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Eden Manor #1
One Week with her Rival
Vanessa never wanted to be a contractor, but ever since her husband died, she has been trying to hold together his business. Her attempts are constantly hampered by sexy, charming Joe Coleman, another local contractor who wants nothing more than to buy her out. Now they're thrown together in a job at Eden Manor, a bed and breakfast and huge renovation job that can only be completed if they work together.
Vanessa is willing to be a professional and work with Joe if she has to. But she trusted him in the past and only got burned as a result, so she's never going to let down her guard with him again.
It would be a lot easier if he wasn't so irresistible--and if he didn't seem to want so much more from her than her business.
Vanessa is willing to be a professional and work with Joe if she has to. But she trusted him in the past and only got burned as a result, so she's never going to let down her guard with him again.
It would be a lot easier if he wasn't so irresistible--and if he didn't seem to want so much more from her than her business.
80 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 17, 2016
168 people are currently reading
387 people want to read
About the author
Noelle Adams
136 books2,642 followersNoelle handwrote her first romance novel in a spiral-bound notebook when she was twelve, and she hasn't stopped writing since. She has lived in eight different states and currently resides in Virginia, where she teaches English, reads any book she can get her hands on, and offers tribute to a very spoiled cocker spaniel.
She loves travel, art, history, and ice cream. After spending far too many years of her life in graduate school, she has decided to reorient her priorities and focus on writing contemporary romances.
She loves travel, art, history, and ice cream. After spending far too many years of her life in graduate school, she has decided to reorient her priorities and focus on writing contemporary romances.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 71 reviews
no-dnf-zzz-avoid
March 5, 2016Not for me, this guy doesn't deserve a HEA:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Thanks, Lynn.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Thanks, Lynn.
Read
February 18, 2016This is a novella that ties in loosely to one of Noelle Adam's companion series. I have only read book 1 of that series and it in no way affected my enjoyment of this book. This can easily be read as a stand alone.
Usually, if there is a trope involved that I don't care for, I can at least somewhat enjoy it in Noelle Adam's hands. For one thing, she has a way of making her characters more human versus the over the top caricatures I so often find. Also, she doesn't have the story go into ridiculous levels of drama. People might react but it never goes to extremes. The enemies to lovers trope isn't my favorite but I hoped I could be okay with that in this author's hands. I was first worried about this being a miss for me because I'm not a fan of someone physically responding to someone to whom they have negative emotions. I never enjoy that. Unfortunately, furthering my disconnect to the novella I never warmed to the hero. He did something in the past that really bothered me and I was never able to get over.
I could not get over this. What kind of person does something like this? I don't believe someone who is capable of doing something like that is worthy of the heroine in a romance book, especially when the heroine is the person wronged. I don't care that he realized it was a horrible thing to do afterwards and It's awfully hard for me to feel like he is a nice person.
Sadly, this issue made the novella a miss for me. I never warmed to the couple because I never liked the hero despite his groveling (that didn't happen at the time but in the present day 2.5 years later). Some things reveal character and what he did with his past I think reveals his true character. I will still buy this author since this is the first book that was a really huge miss for me.
Usually, if there is a trope involved that I don't care for, I can at least somewhat enjoy it in Noelle Adam's hands. For one thing, she has a way of making her characters more human versus the over the top caricatures I so often find. Also, she doesn't have the story go into ridiculous levels of drama. People might react but it never goes to extremes. The enemies to lovers trope isn't my favorite but I hoped I could be okay with that in this author's hands. I was first worried about this being a miss for me because I'm not a fan of someone physically responding to someone to whom they have negative emotions. I never enjoy that. Unfortunately, furthering my disconnect to the novella I never warmed to the hero. He did something in the past that really bothered me and I was never able to get over.
I could not get over this. What kind of person does something like this? I don't believe someone who is capable of doing something like that is worthy of the heroine in a romance book, especially when the heroine is the person wronged. I don't care that he realized it was a horrible thing to do afterwards and It's awfully hard for me to feel like he is a nice person.
