Not my favorite Brayden, but the good thing about that is that it's still much better than a lot of lesfic out there.

I fear I may be growing a bit tired of her formula though. And once again, the witty one liners are teetering very close to the edge of becoming annoying but are not quite crossing the threshold.

Fun characters with underlying serious issues, she's good at that. I just wish her villains were more convincing.

The one thing that does bother me writing-wise is that I feel that all her characters are talking in the same way. I don't think you could pick a line of dialog and assign it to a specific character for grammatical reasons. Not just in one book but across all her books.

But mainly, a joy to read.

I always have that excited anticipation before starting to read a new Melissa Brayden book because to date I have always loved her work! This was no different. I loved the two characters who were fun and likable characters. You always have fun and zany support characters in a Brayden book and this was no different. A great start to the series and I can't wait for book 2.

I liked the start of friendship that was forming with the Seven Shores group. I couldn't help but compare to the bound created by the Soho series and found it wasn't a strong. But I think I need to appreciate this is a different group and one that I think will build as the series continued. I have been pulled in by all the characters and can't wait for each of their stories in the books to come.

Loved it! Can never go wrong with a Brayden book!

Is a one word review acceptable? I thought the book and characters were fabulously presented. Otherwise standard fare that was elevated in quality by the strength of Ms. Brayden's writing and characterizations. The intimate bits were also quite nice to encounter.

Melissa Brayden writes good books that are peppered with interesting characters, witty dialogue, and sweet romances.

This book has all of those things, but for some reason, it just didn't hit the sweet spot for me. I don't know if it was just this book, or that I've never noticed it before, but all of her characters here sounded the same for the most part. There was also so much witty banter that I grew tired of it. I also noticed that she constantly has characters referring to each other by their full names (though this mostly happened with Izzy's name) and it was a bit weird.

The friendship between the four main characters also didn't work for me as well as it did in the SoHo series, because there was no background to it, they were just friends by proximity.

Taylor and Izzy were both good characters, although I admit to liking Izzy more for about 4/5s of the book, because much like her, I was annoyed by Taylor's constant appeasing of Aspen, and it bit her in exactly the way I'd assumed it would. Then right at the end of the book there's a switcharoo, and I really didn't like Izzy, the end sort of made up for it, but in all honesty her choice was barren of any actual backbone or character, and I didn't agree with it.

There's also the issue of the two leads spending a fair bit of time together but not really actually getting to know anything about each other, the reader is told this happens at the mid point when they get together, but it all happens in a few paragraphs, 'off-screen' as it were.

Still, it's a sweet romance for the most part, and there is plenty of amusing dialogue to keep readers entertained. As the entry point for a new series, it was enough to keep me intrigued for the next book. It's probably a 3.5 but I've rounded up because it's Melissa Brayden.

I really liked this book. The author has a unique style with great and interesting characters. I look forward to the other books in this series. There were some errors but not many. She writes well, and seems to know the television industry.

This is a lesbian novel and I prefer to read books by lesbian authors, and this author is married to a man. I often feel a little cheated and lied to when I find that out. Now I know, and I can try to forget about it. I will continue to read her books because they're very good. I do wish her author blurb would tell more about her. I wish authors would be upfront about their non-lesbian status. Then at least I wouldn't feel cheated and lied to. I want to know why they are writing lesbian fiction. Is it just a job to her/them?

I will post this review on Amazon as soon as the book is available.

This book is another incredible romance by Melissa Brayden. It’s written with such wit and grace and lightness, and once again proves why she is one of the best writers in the business.

Isabel Chase has spent most of her career writing and creating short films, which have made her a hit on the film festival circuit, but haven’t landed her in steady work. Her spec script for the hit TV show Thicker than Water lands in the hands of the showrunner, and an interview and a spilled cup of coffee later, she finds herself living in LA and working her dream job. And a steady job. Taylor is the showrunner for Thicker than Water. She’s worked like crazy to get where she is, but ratings are slipping and she’ll do anything to keep the show afloat, even if it means working with her arch nemesis from high school. Isabel and Taylor are hardworking, groundbreaking, talented women, who spend their days writing up a storm, and both trying and failing to fight their attraction for one another. Hollywood is never without it’s special brand of drama. Can Taylor and Isabel be the ones that make it despite the drama?

