I read and loved Dating By the Book last year, so decided it was time to read Mary Ann Marlowe's backlist. This one just... didn't even feel like the same author. I thought for sure I'd love this, but it was just missing something for me. I didn't like how quickly the romance progressed because I just couldn't believe it.

I didn't think I could love anyone more than Adam, but Micah... Dear, sweet, Micah. Loved this book. Hate that I took so long to review it. Either way, Ms. Marlowe is a definite 1-click author for me.

Mini review:

DNF

I received this E-ARC via the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was excited to read this! Unfortunately it wasn’t for me.

I really enjoyed the beginning! Yet as I read on I started losing interest. Didn’t like the plot or the characters.

Still recommend.

Josie Wilder is not cut out to work for the paparazzi. Her boss is an ass that skews anything she submits and she’s not vicious enough to get the good dirt on people. She takes amazing photographs but according to her boss that’s nothing without a quote to go with it. She’d love to quit but she needs her health benefits because she’s has diabetes.

Micah Sinclair is a rock star who loves the press. No one ever really gets dirt on him because he’s always so open and transparent. He’s had “girlfriends” in the past but the word is that he always lets them go.

When Jo and Micah meet it’s pretty great but there’s constantly miscommunication. Jo thinks that Micah only invites her places so that she can take pictures. Micah knows that Jo is a paparazza so therefore always invites her to bring her camera along – anything to get the girl there. Because of this misunderstanding it takes them a while to get close but when they do break through it’s really good. Unfortunately Jo’s job and boss might get in the way of their happily ever after.

A Crazy Kind of Love was a cute book. I hadn’t read the first book in the series but didn’t necessarily feel like I needed to in order to read this one. Sure, it includes characters from the previous book that play a large part in this book but the author did a great job of incorporating them and I think this book can easily stand on its own.

I really liked both Micah and Jo in this story and of course the secondary characters, Eden, Adam, Zion and Adrianna were excellent as well. In fact, I might have liked the secondary characters better. The romance between Micah and Jo faltered a little for me. The misunderstanding between Micah and Jo lasted too long for my liking and when they finally got together, I didn’t feel the pull between them as strongly as I wanted to. In the ending it was a satisfying, fun read, but not too deep.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

This started off really fun, but then it got ridiculous. Her diabetes took over when it hadn't before. Micah was cute and genuine and then he was too perfect. The last 30% was beyond predictable. Chemistry was lacking and sex scenes weird.

Her Indian heritage and dad were pointless...

2 Stars

Jo Wilder isn't the best at taking pictures of celebrities in her job as a member of the paparazzi, but it's the only job where she earns enough money to pay her rent. However, when she helps Micah Sinclair, she doesn't realize the stranger she helped is actually one of rock legends bad boys before it's too late to get a good snapshot. However, when Micah starts pursuing her for reasons Jo's not sure whether she can trust, Jo gives him a chance anyway. Will Jo get the opportunity of a lifetime, or will she find he's using her for his own personal gain because he needs some free PR?

This is the first book I've read by Ms. Marlowe, and It's a book that I absolutely loved because Jo isn't your typical paparazzi in the way she doesn't want anything to do with celebrities or shooting saucy photos of them that go viral. However, Micah opens her eyes up to a whole new way of using her talents and I liked that she did give him a chance, despite the fact that being with him could blow up in her face. Will things end badly for her when it comes to her and Micah?

With the way this story started, it had me liking the heroine immediately, as she does the best she can. However, she isn't cut out to be a member of the paparazzi and it shows through everything she does for Micah and those he cares about. I also liked the obstacles Jo and Micah faced on their journey to happy ever after, as secrets have a way of coming out and when few people know what someone is hiding it's easy to play the blame game. Will Micah be able to put his trust in Jo or will he ruin the best thing that's ever happened to him -- a chance at happy ever after?

As for the dialogue, it was intense due to the main characters back stories, especially that of the hero, which is why he's so protective of his privacy and needs Jo. Will the heroine do right by Micah? Will Jo get the sort of story that will put her in her boss's good graces? Will putting her trust in Micah come back to bite her? Moreover, I really liked the fact that the heroine isn't your typical paparazzi in being always up in a celebrity's business and determined to get the elusive shot everyone wants. I also liked how she handled herself when it came to being part of Micah's world, because it gave her the opportunity to decide what she wanted to do with her future. I also liked the decisions the heroine made throughout this book, as she discovers there's more to life than paying the rent like love and happiness.

Overall, Ms. Marlowe has delivered an exceptional read in this book where opposites attract; the chemistry between this couple was powerful; and the ending had me so happy for these two, especially after what happens to make their relationship go awry. Luckily, one of them is determined to make things right since that person was in the wrong. I would recommend A Crazy Kind of Love by Mary Ann Marlowe, if you enjoy women's fiction / Chick-Lit stories, the opposites attract trope, or books by authors Robyn Neeley, Kira Archer, Sariah Wilson and Katie McCoy.

