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Plotting to Win

Tara Chevrestt (Goodreads Author)

4.19 · Rating details · 31 ratings · 18 reviews

In New York City, seven writers compete for a hundred thousand dollars, a publishing contract with Bright House, and the title of the next bestseller. One is Felicity James. One is Victor Guzman.

Drama, plagiarism, and trash talk play out to enthralled audiences across the country as all seven contestants compete against each other in a range of heated challenges, with ...more

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ebook, 143 pages

Published June 1st 2013 by Escape Publishing - Harlequin Enterprises, Australia Pty Ltd

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· 31 ratings · 18 reviews

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May 21, 2013 Cari Sury (Girl+Book Love Blog) rated it liked it

**See more of my reviews at www.girlbooklove.wordpress.com!

Plotting to Win is about a reality show centered around finding The Next Bestseller! In the world today, I’d much prefer a show about authors than to watch shows like Toddlers and Tiaras, so kudos on the idea!

I think this book was cute; an easy read and had a sweet ending. I don’t think it was quite the vicious battle for fame that the story description plays it up as. Sure, there are a few contestants who sneak around, steal ideas and ...more

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Jun 14, 2013 Michelle Cornwell-Jordan rated it it was amazing

Plotting To Win was one of the titles that I knew when it was first released would be on my read now list! The concept of a reality show for writers?! Come on, as a writer how could I not be drawn in from the concept alone:) Author Tara Chevrestt did an excellent job of setting up the world for Felicity James and Victor Guzman. Both characters are intent and focused on winning the $100,000 prize that is being offered by the reality show " The Next Best Seller!" Each have their own personal ...more

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Jul 12, 2013 Anna rated it really liked it

What drew me in was that it had to do with writing, to be honest, but it was actually a good book. I didn't enjoy the amount of crude language it had (it had a lot of swearing, and a bit about Victor and his...ahem. Thing.)
A lot of other competitors annoyed me. Tiffani, Dez, Carmen.
Tiffani was an erotica writer, and wanted to push it into Felicity's genre, romance. I thought she didn't play fair, and she got what she deserved in the end.
Dez just seemed dumb to me.
And Carmen was just plain ...more

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Apr 17, 2013 Lorraine Nelson rated it it was amazing

I had the opportunity to read this book before publication and found it amazing. The plot is unique and the characters fully developed. Competition is fierce and romance is in the wings. Will it fly out the window as the contest progresses, or is it the beginning of so much more for Felicity and Victor? Can't say anymore as I hate spoilers. Just know that I thoroughly enjoyed this story. Well done, Tara.

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Jul 09, 2013 Kendall Talbot rated it it was amazing

Plotting to Win is based around a game show for writers. It's a very interesting concept and I'm surprised no-one has done this before. The author had me hooked from the first page. The characters were realistic and kept true to form throughout. It's easy to imagine this being made into a real TV game show. Plotting to Win was a great holiday read and I'm glad I bought it. Cheers

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Oct 11, 2013 Sophia rated it really liked it

Shelves: contemporary-romance, review-requests, net-galley-reads

Not being a huge fan of reality TV in no way prevented me from being intrigued by the idea of a story set against that backdrop. And why? Because the 'actors'/characters were writers of course. I found the whole experience, right from the first page, like getting an insider's guide into writers and a romance all wrapped up into one delicious treat.

The story begins when the last contestant, the heroine, Felicity James, steps out of her cab in NYC to join her fellow contestants and enter the Not being a huge fan of reality TV in no way prevented me from being intrigued by the idea of a story set against that backdrop. And why? Because the 'actors'/characters were writers of course. I found the whole experience, right from the first page, like getting an insider's guide into writers and a romance all wrapped up into one delicious treat.

