| Title | : | Screwdrivered (Cocktail, #3) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 147676672X |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781476766720 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 256 |
| Publication | : | First published September 2, 2014 |
By day, Viv Franklin designs software programs. By night, Vivian’s a secret romance-novel junkie who longs for a knight in shining armor, or a cowboy on a wild stallion, or a strapping firefighter to sweep her off her feet. And she gets to wear the bodice—don’t forget the bodice.
When a phone call brings news that she’s inherited a beautiful old home in Mendocino, California from a long-forgotten aunt, she moves her entire life across the country to embark on what she sees as a great, romance-novel-worthy adventure. But romance novels always have a twist, don’t they?
There’s a cowboy, one that ignites her loins. Because Cowboy Hank is totally loin-ignition worthy. But there’s also a librarian, Clark Barrow. And he calls her Vivian. Can tweed jackets and elbow patches compete with chaps and spurs? You bet your sweet cow pie.
In Screwdrivered, Alice Clayton pits Superman against Clark in a hilarious and hot battle that delights a swooning Viv/Vivian.
Also within this book, an answer to the question of the ages: Why ride a cowboy when you can ride a librarian?
Screwdrivered (Cocktail, #3) Reviews
-
4-4.5 stars!!!
Screwdrivered is the third book in Alice Clayton’s Coctail series. The first, Wallbanger, is by far my favorite. But I loved this one much more than the second. It was fresh and funny with a feisty and fun heroine and a swoon worthy hero! I laughed out loud more than once and it reminded my why I loved Alice Clayton’s writing so much.
If you’ve read Wallbanger, you’ve met Viv. She was the spunky girl from Simon’s highschool reunion that was a softwear designer that loves to travel and lives in her very own romance novel. In her head of course. After a great aunt leaves her a fantastic home in Mendocino California, she decides to take a risk. Maybe this is a great adventure where she’ll meet the love of her life?
An adventure? A new beginning? A journey across the land where a new life awaits?
The first man she lays eyes on is a sexy cowboy. Cowboy Hank makes her hot. But he’s not very mentally stimulating. A few grunts here and there is all she gets out of him. Then there is Clark. The librarian, historian, he runs the historical society.
Her body may want Cowboy, but she finds her self more and more attracted to the nerdy Clark. His glasses and elbow patches are endearing. He makes her laugh and even though they butt heads a lot about her renovating the historical home she’s living in, she loves the banter between them. So did I. Clark and Viv together- so funny.
“Never would have pegged you for a spitter, Vivian.”
Eyes suddenly wide, I sat straight up, almost levitations from the bed, then rallied.
“Only when it’s something not worth swallowing.”
Viv comes to a point where she has to decide. Who does she really want? After a long hard look at things, it becomes painfully obvious to her.
I enjoyed reading this book. It was very entertaining. I absolutely adored the heroine. She was comical and relatable. Her inner dialogue was great- all the romance novel senerios that were floating in her head. Definitely a girl who reads too much! It was also fantastic to catch up with Simon and Caroline! Her new friend Jessica was likable and fun as well.
So why not 5 stars? It seems like a pretty perfect read. The only reason I didn’t give this one a full 5 is that the ending felt a little rushed. I waited and waited for her to get with the guy, and when the choice was finally made, there was very little time for me to enjoy them being together. But overall, it was still a fantastic read! If you’re looking for something light and funny, I would highly recommend.
-
4 stars!
"Why ride a cowboy when you can ride a librarian?"
Vivian has a problem with the L word. She's never been in love. Her relationships have always been physical but never emotional, which might explain why at the age of 29 she has retreated into the world of harlequin romances. When Vivian receives a phone call that her great Aunt Maude has passed and left Vivian her home and its belongings, Vivian jumps at the chance to move across the country and live out her fantasies. Even better? The house comes with a ranch and a cowboy. That's right, a shirtless hunky cowboy.
Vivian finds the house in disrepair and it becomes clear that she must renovate it. Cue Clark, the chairman of the historical society and Mendocino's town librarian. Clark and Vivian are at constant odds over the house, and the two can't stop bickering. Slowly dislike turns into toleration, which turns into friendship. Can Vivian learn to see outside the fantasies into real life to see what's standing right in front of her?
“It doesn’t always have to be so hard. Sometimes falling in love just means turning around and seeing what’s right in front of you.”
I thought this was a very cute addition to the Wallbanger series. Before the synopsis was announced I had thought that these spin-offs would be about Caroline's friends, but I'm actually glad that wasn't the case. It gave the reader a chance to see the Wallbanger-verse from another fresh perspective while adding in glimpses of the characters we grew to love in the first two books.
I loved the banter and dynamic between Viv and Clark. It was soooooo obvious how he felt about her and I wanted to kick Viv for most of the book because she couldn't see it. There was also that lovely Alice Clayton humor that had me chuckling out loud for most of the book, especially the librarian jokes (as I myself am a librarian in training).
"Dewey Decimal system, right?"
"Don't mock the system, Vivian."
"I wouldn't dream of it. "
I also loved Mimi's cameos because that girl and her organizing obsession was cracking me up! I swear, I wish there was a real life Mimi just so I could have her come over and organize my stuff. I probably couldn't afford her though.
The one thing I didn't love was Viv's daydreaming in the harlequinly way. I know this is vital to the story and not to sound like a total book snob, but I don't read bodice rippers at all, so even the joking snippets in this were enough to make me skim those parts.
Overall a very sweet and cute read. Clark is adorbs and I hope I'm lucky enough to find a guy as cute as him one day. Book boyfriend to add to the list!
“For the record, I am so turned on by your elbow patches, I’m coming out of my skin over here.” -
LIVE:
http://www.amazon.com/Screwdrivered-C...
