Luc (Rossi Brothers #1) by J.M. Stewart- a review

Posted on July 10, 2016 by Sandy

LUC (Rossi Brothers #1) by J. M. Stewart-a review

Luc

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date July 11, 2016

After her husband’s death two years ago, erotic romance author Liz Anderson moved home to small-town Angel Bay to heal her broken heart. So when her best friend fixes her up with a single father ten years her junior, she doesn’t expect much. But this hot young chef is igniting her long-dormant passion.

With a three-year-old daughter to raise and a restaurant to run, the last thing Luc Rossi’s life has room for is love. After his fiancée’s betrayal, he isn’t sure he believes in it anyway. His colleague’s matchmaking attempt is awkward at best, but what can he do except play the gentleman? Liz ends up being smart, charming, and sexy, and he can’t resist her.

An offer to teach her to cook leads to a steamy fling, but this gorgeous older woman makes Luc wonder if it’s time to open his heart again. Can he convince Liz that giving their relationship a chance beyond the bedroom wouldn’t be a betrayal of the past she holds dear?

••••••••

REVIEW: LUC is the first installment in J. M. Stewart’s contemporary, adult ROSSI BROTHERS romance series. This is single father and chef Luc Rossi, and erotic romance author Liz Anderson’s story line.

Told from dual third person points of view (Liz and Luc) LUC focuses on the developing relationship between two people whose lives were destroyed by death, deceit and loss. Two years earlier, Liz lost her husband to the war in the Middle East, and the grief continues to haunt our heroine to the present day. Luc, on the other hand, lost the woman he loved only to discover that his relationship had all been built upon a lie. When Liz’s best friend Sam arranges a ‘ blind date’ and introductions between the forty year old widow, and the thirty year old single father, both of our leading characters have a difficult time letting go of the past. While guilt continues to eat at Liz, Luc finds himself on the outside looking in when the woman with whom he is falling in love, is unwilling to give the future a try.

The relationship struggles with the push and pull of attraction, want and need. Liz continues to give off mixed signals pushing Luc away following every intimate encounter. The $ex scenes are seductive and intense; our heroine battles preconceived notions about their age difference, and her lack of model-like body.

The world building focuses on grief and guilt; love and loss; and Luc’s desperate attempts to teach Liz a thing or two in the kitchen. We are introduced to Liz’s best friend Sam, and her husband Joe- Sam is one of Luc’s employees at his family run Italian restaurant. Luc’s brother Nic, also a single father, needs to have his story told next.

LUC is a story of romance and second chances. The premise is engaging and delightful; the characters are animated and inspiring; the romance is fated and intimate. LUC is a passionate story line where two people find one another against the odds.

Copy supplied by the author

Reviewed by Sandy

J.M.Stewart-Interview with the Author

Posted on September 29, 2012 by Sandy

J.M. Stewart – Interview with the Author

TRC: Hi J.M. and welcome to The Reading Café. Congratulations on the release of THE PLAYBOY’S BABY.

J.M: Thank you! It’s a pleasure to be here.

TRC: We would like to start with some background information. Would you please tell us something about yourself?

J.M: I’m a stay-at-home mom by trade, married for sixteen years now. We live in Washington state with our two teenage boys, and two very spoiled puppies.

TRC: Many authors start their love of writing at an early age. What was the catalyst that sparked your love of writing?

J.M: I’ve written down short stories since somewhere around high school. I don’t even remember what started it. But my love of writing really began about ten years ago. I had this dream. It was very vivid, and I was very drawn to it. One of those that just won’t leave you alone. It kept bugging me, demanding me to write it down, so one day I did. I fell in love with the process, and it took off from there.

TRC: What is the name of your first novel published? Looking back, would you have made any changes to the storyline?

J.M: Well, this is a convoluted answer at the moment, so forgive if I write you a book. lol My first novel published was titled Staking His Claim, published through The Wild Rose Press. It’s currently out of print, as I’ve gotten the rights back on it. I’m revising as we speak, with plans to find it and the sequel another home. That being said, as I revise this book, I have to almost cringe. I originally wrote it over seven years ago. I took a six year break from my writing, and when I came back, almost three years ago now, I picked this book up, and decided to take my chances by submitting it to a small press (The Wild Rose Press). Looking at it now, I’m frankly surprised they ever wanted it. lol There are general writing “no-no’s” all over the place, such as show-don’t-tell, and the story needs a lot more detail to round it out.

