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The Billionaire Bedroom #1
Emerald Island
Hot, sandy beaches. Clear blue ocean. Gorgeous people. Private islands are playgrounds for the wealthy and glamorous.
Sophie Montgomery is decidedly not wealthy or glamorous. A college dropout and owner of a struggling business, she can’t remember the last time she had free time, much less taken a vacation.
But when Sophie’s best friend lucks into a free trip to billionaire’s paradise Emerald Island, Sophie has no choice but to go.
What was supposed to be a bonding trip for two girlfriends takes a turn when Sophie meets a handsome but mysterious man. Who is he? What does he want with Sophie? And will what happens on Emerald Island stay on Emerald Island, or will Sophie’s life be forever changed?
If you’re a fan of Fifty Shades of Grey, Meredith Wild or Kendall Ryan, you’ll love Emerald Island. What are you waiting for? Check it out now!
Sophie Montgomery is decidedly not wealthy or glamorous. A college dropout and owner of a struggling business, she can’t remember the last time she had free time, much less taken a vacation.
But when Sophie’s best friend lucks into a free trip to billionaire’s paradise Emerald Island, Sophie has no choice but to go.
What was supposed to be a bonding trip for two girlfriends takes a turn when Sophie meets a handsome but mysterious man. Who is he? What does he want with Sophie? And will what happens on Emerald Island stay on Emerald Island, or will Sophie’s life be forever changed?
If you’re a fan of Fifty Shades of Grey, Meredith Wild or Kendall Ryan, you’ll love Emerald Island. What are you waiting for? Check it out now!
98 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 9, 2016
3 people are currently reading
53 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
August 7, 2016
****4 Stars****
“I think I came out here looking to escape something. I didn’t realize it until I was out there in the middle of the ocean with nothing around me. I realized just how far I was away from my problems at home. Just how inconsequential they were.”
The thing I love most about reading and reviewing on Goodreads is discovering new books I never would have encountered otherwise. I absolutely love supporting independent authors, because without people taking a chance on their stories, they would never get read and that would be tragic. Tragic, because these authors put all their blood, sweat and tears into them and they deserve to be read. I believe “Emerald Island: Part One” is Fiona Blake’s debut novel and she did an absolutely stellar job; I will definitely read more of her books in the future if this is the quality of book she produces.
Sophie Montgomery is a college dropout and owner of a struggling online clothing business. Due to her time and money restrictions, she has lost most of her friends, except her best friend since ninth grade, Kristen. After a horrendous day at work, where a shifty acquaintance sold Sophie a box full of sweaters with holes in them, she meets Kristen at a bar for drinks. Kristen propositions Sophie with the opportunity of a life-time: An all-inclusive week long vacation to Emerald Island.
Emerald Island is a private Island in the Caribbean owned by the sexy billionaire Erik DeWolf. Erik was such an intriguing and mysterious character. The more I read, the more I wanted to get to know this hot eligible bachelor. He was such a recluse, hiding away within his island. It was clear early on that he was running from something. Hiding away hoping his problems wouldn’t follow him.
I really enjoyed reading how Sophie and Erik’s relationship developed. They had an almost instant attraction towards each other from their first meeting, which was absolutely hilarious, but embarrassing for poor Sophie.
This was such a fun and sexy read. I would definitely recommend this story to anyone who loves discovering new, intriguing and entertaining stories written by an awesome indie author. The theme I took away from this story is the importance of that special person in your life, who dares you to step out of your comfort zone and discover something amazing. It’s a story about love, friendship and perseverance in adversity.
October 31, 2016
****4 Stars****
“I think I came out here looking to escape something. I didn’t realize it until I was out there in the middle of the ocean with nothing around me. I realized just how far I was away from my problems at home. Just how inconsequential they were.”
The thing I love most about reading and reviewing on Goodreads is discovering new books I never would have encountered otherwise. I absolutely love supporting independent authors, because without people taking a chance on their stories, they would never get read and that would be tragic. Tragic, because these authors put all their blood, sweat and tears into them and they deserve to be read. I believe “Emerald Island: Part One” is Fiona Blake’s debut novel and she did an absolutely stellar job; I will definitely read more of her books in the future if this is the quality of book she produces.
Sophie Montgomery is a college dropout and owner of a struggling online clothing business. Due to her time and money restrictions, she has lost most of her friends, except her best friend since ninth grade, Kristen. After a horrendous day at work, where a shifty acquaintance sold Sophie a box full of sweaters with holes in them, she meets Kristen at a bar for drinks. Kristen propositions Sophie with the opportunity of a life-time: An all-inclusive week long vacation to Emerald Island.
Emerald Island is a private Island in the Caribbean owned by the sexy billionaire Erik DeWolf. Erik was such an intriguing and mysterious character. The more I read, the more I wanted to get to know this hot eligible bachelor. He was such a recluse, hiding away within his island. It was clear early on that he was running from something. Hiding away hoping his problems wouldn’t follow him.
I really enjoyed reading how Sophie and Erik’s relationship developed. They had an almost instant attraction towards each other from their first meeting, which was absolutely hilarious, but embarrassing for poor Sophie.
This was such a fun and sexy read. I would definitely recommend this story to anyone who loves discovering new, intriguing and entertaining stories written by an awesome indie author. The theme I took away from this story is the importance of that special person in your life, who dares you to step out of your comfort zone and discover something amazing. It’s a story about love, friendship and perseverance in adversity.
August 5, 2016
Quick read and a good intro to a series. I like the concept of the island and the mysterious billionaire trying to figure out who he is or perhaps what he's running from. Erik and Sophie collide and an attraction forms almost instantly. Sophie goes to the island to unwind and escape a stressful reality. Erik lives there avoiding his own stressors. The pacing feels a little fast for me, particularly in intimate moments when the couple's time together should be savored. There was very little in the way of detail on these scenes. There was a missed opportunity here. I found myself enjoying the secondary couple, Kristen and Sergio, more as they seemed to be evolving a little better. The conflict, though reasonable enough a misunderstanding, I found was addressed in a way that left me asking if "that was it". An epilogue would have positively added value to the story's impact. Finally, it's ok to refer to a character as she and her within the same chapter after having said it once and if there are not new characters introduced to the scene. The frequent repetition of the first names, ie Sophie and Erik, was a little distracting and stunted the flow. All in all good potential. Safety: No OW/OM/Sharing, though there's a woman attracted to Erik causing drama. Neither are virgins. They don't use condoms or even talk about protection. No rape/abuse. There is pushing away.
ARC received in exchange for an honest review.
ARC received in exchange for an honest review.
August 14, 2016
A Tropical Island Fairytale.
***3.5 Stars***
Let’s take a step away from reality and picture in our minds what we would wish for when we’re having a bad day. I’ll start off with being given an all inclusive (flights, accommodation, activities, food and alcohol) tropical island holiday where everybody is nice and friendly. Why don’t we add (for all the single ladies) a young billionaire owner of the island who’s disillusioned with the model like women who get shoved in his face and wants a real woman instead? Sounds good? Well, seeing as it’s a fairytale…we better add an evil witch who tries to sabotage happiness for everyone. In a nutshell…we have a Fairytale Emerald Island style.
Now, to be honest, I liked Emerald Island. I enjoy reading Fairytales where Prince Charming sweeps the heroine off her feet and has enough money not to worry about the everyday battles most of us face. I like to dream of having enough money to be pampered and served in a tropical setting. I also wouldn’t mind being able to step away from my real life problems and having enough faith in my BRAND NEW assistant to take over running my business while I’m away. Stepping away from reality is part of the reason I enjoy reading romance.
Emerald Island was a short, sweet and compact love story that ticked all the right boxes…sort of. I read it in 2 hours and while I enjoyed it, it just didn’t have enough momentum to get my heart pumping or make me feel connected with the characters. I wanted to get to know Erik and Sophie more. There was not enough back story for me to understand the choices Erik and Sophie made. This is the start of the series and while we weren’t left with a cliffhanger ending (which to some is a tick in the positives column) I just don’t feel an overwhelming need to go on. I kind of liked where it ended.
I liked Emerald Island but I think it would have been better fleshed out a little more. As a series, it has potential and I can’t believe I’m saying this, but it probably would have been better for the author to leave us with a cliffy and wanting more.
*** There are a few different covers for Emerald Island so I took it upon myself to pick my favourite for my header. ;-) ***
To buy Emerald Island from Amazon - http://amzn.to/2b775cs
I’m an Aussie chick who loves to read and review romance, drink coffee, be a Style Setter and stalk David Gandy. To see more of my reviews, fashion, food and pervathons -
August 8, 2016
This novella was such a great treat. It was pretty sweet, fun, and fast-paced.
Sophie Montgomery owns a clothing boutique and she also sells clothes online. She felt like her business had made her life a mess lately. When her best friend, Kristen, told her about Emerald Island and wanted Sophie to go with her, she was a bit hesitant but finally decided that taking a week off to go on a vacation was exactly what she needed to relax, recharge, and regroup her life.
Erik DeWolf is a billionaire who owns Emerald Island, a private island in the Caribbean. Half of the island is a luxurious resort where Sophie and her friend would stay on their vacation. Erik is gorgeous, sexy, yet mysterious, and that made me curious to get to know his character better. Besides, I wanted to know what made him stay on this isolated island. Was he running away from someone or something? And how had he gone this long without getting into a real relationship?
