Scan barcode
loveisastateofmind's review
2.5
I love cliches. In fact I full embrace them, especially when combined with fluff in sugary romance novels. However, I have to say that this one just about pushed me to my limit. I think the point it all got too much was when they found out they were having twins. Maybe it's just my bias against babies but I think I'm going to avoid books based around pregnancies from now on.
a_nichols1122823's review
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
beastreader's review
4.0
Bernadette Hogan works as a bodyguard. She has been celebrity Jeremy Bridges’s guard for a little while. This was part of the plan. No one would suspect that a woman would be a bodyguard. If it was not for the money, than Bernadette would have asked to be reassigned earlier. Jeremy is a womanizer.
Jeremy and Bernadette arrive back at Jeremy’s place one evening to find themselves in a comprising position. Afterwards, Bernadette quits. Jeremy believes that Bernadette will come back. When she doesn’t and he learns that she is pregnant, he must find a way to show Bernadette that he is in for the long hull and is ready to be a husband and father.
I have seen this author’s books around but have not gotten around to trying her out until now. I thought that this book was such a fun book to read. That is saying something when a book is fun to read. Bernadette was good. She did not take any crap from Jeremy, just because he is a celebrity. She called it like it was. Though, Jeremy did not want to admit it in the beginning but he liked Bernadette because she had brains. You would not tell that this is the type of woman that Jeremy liked from his past dating life. Jeremy turned out to be a good guy. He was only portrayed as a womanizer for a brief period in this book, which was nice. The rest of the time, I found him funny. He knew just how to get under Bernadette’s skin and he did it every time that he could but only in a way to show her how stubborn she was. Black Ties and Lullabies earns four stars!
Jeremy and Bernadette arrive back at Jeremy’s place one evening to find themselves in a comprising position. Afterwards, Bernadette quits. Jeremy believes that Bernadette will come back. When she doesn’t and he learns that she is pregnant, he must find a way to show Bernadette that he is in for the long hull and is ready to be a husband and father.
I have seen this author’s books around but have not gotten around to trying her out until now. I thought that this book was such a fun book to read. That is saying something when a book is fun to read. Bernadette was good. She did not take any crap from Jeremy, just because he is a celebrity. She called it like it was. Though, Jeremy did not want to admit it in the beginning but he liked Bernadette because she had brains. You would not tell that this is the type of woman that Jeremy liked from his past dating life. Jeremy turned out to be a good guy. He was only portrayed as a womanizer for a brief period in this book, which was nice. The rest of the time, I found him funny. He knew just how to get under Bernadette’s skin and he did it every time that he could but only in a way to show her how stubborn she was. Black Ties and Lullabies earns four stars!
jetenold's review
4.0
its a great story about opposites attracting. She is a great influence on him!
nighteyes82's review
3.0
That was a fun read. a laugh a lot reading this.
At some point I realised that their bickering made me think of a Darcy/Elizabeth Bennet modern conversation. maybe I am totally off track but that is my humble opinion.
after at one moment I feared Bernie will keep the dumb antics of hiding behind the other tenants.
I liked that upon receiving the news that he is gonna be a father, he doesn't change and fall madly in luv with her in a 24h laps time.
but when it was over, I was like euh what it's over? not a little bit more of them? thier relationship? something was missing for me... still don't what...
read in one sitting. my eyes hurt today! lol
At some point I realised that their bickering made me think of a Darcy/Elizabeth Bennet modern conversation. maybe I am totally off track but that is my humble opinion.
after at one moment I feared Bernie will keep the dumb antics of hiding behind the other tenants.
I liked that upon receiving the news that he is gonna be a father, he doesn't change and fall madly in luv with her in a 24h laps time.
but when it was over, I was like euh what it's over? not a little bit more of them? thier relationship? something was missing for me... still don't what...
read in one sitting. my eyes hurt today! lol
shannon_cocktailsandbooks's review
3.0
What's a girl to do when she's bodyguard to one of Texas' most eligible bachelor's, who's fabulously wealthy, and a giant pain in her ass? That's the dilemma Bernadette (Bernie) Hogan find herself in when her boss, Jeremy Bridges, blows off her warnings with one of his "woman of the moment", which causes the two of them to spend some tense time in Jeremy's safe room. Bernie's answer, quit and run for the door.
