An Offer You Can't Refuse by Jill Mansell

Title: An Offer You Can't Refuse

Author: Jill Mansell

Publisher: Sourcebooks 2008

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 416

Rating: 4 / 5 stars

Reading Challenges: Mixing it Up - Romance; Mount TBR; Fall into Reading

How I Got It: I own it!

Nothing could tear Lola and Dougie apart, except his mother…
Seventeen-year-old Lola has no intention of accepting when her boyfriend's snobbish mother offers her a huge bribe to break up with him. Then Lola discovers a secret that makes her think again, and the only way she can help one of the people she loves most in the world is to take the money and break Dougie's heart.
Ten years later, when Lola meets Dougie again, her feelings for him are as strong as ever. She'll do almost anything to get him back, but she can never tell him the truth. Can she overcome his bitterness and win his heart? She's attractive, persuasive, and endlessly optimistic, but even Lola's got her work cut out for her this time.

This is my fifth (fifth!) Mansell books I've read. And I've loved every single one of them. This one wasn't any different. Sure, they're predictable. But sometimes that's what I need: a good fluffy happily-ever-after romance. It's like curling up with your favorite movie or making an ages-old dish for dinner. It's all about comfort. Jill Mansell's books are my comfort. Every once in a while I need that comfort. This book was absolutely perfect for this week. I dove head first into a great fun romance. I called the pair ups within the first 50 pages. But that was okay. I wanted to see how they got to the endings I predicted. It was great fun. And if I see another Mansell book sitting in the used book store, it's mine!

Take a Chance on Me by Jill Mansell

Title: Take a Chance on Me

Author: Jill Mansell

Publisher: Sourcebooks 2010

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 412

Rating: 5 / 5 stars

Reading Challenges: Contemporary Romance

How I Got It: Borrowed from the library

Even in a small town the drama is larger than life...
Cleo Quinn doesn't have the greatest track record when it comes to men, but now Will's come along. Handsome and attentive, he could be her Mr Right. Things are definitely looking up for Cleo... apart from one small problem with a rather large ego. Johnny LaVenture, sculptor extraordinaire and her personal childhood nemesis, is back in Channing's Hill and tormenting her as if he'd never been away.
Meanwhile Cleo's sister Abbie has a problem of her own-husband Tom has become distant and withdrawn, and she's determined to find out why. But will the shocking truth mean the end of their idyllically happy marriage?
The sisters are about to discover that the past can come back to haunt you, and that love can flourish in the unlikeliest of places...

There is something so predictable about Mansell's book, but I love them anyway. These books are like a cup of hot tea, a blanket, and a warm fire. They are comfort. I lose myself in the characters and the little village atmosphere. I love the setting and the mood. The characters are lovely, so diverse. I don't know everything that's going to happen in any given book. Mansell still manages to throw in little twists and turns that keep me from being bored. I think of these as comfort books and that's okay. Every once in a while we need a little comfort to get us through the day. I find myself coming back to Mansell's books. Thank goodness I have another sitting in my library pile.

Staying at Daisy's by Jill Mansell

Title: Staying at Daisy's

Author: Jill Mansell

Publisher: Sourcebooks 2011

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 497

Rating: 5 / 5 stars

Reading Challenges: Summer Romance - Contemporary

How I Got It: Borrowed from the library

Love and laughter prevail in this charming chick lit romp. Daisy MacLean is the manager of Colworth Manor, a beautiful county hotel. In the year since her cheating husband was killed in a car accident, she's been purposefully single. She doesn't trust handsome and charming men, so former rugby star Dev Tyzack clearly doesn't stand a chance with her, and the two initially grate on each other—but they can't deny their increasing attraction. Unfortunately, Daisy's past is getting in the way of her future, in more ways than one. With a madcap crew of characters, including unlucky-in-love chambermaid Tara and Daisy's gregarious father, this screwball romantic comedy piles on the humor and humanity for a clever, absorbing, and very enjoyable read.

I have finally found a contemporary romance author that I love! Mansell has all he beautiful zany characters and storylines that keep me entertained. Sure, sometimes they're predictable, but they're still fun to read. I haven't come across a main character that I hate. I love all of them. They're all so much fun. (Wow I think I'm done saying fun, but it's all true).

A definite must read for fans of smart romance and good characters. I want to live in one of Mansell's novels!

Miranda's Big Mistake by Jill Mansell

Title: Miranda's Big Mistake

Author: Jill Mansell

Publisher: Sourcebooks 2009

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 475

Rating: 5 / 5 stars

Reading Challenges: Summer Romance - Contemporary

Miranda's track record with men is horrible. Her most recent catastrophe is Greg. He seems perfect--gorgeous, witty, exciting. And he and Miranda are in love... until Miranda discovers he left his wife when he found out she was pregnant.
With the help of her friends, Miranda plans the sweetest and most public revenge a heartbroken girl can get. But will Miranda learn from her mistake, or move on to the next "perfect" man and ignore the love her life waiting in the wings...

Another delightful contemporary romance. I knew within the first 30 pages who would end up with who (except for Bev, that was a surprise), but I still enjoyed the ride. Jill Mansell has a way of taking fairly common storylines and character stereotypes and turning them into a rollicking good read. I loved Perfect Timing and somehow I think I love Miranda's Big Mistake even more. Of course the main character is great. But somehow all the characters are great, even the ones you are supposed to hate. The story played like a good romantic comedy. With the rash of really bad romantic comedies in the theaters lately, has anyone thought about turning these ones into movies? They would be amazing. Funny, sad, cheesy (but good cheesy), romantic, yet realistic. They have everything you want out of a rom com. I must read her other books! I think I finally found a way to finished my Summer Romance Challenge. I'll just read all Mansell books!

Perfect Timing by Jill Mansell

Title: Perfect Timing

Author: Jill Mansell

Publisher: Sourcebooks 2009

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 431

Rating: 5 / 5 stars

Reading Challenges: Summer Romance - Contemporary

It's the night before her wedding when Poppy Dunbar meets Tom. he is tall, dark, and handsome with a quirky smile, and Poppy can't shake the feeling she's known him all her life. She can't go through with the meeting they arrange... but she can't go through with the wedding anymore either.
Suddenly notorious as "The Girl Who Jilted Rob McBride," Poppy leaves for London and a fresh start. Soon she's installed in the bohemian household of Caspar French, a ravishingly good-looking young artist with a reputation for breaking hearts. But even in her new home and new life, Poppy can't get Tom off her mind. Until she's tracked him down, she'll never know if their meeting was destiny, or if it was just a matter of timing...

OMG!!! I finally found a contemporary romance that I absolutely adored. Everything about it was great! The characters are amazing. Poppy is horribly lost (just like how I feel sometimes). Caspar is the perfect lothario. Claudia is a down-right bitch. Jake is the nerdy little boy lost. And Tom is the perfect Prince Charming. But of course, not everyone is who they seem. All the characters have such chemistry. I couldn't wait to read the whole thing. Even the perfect happy ending didn't bother me. I loved how the characters got to their happily-ever-afters. The journey was the book. And it was great. Very inventive. Not full of clichés like most contemporary romance. I didn't feel like I was reading a recycled story. I was reading a real story, full of faulty people.

I won't run the ending. You'll just have to pick it up and read for yourself. I will definitely be reading more from this author. I finally, finally, finally, found some great contemporary romance. I'm not giving up on this author!