Rom Com Glom

I recently had a mini romantic comedy DVD fest—all in the name of research, of course. I was looking for beta hero inspiration, and… Okay, okay. I was looking for some light relief from my thesis, so I turned to my film genre of choice: The Romantic Comedy. I watched The Proposal, which I adored. And then I asked my Facebook friends for recommendations. I spent a weekend watching these three:
* What’s Your Number
* 27 Dresses
* P.S. I Love You

 I really really wanted to love What’s Your Number because my friends’ enthusiasm was so intense. And it’s a hilarious film, and I love the two leads, and they did belong together and… And I couldn’t get beyond the gender politics. Folks, this is what happens when you do a PhD on romance and feminism. I know the romantic comedy genre is supposed to be tongue-in-cheek and not to be taken seriously, but…

Simply put, the premise is if a woman has slept with 20 men (so a magazine article claims), she’s unlikely to ever find love, marriage, and a happy ever after. Guess how many men the heroine has slept with? That’s right—20. Her solution isn’t to blow raspberries at said magazine article. No, it’s to panic and not sleep with any more men, and to go back and check out all of the men she’s already slept with because Mr Right must be there somewhere. On the surface, the movie seemed to avoid slut-shaming. But… As this magical number 20 didn’t apply to men, the double standard was too glaring. And that made me mad.

27 Dresses had more of an emotional hit without as much madcap hilarity. To my mind it’d make a better book than movie, because there were times when the heroine did things that seemed out of character and had me scratching my head. If I’d had access to her internal thoughts, though, I expect I’d have been more on-board. It was a lovely film, though.

I actually didn’t expect to like P.S. I Love You very much. I thought it’d be a bit too sentimental and saccharine. But it was my favourite of these three, and I’m looking forward to watching it again. In the interests of full disclosure, though, it wasn’t really a romance (and that might be a spoiler if you haven’t seen the movie—sorry). It was a story of grief and growth, and I loved that aspect of it.

I didn’t love any of them as much as I love The Proposal. I’ve watched The Proposal twice now, and I think it simply holds together better than the other movies. It has an internal logic that’s compelling—everything follows on naturally from what came before which is a mark of good storytelling. The two leads are intriguing and ultimately likeable, and the heroine’s character arc is a joy to watch. It has a HUGE hit of emotion that made me cry. There’s a big sacrifice. There’s a big declaration. And there’s a happy ever after. And that’s pretty much what I want in a romantic comedy, be it a film or book.

What about you? Have you discovered a romantic comedy this year that you adored? Let me know, because I’d be super-keen to check it out. :)

Sunday Smooch with Stefanie London

Welcome to another LoveCats DownUnder Sunday Smooch!

Today we have a smooch from but first 


... the winner of last week's Sunday Smooch Giveaway is Jayne.


Can you please contact ally@allyblake.com to receive your prize.


And now for today's Sunday Smooch from Trouble Next Door


McKenna Prescott is the queen of picking the wrong men. When her latest boyfriend dumps her, she decides to devote her time to “exploring herself” (read: drinking wine and ordering sex toys online) and starting her freelance makeup business. That is, until an embarrassing delivery mix-up puts her sexy, gruff neighbor in her path…


Beckett Walsh is married to his job…which is a deal-breaker for the woman he’s supposed to be marrying. Even worse, his would-be father-in-law has pulled support from Beckett’s startup and now Beckett stands to lose everything. But the gorgeous, crazy makeup artist from down the hall has an equally crazy but mutually beneficial idea: if he convinces his sister to hire McKenna for her high-society wedding, McKenna will teach him about what women want so he can get his fiancée back.

Scene set-up
McKenna is at Beckett's place after a particularly heinous family dinner, where her mother was up to her usual antics and making McKenna feel like crap.

Smooch  -

The tears threatened again, but she fought them back. There was still time to get out of here with the last of her dignity intact. It might only be a shred, but it was hers and she needed it. She held his gaze for a moment before attempting to stand. But Beckett’s hand reached for hers and she stilled. Frozen.

“If they can’t see what a kind and creative person you are, then f**k ’em.”

