mathildestromme's review against another edition
så dårlig plott og så dårlig skrevet at det skulle ikke vært mulig. Ræl. Leste jeg hele likevel? Ja
kjohnson84's review
5.0
Love! Love! Love!
Love the story! I can't wait to read the next month. I hope April is just as good as the past 3months
Love the story! I can't wait to read the next month. I hope April is just as good as the past 3months
sonia_reppe's review
4.0
This is a sweet story, and really fun. More romantic than erotic. It's a perfect fantasy: the 24 year-old protagonist, Mia, is told by everyone that she is incredibly beautiful; desirable men fall in love with her, and she lands this fantastic gig where she gets $100,000 a month to be a high-end escort. But she stays humble because she gives most of her money to the loan shark that beat up her dad for his gambling debts, and also she never forgets that she used to be a struggling actress/waitress. The men are swoon-worthy, as they should be in any good Romance novel. I can't wait to see the other men who she will meet, in the coming months.
sandlynn's review
3.0
Audrey Carlan’s Calendar Girl: Volume One is the first book in a four volume series. Published in 2015, this first book covers the months of January, February, and March.
Mia Saunders is a mid twenties, aspiring actress, who puts her own ambitions aside in order to, once again, save her family from themselves. Mia’s mother left home when Mia was only 10 and her sister 5. At that young age, Mia becomes a surrogate parent to her sister, since their father is a compulsive gambler and alcoholic. Granted, he didn’t abandon his children, but he’s basically of little use to them since Mia has to take care of the family. This time, he ends up owing a loan shark who has him beaten to within an inch of his life, putting him in a coma. The responsibility for the loan then falls on Mia’s shoulders. Not only that, but Mia has been contributing money to her sister’s education, wanting to ensure that at least one of them will escape the hopelessness of their upbringing. In order to earn the money owed to the shark, Mia turns to her aunt who runs a high class escort service. Aunt Millie suggests that her niece become an escort for the next year, which should get her the money she needs. Each month, she will spend time with a wealthy client. Sex is not required, but if she does sleep with the client, she will earn $20,000 more than the fee she collects each month.
This story is the start of an erotic series, but there’s more here than just titillation. Each month is written like a novella, where Mia becomes involved in the ups and downs of her clients’ lives. Each one also teaches Mia something about herself or about life in general. In addition, her friends, family members, and even past clients pop back in and out of her life as the year progresses.
Although I was certainly drawn into each story, there were parts of it that really bothered, if not puzzled me. For instance, Mia’s aunt owns Exquisite Escorts, so why can’t she help Mia out financially, instead of putting Mia to work? That just seemed rather cold and callous. Also, although Mia certainly goes into this with her eyes open, she didn’t plan on or want to do it initially. It bugged me that she had to put her body on the line to pay for a man’s bad decisions, even though I recognize that her family was under threat. In fact, it’s admirable that Mia shoulders this responsibility, but it’s clearly a cross she insists upon bearing, martyr-like, as some of her clients offer their financial help to get her out of it and she refuses to take it. At times, I didn’t quite get Mia. She seems to look on her year as an escort as an unwanted burden but then talks about how she looks forward to the next month so she can continue to learn about herself and meet new people. So, is she just making lemonade out of lemons or is she into this, despite herself? I don’t know. In any event, I’m curious enough to continue reading, but the story still gets mixed reviews from me. I’d give it a B-.
Mia Saunders is a mid twenties, aspiring actress, who puts her own ambitions aside in order to, once again, save her family from themselves. Mia’s mother left home when Mia was only 10 and her sister 5. At that young age, Mia becomes a surrogate parent to her sister, since their father is a compulsive gambler and alcoholic. Granted, he didn’t abandon his children, but he’s basically of little use to them since Mia has to take care of the family. This time, he ends up owing a loan shark who has him beaten to within an inch of his life, putting him in a coma. The responsibility for the loan then falls on Mia’s shoulders. Not only that, but Mia has been contributing money to her sister’s education, wanting to ensure that at least one of them will escape the hopelessness of their upbringing. In order to earn the money owed to the shark, Mia turns to her aunt who runs a high class escort service. Aunt Millie suggests that her niece become an escort for the next year, which should get her the money she needs. Each month, she will spend time with a wealthy client. Sex is not required, but if she does sleep with the client, she will earn $20,000 more than the fee she collects each month.
This story is the start of an erotic series, but there’s more here than just titillation. Each month is written like a novella, where Mia becomes involved in the ups and downs of her clients’ lives. Each one also teaches Mia something about herself or about life in general. In addition, her friends, family members, and even past clients pop back in and out of her life as the year progresses.
Although I was certainly drawn into each story, there were parts of it that really bothered, if not puzzled me. For instance, Mia’s aunt owns Exquisite Escorts, so why can’t she help Mia out financially, instead of putting Mia to work? That just seemed rather cold and callous. Also, although Mia certainly goes into this with her eyes open, she didn’t plan on or want to do it initially. It bugged me that she had to put her body on the line to pay for a man’s bad decisions, even though I recognize that her family was under threat. In fact, it’s admirable that Mia shoulders this responsibility, but it’s clearly a cross she insists upon bearing, martyr-like, as some of her clients offer their financial help to get her out of it and she refuses to take it. At times, I didn’t quite get Mia. She seems to look on her year as an escort as an unwanted burden but then talks about how she looks forward to the next month so she can continue to learn about herself and meet new people. So, is she just making lemonade out of lemons or is she into this, despite herself? I don’t know. In any event, I’m curious enough to continue reading, but the story still gets mixed reviews from me. I’d give it a B-.
greylandreviews's review against another edition
4.0
3.75 stars
There was A LOT of that book (which I'm not complaining about because... give me some more of that!
