Series: Harlequin Blaze | Publication Date: August 1, 2006
Bad Girl Grading System A--Totally bad!!! B--Could be worse... C--Wannabe territory D--Way too nice! F--Give it up, Mattie Brown!
Mattie Brown has always prided herself at excelling at everything. And that's why it's killing her that she scored only 18% on a sex test! But she isn't going to take it lying down. (Well, maybe she will, but that's beside the point.) Her plan--to proposition Cullen Slater, the neighborhood stud, for some hands-on instruction in how to make her sex life sizzle. Too bad it's her cute, nice-guy neighbor Mike Peterson who's lighting her fire....
When Julie was knee-high to a grasshopper (an expression that she would like it known she has never, ever used in real life) she informed her parents that she was going to be a novelist, and proceeded to write Kitty Claws, a bestselling book about a cat as Santa. (The book sold out its entire print-run of one, so lets not split hairs about that "best-selling" thing, okay?)
After that stellar start, Julie continued to dabble in the literary arts, writing short stories on yellow pads that she forced her mother to type, scribbling poems on ruled notebook paper that she forced her mother to type, making up skits and songs that she forced her mother to watch and listen to, and diving head-first into high school journalism, at which point, mom finally got a break.
In college, she continued with the journalism thing, picking that as her major and working at The Daily Texan, the student newspaper for the University of Texas. The idea that she could actually write novels and, oh, buy food too, completely eluded her.
The journalism thing cranked along nicely for about one semester. Then Julie got a job as a production assistant on a movie originally called Splatter, but which was released as Future Kill (and can still be found in Blockbuster and through Netflix), with really great Giger poster art. Julie worked her tail off, appeared as an extra, had a great time, and promptly switched her major to film.
Graduating at the ripe old age of 19, Julie chickened out and didn't move to Los Angeles to become the next Steven Spielberg. Instead, she stayed in Austin and worked as a media assistant until she decided that perhaps law school was the better way to go because, hey, a degree in film slides so seamlessly into law. (Or, more likely, grad school was inevitable and the LSAT seemed doable.) Not one to waste time, Julie took the LSAT in December, and was admitted to Baylor Law School on a full scholarship the following February. Law school and Julie got along great, and after graduation, Julie went to work as a law clerk on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, where she had a fabulous time drafting legal opinions, preparing the judge for court, and taking regular trips to New Orleans on a government per diem. During her two year stint as a clerk, the writing bug bit again, and Julie wrote a stage play that will never, ever see the light of day. Really. So don't even ask.
After her clerkship, Julie decided she could handle moving to the Big City, and she took a job with Skadden, Arps in L.A., where she worked on a variety of cases with some very smart lawyers. After a year, she moved on to smaller and smaller firms (and had a short stint as a production exec at a small film company, thus justifying all those credit hours in college). She continued to work with very smart lawyers, one of whom introduced Julie to Julie Garwood (her books, not the woman herself), and the writing bug bit again.
Though Julie had been dabbling with writing in her limited spare time, she'd lacked focus. Now, she'd found it, and she was determined to write an historical romance. You may, after reviewing Julie's book list, note that there are no historical romances on there. Let's just say that she didn't succeed at that task. Julie did, however, discover that while she has a head for contemporary nuances, the ins-and-outs of historical detail are enough to make her head explode.
The in-progress historical was promptly shelved, and Julie turned her attention to fleshing out a contemporary romance, having decided that category romance was the way to go, since with the demands of a legal job, she'd be much more likely to finish 240 manuscript pages than 400.
Finish them she did, and though she got nice feedback on the voice, the novel didn't sell. One editor, Harlequin's Brenda Chin, returned a rejection letter with a note that the hook wasn't enough of a "sexy premise."
Always up for a challenge, Julie came up with the opening line, "You need a man," which she thought had oodles of sexy premise potential. She just had to find a story to go with the line. Eventually, she did, and Nobody Does It Better, Julie's first published novel, was born. She entered the first few chapters in contests, finaled, and was ultimately judged by that same Brenda Chin, who ended up buying the manuscript. (Which is not the reason Julie thinks Brenda is a really cool person. Truly.)
By that time, Julie had realized that 400 pages were manageable after all, and she'd almost completed a paranormal romance along the lines of The Little Mermaid about a cat who is in love with her master. The Cat's Fancy sold just a few months after the original sale. Both books came out in 2000, along with a second Temptation, and Julie has had at least 3 books hit the shelves annually every since, and now has well over twenty books to her credit, crossing over a multitude of genres, most of which are represented in some way by the clever pictures in the collage at the top of this page.
Praised by Publishers Weekly as an author with a "flair for dialogue and eccentric characterizations," Julie's books have hit lists as varied as USA Today, Waldenbooks, Barnes & Noble, and Locus Magazine, all of which has made Julie a happy camper. Julie is also a two-time RITA finalist, both times for books about strong women (a superhero and a demon-hunter). There's probably some deep meaning there, and if you know what it is, feel free to drop Julie a line.
