Book review: Love a Little Sideways (Kowalski Family #7) by Shannon Stacey

Available now! 
Liz Kowalski is heading home to Whitford, Maine—this time for good. Eager for her family, a fresh start and some fun, she doesn't count on being rescued by the chief of police her very first night back in town. Drew is everything she's not looking for…so why is she still so attracted to him? 

After a brief, forbidden rendezvous at her brother's wedding, Drew Miller expects Liz to return to New Mexico and stay there. He's searching for someone to settle down with, not a casual fling with his best friend's sister. But when they're stuck together on the annual Kowalski camping trip, things start going a little sideways. Keeping their hands off each other proves just as impossible as keeping their secret from becoming public knowledge. 

Amid family, mud and melted marshmallow, Liz and Drew try to fight what's growing between them. But a little time alone, a lot of chemistry and too many opinions might be just what it takes to bring together two people so determined not to fall in love.

I was pretty anxious to read Liz Kowalski's story for me she was a bit of a mystery. Never really read much about her. Of course that intrigues a person. lol Liz has finally decided to move back home for good. She's dumped her lazy going no where boyfriend and is looking to start anew. Doesn't take long for her to get herself on Facebook when she has to be rescued by the town's sheriff Drew Miller when she crashes her car on the way into town.  Drew and Liz had a little run in affair at Liz's brothers wedding months before and didn't expect to see each other again but sparks fly right from the start. Big problem is Liz and Drew think they are both looking for different things from life right now and even possibly bigger Drew is Liz's older brothers best friend. You don't pouch on a friends baby sister right? Things get sticky when the two of them being forced to go on a big Kowalski camping trip.  Hard to keep things a secret in the midst of something as big and boisterous as this. This was a fun book. I enjoyed all the by play from all the Kowalski's but i thought Liz was just a bit immature and Drew was taking things a little to fast. Every now and then it was a little annoying but over all i enjoyed it. I can't imagine  going on a camping trip with that big a group without gaining a few grey hairs but it's fun to read about it.  Shannon Stacey knows how to keep it all straight thank goodness. The Kowalksi's are a big rowdy bunch. I think the first few book of this series are still my favorites. 

Find out more about the Kowalski series an more on Shannon Stacey's website here www.shannonstacey.com

Book review: All He Ever Dreamed (Kowalski Family #6) by Shannon Stacey

Josh Kowalski is tired of holding down the fort—better known as the Northern Star Lodge—while his siblings are off living their dreams. Now that his oldest brother has returned to Whitford, Maine for good, Josh is free to chase some dreams of his own.

As the daughter of the lodge's longtime housekeeper, Katie Davis grew up alongside the Kowalski kids. Though she's always been "one of the guys", her feelings for Josh are anything but sisterly. And after a hot late-night encounter in the kitchen, it's clear Josh finally sees her as the woman she is.

Katie's been waiting years for Josh to notice her, but now that he has, she's afraid it's too late. Giving her heart to a man who can't wait to leave town is one sure way to have it broken. But Josh keeps coming up with excuses not to leave—could it be that everything he's ever wanted is closer than he could have imagined?

I've been reading this series for a while. Been patiently waiting for Katie and Josh to get together or something. If you read the previous book you knew it wasn't going to be a pretty and neatly wrapped up love story because Josh wants out of Whitford and away from the family business. Katie is a hometown girl though and so when the time comes that Josh can go out and find himself finally Katie won't and can't go. She's got responsibilities and roots in Whitford and he needs to go and do whatever he needs to do on his own. I wanted to slap him up the head a time or two and show him the error of his ways. Loved both characters though in spite of Josh ticking me off a time or two. Another great read by Shannon Stacey. 4 out of 5 stars for All He Ever Dreamed. 