McKenna blinked. She hadn’t ever heard Beckett swear before, and it took her by surprise. But now that she looked closer, his expression wasn’t so hard to read after all. His eyes were like blue fire—shimmering and flickering with intensity. His mouth pressed into a hard line, his jaw ticking with effort. And his fingers wrapped around her wrist, burning through the thin fabric of her top.

He was angry. For her.

No one had ever been angry on her behalf before.

Her breath stuck in her throat.

He was closer now. When had that happened? While she was crying into her ice cream? The couch suddenly seemed small, like it was pushing them together.

“Maybe they’re right,” she said, a lump clogging her throat. “Maybe I am wasting my potential.”

They hadn’t said that exactly, but the message had been clear. Though whether it was because they thought her capable of more or because they simply couldn’t conceive that someone who shared their DNA wasn’t a genius,

McKenna wasn’t sure.

“What do you want to do?” he asked.

I want to kiss you.

No. Wrong answer. But the thought hovered and tendrils of desire wound through her. Her breath hissed out between her lips like a silent yes. She wanted him. Badly.

“I…” She shook her head, trying to see through the fog. But it didn’t work. “I…”

She shifted on the couch, digging her knees into the soft, comfortable cushions so that she was closer to him. Her head and heart couldn’t align, the mixed signals clashing until it was all white noise.

“I don’t know,” she whispered, reaching her hand out to touch his face. His skin was soft, cleanly shaven. And damn he smelled incredible—like cologne and fresh cotton. “Or maybe I do.”

“McKenna.” His breath was warm against her palm, and she brushed her fingertip over the corner of his mouth.

He was still holding her other hand captive, like her touch had frozen him solid. But he wasn’t retreating, wasn’t backing away. Maybe he wanted it, too…?

The force with which his lips crashed down on hers took her by surprise, but she yielded. Quickly. Completely. He threaded one hand into the hair at the back of her head, cupping her skull. It was incredibly intimate. Possessive. He pushed his tongue between her lips and she almost groaned when it made contact with her own.

He was soft and hard. Demanding and coaxing. Perfect.

Stefanie is giving away an ebook copy of Trouble Next Door. To enter the giveaway, answer the following question:

Have you ever had a crazy neighbour? What did they do to drive you nuts?

Come back next Sunday, when the winner of today's giveaway will be announced and another smooch will be posted!

Sunday Smooch with....Louisa George

Welcome to another LoveCats DownUnder Sunday Smooch!

Today we have a smooch from Louisa George, but first ...

the winner of last week's Sunday Smooch Giveaway is Mary Lawson!

Mary, can you please email: Annie (at) annie-west (dot) com to receive your copy of The Italian’s Bold Reckoning!

And now for today's Sunday Smooch from Louisa George's new fun contemporary romance, Something About You

Back cover blurb:

Will they risk their friendship for a night of unbridled passion?

A broken heart …
Widow Jenna Cassidy-Pearce has had her one love of a lifetime. Now she’s fine being single and focusing on her new floristry business, raising her daughter and spending time with her friends. On top of all that she’s also organizing a very secret wedding for her sister, the wedding-shy wedding planner. Jenna’s life is a whirlwind of busy-but-in-control, and that’s just how she likes it – it keeps the loneliness and the longing at bay. So when old friend Nick Welsh comes back into her life she's not prepared for the onslaught of emotions and unwelcome lust she feels for him.

A damaged soldier …
After surviving bombs and bombshells that damaged his life and destroyed all trust, ex army officer Nick Welsh has returned to London for a quiet life. He definitely does not want to get embroiled in Jenna's chaotic one, but there's something about the spirited redhead with the sparkling blue eyes and complete inability to sit still that makes him keep seeking her out, and there’s a whole lot of chemistry he just can't deny.
The healing power of love
Is he ready to trust again? And can he teach Jenna that everyone deserves another chance at love?

Kiss Scene:-  Set up: Good friends Jenna and Nick are fighting an unbidden attraction. Earlier in the day he’d been called out to a crime scene and found Jenna there…innocent and panicking. He’s just called round to check in on her, brought dinner and is avoiding any kind of meaningful conversation and that’s frustrating the heck out of her…

For a few minutes, they put lids on the leftover food, scrunched up the paper bags and wiped down the counters. In silence. She didn’t know what to say, what to do. But when they’d scrubbed the table until there was little evidence of any varnish, she knew they had to do something. ‘Right, well, thanks for the food, but I’m bushed and it’s getting late, so I should get some sleep.’