Julie was also the winner of Romantic Times' Reviewer's Choice Award for Best Contemporary Paranormal of 2001, the winner of the Reviewers International Organization's award for best romantic suspense of 2004 and best paranormal of 2005, and the winner of the National Readers' Choice Award for best mainstream book of 2005. Not that she's keeping track or anything.
Julie writes a range of stories including quirky romances, sexy contemporaries, young adult novels, suspense, paranormal mommy lit, and (soon!) darker urban fantasy.
Her initial foray into the urban fantasy mommy lit genre--Carpe Demon: Adventures of a Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom--proved especially successful, resulting in a Booksense pick, a Target break-out book, other accolades and honors, and a movie deal. Specifically, Carpe Demon, is in development as a feature film with Warner Brothers and 1492 Pictures. Julie frequently pounds on her battered wooden desk (Salvation Army, $25, gotta love it) in order to urge the project from development to screen. (In Hollywood, these things are never certain until you're watching the movie and eating popcorn.)
Julie and her husband moved from Southern California back to Texas in 1995, and Julie quit the practice of law to write full time in 2004. Now, she lives and writes in central Texas with her husband, two daughters, and several cats. She is an active supporter of Love Without Boundaries. Click here to learn more about the charities Julie supports.
This review is from: The Perfect Score (Harlequin Blaze) (Mass Market Paperback)
Its your fairly typical nerdy girl looks to super-model male stud neighbor to improve her dull (as revealed by a magazine 'slut' test she took) sexlife story line. Meanwhile she ignores the sexual vibes coming off of the new neighbor, who although sexy, has nerdiness written all over him. She won't score slut points with that guy and fears she might lose her heart as well. Better stick with trying to bed the model, but things have a funny way of sometimes not working out as she planned.
What I didn't like about this book is that some parts are written in the first person, which I don't particularly care for. I thought that the hero fell in love a bit too quick and didn't fight hard enough to keep the heroine away from the model. The model was a complete airhead and had barley any dialogue, which was really annoying. It seemed like he was no competition at all. The heroine annoyed me the most. She seemed to think it was ok to still pursue the model after she'd slept with the nerd, even though she admitted to herself that she had feelings for him. That just rubbed me the wrong way.
The writting is good and the sex scenes were hot, but ultimately for me the characters weren't as likeable as they could have been. Just an ok book that won't stick in your memory after you've read it.
If you want a great Harlequin Blaze, read Anything For You or Just Dare Me -both are excellent.
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This review is from: The Perfect Score (Harlequin Blaze) (Mass Market Paperback)
Courtesy of CK2S Kwips and Kritiques
Mattie Brown is horrified when she takes on online sex test and scores only an 18%. Being a woman who refuses to fail at anything, she vows to increase her slut quotient by vamping up her sex life. No way is she going to settle for a mere 18%! She wants to blow to the top off of the test. Her perfect candidate to help her experiment with her sex life is next door neighbor Cullen Slater, the model, who is as infamous for his sexual dalliances as he is for his pretty face.
Mattie is also hoping to nail a job as a screen writer for a new reality TV show and she's been practically promised a contract if she can land Cullen for her sexperience project. But if Cullen is the man for the plan, why is it she can't get another neighbor, nerdy Mike Peterson, out of her mind?
While staying true to the extra sensual tone, Julie Kenner adds punch to the story by bringing in a strong dose of humor, giving the book a chick lit kind of impression. The book is kept from being over the top with all the sexperimentation Mattie wants to do by having several scenes provide a dose of comic relief. It's hard to be uncomfortable with graphic detail when laughing over the comedy of the moment.
Mattie Brown is a riot and I just loved her character. Mike Peterson is the perfect example of looks can be deceiving. His bookish demeanor hides a lively personality with a very healthy imagination and a rather large repertoire of sexual experiences sure to make Mattie blush. He is also sweet and charming and always to lend a hand when needed. By contrast, Cullen comes across as a fairly stereotypical "dumb jock/model" though even he has another side he likes to keep hidden, preferring to give women what they expect just by looking at him.
Some additional depth comes into the story through the introduction of Mattie's sister. These two women love each other deeply but have always had a very strong competitive streak. That drive to win provides more conflict for Mattie since she is afraid to let her sister know what she's doing, for fear her sister would try to take up the challenge as well.
I have to admit, I went into The Perfect Score with great hesitancy after my last experience reading a book in the Harlequin Blaze line. I had such a strong negative reaction to the only other Blaze book I've ever read that I was afraid I'd find the same result here. However, I adore Julie Kenner's writing so I know if anyone could make me love a Blaze book, than Julie was the one most likely to do it. I am happy to report that I did thoroughly enjoy this amusing and sexy read. The Perfect Score is a winner for anyone who loves a hot and sexy tale and/or a humorous adventure.
(c) Kelley A. Hartsell, October 2007. All rights reserved.
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This review is from: The Perfect Score (Harlequin Blaze) (Mass Market Paperback)
Mattie Brown fails a magazine sex test (18%) and decides to fix that problem with her cute model neighbor - but instead of attracting the 'cute model' she finds herself spending time with Mike the hot computer geek. When hollywood suggests she write a screenplay about her failing sex test with model a main character - she has too make choice between love and her career!
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