Teaser Tuesday ~ 7/29/14 & Review

This is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading.

To participate you:

* Grab your current read

* Open to a random page

* Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!

(Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

* Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Engaged at The Chatsfield (The Chatsfield, #0.5) by Melanie Milburne

Introducing The Chatsfield in this fantastic prequel, USA TODAY bestselling author Melanie Milburne invites you to step inside the world's most exclusive luxury hotel empire!

Where secrets lurk behind every door…

A whisper, a rumor, a scandal!

Glitz, luxury and decadence—Juliet Montague should be having the time of her life. Her friend's hen party is being held at the extravagant Chatsfield Hotel, London, but when she is surrounded by perfect, ultra-stylish women, each with rings on their fingers, a fake fiancé seems her only defense.

Until that very same fake fiancé arrives at the party! Now she must persuade Marcus Bainbridge, her older brother's gorgeous best friend, not to give the game away. But as the charade deepens, will the lines between what's real and what's fantasy start to blur?

FREE

Teaser...

His hand came down on her arm.  The feel of his fingers wrapping around her wrist was like a surge of electricity through her body.  She felt it right to her core, to the place his touch had ignited at Christmas.  His fingers were warm, broad and strong.  She slowly brought her gaze up to his, her stomach dropping like a book toppling off a high shelf as his eyes meshed with hers.  (kindle location 308)

Review...

I read book one of this series before I read this little prequel and I'm glad I did.  I fell in love with the idea and went back to read this one.  I might not have continued if I had started with this one.

Here's what worked..

I love the series idea of stories that are set around The Chatsfield hotel chain.  It's beautiful places and beautiful people kinda stories -  very escape oriented.  The Chatsfield family is also very tied to the series and I'm interested to learn about the different kids.  I'm already wondering about Lucas and what's up with him.

I really love this premise.  Girl pretends to be engaged with guy and guy shows up at the event.  Yeah, that has fun written all over it.

I love the idea of the sister falling for the brother's best friend.  Those stories are always yummy.  These two had a history and already cared for each other.  The chemistry is there, at least since their Christmas almost kiss.  Marcus is fighting the best friends sister issue and his commitment to his job.  He doesn't see the possibility of more in his life.  He needs convincing.

What convinces him was perfect.  It happened fast but I totally loved it.

I so loved the scene where Marcus finds out that Juliet is pretending to be engaged to HIM. It happens in mixed company and he has to decide if he will play along.  Totally cute.

They are hot together and it's clear they should be together.


Here's what didn't work...

It was too short.  It's a prequel and a novella but at only 61 pages, it was just too short for me.  It does a good job of introducing the hotel chain and some of the family.  It's clear that there are some interesting stories here but I wanted more of this story.

I just felt like another 50 pages would have made this so much better.  Maybe a little more awkward before they fell together and a little more trying to resist would have made it better.  It could be the love of pretending in me that feels this way but I just wanted more pretending.

While I love the cover, it doesn't match the story much.  Juliet feels like she doesn't fit in with the elite she's hanging out with.  Her clothes, her extra curves, her more plain looks are all part of why she made up the story in the first place.  That women on the cover fits just fine in the world of The Chatsfield.  I prefer covers that fit the story.

I have more of this series and I intend to keep reading it.

What do you think of my teaser?  Have a teaser for me?  Leave me a comment.