4.5 Holy Mackerel Stars
Vivian Franklin is contacted in the middle of the night when her estranged great aunt Maude dies. She is told she is the sole heir to her estate and inherited her seaside cottage in Mendocino, California. Vivian decides to move across the country and pursue her romance novel worthy adventure.
We have our heroine now we just need a hero, so who will it be the librarian or the cowboy.
Clark Barrow is the towns librarian and historian.
Since the house is a historic landmark Vivian cannot make changes to the home without the historic committees permission. Clark takes it upon himself to assist Vivian through this process. Clark is sexy in a I like to read kind of way, and Vivian is looking for her pirate, king, knight, or hell a cowboy would do just fine too.
Hank, the cowboy, was hired to care for the animals. Hank and Viv meet while he is out riding one of the horses. The second she sees him riding up on the horse, shirtless, she knows she has found her hero. Hank is sexy as sin, but he isn’t easily falling for Viv’s womanly wiles. Vivian is okay with that, she understands romance novels and it takes time for the hero and heroine to get together.
This is a great installment to the series. I loved getting to see the other characters and the little cameos they had. This is such a fun read. I read this with my bestie and we were going back and forth nonstop with quotes, I was laughing out loud constantly.
"Never would have pegged you as a spitter Vivian." "Only when it’s something not worth swallowing.”
This book definitely had the Wallbanger vibe. My only complaint was the lack of time the couple was actually together. I would have liked for more sexy couple time, it felt pretty rushed towards the end.
I highly recommend this one for anyone looking for a lighthearted, funny, entertaining read.
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
For more Reviews, Free E-books and Giveaways
-
Find all of my reviews at:
http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
This was just what I needed to make my spirits bright. I was all . . .
Viv Franklin spends her free time daydreaming of pirates marauding through her underdrawers while reading classics such as Loins of Endearment and The Wolf of Lust Street. When a great aunt Viv hasn’t seen since she was a child passes away and leaves Viv her estate (including stables/horses), Viv takes it as a sign that she is destined to live out her romance novel fantasies. I mean, horses = cowboys, right????
Upon arrival, Viv confirms there is indeed a “cowboy” who takes care of the animals and declares him to be “Beef. To the motherfucking. Cake.”. The description of him, however, was a bit more . . .
Ewwwww.
But Viv is oh so horny and can’t manage to turn off the bodice-ripping, heavy breathing, rolling in the hay images that fill her dreams. Especially when the only other available man in site is Clark, the local librarian/pain in the ass member of the historical society who wants to fight her tooth and nail when it comes to any updates to her dilapidated “historical” home. Little does Viv know this librarian has quite a bit more to offer than a stuffy personality and tweed jackets . . .
Follow along with Viv while she comes to the realization that . . .
“Who wants a Superman when you can have a Clark?”
After reading
Wallbanger (which I originally gave 4 Stars, but bumped to 5 because it was a freaking riot and I might actually read it again sometime) I was pretty sure Alice Clayton’s romance novels would be winners for me. Buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuut I am super cheap and no likey the idea of spending $8 on a book I will read in a couple of hours. Luckily I discovered the horny librarian collection up in the ‘burbs and Screwdrivered was just sitting there waiting for me to grab it up.
Clayton follows the same formula in this book that she did in the first of the series – girl meets boy/girl hates boy/girl friends boy/girl f*&^s boy. If your idea of a good time while reading a romance is non-stop bang sessions, Clayton’s stories probably aren’t for you. Her books have a little more plot, a lot more humor and she makes you wait until nearly the last minute for the big payoff. Speaking as a girl who is squicked out by the sexytimes a majority of the time, I will say Clayton makes it worth the wait. Especially when you think nice boys NEVER do anything naughty . . .
Me =
-
was i the only one expecting it to be about Simon and Caroline's friend and is left disappointed
-
****4.5 Balustrade Stars***** (Balustrades are sexy and is now my favorite word)
(BR with Mel, Sharon, Patty and Wendy)
If you ever read an Alice Clayton book you know she can write funny and sexy stories like nobody's business, this one had all the same components but in a bit of a different style. The sexual tension in this book stretches throughout the story, making the buildup almost unbearable but sooooo worth it in the end.
Viv is a computer engineer who loves art and adventure. She's been around the world and has had numerous hot affairs but she's never really been in love, and being a self proclaimed romance novel addict, she longs for a man to own her body and heart. One night she receives an unexpected phone call telling her that she has inherited her long lost aunt Maude beach cottage, located California; she doesn't think twice about dropping everything to go there and find the new adventure she's been desperately craving. The house is beautiful and the town is very charming, but turns out her aunt was a hoarder and the house needs a lot of work and repairs. The cottage is considered a historical property of the town, and she can't do any repairs or changes without the approval of the head of the department, enter sexy librarian Clark Barrow.
Clark is sexy in a geeky way, very proper and smart but Viv doesn't notice any of that at first for two reasons; one, she sees Clark as uptight because he's always giving her a hard time about preserving the original features of the house, which makes it difficult for her to get the house in the shape she wants in order to permanently move there and reason number two, she has the hots for the sexy cowboy/ caretaker of the animals in her barn, Hank.
Hank has absolutely no personality, only good looks, but Viv lives inside a romance novel, in her head she's always saying things like, pulsating pillar of passion, mammoth male member, cocky cobra and vaginal mongoose, just to name a few. She's always dreaming night and day about being ravage by a man. While the cowboy barely pays any attention to her, she and Clark start developing a sweet and sexy friendship that starting to confuse the hell out of Viv. Her future in uncertain, will she sell everything and settled in California? Will she have a hot affair with the Cowboy or the Librarian? Or will she find the love she's always been looking for?