I'm wandering if Mia and are going to be end game. Can't wait to read the rest of the volumes.
There was A LOT of that book (which I'm not complaining about because... give me some more of that!
I'm wandering if Mia and
Spoiler
Weskrandall99's review against another edition
5.0
I can't wait to see what is in store for Mia. I really hope at the end of all of this she ends up with Wes. As for her dad if/when you comes out of this coma I hope he cleans his life up.
nanaaax3's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
carojgh's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.25
_emma_1602's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.25
lisaluvsliterature's review
4.0
I first heard about this book because the author is supposed to be a writing partner with my bookstore manager's sister. I picked one up and read the synopsis, and it sounded like it could be a good, sexy read. It was a good read. The main character is Mia. Mia's father owes a bunch of money from gambling to some bad people in Vegas, and they beat him up pretty bad, and tell Mia that she has to come up with the money, or next they might take it out on her younger sister. The only way Mia can figure out to make that kind of money is to go to work as an escort for her aunt. Now she is going to be an escort for very rich men. They're not prostitutes. There is no sex in the contract. If the customer wants it, and the escort, in this case Mia, is okay with it, then there is a bonus. She will get like $100,000 each month, and if she decides to go further with them, it is an extra $20,000. This volume has the first three months in it.
January she is with a guy who is a movie producer. Which means she is in California, Hollywood, and he lives in a beautiful mansion, and he also surfs. He tells her right off, that if they have sex, there are rules. No falling in love, no sleeping in the same bed afterwards, etc. But as the month goes by, they find that they get along very well, not only sexually, but personally and socially. At the end of the month, when Wes asks her why she is doing this, and she tells him, he asks her to stay, not to go on with this, and he will pay the money she needs. But Mia wants to do this herself, wants to take care of the debt on her own. So she goes on, Wes telling her not to forget him, and Mia tells him not to wait on her, but if things work out, maybe she'll be back at the end of the year.
February she goes to Seattle to be a muse for an artist. A nude model. The artist is a French guy. And while he is very sexy, and Mia gives into him as well, the love between them is nothing like the feelings that Mia and West had for each other. In fact the artist, Alec, says that his love is more like what you might think of a casual European love. Mia inspires him to create something very special, something that affects how she even thinks of herself. When she leaves, she knows she probably will not see him again, but is happy with the time she had with him.
March she gets sent to Chicago to play the part of the fiance of a mafia type of guy, a guy who is part of a family that runs restaurants. Turns out that Tony has a partner already. A guy. But his Italian family and all of their community are old fashioned, and Tony thinks they'd never accept him the way he is. And when his mother loves Mia as his fiance, it makes it even harder. Fortunately one of Tony's sister's does accept and pretty much kind of had the feeling that he was gay. Eventually Mia must help Tony decide what to do. While she is in Chicago, she talks/texts to Wes several times. Missing him in this not so real escort job.
When we finish the story, we find out who Mia will be working for in April, a young, professional baseball player. I'm excited to read on. This is definitely a very sexy book. I mean, the premise is a woman being an escort. So it's obvious what kind of story it is.
Review first appeared on Lisa Loves Literature
January she is with a guy who is a movie producer. Which means she is in California, Hollywood, and he lives in a beautiful mansion, and he also surfs. He tells her right off, that if they have sex, there are rules. No falling in love, no sleeping in the same bed afterwards, etc. But as the month goes by, they find that they get along very well, not only sexually, but personally and socially. At the end of the month, when Wes asks her why she is doing this, and she tells him, he asks her to stay, not to go on with this, and he will pay the money she needs. But Mia wants to do this herself, wants to take care of the debt on her own. So she goes on, Wes telling her not to forget him, and Mia tells him not to wait on her, but if things work out, maybe she'll be back at the end of the year.
February she goes to Seattle to be a muse for an artist. A nude model. The artist is a French guy. And while he is very sexy, and Mia gives into him as well, the love between them is nothing like the feelings that Mia and West had for each other. In fact the artist, Alec, says that his love is more like what you might think of a casual European love. Mia inspires him to create something very special, something that affects how she even thinks of herself. When she leaves, she knows she probably will not see him again, but is happy with the time she had with him.
March she gets sent to Chicago to play the part of the fiance of a mafia type of guy, a guy who is part of a family that runs restaurants. Turns out that Tony has a partner already. A guy. But his Italian family and all of their community are old fashioned, and Tony thinks they'd never accept him the way he is. And when his mother loves Mia as his fiance, it makes it even harder. Fortunately one of Tony's sister's does accept and pretty much kind of had the feeling that he was gay. Eventually Mia must help Tony decide what to do. While she is in Chicago, she talks/texts to Wes several times. Missing him in this not so real escort job.
When we finish the story, we find out who Mia will be working for in April, a young, professional baseball player. I'm excited to read on. This is definitely a very sexy book. I mean, the premise is a woman being an escort. So it's obvious what kind of story it is.
Review first appeared on Lisa Loves Literature