Review: Rusty Nailed (Cocktail #2)

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Alice Clayton
Format: ebook
Pages: 288
Rating: 7 out of 10

** Spoiler Alert -- Read the review for Wallbanger RIGHT HERE**

Summary (Goodreads nailed it): In this sequel to Wallbanger, the second book in the Cocktail series, fan favorites Caroline and Simon negotiate the rollercoaster of their new relationship while house-sitting in San Francisco.

Playing house was never so much fun—or so confusing. With her boss on her honeymoon, Caroline’s working crazy long hours to keep the interior design company running—especially since she’s also the lead designer for the renovation of a gorgeous old hotel on Sausalito. So with her hotshot photographer boyfriend gallivanting all over the world for his job, she and Simon are heavy-duty into “absence makes the heart grow fonder” mode. Neither has any complaints about the great reunion sex, though! Then Simon decides he’s tired of so much travelling, and he’s suddenly home more. A lot more. And wanting Caroline home more, too. Though their friends’ romantic lives provide plenty of welcome distraction, eventually Caroline and Simon have to sort their relationship out. Neither wants “out of sight, out of mind,” but can they create their own happy mid-ground cliché?

USA TODAY bestselling author Alice Clayton delivers another delicious, frothy cocktail of a book, shaking up her characters, stirring in laugh-out-loud humor, and serving sizzling romance straight up!

Thoughts: So...this should be brief (I just realized my dislike for the word 'brief'). 

I thought that this novel was pretty unnecessary. I mean, it was a cute story. It felt a bit like a fanfiction in that it continued the last novel and that it seemed to play to what the readership would want to see. I just wasn't a huge fan of it. I loved Wallbanger so I have high hopes for this novel but it just didn't play out. That being said, it was nice to see where the characters went after the last novel. It was nice to get a glimpse of the future. It wasn't a waste of time, exactly, just Wallbanger could stand without it.

I wish we would have gotten more of a glimpse into what was happening in Simon's head. People don't just suddenly change. Change isn't always easy. It wasn't easy in this novel, sure, but it wasn't hard either. I didn't find myself believing what the author was trying to tell me. How could one little thing change his life so much? He can't go from being quiet to very different. I want to be able to follow the change and see that it's happening slowly, over time. I didn't get that in this novel. I could see how what happened could start Simon on a path of change but it wasn't enough for me.

I love Simon; I'd let him so the things he did for Caroline to me...that probably sounds much worse than I mean it. If you want to know what things I'm talking about then you are just going to have to buy the novel and find out. I can't spoil all the good fun of it.

As for Caroline, if I had to do all she had to, I'd explode. Then again, my life looks headed in a similar busy direction so we shall see, won't we? The poor girl...

Basically: Where the novel went was acceptable. It was well written and entertaining. The novel didn't take too long to read. I just wanted more out of it than I was given. That could totally be my own fault. If you read this novel and think otherwise, let's talk about it. I want another perspective. 

Wallbanger

Reviewer: Kristen
Author: Alice Clayton
Pages: 300
Format: eBook 
My Rating: 8 out of 10


Summary (thanks GR): Caroline Reynolds has a fantastic new apartment in San Francisco, a KitchenAid mixer, and no O (and we’re not talking Oprah here, folks). She has a flourishing design career, an office overlooking the bay, a killer zucchini bread recipe, and no O. She has Clive (the best cat ever), great friends, a great rack, and no O.

Adding insult to O-less, since her move, she has an oversexed neighbor with the loudest late-night wallbanging she’s ever heard. Each moan, spank, and–was that a meow?–punctuates the fact that not only is she losing sleep, she still has, yep, you guessed it, no O.

Enter Simon Parker. (No, really, Simon, please enter.) When the wallbanging threatens to literally bounce her out of bed, Caroline, clad in sexual frustration and a pink baby-doll nightie, confronts her heard-but-never-seen neighbor. Their late-night hallway encounter has, well, mixed results. Ahem. With walls this thin, the tension’s gonna be thick…

In her third novel, Alice Clayton returns to dish her trademark mix of silly and steamy. Banter, barbs, and strutting pussycats, plus the sexiest apple pie ever made, are dunked in a hot tub and set against the gorgeous San Francisco skyline in this hot and hilarious tale of exasperation at first sight.

My Thoughts: My sides still hurt from how hard I laughed at this! Though it was a tad inappropriate at times, it was constantly hilarious. Caroline was hilarious, Simon was sassy and adorable and perfect all at the same time. Seriously author ladies, you need to stop making my imaginary boyfriend list so long! Caroline was impatient, and sarcastic, and undeniably realistic. I seriously couldn't put this book down, and there's not much more I can say without going into full on gush mode. I really enjoyed how the book was written, and I liked that Caroline's friend's weren't completely forgotten as soon as Wallbanger truly came into the picture. Simon Parker was amazing, and I really don't know what else to say other than just go buy this book. ASAP. 

Final Thoughts: Go go go! Cute, witty, and a great summer read! 

__________________________________________________
Reviewer: Kelsey
Format: eBook
Rating: 8 out of 10

Thoughts: Like Kristen, I died laughing while I was reading this novel. It was actually embarrassing. I really enjoyed this novel. I would read it again but there were, however, a few things that bothered me about the book. It was a lot about sex. I'm okay with the whole romance thing about it but it was like 85% sex which was about 50% too much. Also, every once and awhile it rhymed. Kristen didn't seem to notice but I did and it only got worse as the book went on. It was funny in the moment but it did happen quite a bit. The formatting was also a horrible mess. A page on the ereader for me was like 1/3 of the real page which meant that 270 pages was actually triple that. There were a lot of space images (in some books those dots) but they didn't break anything up, they were where they shouldn't have been but not there when they were needed. Plus, I had this huge issue with my copy getting past page 58 on the ereader. I can't really blame the book for that one. I did like it enough to fight to solve the issue though so that says something.

Closing: I would reread this novel for a good laugh. It's a quick and entertaining read, great for vacation.