            His shoulders were hunched and his face was grim. ‘Okay, I get the message. I’m going.’

            It was funny, though. Even though they could barely speak to each other, she felt as if there was something tugging them open, making them face things they didn’t want to face, making things deeper between them. Deeper, but still very raw. Her heart was aching to make things right.

            Maybe a good argument was what made friendships better, lasting, deeper. Only time was going to tell. She walked him to the door. ‘I’ll think about the running club.’

            He nodded. ‘Good, I’m sure you’ll enjoy it. Oh, and don’t go attacking anyone with flowers, okay?’

            ‘Okay. Even though it clearly runs in the family.’

            ‘I’ll keep my distance then.’ He looked at her and she at him, and she could see so many emotions flicking through his eyes. Something he wanted, something he needed. Something hungry and scary and also exciting in equal measure. He turned and tugged the door open, taking a step towards it.

            But then he stopped, his breath quickening as he faced her. Troubled. Struggling to find words. ‘No, actually, I won’t. You want to know things about me? About what I think? How I feel?’

            The way he was looking at her, she wasn’t sure she did want to know. But she wanted him to stay.

Yes. She wanted to know everything about him. How he felt in her arms, how he kissed. How he made love. How he felt about her—about this. ‘I—’

            ‘You want me to say it out loud? Do you?’ He didn’t wait for her to speak. ‘How about how freaked I was when I saw you on the floor in that house?’

            ‘Well, you weren’t exactly expecting me to be there.’

            ‘It wasn’t just shock.’ His hand dropped from the door handle and he took a step closer to her. Closer still. He filled the space in front of her. All she could see was the ardent look on his face, the way he was trying to stop the words. The intense gaze in his eyes. The broad chest of a man more used to exercise than sleep. She could smell his scent of clean and citrus, and she moved closer to it. ‘There was a lot more going on.’

            The awkward irritation of before melted into something intense. The whole room felt alive with it. Her heart started to hammer. Her mouth was wet and dry, and she could barely force words out. All her senses were heightened to his smell, his voice, the heat shimmering off him. ‘What did you feel?’

            His eyes glittered. ‘That I’m in deep trouble.’

            Heat pooled in her belly and spread fast through her whole body. ‘What kind of trouble?’     

            ‘Big, big trouble. The biggest. There’s something about you, Jenna….’ His thumb ran over her bottom lip and his gaze locked on to hers. ‘When we were sitting on that wall, I couldn’t think straight. I should have been making sure you were okay, or taking you home, or going back to work. I should have been the man. Looking after you, doing a ton of other things, but all I could think of was how much I wanted to…’

            She couldn’t move. Couldn’t think. Didn’t want to imagine—no, she imagined a whole lot. Wanted to live it too. ‘Wanted to what?’

            ‘To do this.’ His fingers cupped her face and drew her towards him. His head tilted and his mouth slid over hers with gentle pressure.

            Her breath stopped in her lungs as her body began to tingle, then tremble.

            But he drew slowly back, a question in his eyes. Is this okay?

            She couldn’t find any words. Despite everything she knew, or thought she knew, this man… this amazing, beautiful, complicated man did want to kiss her.

            It had been so long, too long. What if she did the wrong thing? What if she messed up or he didn’t like the way she responded? How do you kiss?

            Geez, you’re twenty-bloody-six. Get a grip.

            Instinct took over and she tugged him back to her, opening her mouth and tasting him—tasting the wine and something that was pure male, pure Nick.

            She wound her hands around his neck and pressed herself against him as he deepened the kiss, his tongue slipping into her mouth making her knees almost buckle.

            How do you kiss?

            Like this and this and this and this and…

            Her eyes fluttered open, and over his shoulder she could see the dark night sky through the open doorway. A smattering of stars, the glow of a streetlight. The noise of the road filtered through, and she blocked it out. Blocked all reality, all good sense, all reasoning. Because this was her one chance. They both knew it would never, could never, happen again.

