ARC Review: Black Ties and Lullabies by Jane Graves

Black Ties and Lullabies by Jane Graves
Format: ARC
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Mass Market Paperback: 432 pages
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing-Forever (June 28, 2011)
ISBN: 9780446568470
A good girl can be bad for one night...
Bernadette Hogan doesn't make mistakes. Not when it come to caring for her mother, and not at her job protecting Texas's most eligible--and infuriating-- bachelor. Maybe that's why she's overcome with guilt after one tiny indiscretion: a passionate fling with him that's left her confused, intrigued...and pregnant.
but can a bad boy be good for a lifetime?
To self-made millionaire Jeremy Bridges, women are life fine wine: if held for too long, they sour. But one wild night with Bernadette changed all that. She makes him laugh, she makes him think, and soon she's going to make him a father. For the first time, Jeremy wants to be a one-woman man. So how can he convince the fiercely independent Bernadette he's ready to change from partying playboy to dependable dad--and become the loving husband she deserves?

Where to buy: Amazon | Kindle | B&N | Nook | Book Depository 
Where to find Jane: Author Site | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
Extras: Read an Excerpt

I loved it. 

REVIEW:

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Can I just say that a certain Ms. Jane Graves has actually made me want to give contemporary romance the love it deserves? I've been stuck wayyy too long in the past or almost getting burned out on vampires, demons, weres and things that go bump in the night. It's time to finally suck it up and spend time with real people, who have real problems that I can relate to. Of course, I haven't gotten knocked up by a gorgeous millionaire, not do I have the aspirations of being a bodyguard, but it's nice to read about modern day people.

Top 5 Things I Liked About This Book:

1. Jeremy Bridges: Jeremy is one of Texas's most eligible millionaire bachelors. Ruthless in the boardroom and a complete Casanova in the bedroom, why would he step outside his comfort zone for a regular woman? Uh, because he got one pregnant? He started off as a total Jerkface, only thinking about himself. He does have a very hard childhood and he has pulled himself up from there, so that may explain why he is the way he is. He wants to be involved with his kids' lives since his father was never in his. He's tall, broody and in need of a total set down from the least likely female he thinks would do so.
2. Bernadette Hogan aka Bernie: Bernie is Jeremy's bodyguard. Yes. She is a woman, protecting a man. And she's badass. After a robbery gone wrong, she thinks quickly on her feet but having been pushed too far by Jeremy, she does something rash. She quits on the spot and fast forward two months later, finds out she's pregnant. Uh oh! Her mother's health is failing, she finds out she's having twins and Jeremy may not be the man she thinks him to be. She is smart, independent and sassy. Just the way I like my heroines. 
3. Texas: Oh this book makes me a little homesick. Thanks for bringing a little of Texas to California Ms. Graves. 
4. Charmin: Not the toilet paper. *giggle* She's a Mafia Wars playing, Cheetos eating, soap opera watching, good for nothing apartment complex manager. She's only good for laughs and boy does she come through. 
5. Max: He takes over bodyguard duty to Jeremy Bridges after Bernie quits. He's a gun toting, sunglasses wearing, knuckle cracking, Jeremy Bridge's scaring, one word answering all around awesome bodyguard who has Bernie's back. He is what a bodyguard should look like and boy is he funny! 

Favorite Quote: "I'm the dumbass who's spending all that money to try to turn this piece of crap complex, into Buckingham Palace." (***quote subject to change in finished copy of the book***)


Overall: Oh Ms. Jane Graves, I have already bought TALL TALES AND WEDDING VEILS and HOT WHEELS AND HIGH HEELS and you have convinced me to give contemporary romance another chance. The first contemporary I ever read (which shall remain nameless) left a bad taste so I basically abandoned this sub-genre. This book had me laughing out loud, sighing, feeling a lump in my throat, a knot in my chest, and cheering Bernie and Jeremy to a HEA. On the back cover of the book, there's a quote by NYT bestselling author, Lori Foster-"Jane Graves will win your heart." Yes, Ms. Foster, I must agree with you. She has won my heart and I am ready to give contemps another go. 




***I received this book from Brianne Beers of Grand Central Publishing for review.***

W...W...W...(6)

W...W...W...Wednesdays is a weekly meme MizB of Should Be Reading. 

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?

So, here's my answers:

• What are you currently reading? 

Dark Awakening by Kendra Leigh Castle. This is my first book by this author and I am enjoying it.

• What did you recently finish reading? 

Black Ties and Lullabies by Jane Graves. This is my first book by this author and it is laugh out loud funny. 

Embraced by Blood by Laurie London. The second in her Sweetbloods series. An absolute fun read. Check out my review here. 

• What do you think you’ll read next?

Ripe for Pleasure by Isobel Carr. Yes, I had this book on last week's WWW Wednesday under what I'll be reading next. Turns out, I received some books in the mail for review so I had to start those. But this book is going to be a must read next for me.

Cowboys Like Us by Vicki Lewis Thompson. Uh, have you SEEN the cover? If all cowboys looked like that, I wouldn't have left Texas. (kidding) This is going to be the first book of Vicki Lewis Thompson's I'll  be reading. Actually, it'll be the first book in the Harlequin Blaze line. Ever.


PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT with either the link to your own WWW Wednesdays post, or share your answers in a comment here (if you don’t have a bl0g). Thanks!