Screwdrivered (Cocktail #3)

I got this a couple days ago at a bargain price. It\’s a fun romantic comedy and, although I\’m not the target age for a romance such as this, it\’s enjoyable and I\’m glad I found it when the price was less expensive. The heroine here is Viv(ian)Franklin, software engineer, latent artist, and math whiz like the rest of her family. Viv designed an app that has allowed her the independence to form her own company, a decision protested by the rest of her family who all work at the very successful computer company owned by the father. When Viv learns that she is sole heir to the property of her late Aunt Maude in Mendocino, CA, she sets out to have a look. Will she keep it? Will she sell it? It must be said here that Viv has had boyfriends and casual sexual encounters but has never been in love. But she is a romantic who\’s addicted to romance novels and now feels as if she is the heroine in her very own romance. She arrives to find that the once-beautiful property she remembered as a girl has been neglected and has deteriorated and needs a lot of repair. She also arrives to find oh-so-sexy cowboy Hank, part-time employee taking care of the barn and animals, usually sans shirt. He looks like a six-packed, hunky romance novel cover hero. She is lust-struck. Let the romance begin, she thinks. She also meets Clark, town librarian and historical society head, who is in charge of making sure that local historic homes such as the one Viv has inherited retain their authenticity. The house needs a lot of work. Viv and Clark clash on what she can and can\’t do as she repairs and remodels. It must also be said here that somewhat nerdy Clark has hidden depths that are uncovered little by little. This is a fun story. I even enjoyed the parts about cleaning out packrat Maude\’s junk and the work done to clean and fix up the house. And it\’s enjoyable to watch Viv lust after sexy Hank while slowly developing a relationship with Clark at the same time. I also appreciated that, although there are several sexy scenes, they are almost all in Viv\’s head or dreams, as she lusts after a dream man who looks like Hank… at least at first. In general, I\’m not fond of CRs, especially of the New Adult variety, which has too much emphasis on sex and little relationship development. This romance has a more mature H and h and was well-balanced, favoring relationship growth over sex scenes.

Screwdrivered is the third book in the Cocktail series by Alice Clayton. I absolutely adored reading this series and just loved this book, the heroine was fun and sassy. This book is laugh out loud funny as only Alice Clayton can. Alice Clayton has delivered another amazing addition to the Cocktail series a book with characters who will keep you on your toes and have you swiping pages wanting to know more. The banter and sexual chemistry our heroine has with her male interests will have you laughing out loud. We meet Viv earlier on in the series, she was the firecracker from Simon\’s High School reunion. She\’s a software designer who loves to travel, she can work from anywhere thanks to the luck of having her own company. After her great aunt dies and leaves her an amazing home in California she decides to take a risk, and a new adventure… The first man she meets is a sexy cowboy, Hank, he leaves a bitter first impression. All he gives her are a few grunts here and there when she tries to make an effort to talk to him. The second guy she meets is Clark, he\’s the librarian and historian who runs the historical society. Making her jump through hoops and disagreeing with every little change she wants to make to her newly acquired home. Viv is tangled, her body may want one sexy cowboy but she finds herself surprisingly attracted to the librarian. Surely she\’s not attracted to a man who wore elbow patches… Viv is embracing her new life and wants to get the wheels in motion on renovations to her new home, she is far from impressed when she realises she needed to run every thing through Clark… When it comes down to choosing a man is it the sexy cowboy with few words or the plaid elbow patch librarian who has her heart? You won\’t be disappointed.

