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Fiction. Literature. Romance. Western. HTML: A sexy novel, rich with love, laughter, and steamy passion that sizzles with New York Times bestselling author Lisa Kleypas's hallmark sensuality and delicious tension Millionaire Texas playboy Jack Travis lives for pleasure. He has money, women, and no commitments, and that's just the way he likes it. Then a gorgeous stranger with an infant appears on his doorstep, rocking his carefree world. Columnist Ella Varner liked her independent life too, until her wild younger sister Tara, skipped town, leaving baby Luke in her responsible hands. Ella doesn't know how to raise a child, and she's not going to do it alone. The baby's father�Jack�will have to help. For the first time in his life, Jack can't smooth talk his way out a jam. But the more he gets to know Ella and Luke, the more he discovers he doesn't want to. Ella admits the charming Jack is sexy as hell. But if she lets her guard down will he break her heart? As sparks fly and heat rises drawing them irresistibly closer, Jack and Ella will have to decide if they're playing house . . . or playing for keeps..… (more)
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This third novel in the Travis family series is one of Kleypas' contemporary romances. Th characters are strong, well-drawn and likable. The plot grabs the readers emotions immediately and doesn't let go. I read this almost in one sitting. It was romantic and sexy and played with my heart-strings. I think I like Klyepas' contemporary novels better than her historicals and, in my opinion, this is her best so far!!
Ella's sleuthing skills lead her to Jake, a millionaire playboy with a sexy voice and drop-dead looks. Though she tries to resist, Jake's charms are proving a bit more than Ella can handle, and she can't help but wish she could fall for him...
This is very sexy and romantic, even though Jake is a bit of a "type" rather than a fully developed character. Ella is strong and complex, and I found myself rooting for her almost immediately. A nice, romantic read.
I really enjoyed Ella and Jack's relationship, I liked their humor and their conversations. And it's hot. Very hot! I usually don't favor books told in the first person, but we had so much insight into Ella's thinking, and still managed to get a good perspective on Jack, that it worked for me. I like to fall in love with the romance in the books I read, and this is definitely one you can fall in love with. It’s a keeper!
This book had a lot of real life issues and that is what I liked about it the most. So many things that Tara and Ella went through as a child you see happening today. From her
Ella's sister Tara decides that she is not fit to be a mother and abandoned her son with their mother, who was more worried about her young boyfriend finding out that she was a grandmother. Ella puts her life on hold to take care of this baby and help Tara out by finding the father and getting them on track. That is where she meets Jack Travis. The super hunk who owns his own business a...more I finished this book last night wanting more. This was my first book ever by Lisa Kleypas and it won’t be my last.
This book had a lot of real life issues and that is what I liked about it the most. So many things that Tara and Ella went through as a child you see happening today. From her mother’s numerous lovers/husbands, having a step father interested in you in more than one way, having your mother more worried about her looks, reputation and men over your health and safety to a baby being abandoned because the mother just can not handle it. That is what I liked the most.
Ella's sister Tara decides that she is not fit to be a mother and abandoned her son with their mother, who was more worried about her young boyfriend finding out that she was a grandmother. Ella puts her life on hold to take care of this baby and help Tara out by finding the father and getting them on track. That is where she meets Jack Travis. The super hunk who owns his own business and did I mention hunk?
Once Lisa Kleypas introduces Jack into the story you just want more and more of him. Ella reaches out to Jack because of her cousin Liza who said that Tara claimed he was the baby's father. I felt that the way the relationship between Jack and Ella developed was perfect. They became friends because of the baby, Jack took an interest in helping Ella with her situation, they were not afraid to say what was on their mind and nether one pretended to be something they were not. So from the very beginning they got to know each other for who they really were.
Ella was the type where she did not care for marriage, kids, or traditional type relationships. One of her fears was to be like her mother or live the kind of life her mother did. She refused! Because of her childhood Ella never really cared to fall in love. She had a relationship, but it was more of a friendship than relationship.
