Flirting with Scandal
(Capital Confessions #1)
by
Chanel Cleeton (Goodreads Author)
The author of I See London sets her sights on Washington, D. C., with a sexy new series about three sisters, the secrets they keep, and a powerful blog with a knack for exposing scandals...
Jackie Gardner knows all about dirty little secrets. The illegitimate daughter of one of the most influential senators in Washington, D.C., she grew up surrounded by the scandals and shadows of politics. Now that she's landed an internship with a powerful political consulting firm, she's determined to launch her career and take this city by storm.
William Andrew Clayton was born for politics. He knows the drill: work hard, play discreetly, and at all costs, avoid scandal. At twenty-six, his campaign for the Virginia State Senate is the first step to cementing his future. It's time for him to settle down, to find the perfect political spouse. He needs a Jackie Kennedy, not a Marilyn...
When Jackie meets Will in the bar of the Hay-Adams Hotel, sparks fly. But the last thing Will needs is to be caught in a compromising position, and an affair with a political candidate could cost Jackie her career. When what began as one steamy night, becomes a passion neither one of them can walk way from, they must decide if what they have is really love, or just another dirty little secret...
BUY: AMAZON (US) | AMAZON (CAN)
Source: Kindle
Genre: Adult Political Romance
Part 1 of 3
My Flirting with Scandal Review ...
I think I'm starting to have political romances as one of my new guilty pleasures. This is my first Chanel Cleeton book and I was pleasantly surprised for the most part. I was blissfully reading this book and it started off great than at the 72% mark the dreaded hypocritical frustrating heroine morphed out of nowhere. Which sadly effected my reading experience.
I was backroom deals and wading in muck and scandal. Will was shiny and elegant, the poster child for a new political dynasty. We couldn't have been more ill suited if we tried.
Jackie is the girl who loves politics but hates the side effects of them. Will is a shining star waiting to take on the world. He's also a man who has laid low and not ruffled any feathers. The perfect candidate until he meets Jackie.
"You want this to be casual? You want to pretend like this is just fun between us? Fine. But I'm the only one touching you, kissing you, fucking you. I don't share."
Will and Jackie start hot and cold with more hot, but their jobs are putting a big kink into their mutual attraction. Deciding to give into their attraction because its worth the risk, they go all in.
"Just so we're clear, I'm here because I want to be. No other reason." "Good, because I'm not planning on letting you go."
Well maybe Will goes all in, Jackie not so much. Instead she decided to hide her past than facing the truth head on.
The knowledge that I'd put that look there, and the hope that it would stay, long after my secrets came undone.
"Mitch told me you had secrets. I said I didn't care, that I wanted to hear it from you. But you won't give me that chance. We can't move forward, can't try to have a relationship, when you're constantly putting this shit between us."
Problem four: I was definitely in love with Will Clayton. Solution: No fucking clue.
Jackie and Will have great chemistry, but their relationship is on shaky ground with Jackie's lack of honesty and commitment to the relationship.
"It matters to me whether the woman I love thinks I'm some kind of asshole who would like and cheat to get ahead. It matters to me that you've held my fucking heart in your hand for weeks now, and you don't even know who the hell I am. So don't tell me it doesn't fucking matter, Jackie. Maybe nothing matters to you, but don't you dare act like it doesn't matter to me." (You tell her, Will)
"I'm sick of this. Sick of you freaking out, of you trying to pretend there's nothing between us. Sick of you treating me like I'm just some guy you screw around with, like I'm your fucking father. I'm not your father, and you're not your mother, and it's time for you to grow up, and stop acting like this is simply history repeating itself. It's not. I love you. I'm not another thing for you to fucking compartmentalize-sex with Will, fine. Anything else, not a chance in hell." (Way to go Will)
"What do you want, Jackie? That's why I'm here. I'm trying to figure you out. So what do you want from me?" (Good question, because her back and forth is driving me batty)
As they start to take their relationship to the next level, Jackie's insecurities get the best of her.
She's basically a bloody paid scandal/rumor teller and then when the scandal is flipped over to her, she's believes the rumor over then actually talking to the source. WTF? I know her upbringing created her to be an emotional illogical mess but her being so quick to assume is overdone and my least favorite theme in the romance genre.
He kissed me like I was everything and finally I believed it. (Fucking finally)
I'm so bummed as I was loving this book and then all of a sudden Jackie completely let me down and it changed my reading experience. The banter was well written. The idea of the story was good. The series has huge potential if the heroines aren't as frustrating as Jackie ended up being.