Sadly, this issue made the novella a miss for me. I never warmed to the couple because I never liked the hero despite his groveling (that didn't happen at the time but in the present day 2.5 years later). Some things reveal character and what he did with his past I think reveals his true character. I will still buy this author since this is the first book that was a really huge miss for me.
February 17, 2016
One Week With Her Rival by Noelle Adams pulled me in a few different directions. To begin with, I liked that a couple of characters from her previous series, Beaufort Brides, are a part of this new one, Eden Manor. I just love crossover storylines and characters! The heroine of this story is Vanessa Franks, a strong and dedicated young woman who is making it work in the manly world of contracting. Her late husband ran the business and since his death three years ago, Vanessa has kept it in the red. Joe Coleman is a fellow contractor and primary her competition. His obnoxiousness throughout most of the story is annoying. I just did not like him. I had a difficult time accepting their attraction, and subsequent relationship, since I found Joe to be such a phony.
Overall, this is a slightly emotional read with some hot moments and unique characters. Silas Vance, the resident glass and metal worker, is an interesting man, and someone I would like to learn more about. I am looking forward to reading more from this series.
Complimentary copy provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Overall, this is a slightly emotional read with some hot moments and unique characters. Silas Vance, the resident glass and metal worker, is an interesting man, and someone I would like to learn more about. I am looking forward to reading more from this series.
Complimentary copy provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
April 2, 2016
This is the first novella in Noelle Adams new Eden Manor series, a spin off from her Beaufort Brides series, which ended with Kelly and Peter's story Accidental Bride (an oops - best friends accidentally get married in Vegas! romance). At the end of that story Kelly and Peter had bought a mansion, Eden Manor, and were working at restoring it to its former glory to make it into a successful bed and breakfast retreat. That sets the stage for this story, in which Vanessa, whose husband passed away a few years ago, is struggling to continue the renovation business he started. She's got a plum job working on the mansion, but so does one of her rivals, Joe. When she was first widowed, Joe showed an interest in Vanessa, but she quickly came to realize that what he really wanted was for her to sell him the business, resulting in a messy breakup, and a continued rivalry. To her annoyance though, she still feels a flare of attraction whenever Joe is in the vicinity, and he still gets under her skin. Joe and her have fallen into the habit of trying to one-up the other, something Joe has always taken as the 'game' that they play (a way to not openly acknowledge that there is something still between them). But for Vanessa, it's serious - her livelihood is in jeopardy and it's not a game to her. Stuck working together on the mansion renovations, can Joe convince Vanessa that he's truly sorry for what happened in the past and get her to give him a second chance?
I really enjoyed this story! Vanessa struck me as a woman with high expectations of herself, and the character flaw (familiar to many) of being reluctant to ask for help. She's put a lot of pressure on herself to continue her deceased husband's business, not really taking into account how much of herself she's been pouring into it and how that has affected her. Her relationship with Joe is fraught with tension, after discovering his deceit when they first started dating. Being attracted to him definitely doesn't help!
Joe comes across as a confident, hard working man. Yes, he made a mistake, by initially dating Vanessa and thinking that she'd be happy to sell him her inherited business. They are both in the same line of work, competing for the same jobs and the services of special contractors, and his idea was partially born out of the egotistical masculine belief that she wouldn't be able to handle the business on her own. But a funny thing happened, and he found himself falling for her. Too late though, as Vanessa discovered his real intentions and wouldn't listen to any apology at that time. It's been a rivalry that Joe has really wanted to put behind them, but that Vanessa has been determined to continue, all the while fighting her attraction to him. Joe came across as sincerely apologetic, willing Vanessa to forgive him his mistakes and to see that she is more important to him than any company. As they work together, the chemistry between them leads to some steamy scenes, and a cautious friendship. It's going to take a lot of work for Joe to repair the damage he caused, but he shows time and again that he's willing to put in the effort. I loved how the story progressed, the struggle to forgive and the eventual happy ending for the couple. I found it quite emotional at times, sympathizing with Vanessa, and even found myself shedding some tears ( a sign to me that the author had succeeded in pulling me into the story). It was a surprisingly sexy and ultimately satisfying enemies to lovers romance. 4.5 stars.
