Book Review: Real Men Will ( The Donovan Brothers brewery series) by author Victoria Dahl

It was meant to be a one-night stand. One night of passion. Scorching hot. Then Beth Cantrell and Eric Donovan were supposed to go their separate ways. That’s the only reason he lied about his name, telling her he was really his wild younger brother. Hiding his own identity as the conservative Donovan. The “good” one.

But passion has its own logic, and Eric finds he cannot forget the sable-haired beauty with whom he shared one night of passion. When Beth discovers that Eric has lied, however, she knows he cannot be trusted. Her mind tells her to forget the blue-eyed charmer. If only every fiber of her being did not burn to call him back.

This is the last Book in The Donovan Brothers Brewery series. If you happen to have read " Just One Taste" in the anthology book "The Guy Next Door" then you had the chance to read the novella that opened the series, this book takes up 6 months after that novella. The First two books in the series are entitled " Good Girls Don't" and " Bad Boys Do". Aptly named if you've read these two. Book three is "Real Men Will" and is Eric Donovan's book who is the oldest Donovan. Eric seems pretty uptight in the first two books although you can kind of see him slowly start to unravel. This book completely unravels him before the end. Eric has to grow up fast at age 24 when his parents were killed in a terrible car crash. He had to run the brewery and take care of his younger siblings who were 14 and 16 i believe at the time. Since then he's had a hard time turning of the I am responsible for everything button in his head. He feels he's not good enough for the Donovan name since he was adopted by Michael Donovan who married his mom when he was young. He's got all this internal stuff working at him and he feels like he doesn't know what he wants to do. Beth reappears in his life and he doesn't know if he wants to jump her or send her away. He's got all these perceived ideas about who and what Beth is. Beth is the manager of the Wild Orchid a sex toy type shop. Because of this people think  of  her as a sexual being who probably has lots of sex and knows all the ways of the Kama Sutra. Not so. She has a bad experience as a teenager and is kind of afraid of sexual stuff except when it comes to Eric. He turns her on like no other. There are several conflicts to deal with in this story, The Kendalls' no they are not done yet, Jamie too which gets more heated than ever and it seems everything has to fall apart for it to all make sense in the end. I'd love a novella for 6 months after this book. Eric and Beth are just not getting to be a couple in public at the end of the book. Smashingly hot sex scenes almost erotica worthy for goodness sake. Victoria Dahl can write them like no other it seems. 4 out of 5 Modokker Book Pick Stars. Find out more about Victoria Dahl and all her other books and upcoming books by checking out her website by clicking here www.victoriadahl.com

Book review: Good Girls Don't by author Victoria Dahl

I received a ebook copy of this book through netgalley for my honest opinion and review.

Good Girls Don't is the first in a new series by author Victoria Dahl called the Donovan Brothers Brewery. There is a short novella called Just One Taste is in the anthology book The Guy next Door. Get more info on that here Anthology. I made sure i read it along with the rest of that book and was certainly intrigued and excited to try this series out. Without further ado here's the blurb.


With her long ponytail and sparkling green eyes, Tessa Donovan looks more like the girl next door than a businesswoman – or a heartbreaker. Which may explain why Detective Luke Asher barely notices her when he arrives to investigate a break-in at her family’s brewery. He’s got his own problems – starting with the fact that his partner Simone is pregnant and everyone thinks he's the father. The last thing he needs is a nice girl like Tessa getting under his skin.


Tessa has her hands full, too. Her brother’s playboy ways may be threatening the business, and the tensions could tear her tight-knit family apart. In fact, the only thing that could unite the Donovan boys is seeing a man come after their “baby” sister. Especially a man like Luke Asher. But Tessa sees past the rumors to the man beneath.

I read Victoria Dahl's tumble creek series when it came out and loved it so much. Re-read them several times. There was so much humor in those among other things that i was excited to see she had another series coming out. The new contemporary series is called the Donovan Brothers Brewery series. Like i said above there is a short novella you can check out to get a taste of what the series will be like. The first book is Good Girls Don't and involves Tessa the youngest Donovan sibling. When Tessa was 14 a terrible accident killed her parents and her and her brothers were left with no one but each other. Eric the oldest was 24 so he took over the family business and job as parent to his younger sibling including Tessa and brother Jaime. All grown up now Tessa and Jaime and trying to be seen as mature smart adults who can take care of themselves and be full partners in the business. Tessa Meets Luke Asher a detective with the Boulder police department after the Brewery is robbed. Both seemed to be attracted to the other and it doesn't escape big brother Jaime's notice. Thinking he needs to protect Tessa from Luke he warns him off her by telling him he's not good enough for her and that she's a virgin. Yeah boy! Luke has had a rough past. His marriage ended in divorce when his wife walked out on him. Problem is everyone thinks he walked and while she was dealing with cancer. He was shortly after stabbed in the line of duty and his wife never even came to see him when he almost died. That's was in L.A. and so he decided he'd had enough and moved back to Boulder, Colorado. The rumor followed him along with a few others. He's a chick magnet supposedly and since his single female partner is pregnant well he must be the father right?? Tessa on the other hand has had to live without her parents the 2nd part of her youth and so she's hanging on tight to her brothers in case something happens to them or they just decide to leave. Hanging on tight and trying to keep the 3 of them together leads to lots of little white lies then over time bigger lies til it seems like she's lying all the time. Ignoring her brothers Tessa likes Luke and decides she wants to spend time with him. Even though Luke tries to stay away it's a lost cause. He's attracted and he can't help it. I loved Luke. He's had a rough time of it but he is still a wonderful guy. Tessa drove me a little bit nuts. She is a lot more wild that you would think and her brothers don't seem to realize this. There is humor and there is lots of complications and a robbery to solve in this book. Tessa must learn to trust and Luke must learn to open up. Can they weed through the tangled complicated lives they each have on their own to be together at the end of the day? You can read a excerpt of this book by clicking www.victoriadahl.com . You can also find out more about Victoria Dahl and her books by clicking here Victoriadahl.com/books. Next up in the series. Bad Boys Due out in stores and online October 2011. I give Good Girls don't 4 out of 5 Modokker Book Pick stars. Luke Asher gets me in this books. I wanted to give him a hug more than once.

