Nailed

by Jennifer Laurens

One girl. Two guys. Who says three's a crowd? When Mandy takes an unusual summer job-in construction-she has to prove she's just one of the guys. But she gets more than she bargains for being the only girl on the job. The mixture of hot guys, sunscreen, raw wood and testosterone proves to be an elixir she can't protect her heart from. Brooding Boston and flirty AJ find themselves looking at Mandy as more than just a girl who holds a hammer. Mandy soon finds herself not only lost in a whirlwind of a male-dominated world, but also the center of an inadvertently "constructed" love triangle. Mandy must choose between two guys who want her heart. But what's a girl to do when she wants them both?

Genres: Young Adult, Romance, Chick Lit, Contemporary, Teen, Contemporary Romance, Ebooks

236 pages, Paperback

First published September 22, 2008

About the author

Jennifer, aka JM Warwick was born and raised in Southern California and her hometown of Palos Verdes Estates flavors her books: A Season of Eden and An Open Vein. She doesn't limit herself to writing one genre, and was the first to author four romance novels centered around the popular sport of ballroom dancing.She has YA novels published under her YA romance name of Jennifer Laurens: Falling for Romeo, Magic Hands, Nailed and the Heavenly series: Heavenly ( 2009) Penitence (2010) and Absolution (2010) A Season of Eden (2011) and Overprotected ( 2011 ) Grace Doll ( 2012 ) .An Open Vein is under her JM Warwick pen name. Jennifer lives in Utah and has 6 children, one of whom has autism. Jennifer doesn't put stock in reviews - in fact she never reads them.

Reviews

[Jessica · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't know why I even bother...This was crap. Seriously.

Boston is weird, A.J. a pedophile and Mandy's just plain stupid. The entire book is about how Mandy drools all over the guys she's working with. And vice versa. Reading this felt like watching soft porn. No wait, there's even porn with better plot than this. Man, I really hated this book.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

“My heart healed the day I saw you glaring at me in Barnes and Noble” Tentatively he reached out and grazed the side of her face with his fingers. “You are …….irresistible.”

4.5: Why the hell have I not read any of Jennifer Lauren’s work before? Oh my, how very silly of me. To say the least, I was absolutely engrossed by this novel. I couldn’t put it down and when I did I couldn’t stop thinking of it.

The story follows Mandy who has loved construction since she was young, mainly because her father owns a construction company. Now she’s graduated high school, she decides to get a summer job….on a construction site. She tries being one of the lads but being the only girl on the job proves harder than she thinks. When she meets two completely different guys, AJ and Boston; both who work with her on the same job, her life suddenly becomes very confusing. With both boys battling for her heart, how does Mandy choose between two great guys?

I love a good romance novel and after reading a lot paranormal books lately, this book was very much needed. This being my first novel by Jennifer, I didn’t really know what to expect but wow, this book surprised the hell out of me so much. Jennifer Laurens actually managed to give me butterflies for most of this book and literally had me sitting on the edge of my seat from suspense. From the start to end of the story, it’s an exciting, easy and fun loving book which is full of loveable scenes and HOT BOYS!!

Our characters are a joy to read about. Mandy is an easy likable character that is neither shallow nor bitchy but quiet down to earth. She hasn’t got many close friends but values the friends she’s got and she’s dedicated and determined in everything she does. I definitely love the qualities that this character has. Now the boys….where do I even start? AJ he’s a real gentleman, honest and caring but Boston, he’s sweet, handsome and broody. Both men have very strong personalities that it will leave you battling for who you want Mandy to be with. Of course, my heart belongs to Boston, I can’t keep away from them tall, dark and handsome types and he’s enough to make any girls heart melt. Even through Boston’s struggles to open up to another girl, I found him completely vulnerable and it only made me love him that much more.

The general storyline was easy to follow and it was enough to make fall in love with Jennifer’s work. This will definitely NOT be the last book I read by this author and I can’t wait to pick up some of her other books.

Thank you to Jennifer Lauren’s for giving me the opportunity to review this book.