Such a fun, flirty, feel-good story. I loved Micah and Jo. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough and stayed up late finishing this. I also loved getting to see Adam and Eden (from "Some Kind of Magic")!

This was a super cute romance novel that was a nice break from my typical thriller reading. Jo and Micah were such a sweet couple. Jo is a paparazzi photographer and Micah is a bad boy rock star. Jo hates her job but needs the pay check and health insurance. Micah is super flirty and known to be a "media whore" but Jo hopes that's not true when they are pushed together by a chance meeting. 4 stars!!
Thank you to Netgalley for this advanced reader copy.

Jo moves to New York to work at a job she really isn’t cut out for. She is photographing celebrities as paparazzi. However, she really isn’t sure who is a celebrity unless they are really famous, and Jo hates the intrusive nature of her job. Her best friend since college, Zion, helped Jo get the job and he lives with Jo. Zion made a promise to Jo’s mom to look after Jo. Joe suffers from Diabetes and Zion is Jo’s saviour more than once. Jo’s boss is Andy, a cut-throat manager who doesn’t care whose lives he disrupts or destroys. He takes any insignificant picture and produces stories that are sensational, but not always factual.

While Jo is trying her best to capture a shot of Maggie Gyllenhaal with her two daughters, Jo is blocked by a tall, handsome man with a sense of humour. He introduces himself as Micah and offers Jo to climb on his shoulders to get the shot he initially messed up. At the end of this encounter, the two exchange their business cards. It was when she went back to the office, that she discovered that her knight was THE Micah Sinclair, brother to Eden Sinclair. Both are newsworthy! Andy decides to send Jo to stake-out a private party where he hoped Jo would be invited in assuming Micah would be in attendance. And the plan worked! Micah recognizes Jo and she’s invited to be his date at the party.

Micah’s sister doesn’t trust Jo, but she makes a deal to review any pictures taken at the party before allowing Jo to submit them to Andy. Building a trust with Micah and his sister is very important to Jo, highlighting to Andy that she really is not cut out to be paparazzi. The job is very important to Jo as she needs the salary and health benefits to pay for her diabetes meds and test equipment, so Jo keeps trying to fulfill the requirements of her job, while really wishing to do a different type of photography as a career.

Micah pursues Jo, until they both recognize they love each other and their love is going to stay. My favourite part of this book was near the end, where everyone plots against Andy who has basically fired Jo and used her illness to disparage her in the tabloids.

This was a fun, fairly quick read. The highlighting of the Diabetes disease throughout the book is enlightening. It’s refreshing to have the main character have an issue that they have lived with and will live with for the rest of their lives.

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Wickedly funny, with great wordplay and banter. Marlowe knows her romance tropes (and how to turn them on their heads to make them ever unpredictable without making parodies of them.)

ARC provided by Netgalley

A real meet cute: while trying to get a photo of a famous actress, Jo, a new-to-the-job paparazzi photographer in NYC asks for help from a cute guy she doesn't recognize, sitting on his shoulders and flirting all in the aid of getting the shot. Said guy, though, turns out to be Micah Sinclair, a famous rock musician, and Jo is ribbed unmercifully by her colleagues, including her gay roommate, for not recognizing the famous guy right in front of her face. Micah gradually draws Jo into his world, leaving Jo struggling to reconcile the demands of her job with the respect she feels she owes Micah and his friends and family, as well as to worry over whether Micah is really as nice as he appears to be, or if he is only using her to get himself more publicity (something that we as readers don't really know either, since the novel is told entirely in the first person from Jo's viewpoint). Jo's also dealing with her diabetes, her estrangement from her famous photojournalist father, her feeling of not fitting in because of her mixed race heritage (her father is from India, her mother is white American), and her own desire to take photos of everyday people rather than the rich and scandalous.

One big downside: it was pretty impossible to believe that Jo would ever have gotten a job as a paparazzi photographer. You pretty much knew from the start that she wouldn't stay in that job, and that her boss, and the paparazzi in general would come off as the villains. Still, a fun read, with a rather unusual puppy-dog friendly mid-thirties rock-star hero.

Contemplative. This romance made you think and contemplate so, so much. It felt compelling and interesting from cover to cover.

Josie is a Georgia girl who moved to New York to make her name as a photographer, living with her best friend Zion: and both work for a tabloid as paparazzi. Josie knows she’s not cut out for the job – the constant intrusion into celebrity lives, her despicable boss, and the fact that she recognizes few (if any) B and lower list celebs don’t help. But, she needs the paycheck and the health insurance, so she is trying. When on an assignment to capture a picture of a celeb out and about in the city with her children, she’s set for the perfect shot – until it’s disrupted by a gorgeous and charming man, and while her own shots are ruined – she’s featured on another site siting on his shoulders to get the shot.