Wow. Isabel and Taylor. I love Isabel. Gosh she’s so unique and wonderful. I love how she speaks her mind. I love the confidence she has on one hand and I love her insecurities even more. She’s real and she’s awesome. Taylor is a beautiful human being. I love her work ethic and her capacity for love even when it hurts. And together…these two fit together so perfectly. Their personalities, their lives, their hopes and dreams, their creativity, their chemistry, just weave together like the universe had this planned from the beginning of time.

It’s not my absolute fav of Melissa Brayden, especially after Strawberry Summer absolutely destroyed me earlier this year (*hint* please please read that book too), but an absolute treat to read. I felt like the beginning, a lot of it, was a set up for the next few books to come in the series. But truly, Eyes Like Those is a fun, beautiful, and adorable story. It’s like those 90s or early 2000s rom coms that they just don't make anymore - the ones that make you believe in magic and love and all your dreams coming true, when your heart is singing for days after and you wish you could watch a million more movies that made you feel like that. This book is like that. All of Melissa Brayden's books really, are like that. You wish there were a million books that make you feel exactly like the one you just read. They give you so much hope for this world amid hurricanes and politics and disease. They make you believe in magic, and only the best kind.

But! There was also a perfect heart-wrenching amount of angst in this book. I loved it so much.

Once again Melissa Brayden proves herself beyond talented in writing her ensemble cast. From the Seven Shores girls, and, the Cat’s Pyjama folks and the writer folks, to Fat Tony and Raisin. Each character is unique and beautiful and fascinating in their own way. And god help me I have a giant crush on Gia. GIANT. I look forward to each and every story in the upcoming saga.

I also really appreciated the mental health representation. I really appreciated how Taylor and Isabel’s friends helped her and didn’t dismiss her feelings. More than that, I appreciated that the author also highlighted the importance of asking for help, getting help, and finding various methods including therapy or yoga to help. It could be so easy to write a story where everything is perfect in a character’s life, where with a perfect job and perfect friends and perfect girlfriend suddenly makes all your problems go away. A perfect life doesn’t keep cancer away any more than a perfect life can keep mental illness away. The reality isn’t that simple and it takes a lot of work, even when your life is seemingly perfect, to battle your anxiety and panic attacks. It felt real and true and hopefully might help someone who needs help to know that it’s ok to ask for help and to stick with therapy or whatever else you might need. Especially in a romance novel you might not want to get bogged down with serious and reality, and I’m so thankful for this representation. Truly thankful. It helped me and I hope it helps other’s too.

I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I will definitely be buying the paperback as well.

Eyes Like Those is a sweet romantic story. The main characters are strong, likable women who find themselves wanting to be dependent upon each other when their relationship takes on an emotional turn of events. The secondary characters play pivotal roles in this story. Their interactions with the main characters lead to life altering decisions. These secondary characters also have their own interesting sub-stories going on throughout the story.
The plot itself is great, along with the many multidimensional intriguing characters that engages the reader from the first page. But the best aspect of this story has to do with the realistic type of dialogue, with plenty of witty and sarcastic interactions, between all the characters. This took the story to a higher level. The emotional dialogue, both verbal and nonverbal, also added to the depth of this story. A great book that is well worth the time to read!

There are very few authors who have managed to master the perfect formula when it comes to romance, some of them take several years before finally conquering this genre, however, Melissa Brayden has managed to achieve the perfect mix from day one and continues to deliver.
The story flows easily, the characters are relatable and likeable, keeping the Brayden trademark of writing the main and secondary characters in a way that makes you fall for them almost instantly.
Taylor and Izzy are a perfect couple that goes through few hardships before actually getting together, that is one of the things I liked of this book, how the drama did not surpass the story and managed to maintain a light note, similar to the Soho series with a bit of the depth we previously saw on Strawberry Summer.
Secondary characters had their fair amount of time, I cannot wait to read more on the subsequent novels as I noticed some chemistry among them that delved a bit beyond the common friendship, but then again maybe I am jumping a bit ahead of myself due to how much I loved this gang.
This book has the perfect dose of romance, drama and sexiness that will keep you on your toes and make you not drop this book until you reach the end, only to have you craving for more.
This was another win for Melissa Brayden and I guarantee that every time you see her as the author of a romance novel, you will get exactly what you hoped for and more.

