Tag Archives: Emma Barry

Funny Guy/ Chick Magnet by Emma Barry-reviews & giveaway

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Funny Guy / Chick Magnet by Emma Barry-reviews and giveaway

FUNNY GUY
by Emma Barry
Genre: adult, contemporary, romance

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk / Amazon.au / B&N paper /

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date May 16, 2023

Sam can’t escape the smash hit “Lost Boy” because, well, he is the lost boy. His pop-singer ex immortalized him in a song about his childish ways, and now his comedy career is on the line.

At least he still has Bree, his best friend and confidante. Bree has always been there for Sam, but she’s never revealed her biggest secret: she’s in love with him. To help herself move on, Bree applies for her dream job across the country—and doesn’t say a thing to Sam.

But as Sam tries to resuscitate his career, he turns to Bree for support—and maybe more. In the confines of her tiny apartment, they share a different dynamic. A charged dynamic. But she’s his friend. He can’t be falling for her.

Except he is.

Are his feelings for Bree just funny business? Or is their smoldering attraction the real deal?

••••••••

REVIEW:FUNNY GUY by Emma Barry is a contemporary, adult, stand alone erotic, romance story line focusing on best friends comedian Sam Leyland, and city planner Bryony ‘Bree’ Edwards.

Told from dual omniscient third person perspectives (Sam and Bree) FUNNY GUY follows the friends to lovers relationship between Sam and Bree. Sam and Bree were childhood best friends from the proverbial wrong side of the tracks, struggling in their day to day existence but as they grew older, Sam needed a release, and found said release in stand up comedy, finally landing a coveted spot on New York’s Comedy Hour. As their respective careers took off, Sam and Bree would come in and out of one another’s lives until the day Sam proposed marriage to someone else. A tumultuous relationship and breakout played out for the world to ‘hear’ left Sam the target of mean tweets and jokes, landing Sam on his best friend’s couch in an effort to hide but Sam is oblivious to Bree’s attraction and love, a love that is about to push our hero out of her life. What ensues is the best friends to lovers romance and relationship, and the fall-out as Sam torpedoes his own career for the woman he loves.

Sam Leyland’s life is about to implode for all of the world to see. An ugly break up, immortalized on YouTube and song makes Sam the target of social media and paparazzi, as his life continues to spiral out of control. In an effort to diffuse the ticking time bomb that is his career, the writers at Comedy Hour devise a sketch addressing the nightmare that is his life, a sketch in hopes of saving his career but all does not go according to plan when an impromptu stand up sends Sam off the deep end, effectively threatening everything including the woman he loves. Bryony Edwards has loved her best friend for as long as she can remember but watching from the sidelines as Sam gave his heart to everyone else meant it was time for Bryony to move on, without the man that she loves.

The relationship between Bree and Sam is best friends to lovers; unrequited love that intensifies with a short lived term of close proximity in which Sam hides in seclusion from the paparazzi in the wake of his immortalized break up. Bree has supported Sam Leyland all of his life but it was now time that Bree made an effort to support herself. The $ex scenes are limited but passionate .

There is a large ensemble cast of colorful and fascinating secondary and supporting characters including Sam’s fellow comedians at Comedy Hour, and Bree’s co-workers at New York’s planning commission, all o whom play a significant part throughout the story.

FUNNY GUY is a familiar story; an amalgamation of Saturday night comedy sketches, heart broken pop star million seller songs, the meltdown and spiral of a famous comedian, and the resurrection of a career based upon said spiral and fall out. The premise is entertaining and fascinating; the romance is captivating; the characters are desperate, broken, and determined.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

_____________

CHICK MAGNET
by Emma Barry
Genre: adult, contemporary, romance

ebook only $1.99 usd Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk / Amazon.au / B&N paper/

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date January 24, 2023

Nicole Jones needs a fresh start. “Chick Nic” to millions of internet fans, the social media star and her flock of chickens bask in the spotlight—until she’s publicly dumped by a YouTuber for clout. She has no choice but to round up her birds and move on.

But when one of her hens has an emergency, Nic gets her first taste of her new stomping grounds—and it isn’t good. Veterinarian Will Lund is wildly attractive, yes, but he’s also surly. In fact, he comes right out and calls her a menace for parading her chickens on social media.

As neighbors, Nic and Will can’t exactly avoid each other. Then again, maybe they don’t want to. The two can’t deny their smoldering attraction, and it isn’t long before late-night confessions lead to backyard shenanigans.

Is this the start of a neighborly relationship—or could something more be hatching?

••••••

REVIEW: CHICK MAGNET by Emma Barry is a contemporary, adult, stand alone romance focusing on thirty-somethings, veterinarian Dr. Will Lund, and YouTuber Nicole Jones.

Told from dual omniscient third person perspectives CHICK MAGNET focuses on the building romance and relationship between small town veterinarian Dr. Will Lund and YouTuber Nicole Jones. Nicole Jones walked away from an emotionally abusive relationship, having been insulted and destroyed on social media. Known as the ‘Chick Nic’, a YouTuber who gives advice on raising chickens, Nicole Jones founds herself back in her grandmother’s home town where she will meet cantankerous veterinarian Dr. Will Lund. Will’s business is struggling in the aftermath of COVID19, and without a quick influx of cash, Will is considering shutting down but having met his new neighbor, and the current bane of his existence, Will reconsiders his future, a future that is threatened by the bank’s foreclosure. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Will and Nicole, and the potential fall-out as Nicole’s past returns to add insult to injury, and Will must consider what’s next in his career.

