Screwdrivered (The Cocktail, #2)

by Alice Clayton

By day, Viv Franklin is a retired Army captain who designs software programs. By night, Vivian's a secret romance-novel junkie who longs for a knight in shining armour, or a cowboy on a wild stallion, or a strapping fire fighter 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? Christina Lauren and Emma Chase will love Alice's books.

• ISBN10: 147676672X
• ISBN13: 9781476766720
• Publish Date: 11 September 2014 (first published 2 September 2014)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Imprint: Gallery
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 256
• Language: English

Reviews

[EBookObsessed]

Vivian Franklin’s life has taken an adventurous turn. She was stuck at a crossroads between her software design company and her inner artist until she received a 1:30 a.m. call from a California attorney. Her aunt passed away and left her beach house in Mendocino, California to Viv. Viv is certain she is going to California to determine what to do with the house, until she arrives and sees the majestic house and the beautiful views, including that of the half-naked cowboy who takes care of the horses and chickens on the property. Viv realizes that maybe it is time for a change of scenery.

Now Vivian seems to think that her life is turning into one of those bodice-ripping romance novels that she’s so addicted to. A destined inheritance and a trip across the country, a gorgeous, moody cowboy playing hard to get, and a villain in the shape of the local librarian and historian who is determined to keep Vivian from making all the changes that she wants to the house. Okay, maybe villain is a little harsh a description for geeky Clark Barrow. He does rock those elbow patches. But her roof is leaking and the front porch is collapsing literally under her feet and Clark wants to fight with her about materials and historical trim and the local artist who created her balustrades — which is falling apart in her hand.

Except an interesting thing happened during a telephone figh–discussion one night with Clark, it seems Nighttime Clark can be funny, sexy and slightly naughty. While Daytime Clark is a pain in the ass, Nighttime Clark makes Vivian want a take a bite out of his ass. But that leaves her with a new problem, is her romantic hero in her real-life romance supposed to be the aloof Cowboy or the geeky librarian?

THOUGHTS:
Alice Clayton gives us another hysterically sexy and delightful story. We met Vivian briefly in Rusty Nailed and she showed us that she what an outrageous and quirky character she was going to be. Clark was the perfect sexy-geek, straight-laced and romantic. So honestly no one from her friends to the readers can understand why she was putting any effort into hot cowboy Hank. Hank is a picture perfect hottie. The kind you would put on your computer screensaver, but as soon as words came out of his mouth, I was so over him and couldn’t understand why Vivian continued to drool over him. Okay, I could understand the drooling, but other than being pretty to look at, Hank did nothing for me but bother me that he was distracting Vivian from Clark.

I am sure you are wondering why I gave my beloved author Alice Clayton only 4 stars for Screwdrivered. It is because she introduced great characters and a hysterical concept of Viv flaking into her romance novel narratives and the creepy dolls always ‘watching,’ but then she waste precious pages (it was only a 240 page story) on Vivian chasing Hank who was such a flat bore to Vivian’s vivacious character that it just didn’t even make sense for her to continuing chasing him. Vivian was intelligent and witty and Hank, like I said, pretty to look at but once he opened his mouth, nothing. He was a dumbass. Obviously that is what she was going for in her writing, but I hated wasting my time with him.

Nighttime Clark was all that we have come to expect from an Alice Clayton hero, and phone calls between them might not have hit the phone sex level of Grace and Jack but they had the potential.

When you read the book information saying “cowboy or librarian” you expect two equal love-interest characters and that was simply not the case. I can’t imagine there is anyone who will read this story and be Team Hank. The Viv/Hank time waste what could have been more interesting Viv/Clark time and it just detracted from the overall story.

In fact, they only time we see Hank acknowledge Vivian at all is whenever she is standing close to Clark and Hank intrudes in their conversations so Clark can see that Vivian is hot for Hank. I thought we would find out that Clark and Hank had a history from high school, since they were both locals, where Hank was always taking the girl Clark was interested in. The old brains vs muscles scenario. But there really was no explanation as to why it was only when Clark was around that Hank made any attempt to converse with Vivian other than Yes, No and Hay. Yes, I mean “hay.”

The parts of the story revolving around Clark and Vivian were awesome. Those parts involving Vivian and Hank were just annoying and made me lose respect for Vivian. Other than my complete dislike of Hank and time wasted on Hank, the rest of the story was delightful, flirty and funny as I have come to expect from Alice Clayton.

Received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Cocktails and Books]

When Vivian Franklin unexpectedly inherits an ocean front Victorian house in California, she feels like a character in one of the romance novel she reads. Vivian lives in Philadelphia and owns a successful computer software company, but she doesn’t feel fulfilled. Once she inherits the house, Vivian suddenly has a lot of decisions to make to make and needs to do some soul searching to figure out what makes her happy. When she travels to California to see the house, she meets Hank the hunk and Clark the nerd. Hank is a hunky cowboy, who takes care of the animals on her aunt’s property and she is attracted to him, but he is a man of few words. Clark, a librarian has intense chocolate brown eyes and is also head of the local historical society. Her aunt’s house is listed on the historical register, so any changes have to be approved by Clark. Since the house needs a lot of work, Vivian and Clark are constantly arguing about the renovations and can never agree on anything.

I like Vivian because she has the traits I admire in a heroine she’s smart, attractive and funny. However, as smart as Vivian is, she’s slow to figure out who the right man is for her. The reader is never sure who Vivian will end up with until the end of the story. Vivian has a vivid imagination and she is constantly using it when she thinks about the man she is attracted to. So there is a lot of yearning in this story, but all the steamy action is in Vivian’s head. Simon and Caroline from WALLBANGER are included in the story and it is fun catching up with them.

Reviewed by Karen for Cocktails and Books.