Who doesnt love a good book with toe curling kisses and heartwarming romance? Bring along some witty exchange and a great group of friends and we have the makings of yet another winner.

I loved her Soho loft series and this has all the hallmarks of another fantastic series set in Hollywood.

Here, we have a struggling writer who gets a dream job on a TV show set rivalling our very own Greys Anatomy. The diva, the TV executive and the new writer make up for some great drama that has its own unique twists in there. I loved both the characters and pretty much everything in it.

Thank you, Melissa, for another wonderful story.

I always look forward to a new Melissa Brayden novel, and I am even more excited to find out it will be a new series. Book 1 introduces us to a whole new cast of lovable and unique characters centered around a Venice Beach, CA apartment complex. Isabel moves in and is immediately and warmly folded into the crew of residents who meet daily for morning coffee at the local coffee shop or in the evening for drinks on the patio or nearby beach. It's a good thing she's got new friends because she's going to need their advice and support as she navigates her office romance with her boss, Taylor. While the romantic formula is familiar where there's the trials of an emerging love affair, this author has the uncanny ability to chronicle the human condition on many levels. The overriding theme of friendships and the love blossoming from a romantic and platonic aspect as the central theme is observed and lovingly fleshed out between many of the characters. There are moments of laughter and joy, sorrow and despair, overwhelming levity when all seems lost. However, it's the deep character and plot development that's beautifully written and gets you so heavily invested in how these characters will emerge from their experiences. It hooks you decisively into their story and has you laughing at their antics, worried at their toughest moments, and jumping for joy at their triumphs. I can't wait to see what happens next.

I can always count on Melissa Brayden to write something that will make me laugh and walk away feeling good about the time I spent reading her work. This book is like all her others, a must read. The writing and characters are exquisite and the pages turn themselves. I look forward to more in this series. I will be recommending to all my students. Well done.

If reading a novel by Melissa Brayden makes you happy, reading a novel from a series by her takes that to another level. She already proved it and made her readers admire the three friends and their world in Soho Loft. Now she is back with Seven Shores, which will have four books and has already got a head start through the story of Isabel and Taylor.

Isabel just moved to California to pursue her life's goal of writing for a show. She didn't have to think twice when the position as a staff writer was offered to her in the popular and successful TV show. That's where she meets Taylor, the executive producer of the show and Isabel's boss. There are struggles of feelings, post-breakup and work. The plot thickens when all of them come together.

Isabel also meets her new neighbours who turn out to be good friends in a very short time. The beginning of a friendship with people who are gonna be protagonists in the coming books is always fascinating. We will get to know them in detail. The story has a strong theme and all these Hollywood stuff and staff writing was new and interesting to me. The slower pace and the occasional long flashbacks helps in character development.

I recommend this one even if you are new to lesbian fiction. You see these characters who are empathetic, charming and passionate about their work. It's a beautiful romantic story.

Reading a romance novel done to perfection is as enjoyable as savouring a glass of red wine and nibbling on dark chocolate after a rough week at work. Or that first rich cup of coffee you’ve been jonesing for and didn’t even realize. Melissa Brayden is a master of the craft. She understands the formula which has been used effectively in mainstream romance trilogies and quartets for decades. It is a tried and true formula that works. It’s all about relationships and the feels you get when you meet these characters with all their strengths and their flaws. It’s about friendships developed, strong female bonds and delicious chemistry between the mains. Add wit, humour and dialogue that sings. Brayden delivers all this and brings us to our happy place when her characters overcome whatever obstacles she throws at them to reach their HEA. By the time Isabel and Taylor battle through their personal and professional battles we readers are left with melted hearts and sappy smiles on our faces. The answer to the final question in the blurb for this novel, (view spoiler) was perfection.

Looking forward to seeing what is in store for Gia, Hadley and Autumn. I’m sure we will have more wonderful bonfires on the beach, delicious cups of coffee from The Cat’s Pajamas and heartfelt discussions between friends and lovers.