But…yeah. I have decided to take it in a slightly different direction. I’ve twisted the beginning a bit, but as I revise, I’m aware that there are a million other ways I could take the ending of this book. All in all though, I believe I did what I felt was best at the time for the story. So, if I could go back and do it over, I’m not sure I would.

TRC: What challenges or difficulties have you faced as an author?

J.M: Self-promotion. I’m naturally a very shy, very introverted person. Talking about myself is extremely difficult, so I’m having to learn to come out of my shell by a lot. I also have to remind myself not to compare myself with other writers. It plays on my self doubt. I read a terrific book and I think, “why can’t I do that?”

TRC: THE PLAYBOY’S BABY is a romantic tale of heartbreak and love. Would you please tell us something about the premise?

LINKS TO ORDER
Amazon Kindle
KOBO
B&N Nook

J.M: When an accident leaves her guardian to her six month old niece, Emma Stanton must find the one man she’s spent the last eight years trying to forget. She must risk the only family she has left as she tells him he’s the baby’s father. Can she stick to her resolve and resist the playboy’s charms this time?

All wealthy nightclub owner Dillon James has been used for his name and money one too many times in his life and has no desire to risk his heart to love again. Falling for Emma as they struggle to share the duties of raising a baby has Dillon thinking that perhaps it’s time he took a chance on love.

If only he can convince Emma to take a chance on him.

TRC: Were any of the characters or the storyline based on fact or real-life?

J.M: Well, most of my heroes and heroines have a lot of me in them. And I did realize recently that part of the storyline came from something my grandmother used to do. In the book, Emma and Dillon agree to share custody, but Emma still lives and works in Helena, which is an hour and a half drive from Hastings. I don’t want to give away too many details, but…it’s a long drive and Emma doesn’t want to commute every day. So, they compromise. Emma goes to the city for the week, then comes back on the weekends. In fact, it’s during the first time she does, that they make a sexy little bet. 😉

I’m getting ahead of myself. I’ve realized lately that this dynamic, of Emma coming back to Hastings on the weekends, is something I saw as a child. My whole family grew up in New York City. Eventually, my grandparents got tired of the city and bought a house in Pennsylvania, but my grandmother still worked in New York. So, she’d drive to the city for the week, then come home to Grandpa on the weekends.

Emma is also my grandmother’s name, though that’s where the similarities stop.

But, in general, in this book, pretty much everything is fictional. The characters took off with this one.

TRC: If you could virtually cast the storyline using models and actors, with whom would you cast the characters in The Playboy’s Baby?

J.M: Ah, now this one I have thought about. I always go looking for pictures of characters. This was a fun question!

Emma Stanton–Debra Messing

Dillon—romance novel cover model Jimmy Thomas with short hair. He’s exactly how I see Dillon.

Logan James (Dillon’s brother) –Eddie Cibrian

Camille James (Dillon’s mother)– Kathy Bates

Ethan James (Dillon’s father) — Walter Matthau

TRC: Many authors bounce ideas with other authors and family. With whom do you bounce ideas?

J.M: My critique partner. She loves bouncing ideas back and forth and I always find brainstorming with her tremendously helpful.

TRC: Writer’s Block is a very real phenomenon. How do you handle the stress and anxiety of writer’s block?

J.M: Oh, I can attest for that. lol I had a six year long bout of it. Though, to be fair, part of that block came from the stresses in my life I was having at the time. But… I’ve learned over the years not to let it get to me. It worries me for a few days, then I force myself to back off. I take it to mean that I need to go do something else for a while. usually a couple days or even a week of devouring other people’s books does the trick. Sometimes writer’s block just means that I’m burned out.

Sometimes it can mean that I’ve taken a story in the wrong direction and what I need to do is back track, find out where I veered off course, and change directions and it opens me up again.

TRC: On what are you currently working?