Erik and Sophie were attracted to each other the moment they first met. There was a strong and special connection between them that drew them toward each other. Later, they bumped into each other several times and finally jumped into bed together. After that, they had spent most of their time together around the island. While Erik enjoyed every moment in Sophie’s company and felt comfortable whenever he was around her, she felt the same way. She thought that everything that happened between them felt so good, so right, and so beautiful. But what she never expected was that her happiness would vanish in a jiffy. And…here came the drama.
How can these two finally have their HEA?
I enjoyed almost everything in this book, from endearing characters to an engaging plot and the drama near the end of the story. It was very refreshing to read such a light-hearted love story with the beautiful scenery of Emerald Island added to the book.
Aside from the things I loved about this novella, I had only two problems with it.
1. The sex scenes. I think Erik and Sophie's sexy times were way too rushed and not descriptive enough. A lack of passion between them made it hard for me to believe that they were really into each other.
2. The groveling part. I loved that Erik desperately wanted Sophie to take him back and that he was genuinely sorry for what he did and for being a jerk. But when he thought that she didn't want him in her life again, he defeatedly walked away without trying to fight for her. I wanted him to be more persistent because it would show me how much he valued her.
All in all, this was a great start to the series. If you love reading the story of love and friendship, you definitely shouldn’t miss this one!
**Gifted copy provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
August 9, 2016
** Book provided by the author for a sincere review
This one wasn't for me.
Frankly, the only reason I gave it 2 stars, not 1, is the story (it has potential!). But I really couldn't feel the characters, they were all pretty plastic to me. All of them felt exactly the same, even the "bad guy" (girl) was exactly like the main character, just a bit meaner.
So, it's not really a surprise that Erik and Sophie (the two (or should I say one) main characters) had no chemistry, I really couldn't feel their relationship. And all their conversations felt like... well, have you ever heard kids pretending to be adults? Something like that.
What I look for in a romance is the chemistry, the characters, the feelings. This book didn't really have any of that, despite the fact that I liked the idea and I appreciated the fact that it wasn't long and boring. The writing felt pretty chipped as well, and at the beginning there were so many repetitions of the name "Sophie" that it became damn annoying.
All in all, the book is worth trying, it's short and fast paced, so even if you don't like it you don't really lose a lot of time reading it. The writing needs a bit of a polish and the characters need some work as well, but it does have potential.
This one wasn't for me.
Frankly, the only reason I gave it 2 stars, not 1, is the story (it has potential!). But I really couldn't feel the characters, they were all pretty plastic to me. All of them felt exactly the same, even the "bad guy" (girl) was exactly like the main character, just a bit meaner.
So, it's not really a surprise that Erik and Sophie (the two (or should I say one) main characters) had no chemistry, I really couldn't feel their relationship. And all their conversations felt like... well, have you ever heard kids pretending to be adults? Something like that.
What I look for in a romance is the chemistry, the characters, the feelings. This book didn't really have any of that, despite the fact that I liked the idea and I appreciated the fact that it wasn't long and boring. The writing felt pretty chipped as well, and at the beginning there were so many repetitions of the name "Sophie" that it became damn annoying.
All in all, the book is worth trying, it's short and fast paced, so even if you don't like it you don't really lose a lot of time reading it. The writing needs a bit of a polish and the characters need some work as well, but it does have potential.
August 14, 2016
I received a free copy of this book for an honest review
The gist of this short story was fun and summery. On the positives; I did feel and appreciate the bones of the plot. I also applaud this debut author for putting herself out there and working hard to produce a piece of herself for public examination (not an easy task, so you get two big thumbs up for that Ms Blake).
The writing at times was a little choppy and had some inconsistencies here and there however, the overall style flowed like a nicely covered, daily report. The narrative read clearly but it didn't pull me into the story or make me feel like I was taken on an amazing book journey.
All in all, a great first time effort from an author I can see growing and achieving great things in this craft.
Told in the heroine's 3rd person POV with a super short HFN ending that leads into a possible continuation book (no cliffhanger).
The gist of this short story was fun and summery. On the positives; I did feel and appreciate the bones of the plot. I also applaud this debut author for putting herself out there and working hard to produce a piece of herself for public examination (not an easy task, so you get two big thumbs up for that Ms Blake).
The writing at times was a little choppy and had some inconsistencies here and there however, the overall style flowed like a nicely covered, daily report. The narrative read clearly but it didn't pull me into the story or make me feel like I was taken on an amazing book journey.
All in all, a great first time effort from an author I can see growing and achieving great things in this craft.
Told in the heroine's 3rd person POV with a super short HFN ending that leads into a possible continuation book (no cliffhanger).
August 4, 2016
Copy given by author for an honest review
This was my first read from this author and it was a good introduction.
Sophie is a small business owner who seems to be in way over her head. Since her father's passing, she's been duty bound to make her way in life and provide for her mother. She decides she deserves a break and tags along with her bff to an exclusive island paradise.
"Hot, sandy beaches. Clear blue ocean. Gorgeous people."
And no one more gorgeous than Erik, the billionaire who owns the island. The two embark on an affair and you should read the book to find out more.
I was a little dissatisfied with character development, especially Erik's. I found out more about fashion than about the man. However, I'm sure that will change with book 2.
If you're looking for some lighthearted fun (with a little bit of angst thrown in), then this may be the book for you!
XO
This was my first read from this author and it was a good introduction.
Sophie is a small business owner who seems to be in way over her head. Since her father's passing, she's been duty bound to make her way in life and provide for her mother. She decides she deserves a break and tags along with her bff to an exclusive island paradise.
"Hot, sandy beaches. Clear blue ocean. Gorgeous people."
And no one more gorgeous than Erik, the billionaire who owns the island. The two embark on an affair and you should read the book to find out more.
I was a little dissatisfied with character development, especially Erik's. I found out more about fashion than about the man. However, I'm sure that will change with book 2.
If you're looking for some lighthearted fun (with a little bit of angst thrown in), then this may be the book for you!
XO
December 17, 2016
**ARC generously provided by author in exchange for an honest review**
I really enjoyed the story very much. I liked both Sophie and Erick a lot. She is a very relatable female character. She is sweet, hard working, reflective, a good friend, and not a push over. He is super sweet and sexy. And even though he's filthy rich he wanted to get away from all the celebrity drama. Very endearing. AND! He makes the GRAND GESTURE! :-) Plus I loved Sophie's and Kristen's friendship. Good girlfriends are always a bonus to the story. The island is a total fantasy vacation.
The reason the rating is 3, not 4 is because there were some inconsistencies throughout. It was as if the author had a few different ideas about how she wanted scenes to go. The writing was a bit choppy and scenes sometimes ended quite abruptly. Basically, the book needs a bit of editing.
Overall, I liked the story very much. It has tons of potential to be a good series. I'd love to read more of Sophie's and Erick's life together. Also about Kristen and Sergio. Those two seem hot, Hot, HOT! Happy reading!
I really enjoyed the story very much. I liked both Sophie and Erick a lot. She is a very relatable female character. She is sweet, hard working, reflective, a good friend, and not a push over. He is super sweet and sexy. And even though he's filthy rich he wanted to get away from all the celebrity drama. Very endearing. AND! He makes the GRAND GESTURE! :-) Plus I loved Sophie's and Kristen's friendship. Good girlfriends are always a bonus to the story. The island is a total fantasy vacation.
The reason the rating is 3, not 4 is because there were some inconsistencies throughout. It was as if the author had a few different ideas about how she wanted scenes to go. The writing was a bit choppy and scenes sometimes ended quite abruptly. Basically, the book needs a bit of editing.
Overall, I liked the story very much. It has tons of potential to be a good series. I'd love to read more of Sophie's and Erick's life together. Also about Kristen and Sergio. Those two seem hot, Hot, HOT! Happy reading!
August 22, 2016
2.5 super fast stars
He's a billionaire who owns an exclusive island paradise resort for the super rich, she's a hard-working ordinary gal who's hit a dry spell and manages to blag a holiday at the resort with her well connected bff.
This was ok, but all a bit too improbably fast paced for me. They decide they have a connection after one unremarkable conversation and minutes later they're bumping uglies. I prefer to be teased for a while, to savour the anticipation of them getting together, but this was all too super fast for that and, I'm afraid, their chemistry suffered from that lack of tension.
The writing flowed well though, and it's a complete story that could easily be read in one sitting, but just not quite what I was hoping for. Available on ku.
He's a billionaire who owns an exclusive island paradise resort for the super rich, she's a hard-working ordinary gal who's hit a dry spell and manages to blag a holiday at the resort with her well connected bff.
This was ok, but all a bit too improbably fast paced for me. They decide they have a connection after one unremarkable conversation and minutes later they're bumping uglies. I prefer to be teased for a while, to savour the anticipation of them getting together, but this was all too super fast for that and, I'm afraid, their chemistry suffered from that lack of tension.
The writing flowed well though, and it's a complete story that could easily be read in one sitting, but just not quite what I was hoping for. Available on ku.