Note: a copy of this story was provided by the author for review.
This review appears as a blog post at: http://straightshootinbookreviews.com...
I really enjoyed this story! Vanessa struck me as a woman with high expectations of herself, and the character flaw (familiar to many) of being reluctant to ask for help. She's put a lot of pressure on herself to continue her deceased husband's business, not really taking into account how much of herself she's been pouring into it and how that has affected her. Her relationship with Joe is fraught with tension, after discovering his deceit when they first started dating. Being attracted to him definitely doesn't help!
Joe comes across as a confident, hard working man. Yes, he made a mistake, by initially dating Vanessa and thinking that she'd be happy to sell him her inherited business. They are both in the same line of work, competing for the same jobs and the services of special contractors, and his idea was partially born out of the egotistical masculine belief that she wouldn't be able to handle the business on her own. But a funny thing happened, and he found himself falling for her. Too late though, as Vanessa discovered his real intentions and wouldn't listen to any apology at that time. It's been a rivalry that Joe has really wanted to put behind them, but that Vanessa has been determined to continue, all the while fighting her attraction to him. Joe came across as sincerely apologetic, willing Vanessa to forgive him his mistakes and to see that she is more important to him than any company. As they work together, the chemistry between them leads to some steamy scenes, and a cautious friendship. It's going to take a lot of work for Joe to repair the damage he caused, but he shows time and again that he's willing to put in the effort. I loved how the story progressed, the struggle to forgive and the eventual happy ending for the couple. I found it quite emotional at times, sympathizing with Vanessa, and even found myself shedding some tears ( a sign to me that the author had succeeded in pulling me into the story). It was a surprisingly sexy and ultimately satisfying enemies to lovers romance. 4.5 stars.
Note: a copy of this story was provided by the author for review.
This review appears as a blog post at: http://straightshootinbookreviews.com...
February 17, 2016
Another great read by a favorite of mine!
I truly enjoy these shorter stories the author writes. Short and sweet might be the way the saying goes but the author always adds a touch of spice to keep things interesting. In this case, Vanessa is trying to keep her late husband's contracting company running smoothly, a job made much more difficult by her greatest rival.
Joe Coleman made the mistake of trying to woo the business away from Vanessa after her husband died. He'd regretted it ever since. Not only had he hurt Vanessa, he'd also screwed up any chance he might have had at a real relationship with her. Now he's left with trying to convince her it isn't just the business he wants. Oh, he's positive they'd make great partners, but he wants more. And he's not giving up until he gets it.
I love it that Joe recognizes he acted like a jerk to begin with and that he wants to prove to Vanessa that he's changed. Even so, he still manages to screw things up before he finally gets it right and they can have their happily ever after. He's also willing to give Vanessa time to come to grips with her emotions. She has to get past her grief and recognize its okay to move on. She also has to recognize that he's no longer trying to take over her business. It's Vanessa, herself, he wants.
Vanessa was a strong woman but struggled with finally letting her late husband go so she could move on without feeling guilty. And she wanted to believe Joe when he said this was more than a game to him, but she'd been burned before and was afraid to trust him. I particularly liked the way they weren't in any hurry to jump into anything and that the author didn't rush things between them in order to tie the ending up in a neat little bow. I'm hoping to see their relationship continue to build in the next book. For now, it's enough to know they want to be together.
I truly enjoy these shorter stories the author writes. Short and sweet might be the way the saying goes but the author always adds a touch of spice to keep things interesting. In this case, Vanessa is trying to keep her late husband's contracting company running smoothly, a job made much more difficult by her greatest rival.
Joe Coleman made the mistake of trying to woo the business away from Vanessa after her husband died. He'd regretted it ever since. Not only had he hurt Vanessa, he'd also screwed up any chance he might have had at a real relationship with her. Now he's left with trying to convince her it isn't just the business he wants. Oh, he's positive they'd make great partners, but he wants more. And he's not giving up until he gets it.
I love it that Joe recognizes he acted like a jerk to begin with and that he wants to prove to Vanessa that he's changed. Even so, he still manages to screw things up before he finally gets it right and they can have their happily ever after. He's also willing to give Vanessa time to come to grips with her emotions. She has to get past her grief and recognize its okay to move on. She also has to recognize that he's no longer trying to take over her business. It's Vanessa, herself, he wants.