[Kristi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book, I really did. It didn’t “WOW” be my any means, it was cute, fun, easy. Usually I have some preconceived notion of whether or not I’m going to like a book before I read it. Most of the time I’m not to far off, but then there are other times when I am truly surprised. I wouldn’t say this was one of those times when I was truly surprised, but I was surprised.

First off I just want to comment on the cover. I’m human, which like I’m sure most of you are. And lets face it we judge things by appearances, don’t act like you don’t, because you know you do. It’s human nature, we can’t help it, we can only rise above it. But anyway, back to the cover, can I just say, NO! I mean what is it! It’s repulsive that’s what it is! What is that girl about 30, she sure doesn’t look like she just graduated high school to me. And the guys, don’t even get me started. I will give them credit for the red bandanna and the Red Sox cap and that is it. With all that said, don’t let the cover turn you away, because it’s actually a good read. I’m not even going to comment on the title......

Mandy’s dad own the construction business so it’s not to far fetched to say that she would want to work in the same field. Not exactly my cup of tea, but then again I’m not Mandy. I related to her character, I liked her. When I can relate to a character, I usually get more enjoyment out of the story.

Laurens writing style was easy and fun to read. I hate it when I have to reread a page five times to figure out what is going on. Laurens has a nice flow to her writing. It was easy to read chapter after chapter and not realize you've read so much. I’ll most likely continue to pick up her books. I'll just have to close my eyes and not look at the covers!

[Katie (hiding in the pages) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mandy has a dream--she wants to run a construction company (either her dad's or her own), so she spends the summer after graduation working under her brother on a crew that is framing a house.

The crew consists of Mandy, Marc (her brother), AJ (an "older" flirtatious guy--late 20s), Charlie (or Boston, as she calls him; he's a brooding, mysterious guy), and Larry (the resident playboy). Mandy finds herself in the middle of a love triangle and isn't sure how to handle it. AJ seems like a really nice guy--a gentleman, but it was a little creepy how into her he was--there was about a 10 year age difference. Boston was a little too brooding--I wanted to get to know him better. I liked how independent Mandy is and how she tries so hard to fit in, yet to stay true to herself. Her BFF, Cam, was a little...interesting. Apparently, he can't find a girl, so he resorts to secretly reading romance novels.

I typically like to read stories in the season they take place in (beach story in the summer; Christmas stories in December, etc), but it's been so cold, that this was a refreshing way to spend a January day. I think that for me, some boundaries were pushed just a little, but not crossed. In other words, I thought it was a clean read for an adult, but not for a teen.

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

So Cute and so much fun to read! another Chick Lit. book, that I totally was sucked into. Mandy , AJ and Boston, and yes this is a love triangle. Mandy works for her father on one of his construction sights building houses. There she meets AJ and Boston (AKA Charlie), who will win her heart? It was fun and endearing to watch this play out. The banter and tension was fun to read. Mandy was great, in how she treated both guys, some girls/or guys could be a real jerk if in same scenario. The writing as always just really flowed and swept me away, didnt' want to put it down. Story is kind of predictable, but it was still great. If you are in the mood for light, fluffy and sweet romance pick it up!


No language
Clean adult read, talk of hooking up/hooked up, tiny amount sexual verbiage, sexual tension, not for my teen, no details

[Lea · Rating 4 out of 5]

My review of Nailed by Jennifer Laurens is based on a e-book lent to me through a lending site for my Kindle.

*Warning: Review may contain minor spoilers*

I wanted this book because the summary sounded fun and cute. I was expecting an easy quick read that would provide just the distraction I wanted from finals week. What I got was so much more.

No lagging in the plot, great group of characters that so put me in mind of the days spend on my Dad's construction sites, and a lot of great humor and of course romance.

It must be that whole only child thing but I'm a sucker for sibling rivalry in any of it's many incarnations. Mandy and Marcus did not disappoint. I loved the bantering between them and how you could just tell that Marc was struggling with seeing his baby sister as a woman.