            She groaned against him as his hands ran along her neck, to her shoulders, caressing her, stroking her, and for one beautiful moment, she felt as light as those stars and blazing as hot. Hotter.

            But suddenly, too soon, he pulled away then pressed his forehead against hers. ‘God, Jen, I’m sorry.’

            ‘No, don’t be sorry, Nick. Please, bloody well don’t be.’ She was still shaking, every part of her off balance because of him, because of that kiss. She held on to his shoulders to stabilise herself. Kissing was one thing, collapsing certainly wouldn’t look good. ‘That was amazing.’

            ‘And really dumb. I’m the last thing you need.’ Stepping back, he put distance between them, it might as well have been light years. He had no idea what she needed. Right now, it was a lot more kissing.

Louisa is giving away a digital copy of her book to one lucky commenter!  So her question to you is:

What is your favourite romantic movie and why?

Come back next Sunday, when the winner of today's giveaway will be announced -- and a smooch from lovely guest Clare Connelly will be posted!

Sunday Smooch with Stefanie London

Welcome to another LoveCats DownUnder Sunday Smooch!


Today we have a smooch from Stefanie London but first...... the winner of last week's Sunday Smooch Giveaway is Tammy!




Can you please contact amy (at) amyandrews (dot) com (dot) au to receive your prize.






And now for today's Sunday Smooch from Betting the Bad Boy....

It's as been A LONG time between drinks for my Behind the Bar series, but I have finally given Noah his HEA. If you haven't read the other two books in the series, not to worry. They work perfectly as standalone stories and can be enjoying in any order. 

Paige and Noah are working together, but she has a rule about not dating colleagues. But Noah isn't one to follow the rules.

“Come on, live a little.” He grinned. “Even Little Miss Perfect has to let her hair down sometimes. Would it help if I made you a bet?”

“Now why would you do that? As my boss, you’re supposed to be setting a good example.”

“Paige, I’ve never been a good example for anyone.” The smile turned from cheeky to wolfish. “And that’s just the way I like it.”

“You think you’re so charming.” She folded her arms across her chest, trying to muster all the bravado in her

arsenal. Which, admittedly, wasn’t much. “But I hate to break it to you, I’m immune.”

“Got that vaccine, huh? Good girls like you always think they’re immune.”

“I am.” She stuck her nose in the air. “I mean, you’re attractive. But you’re not my type. Sorry.”

“Really?” His eyes glinted. “So if I kissed you now you wouldn’t feel a thing?”

He was calling her bluff. The smart thing to do would be to back down and hightail it out of the bar. But Paige’s love of competition ran deep. He’d ignited the side that needed to win—and right now, with everything that was going on in her life, she was craving a win.

“I’m afraid not. Good looks aren’t enough for me. I need spark.” She waved her hand around, taunting him. “Chemistry.”

What are you doing? This is your boss. This job is the only thing keeping your dreams a oat right now.

“You think we don’t have chemistry?” He raised a brow. 

“I don’t,” she lied. “But you’re welcome to try.” The instant the words popped out of her mouth she regretted them. She’d given him the green light to test her boundaries. To kiss her.

Better go home and pack those bags. You’re done for.

“I’ll do the right thing and give you to the count of three to back down.”

Shit. This was getting too real, too fast.

“One.” His hand came up to her face, the backs of his knuckles tracing along her cheek in a featherlight touch.

Say something.

“Two.” His hand curled around her jaw, sliding back until his ngers threaded into her hair.

Say something. Now!

“Last chance, Paige.” His eyes were dancing, wild and untamed. He looked like he wanted to devour her. 
“Three.”

The kiss was hard at first. Bruising. Desperate. But then he slowed things down. One hand pressed into her lower back, forcing her body against his, and the other cradled her head while his tongue brushed against hers. 

He played her body like an instrument. Stroking. Maneuvering. Guiding. And his kiss scorched her insides until she was sure she’d turn to dust in his arms. 

For a chance to win an ebook copy of Betting the Bad Boy (Amazon account required) tell me who your favourite workplace romance couple is! It can be from a book, TV or movie.