Just when she figures she's finally gotten Jeremy out of her life, she discovers that those tense moments spent in the safe room had an unexpected outcome....she's pregnant.
Jeremy Bridges is a person who demands to be in control. After his childhood, he vowed he would never let someone else control his destiny again. But a decidedly out of control moment with Bernie has resulted in his impending fatherhood. While he doubts his ability to be a good father, he's determined that he'll be involved with his child. Unfortunately, the only person that tests his control is the woman currently carrying his unborn child.
The story is a lot of push and pull. Neither Bernie or Jeremy are willing to be flexible when it comes down to what they really want. Jeremy will manipulate situations to get the outcome he wants and Bernie will beat someone down with her nagging. I felt like both these characters needed to do a lot of growing up before either of them were going to get what they wanted out of any relationship they had, even if it was only going to be that of 2 people co-parenting their children while leading separate lives (I hear a Phil Collins song coming on).
I was a little disappointed that we never got to fully uncover why Bernie had such a poor self image or what happened with her deadbeat cousin (you just know he didn't keep the job). But the ending was satisfying, if not tidied up a little too quickly for me.
3 Cocktails
Just when she figures she's finally gotten Jeremy out of her life, she discovers that those tense moments spent in the safe room had an unexpected outcome....she's pregnant.
Jeremy Bridges is a person who demands to be in control. After his childhood, he vowed he would never let someone else control his destiny again. But a decidedly out of control moment with Bernie has resulted in his impending fatherhood. While he doubts his ability to be a good father, he's determined that he'll be involved with his child. Unfortunately, the only person that tests his control is the woman currently carrying his unborn child.
The story is a lot of push and pull. Neither Bernie or Jeremy are willing to be flexible when it comes down to what they really want. Jeremy will manipulate situations to get the outcome he wants and Bernie will beat someone down with her nagging. I felt like both these characters needed to do a lot of growing up before either of them were going to get what they wanted out of any relationship they had, even if it was only going to be that of 2 people co-parenting their children while leading separate lives (I hear a Phil Collins song coming on).
I was a little disappointed that we never got to fully uncover why Bernie had such a poor self image or what happened with her deadbeat cousin (you just know he didn't keep the job). But the ending was satisfying, if not tidied up a little too quickly for me.
3 Cocktails
koalathebear's review
4.0
Surprisingly enjoyable. I loved the idea of a female bodyguard and the accidental pregnancy story line while not original was well executed here.
elliefufu's review
4.0
Black Ties and Lullabies By Jane Graves
Grade: B+
“He might not have a clue how to be a father, but facing that uncertainty wasn’t nearly as intolerable as knowing that someday a child of his would be wandering through this world thinking his father just didn’t give a damn. In a moment, he made a decision, as resolutely as anything he’d ever felt in his life. Whether Bernie liked it or not, they were having a baby together.”
Jeremy Bridges has everything he always wanted: money, a big house, lots of expensive cars and a different woman every night. As a self-made millionaire he rarely hears the word “No” from anyone, anyone except his bodyguard Bernadette. Bernie is the only person in Jeremy’s life that will tell him the truth about his behavior and attitude and the only woman who has ever tried to resist his charms and succeeded. That is until Jeremy is almost robbed at gunpoint inside his home and he and Bernie are locked together in his safe room where tempers flare and anger quickly turns into a night of passion that will change their relationship forever.
Bernadette Hogan, also known as Bernie, has spent her entire adult life being responsible for everyone around her and never does anything rash except one night when she slipped up and slept with her boss. Three months later Bernie is pregnant with twins and Jeremy has done the unthinkable and wants to co-parent with her. The more time Jeremy and Bernie spend together getting ready for their babies the more it seems that the passion they shared three months earlier might have never gone away.
When I first got this book in the mail I took one look at the front cover, read the back cover and rolled my eyes. Boy was I wrong to do that because this book was really good. I found that I couldn’t put the book down and before I knew it I read the whole thing in one sitting which rarely ever happens to me. The whole story may not have been entirely believable, millionaire and his bodyguard have one night of passion, with a condom, get pregnant with twins and millionaire playboy decides to be a husband and father but it was still a really cute love story that I got lost in for a whole afternoon.