Apart from a few minor issues like Viv's really long inner monologues or constant romance novel scenes descriptions, I really loved this book. As a romance novel junkie I could totally relate to Viv; more than a few times I have found myself daydreaming about being rescued or ravaged by a handsome hero and that can sometimes mess up with your reality. Another big plus in this novel was Clark; he was so amazing and I seriously couldn't get enough of him, always so formal and smart but deep inside there's a sexy geek God just waiting to come out and whisper dirty things in your ear (fanning myself).
Please don't go into this book expecting another Wallbanger or a Redhead because is not, allow this author to show you a different side of her writing that will make you laugh and squirm. Wonderful read!
-
4.5 "MY" Librarian Stars!
(BR with Sharon, Patty, Denisse & Wendy)
Vivian Franklin aka Viv is a 29 yr. old independent single woman living in Philadelphia. She comes from a large, close family, & has 5 brothers who are all married. Her mother continually tries to set her up on blind dates with the men her mom views as marriage material, hoping she will find the one. The dates never work out because she isn't into clean cut boring men. Viv prefers the hard to get, rough around the edges bad boys.
Viv's family business was computers. She created a program & sold an app to Google. When she's not working she enjoys curling up with a steamy romance novel. She has never been in love, and wanted to live out her own romance novel.
One evening Viv gets a call in the middle of the night. It's from a man who claims to be her Great-Aunt Maude's attorney. He informs her that her crazy, eccentric aunt that she hasn't seen in 15 years has passed away and left everything to Viv. Viv hasn't been to see her aunt in California since one magical summer when she was 12, & her family vacationed at Seaside Cottage.
Curious & in need of an adventure Viv heads to the coastal town of Mendocino, California, to check out the new beach house & ranch she has inherited. Being a software engineer, Viv can run her online business from anywhere, so she decides to stay a while. She is excited for a change. She arrives at the beautiful Victorian home overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Once she see's the home up close she realizes it is very run down & in need of a lot of repairs.
Viv is mesmerized right away by a hot cowboy named Hank that works on her ranch. He resembles what she envisions a manly man from one of her novels would look like. As she continues to drool over shirtless Hank another man shows up at her new home. His name is Clark Barrow & he's the town librarian, archivist, & the head of the local historical society. He informs her the house is in the historical register in Mendocino, and any changes or renovations she wants to do have to be approved by the town aka Clark.
Clark & Viv clash over the house's repairs, and make each other furious! He is just the kind of old fashioned, uptight, boring man her mother would set her up with. He even wears glasses & a tweed jacket with elbow patches. He is totally not her type until she sees him one day without his shirt and notices his gorgeous body. All the sudden she finds herself thinking of the nerdy librarian that annoys her in a different light.
Clark keeps spending time with Viv while they work together to preserve the old home. He really comes through for her anytime she needs anything. They become great friends, and he makes her laugh. She begins noticing him more, and enjoys spending time with him. She even misses him when he's not around. She soon learns there is a lot more to this man than meets the eye, & all the things she thought she didn't like about him, are now the things she loves. Viv starts thinking of the beach house as home, and likes the slower paced small town feel of Mendocino.
I really enjoyed this book! I liked getting more of Simon & Caroline, & I got a good laugh at all the romance novel lingo such as "Pillar of Passion" lol. ;)) I adored the delicious, geeky but SEXY AS HELL librarian! Clark was yummy, especially Nighttime Clark!!! ;)) Another fabulous read by Alice Clayton! :D
-I loved my romance novels, loved the passion and the chase. But the part I loved the most? Was when the hero took his woman into his arms and kissed her reverently.
-I had no idea what to do with a nice guy. I'd never dated a clean-cut, Backstreet Boy type; I'd always stayed in the heavy metal/alternative, dirty, tattooed-boy section.
-I don't know if all librarians ogled the way this one did, but he had it down to an art form. He took his time, leaving no curve unseen.
-Who wants a Superman when you can have a Clark? And I wanted a Clark. I wanted this Clark.
-Sweet heaven, my librarian was a dirty talker. -
SQUEE!! WALLBANGER FANS, this is #3 in series!!
In the third book in the bestselling Cocktail series, a romantic at heart decides that she will not ever, under any circumstances, fall for the engineer next door.
Viv Franklin is a retired Army captain who now designs software programs. She’s also a romance junkie who longs for a knight in shining armor or a cowboy on a wild stallion or a strapping firefighter to sweep her off her feet. Knowing she’s never going to meet her hero by spending all her time behind her keyboard, she uproots her life to move to California, where she meets an actual cowboy. And—sigh—an engineer. But which man is truly Clark Kent and which is her Superman?
A madcap romantic comedy with unforgettable characters and the promise of true love, Screwdrivered has just what you need. -
“Impossible woman.”
-
4 Dreaming the Fantasy, Living the Reality Stars
* * * * Spoiler Free-A 2014 Review
For years, when I would talk to my friends about a crazy experience about work, dating, or raising my family, I would somehow always end up saying my life is like a situation comedy. The event could be as simple as being in line at the checkout with having one person ask to go ahead with a carton of milk...Which would be fine... only to then have another come right after her. The story would be detailed; quoting the comments made when I declined the second person explaining nicely... babysitter etc... only to have the person cop attitude. I would giggle and laugh at the experience and sum it up with the situation comedy phrase.
I mention all of this because our gal, Vivian/Viv is a romance reader like us and has a life-changing event happen.... she receives a phone call in the middle of the night informing her she has inherited a distant relative's home/ranch across the country. She takes this opportunity to start a new adventure.... something she has been yearning to do... and goes 3,000 miles away from her family.