J.M: I am currently writing the sequel to The Playboy’s Baby, involving Dillon’s brother, Logan. I’m having trouble getting into this one so far, but it’s got a working title of Blind Date, which is the premise for the story. It’s an older woman, younger man, set up on a blind date by mutual friends.

TRC: Would you like to add anything else?

J.M: I welcome contact with readers. I’d love to know what they think of the story.

LIGHTINING ROUND

Favorite Food
Does coffee count?! lol I love Chinese and Italian is always a comfort food.

Favorite Dessert
chocolate brownies.

Favorite TV Show
Bones, also Supernatural

Favorite Movie
This one’s hard, as I don’t have just one favorite. The Color Purple, The Green Mile, City of Angels, Grease (1 and 2)

Last Movie you Saw
Safe

Dark or Milk Chocolate
Depends on my mood, but in general, dark.

Do you have any pets
Two dogs, a lab/shepherd mix and Chihuahua/French bulldog mix.

TRC: Thank you Joanne for taking the time to answer our questions. We look forward to your future novels and books.

J.M: Thank you very much for having me!

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The Playboy’s Baby by J.M.Stewart-a review

Posted on September 29, 2012 by Sandy

The Playboy’s Baby by J.M. Stewart-a review

THE PLAYBOY’S BABY by JM Stewart

THE PLAYBOY’S BABY is the August 2012 ebook release by author J.M. Stewart. A poignant tale that could very well be a reflection of many of today’s family dynamics, The Playboy’s Baby is a contemporary romance storyline that takes a look at one woman’s struggle to keep her family together after two tragic deaths in a matter of a few years.

30 year old Emma Stanton is a single mother and not by choice. Raising her sister Janey’s daughter Annie since the motorcycle accident that took her life one month earlier, Emma dreaded returning to her home town of Hastings Montana. Finding a letter written to Annie’s father, Emma knew that to return home and confront bad-boy Dillon James would force old memories to the surface. But Annie needed her father and Dillon was the man. And the animosity between Dillon and Emma would only add further hurt to a woman already in pain.

Dillon James lived the life of a care-free playboy. Descended from power and money, Dillon is a single 26year old night club owner surrounded by beautiful women and money skimming employees. But the sight of his childhood friend’s sister Emma, as she entered the bar, stirred up old desires he had long thought buried and gone. Dillon had always had a crush on Janey’s older sister Emma, but Emma had move away shortly after her mother died and it had been 8 years since he last saw the object of his dreams. But the message she brings to Dillon is both blessed and sad, when she reveals that he has a daughter that he knew nothing about.

The relationship between Emma and Dillon is tense. Thinking she will lose her niece and remaining family member to Dillon and his wealthy family, Emma is nervous and anxious about their intentions. Janey was never one of their favorite people, and with the unwelcome surprise of a grandchild, Emma must stay strong for the child she has grown to love as her own. And Dillon’s surprising acceptance of his daughter, aids Emma’s resolves when it comes time to leave Annie behind.

Dillon’s reputation as a badass and playboy had preceded him all of his life, but sometimes the façade is just that-a façade. Emma has always been under the mistaken belief that Dillon was Janey’s partner in crime, but Dillon reveals, that his relationship with Janey was strictly friendship and one of guardian and protector that had crossed the line one night. And when he declares that he will never be relationship material, Emma knows that her growing love for Dillon will never be returned. And her past experiences will only add to her negative self-image when Dillon’s rejection forces her to take a stand and move on with her life.

There are many heartbreaking moments when Dillon’s actions negate his words. Tender and loving one moment, and then heart crushingly cold when he wants nothing but friendship the next day. But an empty bed is almost as painful as an empty heart, when the person with whom you have fallen in love, is a constant reminder of how alone you truly are.

THE PLAYBOY’S BABY is a heartwarming and sweet story of rejection and love. JM Stewart takes the reader on a roller coaster of emotions that will give you the warm fuzzies one moment then leave you in tears the next. The sex scenes are sensual without the use of vulgar descriptive narrations and the character development is forthright and real. The Playboy’s Baby is a quick read for a lazy afternoon with a glass of wine and romance on the mind.

LINKS TO ORDER
Amazon Kindle
KOBO
B&N Nook

Copy supplied by author.