Book Tour and Giveaway: The Winner takes it all by Jennifer Dawson
The Winner Takes It All on December 2nd 2014 Pages: 352
Format: eARC
Buy on Amazon US, Buy on Amazon UK
For two stubborn people…
 Corporate mogul Shane Donovan sees the ultra-cool, collected Cecilia Riley as an ice queen—even if he can’t deny that, on the surface, she’s a work of perfection his body can’t ignore. Forced to spend two weeks in the same house for his sister’s upcoming wedding, Shane senses that deep down Cecilia mirrors his need. And he’s determined to draw her into a sexy game that will melt away her reserve...
Losing is not an option…
 Career-driven Cecilia Riley has just enough free time in her schedule to head out of town for her brother’s wedding. But her agenda is thrown for a loop by the presence of Shane. Though his over-confident attitude leaves a lot to be desired, his insanely hot body has kept Cecilia up nights. Unsure what game Shane is playing, Cecilia takes the bait, bent on resisting him at all costs.
Â
Buy Links: Amazon | Barnes | iBooks | Kobo
Review:
ARC generously provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
Everyone has a dream as a child of what they want to be when they grow up Cecilia Riley’s was different then anyone elses, she didn’t want to be a princess or a world famous rock star. She wanted to be a politician, ever since she can remember. She has worked her entire life to get to a position where she now finally has a chance to get her life’s dream.
Cece in simple words is complicated as well fiercely guarded. She has worked tirelessly to achieve a dream she had since she was a child, that just shows how strong, intelligent and independent she is. But what is doesn’t show is that beneath that ice-queen exterior is woman who wants someone to understand and love her even though she believes herself to undeserving of it. Cece at that start of the book is a very different woman than the one that finally gets her happy ending. At the start she is conflicted and stuck in a place where she feels she has no choice but to go through with it. Throughout the book we see the ‘real’ Cece and see her development from a womam with only a dream to the fun, slightly emotional, loving but still a very strong and intelligent woman.  I really liked her, I thought I wouldn’t with how she was at the start but she won me over completely.
Shane Donovan is the very handsome Corporate mogul but he isn’t without his own issues. He is caretaker in his family which is why he tends to be bossy and believes that he’s always right.
Shane was wonderful, he loves his family very much and would do anything for them because of his childhood he feels like he has constantly make more money for his family and always feels slightly threatened that it would all go away. He’s a workaholic. Shane is a genuinely good guy, who did everything in his will power to make his families live better in any way he could but nevertheless can’t help but feel that he failed them.
Cece and Shane have disliked each other from the first time they met at their siblings engagement party. Now those siblings are getting married and they are stuck in one house for weeks. Cece is the groom’s sister and Shane is the bride’s brother.
I loved Cece and Shane together. From their first scene in this book their connection and chemistry was evident. They are literally opposites of each other from the way they interact with others to which football team they support. They both have very strong wills though, neither is willing to back down. Their relationship was funny, exciting, at times emotional and passionate. Their banter was also wonderful to read. They both cared and loved each other so much and were willing to do and give up so much for each other. Shane brings the best and worst (its a matter of opinion) in Cece making her more human. From the moment Shane sees that Cece is more than the ice-queen she pretends to be, that she feels attracted toward him as well, it’s game on. Some of the best scenes were of them baiting and teasing each other. It bears mentioning again Wow! that chemistry was explosive.
The secondary character were also interesting and very intriguing. I cannot wait to read Gracie and James book (who FYI will be getting the next book in the series) because they are opposites too and I do love that trope in romance.
I really liked the realistic scenario of a child’s dream and the way that the parents impact the child’s behavior from an early age. Just because you have a dream of being a politician as a child shouldn’t make you feel forced to follow that dream later in life especially when you no longer know what you want to do, in that path lies misery.
Quibbles: The day I don’t have a quibble, that’s the day hell freezes over guys. Firstly I hated Cece’s father with a passion, what a bastard he was. Using his daughter as a scapegoat and treating her like an accessory to be used when needed and discarded when not. Secondly, View Spoiler » and lastly I just felt like Cece’s family namely her mother and brother, they should have been there for her and not made her feel like an outsider though they do come around.
This is the first time I ever read a book from the author and this book will definitely not be the last. Overall, I loved this book. This book was a gem! It had it just the right amount of everything you love in a romance, strong and sexy leads, a interesting plot and it left with a happy sigh. I really look forward to reading the next book in the series. Though this is the second book in the series Something New but it can be read as a standalone. I hadn’t read the first book but it didn’t effect my enjoyment of this book at all. Happy Reading!Â
Please go to the end of the post to enter the giveaway!.
Author Info
Jennifer Dawson grew up in the suburbs of Chicago and graduated from DePaul University with a degree in psychology. She met her husband at the public library while they were studying. To this day she still maintains she was NOT checking him out. Now, over twenty years later, they’re married and living in a suburb right outside of Chicago with two awesome kids and a crazy dog.
Despite going through a light FM, poem writing phase in high school, Jennifer never grew up wanting to be a writer (she had more practical aspirations of being an international super spy). Then one day, suffering from boredom and disgruntled with a book she’d been reading, she decided to put pen to paper. The rest, as they say, is history.
These days Jennifer can be found sitting behind her computer, writing her next novel, chasing after her kids, keeping an ever watchful eye on her ever growing to-do list, and NOT checking out her husband.
Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads
Rafflecopter Giveaway (Two Print bundles of the Something New series, including: Take a Chance on Me and The Winner Takes It All)
a Rafflecopter giveaway
About Jennifer Dawson
Jennifer Dawson grew up in the suburbs of Chicago and graduated from DePaul University with a degree in psychology. She met her husband at the public library while they were studying. To this day she still maintains she was NOT checking him out. Now, over twenty years later, they’re married and living in a suburb right outside of Chicago with two awesome kids and a crazy dog.
Despite going through a light FM, poem writing phase in high school, Jennifer never grew up wanting to be a writer (she had more practical aspirations of being an international super spy). Then one day, suffering from boredom and disgruntled with a book she’d been reading, she decided to put pen to paper. The rest, as they say, is history.
These days Jennifer can be found sitting behind her computer, writing her next novel, chasing after her kids, keeping an ever watchful eye on her ever growing to-do list, and NOT checking out her husband.
Thank you for hosting today!