What I really enjoyed is that both Jeremy and Bernie had so many layers to their personalities and to their pasts. Jeremy grew up extremely poor with a horrible alcoholic father but still managed to become super successful. With his horrible childhood he creates a fantasy life for himself with all the fancy houses, expensive toys and lots and lots of women. Bernie is the only person to see past the fantasy and see who he really is deep down because she too has had a rough life herself. Bernie is amazing because she takes care of everyone and does so out of love. She works her butt off to provide for her sick mother and refuses to take all the handouts that Jeremy tries to give to her. Her refusal is what sets her apart from all the other women in Jeremy’s life.
The book also has some really great side stories and side characters. Never in the whole time I was reading did I feel like somethings or some characters should have been left out. In fact I started to get just as excited about the people at Bernie’s apartment complex or Max, Jeremy’s security guard as I did about the scenes with Jeremy and Bernie. Then there is Lawanda, Bernie’s co-worker at the museum and she has to be the funniest person in the entire book. I laughed out loud at one scene with Lawanda in it. I would read a whole book if Lawanda was in it because it would be hysterical.
I will defiantly be reading more of Jane Graves’ books especially if they are as well written as this one. There wasn’t anything about this book that I disliked and I wish that I had read it earlier if I knew how much I was going to like it. I give this book a B+ because it was a very fun and very cute love story and I really enjoyed reading it.
Grade: B+
“He might not have a clue how to be a father, but facing that uncertainty wasn’t nearly as intolerable as knowing that someday a child of his would be wandering through this world thinking his father just didn’t give a damn. In a moment, he made a decision, as resolutely as anything he’d ever felt in his life. Whether Bernie liked it or not, they were having a baby together.”
Jeremy Bridges has everything he always wanted: money, a big house, lots of expensive cars and a different woman every night. As a self-made millionaire he rarely hears the word “No” from anyone, anyone except his bodyguard Bernadette. Bernie is the only person in Jeremy’s life that will tell him the truth about his behavior and attitude and the only woman who has ever tried to resist his charms and succeeded. That is until Jeremy is almost robbed at gunpoint inside his home and he and Bernie are locked together in his safe room where tempers flare and anger quickly turns into a night of passion that will change their relationship forever.
Bernadette Hogan, also known as Bernie, has spent her entire adult life being responsible for everyone around her and never does anything rash except one night when she slipped up and slept with her boss. Three months later Bernie is pregnant with twins and Jeremy has done the unthinkable and wants to co-parent with her. The more time Jeremy and Bernie spend together getting ready for their babies the more it seems that the passion they shared three months earlier might have never gone away.
When I first got this book in the mail I took one look at the front cover, read the back cover and rolled my eyes. Boy was I wrong to do that because this book was really good. I found that I couldn’t put the book down and before I knew it I read the whole thing in one sitting which rarely ever happens to me. The whole story may not have been entirely believable, millionaire and his bodyguard have one night of passion, with a condom, get pregnant with twins and millionaire playboy decides to be a husband and father but it was still a really cute love story that I got lost in for a whole afternoon.
What I really enjoyed is that both Jeremy and Bernie had so many layers to their personalities and to their pasts. Jeremy grew up extremely poor with a horrible alcoholic father but still managed to become super successful. With his horrible childhood he creates a fantasy life for himself with all the fancy houses, expensive toys and lots and lots of women. Bernie is the only person to see past the fantasy and see who he really is deep down because she too has had a rough life herself. Bernie is amazing because she takes care of everyone and does so out of love. She works her butt off to provide for her sick mother and refuses to take all the handouts that Jeremy tries to give to her. Her refusal is what sets her apart from all the other women in Jeremy’s life.
The book also has some really great side stories and side characters. Never in the whole time I was reading did I feel like somethings or some characters should have been left out. In fact I started to get just as excited about the people at Bernie’s apartment complex or Max, Jeremy’s security guard as I did about the scenes with Jeremy and Bernie. Then there is Lawanda, Bernie’s co-worker at the museum and she has to be the funniest person in the entire book. I laughed out loud at one scene with Lawanda in it. I would read a whole book if Lawanda was in it because it would be hysterical.
I will defiantly be reading more of Jane Graves’ books especially if they are as well written as this one. There wasn’t anything about this book that I disliked and I wish that I had read it earlier if I knew how much I was going to like it. I give this book a B+ because it was a very fun and very cute love story and I really enjoyed reading it.