Her best friend's secret literary obsession? Personally I believe wholeheartedly that more guys should read romance novels, there's a lot to be learned from them.

Romance? Steamy. Loved it. One of the best love triangles that I have ever read. Both guys had a lot going for them so it was one of those rare cases where you wanted them both...for yourself. Ultimately what it came down to was that I was happy with the decision that Mandy made though I wouldn't mind having the leftovers.

I have no real complaints about the story as a whole though I may have raised an eyebrow at the whole bathing suit on site thing. My Dad would have killed me. Dead. Than again it was Mandy's brother that she was working with so that could have led to a higher survival rate.

Have I teased you enough yet?

I'm giving Nailed by Jennifer Laurens a four out of five star review. You have got to read this book. I could not stop smiling for the majority of the book and I can guarantee you that I'll be buying a copy of my very own soon. And in the meantime I am so glad that I have a copy of Heavenly by Jennifer Laurens sitting on top of my to-be-read pile because I so need another fix. Happy reading!

[Amy Jacobs · Rating 1 out of 5]

Usually I am a big fan of author Jennifer Laurens. I had been wanting to read this one for a while now and never really got around to it. When it was offered up free on Amazon for the Kindle, I snatched it up and it got shuffled in my list. Finally, I was sorting through them and came across it and decided to dive in.

I am a sucker for a love triangle. I guess this would be considered New Adult in the genre realm now as Mandy is 19, just out of high school and working with her brother. All of the main characters are around the same age except for A.J. who happens to be 27. Mandy finds herself falling for A.J. and Charlie, AKA Boston, while having to work on a house building project headed by her brother Marc.

First, that cover I think is the reason I forgot about it. It just doesn't scream 'read me', although I did notice on Amazon that the print version has a different cover. Second, A.J reminded me of a creepy guy who preys on young girls. He calls Mandy 'baby doll' almost every time he addresses her and is constantly giving her a full teeth smile. Then we have Larry, the fourth guy in the crew, who is basically a man slut. He is a player to the extreme level. Marc, Mandy's brother, should never be in charge of anything because he can't even keep his mind out of the gutter while his sister is standing right there. Then we have Charlie, who Mandy nicknames Boston. I never could really grow to like him. He came across stuck up and standoffish. Lastly we have Mandy. She was just as boring and dull as Boston so I could see the appeal of the author using them together as part of the triangle. She was indecisive, snobby, and has no clue whatsoever. After all those characters we have a best friend for Mandy who is basically just there to buy his romance books in the bookstore and to fill page time.

Definitely not one of the authors better books and one I would not read again.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nailed was a fast, light and entertaining read. What sets this book apart from the many flirty, cliched love triangle books where you feel like you’re reading an “insert character here” story is the author’s ability to write. Ms. Laurens created quite a few tension-filled and gut-twisty moments with just the right level of anguish to allow readers to feel for the characters’ plight.

The story has a nice pace that keeps you engaged with the characters and plot and has enough sizzle to make the triangle believable. Mandy is sweet, although a bit of an airhead when it comes to men, Boston is dark and mysterious and AJ is a charmer – all of which makes for a great dynamic.

While this doesn’t compare with her Heavenly series or A Season of Eden, it is definitely worth the read.

[Kristina · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quick, charming, and fun read that is perfect for summer!

[Ingrid Lola · Rating 1 out of 5]

Lol

[Kristen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Predictable plot and sloppy writing. Some obvious things should have been caught in editing and some things were worded awkwardly or just didn't make any sense. And I'm sorry, it's "I couldn't care less", not "I could care less". And it's "you've got another think coming", not "you've got another thing coming". If you're going to use idioms, make sure you actually use the right words.
I didn't really care for any of the characters. Marc was way too immature for the job and he was odd and semi creepy at times, Mandy was a ditz, Cam was basically a space filler, Larry was a manwhore, A. J. was creepy with his constant 'baby doll' thing, and Boston was way over dramatic. In fact, everything in this was over done. I'm sorry but when Boston would completely stop, cross his arms, and glare at A.J. for talking to Mandy, I had to roll my eyes. And it happened about three times.
It still doesn't seem like there was an actual story. Finished it just to finish.