There she is in this lovely coastal, picturesque town. Her first vision of her home/ranch is of a hunky, muscular cowboy... on the horse and looking like the Marlboro Man... the home is beautiful with all the details of another century... She will have to do repairs and updates...and this brings the historical society/librarian to her door explaining nothing can be done to the house without his approval as it is a protected landmark.
As Vivian/Viv digests all of this... her romance mind wheels are turning... her body has gone into overdrive for the cowboy, Hank... she sees him and goes all aflutter. Conversely, every encounter with Clark is a battle; either verbally or by accident physically, causing her to have a reaction to him too...
All these things add up and Viv has an epiphany; she is living a romance novel and Hank the Cowboy is the one... She will bring him out...help him to reveal himself to her and they will have their HEA together... simple.
Well... not so much... Hank, Clark, the house, the town, and the friends she makes all play a part in this "life story" she has concocted and we get to follow it and see what happens.
Alice Clayton uses the idea of how we see our lives and what can influence them. With Viv, she had the heart of a romantic which was nurtured by the novels she read. Her upbringing, though was one of rough and tumble with brothers all around. She was never raised as a girl... more as a sort of boy; and with the family genetics geared to math and computers, she took that road....but with a little detour. Viv loved art; painting, drawing, and everything that went with it. She was smart enough to mix her courses to include this love along with the math and computers allowing her to create a career path all her own. Deep down she was an artist... a visionary who just hadn't had the love experience yet...
Viv developed the outer shell of a tough chick with piercings and biker boots while inside constantly running romance scenarios in her head. A perfect evening for her was soaking in a perfumed tub with a romance novel about a cowboy rustling her away in his arm... or a pirate plundering the fair maiden.
These were her dreams as the reality was she never had heard someone other than her family say they loved her...and she was so yearning for that...
The two men Viv interacts with are polar opposites... Hank is the man/child who is one with the animals, one with the women who throw themselves at him, and one with himself. He is the one who looks great on the horse, in the hayloft, in the distance... When he is close up and actually talking...hmmm not so much.
Clark, on the other hand, is complete. He has a charm of his own, a wicked sly wit which he reveals during late-night conversations with Vivian... oh she is always Vivian to him. He has depth... and just that slow undercurrent of sexuality which you know will end up rocking Viv's world.
This book is centered around a beautiful area in California, Mendocino. It is charming with history from when it was first created. History inhabits every corner and the people there relish in it. It is on the coast, with outstanding ocean views. The land is lush. Viv's relative was an artist too... and so it was perfect to leave this home to her.... she would see it for what it truly was... a place to build her life.
I enjoyed this tale... it was sweet, charming, and had moments... it had a huge ramp-up of Viv finally "getting" what her HEA was supposed to be. For such a bright gal... she was a bit dense about what was in front of her all along. She also slipped into "romance" speak and daydreams a lot. I understood why... a nod to all of us who read them and a bow to those bodice rippers women snuck out and read behind closed doors....it just was a little too much towards the end for me.
Overall, it is a charming read, and thanks to Mel, Sharon, Patty, and Dee for the BR!
Wallbanger (Cocktail, #1)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Rusty Nailed (Cocktail, #2)
Screwedrivered (Cocktail, #3)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Mai Tai'd Up (Cocktail, #4)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Last Call (Cocktail, #4.5)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
One More Round (Cocktail, #4.6)
For more Reviews, Free E-books and Giveaways -
*****4.5 Balustrade Stars*****
(BR with Mel, Dee, Sharon, and Wendy)
This is the story of Viv Franklin, who we met in "Rusty Nailed", at Simon's High School reunion. She is one of Simon's childhood friends from Philadelphia. She is a software engineer with a bit of an edgy flair. She has tats and piercings and dresses sort of goth.
Viv is living a life without love and passion. She went into software engineering because that was the family business, but her passion is really for painting. She lived in Paris as an artist for a while, where she had never been so happy. The only passion she experiences currently, is from her romance novels. One day she gets a call from a lawyer in Mendocino, CA. Her Aunt Maude has recently passed away and has left Viv her seaside cottage and land.
Remembering how beautiful it was when she was a child, Viv decides this is just the change she needs. So she heads out to Mendocino with plans of starting over in this quaint town.
The cottage has seen better days, but Viv knows it's potential so she sets about getting the place restored to its original glory, with maybe a few new
upgrades. But there's a hot Librarian in town, who is also the director of the historical society and any remodeling plans need to be run by him first. The two seem to get off on the wrong foot in the beginning but it's obvious there is chemistry between them.
Viv also meets a HOT and mostly half naked cowboy, named Hank. He was hired by her Aunt Maude to take care of the farm animals. Viv goes completely dumb and swoony whenever she sees him.
Back in my youth, this would be the guy I'd swoon over too.
Pretty faces did me in every time. Viv thinks she is living out a romance novel and that Hank is her intended lover. It seems everyone, including us readers, think that Clark is the man for her.
"Sometimes falling in love just means turning around and seeing what's in front of you."
Simon, Caroline, Ryan, and Mimi, make a few appearances in this one and it was nice to get more of these guys.
The slow burning attraction between Viv and Clark is what had me glued to each and every page. I loved all their late night chats and Clark's deep voice and sexy innuendos.
It took a helluva long time to get to the sexy time but, holy hell, when it did, I was thinking, I need to find myself a sexy librarian!! I need to find one that will do me on a balustrade!! WOW!!
I'm a HUGE Alice Clayton fan!
Have been since I first read Wallbanger, and I ADORED the Redhead Series!! This story was very entertaining, sweet, with a little bit of HOTNESS added in. It's definitely not rip roaring hysterical like her other books but I very much enjoyed it any way.
