Michele Renae

General info

Melissa, a food journalist, really wants to write a piece about the world famous, crazy expensive Sommer chocolates. She also really wants to prove that her grandmother is telling the truth about her younger days.
Maksim von Sommer is done with women, and with reporters. He has become a hermit who only works and tries to keep his family business afloat.
When Melissa appears at Maksim's front door he is not happy but she starts to grow n him. There's obviously some serious sexual tension between them and they really enjoy each other's company.
Add in a greedy ex, some thugs who want their money and the mysterious lost nudes and you've got yourself a story, this one.

Review

The general atmosphere of this book is great. Somehow it stays light and happy and romantic no matter what criminals or money hungry exes show up. There is always the atmosphere that Maks and Melissa would enjoy each other and possible fall in love, well, that is a given really. And I really like that. It makes the book positive and it made me happy when I was reading it.
The characters are also all great. Melissa, is a journalist who has seen life and has given up the chance of ever finding a guy who she can relax with enough to orgasm. She might be tough on the outside, but inside there is softness.
Maksim, a world famous chocolatier, has been hurt before. His trust has almost ruined the family business. He never wants to deal with romance ever again. Put Melissa and Maks together and you have a dream team. They learn to know each other and they learn to trust each other. This kind of made book ending a little predictable, but that is not always a bad thing. Together they try to create chocolate that would be mind-blowing and that would save Maks's family business. During that journey they fall in love and it is beautiful.

All in all this book is a happy and light read and it made me happy when reading it. It showcases a beautiful love story that keeps growing even after the ending. Melissa and Maks are two people who have gone through disappointments and loss in their lives and they truly deserve one another and their shared happiness. I truly recommend this book from the bottom of my heart.

* ARC received from the publisher through Netgalley… (mehr)

I was intrigued by both the setting (Paris) and the twist (the male and female lead only see each other through their windows). The setting turned out not to make much of a difference to the story. The twist was somewhat interesting, but the plot never came to fruition because this "book" is really only one third of a book, which for sales purposes has been labeled a "trilogy". So if you're interested in this book, I'd suggest you either get the whole "trilogy" rel="nofollow" target="_top">together, or don't bother.… (mehr)

Window by Michele Renae
(Book #1: Paris Secrets Trilogy)
Rating: 3½/5 stars

Following an awkward marriage proposal (which was totally refused!) our heroine moved to Paris to begin a new life. The fact that she speaks very little French is really not an issue as she works mostly from home as a private researcher. Her apartment is small but lovely, she is within walking distance to a wide variety of shops and, the neighborhood is generally very quiet and nice. And then one day, he moved in across the street and life in Paris just became far, far more interesting.

Monsieur Sexy is just that, chiseled and sexy and with a tendency to leave his curtains open. Totally comfortable with his body and not afraid to be seen, Monsieur Sexy is in no way embarrassed the day his neighbor catches him roaming around his room in nothing but his underwear. Though she is initially caught off guard, heroine recovers quickly and indicates from her side of the street and in front of her own open curtains her interest in Monsieur and perhaps seeing more of him. But, turnabout is fair play and heroine understand that she must be willing to give as good as she gets in order to make this strange new “relationship” both fair and balanced. And so, Monsieur Sexy and heroine set the ground rules: no names and no meeting out in the real world. Beyond these two small rules, anything goes.

For weeks and on a very regular basis, heroine and Sexy not only strut their stuff in front of their respective windows but find ways to pleasure themselves and one another too. At times the pleasure is simple and straight forward with one watching the other and at other times it is a bit more inventive and involved with toys coming into play. One particularly interesting and totally sexy addition to the games is the pair of sleek black Louboutins that both heroine and Sexy thoroughly enjoy. On more than one occasion, both heroine and Sexy respond quite favorably to heroine in nothing but her Louboutins. Make no mistake, these sexy encounters are not just enjoyed by heroine and Sexy alone! In fact, the naughty bits are some of the finest moments in this read and most would certainly warrant a re-read 

The Bottom Line: With all the gushiness above, how can I possibly be at just 3½ stars? This is a very good question and one I am prepared to answer so hold on to your hat. In general, I like the idea behind this story, the naughty bits are totally steamy and delectable and, the “relationship” actually does grow but, outside of all this, heroine drives me bat-shit crazy!! She is a woman who admittedly has a tendency to over think everything and in those moments, she shares every single ridiculous thought with you. Additionally, she has a tendency to use somewhat ridiculous words to describe some of the naughty bits. Case in point, she and Sexy share a Jack and Jill session and on occasion, she jills herself off. For me, any time heroine decided to “talk”, I lost interest  In fact, heroine’s voice so put me off that I put the book away for about a week before finally deciding to finish it. In the end, I am glad I finished the read as I really do like Monsieur Sexy, the naughty bits are really very good and, the end was just interesting enough to encourage me to buy the second book in the series.… (mehr)

Curse you, Michele Renae! I’ve never liked Paris, never wanted to go, never wanted to make a French guy mine. And you strive into my life, with your perfect book, and make all this go away! POOF! Just like that!

Window is a book that can’t be described in a few words – and yet, it’s still a book that needs just that, otherwise what’s the point? To fully experience it you NEED to read it, a humble review like mine can simply do it very little justice.

The main heroine – whose name we never find out – lives in Paris, with the best of jobs a bookworm could ask for. The apartment opposite of hers gets occupied by a… well, hunk is the closest term to what he is. Little by little, and with no contact beyond the glass, the couple develops some kind of relationship – no matter how odd it might seem.

And this is where we as readers come in.

Monsieur Sexy – as our heroine calls her male partner in mutual voyeurism – doesn’t get any name introduction, either, and we’re free to picture him any way we want. Besides, the narration is from the heroine’s POV, so all the better.

Oh, boy, this man is surely to die for! Because, yes, you guessed right, the guy has a killer body, fences, and is also a bespectacled computer geek (actually, he wears the glasses only when he’s working or reading, but let me keep my fantasy, ok?). Do I hear one thousand yet or what?

So, what do you get by reading this book in the end? Oh, my petites mignonnes, that’s easy to answer.

You get a fun, sexy short story that is the start for something breathtaking. You get a heroine who is sarcastic, witty, and so much so the woman we all want to be. She’s a bit afraid to open up and commit, but she’s been hurt in the past, and this is her way of coping. She’s comfortable with herself and doesn’t mind trying new things. She understands that we only get to live once, and we should never let a chance pass us by without grasping it. In just a few pages, this fictional woman takes us through Paris in a way that made even me wish to go live there, and tells of something that has nothing to envy from the greatest love stories humanity’s romantic literature ever gave to us.

You also get a hero that is no less solid than those heroes we actually know by name and clear appearance. Monsieur Sexy may have been in his skivvies for the most part of the story, but that didn’t stop our heroine from seeing the kind, cute, shy, respectable and funny guy behind his abs an “sword” – or us from that matter.

So curse you again, Renae! For making this gal wish what she rarely wishes – to be in the heroine’s sexy Louboutins and live such an amazing experience myself!

***I was given an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinion stated in this review is solely mine, and no compensation was given or taken to alter it.***… (mehr)