Enter Micah, a rock star and publicity hound with a reported string of women in his past, a sister who is currently the focus of Josie’s boss, and an interest in Josie. She’s not immune to his charms despite everyone telling her that she is being used, or should use her new access to Micah to bring in the next big scoop. The two start a tentative friendship that is very flirty, and Josie isn’t all that sure that Micah is there for her or the boost she can bring to his career. From access to a ‘celeb party’ to secrets shared – she’s torn between wanting to keep the trust and secrets entrusted to her and her boss’ constant pushing, prodding and demands for more. Can this possibly work out in a way no one gets hurt?

Josie is wonderful if a touch naïve to the cutthroat world of celebrity gossip. A good photographer who loves to capture the candid photos of people – ordinary people, and she doesn’t want to lose herself or become one of her soul-dead coworkers. When you add in Zion, and his commitment to care for her and watch out for her health, always there to talk her through situations, and a new interest in her from her father, gone some years from her life returning to India – she’s got more than just work stress and diabetes to manage, particularly when this ‘thing’ with Micah turns into a Thing. For his part – Micah is pretty open and easy-going – flirtation is in his bones, but commitment is a gene that Josie (and everyone warns her) is missing. Micah is an optimist with little to hide – he’s not exactly courting the press attention, but he doesn’t run from it – a problem when he and Josie start to appear linked in stories.

Instantly engaging – Josie is a wonderful character with all of the questions and worries that someone new to the gossip rags should have – and her love for Zion and the tentative steps toward a friendship with Micah’s sister Eden, and their conspiring against her boss are clever and fun – she’s a character that has things she worries about, has her moments of insecurity and worry, and wants desperately to pursue her own art. Micah is the uber romantic – a bit of an exuberant puppy, he is a genuine caring soul as evidenced by Oscar and Felix, and his instant attraction to and caring for Josie is sweet, even as her boss and the industry try to pull them apart. A wonderful introduction to this writer and her stories – I’ve got to get the first in this series to get Eden’s story – and I hope that Zion’s is next.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.


Review first appeared at <a href=”https://wp.me/p3OmRo-9wn/”> <a> I am, Indeed </a>

It took me a little to get into this one but once I did, I was IN. This was a nice, light romance with an interesting story line. I loved the chemistry between the characters and the side characters were all well drawn and had depth. It was interesting to think about the paparazzi angle and how it must feel to be a person who does that for a living. I really enjoyed everything about this one. So cute and memorable! I enjoyed the fact that this one was heavy on the sweet stuff and didn't have the usual angst and difficulty that many romances have. It was simply a love story with an interesting plot wrapped around it. Very good book!

I was intrigued by this book because I am a photographer and I work with some famous kids (sometimes). So I was excited to read this book.
Jo is a photographer just like her father. As a Paparazzi her heart is not in her job as she is not wanting to hurt those she is taking photos of. Out on the job, she is blocked and then charmed by a guy (Micah) .. their path keeps crossing and soon they are falling for each other.
With a little twist - Micah is a the lead in a rock band making him a target for upcoming shots.
Add in love and this book has you flipping pages to find out what will happen next.

This is a great book with a wonderful story and well developed characters. The story flowed very well and was very enjoyable. This book will keep you reading long into the night and you will not want to put this book down until you finish. This was such a great read and full of surprises. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader’s copy of this book. The free book held no determination on my personal review.

Josephine/Jo was paparazzi. Jo’s boss was Andy. Jo had two cameras across her chest bandito style when she surprisingly came across someone famous-Maggie Gyllenhaal with her two daughters. As Jo went to take the pic of Maggie and her girls when a red blob in front of her camera. And it turned out to be a gorgeous man but he had ruined her shot. The man introduced himself as Micah and offered and then had her get on his shoulders for another chance but Maggie noticed her and took off in the opposite direction. Then Micah asked for Jo’s card and gave her his. After she went back to the office she found out that she had been talking to Micah Sinclair. -Theater Of The Absurd who was a sought after commodity. Jo had been hunting celebrities for a couple months now. Jo needed to get some pictures before Andy fired her. Andy sent Jo to be outside where a A Lister party was being held. Micah showed up and recognized jo and invited her to be his date and come inside to the party. Adam Copeland was a huge rock star was playing his guitar and singing just like an everyday guy at a party. Micah gave Jo a ride home and kissed her but jo was type A diabetic and was having an episode of low sugar and she left him on the sidewalk as she hurried into her house and called Zion for help and he carried her up into their apartment and got her a juice box then a banana to bring her glucose levels back up to normal. Zion was her roommate and best friend and he took care of her when she needed help like now. But Jo ran into Micah again and eventually they started going out. But then Micah told her he loved her and Jo didn’t believe in love at first sight and barely believed in love at all. She didn’t want to be hurt and she wondered when Micah would dump her as he had so many others before her as Micah was known to be a man-whore.
I absolutely loved this book. I didn’t want to put this down and only put this down for some sleep. It was a fun, good, enjoyable romance. I loved the fact that even though Eden hated paparazzi she grew to trust and care for Jo. I loved Jo and Micah together. I loved how Micah worried about her diabetes. I also loved how the author put this disease in her book and portrayed it and what a person went through. I couldn’t find anything I didn’t love about this book and that was great I. loved the plot and the pace also. I loved Eden’s desire for revenge for what Andy had done to her. I was happy when Jo finally quit working for Andy. I loved the characters and the ins and outs of this book and I highly recommend.

