Tag Archives: The Sullivans

Kissing Under the Mistletoe by Bella Andre – a Review

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Kissing Under the Mistletoe by Bella Andre – a Review

 

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Kissing Under the Mistletoe
by Bella Andre
The Sullivans series
Release Date: September 24, 2013
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Kissing Under the MistletoeLinks to order Kissing Under the Mistletoe:
Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / The Book Depository

Description:
For Mary Sullivan Christmas is, and always has been, about family. And this year is no different. As she awaits the arrival of her eight children and their partners at the cottage in Lake Tahoe, she hangs the ornaments that they made for her over the years. Each decoration brings with it a tide of memories, all of which she holds dear to her heart. But when she comes across the oldest ornament, the one her beloved husband, Jack, gave her on their very first Christmas together, Mary is immediately swept back to the first days of their whirlwind romance, to the love that would be the foundation on which they built the family she is so proud to call her own.

Join the Sullivans this Christmas for a story that explores the wonder of the holidays, the meaning of family and a love that transcends time.

 

Review:

The Sullivan series has been so successful, as we have met the entire family and each of their spouses, in each of Bella Andre‘s books.  The parents of these wonderful, not to mention gorgeous siblings are Mary and Jack Sullivan. Mary is the matriarch of the family, with Jack having died many years before.

Fans of this series have begged Bella to write the story of Jack and Mary when they met and fell in love.  Now in the 10th book of the series, Kissing Under the Mistletoe is their story, and a wonderful trip down memory lane it is.  I loved their story, and Andre just continues to wow us with her wonderful sweet and sexy stories. 

It starts with Mary in the cabin waiting for each of her married children to arrive to celebrate Christmas. Mary pulls out the box of all her special Christmas ornaments, especially those made by each child.  We go down memory lane as she remembers with us, how she received these personally made ornaments. The Sullivans have always been about family tradition, love and loyalty.

Once they are all put up, she sits back and thinks about her Jack. As she closes her eyes, we flash back in time when Mary was a famous model.  She has made a decision to quit, as she wants to live a normal life, and find love.  Mary meets entrepreneur, Jack, during her last day on the job.  Jack is facing his own crisis, as a new product he has worked on for years, is on the brink of being dropped.  He is been given a day to find something to spice up the product promotion..some kind of sex appeal.   Jack comes upon the photo shoot, and immediately decides Mary is the perfect solution.  What Jack didn’t count on was that he would fall head over heels in love with Mary.  Mary was attracted to Jack also, but she was hesitant to commit to anyone, since she has been hurt so many times by people using her.  At first, Mary wants nothing to do with another man who is interested to use her for her looks, but Jack is very convincing.  He wines and dines her, and they both feel the immediate sexual chemistry.  Mary agrees to do the campaign for his product, but tells Jack she doesn’t mix business and pleasure.  Easier said then done, as both are falling in love with each other.  Jack was fabulous, not pushing Mary until she was ready.  He knew she had bad experiences, and he did not want her to be hurt.  Jack worked hard to win Mary’s trust, and when Mary gets called home to visit her ailing mother, whom she hasn’t seen in 13 years; Jack is with her every step of the way.  Mary knows she can trust her heart, and allow her love for Jack to guide her.

Andre always has some special scenes in her books that totally pull you in emotionally.  When Jack took Mary to meet his family, it was so heart warming to see Mary with his brother’s young child, Ian (Mr. Irresistible).  Precious moments like this are Andre’s trademark. 

The epilogue in this book was unusual and wonderful.  We got to see a short page for each month of their first year of marriage up to when Mary becomes pregnant with their first child.  I really enjoyed that.  Bella Andre does it again, with a fabulous look back in time with the couple that brought us the Sullivans.  If you have not read The Sullivans, then you are missing a wonderful series that should not be missed.

Reviewed by Barb

Series Order:
1. The Look of Love
2. From this Moment On
3. Can’t Help Falling In Love
4. I Only Have Eyes for You
5. If You Were Mine
6. Let Me Be the One
7. Come a LIttle Bit Closer
8. Always on My Mind
9. The Way You Look Tonight
10. Kissing Under the Mistletoe (Christmas Novella)

 

 

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Always on My Mind by Bella Andre – a Review

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Always on My Mind by Bella Andre – a Reviewalways on my mind
Links to order Always on My Mind: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo

Description:
Lori “Naughty” Sullivan finally falls in love in ALWAYS ON MY MIND, the new book in Bella Andre’s New York Times and USA Today bestselling series about the Sullivan family.

After a tragic loss three years ago, Grayson Tyler left his life in New York City behind and started over in the rolling hills of the California coast. He’s convinced himself that all he’ll ever need again is the blue sky, a thousand acres of pasture, and the crashing waves of the ocean. Until one day, Lori Sullivan barges into his life and promptly blows his emotionless and solitary world to shreds, driving him crazy as only a woman nicknamed “Naughty” can. But will Lori be able to convince him that it’s safe to love her…and that forever isn’t actually out of reach?

Review:

Always on My Mind continues Bella Andre’s wonderful The Sullivans series. This one belongs to the last Sullivan, Lori, who has not found her true love.  We have been waiting for Lori’s (Naughty) story for awhile, and Andre does not disappoint. 