Jack was the type where he grew up rich with daddy expecting him to follow in his steps only Jack had other ideas and interest and refused to let anyone control his life and turn him into something he was not. He grew up with his brothers and sisters and they were really close with each other. Jack was once hurt by an ex-girlfriend and did not think love was coming his way, though he did want it.
There were some parts of the book though (that didn’t include Jack of course) that I felt I could have lived without in the book. I was actually finding myself peeking ahead to see how many pages I had to go before Jack was back in the picture lol. It was not hard at all to fall in love with Jack. And thanks to baby Luke everyone's life changed. Luke slowly changed Ella's and Jack's life in ways they did not see coming. Let me not even start on the romance scenes in this book. My cheeks were bright red a couple of times.
I am really happy I read this book and I am looking forward to other books by Lisa Kleypas. I definitely recommend this book.
Why in the hell didn't I start with this book and skip those other two?? For those wondering: Yes, you can (and should) absolutely read this book as a stand-alone. These are all companion books, and, to me, the information I received in the other two books actually hurt my impression of
Now where to start with this one?
From the beginning, I was a little nervous about what Kleypas was going to do because we start off with the heroine in a long-term relationship with another guy (she sure does like to write about attached women, doesn't she?). But, fortunately, that really wasn't a major conflict within the story. I think why I enjoyed this book so much was because 90% of the conflict came from outside Jack and Ella's relationship. I like to feel secure in my H/h's love for each other, and I definitely felt that with this book.
Of course, there were several characters that grated on my nerves. Kleypas does a fabulous job of giving us non-villains who we love to hate and Ella's mother falls smack dab in the middle of them. She was a piece of work. I wished several times that Ella had stood up to her more, but that was me coming out, not a character flaw. It was a little hard at the beginning, though, to see her suffer through the relationship with her mother and younger sister.
I'll admit that I didn't really get the relationship Ella had with Tara. Most of the time, as a reader, I found Tara to be cruel, selfish, immature, and inconsiderate of Ella's feelings/life/situation. However, when Ella spoke about Tara, it was always with a fondness and a sort of sacred bond. Though I guess that's sisters for you, huh?
So, from the beginning, Ella is stuck with her sister's kid and she goes off on a hunt to find the father. That whole thing was sort of a convoluted mess, and one that (much to my dismay) didn't really get resolved completely. It was one of only two main gripes about this book, but that storyline sort of fell flat for me.
Let me tell you what didn't fall flat: Jack. Holy God in heaven, that man was...perfection. I mean...perfection. (disclaimer: when I say he's perfection, I've rewritten him in my mind to be chest fur less. And, yes, it was described as a "furry chest" at one point. *shudder*) He is so swoony and so funny and so witty and so manly that I CANNOT, okay? Can we talk for a minute about what it did to my ovaries when Ella came out and found Jack and Luke on the couch, Luke curled on Jack's chest as they watched the news? *kersplosion* I mean, really, is there anything sexier than a man who is confident and sure and hands on with a baby? Bed time? He's got it. Feeding? Yep, that too. Diaper changes? GO TAKE A BATH, WOMAN, I GOT THIS.
And Ella...since this was told in first person POV, maybe that's why I enjoyed this book so much better than the others? I enjoyed Ella. She was much more in line with my kind of heroine (strong, self reliant, resilient, head-strong, and driven). And sassy. God, she was sassy. And when her and Luke got together? It was perfection. UST, banter filled perfection.
Another thing I loved about this book was how much time we got with the relationship of Ella and Jack. I mean, like 70% was them being together, enjoying each other, and I loved that we had that much time together with them. And do you know what that means? Lots and lots of sex. *nods* Usually by the time a book ends, I'm so starved for time with the H/h that I need them to go on longer. Not so with this book (though I certainly wouldn't have complained if there was more).
The only other thing that kept me from rating this the full five stars was the ending with the Tara situation.
