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lmrivas54's review against another edition
4.0
Great book! Keri writes for one of those scandal magazines in Hollywood and she is sent by her boss to get an interview with Joe Kowalski, or lose her job. Since she had been Joe's high school sweetheart, her boss assumed she wouldn't have any problems getting this interview, but it was not so easy. They had broken up badly, and Joe was not being very cooperative. Joe's condition for giving her some answers, with definitive limitations on themes to discuss, was to join the annual Kowalski's camping of doom, for two weeks. The rest of the book is a riot. I loved Joe's little nephew Bobby with his happy trigger camera, yelling "cheese!" after the flash, not before. Loved the banter between brothers, Joe's mama who was like a matriarch, and all the funny, steamy scenes. The male characters were sensitive strong men, not he-man insensitive yahoos you see in other novels. I also liked that there was a second love plot, between Joe's sister Terry and her husband, who had been separated for three months.
nl4's review against another edition
I liked it and she has a few more it this series to read.
leasummer's review
4.0
Cute story of high school lovers who parted ways but never forgot each other and are brought back together for professional reasons. The plot was interesting, the characters were good, it had some steamy scenes. Will definitely check out more in The Kowalski Family series.
rakesrogues's review against another edition
3.0
Originally posted at: http://muggle-born.net/exclusively-yours-by-shannon-stacey-romance-book-review/
Heroine: I will admit it straight up – there were times where I questioned Keri’s personality and her character. There were times where I was so sure that she was going to let me down. But it seems that I just had to put a little more faith in her. I was really happy with her character’s growth and as she struggled to figure out what she wanted in life. I think that her struggle between work/love/family really resonated with me, which made her very easy to get along with.
Hero: Joe is easily likeable due to his devotion to his family. It also doesn’t hurt that he is a writer. Sold.
Supporting Cast: What makes this book so fun is seeing the interaction of the whole Kowalski family. They add such a warm-hearted dimension to the story. I am definitely leaning on picking up the rest of the series just to see more of the family.
Plot: I love how Keri and Joe share a past. It adds such a fun layer to the story as we learn about what had happened to them all those years ago, and trying to see if it is possible for them to still mend it.
Romance: Keri and Joe instantly had chemistry as if they were never apart. I enjoyed seeing how Keri and Joe repaired their relationship. Their past added a lot of tension and drama which made it all the more fun and exciting. The romance had a great build up that was definitely worth it.
I’ve been having lots of great lucky lately when picking up contemporary romances. Exclusively Yours was an enjoyable read, and I’m definitely considering picking up the rest of the series.
Heroine: I will admit it straight up – there were times where I questioned Keri’s personality and her character. There were times where I was so sure that she was going to let me down. But it seems that I just had to put a little more faith in her. I was really happy with her character’s growth and as she struggled to figure out what she wanted in life. I think that her struggle between work/love/family really resonated with me, which made her very easy to get along with.
Hero: Joe is easily likeable due to his devotion to his family. It also doesn’t hurt that he is a writer. Sold.
Supporting Cast: What makes this book so fun is seeing the interaction of the whole Kowalski family. They add such a warm-hearted dimension to the story. I am definitely leaning on picking up the rest of the series just to see more of the family.
Plot: I love how Keri and Joe share a past. It adds such a fun layer to the story as we learn about what had happened to them all those years ago, and trying to see if it is possible for them to still mend it.
Romance: Keri and Joe instantly had chemistry as if they were never apart. I enjoyed seeing how Keri and Joe repaired their relationship. Their past added a lot of tension and drama which made it all the more fun and exciting. The romance had a great build up that was definitely worth it.
I’ve been having lots of great lucky lately when picking up contemporary romances. Exclusively Yours was an enjoyable read, and I’m definitely considering picking up the rest of the series.
tangodiva's review against another edition
1.0
Sometimes I get books for free. I really should realize they are free for a reason and read something I paid for. But then I don't, and I read a book like this. That I hate so much I read it backwards - about halfway through I get so frustrated I read the last chapter and then the penultimate chapter and so on until I get to the middle.
It's a game. Or torture.
