Thursday, November 13, 2014

Book Review: Eight Days a Week by Amber L. Johnson

Andrew Lyons has been running from responsibility his entire life. Returning home after a couple of years abroad, he finds himself jobless and living in close quarters with a sister he can barely tolerate. At her request, he searches for a job on Craigslist, but finds a room for rent instead. Or so he thinks. 

Gwen Stone is in a lurch. With a new promotion at work and two young children at home, she’s in dire need of a caretaker. When Andrew shows up on her doorstep, she thinks he may be exactly what she’s looking for. When she offers him the job, he’s more than interested and she’s confident she’s made the right choice. 

It shouldn’t be awkward at all. 

But Andrew isn’t exactly forthcoming about his intentions, and Gwen has some secrets she’s unwilling to share. When the mom and the “manny” don’t have a clue what they’re doing, things are bound to get messy. 

What do you get with two kids who don’t know how to be kids, a man who never grew up, Beatles Rock Band, and hundreds of hours of kids’ TV? A very interesting job, indeed. But when emotions get in the way, there's more at stake than just an occupation. 

Because life doesn't have clock-out button. And neither does love.



REVIEW:

I really had a blast reading this book. I think Amber Johnson has created her own genre of... erotic comedy? Is that a thing? Well if it wasn't before, it is now. I laughed my ass off through so much of this story. 

This is actually told from Andrew's POV, which was a nice surprise and a pleasant change. We get to see inside the mind of a totally adorkable goofball while he finds himself falling in love and feeling like a grown up for the first time in his life. The story starts with Andrew crashing at his sister's place, putting off looking for a job that he sorely needs if he hopes to claim the rest of his inheritance from his grandfather. After his sister keeps prodding him to check Craigslist, he stumbles upon a dual ad: Room for Rent/Nanny for Hire. Wanting to get away from the prying eyes of his sister, he calls about the room, only to wind up in the middle of an interview for the position of live-in nanny.

Enter Gwen, frazzled and desperate, eager to hire Andrew on the spot just for a little peace of mind. She offers him free room and board plus salary to take care of the two young children who live there. Gwen is a bit secretive at first; Andrew can immediately tell something is a bit off about the kids and the entire family dynamic, However, he can't help but find Gwen sexy as hell, so he decides that he can sit back with a cushy job, earn his inheritance, and possibly seduce his boss in the process. 

Foolish Andrew, because he has no idea what he just signed up for. (This is where the comedy comes in.) His running commentary about trying to take care of two young children is hilarious, everything from the horrors of Nick, Jr programming to the emasculating hatchback that he has to drive them around in. That last one is a personal favorite of mine. He has so many scathing names for this car that each one is better than the last. There is even this amazing picture that I just had to share. 

Photo courtesy of We Like it Big Book Blog

The whole book isn't a comedy, however. There is plenty of drama, angst, and steamy hot lovin' mixed in as well. Both Andrew and Gwen have learning and growing to do; he needs to grow up and she needs to let loose. It doesn't take long before they realize that they might be good for each other, but it takes a lot longer before they start to believe it. 

I really loved this book. It was a fast, entertaining read that I didn't want to put down. It also had two of the sweetest children that I've ever read. I think my only complaint would be that the last little twist of angst felt slightly forced. It wasn't that it was written poorly or anything, it just felt like it was there because it had to be. That's just my own personal pet peeve, mostly because I saw it coming and I was left frustrated and wanting to throttle Gwen for blowing things out of proportion and being melodramatic. Then I wanted to throttle Andrew for letting her be that way for so long without demanding that she just shut up and listen to him. But hey, what good is a romance if you don't want to throttle at least one of the characters at some point? To me, the sign of a good author is one who can make me emotionally involved in any way at all. Believe me, though, once Andrew and Gwen finally do get past the last dramatic hurdle, grab some tissues and get ready for the sweetest book hangover when you're finished. 


About the Author
A true child of music, Amber's parents surrounded her with the loudest beats they could find, molding her into a girl who found inspiration and meaning in lyrics and chords. Raised on John Hughes movies, Luck Dragons, and pirate ships, she dreamed of love and adventure. When Amber began to create her own world, she envisioned a place where Happy Ever Afters do exist. Since then, she has authored several romance novels, all of which focus on songs and the way they can touch people's lives. Music may not be able to fix a broken heart, but it can provide one hell of a soundtrack for healing.

A full-time wife and mother with a full-time job, Amber finds her muse in everyday life and the people who bring her inspiration.

You can visit her blog here: www.amberlynnejohnson.com

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