I would highly recommend it as well. -
FAR too much inner-monologue for me, lots of explanation & being 'told' instead of 'shown', made it all quite boring. Rushed ending too.
-
3.5 - 4 ★'s
Vivian, aka Viv, is a software developer who loves reading romance novels and secretly longing for her own happy ever after. When her aunt passes away and leaves her home to Vivian, she decides to move there and take on a new adventure. A new adventure that just happens to have a sexy cowboy and an infuriating librarian.
I really enjoyed the first two books of this series...of course, a lot of that had to do with them being about Simon, aka The Wallbanger. So I was a little apprehensive about reading about someone different and someone as different as Simon's high school friend, Vivian. She definitely pushes the bad girl image with her tattoos and numerous piercings, not to mention her clothing! But she is super funny and really sweet.
Mr. Sexy Cowboy, aka Hank, works with the farm animals on the property that Vivian inherited. He may be hot but he's a total jerk. That doesn't stop Vivian from lusting all over him and not opening her eyes to someone else.
Mr. Infuriating Librarian, aka Clark, is the town's librarian, archivist and historian. Clark and Viv love to push each other's buttons often leading to arguments. Luckily, Simon's Caroline comes to help and is able to help smooth things out.
When Viv goes back to Philadelphia to pack up her things to take back to her "new" house, her and Clark start really getting to know each other through their almost nightly phone calls. Viv gets to know a different side of Clark, aka Mr. Nighttime Clark, and she likes it.
Unfortunately, when she gets back to the house, she's still lusting over Sexy Cowboy and Infuriating Librarian does. not. like. it. I would have loved his POV on quite a few different scenes, namely this and the lick! ;)
It was fun getting to know the town and the town people and as always, I loved when Simon and Caroline were around. I even got a kick out of Mimi and Ryan. (I wonder if they'll get their own book?)
I had two big problems with the book and one was the romance novel scenes. Viv was always daydreaming/dreaming as if she was in a romance book. It was a very clever idea at first and if it would have been only a few scenes, I think it would've held its appeal. However, that wasn't the case, it definitely get old and a little silly...especially the whole "cobra and mongoose" line.
The other problem I had is that nothing happened romantically until the very end. Of course, there was sexual tension but hey, AC could've thrown us a kiss here or there to tide us on. And once things started happening, they over very quickly - wham, bam, and thank you ma'am.
The bright point is that it does end well! Mr. "You Know Who" passing out bust me up and was just perfect.
Next book is about Lucas and Chloe, (If we've met them, I don't recall them at all...maybe Nina is the connection? Update...thanks to Patty - the connection is Chloe! I totally forgot her name!!) and then we get a novella about Simon and Caroline! (I can't wait!)
♥ Vivian & Clark's song ♥
Favorite quotes
♥ "Damn, Clark. I’d had no idea a tweed jacket could conceal so much awesome."
�� ��Impossible woman.”
♥ “She’s a professional organizer. Your house will be like crack to her.”
♥ “Dewey decimal system, right?” I joked.
He gave me a baleful stare. “Don’t mock the system, Vivian.”
♥ “Clark! Did you just lick—”
“No!” he yelled,
♥ Cheesiest line: "I needed a pulsating pillar of passion, a mammoth male member, a cocky cobra ready to tangle with my vaginal mongoose."
♥ “Wow. I don’t think I’ve ever heard you curse before, Mr. Barrow.”
“I’m sure I have,” he said.
“Nope, pretty sure you haven’t. Although I’ve gotten a few willy-nillys and a holy mackerel and—”
“I’ve never said holy mackerel and you know it,” he interrupted me, and I laughed.
♥ "Who wants a Superman when you can have a Clark?"
♥ "I won't take less than every night."
♥ “On the baluhwhozit?” I managed, and his grin was enough to make me fall in love with him all over again.
“Balustrade,” he corrected."
♥ "Why ride a cowboy when you can ride a librarian?"
♥ Honorable mention: “He likes a very specific type of girl, Viv. I’ve known him a long time and he’s always gone for a Barbie doll. There’s been a Missy, a Cheyenne, a Dakota, and several Sharons when he was in his cougar phase." LMAO!!
*BR w/Melissa, Patty, Dee & Wendy* -
How gorgeous is this cover, though? So hot.
I really enjoyed reading this story - it was funny, romantic, captivating, with great supporting character and a slow burning romance. And, eventually, it was hot as hell. I loved Viv actually, she's a really interesting character and such a bad-ass. I always wanted to have a tongue or eyebrow piercing so I really loved that she has both of these. And, of course, I love how Simon and Caroline made an appearance! The two are the ultimate cutie-pies, but Viv and her Prince Charming are damn adorable as well. I really recommend this book to all readers who love to laugh and to all of you who've already read
Wallbanger! If you haven't read either one of them, do it asap! -
2.5 Stars
I like a slow build, don't get me wrong. But 90% for something, ANYTHING to happen romantic wise was not cool. The dude was a librarian, do you know how much fun, dirty stuff you could do with that?!?!
Also, the long rambling inner monologue of the heroine's would be romantic fantasies got a tad old.
Shame because this author truly creates some hilarious moments, just wish she would have gotten to the good stuff much faster with this one. -
Demasiado monólogo interno y sueños de la protagonista... la verdad me pasé muchas cosas y aunque esperaba que me gustara tanto como sus antecesores estuve a punto de abandonar.