August 9, 2016
Emerald Island was a sweet hot Novella and a great start to a new Series
We meet The Heroine Sophie who is stressed out in her job and also in her personal life her BFF Kristen invites her to an all expense trip to a private island and really who would say no
there she meets the mysterious Erik De Wolf who is not only the owner of the resort but hot as sin
I really did like the storyline and also the character I would have liked to have Erik's POV
cause he really was a mystery and we didn't get to know too much about him the chemistry between the two MC was great they were really were sexy and hot together
**ARC Provided by Author for an Honest Review**
We meet The Heroine Sophie who is stressed out in her job and also in her personal life her BFF Kristen invites her to an all expense trip to a private island and really who would say no
there she meets the mysterious Erik De Wolf who is not only the owner of the resort but hot as sin
I really did like the storyline and also the character I would have liked to have Erik's POV
cause he really was a mystery and we didn't get to know too much about him the chemistry between the two MC was great they were really were sexy and hot together
**ARC Provided by Author for an Honest Review**
December 22, 2016
***MY FIRST ARC FOR HONEST REVIEW***
stop there. first of all, i dunno how work dis arc thing so, dont punch me. anyway im not a popular GR reviewer, I have a bit fans and I love them (leydiiiees xo), and I cant write "normal" so here I am, not changing. i cant be calm, kind and serious.
and wat da fuck, everytime I wrote a review in english, English and other languages are startin' to cry LOL. sorry for my all language skills.
there are, at the end of the book, "Discussion Questions" and I think I need to answer them. am I? ok, i'll mix the q's and just my other thoughts then write them.
ok so, when I realize that a book is a short story I'm starting to think as that book is just a smut, quick and all sex. This one is not like this and dats a good point. but on the other hand there was almost no sex oh you naughty nasty slut calls LOL.
blurb was sound a little cliche, i know. and even so my mind just think: "lets sex on the beach with spanks n gags (bc of mentions)" or "lurking?". there is nothing about dark, bdsm and even erotic.
book started a little slow, and when it matter of short story, I prefer to read fiction, not wat she'd done, I want to get in book directly and meanwhile read character's inner sound. dont like to read pages and pages how was/are her/him lives, do it this between the lines, my opinion. so this is why its took slow.
and from the begining i didnt like Sophie. yeah I usually dont like heroines but, i didnt wat can I do. cuz' she is a loser, I'm talking about her personality, not her wallet status. and as I progress, I realize she is thinking almost everything that she can not have, even sometimes for his bbf, with a dislike, with a disgust. on the other hand, book (i mean Sophie) have a propaganda like all celebs are liars, sneaky, arrogand. they're not, just she is a loser. actually she is very clever and successful but a loser is always a loser, so she is out of satisfaction.
Kristen like every other supporting charecter for (book and) every loser heroine. yes cliche; she is funny, joyful, happy, lets-do-dis-type female. tencere-kapak yani. BUT Sophie, baby, you are not a baby and Kristen not your babysitter, she is your bbf, she loves you for who the fuck u r. You should be aware of yourself, wat you'd done for your mother n yourself n ur job bla bla. but she just think 'she is just left me alone this island (like hell but not paradise, cuz there is nothing to do she is right, darn) and having sex with very handsome guy and made sacriface bla bla. so wat my dear? should she ask n talk n support n be conjoined twin with you? LOL. I like Kristen acutally. but where all her story? I know from the blurb this book is Sophie's but Kristen was everywhere in the beginning, so i was like 'no I think this one's Kristen's actualy?'. but then Sophie went into private area and then Eric was there and Kristen was just *puf*. It could be good to read her story too. book would be a sisterhood and their romance, maybe?
Eric. my god. IDK, he was low. I cant find to right adjectives for him. i dont love him but i dont hate him so. the problem is after this point, I I thought the whole book would set in there. I just thought 'omg omg omg lets meet at nights into the private area n have sex at moonlight n all other romantic things n all that keeping her for himself n away from fucking world n all fucking sneaky people.' things. (It would great! think again, this time reallllly away from everywhere and everyone, into a wild paradise, all alone together, dear lord...) he was possessiveLess. and I couldnt get his mysteriousness, he was everywhere. maybe I should read POV Eric, i mean not from his mouth, wat he had done all this time; secretly watched her with a binoculars? touched himself while thinking her? tried to forget her? found himself dozen times at her door? gone crazy when she was around? I dont know.
so, I think Eric like her cuz she is loser, this means she is not like everybody LOL. but the one thing I dont understand is why she went into private area. someone like her dont attempt that, but on the other hand, she is standing on own feet woman, and clever like I said, maybe bc of this she did, IDK, inconsistencies a little. but men love confused, daring and petulant women anyway, especially someone like Eric.
but the main problem is, there was so many lines about Sophie's desicions n her sacrifices n her job n wat she think about these (for me this is her dissatisfaction and dislike), again and again. ok sophie, i got it. I prefer romance, wat i mean: argy-bargying, seducing, teasing, chasing-catching, loving, fighting, fucking, n more fucking, roses n strawberries n champagnes, misunderstandings and apologizing n praying. hell where is chemistry? connection? first-sign things?
i know i wrote almost completely negative but there was so meager scene between Eric and Sophie, I couldnt get it, couldnt get in, didnt pull me in. there was potential, not have to way like I said.
omg i took so long and i feel like having an exam. (do you feel like this too when u get arc fuck). watever, im not gonna talk about misunderstanding-and-after-dis parts, it was cliche but understandable for a fiction like dat. But i need to tell one more thing, she is new I know but, long paragraphs with short sentences and name repeats in consecutive (lots of time these are short) sentences, abruptly ending chapters and making me ask 'why this part, for wat?' chapters/part making book prosaic. but for a beginning I think it was good.
stop there. first of all, i dunno how work dis arc thing so, dont punch me. anyway im not a popular GR reviewer, I have a bit fans and I love them (leydiiiees xo), and I cant write "normal" so here I am, not changing. i cant be calm, kind and serious.
and wat da fuck, everytime I wrote a review in english, English and other languages are startin' to cry LOL. sorry for my all language skills.
there are, at the end of the book, "Discussion Questions" and I think I need to answer them. am I? ok, i'll mix the q's and just my other thoughts then write them.
ok so, when I realize that a book is a short story I'm starting to think as that book is just a smut, quick and all sex. This one is not like this and dats a good point. but on the other hand there was almost no sex oh you naughty nasty slut calls LOL.
blurb was sound a little cliche, i know. and even so my mind just think: "lets sex on the beach with spanks n gags (bc of mentions)" or "lurking?". there is nothing about dark, bdsm and even erotic.
book started a little slow, and when it matter of short story, I prefer to read fiction, not wat she'd done, I want to get in book directly and meanwhile read character's inner sound. dont like to read pages and pages how was/are her/him lives, do it this between the lines, my opinion. so this is why its took slow.
and from the begining i didnt like Sophie. yeah I usually dont like heroines but, i didnt wat can I do. cuz' she is a loser, I'm talking about her personality, not her wallet status. and as I progress, I realize she is thinking almost everything that she can not have, even sometimes for his bbf, with a dislike, with a disgust. on the other hand, book (i mean Sophie) have a propaganda like all celebs are liars, sneaky, arrogand. they're not, just she is a loser. actually she is very clever and successful but a loser is always a loser, so she is out of satisfaction.
Kristen like every other supporting charecter for (book and) every loser heroine. yes cliche; she is funny, joyful, happy, lets-do-dis-type female. tencere-kapak yani. BUT Sophie, baby, you are not a baby and Kristen not your babysitter, she is your bbf, she loves you for who the fuck u r. You should be aware of yourself, wat you'd done for your mother n yourself n ur job bla bla. but she just think 'she is just left me alone this island (like hell but not paradise, cuz there is nothing to do she is right, darn) and having sex with very handsome guy and made sacriface bla bla. so wat my dear? should she ask n talk n support n be conjoined twin with you? LOL. I like Kristen acutally. but where all her story? I know from the blurb this book is Sophie's but Kristen was everywhere in the beginning, so i was like 'no I think this one's Kristen's actualy?'. but then Sophie went into private area and then Eric was there and Kristen was just *puf*. It could be good to read her story too. book would be a sisterhood and their romance, maybe?
Eric. my god. IDK, he was low. I cant find to right adjectives for him. i dont love him but i dont hate him so. the problem is after this point, I I thought the whole book would set in there. I just thought 'omg omg omg lets meet at nights into the private area n have sex at moonlight n all other romantic things n all that keeping her for himself n away from fucking world n all fucking sneaky people.' things. (It would great! think again, this time reallllly away from everywhere and everyone, into a wild paradise, all alone together, dear lord...) he was possessiveLess. and I couldnt get his mysteriousness, he was everywhere. maybe I should read POV Eric, i mean not from his mouth, wat he had done all this time; secretly watched her with a binoculars? touched himself while thinking her? tried to forget her? found himself dozen times at her door? gone crazy when she was around? I dont know.
so, I think Eric like her cuz she is loser, this means she is not like everybody LOL. but the one thing I dont understand is why she went into private area. someone like her dont attempt that, but on the other hand, she is standing on own feet woman, and clever like I said, maybe bc of this she did, IDK, inconsistencies a little. but men love confused, daring and petulant women anyway, especially someone like Eric.
but the main problem is, there was so many lines about Sophie's desicions n her sacrifices n her job n wat she think about these (for me this is her dissatisfaction and dislike), again and again. ok sophie, i got it. I prefer romance, wat i mean: argy-bargying, seducing, teasing, chasing-catching, loving, fighting, fucking, n more fucking, roses n strawberries n champagnes, misunderstandings and apologizing n praying. hell where is chemistry? connection? first-sign things?
i know i wrote almost completely negative but there was so meager scene between Eric and Sophie, I couldnt get it, couldnt get in, didnt pull me in. there was potential, not have to way like I said.
omg i took so long and i feel like having an exam. (do you feel like this too when u get arc fuck). watever, im not gonna talk about misunderstanding-and-after-dis parts, it was cliche but understandable for a fiction like dat. But i need to tell one more thing, she is new I know but, long paragraphs with short sentences and name repeats in consecutive (lots of time these are short) sentences, abruptly ending chapters and making me ask 'why this part, for wat?' chapters/part making book prosaic. but for a beginning I think it was good.
just didnt work for me.
xoxo
iko
August 8, 2016
4 emerald stars!
