Release Date: January 7, 2014 (Already released.)
Number of Pages: 286 (Kindle edition)
Description from Goodreads:
Finding the perfect guy is like mixing the perfect drink. It's all about the taste and presentation.Buy Links: Amazon | B&N
Maddy's gone off the deep end, at least that's what her family thinks when she handles her med school rejections by moving to the Outer Banks. It doesn't help that she's paying her bills by bartending and is sharing walls with two guys, even if one of them is her childhood best friend.
Her choice of men seems more balanced on the surface—Colin is driven, sexy, and gainfully employed, but she can't help spending her Thursday nights searching for the perfect drink for Lyle, whose music captivates her with its haunting lyrics. Maddy believes everyone has a perfect drink—and finding Lyle's isn't a challenge she's willing to lose.
I thought by the description and the quirky cover that I would love this book, and while I did enjoy it, I didn't end of loving it like I thought that I would. There were certain parts of the book that I absolutely loved, but unfortunately they were overshadowed by several parts that just drove me crazy.
As far as characters go, I actually really enjoyed the main character, Maddy. I thought that she was hilarious, and I absolutely adored the relationships that she had with her two male roommates, Macon and Brody. I loved that she was able to have such strong friendships with both guys, and their teasing banter was fantastic. It brought a really light aspect to the book that made it easy to get absorbed in...unfortunately it was bogged down by the actual romantic relationship in the story.
Oh, Colin. I actually liked Colin most of the time, and when I didn't like him it was usually because Maddy twisted what he did in a way that made him extremely unlikeable. Somehow, Colin was portrayed as both sexy and boring simultaneously throughout the book. On their first date, Maddy is pretty much "meh" about him the whole time, and while she concedes he's attractive, she doesn't really leave you wanting to see a lot more of him. He did get more attractive, and Maddy definitely thinks he's hot...but it wasn't really the best way to get us to like him from the start. Their relationship was also riddled with problems. He worked constantly, then he'd ignore her or something worse, they'd argue...she'd leave, and she'd ignore him...he'd suck up and say something cheesy, and then they'd make up...usually by having sex...and that happened several times throughout the book. Pretty much any time things were tough between these two...they had sex. No talking, no communication to actually fix their issues once and for all...just solved it with sex. It's no wonder that their issues kept cropping back up.
Now, that I've ranted about the fact that all of their relationship drama could've been solved by one simple conversation, I did enjoy their banter when they weren't arguing...and they did have some crazy chemistry, so I could understand Maddy's desires, but I just felt like so much of the conflict in this book was pointless. I loved when we got to see them actually be together, and I loved seeing Maddy get more involved in Colin's life, too. I also loved her friends Macon and Brody, but I was bothered by Colin's dislike towards them...I get that he'd be jealous her best friends were guys, but yet again it was something that was obviously bothering him, but was never brought up. Pretty much all of my issues simply tied in to the lack of communication between Colin and Maddy, and sadly, I never really felt like that was wrapped up by the end of the book.
Overall, Shaken Not Stirred is a quick read, and while I did dislike how certain elements of the relationship were handled, I did enjoy reading it. I would recommend it more for a light read, and I'd say it's worth reading just for the snarky lines and fun banter between characters, but don't take it too seriously and you might enjoy it more than I did. I honestly did love all of the friendships in Shaken Not Stirred, and I enjoyed Colin and Maddy's relationship for the most part. This book also did end in a way that kept me smiling...and that's always a good thing. :)
Here are a couple of other bloggers' reviews on Shaken Not Stirred:
Fabulously Girly Book Blog - 3 Stars
Nicely Phrased - 4 stars
Fic Central - 5 stars
What do you think?
Have you read Shaken Not Stirred?
If you have, what did you think?
If you haven't, does it sound like a book you would like?
Maddie's relationship with her friends sounds like something I would enjoy. Although I tend to get really cranky when people in a relationship don't communicate well (Allegiant...).
ReplyDeleteYa, I think you'd feel similar to me on this one, Megan. You'd love the friendships and banter, but you'd definitely be frustrated with the poor communication. Who knows though, maybe you'd enjoy it more than I did. :P
Deletethis sounds cute although it hasn't totally grabbed my attention. i was just looking at your blog and thinking you need to update your header though ;)
ReplyDeleteIt was cute! haha and put the puppies in it?? I guess I could! I had a designer do it, but I could probably manage to add them in. Maybe I'll do that. I'm not sure though! I don't want to add them and then have us end up giving them away...then I'd be sad whenever I looked at it. And I put Ranger in it, even though he's gone. I like that he's still remembered on my header. :)
DeleteOh! No wonder your blog looks so spiffy haha. I was thinking I should pay you to update mine. Although you had done a fantastic job on your own before. Haha yes I meant the puppies, although only the ones you are keeping :P I think it's sweet you still have Ranger there, I just thought the puppies might feel neglected ;)
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