Find out more here www.shannonstacey.com

Book review: All he Ever Desired (Kowalski series book 5) by Shannon Stacey

All He Ever Desired

Contemporary romance
Book 5 in the Kowalski series

A second shot at first love

After college, Ryan Kowalski decided to leave Whitford, Maine, rather than watch Lauren Carpenter marry another man. Now his siblings need his help to refurbish the family-owned Northern Star Lodge and he’s forced to face the past sooner rather than later when he collars a vandal—and learns the boy is Lauren’s son…

The last person Lauren needs back in her life is Ryan Kowalski. With a bitter ex-husband and a moody teenage son, she has enough man trouble already. But her son needs to learn a few lessons about right and wrong, even if Lauren has to escort him to Ryan’s door every day to work off his crime.

With all this close contact, Ryan and Lauren can’t deny the chemistry between them is as powerful as ever. But can a few searing kisses erase their past and pave the way for a second chance at true love?

This is book 5 in the fabulous Kowalski family series by Shannon Stacey. I think i have all these books but i think i am short on reading at least one. Need to fix that. Thing is you don't need to read these in order to like them. In book 5 Ryan Kowalski steps up front and center. It's his turn to bring his skills home to help the family. Being in construction he is the go to guy to fix up the Inn. This bring him in contact eventually with Lauren Carpenter whom he loved years ago and made a fool of himself in front  of before leaving town. Lauren is divorced from Ryan's best friend and has a 16 yr old son to think about. Once they finally reconnect the spark is still there and so they reluctantly begin a relationship. Problem is Ryan lives 400 miles away in another state. He's back to help fix up the Inn for a month but he's got a successful business to run and need to be there to keep it going. That's just one kink in the relationship but a big one still. I love how the relationship unfolds for Ryan and Lauren. Both are likable characters. They get thrown together more or less when Nick Lauren's son gets into trouble and has to work for Ryan. They have to figure out if after all these years this time they can make it work. Ryan doesn't want to have to walk away again. It's fun to see all the Kowalksi's together too for Paige and Mitch's wedding. A whole lot of Kowalski's packed into this book. 5 out of 5 stars for All He Ever Desired by Shannon Stacey . Any of the books in this series is a great read. Just start reading and you can't go wrong.

Find out more and read chapter one on Shannon Stacey's website www.shannonstacey.com

Hot Cover Monday! All He ever Desired (Kowalski series)

Ryan Kowalski release date for ebook is November 19th 2012 paperback February 1013.


Find out more about Shannon Stacey and her work here on her website www.shannonstacey.com/

Book review: All He Ever Needed ( Kowalski series book 4) by Shannon Stacey

He won’t stay put for a woman, and she won’t chase after any man…


Mitch Kowalski lives out of a suitcase—and he likes it that way. Traveling for work has the added bonus of scaring off women who would otherwise try to tie him down. But when he’s called home to help with the family lodge, he’s intrigued by the new girl in town and her insistence that she doesn’t need a man. If there’s one thing Mitch can’t resist, it’s a challenge.

After a nomadic childhood, Paige Sullivan is finally putting down roots. Determined to stand on her own two feet, she lives by the motto “Men are a luxury, not a necessity.” But when Mr. Tall, Dark and Hot pulls up a stool in her diner and offers her six weeks of naughty fun with a built-in expiration date, she’s tempted to indulge.

They’re the perfect match for a no-strings fling. Until they realize their sexy affair has become anything but casual…