A fun, fluffy read with a whirlwind romance that not even I could keep up with. Too bad real relationships dont work this way.

Jo Wilder is a tabloid photographer whose reluctance to exploit celebrity lives may lead to her unemployment if she doesn’t develop a tougher skin. When a much-needed celebrity sighting is interrupted by a bystander, Jo tries to be angry but he is far too handsome and charming for her to hold her ire. When she later learns he is the Micah Sinclair, the current bad boy of rock, she wants to kick herself for yet once again missing the shot. But soon Micah is stalking her, wanting a different kind of exclusive. Jo has heard the rumors that Sinclair is a media junkie who chases publicity and fears she is the one being used but can’t resist the chemistry between them. As she and Micah grow closer, she discovers that fame carries its own problems when she suddenly finds herself on the other side of the lens.

When I first picked this story up, I had no idea that it was the 2nd book in loosely arranged series. No worries though, Marlowe offers enough background to make this a comfortable standalone read. I adored the premise of this story; a reluctant paparazza meets and falls in love with a notorious rock musician. The story opens with an entertaining meet cute. Our heroine is chasing down a money shot when she is camera-blocked by a very good looking man. Some flirty dialogue and amusing initial misunderstanding set the stage for what looked to be a fun and sexy rom com.

Celebrities, tabloids, and trust are the base of this story. Marlowe asks through her heroine just how much of a celebrity’s life is the public entitled to? Getting the inside scoop on a gossip-fueled tabloid is interesting as we see the hustle, bustle, and the ethical issues that arise. Add in an uncertain romance and some internal angst and you have a winner. Or you should have. While the story starts out strong with an engaging bumbling heroine having a crisis of conscience, it’s energy gradually weans and the flow of the story becomes more choppy as Marlowe seems to have trouble maintaining the balance.

Jo Wilder is a photographer who works for a tabloid. Jo hates stalking celebs and is terrible at it but her need for health insurance trumps all. Meeting Micah Sinclair is both a blessing and a curse. His star power could make her career but she is uncomfortable with the thought of using him. A growing attraction between them also confuses her because she’s unsure if he wants Jo the woman or Jo the photographer.

Micah Sinclair is a flirty charismatic rockstar whose cult-like childhood more than prepared him for the rigors of fame. Thought to be a publicity chaser, Jo soon learns he is a genuine guy who befriends the press in hopes it helps to keep them off his equally famous but less tolerant sister, Eden, who is the heroine of book one. I liked Micah though it was hard to get a good handle on him because the story is told in the first person and every character in here orbits around Jo. Micah does everything possible to get through to Jo but her guilt over her job and her other insecurities set up wall after wall between them.

Jo had so much room to grow in the story but her indecisiveness, daddy issues, and victimhood weigh her down. She constantly needs saving in form or fashion. She takes one step forward and four steps back. She’s in her 30s but acts more in her early 20s and there is a lack of clarity and focus in her life. Low self-esteem and insecurity are magnified and excused throughout the book by her medical and abandonment issues. She blames her father for her lack of direction while subconsciously courting his approval. Her roommate plays the dual roles of keeper and best friend as he helps Jo keep her diabetes under control. While I understand type one diabetes is unbelievably hard to control, Jo seems almost willfully disobedient in her own self-care.

A personable secondary cast helps to add depth and contrast to the story. Eden, Micah’s sister, is a strong presence in the background that reminds every one of the intrusive nature of the press. Zion, Jo’s bestie, is a vibrant addition to the story and his small romance was quite potent in its development.

Lightweight and predictable, we know early on what is the end goal. Jo must learn to stick up for herself to her opportunist boss and walk her own path regardless of her father’s approval. While the romance is the main factor of the story, it also acts as the catalyst that forces Jo to make some major decisions concerning her life. As Jo and Micah explore their attraction, Jo struggles with her self-worth as she is catapulted into the spotlight.

While A Crazy Kind of Love fails to deliver all it promises, it’s a fast and easy read that requires no commitment.

Grade: C-