It's a game. Or torture.
bhnmt61's review against another edition
3.0
This story of high school sweethearts who meet again twenty years later is fun and easy to read. In fact, it's just about the perfect way to pass a summer afternoon or a day on a plane. But in the end, I was a bit disappointed by it. Not one, not two, but three difficult relationships are resolved by the end, which pushes it beyond the edge of even my lenient standards for realism. and even more bothersome, Keri and Joe, the central couple, never have the conversation that you keep waiting for them to have--the one where Keri explains her fears of losing herself in a relationship, of just becoming the nameless "Joe's girl" --a fear that is made very clear to the reader, but is never actually put into words by Keri. But still, it's a lot of fun to read and I will definitely be reading more by Shannon Stacey.
literarychaosgremlin's review against another edition
I tried for so long, but everything about the whole ‘good old boys’ campfire conversation was minging
stephxsu's review against another edition
2.0
EXCLUSIVELY YOURS was, for me, one of those uncommon cases where a part of me liked the synopsis slightly more than the actual story. I never ended up being a fan of Keri: with the book describing her as just short of being stereotypically “high school cheerleader perfect,” I just didn’t find myself empathizing with her poor-li’l-me romantic troubles. Realistic heroines, wherefore art thou? I did like Joe—except for, you know, the part where his fatal flaw was his soft spot for Keri. And most readers will probably get a blast out of the titillating dialogue between the Kowalskis. Personally, there’s a line I draw as to what I will or will not discuss around family members, and having your siblings point out your massive, unending erection all throughout the camping trip falls on the other side of that line for me. Still, the sibling teasing makes for funny moments and is what makes this book stand out among other similar titles.
I’m undecided as to whether I will continue with this series, on account of the fact that if I have to read about one more super-perfect woman worrying about nails and hair and pores in the middle of the woods I might throw a fit, but romance readers looking for a love-conquers-all tale with a hearty dose of raunchy family thrown in should look towards EXCLUSIVELY YOURS.
I’m undecided as to whether I will continue with this series, on account of the fact that if I have to read about one more super-perfect woman worrying about nails and hair and pores in the middle of the woods I might throw a fit, but romance readers looking for a love-conquers-all tale with a hearty dose of raunchy family thrown in should look towards EXCLUSIVELY YOURS.
keberwick's review against another edition
3.0
I launched myself into this book in hopes of finding a nice, relaxing, mind numbing tale of romance sprinkled with a few laugh-out-loud moments. I found most of what I was looking for, fortunately. It was heavy on the romance- a good thing considering it is, in fact, a romance- but a little light on the laugh-out-loud factor. That being said, it was still (mostly) light-hearted and adorable.
I can tell the author really spent time thinking and developing her characters to act, think, and talk like real people (something i think is more rare on the romance-novel side of the book-genre-spectrum). The only character I felt was a little less than real was Terry, but I felt that the rationale behind her stubbornness made up for her (initial) lack of depth. All of the relationships the author included in her book were very realistic as well. No Kowalski couple was perfect, but the way that they went about working through their problems came off as very natural and how, I think, people that love each other should handle marital or relationship problems.
This is the type of contemporary romance that I can really get behind and use as an example of romance novels that aren't super embarrassing to talk about out loud. There was no "insta-love", nor were there any other real romance "cliches". I'm definitely going I read the second book- I've actually already started- and I'll most definitely recommend this book to my friends.
I can tell the author really spent time thinking and developing her characters to act, think, and talk like real people (something i think is more rare on the romance-novel side of the book-genre-spectrum). The only character I felt was a little less than real was Terry, but I felt that the rationale behind her stubbornness made up for her (initial) lack of depth. All of the relationships the author included in her book were very realistic as well. No Kowalski couple was perfect, but the way that they went about working through their problems came off as very natural and how, I think, people that love each other should handle marital or relationship problems.
This is the type of contemporary romance that I can really get behind and use as an example of romance novels that aren't super embarrassing to talk about out loud. There was no "insta-love", nor were there any other real romance "cliches". I'm definitely going I read the second book- I've actually already started- and I'll most definitely recommend this book to my friends.