Copy kindly provided by author Fiona Blake for an honest review.
This is Fiona Blake's debut novel and the first in her new series (The billionaire bedroom series)
The story is about Sophie, the woman who gave up all her dreams and devoted her life to her boutique and her widowed mother.
After about three years of doing the same thing, Sophie finally got a chance to spend a week on Emerlad Island, the place with "long sandy, white beaches, surrounded by dense, green jungles" and gorgeous men
She was given the chance to enjoy herself, spend a week of good food, parties, spa and surfing... All for free.
Enjoying the scenery, Sophie never imagined that she would meet Erik DeWolf, the island's owner and fall head over heels with him or that with his wealth and charm he would choose her over the stunning women he's always been seen with.
Erik choose to escape his life pressures and enjoy the calm and solitude that he finds soothing on the island but when a clumsy gorgeous woman spilled wine on his shirt and suggested she would buy him another one, he knew that she would be the one for him...
But when their love was tainted with lies and envy, true feelings should find their way through darkness and Erik had to get the woman of his life back.. That's if she was willing to take him back...
Emerald Island is a book about love at first sight and how strong and sincere it is. It's a lighthearted novella with a fairy tale story where you would wish for a prince charmig to sweep you and take you to enjoy the paradise-like beaches.
Fiona Blake, good luck with the debut novel and happy glamorous writing career.
Copy kindly provided by author Fiona Blake for an honest review.
This is Fiona Blake's debut novel and the first in her new series (The billionaire bedroom series)
The story is about Sophie, the woman who gave up all her dreams and devoted her life to her boutique and her widowed mother.
After about three years of doing the same thing, Sophie finally got a chance to spend a week on Emerlad Island, the place with "long sandy, white beaches, surrounded by dense, green jungles" and gorgeous men
She was given the chance to enjoy herself, spend a week of good food, parties, spa and surfing... All for free.
Enjoying the scenery, Sophie never imagined that she would meet Erik DeWolf, the island's owner and fall head over heels with him or that with his wealth and charm he would choose her over the stunning women he's always been seen with.
Erik choose to escape his life pressures and enjoy the calm and solitude that he finds soothing on the island but when a clumsy gorgeous woman spilled wine on his shirt and suggested she would buy him another one, he knew that she would be the one for him...
But when their love was tainted with lies and envy, true feelings should find their way through darkness and Erik had to get the woman of his life back.. That's if she was willing to take him back...
Emerald Island is a book about love at first sight and how strong and sincere it is. It's a lighthearted novella with a fairy tale story where you would wish for a prince charmig to sweep you and take you to enjoy the paradise-like beaches.
Fiona Blake, good luck with the debut novel and happy glamorous writing career.
August 18, 2016
Sophie Montgomery is in need of a break. A break from reality, a break from the underwhelming rat race, a break from her normal.
Her friend, Kristen, has been invited to an exclusive resort, Emerald Island, inhabited by the wealthy and celebrated do wells, and it just so happens a colleague is unable to attend. Being aware of Sophie's struggles, she invites her to visit in their place.
What Sophie finds there is a calmness, as well as a certain charm. Her passions are truly tested, both independently and as Kristen's partner, with various resort activities. But what she wasn't expecting, was to commence a dialogue with the resort's owner.
This story had promise, given Sophie's initial backstory, but I'm afraid it lacked grit, and I found the dialogue weak. I struggled with character connection, which I think is the crux of satisfaction for the reader, and I think that may have been from a combination of the lack of depth and simple prose.
Complimentary copy kindly given to me in exchange for an honest review.
Her friend, Kristen, has been invited to an exclusive resort, Emerald Island, inhabited by the wealthy and celebrated do wells, and it just so happens a colleague is unable to attend. Being aware of Sophie's struggles, she invites her to visit in their place.
What Sophie finds there is a calmness, as well as a certain charm. Her passions are truly tested, both independently and as Kristen's partner, with various resort activities. But what she wasn't expecting, was to commence a dialogue with the resort's owner.
This story had promise, given Sophie's initial backstory, but I'm afraid it lacked grit, and I found the dialogue weak. I struggled with character connection, which I think is the crux of satisfaction for the reader, and I think that may have been from a combination of the lack of depth and simple prose.
Complimentary copy kindly given to me in exchange for an honest review.
September 13, 2023
I received a copy of this book from the author and here is my review. ; )
It's short and sweetly predictable with a nice pacing and engaging characters. I found it hard to put down and it totally satisfied my HEA addiction.
Sophie and her friend Kirsten luck into two weeks on an exclusive island resort owned by a mysterious billionaire. While Kirsten is busy with her latest fling, Sophie keeps running into the island caretaker, and he's not too thrilled to see her. Too bad, because he's kinda thrilling to look at himself. But of course his opinion will change. There's a conniving OW wannabe that adds just the right amount of angst. I liked Sophie's character. Despite the brevity of the tale, she's fairly well rounded and no doormat.
Would definitely read more by this author!
It's short and sweetly predictable with a nice pacing and engaging characters. I found it hard to put down and it totally satisfied my HEA addiction.
Sophie and her friend Kirsten luck into two weeks on an exclusive island resort owned by a mysterious billionaire. While Kirsten is busy with her latest fling, Sophie keeps running into the island caretaker, and he's not too thrilled to see her. Too bad, because he's kinda thrilling to look at himself. But of course his opinion will change. There's a conniving OW wannabe that adds just the right amount of angst. I liked Sophie's character. Despite the brevity of the tale, she's fairly well rounded and no doormat.
Would definitely read more by this author!
December 17, 2016
I've received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book is definitely quick to read and I liked the whole idea of it. When it comes to characters I liked Kristen, Sergio and Erik but the main character was a little bit meh. What else? The story was too fast. They jumped from one thing to another in matters of seconds. It seemed to me like they were on this island for at least few weeks, not few days. Also, it seems like the author wrote about things we didn't know about like . In some places, I think there were too many terms "her", for example . It might be my personal opinion, but I think different words, adjectives or just lack of them could be used in sentences, for example .
Overall, I liked the story but I think it has a potential to be even better!
PS: In one sentence, on page 45, there is a missed dot between sentences "So did her business She wanted nothing more..."
This book is definitely quick to read and I liked the whole idea of it. When it comes to characters I liked Kristen, Sergio and Erik but the main character was a little bit meh. What else? The story was too fast. They jumped from one thing to another in matters of seconds. It seemed to me like they were on this island for at least few weeks, not few days. Also, it seems like the author wrote about things we didn't know about like . In some places, I think there were too many terms "her", for example . It might be my personal opinion, but I think different words, adjectives or just lack of them could be used in sentences, for example .
Overall, I liked the story but I think it has a potential to be even better!
PS: In one sentence, on page 45, there is a missed dot between sentences "So did her business She wanted nothing more..."
August 14, 2016
The weather has been gloomy so a quick escape to fantasy island works right now. While the billionaire thing I can pass on it works for this scenario. This is pretty much that, you have to step away from realistic a bit for this but it'd part of the enjoyment. It may had things I expected and pretty typical set up, if I'm being honest I've see way to many island dating shows (minus the show part) that came to mind.
Sophie and her bestfriend goes on vacation all expenses paid where everything goes on. Enter rich owner Erik, I don't much about that he is rich and handsome. A fast quick kind of read, novella length. I didn't exactly connect with the characters and story. I didn't get to know much about Erik and Sophie get to know them, makes it harder to know why they did things and unnderstand. More backstory to why they tick or something, for a little insight would be nice. At times it felt OTT in some parts but comes with the fantasy.
Since this seems to be a start of a series with the way it ended, I don’t feel much need to go on. I feel like there needed to be a draw to keep people wanting to go on, doesn't necessarily need to be a cliffy but to keep you invested. Despite my apprehension in starting this (yes that trope thing) it wasn't so bad. To be honest it has potential a bit more with fine tuning and fleshing out of details. It may not have been for me but others could.
** Copy received in exchange for honest review **
Sophie and her bestfriend goes on vacation all expenses paid where everything goes on. Enter rich owner Erik, I don't much about that he is rich and handsome. A fast quick kind of read, novella length. I didn't exactly connect with the characters and story. I didn't get to know much about Erik and Sophie get to know them, makes it harder to know why they did things and unnderstand. More backstory to why they tick or something, for a little insight would be nice. At times it felt OTT in some parts but comes with the fantasy.