[Garnet Glow · Rating 3 out of 5]

okay,i'm gonna start with what i liked about this book.
i liked Mandy's personalty,how she knew what she wanted from a very young age and how she stands up for her self.
but i was very disappointed in how things turned out.
i mean she becomes a part of a love triangle with A.J and Boston,thats fine,but like i wanted to like smack all of them
i mean she shouldn't have been flirting with both of them when she was claiming that she was trying to protect Boston.
also i didnt like how when she finally did choose one of them she didn't really speak to the other and let them know
she just presumed that they knew.
and don't get me started on the guys,GOSH
if you ask me,Boston should have maned up
and A.J should have backed away a little i felt like he was always coming on to her in front of everyone else,but not as strong when they are alone.
i'm not saying that its a bad read,i mean if you're in to so much drama and love triangles then this book is for you.
it just frustrated me

[Crystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nailed is an engrossing young adult story. I loved the realism of it. Mandy is a down-to-earth girl who just graduated from high school and knows what she wants - to own her own construction company. The day she has waited for has finally arrived and she is about to be on her first construction crew. Since her father owns a construction company she is not new to the scene, but she is new to her crew of 4 other men. At first it's tough working for her brother and getting used to the guys, but through perseverance Mandy does it. She starts to fit in and realize her attraction for two of the crew members. Boston and A.J. couldn't be more different and Mandy finds positives to both of them. But in a love triangle which one will she choose.

I admit I have not read any lover's triangle books so this was new for me. I really enjoyed the plot and Mandy as a character. She's a strong female who knows what she wants. She's not overbearing and she is very feminine even working on the framing crew. I also liked how she was sure about a career but she wasn't sure where relationships were involved. She grew during the book and I enjoyed watching her journey.

The men involved all sound amazing. I was fanning myself listening to the description of them. I can definitely find wonderful qualities in both A.J. and Boston especially against the crasser members of the crew.

I also loved the scenes involving the bookstores. I love bookstores so to see them mentioned in the book was a lot of fun.

An all-around great read - it's hard to put down and very enjoyable. It was fun getting a look into the construction field especially from a female perspective. Ms. Laurens did a wonderful job on this book.

[Ashley Gorman · Rating 1 out of 5]

I got Nailed from Amazon for free, and now that I've read it, I know why. I seriously hate love triangles, so I should have never read it in the first place and that's my fault. But Nailed had zero redeeming qualities. First of all, for some one who had to mention a bazillion times that she hated games, she sure did play them a lot. Her liking A.J. one second, and then Charlie (I refuse to call him Boston when he has a name) the next completely worked my nerves. When it dawned on her that she liked Charlie, I didn't buy it. She just suddenly realized he was the one she wanted? Yeah, okay. Second of all, I don't give a crap what the protocol is on the work site, her brother was an ass and I wanted to punch him in the throat. Third of all, "Mandy: Wow, that was smooth. A.J.: That's what happens when you have 4 sisters." Was there a reason we had the same exact dialogue happen in like, eight different scenes. I mean, really. Fourth of all, there is no way Cam was straight. If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, then it's a dang duck. Cam had boys flirting with him, Marc swears he's gay, he's obsessed with romance novels, and apparently there are tons of girls interested in him but he'd rather whine and read than actually date one? Come on. The fifth thing (then I'll shut up), why did we have A.J. back at the end and Mandy practically drooling at the sound of his voice? Am I supposed to come to the conclusion that the triangle is about to be reinstated? Oh and the sixth thing (okay, I lied but I'll seriously stop after this), I'm pretty sure A.J. was a creeper, anyway. What would a 27 year old want with a girl that just turned 19? I completely didn't understand that.