The story begins when the last contestant, the heroine, Felicity James, steps out of her cab in NYC to join her fellow contestants and enter the Writer's Cave for the potential seven week duration of the contest. All the personalities start to unfold fairly quickly including that of the hero, Victor Guzman. They each represent various fiction genres in their writing and have their reasons for winning including Felicity because she has quit her job and tossed all her eggs into this opportunity to launch her writing career. Right away there is a tension between Felicity who writes romance and the erotica writer, Tiffany. Felicity also has a strong though different reaction to the abrasive yet sexy, Victor who as a True Crime writer looks down on both of them promising that he's not out to make friends, but to win.

Victor has to keep telling himself that over and over because Felicity is a huge distraction. He already knows he can write well enough to do it for a living, but he needs this win for the money so he can get his mother round the clock care since she suffers from Alzheimer's. He can't afford to go soft over a fellow contestant, but that is exactly what he does. All of the writers are strongly motivated, but he can see the friendly and compassionate Felicity will probably be his greatest challenge and now he doesn't know if he has what it takes to push past her for the win.

Felicity gets a rude awakening several times during the show that she's too soft and trusting. They've all told her that they're going for it including Victor, but she lets her silly heart get in the way and he stomps on it. Still... They have something between them and he's not completely the jerk he pretends to be. She just knows it. Meanwhile, people are being eliminated and the challenges are just that. Each challenge is a practical side to getting a book published and sold. At the very least, she is getting a crash course education in what it takes to be a professional writer and just how far people will go to win. When the stakes are high, Felicity doesn't know just how much more she can take nor why her mind continually returns to the off limits handsome Victor Guzman.

The plot was tight and I loved how it was focused from the beginning. There's a contest, but its not just about writing. I loved the interplay between the characters and not just the protagonists.
The background world of the reality show was well done like baby bear's stuff in the Goldilock's story- just right. It was there and interesting, but it didn't dominate.

The challenges were fascinating to me. Some might feel that these time periods when the characters were competing took up a chunk of the story and slowed it down, but for me I found it almost as appealing as the romance element. I love the world of books and I've always been fascinated by what goes into moving a manuscript to a lovely glossy book on a shelf that grabs my attention. Let's just say its a lot and I have a higher respect for published authors whether they self-published or went through a publisher. And by the end of the contest, I was acting like a true fan of a reality game show because I was into the challenges, the results and how I felt about the contestants.

While I found a level of delight in the action side of the story when they were competing, I was more enthralled with the romantic relationship building between Felicity and Victor. The story is told third person and switched back and forth between perspectives. There wasn't a ton of character development with them, but there was enough in my opinion for me to feel that I knew them. I sympathized, liked them and I could see them grow as individuals and as a couple. Felicity was sweet with her very real belief in happily ever after romance though she did have her set opinions and tenacity. Victor had an outward appearance of toughness and confidence, but he was vulnerable to his need to be a knight in shining armor to his mother and to the woman who had grabbed his attention. I loved them together and I started worrying early on what was going to happen when they really had to go up against each other in the competition. Naturally, things didn't get physically sizzling between them because they were staying in practically a dorm situation with cameras everywhere, but still the author managed to convince me that the sparks were indeed flying back and forth between these two and that Victor was scorching hot.

The epilogue was the perfect ending blending a realistic happy for now with the promise of what was to come afterward.

For all you Contemporary Romance lovers who prefer a slightly spiced romance with less angst and a likeable, compelling couple, this one may be for you.

My thanks to Harlequin Australia and to Net Galley for providing the book for review purposes. ...more

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Sep 06, 2014 Pretty Sassy Cool rated it liked it

Shelves: pub-2013, review-by-kassiah

3 stars.

The idea behind Plotting to Win by Tara Chevrestt is pure genius--a reality show based on authors competing for a publishing contract, money, and critiques from some of the hottest names in the book industry.

Our heroine, Felicity James, is a romance writer looking for her big break rather than love when she meets crime-writer Victor Guzman. Still, she can't help but notice him, in spite of his bad attitude right from the beginning.

With his short dark hair, olive skin, and perfectly

...more

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Oct 21, 2013 Kassiah rated it liked it

Shelves: adult, reviewed-pretty-sassy-cool, pub-2013

3 stars.