Since this seems to be a start of a series with the way it ended, I don’t feel much need to go on. I feel like there needed to be a draw to keep people wanting to go on, doesn't necessarily need to be a cliffy but to keep you invested. Despite my apprehension in starting this (yes that trope thing) it wasn't so bad. To be honest it has potential a bit more with fine tuning and fleshing out of details. It may not have been for me but others could.
** Copy received in exchange for honest review **
December 31, 2016
" i know you write about writing famous square ,
Millionaire handsome mysterious ... a Beautiful girl without previous relationships
someone wants to end the relationship ... Sub-personalities .
and that not bad , although he used a lot for lot series , but the general idea can take it and write from different ways , especially the idea is very inspiring and exciting .
so Sophie and Christine are a good characters , had presentation good and you let us knowing about their lives and their personalities smoothly .
also Sergio had a good space in the story .
Erik still mysterious , he has a lot i guess to tell in the next book .
so i consider this book a presentation for the next books of series , and he this a good start , especially you interesting to every detail in book , not just the Originally relationship , and that good for start and makes us continue the series ..
the idea of island is very good and not old , and makes the started of relation logical and natural too .
so it's a good start like i said . "
Millionaire handsome mysterious ... a Beautiful girl without previous relationships
someone wants to end the relationship ... Sub-personalities .
and that not bad , although he used a lot for lot series , but the general idea can take it and write from different ways , especially the idea is very inspiring and exciting .
so Sophie and Christine are a good characters , had presentation good and you let us knowing about their lives and their personalities smoothly .
also Sergio had a good space in the story .
Erik still mysterious , he has a lot i guess to tell in the next book .
so i consider this book a presentation for the next books of series , and he this a good start , especially you interesting to every detail in book , not just the Originally relationship , and that good for start and makes us continue the series ..
the idea of island is very good and not old , and makes the started of relation logical and natural too .
so it's a good start like i said . "
October 2, 2016
Pretty hot! Would like to read more on these MC's!
December 7, 2016
It's not often that I say this but I literally couldn't put this book down...
I started reading it on the bus on the way to work, missed my stop I was enjoying it so much, continued reading on my lunch break and got to about 75% when I had to go back, for the home stretch I keep finding myself even more excited to finish work than I usually am because I'd be able to finish the story, I finished those last 50 pages so fast I'm now dizzy (not really though), haha...
There was just something about this little story that I just loved so much, it's quite simple really, struggling small business owner Sophie gets the chance of a lifetime invite to an exclusive, private island resort, at first she's reluctant to go but decides to live and let live as they say. While on the island she meets Erik, who at first says he is the caretaker but is in fact the billionaire owner of the private island, they, of course, fall in love and have plenty of hot bedroom times, add to the mix a jealous cooking show host with her eye on Erik and you've got one sexy, fun read, which is exactly what you want your romance novels to be....it's definitely what I want anyway!
The 2 main characters were very likeable, Sophie is such a strong female lead, there are more than a few characteristics that I connected with and I like that she wasn't the type to just pine over a man, accept his money and take the easy street way, she fights for what she had. Erik, oh my god Erik, what a dreamboat, so sexy and packing where it counts but also very introverted and kind hearted which was a nice surprise for romance fiction. The best friend was also a lot of fun and the kind of gal you'd definitely want to go to a private island with.
The writing is fast paced and easily read, I think Fiona Blake has definitely got talent when it comes to writing interesting and characters worth investing in... I can't wait to read the next book in the series, I loved Sophie and Erik so much that having only 1 book is simply not enough, write fast please Fiona :)
I started reading it on the bus on the way to work, missed my stop I was enjoying it so much, continued reading on my lunch break and got to about 75% when I had to go back, for the home stretch I keep finding myself even more excited to finish work than I usually am because I'd be able to finish the story, I finished those last 50 pages so fast I'm now dizzy (not really though), haha...
There was just something about this little story that I just loved so much, it's quite simple really, struggling small business owner Sophie gets the chance of a lifetime invite to an exclusive, private island resort, at first she's reluctant to go but decides to live and let live as they say. While on the island she meets Erik, who at first says he is the caretaker but is in fact the billionaire owner of the private island, they, of course, fall in love and have plenty of hot bedroom times, add to the mix a jealous cooking show host with her eye on Erik and you've got one sexy, fun read, which is exactly what you want your romance novels to be....it's definitely what I want anyway!
The 2 main characters were very likeable, Sophie is such a strong female lead, there are more than a few characteristics that I connected with and I like that she wasn't the type to just pine over a man, accept his money and take the easy street way, she fights for what she had. Erik, oh my god Erik, what a dreamboat, so sexy and packing where it counts but also very introverted and kind hearted which was a nice surprise for romance fiction. The best friend was also a lot of fun and the kind of gal you'd definitely want to go to a private island with.
The writing is fast paced and easily read, I think Fiona Blake has definitely got talent when it comes to writing interesting and characters worth investing in... I can't wait to read the next book in the series, I loved Sophie and Erik so much that having only 1 book is simply not enough, write fast please Fiona :)
September 1, 2016
Could you imagine?
It's an AWESOME fantasy-come-true for Sophie; a luxurious vacation drops in her lap, she has the time of her life, AND she runs into a handsome bazillionaire who owns an island and can't seem to take his eyes off of her. She was having a bit of a struggle in her personal life, so I was really rooting for her when things started looking up.
I loved Sophie's best friend, Kristen. She was sort of the "comic relief" in the sense that she said what she felt and called it like she saw it. She definitely deserves her own story, if she doesn't have it already!
The story flowed pretty smoothly, although I, personally, would have liked to see the tension drawn out a little more between "the handsome, mysterious stranger" and Sophie, or maybe more interactions between them before they "got down to business." Also, the conflict that happened between Sophie and "the handsome, mysterious stranger" towards the end could have been a little more intense. The idea was great, but it just needed a liiiiiiiiiiiitle more descriptive jealousy, hurt, anguish, fill-in-the-blank emotion.
All in all, it was a fun little escape from reality for a while, and had me wanting to pack my bags for Emerald Island!
***I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review***
It's an AWESOME fantasy-come-true for Sophie; a luxurious vacation drops in her lap, she has the time of her life, AND she runs into a handsome bazillionaire who owns an island and can't seem to take his eyes off of her. She was having a bit of a struggle in her personal life, so I was really rooting for her when things started looking up.
I loved Sophie's best friend, Kristen. She was sort of the "comic relief" in the sense that she said what she felt and called it like she saw it. She definitely deserves her own story, if she doesn't have it already!
The story flowed pretty smoothly, although I, personally, would have liked to see the tension drawn out a little more between "the handsome, mysterious stranger" and Sophie, or maybe more interactions between them before they "got down to business." Also, the conflict that happened between Sophie and "the handsome, mysterious stranger" towards the end could have been a little more intense. The idea was great, but it just needed a liiiiiiiiiiiitle more descriptive jealousy, hurt, anguish, fill-in-the-blank emotion.
All in all, it was a fun little escape from reality for a while, and had me wanting to pack my bags for Emerald Island!
***I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review***
July 15, 2016
Fiona Blake did an excellent job! She drew me in with her characters, kept me turning pages and brought forth a well-written book. She delivered the *feels* with her words...just what I look for when reading a book. She has a new follower now...me!
September 14, 2016
Full review to come
August 13, 2016
A sexy but short novella.
December 13, 2016
This books was kindly given to me from the author for a review.
It's a quick and easy read, something with which you can just space out for a while. In the beginning it's a bit slow, it takes like a quarter of the book until Sophie finally meets her Love interest, which is quite unusual for that kind of book, but it's getting a bit more fast-paced with the time.
I have questions, a lot of them actually, regarding a lot of stuff.
First of all let's talk characters, okay?
Sophie is a kinda weird character somehow. For starters I didn't get the "business is going slow, I have to work superhard"-thing, because she's a sales person and I'm not sure what she's working on when there's literally nothing to do. I mean sure, she reads business books and all, but after a few of them there won't be anything new to learn. I also don't get why she has an assistant to do work that isn't just there and how she pays her, because you know...not well going businesses usually resulting in a shortage of money, which Sophie explicitly worries about in the beginning. Also Sophie seems like a rather quite person, one who envys her friend a bit of her bubbly self and also states her small talk skills are a bit rusty and all, but she's also super competetiv, she works in retail (and as far I experienced it, that is like 50% being outgoing and making small talk) and somehow possesses every skills the books requires. Like being an ace in volley ball and an awesome dancer and also having suddenly designer skills and all.
And then Eric. At the bgeinning it's the mysterious guy, nobody has ever seen nor know the exact age or where he is. Would have thought he's a business man and all and at least on his business website must have been a picture (whether or not he retired, which wasn't clear to me either, the internet forgets nothing) and a short curriculum or something. But no, he's utterly mysterious and can pose as caretaker (even with his high profile guests and all) until...Sophie meets him. Then all of a sudden everyone knows who he is and what he looks like, with whom he had some kind of affair and general life details. Also: He explained to Sophie, that he keeps people coming to remind himself that he find them annoying, even though he's lonely. I'd've suggested he just visits you flat in NYC or LA I'm sure he owns and flies back after a day or two in which he convonced himself again those are not the people he want to hang out with. You know...would've kept his private island private.