The story starts with Lori running away from her job, heartbroken and trying to escape going home to face her family. Lori who is tough, fun loving, beautiful and a professional dancer, decides to do something that was totally different for her.  She ends up at a farm, and meets Grayson Tyler, our hero.  Grayson, has been building up his ranch for three years, having himself run away from the tragic death of his wife.   When Lori asks for a job as a farmhand, he refuses at first. She who was still dressed in her dance outfit, did not look anything like a farmhand, not to mention being a woman.  But when Lori is determined and wants something, no one can stand in her way.  Grayson, who prefers his privacy, allows Lori to tryout, and then is forced to hire her, much to his dismay.

Both begin to notice that each is running away from something, but it is the strong unstoppable Naughty Lori, who becomes way more then Grayson can handle. Neither wants any commitments, but both find themselves totally attracted sexually, which is totally hot. Of course, this is Andre’s trademark, hot hot hot sexy steamy love scenes, and Lori and Grayson are no different.  Whew!

Andre does such a wonderful job showing Lori in a different light.  Watching her do chores, especially with the pigs was hilarious, and I totally loved loved her scenes with Mo (sweetpea), the cat who adopted Grayson three years ago, and is now dying of leukemia.  Lori loved Sweetpea with all her heart, and made the last weeks of the cat’s life one of pure joy.  So well done. 

Watching Grayson and Lori discover themselves, as well as open up to each other was wonderful.  He tried to be gruff, unbending, and she would offset that by being her perky self.   Grayson didn’t know how to handle Lori, and little did he know, his days were numbered.  I got a kick out of the dance Grayson took her to in town, as many treated Lori with distain, until she won them over, teaching the young teenagers the line dance she created for her show.  As always, she won them and Grayson over.

This was such a great romance, especially with Lori being in a different environment, and finding things about herself.  I loved her and Grayson together, and Bella does such a wonderful job with this fantastic romance.  The last ¼ of the book was terrific, and we get to see all the Sullivans together again; in fact twice in one book…. Awesome.

Always on My Mind closes out the first arc of the Sullivan family, and with the success of this series, Bella is now extending it further, bringing in another Sullivan relation (cousins) in the next story.  The wonderful news from Andre, is that Mary, the matriarch of the original Sullivans, will have her story told.  If you have not read this series, what are you waiting for?  This is a fun, sexy, at times erotic romance of wonderful couples and a fantastic family. 

Reviewed by Barb

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Come A Little Bit Closer by Bella Andre – a Review

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Come A Little Bit Closer by Bella Andre – a Review

 

Come a Little Bit Closer

Bella Andre has created a wonderful series with the Sullivan family.  These are all contemporary, and sexy erotic romances.  Each family member and the spouse they fall in love with make wonderful sweet stories of true love.  This review is on Come a Little Closer, which is the 7th Sullivan book.

Description:
Movie star Smith Sullivan can’t afford any distractions. He’s staking his entire reputation on his new film…but he can’t stop thinking about Valentina Landon and the fire he sees smoldering just beneath the surface of her cool exterior.

Valentina isn’t averse to sensual pleasure, or even to the idea of finding true love, but as a Hollywood business manager she’s watched too many smart women fall for actors…only to be torn apart when the fairytale comes to its inevitable end.

But when intense weeks together on set turn their heated attraction into red-hot flames of passion, Smith knows he has to find a way to convince Valentina to let him get a little bit closer. Close enough to completely steal her heart…the way she’s stolen his from the start

Review:

Come a  Little Closer is Smith Sullivan’s book, and as good as all the other Sullivan brothers and sisters are, this turned out to be one of the best, with a marvelous hero in Smith.  Make no mistake, each Sullivan brother is to die for, and Smith ups the ante a bit more.

Smith is the movie star in the family, and he is a man who is used to every woman panting over him.  Having a different woman in his bed every night, may have been what he enjoyed all these years, but Smith has seen his brothers and sisters fall in love, and he is ready to find the perfect woman for himself. 

Smith is directing and starring in a movie that he wrote, and has cast upcoming young start, Tatiana Landon, as his leading lady.  Valentina Landon is Tatiana’s sister, and she is also her manager.  Val comes prepared to protect her sister from Smith, since she does not trust or like any movie starts.  Valentina’s widowed mother brings home a different actor often, and this has caused Val to strongly have bad vibes for the Hollywood heartthrobs.

Val keeps her distance from Smith, and avoids him mostly.  But Smith notices her from the start, and does everything he can to get her attention.   The more Val is nasty or ignores him, he rises to the challenge and begins to woo her.  Despite her determination to not let his gorgeous looks; his kind and friendly demeanor; she finds herself becoming more and more attracted to Smith. He does not act at all like a movie star, and he is wonderful with her sister, while filming. 

What makes this such a great romance is to see Smith fall totally in love with Val.  She is the woman he has been waiting for all of his life.  Val gives in to her sexual attraction, figuring once they have sex, he will move on.  But when he wants her with him all the time, and begins to profess his love of her, she realizes she is falling in love with him.  Her fears from her childhood, holds her back, but Smith is such a wonderful hero, and in time, as this is romance, and a happy ending is a must, we watch as her walls start tumbling down.   On the movie set, a love scene between Tatiana and Smith, which Smith handles carefully, is what breaks Val.  Of course, as in all of the Sullivan series, the sex scenes are downright hot and steamy throughout the book, with Val and Smith simply awesome together. Even with all the hot steamy sex, Andre creates such a wonderful storyline that has you rooting for the couple.

One of the best things about how Andre writes this series, is that she brings all the members of the family into the story, and it’s fun to see them.  We get to know what is going on, and makes us feel like part of the family. Come a Little Closer is a wonderful addition to this fantastic series.  If you have not read the Sullivan series, this might be a good time to start, as Bella Andre writes this so well.

Reviewed by Barb

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