El último 10% del libro es lo mejorcito, nada destacable y aunque hubo algunas partes que pudieron ser graciosas para otras personas, a mí me faltó romance. No soy fan de los triángulos amorosos. Y en este desde el principio no fui fan de Hank. -
4.5 “Why ride a cowboy when you can ride a librarian?” stars
God bless Alice Clatyon, she has delivered another fantastically fun read that had me laughing out loud and falling in love all at the same time.
This is book three in the
Wallbanger series. It is not a story about Simon and Caroline, or their tight circle of friends, but instead tells us the story of one of the minor characters from book 2,
Rusty Nailed. I went into this one blind, not even realising that I’d met the heroine before, without huge expectations, and I was pleasantly surprised! While, in my opinion, not reaching the epics heights of the instant classic that is Wallbanger, I thought this was an absolutely fantastic read, and I couldn’t put it down.
As I said, we met Vivian in Rusty Nailed. She is an old friend of Simon’s, who we met at his high school reunion. She is a great character – she’s a bit of a rebel with piercings, tattoos, and she loves her grunge and combat boots. And her badass exterior contradicts wonderfully with her personality. She’s a computer whizz and is ordered and precise, yet she has a great sense of adventure, a lot of sass and a whimsically romantic side. She is totally addicted to romance novels, which sees her frequently daydreaming hilariously cheesy love scenes, and dreaming of finding her true love – actually, her first love.
Her life takes an interesting twist when she inherits a cliff-top, seaside cottage, with attached ranch, from her great aunt, and seeing this as the opportunity to live the life of the romance heroines of her fantasies, she leaves Philadelphia, her family, and a rather lacklustre life, behind to head across the country to a small, coastal Californian town to take on a whole new adventure.“I was about to be starring in my very own romance novel.”
She finds the house she has inherited is in a state of complete shambles and needs major renovations, but the one bright spark in her new life is Hank, the sexy, constantly-shirtless cowboy who comes to tend to the animals on her land. As Viv so eloquently puts it – “Beef. To the motherfucking. Cake.” He is the perfect man to fulfil her romantic fantasies… although he doesn’t seem overly interested.
And then there is Clark. “Historian. Archivist. Librarian”, Clark is the tweed-wearing director of the local historical society, and causes no end of headaches for Viv as they battle over what she can and cannot do to her house. Viv takes great pleasure in getting a rise out of the seemingly straight-laced Clark, and he seems a little overly attentive to the new girl in town, and watching the two of them together is freaking hilarious as they argue and banter, all with an underlying tension that had me bouncing up and down with anticipation over all that is to come.Did I arch my back when his gazes finally made it to my chest? Of course I did. And was rewarded with a nostril flare, the equivalent of a facial boner.
Introducing some great locals, and adding in Simon and Caroline (and her interior design skills) for a visit, and the stage is set for a great read as Viv bumbles her way to love, providing us with some brilliant insights alone the way.Like a junkie, I was jonesing for a romance novel coupling. I needed a pulsing pillar of passion, a mammoth mail member, a cocky cobra ready to tangle with my vaginal mongoose.
I also needed to think about upgrading my reading. My imagery was actually starting to bother me.
The actual romance isn’t exactly prominent (with the exception of what goes on inside Viv’s head), but there is definitely a slow build up going on in the background and I still enjoyed every minute of the story.
I thought Hank’s part of the story was hilarious. The guy is a big pile of arrogant, sexy brainlessness, and Viv is totally smitten with him, turning into a big pile of stupid whenever he’s around. Yes, it goes on for way too long, but the way she latches on to her romantic dreams and gets completely carried away with it is so freaking funny!He opened his mouth to speak, finally initiating conversation with me!
“’Sup, Viv?”
The man was a poet. I had no words. Strike that, I had one.
“’Sup?”
He grinned at me, and I swear on all that is holy a sunbeam broke through the clouds and shone directly on him, highlighting the planes of his exquisite face and letting me know that beauty had a name, and its name was Hank.
But it was Clark getting me (and eventually Viv) all hot and flustered. I loved their developing friendship, and the slow burn into something deeper. He is such a great guy, and while Daytime Clark was great and I loved their interactions and banter, the introduction of Nighttime Clark and his dark and sultry voice during their late night phone calls just made things better. And when the banter turns dirty, it gets even hotter!“Did you just spit something?” he asked, sounding curious and amused … “Never would have pegged you as a spitter, Vivian.”
Eyes suddenly wide, I sat straight up, almost levitating from the bed, then rallied. “Only when it’s something not worth swallowing.”
Hello line, I believe I just crossed over you. I distinctly heard Clark choke on a sip of what I assumed was his Scotch.
I loved this book! I laughed out loud so many times, and even though I would have loved to have seen more time with Viv and Clark together, I was happy with how it all ended up, and the sexy time (when it eventually comes – hehehe), is worth the wait. Holy hotness! The straight-laced librarian has a dirty mouth and some very hot moves. Balustrade… mmmmmm!
There was one thing that bothered me - . But it all works out, and it wasn’t enough to lessen my love of the story.
Another fantastic read from the brilliant Ms Clayton. I finished this book hugging my kindle with a huge cheesy grin on my face. Can’t wait for more.
4.5 stars.
An Advanced Reader Copy of this book was provided by the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. -
2.5 stars
I just didn't feel this one.
Way too much internal dialogue + no sex until last 5%= 1 bored Polly -
Screwdrivered es el tercer libro de la serie Cocktail creada por Alice Clayton y el primero en narrar la historia de Vivian ( amiga de Simon, protagonista de los dos primeros libros ).
Estaba muy contenta de iniciar esta lectura pero la realidad es que no fue tan maravillosa como esperaba, quizas en parte porque es muy dificil ( casi imposible ) que otra novela consiga gustarme tanto como en su momento lo hizo Wallbanger, aun asi, con el paso de los capitulos me fui enganchando a la historia.