As for Sergio: What kind of job has that man? I mean, it seems great. He lives in a villa on a beautiful island and has a copious amount of time to charm women and all. I considered for a while if that is, because charming women is precisly his job, but it turned out it wasn't. Which still leaves the question...what is he doing on that island.
And lastly...Jim. Who's Jim? you might ask. Well Jim is the pilot who says about one line and is relevant for like one paragraph and the only thing I have to question about him is: Why does he have a name? He's not relevant or re-occuring or anything.
Moving on to the plot:
So Kristen somehow is gifted with an invitation to that glorious island, because one of her clients can't go. This is really nice and all, but...I'm sure a person which needs a PR person knows tons of people and has loads of friends, so...why give it to your PR person?
In the beginning the vacation was supposed to be a week long, in which Sophie imagined she could find someone to cuddle with and all, which striked me as a little bit ooc. But...thing is, somehow while they are on that island, this weeks becomes two weeks with no explaination whatsoever.
Sergio states in the beginning that this is a digital detox-island and all and continues with "if you're comfortable with that, you can pass me your phones now." What if they weren't? Would've they been send back or what? And..it's right about impossible to ensure that no electronic communications devices if not every guests luggage is searched, which I believe isn't something you should do on a vacation island.
Also...this might be a minor thing and stuff, but I was wondering: I was under the impression that the dinner tables were already set hours in advance outside, like...on the beach. That seems super risky since this seems to be a rather stormy island. In fact on two occasion it was quite stormy and she wasn't even there the whole two weeks. Seems like a weird climate for a vacation island.
More over...Sophie waking up being massively hung over from last night's party and all, but thinks having mimosas for breakfast then is a good idea. Who knew Sophie is so wild^^
And scene where she nearly drowns and everything...would've thought there'd be safety guidelines on where not to bath and warning sign - Erik states it's always dangerous there - but there was obviously a lack of them. Why?
And then after rescuing Sophie Erik tells her flat-out who he is. Like he doesn't even try to tell her something like "it's not really my villa, I just take care of it" or "my employer ist pretty generous", he just tells her who he is, which seems weird for a private guy like him, especially since people like Sergio who work for real there have a villa, too. But than again...you could blame the instant attraction between the two for it. But why he signs a note to Kristen with his name, is somehting I really don't get. Could have any staff member get sign it to give it an "official" vibe or something. Or even don't sign it at all, since Kristen will most likely not question the whereabouts of Sophie as long she knows she's safe. And what's up with gifting Sophie some clothes after he recued her? Like...I bet the boutique is not significantly closer than the place where Sophie stays and he could just ordered someone to get her her own clothes there.
Then Scarlett arrives and everyone makes a great deal out of it, even though most of them are A-listers theirselves and well...she's just a TV chef and while I agree those can be widely popular, they're usually not the ones films stars and such fangirl about like crazy. And just the day after Sophie saw her on the island and remembering even knowing her from TV, she fails to recognize her at swimming. Like I totally get that you don't recognize stars if you just don't expect them, but Sophie knows Scarlett is here and still doesn't recognize her. Then Sophie decides she can't stand Scarlett and moves on quite quickly to telling her her fashion business is a massive fail. Because obviously you discuss you financial worries with some stranger who you can't stand? Sure, Scarlett asked, what Sophie is doing, but noone pressured her to say that. But that might be just a device to contour how honest Sophie is and how dishonest Scarlett.
So...then when the second storm occurs Sophie seems to be unable to find her villa. Her starting point is the main villa, I understood that is the place where most meals are eaten, and she could easily've walked that way twice a day since she arrived, but because it rains, she can't find her place? After meeting Erik in said storm and crashing with him the night, she find herself "even more in love with him". I was under the impression that she was interested at best before that night and while I fully understand that she's in love after their night together, she wasn't really before. Since she believed he and Scarlett were a thing anyway. The following day is kinda a blurr; I would've enjoyed some conversations between the two, but...well I'll discuss that later.
Later on she discusses that new business idea she has ofr becoming a designer herself, instead of just selling other designers stuff. Which is a nice idea. It's just...where does she think she gets the money to start that business from and why would she even risk starting yet another one, when her first one had gone horribly wrong? I was quite surprised.
Then things blow up and all and after a while Erik finds her and tells her his side of the story. Which included Scarlett's lie, which he insisted didn't really believe and yet kinda did, because Simon told him that Sergio was in deed sleeping with an american woman. The thing here is: It's forbidden to hook-up with guests, the whole staff and probably half the island's visitors knew about Sergio and Kristen and noone seemed to think it's necessary to do something about it, even though it was clearly breaking the rules. Besides Sergio being crazy enough to risk his job for a 2-week-affair. Like there must have been someone you disliked Sergio enough to tell the boss. But no... even though he owns the island, kinda sorta really works there and seems to arrange everything, he's utterly informed about what is going on with his staff.
As for the writing style:
While it is certainly light, easy and enjoyable, what threw me of was the pacing. Not sure if that isn't plot, but you know...it's not really an exact plot point. It was just I've gotten an really detailed description on what the massage was like and how the volley ball game was, but this day with Erik is blurred in some impressions and what they were doing, but nothing more. I don't really care what they're doing on their date, I care about them, about their relationship, about what they would talk about all day long, which general tone their conversation would have - playful or stern or funny -, how he treats her and how she makes him feel. You know...relationship stuff. And sometimes there are just little tiny paragraphs thrown in with no purpose whatsoever...I get that, when I write stuff I also seem hellbent at times to include every movement and every everyday task in the story, but that's something that shouldn't survive editing. Also...there where so much really precise time measurements: like I was told they had sex for exactly 45 minutes, getting ready for pretty much everything takes an hour, honestly...every second activity they do takes an hour. I get that one wouldn't write much about getting dressed and all, but "later", "after they are finished", "as they were heading out" and stuff would do the trick just fine without leaving me with the urge to have a tally sheet nearby to check if that's really possible timewise and all.
And after that entire thing pointing out what I didn't get or didn't like about it, I need to say: I probably noticed that, because I've read it to review you it, so you pay more attention to those things. It is a sweet and simple story about two people finding love in an enjoyable writing style, I mean...I've read in an afternoon or so and it doesn't get boring. It's just...it seems like the couple isn't even the priority in this book, the island seems to be or her business or so, and that's a pity, because I guess they could be great. As stated in another review, the story has potential and I might be incredibly picky when it comes to plot, so...with the beautiful island and the at times really endearing characters it can be just the right romance for you to read.
It's a quick and easy read, something with which you can just space out for a while. In the beginning it's a bit slow, it takes like a quarter of the book until Sophie finally meets her Love interest, which is quite unusual for that kind of book, but it's getting a bit more fast-paced with the time.
I have questions, a lot of them actually, regarding a lot of stuff.
First of all let's talk characters, okay?
Sophie is a kinda weird character somehow. For starters I didn't get the "business is going slow, I have to work superhard"-thing, because she's a sales person and I'm not sure what she's working on when there's literally nothing to do. I mean sure, she reads business books and all, but after a few of them there won't be anything new to learn. I also don't get why she has an assistant to do work that isn't just there and how she pays her, because you know...not well going businesses usually resulting in a shortage of money, which Sophie explicitly worries about in the beginning. Also Sophie seems like a rather quite person, one who envys her friend a bit of her bubbly self and also states her small talk skills are a bit rusty and all, but she's also super competetiv, she works in retail (and as far I experienced it, that is like 50% being outgoing and making small talk) and somehow possesses every skills the books requires. Like being an ace in volley ball and an awesome dancer and also having suddenly designer skills and all.
And then Eric. At the bgeinning it's the mysterious guy, nobody has ever seen nor know the exact age or where he is. Would have thought he's a business man and all and at least on his business website must have been a picture (whether or not he retired, which wasn't clear to me either, the internet forgets nothing) and a short curriculum or something. But no, he's utterly mysterious and can pose as caretaker (even with his high profile guests and all) until...Sophie meets him. Then all of a sudden everyone knows who he is and what he looks like, with whom he had some kind of affair and general life details. Also: He explained to Sophie, that he keeps people coming to remind himself that he find them annoying, even though he's lonely. I'd've suggested he just visits you flat in NYC or LA I'm sure he owns and flies back after a day or two in which he convonced himself again those are not the people he want to hang out with. You know...would've kept his private island private.
As for Sergio: What kind of job has that man? I mean, it seems great. He lives in a villa on a beautiful island and has a copious amount of time to charm women and all. I considered for a while if that is, because charming women is precisly his job, but it turned out it wasn't. Which still leaves the question...what is he doing on that island.
And lastly...Jim. Who's Jim? you might ask. Well Jim is the pilot who says about one line and is relevant for like one paragraph and the only thing I have to question about him is: Why does he have a name? He's not relevant or re-occuring or anything.
Moving on to the plot:
So Kristen somehow is gifted with an invitation to that glorious island, because one of her clients can't go. This is really nice and all, but...I'm sure a person which needs a PR person knows tons of people and has loads of friends, so...why give it to your PR person?