So, to sum up: DO NOT READ THE OTHER BOOKS IN THIS SERIES; JUST THIS ONE, Jack = kdsjafkjchjbnskjajcnjsb, Ella = superwoman, sex is plentiful and hot, and this is going on my favorites shelf and my re-read shelf.
Also, because I don't feel like I adequately explained how swoony Jack is, please read my status updates because jfklsabcjndksnackjsn.
I did not even like all the detailed sex scenes.
I had just finished her Friday harbor series and was so excited that there were other books by Lisa, now I am afraid to try any of the others. I think there needs to be a sex rating on books now a days. There is a difference
It did not add to the story at all for me.
Ella comes to Houston to take care of her nephew who's mother has left him for a treatment facility. She takes it upon herself to try and figure out who's the baby's father is. She starts with Jack Travis and the relationship that develops is wonderful.
So much other things that I did not like about this book. Will not read any of the others in this series and now worry about her other ones.
not a fan!
I can't wait for more books in the series, when will Lisa write Joe's story? I think Joe will have his romance with the redhead nurse.
Ella Varner learns about her sister’s pregnancy when she receives a call from their mother that Tara has left her week-old baby boy with her and taken off. Their mother is
“I didn’t think I would have survived my childhood without my sister, or she without me. We were each other’s only link to the past…that was the strength of our bond, and also our weakness.”
Ella makes it her mission to locate the baby’s father and ensure that he take on some of the responsibility for the future security of the baby and his mother. At the top of the list is Jack Travis, a successful businessman from a wealthy family who is known as an extreme playboy. He insists he could not be the father but agrees to take a paternity test, and proves to be a truly decent guy by stepping in to help make Ella’s transition to becoming Baby Luke’s guardian an easier one.
This story was a real pleasure to read. The evolution of their relationship was a slow one, which made it believable. Jack recognized the roadblocks that Ella put up and hid behind to protect herself, and he was patient and determined to break them down after gaining her trust. Their banter was smart and funny, even when they were having an argument they could smile at each other. There were great moments thrown in that made me laugh.
“You are so full of yourself…and you would not be good for me, with your steaks and power tools and your attention-deficit libido, and…I’ll bet you’re a card-carrying member of the NRA. Admit it, you are.”
Lisa Kleypas is a master at writing her Regency-era novels, and I am so happy to see that she does the same when she switches to contemporary. This was a very well written and complete story.
This was
Ella’s father abandoned his family when she and her sister, Tara, were quite young, leaving them with a narcissistic mother who thought the entire world revolved around her. With a near-constant stream of men coming and going from their lives, Ella and Tara experienced a very unstable upbringing that included one of the men abusing Tara. Ella was always the one protecting Tara and picking up the pieces when anything in their family fell apart, so as an adult, she distanced herself from both her mother and Tara for her own mental health. She’s now a successful advice columnist with ambitions of writing a book and has a live-in boyfriend who she thinks is all she wants in a man. Dane doesn’t desire marriage or a family any more than she does, and he respects her independence, so it seems like the perfect relationship. But her life is turned upside down when her mother calls, saying that Tara left a baby with her and that if Ella doesn’t come get him, she’ll call social services. Ella drops everything to make the long drive from Austin to Houston, and even though she has no real experience with babies, she becomes Luke’s sole caregiver. However, she’s determined to find the baby’s father, and she thinks that guy is Jack. When she discovers it’s not him, she intends to return to Austin until Dane absolutely refuses to help her in any way with the baby, including allowing her to bring him into their shared apartment. That’s when Jack steps in, offering her a place to stay in his building. Thinking that it’s only going to be temporary until Tara is released from the mental health facility where she’s staying, Ella reluctantly agrees. However, being in close proximity with Jack every day is a temptation she isn’t sure she wants to explore, but one that proves impossible to resist.
