A Novel Seduction
~Gwyn Cready
Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Pocket Star; Original edition
Publish Date: October 25, 2011
ISBN-10: 1451612648
ISBN-13: 978-1451612646
ASIN: B004T4KWWY
From the author's website:
When snobbish book critic Ellery Sharpe screws up at Vanity Place magazine, her boss assigns her the ultimate punishment: write an ode to romance novels, a genre she considers the literary equivalent of word search puzzles. To make matters worse, he hires her sexy former party boy ex, Axel Mackenzie, to shoot the photos. Axel really wants the project to succeed. For one, the magazine will double his fee if he convinces strong-willed Ellery to write a story no woman can resist. Besides, getting Ellery to fall for romance novels might be just the push she needs to believe people can change . . . even him. At his sister's advice, Axel gives Ellery a copy of Kiltlander, a much-adored romance whose warrior hero is utterly irresistible. To her dismay, Ellery finds herself secretly falling in love with the story-and with Axel, who's drawing his own lessons from the book's compelling hero. With her carefully crafted image of herself crumbling and her dream job on the line, will Ellery risk it all to make the leap from tight-lipped literati to happily-ever-after heroine?
Ellery Sharpe is head of the literary section at Vanity Place magazine. She's trying to get on as editor of another prestigious magazine, and her next assignment is going to be her piece de resistance. The only problem? Her most recent article, a piece on the uber-popular book "Vamp" lambastes the book and the romance genre in general. This would normally be fine, except her married editor is having an affair with Vamp's author. Needless to say he's not happy, and to make his mistress happy, he's assigned Ellery a piece on why women like romance novels, and Vamp in particular.
Axel Mackenzie is a free-lance photographer who often works with Vanity Place. He and Ellery dated several years back, and while their romance didn't work out, they remained friends. Not close friends, but friends nonetheless. He's trying to buy a small, independent brewery, and when Ellery's editor offers him a large sum of money to make sure she's doing a positive article. He agrees, but doesn't know a thing about romance novels, so he consults with his sister, who recommends her favorite romance, Kiltlander.
As the story moves on, both Ellery and Axel remember their former relationship (the good parts and the bad), travel the world meeting readers of all shapes and sizes, and learn to appreciate a good romance novel.
My thoughts:
OMG this book was so cute!!! I read and loved Ms. Cready's Seducing Mr. Darcy, and when I saw the blurb for this book I knew I had to read it.
A Novel Addiction has everything I want in a contemporary romance, plus Outlander references, for a book full of win!!! The humor is funny, the hero and heroine are likable, the secondary characters help move the story along without confusing or overshadowing the main story.
I loved the Vamp fans - they broke down into Team Britta or Team Ynez, and the fans are just as rabid as Team Jacob and Team Edward fans...
The Kiltlander scenes were my favorites: Jemmie and Cara =Jamie and Claire. The scene where Ellery sneaks into the bathroom to read Kiltlander because she's got to know what happens at the wedding scene is so funny. And the fact that everyone she talks to has read and loves Kiltlander but won't spoil any of the book for her is such a true depiction of the camaraderie of the romance reading community in general - I loved it!!! (And I had to go back and read my favorite parts of Outlander as soon as I finished A Novel Addiction *winks*)
The back story of Axel trying to come up with enough money to buy the bar, and Ellery's competition to win the spot at the other magazine added interest to the plot, but for me the most enjoyable parts were Ellery and Axel each reading Kiltlander and their reactions to it, as well as the romance that re-blooms between them.
I definitely recommend this book to any romance readers, especially fans of Outlander and "converts" to romance from other genres (like me). This one goes on my "keeper shelf".
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