I've loved Samantha Chase's Magnolia Sound series and many of her other books, but unfortunately, this series has been something of a mixed bag for me. Unfortunately, "Groomed to Perfection" was no exception to that rule, leaving me with mixed feelings by the end of the story. For the most part, I liked main characters Emilie and Cooper, who made a cute couple and were very good about encouraging each other to follow their dreams. Despite her natural shyness, Emilie stood up to Cooper from the beginning and was clear with him about what she wanted in a relationship, as well as the fact that she was uncomfortable with the way he constantly gave in to his mother and family. He was obviously unhappy with the way they dictated his life, but not enough to do anything about it until it seemed as if he had lost Emilie. It frustrated me that it took him so long to grow a backbone and stand up for himself.
That said, Emilie frustrated me at times, too. Much like her friend Daisy in the last book of the series, she had a tendency to jump to conclusions based on very limited information and fly off the handle instead of letting Cooper explain his side of things. That was especially true during their conflict near the end of the story, when it seemed as if Emilie was blaming Cooper for his mother's behavior. She didn't even give him a chance to explain before she dumped him and walked away.
Speaking of Cooper's mother, I found it very difficult to believe that someone who was always so concerned about appearances would create such a huge scene at her own party just to try and embarrass Emilie. There were other ways she could have tried to break Cooper and Emilie up, which would have been equally effective and much less public. While I enjoyed seeing Cooper's mother suffer the consequences of her scheme, it was tough for me to get past my disbelief that she would have gone to those lengths in the first place.
Overall, while I liked "Groomed to Perfection" better than the last book
of the series, it sadly is not among my favorites by Samantha Chase. However, I'm intrigued by the
setup for the next book (which I'm pretty sure will be the last one), so I plan to continue with the series.
*Review copy provided by the author via Valentine PR. All opinions expressed are my own.
About "Groomed to Perfection"
In just one night, she stole his jacket…and his heart.
Shy baker Emilie Michels never thought she’d meet her Prince Charming. Especially not at an event she’s working at. But when a handsome stranger finds her hiding in a corner and strikes up a conversation, she can’t help but be drawn in. Unfortunately, duty calls and she’s forced to flee, leaving the man of her dreams behind. All she has to remember that night is his first name and the suit jacket he gave her to stay warm.
Family has always come first for the Vandergrifts. It doesn’t matter what Cooper might want out of his life, his parents have had a plan for him since the day he was born. His mother even has his wedding all planned out, despite the fact that there’s no bride in the picture. But when Cooper walks into the Meet Me at the Altar offices for a cake tasting and finds himself face to face with the woman he met at a party all those months ago, he thinks it might be time to finally have a say in his love life.
Cooper had resigned himself to a life that would be all about family obligations, but just a few hours with Emilie have him convinced that maybe he could be something else. It’s just a matter of deciding whose happiness matters more: his family’s or his own.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Comments make my day! While I do not expect everyone to agree with my point of view, please note that I reserve the right to delete any nasty or uncharitable messages, as well as spam. Open discussion is welcome and appreciated, but personal attacks are not. Thanks for understanding and have a nice day. :-)