ARC received with thanks from Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley for review.

I love love love Melissa Brayden!!! I love love love this book!!! This book has it all. Isabel Chase and Taylor Andrews are the leading ladies in this book. The setting is Hollywood with all it has to offer. Iz and Tay's relationship develops as a slow burn and when it finally ignites....BOOM!!!!! Autumn, Gia, and Hadley are fantastic supporting characters and I can wait until they all have the lead in their own books. I loved the dialogue in this book.....it was witty, sweet, and dramatic. Aspen.....well...my mom always told me, if you don't have something nice to say don't say it at all. So I won't. She definitely served her purpose. As I reader I didn't like it, but I get it. This is totally on my list of rereads....Melissa Brayden does it again with another fantastic read!!!!

I feel like I’m in the minority of readers when I say this is only the second book I’ve read by this author. Not long ago, I read Strawberry Summer by Melissa Brayden, and wow, did that story blow me out of the ballpark. Therefore, it was a no brainer to grab a copy of this story when it came up for review.

And again, I feel like I’m in the minority when I say it didn’t woe me like Strawberry Summer. Perhaps it’s unfair of me to compare, and don’t get me wrong, this story is phenomenally written, the characters three dimensional and likable, or detestable as was the case with the antagonist.

However, around the 70% mark this story followed a formulaic pattern that has been done over and over again, and I found my mind wandering. This is on me.

I love that pets were included but felt sorry for Fat Tony who dropped off the page, painfully ignored and left to a neighbor to tend to, by the halfway point. Raisin was cute as pie, and the episode when he went missing tugged at my heartstrings.

So, while this story didn’t hit every spot, as with the first book I read by this author, it left an imprint on my heart.

Oh, and the secondary characters were wonderful. I’m picking most readers will want, and get, Gia’s story next. Me, I’d love to know more about Hadley.

Copy provided by the publisher, Bold Strokes Books, via NetGalley.

I love Melissa Brayden and she delivers on this one! I might be bias because I use to work in LA as a writer, so I could relate to a lot the scenes.

Isabelle is so well written and is quirky, funny and loyal. I sincerely love the way she keeps her professionalism and yet her independence in a difficult industry. I can also relate to the doubt a lot of writers have about their work. It runs rampant in the industry.

Taylor is written like a true to life stressed out show runner. It's realistic of the juggling act you have to maintain between your own project and bailing out a network or studio due to some insane show producer tanking a project due to laziness or being unprofessional.

There is terrific chemistry between Taylor & Isabelle. Brayden does a great job to develop the chemistry and the minefields of dating while being a boss & employee.

Love this book and the ending! Highly recommend!

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books for an honest review

A young woman, relatively speaking, of roughly 28-29 years of age dejectedly returns home from work. Ex-work. She’s been fired, yet again. Over fennel. She’s, obviously enough, quite sad. She explains her sadness to Fat Tony, who is her uncle and a gangster. He whacks everyone at the restaurant. The end.

Wait, sorry, Fat Tony is Isabel’s grumpy cat. Not a mobster. So, instead of ‘killing’ everyone who wronged her, the cat attacks her feet. Moments later Isabel’s life turns a completely different direction – her former college friend, wait, no, still friend, her friend from college sets Isabel up with an interview with a television series to be a writer on it. She hurriedly sets things up, gets hired, and promptly dumps coffee onto her new boss. And thus is Isabel meet, and thus is the book started.

As noted, Isabel is rapidly approaching her thirties and has spent her life winning awards at film festivals and . . . struggling mightily to have that actually mean anything (like in her bank account). Basically, what I’m saying is that she has received critical success on short films, but no financial success. Oh, and she has no lover in her life.

Enter . . . Gia, Hadley, Autumn and . . . um, well there’s also Stephanie . . and . . well, a bunch of people who live in Isabel’s cozy apartment building on the beach. Wait, you thought I was going to mention a love interest? Are you sure I haven’t? Right, so, my point is/was: Isabel, unlike her normal nature, instantly finds some friends to hang out with. Plus, she has that great gig on a high rated television show.