El libro tiene una trama un poco lenta, no es la clasica historia que te atrapa desde el primer capitulo, es de esas que van gustandote poco a poco y aunque la protagonista no se convertira en una de mis favoritas, reconozco que hubo varios momentos donde me hizo reir ( cuando no me exasperaba con sus dramas mentales y su obsesion con el tipo superficial ).
En cambio el protagonista masculino me gusto bastante mas de lo que esperaba, aunque tuve la sensacion de que no llegamos a saber mucho de el, ese hecho junto con la falta de romance fue lo que no me termino de gustar.
2.75 Estrellas! -
Nerd Alert...
It doesn’t always have to be so hard. Sometimes falling in love just means turning around and
seeing what’s right in front of you.
Aaaaw, this is such a nerdy love story. I love Vivian and Clark. I also find them so realistic. Vivian, is just like many of us, Romance readers, who always imagine herself in a Romance Novel but never really truly in love. She was waiting for her hero, her knight in shining armor. But she was imagining his hero very wrong so when she already met him, she didn't see him right away. She thought she wanted a hunky cowboy, when who's really gonna make her heart beat crazy is a nerdy-looking librarian...
But it's okay, it's worth it in the end.
And Clark, our Librarian in his reading glasses and tweed jackets and scones. Oh my God... Now I love hunky, bad-boy type guys but my heart's first love has always been a nerdy guy with glasses. SO this story is for me...
I'm so happy that Vivian finally has her own love story after all. And that Clark, even he's almost reserved and gentleman and PERFECT (LOL), he turned out to be the perfect hero for Vivian.
Aaaaw.. I want my own Clark... -
4.25 Stars!
It has been a long time since I read the other books in this series and it took me a bit to remember who Viv Franklin was. I read about her in “Rusty Nailed” when Simon went to his high school reunion. She was tatted and pierced with a very edgy look. I remember her being funny and a very likable character.
I am not normally one for a slow burn but this seemed to work. It might possibly be because of the dialogue going on in Viv’s head all the time, where she was playing out a romance novel………seriously hilarious. Her thoughts were completely over the top and perfect for her character.
Viv and her spit fire personality made this book a silly and fun and sweet read!!! -
I enjoyed this book I ve luvd this series so far an this book was just as good I do have 2 say wallbanger is still by far my fave but this was better then the last book plus we got more Simon even if it was a lil bit ;)
This story was good I luvd how romantic viv is she is just great u would never think she was a big romantic look at her with her tattoos piercings an big combat boots but she just wants 2 say the 3 magical words I LUV U 2 someone special an it makes me just want 2 luv her her character is great
Viv gets a phone call in the middle of the nite saying her aunt died an that she inherited everything she hasn't seen her is yrs Viv is shocked an she wants a new adventure an this mite b a what she needs
When Viv gets there she sees a tall dark strong cowboy an she wants him but the cowboy Hank isn't very talkative an keeps 2 his self just doin his job when Viv sees the house things need work a lot of work but she can't do anything cause it's a historical building so she as 2 go through Clark the librarian/historian he runs the historical society an he is bein the biggest pain in her ass with Viv still seein hank as the hot cowboy she isn't seein the hot librarian under her nose
I enjoyed the way Viv an Clark got close it was great they ended up have a great friendship an think got a lil hot sometime an she was startin 2 have feelings 4 this hot librarian
I luvd how it ended the whole story was great it dragged a lil in parts but that didn't stop me from read it cause I was dying 2 c what happen an I luvd Clark so I was TEAM CLARK xxx
-
3.5 that I'm rounding up. My main complaint is that I just wanted MORE of the story. Also, where was the Clive cameo?
-
Screwdrivered is the third installment of Alice Clayton’s Cocktail series. This is probably my favorite from the series, and I have to say, Clayton’s hit the perfect stride of romantic, funny and swoon-worthy with Viv and Clark.
Viv Franklin is a romance novel fanatic. She mentally narrates her life through the eyes of a heroine waiting for her knight and shining armor to come rescue her on his dark horse and make passionate love to her. In reality though, she’s a software programmer from Philadelphia who has recently inherited a beautiful cottage from her great aunt. So, she travels to Mendicino, California where she leaves everything behind to begin her new life.
In Mendicino, she learns that a gorgeous, ripped cowboy is in charge of the horses and animals her great aunt left behind, and she immediately casts Cowboy Hank as the main character of her bodice ripper romance. However, then she collides with the local librarian/historian dressed in tweed jackets with elbow patches who also happens to dictate how she can remodel her new home, Viv soon realizes that hunky cowboys might set your loins on fire, but subtle, sexy librarians are much more fun to ride.
I had an absolute blast reading Screwdrivered through Viv’s perspective. Her mental narration of her life in the form of her own romance novel was hilarious! I also enjoyed seeing Viv stumble and make a fool of herself through the story because she handled it all with perfect grace.
The contrasting dynamic between Cowboy Hank and Librarian Clark was perfection! Clark was swoon-worthy in a nerdy, yet dominant sort of way. Cowboy Hank didn’t hold a candle to him in my opinion.
Overall, Screwdrivered is a romantic comedy that kept me entertained the entire time! I loved the dialog, characters and overall plot, which were blended to perfection! -
The action moves on from Caroline and Simon to Simon's old friend Viv Franklin who thinks she's living in a romance novel. About that ...
So Viv receives an unexpected inheritance of a beautiful historical house and land in Mendocino California and, deciding that this might just be the change she's looking for, heads west from Philadelphia to find her new life, and hopefully a hot cowboy to share it with. When she arrives there is indeed a hot cowboy, Hank, who looks after the animals on Viv's land. There's also the local historical society representative and librarian Clark who immediately rubs Viv the wrong way.
