a glimpse of what's to come. Mia begins her summer on the right track, focusing on her work and a possible love interest named Dan. Everything seems to be going well until she falls in with Jamie's crowd. There are many qualities that I enjoyed about Mia, but I didn't care for her indecisiveness, although that was a crucial part of the story. The characters all fit their roles perfectly, and they're one of the many reasons that kept me reading.

The romance that unfolds will make you tingle with excitement. I couldn't help but want more whenever Mia and Jamie share a few flirtatious words or a forbidden encounter. There were scenes that were incredibly steamy, probably not for younger teens, but what I loved most is that the author made the story incredibly visual. If you look past the scandalous romance that takes place, something genuine comes out of everything that happens, which will leave a smile on your face after finishing the last page.

Irresistible is a very quick read that is perfect for any contemporary romance lover. The author did an awesome job of showing both the poisonous and romantic sides of Jamie, which made the story all the more worthwhile. Fun, exciting and sexy, this is one book that will leave its readers breathless.
Profile Image for Serendipity Reviews.
573 reviews369 followers
January 25, 2013
This was originally posted on www.serendipityreviews.co.uk
I’m always intrigued by bloggers who have made the transition to authors so I really wanted to read this book. This is definitely a promising start for Liz Bankes. The book has come out as the right time to capture the New Adult craze that is raging through the blogging world. This is the first British author to write in the New Adult market, and I am hoping a few more will follow suit. Set in a hotel, I was quickly transported from the reality of winter to a sunny summer setting. This really took me back, as the main character had a very similar holiday job to the one I had as a teenager.
The main plot of the book is the romance between Mia and Jamie and it is interesting to see the changes in Jamie by the end of the book.
Mia is a little too innocent for my liking and I struggled with the way she was so easily fooled. I wanted to shake some sense into her. She lies to everyone she knows and she couldn’t see that she was doing anything wrong. I didn’t warm to Jamie or Cleo either as I found them so shallow. They could have easily walked out of Cruel Intentions straight into this novel.
This book clearly shows the reality of the rich kids of today who have too much money and often not enough love from their families. The author has captured how spoilt and cruel they can be.
This book was like the English version of 90210.
Profile Image for Savannah (Books With Bite).
1,399 reviews183 followers
February 21, 2013
Super excited to read this book, I felt like it let me down. Although I did enjoy the story overall, for me it lacked some.

Alright, let me get into what I did like. The plot of the book is typical and good. We have a young girl getting a new job, stepping into an unknown world and falling into it fast. She quickly meets new friends, who are well..., mean. Of course being the sweet nice girl, Mia is naive and falls for whatever they throw at her.

And now the part I didn't enjoy. The love interest. For me, it felt like there was no romance whatsoever. There is lust and games but as far as genuine feelings toward once another, no. Mia is getting played right and left, so how can anything be real? There are ALWAYS lies and so I found myself completely frustrated with Mia. Mia is a girl who forgives too much. Even after she gets played and knows she's been lied to, she still goes to the guy!!! Seriously? Did she not learn her lesson before?

There is another love interest in the book who I felt the story could have work out better had it gone the other way. It just felt like Mia had no brain whatsoever.The mistakes she made over and over again with no "real" love left me feeling hollow. And then the ending. UGH! Major let down and on the verge of ANOTHER mistake.

I felt like this story lacked so much and I wanted to like it. I was hoping that this story would give me the romance that I yearn for but it did not.
Profile Image for Jenny / Wondrous Reads.
603 reviews83 followers
June 2, 2013
Irresistible is a quick, fun read that will appeal to YA readers who like their romance on the steamy side. It's all about sixteen-year-old Mia who, after completing her GCSE's, gets a job at a the posh Radleigh Castle Country Club. There she meets nice guy Dan and her boss's smooth-talking son Jamie, and what follows is a love triangle perfect for fans of Abbi Glines' Vincent Boys series.

I liked this book, it was entertaining and kept me guessing what, and who, Mia would choose. Mia's a likable character when she's not messing her friends around, but I'll be honest: I didn't like Jamie at all. In fact, I thought he was a right idiot who really didn't deserve Mia's attention and affection. Some of the things he did were just horrible, and I didn't feel like his family background was explained enough for that to be the reason for his behaviour. I much preferred Dan, he was nice and caring, not to mention funny. His jokes were appalling, though!

Liz Bankes is definitely a new UK author to watch, and I've no doubt her books will only get better. She's spot on with her stories - this one is full of drama and teen angst and is more realistic than similar books I've read. Undeniable, Liz's next book, is published in August and I'll be reading it. Here's hoping I like the main characters more next time around!
Profile Image for Kirsty .
3,795 reviews342 followers
January 27, 2015
The first book from the new adult genre that I've read from a British author and I must say I really did enjoy it. I'm hoping other UK authors will follow suit.

Irresistible is an easy and quick read which I enjoyed. It was lots of fun throughout.

Irresistible is the story of Mia. Mia gets a job waitressing for the summer while waiting for her GCSE results. It's an opportunity for her to save her a bit of money and make some new friends. She quickly becomes friends with Dan but also finds that she is completely and utterly drawn in my the owner's son who is not but also a real bad boy called Jamie.


For me this book reminded me of cruel intentions. The boy is a bit twisted and but also charming at the same time and the girl is naive and completely taken in by him. So many times in this book I kept thinking of how much it reminded me of that film.

For me I really liked that while Mia did get drawn in she still had enough about her to walk away when she needed to and take a step back from the situation. I also liked the fact that she knew her own mind and didn't go out of her way to hurt other people or get sucked in completely by a gorgeous face.

A nice and engaging story which I enjoyed.
Profile Image for Emily.
5,894 reviews552 followers
February 23, 2013
On her gap year, Mia Johnson gets a job as a waitress at an established country club where she gets to mix with the more wealthy families, including bad boy Jamie Elliot- Fox. Jamie catches her eye in the midst of her interview and even though he is dating someone else, seems to have a knack for trying to ruffle Mia's feathers. As it wasn't enough to keep Mia confused, she has befriended newly hired co-worker Dan David who she has a blast with but is not sure if they are more than friends.

Jamie is a bored rich kid who likes to toy with whoever is in his near, causing havoc without a hint of remorse for the victim. Although he is not prepared for it, he forms a unique relationship with Mia and it scares the hell out of it. Throw in a confused Mia who doesn't want to like Jamie, but can't help herself as well as a yo-yo relationship with Dan who is unfairly caught in between.

Full review on Single Titles
http://singletitles.com/?p=8461
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