Meanwhile, a woman of about 32 has been running a highly rated television show for the past 5 or so years (well, this is season 5, so, past 4 years?). She has no one currently in her life, romantically, but then – she has no time for something like that. She’s run ragged from script meetings, to meetings with producers, to meetings with the budget people, to meetings with the network, to . . . well, you get the idea.

Well, she does occasionally have naked (or at least topless) women in her office (and in her life). Except . . . that’s the ex who won’t stop attempting to prolong the relationship. Taylor Andrews, who I now realize I forgot to name, has learned at least one lesson from her life, well many lessons but one specific one matters for this story, - she’ll never again have a relationship with someone she works with.

Isabel finds Taylor to be gorgeous. Taylor can’t stop examining Isabel’s traits, habits, clothing, and body. Things proceed from there.

This is/was a rather good book here. Good solid plot, great side characters (both those seen as friends off the set, and those on the set), great romance, and, and this one surprised me, great bits of humor. I don’t actually remember if that’s normal or not for a Brayden book. I’d have to go back and look over my reviews, but when I think of a Brayden book I think of well written books with great characters, good romances, and a certain formulistic foreshadowing of key plot points (specifically the key plot point that’ll cause mischief and problems with the budding relationship). Humor? Not an immediate thought that comes to mind.

But this book kept making me laugh, and all the other great points of a Brayden book were also there (unless you think that foreshadowing thing is a great advantage – because that seemed to be missing – which I liked). The ‘point of contention’ seemed logical to the story, and yet wasn’t foreshadowed with large glowing neon arrows.

My mind has suddenly become blank. Why’d that happen? Mmphs.

Right, so – there is a dog in this story, plus a cat. Both have important roles to play, though the dog more so than the cat. Family pops up, but more as an aside – as in, Isabel thinks of her father once or twice. I am not sure Taylor ever had family (okay, yes, her parents were mentioned, but I don’t think they played any role in this book). No kids were harmed in the telling of this story (also, no kids appeared, not even stray ones unrelated to the story).

Sex occurred. Graphically. Sometimes publically.

Right . . . so . . . great book.

Oh! Remembered something: POV? Both main characters have their point of view seen by the reader. Plus, unrelated, this is the first in a series and the second book has already been revealed - and stars Autumn of Cat's PJ's.

Rating: 4.84

September 15 2017

Does anyone still review Melissa Brayden books without saying something along the lines of "she did it again"? 'Cause she did it again. I was somewhat disappointed by the last book she published so the start of this new series has me pretty excited. This is going to be a weird review because I have a lot of feelings but the short version is I loved this book even though nothing about it surprised me a whole lot.

This is typical Brayden, meaning if you've loved her books before, you'll probably like this too. If you didn't like them, though, I doubt this will be the miracle that changes your mind about her writing, because it's not very different than the others. Here's the thing: at this point no one who's read three or more of her books can deny she follows a formula when it comes to the story pacing. I distinctly remember noticing that in the third book of hers I read in a row. In my opinion, though, the formula goes beyond that. I'll talk about the good things first, though.

The good is that my favorite works of hers are the ones about women like these, when it comes to what they work with and where they live. The small town books about small town girls? I didn't really like them as much. My favorites were set in New York, about ambitious artists and competitive businesswomen. So you could say this one is right up my alley with two TV writers in Hollywood. Isabel and Taylor were awesome, passionate about their work and great together. The book was impossible to put down and it seriously amazes me that Brayden always manages this. I read this while listing in my head all the similarities I noticed with her other books that I've read, and I was still captured by the storytelling and the quippy dialogue and the always heartwarming romance.

Now here's where I'll get boring. The other time Brayden wrote a series like this was Soho Loft, and it's well known and liked amongst lesbian fiction readers. So guess what? Brayden's doing it again, and this time what I mean is what I said about her formula going beyond story pacing — she does it with the characters' personalities too. Soho Loft was about four girls, Seven Shores is again about four girls, and their personalities are basically the same. Isabel is Brooklyn — quirky, talented, ridiculously ambitious and a little bit of a mess. Instead of Brooklyn's abandonment issues, though, Isabel's got anxiety, and just like in Kiss The Girl, it's the biggest obstacle in their relationship. Hadley and Gia are Sam and Hunter, easily; Hadley is the hopeless romantic, sweet and optimistic, and Gia is cool and popular and free-spirited. There were a few moments where I wondered if they'll get together like Sam and Hunter did, and I kinda hope so because they were adorable. Last but not least, Autumn is obviously Mallory, the most level-headed of the group. The girls don't all work together but Autumn would sure be the boss if they did. The circumstances are a lot different, but deep down, the girls' dynamic is wildly similar to what Brayden already did in Soho Loft. The Brayden magic is she has me excited about it anyway.