In the beginning the vacation was supposed to be a week long, in which Sophie imagined she could find someone to cuddle with and all, which striked me as a little bit ooc. But...thing is, somehow while they are on that island, this weeks becomes two weeks with no explaination whatsoever.
Sergio states in the beginning that this is a digital detox-island and all and continues with "if you're comfortable with that, you can pass me your phones now." What if they weren't? Would've they been send back or what? And..it's right about impossible to ensure that no electronic communications devices if not every guests luggage is searched, which I believe isn't something you should do on a vacation island.
Also...this might be a minor thing and stuff, but I was wondering: I was under the impression that the dinner tables were already set hours in advance outside, like...on the beach. That seems super risky since this seems to be a rather stormy island. In fact on two occasion it was quite stormy and she wasn't even there the whole two weeks. Seems like a weird climate for a vacation island.
More over...Sophie waking up being massively hung over from last night's party and all, but thinks having mimosas for breakfast then is a good idea. Who knew Sophie is so wild^^
And scene where she nearly drowns and everything...would've thought there'd be safety guidelines on where not to bath and warning sign - Erik states it's always dangerous there - but there was obviously a lack of them. Why?
And then after rescuing Sophie Erik tells her flat-out who he is. Like he doesn't even try to tell her something like "it's not really my villa, I just take care of it" or "my employer ist pretty generous", he just tells her who he is, which seems weird for a private guy like him, especially since people like Sergio who work for real there have a villa, too. But than again...you could blame the instant attraction between the two for it. But why he signs a note to Kristen with his name, is somehting I really don't get. Could have any staff member get sign it to give it an "official" vibe or something. Or even don't sign it at all, since Kristen will most likely not question the whereabouts of Sophie as long she knows she's safe. And what's up with gifting Sophie some clothes after he recued her? Like...I bet the boutique is not significantly closer than the place where Sophie stays and he could just ordered someone to get her her own clothes there.
Then Scarlett arrives and everyone makes a great deal out of it, even though most of them are A-listers theirselves and well...she's just a TV chef and while I agree those can be widely popular, they're usually not the ones films stars and such fangirl about like crazy. And just the day after Sophie saw her on the island and remembering even knowing her from TV, she fails to recognize her at swimming. Like I totally get that you don't recognize stars if you just don't expect them, but Sophie knows Scarlett is here and still doesn't recognize her. Then Sophie decides she can't stand Scarlett and moves on quite quickly to telling her her fashion business is a massive fail. Because obviously you discuss you financial worries with some stranger who you can't stand? Sure, Scarlett asked, what Sophie is doing, but noone pressured her to say that. But that might be just a device to contour how honest Sophie is and how dishonest Scarlett.
So...then when the second storm occurs Sophie seems to be unable to find her villa. Her starting point is the main villa, I understood that is the place where most meals are eaten, and she could easily've walked that way twice a day since she arrived, but because it rains, she can't find her place? After meeting Erik in said storm and crashing with him the night, she find herself "even more in love with him". I was under the impression that she was interested at best before that night and while I fully understand that she's in love after their night together, she wasn't really before. Since she believed he and Scarlett were a thing anyway. The following day is kinda a blurr; I would've enjoyed some conversations between the two, but...well I'll discuss that later.
Later on she discusses that new business idea she has ofr becoming a designer herself, instead of just selling other designers stuff. Which is a nice idea. It's just...where does she think she gets the money to start that business from and why would she even risk starting yet another one, when her first one had gone horribly wrong? I was quite surprised.
Then things blow up and all and after a while Erik finds her and tells her his side of the story. Which included Scarlett's lie, which he insisted didn't really believe and yet kinda did, because Simon told him that Sergio was in deed sleeping with an american woman. The thing here is: It's forbidden to hook-up with guests, the whole staff and probably half the island's visitors knew about Sergio and Kristen and noone seemed to think it's necessary to do something about it, even though it was clearly breaking the rules. Besides Sergio being crazy enough to risk his job for a 2-week-affair. Like there must have been someone you disliked Sergio enough to tell the boss. But no... even though he owns the island, kinda sorta really works there and seems to arrange everything, he's utterly informed about what is going on with his staff.
As for the writing style:
While it is certainly light, easy and enjoyable, what threw me of was the pacing. Not sure if that isn't plot, but you know...it's not really an exact plot point. It was just I've gotten an really detailed description on what the massage was like and how the volley ball game was, but this day with Erik is blurred in some impressions and what they were doing, but nothing more. I don't really care what they're doing on their date, I care about them, about their relationship, about what they would talk about all day long, which general tone their conversation would have - playful or stern or funny -, how he treats her and how she makes him feel. You know...relationship stuff. And sometimes there are just little tiny paragraphs thrown in with no purpose whatsoever...I get that, when I write stuff I also seem hellbent at times to include every movement and every everyday task in the story, but that's something that shouldn't survive editing. Also...there where so much really precise time measurements: like I was told they had sex for exactly 45 minutes, getting ready for pretty much everything takes an hour, honestly...every second activity they do takes an hour. I get that one wouldn't write much about getting dressed and all, but "later", "after they are finished", "as they were heading out" and stuff would do the trick just fine without leaving me with the urge to have a tally sheet nearby to check if that's really possible timewise and all.
And after that entire thing pointing out what I didn't get or didn't like about it, I need to say: I probably noticed that, because I've read it to review you it, so you pay more attention to those things. It is a sweet and simple story about two people finding love in an enjoyable writing style, I mean...I've read in an afternoon or so and it doesn't get boring. It's just...it seems like the couple isn't even the priority in this book, the island seems to be or her business or so, and that's a pity, because I guess they could be great. As stated in another review, the story has potential and I might be incredibly picky when it comes to plot, so...with the beautiful island and the at times really endearing characters it can be just the right romance for you to read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 18, 2016
I received an ARC from the author for which I promised an honest opinion.
There are a few aspects I look for in a book. One is the storyline, another is the writing style and the most critical is the chemistry between the main characters and the ability for me to connect with them.
So, firstly, I enjoyed the storyline. Although I have read books with a similar plot, this was unique enough; it stood on its own. I got the sense a full length novel had been written initially and the story had been shortened to a novella, leaving a few gaps in the book. There are a few reasons for saying this.
One is the timeline. It was stated that Sophie was going to the island for one week. But, the more the story opened up, the more I counted the days, and before long, one week turned into two, maybe more – it was difficult to keep track after a while. It left me wondering if the vacation was initially longer but the author had tried to reduce it to fit into a novella?
Also, a few activities were mentioned that left me wondering when they took place. Thinking I had missed something, I searched key words and couldn’t find reference to them, i.e. “… while she held onto him on the jet ski…” and “Really? When I spilled wine all over you?” – when did these incidents occur? There was also the time Sophia mentioned, “…I saw you talking to Scarlett Holmes the other day…”. It wasn’t ‘the other day’, it was the night before. Again, were scenes taken out where there were actually days in-between?
Then, the 'romance' aspect of the story only really started developing about 75% in, and even then it was instantaneous, she loved him after one night together. “To wake up even more in love than you had felt the evening before – that was something.” They met, briefly, about three times, not enough time for the chemistry to build, especially when Erik treated her like a leper, he couldn’t get away from her fast enough.
For me, far too much time was spent inside Sophia’s head as well as conversations and engagements with other characters other than Erik. The development of the two main characters was almost non-existent, there wasn’t much background meat to understand who they were and where they came from, especially Erik – why he was ‘mysterious’, I have no idea. It was stated that he turned the island into a resort (kinda invitation only) so that he could remind himself of what he was hiding from. Why not just go to the mainland for a reminder and remain the mysterious recluse; he didn’t need to go to those lengths? He seemed to be able to party it up at the drop of a hat, and everyone seemed to know who he was (except me) anyway.
The first time Erik kissed Sophia, he said he couldn’t get enough of her. I was left thinking: Huh? He hasn’t had her at all yet, and there had been no indication that he had wanted her up until then!
Sophia seemed to ‘wear the pants’ – she was the one in control in the bedroom, telling him to “come with me” – I do like my Alpha males and I like them in control.
If a gorgeous hunk called me ‘kid’, I would flip my lid!
Sophia: “You. You… are a very nice man.”
Erik: “You’re not so bad yourself, kid.”
I am not a ‘reviewer’, I merely put my thoughts down. For me, had this been a full length novel, the missing pieces would have been filled in. It is the worse feeling telling a talented author, who has put her heart and soul into a book, that you didn’t enjoy it. I gave it three stars because I did like the plot and I did like the writing style.
There are a few aspects I look for in a book. One is the storyline, another is the writing style and the most critical is the chemistry between the main characters and the ability for me to connect with them.
So, firstly, I enjoyed the storyline. Although I have read books with a similar plot, this was unique enough; it stood on its own. I got the sense a full length novel had been written initially and the story had been shortened to a novella, leaving a few gaps in the book. There are a few reasons for saying this.
One is the timeline. It was stated that Sophie was going to the island for one week. But, the more the story opened up, the more I counted the days, and before long, one week turned into two, maybe more – it was difficult to keep track after a while. It left me wondering if the vacation was initially longer but the author had tried to reduce it to fit into a novella?