[Rachael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mandy has always dreamed about taking a job at her father’s construction company, so she’s thrilled to start her first job after she graduates high school. Unfortunately, her older brother Marc is overseeing the job and giving Mandy a hard time for being the only girl on the job. But there’s even better news in the form of two very hot construction guys, Charlie (better known as Boston) and AJ, both of whom seem interested in Mandy. Mandy finds herself having to make a difficult decision between the two but is afraid of hurting someone in the process.

My reaction to Nailed is difficult to say. First of all, Mandy is not my favorite protagonist. While I do admire her for knowing exactly she wants for her future, her desire to help others, and her reluctance to hurt anyone, I did find her a bit hypocritical. On one hand, when she thought about men being so animalistic when they talked about women, she seemed disgusted; but then she was always lusting after either AJ or Boston and taking in their scents (seems pretty animalistic to me). And, no other characters are really developed besides Mandy. Also, the plot wasn’t too exciting for me; it was a classic love triangle. What I did find interesting though was the unique setting. I mean, how many romantic stories can you read that take place on a construction site?

Overall, Nailed did not totally wow me, but it was a pretty fun read. I recommend this novel to fans of cute and unique romance novels. This is Jennifer Lauren’s latest novel and will be released in September.

reposted from http://thebookmuncher.blogspot.com

[Lecea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nailed was everything I expected it would be: a light, fun read. I enjoyed the plot, though it was a bit predictable. One may identify with Mandy's character, since she wants to build houses under a field in which males usually work, and she is good at asserting the fact that there should be no difference in the way the opposite sexes are treated. For example, I admired her for being bold about her clothing choice when working at the construction (a bathing suit with shorts) and how she defended her right to wear it. Clearly, she is not afraid to speak up. We find much more about her as the story progresses: how she has never had a boyfriend, how she has a romance-novel-loving best friend named Cam, etc. (it is so funny that Cam had to be the one to tell her she's in a love triangle)

That is the main part of this story: the triangle's development. We know Boston is taking a break from relationships, having broken off an unpleasant one, and that he loves to read. A.J., a bit older than Mandy, was gluttonous and funny, but he also had a similar problem with an earlier relationship. With all three characters working at the construction site, the "triangle" was so fun to read about. Again, I thought it was obvious whom Mandy would choose, but her character developed well with little realizations along the way. However, the other two points of the triangle did not seem fully drawn out. I felt that there should have been more to their stories.

[Amber · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've noticed a pattern in my reading lately - apparently I'm liking the idea of love triangles. The setting of Nailed is definitely an original one. I liked how it was set on a construction site. I was a bit more excited this dealt with an older teen too. I was glad Mandy always gave as much crap as she was given. She was a determined girl with what she wanted to do with her future and that was nice to see.

Then the book kind of went downhill for me. Mandy's two love interests - AJ and Boston - were the type of guys I was already wanting to know more about. But that never really happened. I never saw the connection between Mandy and the guys. There was a lot of conversations that seemed to not go anywhere. Oh, and the boys always seemed to look hot without their shirts on, but that was about it. Out of the two, Boston was a bit deeper in conversations compared to AJ, but I didn't see why they were fighting over her in the fist place. I've always enjoyed Jennifer Laurens other books, but this one was a let down for me.

[Yani · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love a well "constructed" love triangle. Especially on books like this, simple " cute" reads.
See more about what a "cute" read is {here}.

However, after all the great reviews I read about this book, I was disappointed. Not only was Mandy confused about here feelings, but the plot was confused too. The story didn't know where it was going. It wasn't your typical "Oh, I am confused about who I love." It felt like the actions where random, not motive driven. Even though the character felt one way, she acted another. I was just very confused as to why she did most of the things she did. And while there where some original, romantic, and steamy moments, it all felt random.

Still I enjoyed it, but I have read better (see below for recommendation). Will give Laurens another try with her book Magic Hands.

[Julia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Do you ever just need a cute, clean, fun girl book? Well this is the one.

