Mini-Reviews : Crave by Monica Murphy and Redesigned by Denise Grover Swank

Summary (from Goodreads)

Title : Crave (Billionaire Bachelors Club Series #1)
Author : Monica Murphy
Publication Date : August 6th 2013
Publisher : Avon Impulse
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Billionaire Archer Bancroft always gets what he wants—and he’s wanted Ivy Emerson, his best friend’s sister, for far too long. Being forbidden and untouchable only makes her more tempting. When a million-dollar bet with his friends throws down a challenge—last bachelor standing takes all—Archer knows he can win. That is, until one enchanted evening with Ivy takes his heart for a ride.

Ivy knows Archer is nothing but bad news: Infuriating, arrogant…and completely intoxicating. But despite her best efforts, she can’t seem to keep away. When a stolen kiss leads to a night of heated passion, Ivy realizes she’s in trouble and in head over heels.

But in the light of day, everything seems clearer and Archer’s not so sure a one-night stand is all he wants. Concocting a plan to keep Ivy by his side, Archer might just be willing to lose this bet…and win the jackpot instead.

Personal Thoughts

I loved Monica Murphy's Drew + Fable series, so when this was on Edelweiss, I could not miss out the chance to read and review her adult title! Crave was a short, sweet and sexy read, perfect for reading in between any heavy books. Ivy is Archer's best friend's little sister, so she's someone he needs to stay far away from, but he still can't fight the intense attraction he has towards her. Ivy, on the other hand, finds him arrogant, frustrating and tempting as hell. The two of them had such sweltering chemistry throughout the book and when they finally gave in to their desires, I was fanning myself like crazy. They were definitely one hot couple! There were certain instances when I thought the book was getting cheesy, but despite that I thought it was entertaining. Sometimes, you need quick, cheesy romances like these to lighten up your mood and that was exactly what Crave did for me. Overall, this was an enjoyable read and if you're into adult romance books, then definitely give this one a shot! Ivy's brother was another arrogant ass and the next book is supposed to feature him. I'm definitely looking forward to reading his book!

Rating

Cover : 3/5
Plot : 3/5
Characters : 3/5
Writing : 4/5

Thank you to Edelweiss and Avon Impulse for the e-ARC of Crave.

Summary (from Goodreads)

Title : Redesigned (Off the Subject #2)
Author : Denise Grover Swank
Publication Date : June 10th 2013
Publisher : Self-Published
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While fashion design major Caroline Hunter may have been born economically unlucky, in college, she’s been lucky in love. Until her senior year at Southern University. She’s gone from a serious long term boyfriend to a string of crappy dates.

Then she meets mathematics grad student Reed Pendergraft.

Reed is everything she’s not looking for. Serious. Headed for a low paying university job. Boring. Caroline spent the first eighteen years of her life wondering where her next meal was coming from. She sure wasn’t getting trapped in that life again with a man living on a professor’s salary.

An encounter with Reed in a club proves she might have pegged him wrong. He brings out a lusty side she never knew she had. But just when she’s about to give in to her hormones, Reed makes a fool out of her.

When she shows up for the first committee meeting for Southern University’s Fall fashion show, a fundraiser for underprivileged kids, Caroline’s horrified to discover the insufferable Reed is the committee chairman. While she refuses to tolerate his totalitarian rule of the committee, she’s not sure she’ll survive the month with her heart—and her pride—intact. Just when she thinks she has everything figured out, she finds that her entire life has been redesigned, thanks to Reed Pendergraft.
 
Personal Thoughts

I haven't read the first book, After Math, in this series and in all honesty, I'm not interested because it sounded like every other New Adult book, but the words "mathematics grad student" caught my eye in Redesigned's blurb. I'd be lying if I said I didn't have a thing for cute nerdy guys and as shallow as I might sound, that's the only reason I wanted to read this book. I loved the characters in this book, especially the main character, Caroline. I didn't think I would enjoy her very much at first, because she was the kind of character who went after rich guys only and she was quite rude to Reed on their first meeting, but I slowly grew to love her over the course of the book. Caroline was a driven and hard-working girl. I loved how diligent she was with her studies in design. I adored her interaction with some of the underprivileged kids her committee was working with. It really made her shine as a character. Reed, on the other hand, was completely unlike any of the math students I know! Sure, he was nerdy and really smart, but he also had a hidden sexy side to him. He sure knows how to make a girl swoon! Reed and Caroline's relationship started off antagonistically. They constantly argued and bickered, which I thought was a lot of fun. But, even when they argued, they had sizzling chemistry together. I'll admit I liked their relationship a lot better when they wanted to rip their heads off than when they were actually dating. It got too cutesy for me and my enjoyment of the book started t plummet. Regardless, overall, this was a fun read! Fans of NA will undoubtedly enjoy it!

Rating

Cover : 3/5
Plot : 3/5
Characters : 4/5
Writing : 3/5

**Overall rating : 3.5/5**