Ella is the first-person narrator, so everything is colored by her POV. She’s a very liberated woman who rejects traditional norms. She thought she was happy in her childless relationship with Dane, but she really didn’t know what she was missing until motherhood was thrust upon her unexpectedly, closely followed by her meeting Jack. Although she’s rather resistant to both Luke and Jack at first, they both turn out to be revelations to her. Ella thinks she’s only going to be caring for little Luke until Tara comes home, but by the time that happens, she’s fallen madly in love with him, as well as with the idea of being a mom, and doesn’t want to let him go. Then there’s Jack, who she thinks is everything she doesn’t want in a man, but he turns out to have hidden depths. He gives her the support Dane refused to offer and she discovers an off-the-charts sexual chemistry with him she didn’t even think was possible. Even though Ella is quite a bit different from me personality-wise, I still felt like I generally understood her. Lisa Kleypas does an excellent job with the characterization of someone who had the type of upbringing Ella did, which made her relatable despite the differences in our temperaments.
Jack is one of Houston’s most eligible bachelors who seemingly has a different woman on his arm every week. With his wealth, good looks, and the Travis name behind him, he has no shortage of ladies panting after him. But most of them are only in it for his money or the prestige of dating a Travis. None of them truly know the real Jack. When Ella barges into his office demanding a paternity test, he’s somewhat annoyed but also intrigued. Even though he knows he’s not the father, he’s willing to do whatever it takes to prove it to the stubborn lady, and when he finds out about Dane’s rejection, he doesn’t hesitate to step up to help in spite of having no obligation to do so. He keeps coming around and proves to be quite good with Luke as well, showing that he’s great father material. I particularly loved how supportive he is. Most of the time he’s an easy-going charmer and the “smooth-talker” of the title, but he does have an alpha possessive streak in him that skated a little close to pushing my buttons a couple of times. However, most of the time I really liked him. Despite only seeing him through Ella’s perspective, I got a pretty good sense of who he was, but occasionally I still found myself wishing I was able to see inside his head a little more.
Overall, Smooth Talking Stranger was another great addition to the Travis series. I’m classifying it as women’s fiction as well as romance, because a large part of the story’s focus is on Ella and her problems, as well as her figuring out what she really wants out of life when faced with the possibility that it might not be what she always thought it was. She and Jack are a classic case of opposites attracting, but in spite of their differences they still fit together quite well. I loved Ella for stepping up to the plate to care for Luke, and I loved Jack for his patience and supportiveness. The secondary characters, including all the remaining members of the Travis family, rounded out the cast nicely. The story itself was well-written with my only two small complaints being that occasionally it was a little slow-paced and I did pick up on a lot of repetitious words that a more skillful edit should have caught. The book wasn’t 100% perfect, but it did come close and turned out to be a very pleasant and enjoyable read. I’m now looking forward to learning more about youngest brother, Joe, and seeing what kind of woman it takes to pin him down in the final book of the series, Brown-Eyed Girl.
4.5 Stars
When Ella Varner's sister deserts her newborn, Ella is determined to find the baby's father and force him to take responsibility. She decides to confront the most likely candidate, Jack Travis, who is both surprised and nonplussed to realize that the quirky,
This is definitely the best installment in the series so far. While Sugar Daddy was more a coming of age women's fiction type novel and Blue Eyed Devil focused on some dramatic and angsty issues, Smooth Talking Stranger is straight contemporary romance.
Jack is one seriously gorgeous and HOT alpha, so that fact that he just melts for Ella and baby Luke makes the romance all the sweeter. Ella is a lovely heroine with a great sense of humor. She doesn't just fall all over Jack, but makes him work hard to win her love. Their chemistry is off the charts and their banter is a highlight of the book.
My one small nitpick is that the audiobook narrator, Emily Durante, doesn't have the best Texas accent. Of course, Renee Raudman (the narrator of book #2) is a hard act to follow.
In sum, a delightful and sexy romance and I'm looking forward to listening to Joe's book soon.