Vanessa was a strong woman but struggled with finally letting her late husband go so she could move on without feeling guilty. And she wanted to believe Joe when he said this was more than a game to him, but she'd been burned before and was afraid to trust him. I particularly liked the way they weren't in any hurry to jump into anything and that the author didn't rush things between them in order to tie the ending up in a neat little bow. I'm hoping to see their relationship continue to build in the next book. For now, it's enough to know they want to be together.
May 4, 2024
A short and sweet novella. I would have liked an epilogue.
December 5, 2017
2.75 Stars
February 17, 2016
See more of my reviews on my blog Thoughts At One In The Morning.
Upon finishing, my initial reaction:
Wonderful story full of heart and heat! :)
My Thoughts (full review):
Noelle Adams always has the loveliest stories. Unlike the majority, I adore novellas. They're short and sweet and when an author does them right, they are perfection. The first book in the Beaufort Brides spinoff series has hooked me yet again.
Here we have Vanessa who lost her husband 3 years ago. She hasn't moved on because of underlying guilt. Then there's Joe, the one guy who always gets in her way and under her skin, and not in a good way. They're stuck together for the time being, so they have to learn to work together and deal with each other. It doesn't take long for the desire to come forth and create all sorts of challenges.
One Week with her Rival was a brilliant start to the Eden Manor series! I loved the backstory of Vanessa and how she learned to cope and allowed herself to live life again. Joe was amazing and so wonderful with Vanessa, I wanted to just hug him tight. All in all, another excellent novella from the master of novellas.
My Rating: Very Good
Upon finishing, my initial reaction:
Wonderful story full of heart and heat! :)
My Thoughts (full review):
Noelle Adams always has the loveliest stories. Unlike the majority, I adore novellas. They're short and sweet and when an author does them right, they are perfection. The first book in the Beaufort Brides spinoff series has hooked me yet again.
Here we have Vanessa who lost her husband 3 years ago. She hasn't moved on because of underlying guilt. Then there's Joe, the one guy who always gets in her way and under her skin, and not in a good way. They're stuck together for the time being, so they have to learn to work together and deal with each other. It doesn't take long for the desire to come forth and create all sorts of challenges.
One Week with her Rival was a brilliant start to the Eden Manor series! I loved the backstory of Vanessa and how she learned to cope and allowed herself to live life again. Joe was amazing and so wonderful with Vanessa, I wanted to just hug him tight. All in all, another excellent novella from the master of novellas.
My Rating: Very Good
January 14, 2017
Eh. This was just too short to flesh out the characters, their past hatred, and their turnaround. Joe didn't really seem like he was redeemable? Were they playing a game or weren't they? Of course I have yet to read my perfect hate sex book, so.
January 3, 2017
It's a decent time filler- but nothing really stands out.
September 3, 2019
While this isn’t a great read, it was okay with likable characters. It just could have been more if there had been more character development. Happy reading/listening!
October 25, 2024
The emotional arcs and backstory could have used more continuity—and there was a lot about contractor/carpentry work that didn’t strike me as accurate—but I will always eat up this kind of story.
Characters: Vanessa is a 28 year old white contractor and widow. Joe is a white contractor in his 30s. This is set in north Georgia.
Content notes: sexism, past death of FMC’s husband (car accident), past divorce (secondary character), on page sex, gender essentialism, ableist language
Characters: Vanessa is a 28 year old white contractor and widow. Joe is a white contractor in his 30s. This is set in north Georgia.
Content notes: sexism, past death of FMC’s husband (car accident), past divorce (secondary character), on page sex, gender essentialism, ableist language
August 5, 2020
3.5 stars
I really liked it! I purposefully looked for a novella, because I’m supposed to be reading Old-Man literature for my Lit Studies - I missed romance!
This author knows how to craft a sex scene, I knew I was safe with my quick fix. The trouble with this though, was it lacked depth due to its novella length - haha! However, I’m definitely going to read the rest of the series... because side character Silas - hello grumpy hero, coming up soon.
