Loving You Is Easy by Wendy S Marcus

Reviewed by Desere



The super talented Wendy S Marcus is back!!! And I could not be happier, I have been a huge fan of her work form her very first mesmerizing release and ever since I have devoured everything she has written so of course I squealed with pure delight when this new release landed in my very happy hands.

The read tells the story of Brooke Elstein,a politician's daughter and always quiet, in control and thus the perfect image of dutiful always do what makes dad look good gal. All that comes crashing down when a the son of a wealthy donor sinks his teeth into her and sadly also gets away with it. But Brook is no sissy and gets up and moves on as best she can.

One stroke of luck that allows her to easily get out there again is the perk of heading up the governor's " Support out Troops" pen-pal initiative, and thus she's able to get first pick on the smoking-hot sergeant , whose picture sends Brook's heart racing and shakes her right out of her always perfect shoes.

They correspond back and forth, but sexy Shane Develen instinctively hides his commando tattoos and blue collar roots, he knows Brooke is also hiding something, he's not too sure what but he knows there is definitely something there. None the less he knows he has gained her trust when she sends him a off the charts blisteringly sexy photo. But as fate will have it, Shane is injured in an ambush and a fellow solider posts the sexy shot online for all to see.

And so once again Brooke's perfect image turns to ashes in the blink of an eye. Then Shane turns up at her doorstep determined to set things right and discovers the that right or wrong for each other has gone nothing on the chemistry they share, but will Brooke believer him when he tells her the truth or will she again retreat to her always perfect shell in order to protect what little dignity she has left?

I have always been a huge fan or romance books, but when it comes to military related romance books I go absolutely gaga! As in I fall head over heals to dive right into the book, and with this author being one of my ultimate favorites I was in absolute heaven from the first page right through till the very end.

I adored Brooke's vulnerability , but what stood out was her strength among all the vulnerability. I of course could completely understand her being so very vulnerable after what happened to her in the past, but getting back up and fighting to overcome it, especially when you are in the public eye, now that takes a lot more guts! The author beautifully pained Brooke as a strong fighter heroine that just as us all only every now and then lets the armor drop.

Shane was so awesome! Hotter than the Iraqi sun and more lethal to any woman's peace of mind than a Glock 17! I adored this man from the start, yes he does withhold his true and completely honest identity but not in that " I am going to strangle this hero, lying jerk!" kind of manner but more in a knows this is not the time for it all to be revealed manner. In real life of course most woman would fly off the handle when the truth get's revealed but the author did such an amazing job at painting Shane as a true hero of hearts, that if the man was standing in front of me ( of course I would have to be blind folded , because believe me ladies this man is super hot, and yes the author's description is that good so no pictures needed), I would not even think of yelling at him for not telling me from the start who and what he really is.

So with a really hotter than hot remarkably sweet and kind hero and a strong always fight back slightly damaged heroine,  one heck of a picture mix up and a off the charts chemistry that simply cannot be denied, all set within the military and political world,  got one pretty dang awesome read!

The descriptions of surroundings and characters were absolutely perfect, I was right there with Brook for the hurt and the pain of betrayal, I felt Shane go down and blood drain from my veins when he is injured, I could taste the angst and smelt the passion burning up the sheets as these two get down and dirty, outstanding writing Wendy!

I am taking away a message of there is a way and reason for everyone to come together, in this case two smoking hot pictures intertwined two lives of two people who both had a little piece of their hearts missing and needed each other to be healed. The trick would be to be able to send the healer away when you mistakenly think him or her to be the enemy and then to run off back to your own special created camp of doom and glum telling yourself you're safe. Always stay two steps ahead, it's one of the hardest things in life to do, but in the long run you will walk out on the other side , definitely not in tact but with the knowledge that you gave it your all.

I highly recommend this read for all fans of romance, with drama, passion, intrigue and one of the most beautifully written endings I have read in a long time.

5/5 star review
" He aims for her heart and makes a direct hit, but will she trust him enough to give it to him forever?" 



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Reviewed by Nas

LOVING YOU IS EASY by author Wendy S. Marcus is a December 2014 release by Loveswept, Random House.

Brooke Elstein joined the pen-pal initiative and became Sergeant Shane Develen’s pen-pal. After long emails back and forth, she felt she knew him enough to hand deliver him some sexy photos of herself on his next leave home.

But these photos get into wrong hands when Shane gets injured on duty. Brooke’s life crumbled around her as one photo ended up on social media and her students started commenting on it. What would Brooke do now? Could she ever trust Shane again?

And how would Shane ‘make it right’? Could he now? And he was an injured soldier now; could he fit back into Brooke’s life?

LOVING YOU IS EASY is a fast, super sexy and enthralling story. The romance was tender and sigh-worthy. Author Wendy S. Marcus entices her readers into the world she creates and makes them glued to the book till the last page.