The relationship between Will and Nicole begins acrimoniously when one of Nicole’s chickens becomes ill. Will is opposed to the recreational breeding and ownership of chickens, and Nicole’s YouTube channel has become one of the more popular channels for chicken hobbiests. Will’s attraction to Nicole is immediate but his business is failing, and our hero perceives himself as a failure, a failure who doesn’t believes he is entitled to love. The $ex scenes are limited but passionate.

The secondary and supporting characters include several locals who know everything and everyone in Yagerstown. The townies support one another; are aware of Nicole’s YouTube fame; and the only black mark on the otherwise group of loveable people are Nicole’s ex, and the questionable attitude of Will Lund’s family.

CHICK MAGNET is a sweet story of familiar and success during and after COVID19. The premise is endearing and entertaining; the characters are energetic and captivating; the romance is seductive.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

 

Social Media: Website /  Goodreads / Twitter/ Instagram/ Pinterest /

Emma Barry is a teacher, novelist, recovering academic, and former political staffer. She lives with her high school sweetheart and a menagerie of pets and children in Virginia, and she occasionally finds time to read and write.

 

Emma Barry’s publicist is graciously offering a paper copy of CHICK MAGNET and FUNNY GUY to ONE (1) commenter.

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9. Giveaway open to USA only

10. Giveaway runs from May18-22, 2023

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Brave in Heart by Emma Barry – a Review

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Brave in Heart by Emma Barry – a Review

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Links to order Brave in Heart: Amazon / Barnes & Noble/ Kobo

Description:
Theodore Ward is a man of deep passions and strong principles—none of which he acts on. So Margaret Hampton ends their engagement, breaking both of their hearts in the process.

Years after their estrangement, ardent but frozen Theo attempts to reconnect with Margaret. She is no longer trusting of the idea of romantic love, having become pragmatic and wary during decades alone. But with the drumbeat of the early days of the Civil War in the background, how can she refuse?

The courtship that results is hasty, reckless, and intense, fueled by contradictions between Theo’s willingness finally to change and Margaret’s fears about the future. Two smart, stubborn, fiery people will need to overcome the hesitancies of their hearts and the perils of battle if they’re ever to find happiness.

 

Review:

Brave in Heart by Emma Barry is a short story that’s also a quick read. It takes place during the Civil War and the story between Margaret and Theodore revolves around it.  Upon reading the book’s little blurb I really thought it was something I’d enjoy in a story.  However, I found it wasn’t and because of that fact I find myself struggling as I write this review.  So please bear with me. 

Margaret is a female who knows what she wants and won’t settle for anything less.  Back in those days to break off an engagement and go your own way was basically unheard of, but Margaret knew she couldn’t marry Theodore.  She felt that as long as he was ‘stuck in a rut’ for lack of a better phrase, she just knew she couldn’t be happy in that life or marriage.  I do have to say I found Margaret to be a pretty good heroine, she’s brave and courageous and wasn’t afraid to stand up for herself and beliefs.  Thanks to Margaret and her strong personality, Theodore finally decides to make some changes to his life after years of being apart.

Theodore Ward for me is not typical hero material.  Frankly, he really did nothing to interest me.  He was too wishy washy at first, and then it’s like he’s on the fastest roller coaster in the world and doesn’t know how to stop.  He goes from being a man of no action, to a man of too much change to fast.  There were times he made my head ache from his sudden personality makeover.  I think this is where most of my problems with the book stem from, his character.  For some reason I just couldn’t connect to him at all.  Yes he truly loves Margaret and we see this throughout the story, especially in their wartime correspondences.  It just took him forever to see what she meant all those years ago.  I wanted to smack him in the head a few times is all. 

As for the rest of the story, the wartime correspondence between Theo and Margaret is nicely done. They really do love each other and it does shine through on the pages throughout the story.  Miss Barry does an excellent job of showcasing the Civil War and how it affected everyone at the time.  She made me feel like I was there and a part of the war well reading Theo and Margaret’s letters.  The characters are well written, I just wish the book were a little bit longer to better explore the characters and get to know them better.  I found at times because of the stories length I felt rushed through scenes and months of Theo and Margaret’s life.  They spend most of the book dealing with a long distance marriage well Theo is off at war, finally doing something he really believes.  The ending sorta fell short for me, I think so much more could have been said and done but it just ended.  Maybe an epilogue at the end to tie up everything and finalize everything that happened between Margaret and Theo during his time off at war, then coming home and re-adjusting to his everyday life again. I don’t know, I just felt like; that’s it, it’s done?  Okay, guess it is. 

As I said this one’s a short easy read, with a sweet love story.  If you are a fan of short stories, Civil War reads with a romance thrown in, then you will more then likely be a fan of this one.  Until next time, happy reading.

Reviewed by Marcie

Copy provided by Author

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