The typical romantic comedy sort of thing happens from there with the completely expected outcome, although Viv does some pretty impressive acts of emotional contortion to drag the book out for as long as it is. It's still very funny, but there aren't quite as many outrageous innuendos as in the first couple.
For fans of the first two books, Simon and Caroline as well as Mimi and Ryan have a small part. -
Who said librarians can't be sexy...or male?
Alice Clayton made
Screwdrivered a lot of fun to read! This is the perfect enemies to lovers story, BUT Ms. Clayton made us wait way too long for the bow chicka bow wow. I seriously thought it would never happen. However, I was so happy to see the same fun and humor that made me fall in love with
Wallbanger! Check it out!!
My favorite quote:
“I knew that life couldn’t be like a romance novel, where someone could fall hopelessly in love with her soul mate the moment they met eyes across a crowded room. Preposterous. Or that you could be whisked off into a world of fantasy and excitement by a handsome stranger, instantly connect, and be in perfect sexual sync from the second his mammoth male member teased your delicate flower petals.”
Screwdrivered is the third installment in
Alice Clayton's adult contemporary romance series titled Cocktail. The series includes the following installments as of November 2016:
#1-
Wallbanger
#2-
Rusty Nailed
#3-
Screwdrivered
#4-
Mai Tai'd Up
#4.5-
Last Call
-
6/10 - Phew!! Still fanning myself nearly 24 hours after I finished this (and it's not because of the open fire that started this whole thing).
Last night my dad was in charge of the tv and he decided that a show about zebras was the show to watch. Sure, I could have left the room and gone to bed, but I wanted to read in front of the fire (the weather was unOctoberly-cold last night, tonight it's feeling like we've skipped most of spring and gone straight to a mid-December night), but there's no lights allowed when Dad's watching animal shows so in order to fulfil my desire to read in front of the fire (possibly for the last time this season) I would have to read an eBook. I was originally going to read a book already on my Kindle, but somehow I got diverted by Alice Clayton and her alcohol-themed Cocktail series. I saw it on my library's website dashboard, advertised as 'available to read now', and I obviously have no self control. I literally couldn't stop myself (not that stopping ever actually entered my head, but if it had I probably would've failed all attempts at it). So that's how I ended up reading on my laptop till 3 am (my library isn't sophisticated/connected enough to get Kindle editions for their digital library, all they have are Adobe Digital Editions or their own Overdrive software, both of which only work on laptops).
I wasn't going to read all night and finish this in one go, but then I started it and the UST was so amazing I could barely tear my eyes away from the screen. I didn't like Clark to start with, in fact if I hadn't read the acknowledgements at the beginning of the book (where Clayton mentioned a number of people's specific love for Clark) I would have been fooled by Hank the red-herring-hero. Clark was too grumpy and too inflexible for me, until Vivian (that's a much better name than 'Viv' and I loved that Clark refused to call her anything else) went home to pack up and those fantastic late-night phone calls happened. *excuse me while I fan myself some more* I loved this so much that I ignored the thirteen other books I have out from the library and the two new holds that have just become available and picked up
Nuts,
The Unidentified Redhead, and
The Redhead Revealed while I was down there returning one measly little book. The sums: 13 books - 1 + 3 = 15, which adds up to what I've been saying all along NO SELF CONTROL. I'm already 100 pages into Nuts. *shakes head in resignation* -
Originally posted at
The Book Nympho
If you plan to read only one book in Alice Clayton's Cocktail series it MUST be SCREWDRIVERED! Seriously ALL romance junkies should read it. Why? Viv is a secret romance reader and her romance novel daydreams had me LMAO and added smexy to many scenes. And often at the wrong time and about pirates, cowboys and more.
When Viv gets a call in the middle of the night letting her know that her great aunt has died and left Viv her house and land in California, Viv has sexual thoughts about a romance novel starting her and a cowboy. And yeah her aunt's place comes with a cowboy. He's hot and built. But he doesn't have much going on past that.
Another reason to read SCREWDRIVERED, Clark. This is the first time I've read a romance where the hero is a librarian. Clark is all things khaki and tweed. He looks like all the "nice, normal" guys that Viv's mom has been setting her up on blind dates with over the years. So of course Viv is not interested in the town librarian that is also the head of the historical society. Viv has her sights on the hunky cowboy, Hank.
Viv is living in a romance novel but not the one she pictured. It was fun seeing Viv realize that Clark might not be Superman but he is one hot as hell librarian that makes her loins heat up. She soon learns not to judge a romance book by it's cover.
Heather Smith continues to deliver Alice Clayton's character up in a delightful way. Her voice, timing and flare is perfect for the Cocktail series! At this point the series is a must listen for me.
SCREWDRIVERED can easily be read as a stand alone, the couple from book 1 & 2 show up but you won't feel like you're missing anything if you chose to start with SCREWDRIVERED but I recommend the whole series.
Take a Listen!
-
5 stars because of the ending that made me forget about the thing I didn't like.
This book was cute and I'm a sucker for happy endings and this book has one adorable ending. I did want more of them together and their . For me the ending made my day and the book way better then it was until then.
I liked Viv and looved Clark so much. He is just unbelievable, hot, smart, a true gentleman and much more.
I didn't like the parts when she saw her life/dreams like an romance novel - hated those and I hated her obsession with Hank and him - he is just not a nice person to put it nicely.
Hope we get more of them in the next two book. We just get so little of the together in this one. -
This ended up being super cute. This story besides moments of frustration from the heroine, made me smile and laugh. Clark was awesome and probably my favorite nerdy hero. A great feel good story.