I have read a couple of the Kowalski series book but not all. The ones I have read i have enjoyed though. All He Ever Needed is book 4 in this series. Mitch Kowalski was a little too frisky in his youth. Add to that that he and his brothers were always getting into trouble and the town of Whitford never forgets his transgressions. Mitch comes home to help out his brother Josh who broke his leg and is laid up with a cast. He finds out the lodge he and his siblings own together, but Josh runs is in bad need of repair. He's home for the next 6 weeks to see what he can do. In the mean time he also meets Paige Sullivan. She bought the diner in town which was closed down the last time Mitch was in town 3 years ago. Now it seems to be doing well with Paige at the helm. Paige's car broke down in Whitford, MA two years ago and the people were so nice she decided to stay. She's been doing well for herself and has a no man needed philosophy. Unfortunately when Mr. no commitment Mitch Kowalski walks into her diner she's not so sure she can keep that up.
Mitch doesn't commit ever. He came really close once and that ended in disaster so he's not going there again. He's always up front with the ladies and they always part on happy terms. Paige is different. She resists his charms even when she really wants him. Her mother always bounced from man to man. Always needing one to be happy and so Paige is turned off men and relationships. They seem to dance around each other for much of the book and it's funny to watch Mitch have to be the pursuer when he is usually the one being pursued. Paige sticks to her guns for a long time until she decides two years is long enough a dry spell. She wants Mitch but doesn't want a commit either so why not. Problem is no matter how hard they try to keep it casual it's nothing but. For once too Mitch isn't the first one to walk away. The one thing that bugged me a bit is Mitch is really portrayed as a horn-dog basically. I'm not sure if i was Paige if i would want anything to do with Mitch after hearing from all over town about his sexual escapades even though many of them are embellished. Mitch though has grown up and no matter how successful he is in life the town can't seem to let his sins of the past go. Like how this played out. Little different way than they usually go but enjoyable because of it. 4 out of 5 Modokker Book Pick stars for All He Ever Needed by Shannon Stacey.

Find out more about Shannon Stacey and the Kowalski series here on her website. www.shannonstacey.com

Book review: Undeniably Yours (Kowalski series) by Shannon Stacey

Available in ebook for only right now. Pre order for paperback now for Feb. 2012 release

Undeniably Yours by Shannon Stacey
One-night stand + two percent condom failure rate = happily ever after?

Bar owner Kevin Kowalski is used to women throwing their phone numbers at him, but lately he’s more interested in finding a woman to settle down with. A woman like Beth Hansen. If only their first meeting hadn’t gone so badly…

Beth’s tending bar at a wedding when she comes face to face with a tuxedo-clad man she never thought she’d see again. She tries to keep her distance from Kevin but, by last call, she can’t say no to his too-blue eyes or the invitation back to his room. Then she slips out before breakfast without leaving a note and, despite their precautions, pregnant.

Kevin quickly warms to the idea of being a dad and to seeing where things go with Beth. After all, he’s not the player she thinks he is. But she’s not ready for a relationship and, given his reputation, it’s going to take a lot to convince her to go on a second date with the father of her child…

This is the 2nd book in the Kowalski series.  For some unknown reason I've been reading these backward. I read book 3 months ago and now this and book one will be next. Pretty sure they would be better in order but I haven't had any real problems reading them my backward way. lol This book focuses on Kevin Kowalski. Six foot two and sexy as all get out bar owner. He doesn't take any BS from patrons in his bar so when a man gets a little drunk grabby with a woman who appears to be his date he attempts to save her from him. All is not what it seems and the man is the woman boss instead. The drunk and slightly disorderly guy ends up with a broken nose and the woman ends up fired from her job. That woman being Beth Hanson who is a wanderer by nature or so she thinks. She likes to travel and find jobs to pay her way as she moves from place to place.  They meet again at Kevin's brothers wedding and sparks fly and after a hot night of sex Beth runs off when she thinks she just one of Kevin's many women. Turns out she's pregnant though and when Kevin finds out he's excited and wants a relationship with Beth. Beth resists often. This book made me laugh a lot. I just love the Kowalski family they are such a big boisterous family and Beth is a only child and a over protected one at that which causes her need to roam. Kevin and the Kowalski clan slowly teach her what a big loving family can give her and that it's time to quit moving around and settle down. The only thing that bugged me about this book is the continued harping on Kevin by Beth about all the cocktail napkins he gets from women in the bar with their phone numbers on them. Grated on my nerves toward the end but the ending made up for it with the way Beth finally decided she loved Kevin and wanted to be with him permanently. Way sweet and a great read too. 4 out of 5 Modokker Book Pick stars for Undeniably Yours by Shannon Stacey.

To find out more about Shannon Stacey, this series and her other books click here www.shannonstacey.com .