Besides Jackie's frustrating part, did I like the book? Yes, very much. Favorite Part? Will. Least favorite? Jackie's hypocritical melt down. Will I read more from this author or this series? Yes, definitely.
Started off as 4 but went to 3.5 because of Jackie thumbs up!
. 5Lauren
Playing with Trouble
(Capital Confessions #2)
by
Chanel Cleeton (Goodreads Author)
The author of Flirting with Scandal presents her second book in a sexy contemporary romance series about three sisters in a powerful political family, the scandals that threaten to destroy them, and the passion that drives them…
The daughter of one of the Senate's most powerful figures, Blair Reynolds was ready to become the ultimate political wife—until she caught her fiancĂ© cheating on her wedding day. Law school is a fresh start, her shot at putting the pieces of her life back together. That’s the plan, at least. Until trouble comes in the form of her Torts professor, the man whose arrogance infuriates her in class but haunts her private fantasies.
Graydon Canter had a fortune and a place on all the hottest "Thirty under Thirty” lists, until a series of personal missteps nearly destroyed his career. A year teaching at a D.C. law school is just the break he needs to get his life back in order, as long as nothing—and no one—trips him up.
When Blair and Gray are forced to work together, their explosive attraction becomes impossible to resist. But Gray’s demons have drawn him dangerously close to the edge, and Blair has spent her life playing by the rules. Will she break them for a shot at love?
BUY: AMAZON (US) | AMAZON (CAN)
Source: Kindle
Genre: Adult Political Romance
Part 2 of 3
My Playing with Trouble Review . . .
You didn't throw love away. You clutched it to your chest, fought for it, died for it, and kept it safe above all else.
After Jackie's complete turn around in book one, my fingers were crossed that Blair wasn't going to follow the same path, and thankfully Blair stayed true and strong the whole way through.
Blair is the good legitimate daughter who has always done what is right for her family, but not always right for her. Now, after a devastating break up, she finds herself at law school. Not totally loving the experience but she's following this path. Well until one asshole teacher changes her world.
Graydon (Gray) has a shitload of baggage, but now he's trying to turn around his life. Staying away from the tempting student is the right choice but not the easy choice.
For Gray, he loved to get under Blair's skin. It filled something in himself that helped him get through when he wanted to give into his vices.
Blair is the good legitimate daughter who has always done what is right for her family, but not always right for her. Now, after a devastating break up, she finds herself at law school. Not totally loving the experience but she's following this path. Well until one asshole teacher changes her world.
There had always been a disconnect between what I thought and what I said-a big one-but with him I didn't care.
Graydon (Gray) has a shitload of baggage, but now he's trying to turn around his life. Staying away from the tempting student is the right choice but not the easy choice.
There was no pretense with him. He was an asshole and he owned it. I didn't know what exactly I was, but whatever it was, I wanted to own it too.
For Gray, he loved to get under Blair's skin. It filled something in himself that helped him get through when he wanted to give into his vices.
She was beautiful under normal circumstances, but when she was angry she was fucking gorgeous.
Blair is a bit of a dichotomy but once she finds her way she's ends up kick ass.
I always voted the party line, never went more than five miles over the speed limit, never drank more than two glasses of wine. And I wanted to fuck my professor with an intensity that bordered on madness.
Blair always does what is right, but Gray is everything wrong.
He was a train wreck, and I'd never been the kind of girl who wanted to fix a man or found baggage sexy. The world was full of screwed up guys; I didn't need to go looking for one. But even though I hadn't gone looking for trouble, apparently trouble had found me.
They both try to stay away but can't.
"It means you're hot in the kind of way that makes lady parts stand at attention. In a completely wild, unrestrained, sexy sort of way . . . " My voice trailed off."Jesus. And I thought you were shy."
Blair & Gray help one another to find their true selves.
"You can do bad things and still be a good man. Don't let your past take that away from you. You can be more. You just have to try."
But Blair has to fight for what she wants, once she realizes what it is.
"You're scared. Scared to try, scared to be more than you are, scared to take a fucking chance. You're hiding under all that arrogance and anger because it's easy to hide in the dark. Easy to settle. Easy to play it safe."
For the first time, Blair stands up for herself and fights for happiness, even though not everyone is on board with this plan.
"You might be right. But he was honest with me from the beginning. He laid all of his sins, all of his secrets out for me when he didn't owe me a fucking thing. He trusted me with that, and if he were an asshole, he could have said none of it and tried to get me into bed. So I'm going to give him a chance. Because everyone deserves to be forgiven for their mistakes."
Finally, getting behind Gray's walls, Blair gets a piece of a possibility she didn't know was possible.
