Susanna Carr

Okay, so before you come for me, hear me out!

This book was written and released ages ago and has since been taken off shelves. It was insanely hard for me to find copies in thrift stores let alone out in the wild at a library. HOWEVER, it is one of the first rom-com books I ever read and it delights me to no end to read and re-read it every single year! The blurbs I found online about it don't do it justice and I'm here to tell you about it!

Okay so our girl Molly is down to her last buck. show more She fell on some hard times when her ex-boyfriend literally cleaned her out and so she is living hard paycheck to paycheck and just hoping for a bonus. She works as a secretary for an up and coming tech company (think Instagram early days) and she does her job well, but she's very worried about what people think so she has an elaborate system of stretching her buck to make her clothes not give her away. When you work with wealthy people, you gotta embody the attitude and Molly does her best. Molly gets evicted (thanks to her stupid ex) and has enough money to rent a box truck and put all her belongings inside. It's an insane balancing act that she has trying to work hard and keep up appearances and yet not spend more than she can make.

Kyle is out super handsome tech genius and head of the company. He and his best friends started the company and they are so close to selling off a big idea of theirs that they are developing, however there is some shady stuff underfoot. Someone is committing corporate espionage and trying to throw them under the bus before they make the big payday. Is it his head of security that can't keep his hands off any female he passes? Is it his head of development that is rumored to be looking to leave and start her own company? Is it the person who is rumored to have written a tell-all book about him behind his back? Or could it be the beautiful but slightly shifty secretary that he wants? The suspicion is high with Kyle and while he finds himself falling for Molly, he can't help worry that she's the one stabbing him in the back.

The romance between Kyle and Molly has the grumpy/sunshine and enemies to lovers.
In true rom-com fashion there are so many miscommunications and crossed signals. It's such a delightful read and the ending...oh the ending is SO GOOD!!

I would definitely recommend it as a read if you can find it. I would love to see it re-edited and revamped for the more modern age, but I really love it as is.
10/10 show less

A Deal with Benefits by Susanna Carr is a page-turning angst fest of attraction, passion and past mistakes. Holy cow! The last few chapters had me in a vice grip while I waited to see the outcome of this romance!

Ashley has been essentialy hiding for the past five years after her parents tragic deaths. Her island home is a vacation getaway for the wealthy and privacy seeking, but business is not good. She's behind on her loan payment and is out of ideas of what to do to save her island. The show more latest guest arrives and she is immediately attracted to this man. She is petrified of what these strong emotions will mean for her and her resolve to NOT be like her mother.

Sebastian, the attractive guest, is there to scope out the island. He wants to buy it and the owner is NOT selling. What he doesn't expect when he lands on Inez Key is to be so overwhelmingly attracted to the owner, Ashley. Despite his attraction to her he has plans in place and he WILL get the island. His only concern now is if he can also get Ashley or has he ruined that relationship beyond repair.

A VERY good book. WOW! show less

This is a very nice effort by a debut HP author. It felt fresh and new. The sheikh actually acted as if he were a person from another culture in that he denied the heroine the right to a further education and etc. He wasn't really an ass though and he fell for her pretty rapidly. Also she wasn't a virgin and her circumstances were realistic. How many young women have been used and lied to just to get them in bed? The plot was pretty tight and the focus of the story was fairly firmly on the show more couple. There were one or two quibbles but they may not have bothered other people. How did the sheikh know immediately who she was when he saw her at the wedding? Why would the future ruler of a country know that in this village there was an orphaned half American girl who was an outcast? It didn't seem realistic. On the whole though very well done and I'm looking forward to reading more by this new HP author. show less

She's looking to change her ways. He's hoping to mend some of his. When both find themselves in over their heads and heart deep in love is when the fun times really begin. The Year of Living Shamelessly is a rip-roaring laughfest with a hint of spice and a ton of heart.