Mandy was so funny and ditzy that I honestly laughed out loud a few times, even when I don't think she was trying to being funny. Both Boston and AJ were classic characters for a 2 boy love triangle. You could see the outcome of the book from the very first page but it was still cute. It did feel like there were a few gaping holes in the story, like I'd be reading and wonder "How did we just get here?". I guess what I really wanted was more book... I felt like it was missing some parts and ended to soon. Overall, good, cute, and fun.

[Candy · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Baby doll" *sigh* I love that term of endearment! Hmmmm suppose I should say more...this was an adorably cute and funny and steamy book (sorry for my overuse of the same conjunction). The characters were fun and easy to picture or relate with. My only problem is that the girl on the cover does not resemble the character Mandy at all...so that threw me off when a few details of her looks would be mentioned. Thats not really important tho. Her friend Cam is hilarious and her brother Marc is...interesting (I don't love him or hate him). As for the rest of the crew (insert *sigh*) you read the summary, so just read the book! A quick and satisfying read ^.^

[Erica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nailed was a fun, easy read that I enjoyed reading. Nailed wasn't a book that really wowed me though. After awhile, watching Mandy go between the two guys just got a little old to me. There's only so much you can write about a love triangle. Jennifer Laurens writing was great and kept the book flowing.

And I know covers shouldn't make a difference really, but the girl on the front looks way older than a recent high school graduate and overall, to me, it just wasn't that attractive.

I will definately be checking out other books by Jennifer Laurens!

[Dena · Rating 4 out of 5]

So a girl contractor is awesome I love the gender factor in this book. I also like the character dynamic of the family business with the potential suitors. She is a young girl just starting out in her father's business when she comes across A.J. who is older and wiser than her. Then there is Boston who is around the same age however very wary of getting involved again. this was definitely a love triangle and I was surprised at the outcome because it was different than other books.


Overall this book was short and to the point it made reading very light and interesting.

[Tasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story! Easy read with well rounded, likable characters. The only thing I would have liked out of it was more connection to the characters. I'm glad I read it, but I feel like it fell short. I liked both guys, but didn't feel strongly in either direction. I like Boston more for Mandy, simply for the age aspect. Even though, He was kind of a brooding baby. I just wanted him to throw a fit and reveal himself. The same goes for Marc and Larry. A.J was far more interesting.

[Miakoda · Rating 2 out of 5]

As much as it is fun to read about love triangles and men out in the hot sun blah blah blah...the story was too repetitive and it seems as though once again, Jennifer took the easy way out by being cliche and repeating every line to the point where I memorized what she would say at a particular mood place in the story. I don't really recommend.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm really liking her romance novels! They're not depressing, easy and quick to read. Perfect if you want to sit and read a novel in a couple of hours. By the way, the title is misleading. It's about a girl who goes to work on one of her dad's construction sites and falls in love with two guys who fall in love with her too.

[Jen (EndlessDreams) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, mostly due to Mandy's personality - I love reading about a tomboy who stands up for what she believes in. I was hoping for a good ending and I thought "Nailed" could have had a lot more potential in it's plot line, but it was still a good read. I absolutely loved Boston aka 'Charlie' :)

[Jante · Rating 1 out of 5]

I usually don't even bother with love triangles (they suck: just pick a guy already, hussy) but I 'd gave this one a chance because it was supposed to be about a tough girl. Sadly she wasn't. I read the book because I kept hoping the writer would do more with the story. Actually give the characters a personality, but when I got about 60 pages left reading I realised this was not going to happen.

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

The cover is bleg, but the story was better than expected. The tone felt a little grown-up for the target age demographic and the random comma placement made me think it was self-published, but overall, it was good.

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it! This was more of an older YA book, as I could relate to it more and the characters weren't in high school. It made your toes curl and you couldn't put it down, want more to happen between the love triangle. I liked A.J., but I was really routing for Boston. Very good, quick read!

[Lari :) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finished Jan 2011: 4.5 :)

Loved it! Read it! Now!
Oh Boston *dreamy sigh*....


Reread March 2025:

Yeah no longer a 4.5 star read, more like a 3 star, but I'll leave it up in honour of how little lari felt HAHA