Smooth Talking Stranger (Travises, #3) in Dangerous Hero Addict Support Group

Feb 13, 2011 Beanbag Love rated it really liked it

Straight four stars for this one.

This book is enjoyable but ultimately I was left with a slightly dissatisfied feeling. I wasn't a huge fan of the heroine throughout most of it and that's pretty rough considering it's all in her POV. A somewhat self-righteous, bigoted, judgmental, over-reacting, often rude POV. Now, she's not over-the-top. She's no Portia Malloren, to be fair. But it's like a splinter you can't get to. Not devastating, just annoying.

Jack Travis is great. Yes, he has a man slut p Straight four stars for this one.

This book is enjoyable but ultimately I was left with a slightly dissatisfied feeling. I wasn't a huge fan of the heroine throughout most of it and that's pretty rough considering it's all in her POV. A somewhat self-righteous, bigoted, judgmental, over-reacting, often rude POV. Now, she's not over-the-top. She's no Portia Malloren, to be fair. But it's like a splinter you can't get to. Not devastating, just annoying.

Jack Travis is great. Yes, he has a man slut past, but those Travis guys seem to have been raised to take care of their P's and Q's. So, even when he was dating multiple women at one time, he still had an honorable core and, of course, that's why he's so easy to love now.

Ella was raised by a crazy lady and has a crazy sister. Both the mother and the sister are selfish and unlikable. Ella's the best of the bunch, but her crazy manifests itself differently. She's a rescuer for her family and, frankly, I don't see that going away. She also has the negative traits I listed above, although they can be subtle and she does get shown up multiple times and acknowledges it. Without those moments, she might have tipped the other way.

At the end I didn't completely trust the HEA. Not that their relationship would end, but that Jack wouldn't eventually be taken advantage of because Ella can't cut her two parasitic family members out of her life. I mean, the mom's downright emotionally abusive and the sister is completely self-centered. I know we're not supposed to like the mom, but I think we're supposed to have some sympathy for the sister. Sorry, I have some for her past, but not much for her present.

Still, this is a great read. I don't want to give the impression that Ella is outrageously unlikable, she's not. And she's a really good match for Jack, for the most part. I did think she needed more emotional growth by the end, though.

It was great to see Haven and Hardy again, as well as Liberty and Gage. They were a part of the story in an organic way rather than fan service, and I always appreciate that.

It seems like this is the end of the Travis series, although Joe is hanging out there needing a mate. Let's hope Kleypas comes back for one more, because I don't want to have to worry about one of the Travis males not getting his romantic due. ;^) ...more

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Aug 23, 2010 Mollie *scoutrmom* rated it really liked it

Shelves: romance, read-in-2012, read-in-2010

This series, more than most, must be read in order. Perhaps the same might be said of my reviews of the series, but it isn't necessary.

I liked the heroine, but do not feel that Lisa Kleypas did a good job of explaining her motivations. In the beginning, she was in the middle of a relationship that I could not understand at all. As she went on, we were shown the fears she experienced but not much about their causes. I saw her as incredibly weak in some areas, and incredibly strong in her protecti ...more

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Jan 13, 2010 Fiendishly Bookish rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites

In Kleypas' contemporary novels she has managed to throw out the modern romance template with the bath water. Her concept of what romance should be and could be in any situation is so successful in Smooth Talking Stranger that not many would have been able to pull it off.

Why can't Kleypas craft a story about a not-so-perfect heroine who might actually have some real life emotional "baggage" (like most of us!), toss in an unwanted child abandoned by her sister and a hunky but perhaps slightly fl ...more

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Nov 28, 2011 Andrea Jackson rated it really liked it

Shelves: favorite-authors

I like LK's historicals much better. I didn't relate to the hero at all. ...more

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Sep 15, 2011 Merita rated it it was amazing

Jack is one hot fine sexy man!!!

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Jun 24, 2010 Ellen W-S rated it it was amazing

Shelves: series, contemporary-romance, romance, read-in-2011, hot

In my opinion, this was the hottest of the three books. Lisa Kleypas has some of the wittiest dialogue between Jack and Ella. Loved this story even though the plot was not as deep as Sugar Daddy or as serious as Blue Eyed Devil, I thoroughly enjoyed this installment and hope that Kleypas graces us with another book in this series for Joe. She sure sets it up for Joe to be showcased next. I will continue to read Lisa Kleypas, no matter what she writes!

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Nov 11, 2010 Seena Seena rated it really liked it

All I can say is WOW!

I gave each 3 books of the series a 4 but as a whole a definite 5! And a must read!

I can not pick one as my favorite as all 3 had that something special!

I can not wait for Joe's book! ...more

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