Friday, September 20, 2013

Seduction and Snacks (Chocolate Lovers #1) by Tara Sivec

Seduction and Snacks  (Chocolate Lovers #1) by Tara Sivec
 
This is an adult contemporary romance (Rated NC-17)
 
 ♥♥♥1/2
(Three and a half Chocolate Hearts)

 
Book Summary
 
Claire is a twenty-something, single mom that grudgingly helps her best friend sell sex toys while she attempts to make enough money to start her own business to give her foul-mouthed, but extremely loveable (when he's asleep) toddler a better life.

When Carter, the one-night-stand from her past that changed her life forever, shows up in her hometown bar without any recollection of her besides her unique chocolate scent, Claire will make it a point that he remembers her this time.

With Carter's undisguised shock at suddenly finding out he has a four-year-old son and Claire's panic that her stretch marks and slim to none bedroom experience will send the man of her dreams heading for the hills, the pair will do whatever they can to get their happily ever after.

Warning: contains explicit sex, profanity and enough sarcasm to choke a horse.
 
 
My Review 

Because I read a lot, I’m not easily impressed. With all the praise I was determined to read the book. In fact I purchased it on Kindle to read because at the time it wasn’t on audio and I’d heard such great things.
So one day when I was feeling blue and needed a laugh, I started reading. Let me just say I didn’t find all the preggios jokes funny. So I put it down. Then audible had a sale and I bought feeling like giving the book a second chance. Maybe because I’ve read and seen characters such as this one, but I still didn’t find it that funny the second time around. But furthermore the time of the jokes didn’t make sense. Let me explain.
SPOILERS
Claire is in college. She doesn’t have siblings. She’s talking about not wanting to have kids and expressing it in terms that someone who has been pregnant or has had a close relationship with someone pregnant would know. What would a college student know about the deets of giving birth if she’d not interested and didn’t know anyone who had? Her claim is she saw a video of giving birth in sixth grade where they showed the baby coming out of the vayjayjay. I don’t think so. Never would have happened now or in the past. High school maybe, but still doubtful. Because she references the night with a girl wearing Louboutins, she means now. And no way would a school show a preteen fresh out of elementary a graphic video of giving birth.
The jokes didn’t work for me. Plus the humor was forced and exaggerated. The punch lines weren’t new or freshly told.
More into the story, the girl has a one night stand. She’s looking to lose her virginity. That just doesn’t ring true to me, but I didn’t take hearts off for that. She halfway sold me on the possibility. My problem was when she got pregnant. She agonizes over finding this guy to tell him he’s a father. When she runs into him again years later, she leaves the bar where she sees him without getting his name or enlisting her friend to do so. I get that she was shocked and it would be hard. But for all she knew, he was there one night and she might not have ever seen him again to tell him a truth he deserved to know. I mean she had that one night with him and couldn’t find him for five years. Yet, she didn’t even bother to find out how long he would be in town before she high tailed it out of there??? This from a girl who wanted desperately to track him down and do the right thing. Doesn’t play for me.
So on a stroke of luck, the guy ends up working for her friend’s boyfriend/husband, I forgot and she runs into him again. Thank goodness for that. And a little too convenient. But she waits a hell of a long time to tell him to the point I was almost ready to DNF the book.
END OF SPOILERS
Again, the humor was weak. The few times I laughed out loud was when it was from Carter’s POV.
As I purchased this book and the next on sale at audible, I did continue to the next book. L
Audio Review
Romy Nodlinger was a good narrator. The only problem is she used more inflection rather than tone to change the voices and wasn’t very successful. While her acting skills are good, I found it hard to follow when a POV changed (from male to female or visa versa)  because I wasn’t sure who the narrator of it was. The author didn’t have headings with the name of the POV or the producer didn’t include them. But I found myself lost with a new chapter wondering who was speaking every time until they said or did something that let me know whose POV it was. Very frustrating.
My book boyfriend and the one who saved the story for me, Carter.

*Disclaimer - I am not the owner of this picture. I found it on the web for causal fun use on my blog for which I receive no compensation. If this picture belongs to you (you are the copyright owner) please let me know and I will remove it.

2 comments:

  1. I was so amused by this book. I enjoyed it but did not fall head over heels in love. I've yet to continue the series, but do plan on it as Sivec's humor is awesome.

    ReplyDelete
  2. It has funny moments for me. If audible has a sale on her books again, I will continue.

    ReplyDelete