Screwdrivered takes us away from the original couple of the series, Simon and Caroline (they do show up a few times) and introduces us to a new couple. Clark and Vivian. We met Viv briefly in the last book, she\’s an old friend of Simons, who has relocated to the Bay Area after inheriting an older house. It was a good book, not my favorite, I liked the first two a bit more than this one. I did however, love Clark. He was not at all your typical romantic Hero. He was more the hot nerd Hero. Button down shirts, creased chinos, tweed jackets with leather elbow patches, and glasses. But hot and sexy in his own way. Very much the typical librarian during the day, buttoned up, staunch, droll and an ultimate rule follower, but transforms in something else at night. Nighttime Clark, is open, friendly, funny and sweet, and flirty. My problem was with Viv. I found it hard to believe that someone as intelligent and street smart as Viv, could be so completely wrapped up in her romantic fantasy, that she tries to force her cowboy fantasy to fit her own story. She completely overlooks what\’s right in front of her. Even going so far as to openly flirt and come on to Clark. But never sees anyone for herself but Hank. Hank the cowboy who takes care of the horses on her property. Hank, who has a specific type of woman he dates (not Viv). He\’s rude to her, ignores her and only acknowledges her when Clark is near her. But he is all her fantasy allows her to see. This is definitely a slow burn romance. Clark and Viv don\’t spend a lot of time together. Mostly late night phone conversations. Not getting together until the end of the book. But it does have a great epilogue.

The plot line in one line: Bequeathed a large ocean-side house in California, avid romance reader Viv decides to renovate it and finds herself distracted by the physically stunning cowboy who looks after the horses on her land, but a less obvious suitor – a librarian called Clark – is waiting in the wings. The good and the bad: I was tickled how the author pokes fun at the romance genre tropes and stereotypes throughout this book. Viv is a successful and very intelligent businesswoman who is secretly obsessed with romance books and slips into daydreams about them throughout her day. Cue cheesy romance scenes as she remembers some of her favourite romance novels. I liked Alice Claytons style of writing but I have issues with some of the character development and the development of the relationship between the hero and heroine in this book. The book starts out slowly, giving us a chance to get to know Vivs character as she moves across the United States to her new home. I got a really good read on Viv and I dont mind a bit of a wait for the moment the hero and heroine meet but then I expect fireworks. At about the 20% mark, Clark makes his first appearance. I was excited to get to know him but never quite got a full grasp of his character, even by the end of the book. Hes initially made out to be geeky, stuffy and shy. At other times he seems self-assured, like he knows Viv is going to fall for him, before becoming withdrawn, Clark again. I felt like so much time was spent focussing on Vivs character and her lust for the cowboy, Hank, that we didnt get to know Clark as well as we should have. And just when things started to get a tiny bit more heated between Viv and Clark (via some phone calls), their relationship switched to slow-mode again before suddenly it was the end of the book and theyd gotten together. Talking of which, I felt a bit sorry for Clark at the end. SPOILER START You see, it wasnt until Viv finally had a smooch with Hank, and realised how terrible a kisser he was, that she had the epiphany that she loved Clark. What if Hank had been a great kisser? Would she have not had her epiphany? And moments after leaving Hank in the stables, she confesses her love to Clark, and he accepts her even though he knows shes been in the hay with Hank. SPOILER END. The end in general seemed a bit rushed, compared to the slow start. And while I know this book is about how real love doesnt turn out like romance novel, I had hoped wed see a lot more passion from Clark, with Viv being stunned by his sexuality. I mean, theres some sex right at the end but its short and I felt more could have been done with Clarks passion once he finally got the girl. Last thing (but does not contributed to the loss of stars) I have no idea why this book is called Screwdrivered beyond a passing reference to the cocktail.

I loved this latest addition to the series! It has some great humour and has you laughing throughout the book, even when Viv is being an idiot and you\’re shouting at her for being blind! I liked getting inside of the head of one of Simon\’s oldest and closest friends! Vivian is secretly obsessed with Romance novels, which is fine, except when her obsession nearly costs her the perfect guy! I loved Clark and at the end he certainly proved exactly why you should not judge a guy by his exterior cause Wow! When Viv finally realised what she had in front of her and gave him a chance he showed her that he can more then live up to her romance novel standards! So much more then Hank (the cowboy who she was convinced had to be her soul mate and had to have more layers then he presented, despite having been told by someone who knew him from infancy that there really wasn\’t any layers to peel back with him!) I also loved getting to see a little of Caroline and Simon, as well as Mimi and Ryan in this book as they pay Vivian a visit in her new home to help her out! I will say that this book will change your perception of Librarians and having you suddenly contemplating joining your local library in the hopes of finding your own Clark Barrow!

Galaxyaudiobook Member Benefit

- Able to comment

- List watched audiobooks

- List favorite audiobooks

- Bookmark will only available for Galaxyaudiobook member