This review is also posted on Steamy Guys After Dark, along with a giveaway.

The idea behind Plotting to Win by Tara Chevrestt is pure genius--a reality show based on authors competing for a publishing contract, money, and critiques from some of the hottest names in the book industry.

Our heroine, Felicity James, is a romance writer looking for her big break rather than love when she meets crime-writer Victor Guzman. Still, she can't help but notice him, in spite of his bad attitude right 3 stars.

This review is also posted on Steamy Guys After Dark, along with a giveaway.

The idea behind Plotting to Win by Tara Chevrestt is pure genius--a reality show based on authors competing for a publishing contract, money, and critiques from some of the hottest names in the book industry.

Our heroine, Felicity James, is a romance writer looking for her big break rather than love when she meets crime-writer Victor Guzman. Still, she can't help but notice him, in spite of his bad attitude right from the beginning.

With his short dark hair, olive skin, and perfectly arched dark eyebrows, the man was fine with a capital F, but his bad attitude was oozing through his tight t-shirt.

The pair are competing with the other contestants in two rounds per week, beginning with writing query letters and including all kinds of interesting tasks. Victor and Felicity can't seem to stay away from each other. It's more than the publishing contract at stake, though. Victor needs to win the competition to take care of his mother with the money he would earn.

He told himself it was for the best. He couldn't afford the distraction, but he felt guilty as hell for how things were playing out. She was a good woman and deserved so much better...

Like most reality TV shows, we find ourselves hanging on the edge of our seats to learn what the next challenge will be and who will win each round.

That was what I loved the most about this book--the authenticity of the show. Chevrestt obviously put in a ton of thought to this competition, from the set design to the individual challenges. It was brilliant. Felicity was alright, and I liked Victor. I liked that after he hurt Felicity, he still tried to make it right. The end was perfect.

So what didn't I like? For as authentic as the show was, I didn't think the people were totally realistic. I wanted more from all of them--more emotion, more understanding for what their motivations were, just more. I think if a little more attention was paid to character building, this book would be amazing. With that being said, I totally think it should be made into a movie!

If you're looking for a light-hearted, quick read with a sweet ending and love reality television, Plotting to Win is the book for you. ...more

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Jun 14, 2013 Lauren K rated it really liked it

Shelves: romance

In Tara Chevrestt’s novel Plotting to Win, she draws from the dramas of reality television to create a unique romance novel set in New York City. Felicity James is one of seven writers who have been selected to compete for a hundred thousand dollars and a publishing contract with Bright House. She’s up against some talented writers, some of who will do anything to win. Handsome Latino Victor Guzman is one of those contestants who has a very personal reason for winning the bestseller title and In Tara Chevrestt’s novel Plotting to Win, she draws from the dramas of reality television to create a unique romance novel set in New York City. Felicity James is one of seven writers who have been selected to compete for a hundred thousand dollars and a publishing contract with Bright House. She’s up against some talented writers, some of who will do anything to win. Handsome Latino Victor Guzman is one of those contestants who has a very personal reason for winning the bestseller title and more importantly the cash.

Initially he hopes to put Felicity off her game but she is not wooed by his charms (not straight away anyway) even if she does sense an attraction. What neither of them expects is to join forces and develop a friendship within the confines of their shared living quarters; their life portrayed through the cameras and of course a game where no one can be trusted.

Plot-wise I really enjoyed the challenges and how it was all connected to honing the craft of writing and securing a publishing deal. However, I did feel that Felicity won a little too easily. It was hard to believe that the other writers were so atrocious, considering they would have been selected among the top entrants to compete on the show. Regardless of this minor issue, I thought the challenges and the conflict (sometimes a bit too dramatic) were entertaining and I could really envision a reality show like this… no matter how ridiculous it could be.

The relationship between Felicity and Victor’s relationship development begins from an attraction and develops into a friendship and hidden-camera kiss. The relationship development was probably the weakest part of the story as it does lack emotional depth. The external conflict was well set up as it was clear why it would be a bad idea to have a fling when they both wanted to win the competition, but the internal conflict wasn’t as well fleshed out and so the tension between the couple lagged at times.

