Genre: Chick Lit/Contemporary Romance
Age Group: Adult
Expected Publication Date: July 8th 2014
Publisher: Loveswept/Random House
Publisher: Loveswept/Random House
Pages: 263
Series: Love and Life on the Lam #4
Format: eARC
Source: Netgalley provided by publisher
Juliet Rosetti’s steamy Escape Diaries series—perfect for fans of Kristan Higgins and Susan Elizabeth Phillips—continues as Mazie’s on-again, off-again relationship with certified hottie Ben Labeck simmers out of control.
Mazie Maguire doesn’t need some lousy awards panel to tell her what she already knows: Ben Labeck—the chiseled, 6'3" photojournalist and hockey player who drives her wild—is the Sexiest Man Alive. And she especially doesn’t need the rest of the world to know it, too. Watching every last woman in the Milwaukee metro area throw themselves at the man who shares Mazie’s bed is more than any respectable single lady should bear.
So when Ben has the nerve to “forget” to call for a week, Mazie decides to call it off for good. But as she jumps back into the dating game, Mazie catches the attention of some real bad boys: The Skulls. When the motorcycle gang kidnaps Mazie in a case of mistaken identity, she suddenly sees Ben’s behavior in a whole new light. She’d do anything to wake up in Ben’s surprisingly tender arms one more time—so long as the Sexiest Man Alive doesn’t go and get himself killed trying to save her.
When I finished the first book in this series, The Escape Diaries, I thought..."Wow! That was funny, entertaining, exciting and pulse pounding. I want more from Mazie Maguire!" Ever hear that saying "Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it?" I've been through so much with both Mazie and her sexy on again off again Beau, Ben Lebeck. Through escape attempts, running from the law, a mother in law hell bent on revenge and thugs of all shapes and sizes there has never been a dull moment in this amazingly hilarious and sometimes anger inducing series. I need to gush for a moment and it'll probably look a little bit like this
I have to give some serious props to author Juliet Rosetti for not only an amazing journey but for writing characters and stories that have held my attention (which is hard to do) for four straight books. There have been series' I have started and been gung ho about, full speed ahead, only to lose steam somewhere along the way for whatever reason. With Rosetti's books though I have found myself consistently excited and held in suspense with each new addition she's penned.
Mazie. What can I say about this adorably clumsy heroine? She's goofy, silly and has a tendency to attract danger like a swiffer duster. Mazie is hard headed, independent and feisty. Through the series she's grown into a woman who has rediscovered herself after being charged with murder she didn't commit and helping take down criminals in the most unorthodox of ways. This latest adventure sees her struggling with insecurity and jealousy after Ben is named the sexiest man alive. Mazie copes the only way she knows how, by pushing him away thinking he deserves better. For anyone who hasn't been through the series with her you probably wouldn't get why I love her so much but I can understand the insecurities and feelings of inadequacy she experiences being in a relationship. As a woman I struggle with these same issues as I'm sure most other women can. Unless you're Heidi Klum, then you can kiss my ass. Mazie's bravery never ceases to amaze me and I loved seeing her stare danger in the face yet again and this time actually take life by the reigns to ensure she gets what she wants.
Ben Lebeck. My sweet and sexy, adorably french Canadian knight in shining armor. From the first meeting inside his news van I knew Ben and Mazie would be an amazing couple and I was right. Bens' done some growing up in the series too along the way. This man is just as hot headed and stubborn as Mazie with a tendency to put his foot in his mouth. A lot. Ben took me on a roller coaster of emotions a few times and there was a brief stint where I wanted to beat him to death with his own limbs for the way he walked away from Mazie a few books ago. I couldn't stay mad at him long because Rosetti switched things up on me giving me a look into Ben's point of view that was a genius move on her part. From that I was able to get a better grasp on how he felt about Mazie and the events of his past that fueled his personality. Like in The Sexiest Man Alive. Once he's named that by a local tabloid show his life changes and so does Mazie's. Ben grew up a gawky skinny kid with larger than life ears and a poor self image. He was a late bloomer with the ladies so the attention he is starting to receive kind of goes to his head and at times neglects Mazie because of it. There were moments he scared me thinking he would do something to screw up the progress they had built but finally seeing him realize what Mazie was to him was such a profound reward.