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Reviewed by Janie

"Loving You is Easy" by: Wendy S. Marcus is one of those books that you don't want to put down. It makes you want to continue to read to find out what is going to happen.

Brooke Elstein is a politician's daughter. She's the sort of shy, quiet, girl who is in control of her life. That is until she meets Shane Develen through 'Support our troops pen-pal' and decides to meet him when he comes home from his tour of duty. 

Sexy Shane Develen is blue collar but finds himself attracted to Brooke. He gets her to trust him and she sends a racy photo of herself. With the knowledge that it is for his eyes only. He technically doesn't betray that trust, but something happens and the photo falls into the hands of a fellow solider who posts the sexy shot online for all to see. What happens next is a story that is a must read.

I personally love romance books. The military romances were not high on my list, but when I read this book I couldn't put it down. You'll love it from start to finish. I enjoyed seeing the friendship, caring, and then romance between Brooke and Shane.

In Bed with the Opposition by Stephanie Draven

Reviewed by Desere

This was the very first Stephanie Draven book I have ever read and I shall be looking for more ! The passion,intrigue,mystery and political drama really packed a punch !

The characters were fun,sassy and wonderfully realistic,yes like I was inside the book behind the scenes. And boy what wonderful scenes this author created !

I loved how they challenged each other around every corner and at the same time could not deny each other. And the wonderful rekindling of old flames was beautifully incorporated by in my books a very talented author who certainly knows what she is doing and just what to say and how much detail to go into to make me as reader keep reading.

The characters were delightful and very addictive ! I only have one complaint the book was some what too short at the end it felt like I needed it to go one for say one or two more chapters. But none the less a excellent read!

5/5 star review

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Reviewed by Nas

In Bed With the Opposition
In Bed With The Opposition (Harlequin Desire)

IN BED WITH THE OPPOSITION by author Stephanie Draven is an Entangled Publishing release for October 2012.

Grace Santiago met Ethan Castle after ten years and realised that she was still attracted to him. She felt the jolt of awareness every time he looked at her. Dare she let him back in her heart again? After all she had an explosive secret in her past.

Now both of them work for opposing political parties and were competitors. Would Ethan act on his attraction for Grace or would he let politics determine his decision?

IN BED WITH THE OPPOSITION is a very sensual romance amid the political drama. The dialogue is witty and fast. The story itself is a very fast paced. This was my first Stephanie Draven story and I loved her writing.

My rating 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Return to Romance Book Haven

Reviewed by Maria

Ever heard of a political romance?  No, neither did I.  It's not that there aren't novels set in the political world with romances in them (C.P. Snow's CORRIDORS OF POWER comes to mind, not to mention many a Jeffrey Archer novel), but I've never heard of them within the context of category romance.  We probably will from now on, if Stephanie  Draven has anything to do with it.

This novel is different from most of the romance novels I've read.  Maybe it's because politics is different from any other realm of life.  It's a very dirty game, where the winds of change can blow and completely change the scenario in an entirely unexpected way.

Firstly, most category romance novels take place in a period of a couple of days or weeks, with an epilogue for the 'one year later' or 'six months  later' scenario if needed.  This one took place over a period of months, which I found  unusual.  One minute, the heroine was ready for the Hallowe'en party.  Next, it was Christmas and then New Year.  Then Valentine's Day came up, then St. Patrick's Day.  I couldn't help wondering why the heroine and her man saw so little of each other.  Working hard, obviously.  Well, apparently, politics is not a good area to work in if you relish your love life.  It also gave the impression that the affair/story was moving rather slowly.

For consenting adults, Grace and Ethan seemed to have nowhere to go when they wanted to get it together.  The cloakroom at a function?  I couldn't believe it!  I mean, it's not that I'm not into a bit of spontaneous romance when the mood grabs you, but this pair were like homeless folk the time came to make love.  I mean, they both had their own apartments.  Couldn't Grace do what every other girlfriend in the world does, at least now and again, and cook dinner for her man at home?  Obviously, her job as Girl Friday to Senator Kip Halloway took precedence over her entire existence.  Well obviously, that's political life (how severe is that?).

I enjoyed reading about Grace's dilemma, her attraction to her old college boyfriend Ethan Castle who is now a political handler for an opposing campaign to Grace's Senator boss.  I could also sense her attraction to the Senator's grandson, as he is someone she always idolized, someone who could give her entry into a family she loves.  The Senator looms large in this story and is a really inspired piece of characterization.  In fact, the book actually reads like mainstream fiction rather than a romance novel.  So if you're looking to read something romantic with an extra dimension, this could be the one for you.

I enjoyed Stephanie  Draven's writing and will certainly look out for her work in future

4/5 stars