Even though I’d have liked stronger romantic development, Plotting to Win was still an enjoyable, unique novel that was a fun way to pass the hours and envision a reality show that probably isn’t too far from what we’d expect on television.
...more

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Apr 10, 2013 Laura DeLuca rated it it was amazing

It's not easy to give contemporary romance a fresh voice, but Tara Chevrestt has managed to do just that with her new novel, Plotting to Win. The story centers around the two main characters, Felicity and Victor, who are vying against a group of other would-be authors in a TV reality show for the title of "The Next Best Seller" and the $100,000 grand prize. The contestants have to go through challenges they never expected, like creating cover art and marketing, and learn there is a lot more to ...more

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Apr 17, 2013 Crystal rated it it was amazing

I had the pleasure of reading Plotting to Win while on vacation. You know how there's always a lot of down time during a trip? Like on the plane, during layovers, or waiting for everyone in your group to get ready to go? Yeah, well I found myself groaning when that down time would come to an end and I had to put my Kindle down and have "fun". I finished it in three days, but it would've been sooner if my pesky cruise hadn't gotten in the way, LOL. ;-)

I LOVED this book!

Tara Chevrestt did an ...more

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Aug 26, 2013 Beth Fred rated it really liked it

I think what I liked most about this novel was the concept. I've said for years I wish there was an American Idol for writers and that's exactly what Plotting To Win is. I think it's closer to America's Next Top Model, but still I loved that. The voice took me a minute to get used to, but once I did it was a pretty smooth read. I loved the descriptions of the writing cave and some of the challenges the contestants had to go through. But sometimes I thought people who were chosen as contestants ...more

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Apr 17, 2013 Michela Walters rated it liked it

Shelves: arc-netgalley, romance

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Plotting to Win tells the tale of a group of hopeful authors competing in a reality show where the winner will get a one hundred thousand dollar publishing contract for The Next Bestseller.

Meet Felicity James and Victor Guzman, two of the seven competitors vying for the big prize. Victor and Felicity have on and off screen chemistry that brings big ratings for the show. They each have their own reasons for ...more

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Jun 04, 2013 M.A. Grant rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fellow-authors, romances, escape-publishing

Plotting to Win was a fun read, and one that kept my attention throughout. The premise of writers completing in a reality show was original; as a writer, I was most curious how it would be possible to create the diverse cast needed to make the plot of this story work. The cast of characters didn't disappoint me. Different writers played into the stereotypes reality TV shows perpetuate, I genuinely rooted for a few, and the villains did their parts admirably. The romance between the h/H developed ...more

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Jun 25, 2013 Erik Schubach rated it it was amazing

The author did an excellent job of demonstrating that it is truly the little things that romance is built upon rather than the grand gestures. All it took for Felicity to overlook Victor's pompous attitude and smug demeanor was for him to help her out when it didn't have any apparent benefit to him.

Then it was on to my favorite part of any romance... the misunderstandings and miscommunication. They can be fun or tragic and sometimes both as this book shows us.

The concept of a reality show based ...more

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Jul 04, 2013 Molly rated it it was amazing

Had a hard time putting this down! Excellent premise, an author's reality show, and loved the challenges and the way the 7 writers interacted:) Plus, a wonderful love story evolves:) Definite Recommended Read!

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Jun 09, 2013 Angie Mroczka rated it it was amazing

Seriously, this should be required reading for all authors looking to get published.

Longer review to come!

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Apr 18, 2013 Staci Perkins rated it it was amazing

I loved this story!

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About Tara Chevrestt

Tara Chevrestt

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Tara Chevrestt is a deaf woman, aviation mechanic, and dog mom. She loves vintage clothes and period dramas and wishes she could time travel. You’ll never see her without her Kindle or a book within reach. As a child, she would often take a flashlight under the covers to finish the recent Nancy Drew novel when she was supposed to be sleeping.

She no longer writes books, but you can still read her ...more