Release Day Spotlight: Ruining Mr. Perfect (McCauley Brothers #3) by Marie Harte {Review + Excerpt}

Adult Contemporary Romance

Publication Date: October 7th 2014

ARC provided by publisher via Netgalley

IT’S NOT EASY BEING RIGHT

Vanessa Campbell is a CPA by day and a perfectionist by night. She’s fit, successful…and decidedly lonely. She can’t stop thinking about the youngest McCauley brother, Cameron. He’s just like her: smart, attractive, and usually right—except when dealing with her.

…BUT SOMEONE’S GOT TO DO IT

Cameron McCauley likes Vanessa a little too much. She’s a blond goddess with a razor-sharp tongue. She hates to be wrong, just like him. But she can hold a grudge and is stubborn to a fault—also like him.

A past disagreement has them rubbing each other the wrong way. Cam is dying to shake Vanessa up—get her to let loose. But if he succeeds, can his heart handle it?

Vanessa and Cameron are the two know-it-alls of the series. They're the pair everyone likes to pick on the most. Cameron for his youth and put together lifestyle. Vanessa for her controlling ways and sometimes cold personality. I don't know why but I didn't see these two being a couple until it knocked me over the head. I remember thinking in the first book that Harte would pair Vanessa up with widowed brother Mike McCauley but everyone's match has been perfectly set up for them. With Vanessa and Cameron they have so many things in common. Great jobs, mutual interests in health and fitness and both have a life plan perfectly planned out to the last detail. With a friendship that has been smoldering into more for the last several books, they both get swept up in lust and the circumstances following their physical intensity puts a wrench in their plans.

Vanessa and Cameron made a great couple. The title of this book was brilliant because Ruining Mr. Perfect is exactly what Vanessa did. Her character wasn't one I envisioned myself feeling a connection to but she surprised me. Raised by cold indifferent parents who valued education and career over loving hugs and doting on their only child has made Vanessa into a detached woman afraid she won't be able to love. She loves her roommates and cares for them deeply but fears she won't be able to give herself away body and soul, the requirements needed to love somebody fully. That's the main thing I related to with Vanessa. Maybe a little bit of her OCD tendencies but mostly her approach to love and relationships. It surprised me how much I ended up liking her. Her previous dates and attempts at relationships have brought her guys who used her and treated her much like her parents did. I actually started to feel bad for her during a particular date laid out his intentions rather coldly, making her feel useless. Cameron couldn't have come to her at a better time because she needed a good guy for a change.

Cameron McCauley may be the youngest, sweetest McCauley in touch with his feelings but damn did he have a sexy side that made me tingly. He was the right amount of tender and tenacious especially when dealing with Vanessa. Cameron is the kind of guy who knows what he wants and goes after it lock, stock and barrel and I loved this guy. All the McCauley boys are close to their parents, the other boys are more in tune with the patriarch of the family but Cameron is closer to his mother. I didn't realize in the other stories that he felt detached from his father until the two ended up living together. Cameron has always felt like a disappointment to his father because he chose to go into a different career than the family construction/plumbing specialty. He's always felt like his father wasn't proud of him due to his underhanded insults and thinly veiled comments about his job. I didn't really find anything about Cameron's character that I didn't like. Even when he was being stubborn and licking his wounds he was still just a big sweetheart, and that worked for me. 

While Vanessa and Cameron did have something pretty big to deal with and a lot of twisted emotions to iron out, I never felt like their problems were too big for them to overcome. They were just a solid couple who worked through their issues and came out better for it. what had me so twisted and nervous was the founders of the McCauley dynasty having trouble. As was hinted at in the previous book, mom Beth and pop James have been having some problems in their marriage and this book found the two living separately and even making moves to see other people. I wanted to curl up and die thinking these two loving and adorable people who made such a wonderful family and spent so many years loving each other were splitting up. Marriage in crisis isn't something I have any knowledge of never being married myself but the heart wrenching sadness of seeing love dissolve is all to familiar. I love the fact that there were two stories running simultaneously withing Ruining Mr. Perfect. Actually 2.5 if you count the mini setup to Mike and Del's story. Beth and James had years of silence and hurt feelings to work through but watching their kids fight just as hard to keep them afloat made my heart beat erratically.

 There is so much love and passion written within the pages of Harte's big, loud, Irish born family and never a dull moment. Even though Ruining Mr. Prefect wasn't the one I was looking forward to the most it definitely added another great layer to this already amazing series. Vanessa and Cameron had a sweet love story as only two perfect-ish people can have. The secondary characters make several hilarious and heartfelt appearances throughout and the glimpse into the next book leaves me with an excited pit in my stomach for what's to come. What started out as a recommendation from a friend to read a funny book with a big family feel has turned into a deep affection for Harte and her fun loving characters. There's really no way you can go wrong by picking up these books if you enjoy falling in love with a big family and laughing through happy tears.

Excerpt:

“Colin,” Cam tried again. “You know dumping water on someone in the shower is a no-no. And especially Ubie’s new girlfriend.” Ubie—short for Uncle Brody. Brody Singer, the blond “adopted” McCauley who had grown up as part of the family

“But he told me to do it.”

Cam blinked. “He did? Well, you should never—”

“Dad thought it was kind of funny after he yelled at me.” Colin gave him a sharp nod, then added with a smirk, “Dad said he used to do that to you, and that you cried like a girrrl.” Considering Colin’s anti-girl phase, that was a high insult.

“Is that right?” Cam frowned, remembering being the butt of too many jokes while growing up. “Mike has no idea what he’s dealing with. You think your dad’s tough? Watch Uncle Cam.” Knowing he shouldn’t encourage the mischief in his nephew’s eyes but unable to stop himself from the unspoken dare, Cam hurried to the kitchen, found a large glass and filled it with ice-cold water. Considering the freezing January wind outside, Mike would be basking in a hot shower to warm up. Cam grinned, looking forward to his brother’s howl of misery.

Colin trailed him like a puppy. “Oh wow, Uncle Cam. Are you going to get Dad?” He clapped.

“Shh.”

“Oh, sorry.” Colin’s big grin showed a missing front tooth.

Cam walked down more ugly brown carpet that looked as it if had been vacuumed to death—Mike and his obsession with cleanliness—and tiptoed into the big guy’s room. He made sure he had a clear exit. If his goliath big brother caught him, he’d be toast. Fortunately, he could move like a gazelle.

Gliding into the master bathroom, he readied himself. One, two…three. He yanked open the curtain and tossed the cold water at…Vanessa Campbell?

He stared in shock at the sexiest woman he’d seen in a long, long time. Naked, her creamy skin glistened with water as she gaped at him in horror. Which quickly turned to anger.

“Cameron McCauley!”

“Oh, wow.” He couldn’t look away.

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About The Author:

Marie Harte is an avid reader who loves all things paranormal and futuristic. Reading romances since she was twelve, she fell in love with romance and happy endings and knew writing was her calling. Years later after the Marine Corps, Information Technology, and 60 hour work weeks, her dream has finally come true. Marie lives in Oregon with her family and is constantly reading and writing.

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