Come back next Sunday, when the winner of today's giveaway will be announced!

Sunday Smooch - Loving the Odds

Welcome to another LoveCats DownUnder Sunday Smooch!

Today we have a smooch from Stefanie London but first 


... the winner of last week's Sunday Smooch Giveaway is ladiemarcie.!!


Can you please contact annie (at) annie-west (dot) com to receive your copy of A VOW TO SECURE HIS LEGACY.


And now for today's Sunday Smooch from LOVING THE ODDS.

Risk analyst Bailey Reuben might be in Las Vegas, but the last thing on her mind is sin. She’s there to find her jerk of an ex and get her grandfather’s watch back. Instead, she finds a smoking hot stranger. A stranger with a crazy plan to help her retrieve her family heirloom and get revenge. It’s a bad idea—she calculates risks for a living, after all—but she can’t say no.

Bad boy PR guru Lance Fulton is all about helping the gorgeous, quirky Bailey. She’s in desperate need of some fun, and pretending to be her new boyfriend is the perfect way to help her see how sexy she is, get the watch, and show her ex what he’s missing. But the more they get to know each other—and the hotter their attraction burns—the higher the probability one of them will end up with a broken heart…

Set up: Bailey and Lance are sharing a hotel room after her spontaneous decision to stay in Las Vegas for the weekend. There’s a lot of instant attraction between then, but Bailey’s been burned before and she’s unsure how to deal with her attraction to Lance. Luckily for her, Lance isn’t to shy about going after what he wants.

“I’m not one of those people who uses literally when they mean figuratively,” she said.

“I’m sure you use the correct word at all times.” His lip twitched but he managed to keep a straight face.

“Oh, I try to. Grammar is very important and not enough people take care with it.” She paused. “Hang on; you’re teasing me, aren’t you?”

“Me, never.” He put a hand to his chest in mock sincerity. “I’m a total gentleman.”

The fine arch of her brows said it all. “Riiiight.”

“You wound me.”

She laughed. “Want me to kiss it better?”

It was a saying, a colloquialism…he knew that. But those six little words managed to suck all the air out of his lungs and disconnect his body from his brain. He stepped forward and her breath hitched. The blacks of her pupils ate away at the electric rim of blue around them.

“What did you say, Bailey?” His voice came out roughhewn. Edgy.

“I just meant…” She sucked in a breath and mashed her lips together.

Desperate desire rushed through him. He wanted to press his lips to her throat and see if her pulse was racing the same as his. What would it be like to drag his lips across her skin? Would she taste as clean and fresh as she smelled?

“It was a joke,” she whispered. Her tongue darted out to touch the corner of her mouth and that flash of pink totally undid him. “I think.”

The space shrunk between them as he closed in. “You think?”

“I don’t know.” She stood rooted to the ground. “What if it wasn’t?”

“Are you saying you want to kiss me, Bailey?”

Her lips parted as if in invitation and her hands came up to his chest automatically. The soft, feathery touch of her fingers through his T-shirt stoked the fire inside him. She moved her hands over his pecs and up to his shoulders. The movement was gentle, but passion flickered across her face like a flame.

“I’m still deciding.” She pressed her sweet little body against him, her bare thighs lining up with his.

The delicate swirl of her hips forced his blood south. He was hard as f**king steel. “You’re still deciding?”

“Well, I don’t usually kiss random men. Actually, I’ve never been one to kiss much and there’s a chance I may not be good at it.” Her brows creased but her hands fisted into the cotton of his T-shirt. 

“At least that’s what I’ve been told.”

“You’re giving me some very mixed signals right now.” His face hovered inches from hers, their breath mingling in the air between them.

“I want to kiss you, but…” Her lips quivered. “I’m scared.”

“Why don’t we take it slow?” Lance brushed his mouth over hers. It was more a whisper than a kiss. 

“Glacial, even.”

“Glacial,” she sighed as he slid his hands up the back of her neck to cradle her head. “I like that.”

His thumbs stroked her ears as he kissed one corner of her mouth and then the other. Slow.  Soft. Her fresh scent curled around him.

“That feels good,” she murmured, her eyes fluttering shut.