Review: The Guy Next Door by authors Lori Foster, Susan Donovan and Victoria Dahl

The Guy Next Door is a anthology with three great books inside. Kind of like a chance to try out possibly 3 new to you authors. This is why these books are fun. I have read Lori Foster before she is one of my fav authors as well as Victoria Dahl. I have only read one of Victoria Dahl's series and that's the deliciously funny Tumble Creek series. This is the first time that I've read Susan Donovan that i know of though. I only knew that Lori Fosters novella is this is a intro to her Men Who Walk the Edge of Honor series so i had to hurry up and read that so i could be ready for that first book in that series. I've read and reviewed the first two in that  series here, When You Dare and Trace of Fever on the blog. I read that first then set it aside for a bit to read other stuff. I am so happy i got back to it this past weekend and read the second two books in this because wow good stuff!

Victoria Dahl's contribution introduces you to a new series that she is coming out with this fall called The Donovan Brothers Brewery series. I have to tell you her novella Just a Little Taste is just that a little taste! Wow she reels you in and  leaves you hanging. What a  tease! Leaves you something to look forward to this fall though so that's great right? Eric Donovan is always the responsible brother. In a moment of insanity he pretends he's his brother Jamie so he can have a one night stand with a gorgeous women who doesn't realize he's not the wild brother. This story is continued later this fall.

Susan Donovan is a new to me author. Love when i get to read one of those and love what i read. Her contribution to The Guy Next  door is called Gail's Gone wild.  In this one 36 year old Gail decides to go along with her 17 yr old daughter and her friend on spring break to Key West. What she didn't expect is to find a hot sexy 38 year old Jesse next door to her rental. Jessie who has burned by women before is really JD Batista (Jessie to friends and family) but Gail doesn't recognize him as the best selling author of thrillers that he is. When he finally comes clean can things work out between the two of them after spring break?? This one was so much fun. Gail gets to experience a freedom of life she never got to before since she got pregnant and married young and has had responsibilities.Divorced for a while now and her daughter almost grown it's time to let loose some right?  It was great to see this story unfold and see how the 17 year old daughter reacts to her mom getting a life!

Here some little bits from each novella

Lori Foster Ready, Set, Jett!
A vacation from her no-strings romance with her sexy next-door-neighbor. That's what Natalie Alexander needs to get her head—and heart—together. But her solo trip south turns into a disaster—until gorgeous Jett Sutter turns up with another challenge.
You can read a excerpt for this book on Lori's website by clicking here. Make sure you check out the series Men Who Walk the Edge of Honor that this novella introduces you to.

Susan Donovan Gails' Gone Wild
Single mom Gail Chapman insists on chaperoning her teenage daughter's spring-break trip to Key West. But she never expects to face temptation—in the hunky form of Jesse Batista, the mysterious man in the cottage next door.


Victoria Dahl Just a Little Taste!
The Donovan Brothers Brewery series, set in a family-owned microbrewery in Boulder, Colorado, opens with the novella "Just One Taste" in the anthology The Guy Next Door.
Eric Donovan is the oldest of the family, and he's always responsible and well-behaved. After all, he has to set an example for his brother and sister, right? Well...

All-work-and-no-play businessman Eric Donovan won’t be distracted by a “businesswoman” who’s all wrong for him. Beth Cantrell owns a woman’s erotica shop! And she has a juicy little secret. Can she tempt him to put pleasure before business for once?

"Just One Taste" is the start of his story with Beth Cantrell. What happens when they meet up again later? You'll find out in Real Men Will, out in November! Find out more about The Donovan Brothers Brewery series on Victoria Dahl's website by clicking here .

I have to say that before i read this the reviews i heard about were pretty mixed but i loved all three. Susan Donovan's novella was a great funny refreshing read and Victoria Dahl reminded me who i loved her writing and Lori Foster what can i say i love romantic suspense and her novella puts your foot in the door to a great series of books so far with The Men who Walk the Edge of Honor series. I give amply titled book The Guy Next door 4 and 1/2 Modokker Book Pick Stars.