Through every book there has been some aspect of danger. The first brought Mazie in close contact with gun wielding cops and some civilians looking to capture the fugitive. The Second involved a group of thugs wanting to silence Ben and Mazie who fingered them in a murder and stopped at nothing to track them down. The third brought her face to face with a psycho pageant queen at the helm of a thirty year unsolved mystery. Needless to say the drama factor has been pretty high throughout. I've been scared a few times but always had faith that Mazie and Ben would be OK. THIS time around I started to panic thinking the danger was a little too intense. A Motorcycle gang hunting a young woman who witnessed a murder who just so happens to end up on Mazie's doorstep after a shootout worried me a little. I should have known that with a ragtag group of unlikely heroes, one being a six foot tall drag queen in a fuchsia cocktail dress and a dorky self made millionaire would come to Mazie and Ben's rescue.
If there's one thing Rosetti knows her way around it's humor. Good old fashioned limericks and funny quips are abundant in every book and have gotten funnier with every book. She has impeccable timing with her character banter and inner musings that never cease to bring a smile to my face or a gut busting laugh to my stomach. Even in the face of near death there is something funny to be said between not just the main characters but the entire cast of oddball misfits. Mazie going to a Pheromne style dating party called "Phero-Mates" where you pick a date based on how their shirt inside a plastic baggie smells, and a blind date setup to a guy who selsl port-a-shitters were just some of the hilarious mishaps in this story that prove Rosetti has the chops to make you laugh and swoon. Each book has progressively gotten hotter and I love the butterflies that errupt in my stomach whenever Ben whispers dirty French words in Mazie's ear.
The supporting characters were once again very well written into the story and provided comic relief and adorable romances behind the scenes when you aren't focused on Mazie and Ben. As I'm sitting here processing my thoughts on the series as a whole accompanied by this book I find myself hoping that this isn't the end of her series or the end of Mazie and Ben just yet. From a strictly readers perspective I feel like there is at least one more story to tell between Mazie and Ben even though they won a hard fought victory in this book, I just need ONE MORE! I swear I'm not one of those psycho fans who can't let go but based on the ending I believe there's at least another crazy adventure on the horizon because the fun is just beginning!
Now that I have fully vented all my feelings (sorry for the long review) I feel like I can finally implore you to grab this series and ride out the romance the suspense and the drama until the very last page because they are absolutely worth the time! I don't regret anything I've been through with these people who have come to feel like friends and family to me. Rosetti may not be a household name yet but trust me when I say, her books are simply the best. Better than all the rest! Yes, that was my Tina Turner moment for the evening. If you have been craving a good series full of romance, laughter, excitement and suspense you really can't miss out on these amazing books.
Quotes:
The woman next to Mazie, who was nibbling on spinach dip on taco chips, picked up a lime green vibrator about the size of a supermarket cucumber. "Oh, the Harry Balzac model - that's a nice one," commented a white-haired woman who was dipping into the punch. "But its battery runs down too quick. All of a sudden the thing stops and it's like those times when - you know - your hubby
turns to boneless pork." eARC 9%
"He's not the flower type. He buys me useful stuff -
an exercise ball, a flashlight, a toaster oven, a big bag of sweet
corn from the farmer's market, a cordless drill. Oh, and a new
bathroom plunger." eARC 17%
He'd wanted to say things to her, tell her how he'd missed her, how he adored her, how she was the only woman for him, but he let his hands speak for him, teasing and nudging and caressing, trying to control himself as she writhed and gasped beneath him. eARC 56%
Ben's scheme to get Mazie alone again was thwarted because Mazie and JuJu were doing a sleepover at Mazie's flat, an evening of pedicures, facials, popcorn, and old movies. Ben did not grasp the concept. Did guys have sleepovers at each other's apartments? Hey Bob - wanna get together Saturday night? We can trim each other's corns, compare different brands of jock itch powder, and watch reruns of the Super Bowl. eARC 58%
{Click the pictures for Goodreads descriptions}
Hootie's Series Reviews:
About The Author:
Juliet Rosetti grew up on a Wisconsin farm. She has taught school in Milwaukee and in Sydney, Australia, where her duties included coaching cricket and basketball. Her work has appeared in The Milwaukee Journal, Chicago Tribune, and in many other publications. She is a past winner of Wisconsin Magazine’s Wordsmith Award for nonfiction. Currently she lives in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, with her husband and son, teaches in the local public school system, and is writing the next book in the Mazie Maguire series.
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