Also, a few activities were mentioned that left me wondering when they took place. Thinking I had missed something, I searched key words and couldn’t find reference to them, i.e. “… while she held onto him on the jet ski…” and “Really? When I spilled wine all over you?” – when did these incidents occur? There was also the time Sophia mentioned, “…I saw you talking to Scarlett Holmes the other day…”. It wasn’t ‘the other day’, it was the night before. Again, were scenes taken out where there were actually days in-between?
Then, the 'romance' aspect of the story only really started developing about 75% in, and even then it was instantaneous, she loved him after one night together. “To wake up even more in love than you had felt the evening before – that was something.” They met, briefly, about three times, not enough time for the chemistry to build, especially when Erik treated her like a leper, he couldn’t get away from her fast enough.
For me, far too much time was spent inside Sophia’s head as well as conversations and engagements with other characters other than Erik. The development of the two main characters was almost non-existent, there wasn’t much background meat to understand who they were and where they came from, especially Erik – why he was ‘mysterious’, I have no idea. It was stated that he turned the island into a resort (kinda invitation only) so that he could remind himself of what he was hiding from. Why not just go to the mainland for a reminder and remain the mysterious recluse; he didn’t need to go to those lengths? He seemed to be able to party it up at the drop of a hat, and everyone seemed to know who he was (except me) anyway.
The first time Erik kissed Sophia, he said he couldn’t get enough of her. I was left thinking: Huh? He hasn’t had her at all yet, and there had been no indication that he had wanted her up until then!
Sophia seemed to ‘wear the pants’ – she was the one in control in the bedroom, telling him to “come with me” – I do like my Alpha males and I like them in control.
If a gorgeous hunk called me ‘kid’, I would flip my lid!
Sophia: “You. You… are a very nice man.”
Erik: “You’re not so bad yourself, kid.”
I am not a ‘reviewer’, I merely put my thoughts down. For me, had this been a full length novel, the missing pieces would have been filled in. It is the worse feeling telling a talented author, who has put her heart and soul into a book, that you didn’t enjoy it. I gave it three stars because I did like the plot and I did like the writing style.
December 13, 2016
Copy given by author for an honest review
It's my first time receiving a copy of book from an author for an honest review! It's an honor to be approached and asked to review a book, because I know it can be difficult for other people to read your work and critic your writing.
So, the book.......it's a fairly light romance (does not include any heavy themes like death, rape...etc.) and quick read (I finished it in one sitting). The story goes pretty much the way the synopsis/blurb indicated. Sophie dropped out of college due to her father's fatal heart attack and as years pass, Sophie begins to struggle with her online-turn-physical boutique business. She couldn't remember the last time she went on a vacation, so when Kristen (her BFF) invited her to go to an ALL PAID TRIP to Emerald Island, she decided to take a chance and said yes. There, Sophie meets a mysterious handsome man, who turns out to be the owner of the island!
I can't say I love the book, but it's an okay-story where you won't stop reading after first few pages and label it as DNF - trust me when I say I have experience in reading books where I stop reading after the first chapter because the story is not promising as the synopsis indicated. The story is written fairly well - it flows from one chapter to another despite having some parts of the story not explained thoroughly.
First off, there were names/characters briefly mentioned that I would love to know more about. I mean if their names are there in the book, that must mean they are/were important people in the main character's life. There's a mention of a Jason, who I assume is Sophie's ex boyfriend. He must have hurt Sophie a lot because Sophie do not want to even think about him. Another name mentioned but was not elaborated would be Oscar, who I think is one of Sophie's close friend (a gay one) aside from Kristen. He was mentioned somewhere near the end of the book when Sophie was interacting with the gay Danish designer. I would love to know if they have kept in touch or something. These very minor characters may not seem important but I believe readers would understand Sophie even more, as in what makes her who she is today before meeting the mysterious handsome billionaire.
The romance progressed pretty fast. I didn't realize Sophie was already crushing on the mysterious man until it was mentioned explicitly (there are times when you read a romance and know the characters are in love without being told). I was still in the mind set where Sophie sort of hate the mysterious man for making her feel unworthy of such a luxurious vacation. So, I think the relationship between the hero and heroine could be improved.
Overall, it's an okay read if you are looking for a light romance or a quick read.
P.S. The blurb on Goodreads mentioned "If you’re a fan of Fifty Shades of Grey, Meredith Wild or Kendall Ryan, you’ll love Emerald Island.......", which I don't think is true.....because it's nothing like the dark, erotic FSoG.
It's my first time receiving a copy of book from an author for an honest review! It's an honor to be approached and asked to review a book, because I know it can be difficult for other people to read your work and critic your writing.
So, the book.......it's a fairly light romance (does not include any heavy themes like death, rape...etc.) and quick read (I finished it in one sitting). The story goes pretty much the way the synopsis/blurb indicated. Sophie dropped out of college due to her father's fatal heart attack and as years pass, Sophie begins to struggle with her online-turn-physical boutique business. She couldn't remember the last time she went on a vacation, so when Kristen (her BFF) invited her to go to an ALL PAID TRIP to Emerald Island, she decided to take a chance and said yes. There, Sophie meets a mysterious handsome man, who turns out to be the owner of the island!
I can't say I love the book, but it's an okay-story where you won't stop reading after first few pages and label it as DNF - trust me when I say I have experience in reading books where I stop reading after the first chapter because the story is not promising as the synopsis indicated. The story is written fairly well - it flows from one chapter to another despite having some parts of the story not explained thoroughly.
First off, there were names/characters briefly mentioned that I would love to know more about. I mean if their names are there in the book, that must mean they are/were important people in the main character's life. There's a mention of a Jason, who I assume is Sophie's ex boyfriend. He must have hurt Sophie a lot because Sophie do not want to even think about him. Another name mentioned but was not elaborated would be Oscar, who I think is one of Sophie's close friend (a gay one) aside from Kristen. He was mentioned somewhere near the end of the book when Sophie was interacting with the gay Danish designer. I would love to know if they have kept in touch or something. These very minor characters may not seem important but I believe readers would understand Sophie even more, as in what makes her who she is today before meeting the mysterious handsome billionaire.
The romance progressed pretty fast. I didn't realize Sophie was already crushing on the mysterious man until it was mentioned explicitly (there are times when you read a romance and know the characters are in love without being told). I was still in the mind set where Sophie sort of hate the mysterious man for making her feel unworthy of such a luxurious vacation. So, I think the relationship between the hero and heroine could be improved.
Overall, it's an okay read if you are looking for a light romance or a quick read.
P.S. The blurb on Goodreads mentioned "If you’re a fan of Fifty Shades of Grey, Meredith Wild or Kendall Ryan, you’ll love Emerald Island.......", which I don't think is true.....because it's nothing like the dark, erotic FSoG.
December 15, 2016
I was provided with a copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review.
I really wanted to like this story but unfortunately it just wasn't for me. The plot had a lot of potential but I found it difficult to really get into it as it often felt more like a list of personality traits or events.
I also found a number of errors that either had the same scene repeated with a different outcome, or references to events that you were supposed to know but hadn't been told about. Perhaps the biggest plot problem for me was the complete change in the main character who was described as a reclusive/ private person who nobody knew anything about, to the next chapter when all of a sudden everyone knew him guests and staff along with reference to his "player"past.
For me too much time was spent on random information about the island or the time and not enough on growing the relationship between the main characters to allow you to care about what happens to them.
It felt like a slow build up to them meeting with very little information about their relationship, followed by a rushed break-up/make-up ending.
Not one for me I am afraid ☹️
I really wanted to like this story but unfortunately it just wasn't for me. The plot had a lot of potential but I found it difficult to really get into it as it often felt more like a list of personality traits or events.
I also found a number of errors that either had the same scene repeated with a different outcome, or references to events that you were supposed to know but hadn't been told about. Perhaps the biggest plot problem for me was the complete change in the main character who was described as a reclusive/ private person who nobody knew anything about, to the next chapter when all of a sudden everyone knew him guests and staff along with reference to his "player"past.
For me too much time was spent on random information about the island or the time and not enough on growing the relationship between the main characters to allow you to care about what happens to them.
It felt like a slow build up to them meeting with very little information about their relationship, followed by a rushed break-up/make-up ending.
Not one for me I am afraid ☹️
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 24, 2016
4 Solid Stars
I received this book for my honest review.
This is the first book I have read by this author. So with that said let me tell you I wasn't expecting anything like this. This book brought out the best and worst in the characters. This book didn't have the POP as I was expecting it to but the author made up for that in hotness and compassion coming from within the story's own character. A story within a story within a story is how this book will go for anyone that reads it. Reading in between the proverbial lines becomes evident in this wonderment of a book. Yes big words are used in my review but what can I say I don't give anything away.
Kudos
Happy Reading
I received this book for my honest review.
This is the first book I have read by this author. So with that said let me tell you I wasn't expecting anything like this. This book brought out the best and worst in the characters. This book didn't have the POP as I was expecting it to but the author made up for that in hotness and compassion coming from within the story's own character. A story within a story within a story is how this book will go for anyone that reads it. Reading in between the proverbial lines becomes evident in this wonderment of a book. Yes big words are used in my review but what can I say I don't give anything away.
Kudos
Happy Reading
December 22, 2016
This is a fairy tale story. If you want to be swept away into a sweet read that will leave you wishing for your prince charming, then this is the book for you.
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