I don't mean for this review to be a list of similarities between the two series so I'm not gonna go into how even Taylor sounds like Jessica Lennox, but this is something I feel the need to be honest about. Long story short, Brayden is a talented writer, but I feel like if she doesn't change it up soon, even her most loyal fans are eventually going to get tired of the same brand of quirky dialogue and the predictable major breakup in every book. For now, they're still a lot of fun to read, though.

If you are a Brayden fan, get this, don't hesitate! If you haven't read Brayden before, well you might as well start now. When a new Brayden book comes out, I have to drop everything and read it. I can count the number of authors I do this with, on one hand. While I read a lot of pure romances, to be perfectly honest, it is not my favorite genre. I much prefer my romance to go with a mystery, or in space, or with dragons. But if every pure romance book was written with the same quality of a Brayden book, I would be the biggest pure romance fan on the planet.

In my opinion, Brayden writes two types of romances. Those a little deeper like Waiting in the Wings and Strawberry Summer, then the more happy, fun romances like the Soho Loft series. I love both types equally, it is hard to pick favorites. This book, is the first in a new series that has that happy vibe. As other reviewers have mentioned, this has the feel of the Soho series, but is out in California. This is book 1 of a 4 book series, and boy it is off to a great start. And while it does have that Soho vibe, I want to make clear, it does not feel recycled. The setting, characters, jobs, it is all new. Brayden is one of the best romance authors out there period, and she doesn't let her fans down.

I have mentioned in the past, I love romances with a small town girl with a big Hollywood star. For whatever reason, that concept works for me. While this is not a small town girl with a Hollywood star, it is with a big time television producer. A similar concept that worked just as well for me.

The two mains in this book are Izzy and Taylor. Both are extremely likeable. I actually had trouble deciding who I connected with more. In the end Izzy won. Izzy is witty and sarcastic and I loved it. Brayden wrote some wonderful, smart dialog for her character. Not only are the characters likeable, but they have a ton of chemistry together. The chemistry is so obvious, and I love that in a romance. But the romance is only a part of the story. The new group of friends Izzy meets, play a great role in this book. Brayden is wonderful at writing secondary characters, each with their own unique personalities. Even though, as a reader, you are learning new names, you instantly remember who everyone is because Brayden makes all her characters come to life.

I don't want to write more about the story and give too much away. I will say, if you are a lesfic romance fan, this book is for you. I recommend it without a doubt. I'm so excited for future books in this series, and I am glad we don't have to wait too long (February is book 2 I believe). I do want to mention, I love the character of Gia, the surfer. I can't wait for her story! Grab this book, you won't be disappointed.

An ARC was given to me by BSB, for a honest review.

Review of Eyes like those by Melissa Brayden.

Disclaimer: I'm a fan of Melissa Brayden, she's at the top of my favourite lesfic authors (see https://lezreviewbooks.wordpress.com/my-top-tens/). Whenever her books are published, I automatically put it at the top of my to-read list. So I might not be completely unbaised in my review but who is it anyway?

Ms. Brayden introduces with Eyes like those, a new book series called Seven shores. But this time instead of New York (as in the Soho loft series), the setting is California. The author trades an advertising agency for a TV show production, skyscrapers for coastal sunsets, Starbucks for an indie coffee shop and midnight chocolate feasts for barbecues on the beach. Despite the obvious differences, she manages again to introduce endearing characters, long lasting friendships and a hot romance. Pure Melissa Brayden at her best.

Overall, another great read that won't disappoint Brayden's fans. Can't wait for the rest of the series. 5 stars.

ARC provided by the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

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