He traced his tongue along the seam of her mouth and she opened for him, her lips glistening and shiny like ripe fruit. When he leaned in again, her tongue came out to meet his and he moaned into her mouth.

I love the idea of having a crazy story about how people met their significant other. Lance and Bailey will certainly have quite the tale for their grandkids one day!

How did you meet your significant other (or anyone else important in your life, like a best friend)? Leave a comment below to be in a running to win an ebook copy of Loving the Odds.

Come back next Sunday, when the winner of today's giveaway will be announced and another smooch will be posted!

My Top 12 Romantic Comedies

Today we have a guest in at the LoveCats: Claire Baxter. Claire writes gorgeous romances with a good dollop of humour, so she's here talking about her love of romantic comedies. Welcome, Claire!

I love romantic comedies – both books and movies. However, when I’m asked which movies I would recommend, my mind often goes completely blank and so I decided to make a list of my favorite romantic comedies. How does it compare with yours?

 12. The African Queen
Straight-laced missionary Rose Sayer (Katherine Hepburn) persuades crass riverboat captain Charlie Allnut (Humphrey Bogart) to use his boat to attack an enemy warship.


 

11. Notting Hill
A world-famous American actress (Julia Roberts) and an adorable, British independent bookstore owner (Hugh Grant) with a group of quirky friends. 


 

10. Serendipity
A couple (John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale) reunite years after the night they first met, fell in love, and separated, convinced that one day they'd end up together.


 

9. Four Weddings and a Funeral
A bumbling Englishman (Hugh Grant) repeatedly runs into the love of his life (Angie MacDowell) at—you guessed it—four weddings and a funeral. 


 

8. While You Were Sleeping
Ticket collecting romantic (Sandra Bullock) pretends to be engaged to an unconscious man but can't fool his brother (Bill Pullman).


 

7. One Fine day
Melanie Parker (Michelle Pfeiffer), an architect and mother of Sammy, and Jack Taylor (George Clooney), a newspaper columnist and father of Maggie.


 

6. The Proposal
A pushy boss (Sandra Bullock) forces her assistant (Ryan Reynolds) to marry her in order to keep her Visa status in the U.S. and avoid deportation to Canada.


 

5. My Big Fat Greek Wedding
A young Greek woman (Nia Vardalos) falls in love with a non-Greek (Michael Constantine) and struggles to get her family to accept him while she comes to terms with her.



 

4. Love Actually
Follows the lives of eight very different couples in dealing with their love lives in various loosely interrelated tales all set during a frantic month before Christmas in London.

3. Bridget Jones’s DiaryBridget Jones (Renée Zellweger) is the British singleton who falls for Daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant) and eventually, Mark Darcy (Colin Firth). 

2. Lars and the Real Girl
Socially-inept Lars (Ryan Gosling) dates a life-size sex doll, and the entire town goes to great lengths to accept her. His relationship with ‘Bianca’ allows him to talk to co-worker Margo (Kelli Garner).

 

1. Amélie
A quirky waitress (Audrey Tatou) sends her secret crush (Matthieu Kassovitz) photos and riddles masking her identity in order to make their first encounter the most romantic moment of her life.


Nearly made it:
The following movies could easily have been in my Top 12, but they were just edged out by those above.
 
When Harry Met Sally
Harry (Billy Crystal) and Sally (Meg Ryan) have known each other for years, and are very good friends, but they fear sex would ruin the friendship.
 

Return to Me
A man (David Duchovny) who falls in love with the woman (Minnie Driver) who received his wife's heart must decide which woman it is who holds his heart.
 
Must Love Dogs
Sarah Nolan (Diane Lane), a forty-something preschool teacher, looks to the personals for a relationship where she meets Jake Anderson (John Cusack) who makes handcrafted boats.
 
About a Boy
Cynical, immature Will Lightman (Hugh Grant) is taught how to act like a grown-up by a little boy, the son of a depressed single mother (Toni Collette).  

Now, these four romantic comedies below have been recommended to me, but I haven’t seen them yet.
 
(500) days of summer
Silver Linings Playbook
Truly Madly Deeply
Roman Holiday
 
Will any of them bump off one of my Top 12, do you think? And are there any others that would make your Top 12?