Customer Reviews

Getting What You Want (Stepp Sisters, Book 1)

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Getting What You want by Kathy Love
October 11, 2004

Courtesy of WWW.LOVEROMANCES.COM

GETTING WHAT YOU WANT by Kathy Love is part of a trilogy of books centering on the Stepp sisters. In this novel, Abby is the main character, returning home to Millbrook, Maine, for a temporary job assignment with Rand Corporation. Her sister, Ellie, the local librarian, still lives in Millbrook in the home that belonged to their grandmother, the woman who raised the three sisters, while Abby left town years ago and had been working in Boston as a scientist.

Abby has dreaded coming home. She has bitter memories of their childhood and the classmates who constantly made fun of the three sisters. Abby left home never expecting to return, and now she is about to face her hometown once more for the sake of a job. It is only for a few months, and she loves her career so much that it was worth returning home.

Barely back in town, Abby and Ellie are about to order a meal at the Afternoon Delight when someone from the past recognizes Abby. It's Chase Jordan, whom Abby had such a crush on back in high school, but being the class nerd, no one had paid any attention to her back then, except to taunt and tease. She didn't think Chase would even remember her.

When Chase sees Abby, he is astounded at how beautiful she has become. But he still views her as the stuck up girl he remembers from high school. Abby, on the other hand, is so choked up she can barely speak. She still has feelings for Chase, but thinks he would never feel the same way for her. She still sees herself as the insecure girl from the past. Besides, she has a boyfriend back home, Nelson, who she feels is her perfect life partner. She will not betray Nelson and decides that she can never act upon this crush she has for Chase.

Later that week, Abby attends a party at her boss's home, and finds that many of her old classmates are there as well. It's not a very comfortable situation for her, thinking they will ridicule her as they did when they were kids. While her former classmates welcome her back to town, Abby finds it difficult to feel the same friendly feelings towards them. Chase again notices her rude behavior, and gets the impression that she feels she's better than the rest of them.

After an embarrassing altercation with one of her former classmates, Abby cannot wait to leave the party, and as she finds her way to her car, she hears Chase trying to start up his old truck. Abby seeks him out. This chance encounter allows Chase to see a different side of Abby, and he wants to get to know her better. He asks her out on a date, but Abby tells him she has a significant other, and says she can only be a friend to Chase, nothing more.

As the two get to know each other as "friends", both have a hard time holding back their feelings. Abby questions whether she should be loyal to Nelson, or move on with Chase. And Chase finds that the more he gets to know Abby, the more he likes her as a person.

This reviewer was pleasantly surprised with GETTING WHAT YOU WANT. It was more than just a romance, and while a lot of romances only touch on the "relationship" aspect and "getting there", this novel went into the dynamics of the relationship, comparing Abby's feelings of isolation and loneliness as a child, to Chase's feelings of insecurity as a man. Many romances often only explore the here and now, but in GETTING WHAT YOU WANT, the romance novel becomes a little bit more complex. It was interesting how the author worked this part of the story into the romance, and it worked out quite well. Along those same lines, it's the characters that make a romance work, not necessarily the situation, and the author did a good job developing not only the protagonist and the leading man, but also the minor characters were developed into three dimensional people that "felt real". GETTING WHAT YOU WANT comes highly recommended.

Most romance novel heroes have a bit of everything....looks, charm, bad boy tendencies, and a bit of reformation in store for them. Chase Jordan has all that and more. He is the best hero that I've read for sometime. I kinda have a crush on him (a fictional character no less!)

This is one of those books that everyone who's ever been to high school can relate to. High school is such a difficult time. Clicks, out of place teens, popular students, geeks, athletes, labels...yuck. This book dives right into these tough memories as the smart, geeky, valedectorian Abby Stepp returns to Millbrook, Maine to do some research and is living next to her high school crush (the popular badboy)!