"I don't know what I did to deserve you; I'm not even sure I do deserve you. Fuck, I probably don't. But I can't let you go. I don't want to, and even more, I'm starting to think you wouldn't even let me if I could walk away."
Now her mother. What a cow.
"No. It's your father's career. You don't get to have a life of your own, Blair. Not publicly. Not after everything this family has sacrificed to get where we are."
Blair may realize what she wants but not everyone is on the same wave length. This time around it's the hero that has the stupid martyr moments.
"I don't want to hurt her." Kate's eyebrow arched. "Then don't."
I absolutely loved this book. I loved the fact that Blair was strong the whole way through and never backed down. Once she found her footing she just kept going forward. Poor Gray and his baggage almost ruined the moment but thankfully Blair's sisters gave him the eye opening he needed to get his head out of his ass. Blair's sister, Kate had some bitchy moments so I can't wait to read her story next to find out why she has such a chip on her shoulder.
4.5 Blair Loving Thumbs up!
. 5Lauren
BUY: AMAZON (US) | AMAZON (CAN)
Falling for Danger
(Capital Confessions #3)
by
Chanel Cleeton (Goodreads Author)
The author of Flirting with Scandal presents her third book in a sexy contemporary romance series about three sisters in a powerful political family, the scandals that threaten to destroy them, and the passion that drives them…
Kate Reynolds has just graduated from college and is determined to make it on her own. Her job as a junior political analyst at the CIA is a dream come true and the perfect opportunity to find answers about the night that’s plagued her for four years—the night she lost her fiancĂ©, Matt, on a Special Forces mission in Afghanistan. Kate’s consumed with uncovering the truth and avenging the man she loved and lost, even if it means risking her own life to prove that his death wasn’t an accident.
When she gets too close to discovering what happened that fateful night and danger arrives on her doorstep, Kate’s stunned by the man who comes to her rescue. Together, they begin to dig for the truth, fighting to stay alive as they’re dragged down into a world of secrets and lies. But when the threat hits close to home, Kate must choose between vengeance and a future with the man who’s ignited a fire inside her that she thought died long ago.
Source: eARC for Honest Review Courtesy of Intermix | Penguin Group
Genre: Adult Political Romance
Part 3 of 3
My Falling For Danger Review . . .
Finally Kate's story and the finale of Capital Confessions. I have to admit that Kate did not win me over in the first two books, so I wasn't sure how her story was going to be. I did like her in the end, but I didn't love her as much as Blair or even Jackie.
Kate's angry and sad after the death of her fiance, but she knows that her father had something to do with it. Now getting information about the truth of the matter, Kate is more determined than ever to ruin her father.
With this new information and Kate's choices in the past she's now become a target. Thankfully someone from her past saves her just in time. With this new information, she also has found hope again. Hope that she lost four years ago when she lost her fiance.
"Why are you back? Why are you here with me, if you're not really here with me?"
Matt has always wanted to protect Kate, and has done from afar, but now he needs to be more hands on. Matt & Kate are under attack but they both know that this won't stop unless they stop her father.
Wow! Their dad. What a jerk. You can't do anything but hate him.
The deeper they get the more danger they find themselves in. The more danger they find themselves in, the closer their mutual attraction and feelings resurface.
"We don't have to have all the answers now. You're right; we just need to get through this."
However, it's not easy for Matt to fully give in, he now has a slew of demons he has brought back with him, and doesn't want to bring Kate down with him.
"I want you to admit that there's something between us. That we aren't over. That we'll never be over. I want you to fight for me. For us."
Silly Matt, I guess he forget that Kate's a Reynolds and fights for what she wants, even ruthlessly.
Blair and Jackie had to deal with scandals and broken hearts. Kate gets to deal with that plus has to keep alive. If she can do that then, she will choose love, no matter what nor where it takes her, along as Matt is by her side.
I did like this one, but it was my least favorite of the three. It felt rushed to put all the pieces together for the end. The sex part felt more forced and awkward than natural like the other two, which was surprising because of Matt & Kate's past. However, I couldn't put it down because I needed to find out how the series ended.
Did I like how it ended? Yes. Did I want more from this story? Yes, I wanted more from Matt & Kate. I think because they had an alluded past that we were supposed to buy into their connection easier, but for me because of their past I wanted more so I could feel the depth of their connection, which I felt was missed. The other two books were quick to fall in love but they felt more real then this connection.
Even though this was my least favorite of the three, I absolutely adored the series. It kept me engaged from beginning to end.
3 Scandalous Thumbs up!
Lauren
BUY: AMAZON (US) | AMAZON (CAN)
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