I really liked it! I purposefully looked for a novella, because I’m supposed to be reading Old-Man literature for my Lit Studies - I missed romance!
This author knows how to craft a sex scene, I knew I was safe with my quick fix. The trouble with this though, was it lacked depth due to its novella length - haha! However, I’m definitely going to read the rest of the series... because side character Silas - hello grumpy hero, coming up soon.
August 26, 2018
One week with her Rival!
I really enjoyed this story! It was a love hate relationship which when losing her husband Vanessa took over his business and she tried her best to keep it going. She felt Joe was her arch enemy and trying to hurt the business but there was an attraction to Joe she couldn't explain. Read to find out if Joe and Vanessa work out there differences.
I really enjoyed this story! It was a love hate relationship which when losing her husband Vanessa took over his business and she tried her best to keep it going. She felt Joe was her arch enemy and trying to hurt the business but there was an attraction to Joe she couldn't explain. Read to find out if Joe and Vanessa work out there differences.
July 10, 2020
Okay, both main characters are awful. Vanessa has no spine and Joe is a manipulative jerk that I cannot believe she forgave. He lied and treated her like nothing more than a means to an end. Do not think he was in for anything, except the business and that she is convenient. It was all about him and even though she was ki d of sad and pathetic deserved more.
October 9, 2023
It was fine. This diverted from the typical stoic hero that NA writes, he was a lot more outgoing and chatty for a change. But it still had convoluted miscommunication as the main plot.
There was a bit of whiplash with them mistrusting each other almost to the end and wrap up felt less earned. Still a breezy quick read perfect for a reading slump.
There was a bit of whiplash with them mistrusting each other almost to the end and wrap up felt less earned. Still a breezy quick read perfect for a reading slump.
June 26, 2017
I know the whole premise of this particular series is that the characters fall in love in a week, but this is just not my cuppa tea. Too unbelievable even if the story doesn't cover a large portion of the characters' history together.
September 24, 2020
This was short, like a novella. Wish it was longer but she wrapped the story up nicely and the characters were believable as well. Too bad the rest of the series doesn't interest me enough to read it.
March 25, 2021
A very quick read
This was a quick read, which was good and bad. I felt like Vanessa was getting repetitive in her worries. And I was surprised it was over something that she overheard and not her dead husband
This was a quick read, which was good and bad. I felt like Vanessa was getting repetitive in her worries. And I was surprised it was over something that she overheard and not her dead husband
June 2, 2017
🙄🧀🧀🧀🧀🧀
June 8, 2017
Sweet, charming story!
Fixing up a house has never heated up like this. Noelle Adams brings a sexy story between two rivals, who are more in love than they could believe.
Fixing up a house has never heated up like this. Noelle Adams brings a sexy story between two rivals, who are more in love than they could believe.
September 8, 2017
Competition and Passion, what better qualities for the absolute best story ever. When tension is at it's worst, this story just gets better and better.
September 19, 2017
Good quick easy read.
July 2, 2018
Delightful, enjoyed they way the characters tried to forgo their fears and to trust each other post a downfall.
January 6, 2020
Cute short story
The story was a cute short enemy turned love type... The game!e between these 2 was something like a hallmark movie
The story was a cute short enemy turned love type... The game!e between these 2 was something like a hallmark movie
April 21, 2020
A nice romance but so much left out. The resolution of their rivalry just felt forced. The heroine changes her way of thinking and does a 180 degree turn on her feelings amazingly quickly.
October 26, 2020
A quick romantic story about moving on.
November 2, 2020
Enemies to lovers
If you're looking for a quick read with romance, some angst and beautifully written then this is definitely the book for you. Highly recommended
If you're looking for a quick read with romance, some angst and beautifully written then this is definitely the book for you. Highly recommended
June 18, 2021
An okay novella. Quick read.
June 16, 2024
very cute!
I love these stories! Drama, romance , and a few laughs!! Very cute and can’t wait for the next book!
I love these stories! Drama, romance , and a few laughs!! Very cute and can’t wait for the next book!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 71 reviews