Abby has a lot of forgiving to do. She was poorly treated in high school and has many hard and hurt feelings surrounding her treatment. Chase also has difficult memories and regrets his behavior from high school. The question is "can he get Abby to forgive and forget".

I loved this book. It was deeply sensual but emotional as well. Both Abby and Chase have work to do...accepting themselves for who they are and learning how to love each other and themselves. I found myself devouring this book with a silly grin on my face the whole time. Chase is such a gentleman and a GENTLE MAN. He is the stuff dreams are made of, and when Abby's dream comes true, I for one was cheering on the sidelines.

Read this one!

This is the book for you. But this book is just an all around great book. I couldn't put it down. Read it in two days. I loved Abby. She was a nice woman who could not get over the hurt in the her past. Chase was a dream guy. He was willing to stay with Abby and help her open up to him and the other people in town. I really can't wait to read Kathy Love's next book in this series. This is a first for me because I usually read one or two books from a series, but I want to read all of them. All of the sisters are people I can relate to. More books should be like this. I am so sick of reading books where the heroine and hero are perfect or one of the main characters are. Nobody is perfect and that should always be reflected in books,esp. romance novels.

Kathy Love's debut novel is a warm, witty, funny, sexy read that had me turning pages late into the night. I loved Abby, a woman who's tried to escape her unhappy past by retreating into a world of intellectual certainties. She's deluding herself, of course, but that makes her even more likeable.

Chase is just about the sexiest thing ever--not only because he's criminally good-looking, but because he's kind and talented and vulnerable.

Love has an effortless way of creating character--the hero and heroine are convincingly drawn but she can evoke secondary characters' personality in just a line or two. The book is full of laugh-out-loud one-liners, but never at the expense of emotion or warmth. And as a Maine native, I loved the way she managed to capture the charm and the stresses of life in small-town New England.

I'm looking forward to the rest of the Stepp sisters' stories!

I first read Kathy Love's vampire books, 'Fangs for the Memories' and 'Fangs but no Fangs'. I thoroughly enjoyed them and decided to read this contemporary series of hers. I must say I am glad I did; this was a fast read, with witty dialogue and likable characters. The romance was sweet and unfolded very smoothly. I love that this story was about ordinary people overcoming every day problems and finding love. I can't wait to read about the other two Stepp sisters.

I finished reading all of Kathy Love's vampire series books and was happy to have found her Stepp sister's trilogy. I have purchased, but have not yet read the last two books, but I'm sure I will not be disappointed as I really enjoyed this book. For me, I was able to relate with the characters immediately (who didn't have a crush on a boy in high school that you thought you could never get?). Fun, easy read and I highly recommend her other books.

High school can either be one of the greatest of your life or it can be Hell on Earth...for Abby Stepp it was complete Hell. Born poor and incredibly intelligent she was constantly ridiculed for her intelligence. The subject of many cruel names and jokes,she believes that she'll never have the one person she truly wants: Bad boy Chase Jordan. So imagine her surprise when she returns to Millbrook to find she's the object of his affections.

Chase Jordan was Millbrook High's classic bad boy. Good looking with a huge chip on his shoulder,getting any girl he wants. Never did he think he would find Abby Stepp the attractive woman she today. After each meeting,he's consumed with thoughts of her...Can the bad boy of Millbrook keep a huge secret from the intelligent woman he's growing to love?

I loved this book so much. It was a great story of how people can change and how time can heal old wounds. If you're a fan of the underdog you will definitely love this series about the Stepp sisters. Awesome job,Kathy Love...you've got yourself a new fan.

I picked up this book because I really enjoyed her Fang books. But I was really taken back by the hero. Not an issue you have read about much if at all. This is the first of three and each Hero seems so real. Pick up all three WANT books and enjoy stepping into the Stepp sisters lives and getting to know three very different (new views and "men")heroes.

Wonderfully funny and sexy all at the same time. You can relate to the characters in the whole series. A Must read!

I have to give a shout out to Mrs. Kathy!!! Love her books all of them read them you will love her work!!!